YOU ALREADY WON

James 4:7

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.

The devil is like a roaring lion seeking whomever he may devour. While the thought of that may be frightening, we ought to remember the lesson John taught us in 1 John 4:4: “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won your fight with these false prophets, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” We may feel weak when dealing with the temptations of the devil, but Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Remember, if you've accepted the gift of Christ, the victory is already yours. All that's left to do is to resist the Devil.

WALK CLOSELY TO HEAR EVERYTHING

Psalm 25:12

Who are those who fear the Lord? He will show them the path they should choose.

I was asked by a graduating senior how to choose the right things in life and how to know for sure if you're choosing correctly. My answer was to ask The One who knows everything, God. King David understood that those who feared the Lord would be shown the right paths to take. Later, Solomon would teach us in Proverbs 9:10, “Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in understanding.” If you want to know what to do you've got to walk closely with God because He already knows your destiny. Ask Him for the wisdom to understand the choices before you. Do you feel that you're walking closely enough with God for you to hear His voice and instruction? Do you live daily with a fear and reverence of the Almighty One?

REACHING FOR US

John 19:30

When Jesus had tasted it, he said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

I heard this story about two men discussing how to get into Heaven. One was a Christian and the other didn't know Christ. The Christian asked, “Would you like to know the big difference between your religion and my faith?” The other man replied, “Sure, what is it?” The saved man said, “Yours has two letters in it, while mine has four. Yours says ‘Do’ while mine says ‘Done.’” Religion is man’s futile way of reaching up to connect with God, while Christianity is about knowing that God’s reaching down to our sinful world to those with whom He has a relationship. Men were saved from the perils of hell when Jesus completed God's work with His death upon the cross. Paul taught us in Ephesians 2:8-9 that, “God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” You have to receive the gift of Jesus in your life as Savior and the basic work for your life will have been completed. Is God's finished work in your life apparent to those around you? Can people tell whether or not you're saved by grace?

IT'S NOT ABOUT US

2 Corinthians 4:5

We don't go around preaching about ourselves; we preach Christ Jesus, the Lord. All we say about ourselves is that we are your servants because of what Jesus has done for us.

I am passionate about seeing Christians reach out to share the Gospel. Paul taught us in Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” I once read a story about a building contractor that had accepted Christ as his Savior. The builder said to all of his carpenters, plumbers, and painters, “Boys, we are having a meeting down at the church. Nobody will work on my job here from 10 to 11am.” One worker said, “I don't care to go to church. I’ll stay here and work.” The contractor replied, “Nobody is going to work on my job while the preacher is down at my church trying to have a revival. We are all going down there.” Now there’s an example of a man that passionately wanted people to hear the Gospel. What have you personally been doing to make sure the Gospel is shared with the unsaved?

KNOW THE BIBLE INTIMATELY

1 Timothy 6:20-21

Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness. May God's grace be with you all.

God has entrusted us the with Holy Word, the Bible, which unfortunately is sometimes used also by those that would like to destroy the body of Christ. If you recall the temptation of Jesus Christ, Satan actually quoted scriptures to tempt Jesus. He told Jesus that according to the Bible, if Jesus would request it, angels would come and rescue Him as it was written in Psalm 91:12. Jesus recognized the temptation and rebuked Satan. We have to get to know the Word of God intimately in order to recognize incorrect usages of scripture. I’ve seen people that have entertained false applications of the Bible and were made to believe that they were even teaching truths. Many of those have distanced themselves from the church or have ceased to truly study the Word. When the time comes, will you be able to spot a counterfeit?

GOD'S SECRET PLAN

Colossians 2:2

My goal is that they will be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have full confidence because they have complete understanding of God's secret plan, which is Christ himself.

God's secret plan was revealed over 2,000 years ago, but people today are still blinded by the greedy and deceitful Satan. I read a story about man who was commenting on the construction of a cathedral. He was heard saying, “Just look at that cathedral being built! What’s it going to cost? Maybe millions? It would be a better credit to the folks who are building it if they’d improve the lot of the people who live in the slums down here.” There is no wrong in building a huge edifice for God, but we ought never forget that what’s most important is that Jesus came to seek and save the lost because he loves his brothers and sisters. Our main purpose is to tell the world about God’s secret plan, Christ himself. Who was the last person you shared God's secret plan with?

