A DEGREE FROM THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

Genesis 41:52
Joseph named his second son
Ephraim, for he said, "God has
made me fruitful in this
land of my suffering.



This story is just too good to be true, yet it's true. Joseph was sold by his brothers to become a slave. Later, he was charged with a crime that he never did commit and was imprisoned for that crime. Throughout all of this, his faith in God remained steady and he never violated the commands of God. It seemed impossible for him to get out of prison, but God still made a way. Not only was he released, but in due time he would became Prime Minister of Egypt. More than half of his life was spent in the school of hard knocks, but every time he passed his tests, the Lord promoted him. Don't question what God has promised in the light as you pass through the night. You can still be fruitful in the darkness and the land of suffering.

IT'S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE

2 Timothy 2:10
I am willing to endure anything
if it will bring salvation and
eternal glory in Christ Jesus
to those God has chosen.



It was Paul who said in 1 Corinthians 2:16, “We have the mind of Christ.” Paul put into practice the example of Christ when reaching out to the masses. Jesus was radical in His way, but it was all grounded in the Truth because Jesus is the Truth. Jesus healed a sick person during Sabbath and He allowed His disciples to eat during Sabbath. He wasn't trying to be irreverent, He was just showing that above all else, it's not the rules that are important, it's the people that are important. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, He told them to begin prayer in this manner, "Our Father." Just uttering those words wasn’t even possible for the common Jews of that day. They couldn't even mumble "God," not to mention that they would need to be completely cleansed before saying “God.” Also, just to make their hallowed approach clear, even a pen that would be used for writing "Yahweh" couldn’t be used for writing any other words. When Jesus arrived and began teaching the disciples to pray to God as their “Father,” it becomes even more evident that people were the most important thing to Jesus. Whatever the cost may be, we must do everything for every person to become a child of God. After all, Jesus paid the ultimate price for every person to come to salvation in reconciliation with God the Father.

SPIRITUAL BATTLE

1 Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight
for what we believe.
Hold tightly to the eternal
life that God has given you,
which you have confessed so
well before many witnesses.



Jesus said in Luke 17:6, “Even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May God uproot you and throw you into the sea,’ and it would obey you!” Everything in life is a part of a spiritual battle. Paul said in Galatians 4:3, “And that's the way it was with us before Christ came. We were slaves to the spiritual powers of this world.” You may find this odd, but our physical body is just an instrument useD to carry out what the spiritual body desires and dictates. Freedom from the powers of the spiritual realm is achieved by believing in the salvation offered by Jesus Christ alone. To win the fight, you must have eternal life brought about by your faith in God. Your physical life is all about a spiritual faith battle, so train up, put on the armor of God and be prepared for what's coming at you.

REAL LOVE

1 John 4:10
This is real love.
It is not that
we loved God, but
that he loved us
and sent his Son
as a sacrifice to
take away our sins.



I read this incredible story about a mother who was trapped by a prairie fire while carrying her baby on her back. The wildfire was moving so fast that the woman came to realize that there was no escape. Quickly taking the baby off of her back, she began digging a hole in the ground with her bare hands. She then placed her child into the hole and covered the hole and child with her body. Later, when the field was being searched, this woman was found dead, but the child was alive. I truly believe that every loving mother would do the same for her children. This kind of love is a physical reflection of the source of love: God. "For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).” If you're looking for what real love looks like, look no further.

LISTEN, BELIEVE AND LIVE

John 5:24
I assure you, those who listen
to my message and believe in God
who sent me have eternal life.
They will never be condemned for
their sins, but they have already
passed from death into life.



There is no condemnation for anyone who believes and receives the Lord Jesus Christ. Believers get an early verdict on death and they pass from death directly unto life. Paul recognized this amazing work of Christ when he wrote in Romans 8:1, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” The condemnation according to Romans 6:23, “Is death.” That condemnation gets replaced by the gift of God which is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. If you haven’t received the gift of eternal life, you aren’t truly living, but rather you’re just existing on borrowed time. Listen to the message of Jesus, believe God's promises and live an amazing eternal life without condemnation.

FREE FROM STRESS AND DEPRESSION

Hebrews 4:9
So there is a special rest still
waiting for the people of God.



Over the years I've consistently heard people tell me that they're stressed out, tired or depressed. I can understand what's happening with those folks because they're under the constant pressures of life's daily grind. The average person has a rent or mortgage, utility bills, insurance, groceries and so many other expenses. Sometimes it feels like we’re just living to work. Once pressure and depression hits you, the sleepless nights aren't far off and there are those that would even rely on medication just to find some rest. If you have God on your side, however, He has a special rest waiting for you. If you're a believer, I encourage you to sit back and commune with God during those testy moments. Philippians 4:7 teaches us, “If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” He can give you rest from stress, pressure and depression. He can give you the special rest that can only be found in Christ. Just let Him carry you.

UNIMAGINABLE

Isaiah 55:8-9
"My thoughts are completely
different from yours," says the LORD.
"And my ways are far beyond
anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens
are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher
than your ways and my thoughts
higher than your thoughts.”



Having all the right college degrees and all the right experiences in life still can't make a person know everything. Make no mistake about it, only God knows everything. I remember a story about four students that cut some classes to go and just hangout. After lunch, they told their teacher that they had a flat tire and that was the reason that they weren’t at their morning classes. The teacher smiled and said, "Well, you guys missed a quiz today, so take your seats apart from one another and take out a blank piece of paper." The four followed the instructions and the teacher wrote a single question of the board: Which tire was flat?" They looked at each other and hung their heads because they knew their alibi didn't work and that they had been caught in their own lie. In Romans 1:22, Paul said: “Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead.” Even the brightest among us have to follow God’s way presented by His Holy Word because only God knows what's best for each and every one of us at each and every possible moment.

HARDENED HEARTS

Hebrews 3:8
Don't harden your hearts
against him as Israel did
when they rebelled, when
they tested God's patience
in the wilderness.



In his letter to the Hebrews, Paul reminds Christians of the past mistakes made by God's chosen. They had rebelled against and disobeyed Him on their way to the Promised Land, and the consequences were pretty harsh because not a single one of the original Israelites who had come out of Egypt were allowed to set foot upon the Promised Land. Philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” By learning from the Bible, you can break the chain of repetition and move onto glory. Believe, learn and obey the Word of God. Trust all of His promises. Do not harden your heart and never doubt Him if you want to touch and see the blessings God has meant for your life. Always be mindful of your actions because you may not even realize that you're being rebellious or disobedient.

ON YOUR DAY OF DISASTER

Jeremiah 17:17
Lord, do not desert me now!
You alone are my hope
in the day of disaster.



When desperate people completely lose hope, it's not out of the question to find them thinking about suicide. The main reason that the desperate would even consider such a tragic "solution" is that they're just not able to see any hopeful bright spots with everything feeling dark, painful and hopeless. The concept of hope represents something unseen in the future that a depressed mind just can't materialize in their present situation. Only God knows the things that are hoped for because He is present in the eternity past and the eternity future at the same exact time. This makes God able to simultaneously see that which is hoped for and know whether or not it materializes into reality. God is even able to see if what we hope for is good or bad for us. The prophet Jeremiah recognized the value of hope in Jeremiah 17:17. His prayer was for God to rescue him because God was indeed his only hope. Without question, if God is in your life, even your most desperate days have bright spots because of the hope that God places in your heart.

TRULY BEAUTIFUL

1 Peter 3:3
Your beauty should not come
from outward adornment,
such as braided hair and
the wearing of gold
jewelry and fine clothes.