WHEN GOD'S POWER WORKS BEST

2 Corinthians 12:9

Each time he said, "My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me.

The quicker that we humble ourselves after recognizing that we need God, the faster we can avail of His gracious favor. Paul is joyful about his weaknesses because he understood that the power of God’s gracious favor takes effect when we reach for Him in times of weakness. A surgeon once asked a young assisting doctor, “Who do you consider the most important person in this room?” The intern was caught by surprise and replied, “You are, Sir.” The doctor shook his head in disagreement and the intern changed his response to, “Well, I suspect it would be the nurses who assist you, sir.” The surgeon said, “No, the most important individual in this operating room is the patient.” Similarly, when we give our life over to God recognizing that we are weak, we immediately gain His attention and favor. Do you have God's favor in your life right now?

TRUTH ALWAYS BRINGS LIFE

Proverbs 6:12

Here is a description of worthless and wicked people: They are constant liars.

We can use words in two ways: 1. words that speak truth or, 2. words that speak lies. Our words represent who we are in the balance between the truth and lies, good and evil, and even life and death. King Solomon described people who constantly lie as worthless and wicked because a person that lies has the potential to bring destruction to whatever he is involved with. Lies cause the death of relationships, endeavors and even investments, but the truth will always bring life. When Satan injected lies into the hearts of man, man fell into sin. We learn from Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus teaches us in John 14:6, “I am the Way – yes, and the Truth and the Life. No one can get to the Father except by means of me.” So which do you find yourself speaking more often: the truth or lies?

DON'T BE A LAZY BUM

Proverbs 20:4

If you are too lazy to plow in the right season, you will have no food at the harvest.

More often than not, people find themselves hungry because of their own laziness. Proverbs 20:4 is an exciting challenge for everyone to work. The simple solution to providing food for oneself is to simply go and work. According to a "rapid-decision making" research project conducted at the University of Southern California, people can process information up to 20 percent faster when they are standing up and actively moving around. When sitting or idling, however, the statistics drop dramatically. There is no virtue in laziness or indolence. Are you lazy about what you ought to be doing? Why haven't you completed the task?

WHO'S YOUR DADDY

Ephesians 2:2

You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.

A life without Christ is cursed. The Bible is clear that without Jesus, you're living like the rest of the world in obedience to Satan. You may not personally agree with this premise, but the Bible is very clear. Be sure to remember what 2 Corinthians 11:14 warns each of us about, “But I am not surprised! Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light.” The only way to have a blessed life is to have Jesus Christ in your heart and life. Are you allowing Jesus Christ to rule in every aspect of your life?

CLEVER LIES

2 Peter 2:3

In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction is on the way.

I am sure that no one has ever wishfully dreamt of self-destruction. The Bible is very clear that greed and deceit are a surefire way to achieve self-destruction. Tolstoy’s How Much Land Does a Man Need is about a peasant farmer who was offered all the land he desired for a low cost, but on the one condition that he was required to walk about his land all day returning to his starting point by sundown. Early the next morning, the peasant began walking out further and further away from his starting point so that he’d be able to cover all of his new land. As the sun began to set, he began to sprint back to his starting point as fast as he could. With his heart pounding hard and exhausted from the walking, he suddenly collapsed and died. By the next day, the peasant farmer was buried in a grave that was six feet long, three feet wide and six feet deep – all the land that a man would need at death. Don’t let greed into your life because greed marks the beginning of your ending.

COME BACK HOME

Psalm 51:17

The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. A broken and repentant heart, O God, you will not despise.

J. Wilbur Chapman, an American evangelist and revivalist minister, once told a story about a young girl who ran away from home and lived a life of sin. Her mother sought the help of her daughter’s friend to search for her. This friend took a number of photographs of the searching mother and placed the words, “COME BACK,” beneath her grieving face. Together, they posted these photos all over the nearby red light district. When the daughter saw the sad face of her mother and the words, “COME BACK,” tears began to run down her face. She returned home weeping and broken. When she put her hand on the knob, she found that the door was left unlocked. Her mother wrapped her arms around her and said, “My dear child, the door has never been locked since you went away.” Remember that God is always ready to welcome you home, no matter what you've done. All you have to do is actually come back.