An attractive older woman was asked about her beauty secrets. Her reply was this: "I use for my lips, truth; for my voice, kindness; for my eyes, compassion; for my hands, charity; for my figure, decency; for my heart, love; for any who do not like me, prayer." Notice the ties to what Jesus teaches us in Mark 7:14-15, "Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.'" I guess it can be argued that what comes out of us is entirely dependent upon what we allow to be put into us. If we take a stance to fill ourselves only with good things, and we ask Jesus to truly live in our hearts and lives, then only true beauty could come out of you. At the end of the day, nothing that you can adorn yourself with can make you beautiful the way Jesus can. Nothing.

TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS

James 4:14
You do not even know
what will happen tomorrow.
What is your life?
You are a mist that
appears for a little while
and then vanishes.



A doctor that had been desperately trying to contact one of his patients was finally able to speak with the man via phone. The doctor told his patient, “I have the results of your tests. Which do you want to hear first: the bad news or the very bad news?" His patient responded, "Well, I guess I'll take the bad news first." With that the doctor replied, "Well the bad news is, you have only 24 hours to live." His patient in a state of shock asked, "24 hours to live? That's horrible! What could be worse than that? So what's the very bad news?" The doctor replied, "I've been trying to contact you since yesterday." It’s a really silly story, but the Bible tells us that our lives are like a mist appearing for a short while and then vanishing quickly. Let’s be real about the fact that your life can end at any point because life is short. Because life is short, you need to be ready for whatever tomorrow brings by entrusting your life to God. He knows your story, He knows what you really need and He's an expert on everything.

DEALING WITH TEMPTATION

Matthew 6:13
And don't let us yield to temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.



Jesus demonstrated how to face temptations that the devil will use while you're upon your path. Jesus Himself was brought to the desert where food and drink were scarce, and needs were overwhelming. That scenario is symbolic of what most people are currently experiencing in their lives right now. Times are difficult and Satan will likely come along to offer you something desirable, something that your heart would desire. Satan said to Jesus in Matthew 4:9, "I will give it all to you, if you will only kneel down and worship me." Ironically, Satan’s statement unveils the key to our connection with God: worship. Our enemy understands that when we worship our Father in Heaven, He is moved to provide all of our needs. When Satan tries to get you to worship something other than God, he knows that you won't be blessed. Jesus responded bluntly to Satan when He said, “Get out of here, Satan. For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God; serve only Him.’” When temptations appear before you, know that Jesus experienced the same exact challenges you're facing. Face it, He came to down to earth and lived as a man, so He understands the temptations you're facing. Stay strong and be devoted in your worship of God, your Father.

THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH

Romans 7:5
When we were controlled by our old nature,
sinful desires were at work within us,
and the law aroused these evil desires that
produced sinful deeds, resulting in death.



How would you know if what you were doing were right or wrong? Some situations are really easy to determine, but others can be really tough. Because of this difficulty, some may say that truth is relative to the situation. It's even possible that whatever passes as a proper practice in one culture might even be deemed wrong in another culture. Paul writes in Romans 7:25, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.” Jesus Christ is the truth and the life according to John 14:6, therefore making His word the standard for truth. If you know the Truth and are obedient to Him, you will not fall into your old sinful nature. When it comes to Jesus, the truth is never "relative" because His truth is absolute.

LYING LIPS

1 Peter 3:10
For the Scriptures say,
“If you want a happy life
and good days, keep your
tongue from speaking evil,
and keep your lips
from telling lies.”



When God created us, we were given a full life where just about everything and anything was created just for us. Paradise was created just for us. God even gave us the authority over everything that He created for us. Everything was perfect until sinful lies became a part of our makeup. In fact, the paradise that was available was lost because Adam chose to believe the father of lies (see John 8:44) instead of the Father of truth (see John 14:6). To begin the road to regaining the full life that you were meant to live, there's a simple solution: know your Father of truth personally. When you know and understand the truth, center your tongue to speak no evil words and to keep your lips clean and free from lies.

A POWERFUL GIFT

John 14:27
I am leaving you with a gift –
peace of mind and heart.
And the peace I give isn't like
the peace the world gives.
So don't be troubled or afraid.