IT SEEMS UNFAIR

Luke 10:40

But Martha was worrying over the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me."

Martha’s appeal is a legitimate and logical request. It appears unfair that she would do all the work while her sister, Mary, sat at Jesus' feet and listened. But it only appears that way. I recall first hearing the song, “I Miss My Time With You,” by Laarnelle Harris. The song is written as a love song from from God to man. One of the verses says:

I miss my time with you, those moments together.
I need to be with you each day, but it hurts me when you say
you’re too busy, busy trying to serve me.
But how can you serve me, when your spirit is empty?

Jesus replied to Martha in Luke 10:42 with, “There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it – and I won't take it away from her.” Are you giving quality time to the best things or are you too busy watching what others are doing?

VIOLENCE AND DEPRAVITY

Genesis 6:11-12

Now the earth had become corrupt in God's sight, and it was filled with violence. God observed all this corruption in the world, and he saw violence and depravity everywhere.

Genesis 6:11-12 holds true from the days of Noah to this very present day. When man decides to operate outside of God's laws, expect violence and depravity to be part of the outcome. Violence is truly the embodiment of man’s shadowy depravity. Consider the following horrid decisions by past emperors: Crasus, crucified 10,000 slaves at one time; Augustus, executed 30,000 for political offense; and, Trajan held 10,000 death fights in the amphitheater for amusement. Whenever man has chosen to live outside of God's laws, you can surely expect violence and depravity to breakout everywhere.

ONE SACRIFICE COVERS EVERYONE

John 1:29

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

In the Old Testament, a lamb needed to be offered up to appease God's anger. In Hebrews 9:22 we learn that, “we can say that according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified by sprinkling with blood. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.” God is truly good, isn’t He? He knew that people wouldn’t be able to offer a sacrifice as was in the days of the Old Testament, so God sent His only Son to earth to become the final sacrificial Lamb to take away everyone's sins once and for all. Let Him cleanse you in the blood of the Lamb and be washed of all your sins. 1 John 1:9 teaches us, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.” Have you been washed in the blood of the Lamb?

THE SIMPLICITY OF OBEDIENCE

Jude 1:5

I must remind you — and you know it well — that even though the Lord rescued the whole nation of Israel from Egypt, he later destroyed every one of those who did not remain faithful.

This verse serves as a reminder for all Christians that the saved are still capable of living a life that's disobedient and unfaithful to God. We should be committed and faithful children, living a life that's pleasing to God. When Jesus obeyed the order of baptism, God the Father said, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” It's such a simple concept that God's pleased when we simply obey Him. Many times, the newly saved have let me know that they've chosen to postpone baptism because they're just “not ready”. It’s the equivalent of saying I want to have a relationship with Jesus as my Savior so that I can go to heaven, but I don’t want people identifying me with Christ. Or better yet, it's like marrying someone, but not wanting to be seen with your new spouse. Faithfulness means sticking it out no matter what. Without faithfulness in our relationship with Christ, we are doomed for self-destruction. Have you been faithful in your relationship with Christ?

CHOOSE TO BE FAITHFUL

Psalm 119:30

I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your laws.

All of man's laws emanate from the laws first established by God. He institutionalized the law according to Romans 13:1-4 when Paul wrote:

Obey the government, for God is the one who put it there. All governments have been placed in power by God. So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow. For the authorities do not frighten people who are doing right, but they frighten those who do wrong, so do what they say, and you will get along well. The authorities are sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. The authorities are established by God for that very purpose, to punish those who do wrong.

Ironically, the God-given privilege to create laws has been used to establish laws against God himself by creating laws banning even the basic acknowledgment of His existence and His part in the equation of the affairs of man. Obey the laws of man, but don’t allow yourself to be twisted into disobedience to God. Don't let the trickery of the world catch you off guard.

NO CONTRADICTIONS

2 Corinthians 13:8

Our responsibility is never to oppose the truth, but to stand for the truth at all times.

In what may seem to be an ironic twist, Christians occasionally use one truth to violate another truth. A young man once asked me if he could serve the Lord through sports, but the challenge facing him was that the scheduled competitions conflicted with his worship times at church. I told him that the Word of God never contradicts itself, but rather it complements itself. You can serve God by any means, but do it without violating your reasonable service. At the end of the day as a Christian, you have got to stand for the truth and not against the truth. There should be no doubts or contradictions. Do you stand for the truth at all times?

LAMININ

Colossians 1:17

He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together.

I received an email about the molecule Laminin and in my research I learned that this molecule is vital to making sure our overall body structures hold together. Amazingly, the molecule that holds us all together is the shape of a cross. Without this cross-like molecule, we wouldn’t be able to do simple physical actions, like standing up or sitting down. Interestingly, this appears to be exactly what Jesus teaches us in John 15:5, “For apart from me you can do nothing.” Apparently, He doesn't just hold us together spiritually, He also provides the adhesive that literally holds us together physically.

DREAM COME TRUE

Genesis 37:5

One night Joseph had a dream and promptly reported the details to his brothers, causing them to hate him even more.

Every physical item around us began with a dream produced by someone’s imagination. From automobiles to buildings - you name it - anything created was once just a dream in someone's mind. Tim Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web and he's a big part of the reason that you can even read this devotional right now. He really isn’t all that popular, but the things of his dreams have become widely used all over the world. Move your mind to realize God's dreams for you, regardless of whether you become famous, wealthy or powerful. God will use the dreams placed in your heart to bless people. Which dreams and desires of your heart would you like to see realized?

TURN YOUR EYES UPON

Matthew 6:22-23

Your eye is a lamp for your body. A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul. But an evil eye shuts out the light and plunges you into darkness. If the light you think you have is really darkness, how deep that darkness will be!

Everything your eyes see is processed by your mind and then converted into words, images, concepts or ideas. These images or ideas are either true or false, so as we set our eyes upon things we ought to be picky. 2 Samuel 11:2 teaches us that, “Late one afternoon David got out of bed after taking a nap and went for a stroll on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath.” This was the beginning of King David's darkest days. He set his eyes onto something that he should never have seen which then led to him allowing the darkness to come that he thought would bring him happiness. Be careful of what you see, your decision making might be altered and you could have many regrets in the future. Do you look away when your eyes are set upon things that you know are not good for you?

STRUGGLING WITH YOURSELF

Romans 7:19-20

When I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. But if I am doing what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it.

I once served at a family camp where a teenager asked me for permission to leave the campgrounds to smoke a cigarette. That teen was a new Christian and I knew that his flesh was likely already addicted to nicotine. The Apostle Paul clearly teaches us about the weaknesses of our flesh in Romans 7:19-20. Our body is weak because the old nature remains in us even when we have received Christ in our hearts as Savior. One day, however, God will change our sinful bodies into glorified bodies. For now the only remedy that can be prescribed to prevent falling into temptation is to make our spiritual lives strong enough to overcome our fleshly weaknesses. Is your spiritual life growing stronger or weaker today?

CHILDLIKE FAITH

Psalm 34:7

For the angel of the LORD guards all who fear him, and he rescues them.

I once saw a Christian singing group that was describing the background of the song “Angels All Around You” while being interviewed. The song was written while they were on tour and sightseeing at a lighthouse. A child that was walking up the lighthouse's spiral staircase slipped and lost hold of the rail falling down through the center of the spiral. She was free-falling down several stories directly for the ground at the mercy of gravity. Amazingly, as the family looked on in full distress, the child was caught by another tourist. The family quickly descended to retrieve the girl only to find that the only person that was there was the little girl and that the person who caught her was nowhere to be seen or found. Isn't it amazing how the angels of the our Lord God can truly rescue? All it will take from you is a childlike faith. Is your faith like that of a child?

ALL THAT YOUR EYES CAN SEE

John 1:10

But although the world was made through him, the world didn't recognize him when he came.