In a pressure-filled world, two of the greatest challenges facing you might be stress and depression. The daily grind can test your ability to cope with everything going on. Things begin to take on the appearance of a survival-of-the-fittest battle featuring people living guarded lives out of a fear of losing their worldly possessions. Because of these hard and cold realities, Jesus offered us something priceless - His peace. When a person receives Jesus into their heart, Paul taught in Philippians 4:7 that, “You will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.” His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live under Christ Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Just imagine what your life could be like if it were stress-free, joyous and peaceful. That life is fully possible - if you accept the free and gracious gift of eternal life from Christ.

YOU WILL NEVER PERISH

John 10:28-29
I give them eternal life,
and they will never perish.
No one will snatch them away from me,
for my Father has given them to me,
and he is more powerful than anyone else.
So no one can take them from me.



Our Father loves His children so much that He'll just never let us go. We might even leave Him while on the journey of life, but His love always leads us back to Him. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:14, “Whatever we do, it is because Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for everyone, we also believe that we have all died to the old life we used to live.” We've been secured in His love, so just love Him back. It’s really so easy.

FAITH, LOVE AND PEACE

2 Timothy 2:22
Run from anything that
stimulates youthful lust.
Follow anything that
makes you want to do right.
Pursue faith and love and peace,
and enjoy the companionship
of those who call on the Lord
with pure hearts.



The devil's greatest detour for today’s youth are relationships built on bad timing. Anything not delivered at just the right time can be plain annoying, so people jump into a lot of quickie weddings and fall into a lot of teen pregnancies (which typically end in abortions) that are the result of poorly-timed relationships. Students should be students first and not complicate matters with quick and emotional relationships that they may not be prepared for – just like the Apostle Paul taught about when saying that we should run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. You can ignore this very principle, but the consequences are still there to deal with if that principle is violated.

YOU'RE IN GOOD HANDS

Isaiah 62:3
The LORD will hold
you in his hands
for all to see —
a splendid crown
in the hands of God.



Legend has it that when Saladin laid his eyes upon Richard the Lionhearted's sword, he was amazed that such a common sword could make a man so great. An English officer retorted, “It was not the sword; it was the arm of Richard.” If we allow God to hold us like that sword, God could perform the mightiest of acts through us. Isaiah 64:8 teaches us that, “You are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the Potter. We are all formed by Your hand.” In the hands of our mighty and powerful God, common clay like us can become great and mighty, too. All you have to do is let His good hands craft and shape your life.

RUN THE RACE WITH ENDURANCE

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are
surrounded by such a
huge crowd of witnesses
to the life of faith,
let us strip off every
weight that slows us down,
especially the sin that so
easily hinders our progress.
And let us run with
endurance the race that
God has set before us.



Success is not measured by how we start a race, but rather by how we finish it. Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.” Many people are great starters but poor finishers. Paul became a great finisher simply because He came to personally know the Author and Finisher of life, and working with that Person gave Paul the proper perspectives and the knowledge as to how to run the race of life. He wrote in Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Start with Jesus and run the best race within you, striving until the race of life is over.

AS CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH

Genesis 2:23
"At last!" Adam exclaimed.
"She is part of my own
flesh and bone! She will
be called 'woman,' because
she was taken out of a man."



Women by nature are dear to men because they were originally created from an actual piece of man. Men are special to God because God breathed into man as Genesis 2:7 teaches us, “And the LORD God formed a man's body from the dust of the ground and breathed into it the breath of life. And the man became a living person.” Having God breathe directly into man is what makes man so unique among all of God's creations. That unique relationship gives us the template for marital love as Ephesians 5:25 teaches us, “And you husbands must love your wives with the same love Christ showed the church.” Now, for men to love their wives in the same way, men need to remember that Christ was crucified for the love of the church. Now that’s commitment. That kind of commitment is the truest form of love. Husbands, love your wives with that same deep commitment - through the pain, the breakdowns and the denials. If you do this in the true kind of love that Jesus gave to the church, you witness God moving in your life in ways you'd previously thought unimaginable.

WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE

Proverbs 9:10
Fear of the LORD is
the beginning of wisdom.
Knowledge of the Holy One
results in understanding.



Fear of the Lord is less about being scared of God than it is about having reverence and respect for God. This means that in your actions you ought to acknowledge God’s presence and sovereignty by consulting Him through prayers. Look at the advice of wise Solomon in Proverbs 4:4-9, "Take my words to heart. Follow my instructions and you will live. Learn to be wise, and develop good judgment. Don't forget or turn away from my words. Don't turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you. Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do! And whatever else you do, get good judgment. If you prize wisdom, she will exalt you. Embrace her and she will honor you. She will place a lovely wreath on your head; she will present you with a beautiful crown." Everyone should start their day off with some wisdom and they should set themselves up for good decision making throughout the day. The best way to achieve this is by spending time in the Word and by having a conversation with God through prayer.

START WITH THE LITTLE THINGS

Luke 16:10
Unless you are faithful
in small matters, you won't
be faithful in large ones.
If you cheat even a little,
you won't be honest with
greater responsibilities.



F.B. Meyer said that, “The supreme test of goodness is not in the greater but in the smaller incidents of our character and practice; not what we are when standing in the searchlight of public scrutiny, but when we reach the firelight flicker of our homes; not what we are when some clarion-call rings through the air, summoning us to fight for life and liberty, but our attitude when we are called to sentry-duty in the grey morning, when the watch-fire is burning low. It is impossible to be our best at the supreme moment if character is corroded and eaten into by daily inconsistency, unfaithfulness, and besetting sin.” The Bible is clear that huge successes begin with the little things. Start now. Start small.

LUST AND SHAMEFUL DESIRES

Colossians 3:5
So put to death the sinful,
earthly things lurking within you.
Have nothing to do with sexual sin,
impurity, lust, and shameful desires.
Don't be greedy for the good things
of this life, for that is idolatry.



I read a story about how Eskimos lure and kill wolves. The article said, “The Eskimo would coat his knife’s blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze, and layer it again with blood and another until the blade is completely concealed by frozen blood. A wolf then follows the source of the scent and discovers it; he licks it, tasting the fresh frozen blood and would lick faster until the keen edge is bare, the wolf licks the blade and does not notice the razor-sharp sting of the naked blade on his own tongue. His greedy thirst being satisfied by his own blood.” Lust is satisfying at start, but if you engage in lust and shameful desires it most certainly will be your end, and just like a lured wolf, you won't even know it.

ME AND MY BIG MOUTH

1 Peter 3:9
Don't repay evil for evil.
Don't retaliate when people
say unkind things about you.
Instead, pay them back with a blessing.
That is what God wants you to do,
and he will bless you for it.



There's an old, but still oft used adage that goes, "Me and my big mouth." In December of 1825, the Russian Czar Nicolas I sentenced Kondraty Ryleyev to be hung. Fortunately for Ryleyev, the rope was old and snapped as the sentenced man’s weight pulled him to the ground instead of leaving him dangling in the air alive, but struggling for air. An accident like this would usually result in a pardon, but as Ryleyev fell to the ground, the guards overheard him saying, "In Russia they do not know how to do anything properly, not even how to make a rope." Well, unfortunately for Ryleyev this got back to the Czar who then gave the order, "Let the contrary be proven." If Ryleyev had only applied what the Apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:9, he would have been pardoned and lived to see another day. Sadly for Ryleyev, the contrary was proven. Careful with your tongue, anything you say can and will be used against you.

OF ONE MIND

Amos 3:3
Can two people
walk together
without agreeing
on the direction?



Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” Innovative people have come to recognize that success can be achieved if people would work together. The Bible teaches this and it teaches it far more than Christians practice it. Luke 6:31-35 teaches us to, “Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” When this principle of reciprocity is truly practiced, there will be unity among God’s children. People could then easily work together toward blessings and success. Be of one mind in love and we gain God’s glory together.