The modern world has boasted about man's inventions all throughout history. However, the strictest definition of the word “invention” really means that the inventor would have created something from nothing. If that's the case, there really haven't been any inventions, but rather things that have been discovered (or found) because the raw materials for inventions were already created. Thomas Edison said, “Discovery is not an invention and I dislike seeing the two words confounded.” The Bible teaches in John 1:3, “He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn't make.” One of the saddest realities is that only a handful of people recognize that God came to the world as a man. That man was Jesus the Son of God, the creator and the only true inventor that ever was and ever will be.

THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL

John 15:13

And here is how to measure it — the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends.

On May 21, 1946, when Louis Slotin and seven co-workers were attempting to perform a dangerous nuclear experiment in New Mexico, some pieces of highly radioactive plutonium were accidentally moved. The movement triggered an intense increase of radioactive exposure in their laboratory. Slotin pulled apart the radioactive pieces with his bear hands to save his friends, but in so doing exposed himself to an overwhelming dose of radiation. Several days later, Slotin died of radiation exposure while his co-workers and friends recovered. Those survivors were still alive thanks to the heroism displayed by Slotin. Jesus did something similar, but on a much greater scale for all people when Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for people to have salvation. It doesn't take much to see that Jesus' love is by far the greatest love of all.

THE ONLY WAY

Matthew 18:3

Then he said, “I assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.”

As we go on living from year to year, we acquire tons of information on different topics covering work, education, family and friends, and all of this is communicated to us through different types of media that essentially shape what we believe. It can even become difficult for us to accept the simple truth of the Bible: the only way for anyone to get to heaven is through Jesus Christ. It can take a lot of unlearning for a person to allow this Biblical reality to become a veritable reality. You’ve almost got to be like a little kid again to just plainly accept that Jesus is the only way to heaven. Do not complicate this simple truth. Jesus is the only way to heaven.

BABY FOOD

1 Corinthians 3:2

I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.

Our spiritual health should be treated just like our physical health when it comes to growth. Many Christians, however, are still sucking upon babies' milk and are not eating solid foods. Simple evidence of stunted spiritual growth is envying and quarreling among Christian brothers and sisters. As a parent, I've seen my children display these attitudes as younger children bickering and envious of one another if the other had a new toy. Now that they're older, I've found that they’ve grown as they exhibit happiness when they give something to each other. Eating solid spiritual food is just like applying the hard realities of the Word of God to how we live our lives. Are you eating solid spiritual food or are you still sucking upon babies' milk? If you're not sure, you ought to put some effort into finding out.

CHOOSE PEACE

Psalm 37:37

Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future lies before those who love peace.

The world has not experienced true peace since man fell into sin because the world neglects choosing to actually embrace peace. I read a story about a hermit who renounced the world, choosing to give up all of his worldly possessions. Yet, in spite of his actions, peace in his heart could still not be achieved. In his isolation he felt so lonely that it seemed the Lord was asking for something more from the hermit. The hermit yelled out loud, “I have given you everything!” The Lord replied, “All but one thing: your sins.” Be honest with yourself. If you're living in sin, you'll never experience peace. Choose peace, being honest and good. So, are you living in a sin?

CHAIN OF OBEDIENCE

Matthew 10:37

Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me

God demands a love beyond the love we have for our family. In Matthew 10:37, Jesus clearly teaches us who's between our parents and God. In Matthew 12:47-50, someone told Jesus that, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, and they want to speak to you." Jesus asked, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" Then he pointed to his disciples and said, "These are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!" Children should obey their parents because God has given that order. However, parents need to appreciate the privilege that God has given them in their children, but also realize that the very privilege should not be used to cause children to disobey Him.

CONSCIOUS DECLARATION

Romans 6:3-4

Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Right or wrong, baptism has become a religious symbol. There several groups of people who feel that once you’re baptized, you become part of a "religion". Some religions take to baptizing infants in a christening ceremony, even though an infant could not possibly have a sincere understanding of what’s even happening during the ceremony. This is the complete opposite of what the Bible teaches through Jesus’ example because Jesus was baptized as an adult. Baptism is a conscious act of declaration that you’ve received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and you now desire to be identified with Him. This means that a baptism should only take place when a person has consciously accepted that they’re a sinner and they’ve received the crucifixion of Jesus as their means of salvation. Baptism is a public and symbolic gesture that your old life is crucified with Him and His resurrection is the beginning of your new life in Christ.