March 24, 2015
A Better Payment Plan
Romans 6:23 
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

If I work at McDonald’s, my wages, what I earn, will be in the minimum wage department. Likewise, what I earn for being a sinner is death. There is no overtime or extra credit for trying to do good things to make up for my evil thoughts and actions. And comparing myself to someone I think is more of a sinner isn’t helpful either; it’s still admitting I’m a sinner just not as bad as Manson or Hitler. Same as McDonald’s gives all its employees a paycheck, what all people earn for being a sinner, notorious or otherwise, is death.

But God, in his amazing and unheard of kindness, offers us a new payment system. If I worked at McDonald’s and the Ray Crock family offered me a new and more beneficial payment system not even based on my work performance I would take them up on it. Actually, it’s more like if the rich family of the company I worked for didn’t even require me to work anymore and still pay me. Easy money, right?

God decided that anyone who believes in Jesus will no longer be subject to the wage we are due - no longer on our way to earning eternal punishment and death. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.  We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (Romans 3:21-22)

This message sounds like it’s for unbelievers, and it is. But I’m writing this to myself and to other Believers. The reason Romans 6:23 is such an important scripture is for us not to forget what we’ve come from. We deserve death for how we think and live. We can’t make up for our wrong behaviors still. The Good News is that God isn’t holding my sins against me anymore; it’s not that I don’t sin anymore. And I didn’t earn a better payment plan; I just heard about it and took God up on his offer. Remembering this keeps me humble, keeps me from treating Jesus casually like a peer, keeps me thankful and overwhelmed with joy in my heart that I’m never ever gonna get what I really deserve.

I don’t use this word often in conversation, but... HALLELUJAH!

Dear God,
I love you so much! I love what you’ve done for me! I’m so glad! SO GLAD! Thank you for forgiving my sins - still. I do seek to obey you and trust you everyday out of an incredibly thankful heart, and even those actions don’t keep me saved. YOU keep me saved because you love me, and I’m still wrapping my brain around that. Thank you so much! I love you and praise you for your Son who has saved me in every way a person could be saved, and I pray in his name, amen.

March 20, 2015
Feeding a Newborn
1 Peter 2:2
Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation.

Nursing a baby is the best thing God invented. I feel so sorry for women who give in to the modern idea that nursing is too time consuming, outdated, or gross. It’s none of those things. And these modern conceptions about nursing even predate modern times. Wet nurses existed in ancient times for the mother who couldn’t nurse for health or status reasons. Our society replaced wet nurses with formula. Either way, these mommies are missing out on a wonderful and beneficial activity. There is nothing to do while you’re nursing. It is built in relaxation time where no one disturbs you because no one can do what you’re doing. How kind for God to give moms little breaks like this several times per day! 

But the real benefit is for the baby. Nursed babies get wonderful nutrition. My own observations lead me to conclude that nursed babies are more content because their meals are very satisfying. They sleep better and wake up happy. All of the colic-y babies I have ever encountered had formula in common. I’m sure someone reading this is trying really hard to find an exception, but formula is a substitute for the real thing. God’s system for nourishing a brand new little life is perfect, and that’s why craving “pure spiritual milk” is the illustration used to represent God’s Word to a brand new heart following Jesus.

The straight Word of God gives us what we need for life and for being content just like a nursed baby. The baby trying to grow by receiving something that is someone else’s idea of nutrition and made in a lab most likely isn’t going to experience the same benefits from pure milk straight from the source. They’re also missing out on the quiet bonding time, rest, and contentment that is automatically built into feeding time.

Grow in full experience of salvation... As God intended. Sure, many Believers get influenced by clever speakers and popular ideology, but it isn’t necessary for the “rich full life” that Jesus came to give. (See John 10:10) All we need is what God already provided in his Word, and we enter in some built in quiet time with him when we set everything aside and read it and pray. And a daily dose of this interaction makes us big and strong over time.

God has given new babies a very simple way to receive everything they need to eventually grow big and strong through their moms. In the same way, God has given new Believers a very simple way to get everything they need to grow in their faith through his Word. By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 2 Peter 1:3

Dear God,
Thank you for the opportunity to nurse a baby. It is a wonderful portrait to me of the simplest thing providing necessary benefits just like your Word does for my heart. And thank you that both things are absolutely free! You are so available and so kind, and the systems you develop are amazing as they promote the most growth, strength, and rest. I love you, I love your character, I love who you are and what you’ve done in my life. Thank you for operating simply so that a simple person like me can receive so much benefit and joy. I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

March 18, 2015
the Source of my source
Romans 15:13
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

When I read Scripture, I like to just pull out the facts from the verse and write them down. Then I turn those facts into points of prayer so my prayers have a spiritual element and I’m not just barking a list of anxieties to God every day. This verse is already a prayer! What to do with that?!  I’m still going to pull out the facts from this prayer and pray it all over again.

1. God is the source of hope. Real hope doesn’t come from anywhere else. For nothing will be impossible with God. (Luke 1:37)

2. God gives people joy and peace. Real peace doesn’t come from anywhere else. I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave. You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. (Psalm 16:7-11)

3. God takes care of those who love and trust him. Real care doesn’t come from anywhere else. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows... (Psalm 23:1-6)

4. God can make my heart overflow. Nothing else can consistently and perpetually do that. (When I think of all the things that have made my heart overflow, I see there are many, but the overflowing feeling comes and goes and based on circumstance. Examples: Bringing a new baby home overflows the heart until the umpteenth sleepless night. A spouse can make the heart overflow till there’s a misunderstanding or disagreement. Even driving a brand new car off the lot can make the heart overflow until it needs work done on it or the registration bill arrives.) My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. (John 10:10)

5. The Holy Spirit is powerful. Nothing else is as reassuring. It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us. (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

Dear God,
Thank you so much for being my Source! You never run out joy and peace to lavishly pour out on me, and I am so thankful. I need all these things from you. Help me not live like the hope, joy and peace that comes from you is circumstantial. Thank you that these things are readily available through your Holy Spirit who is ALWAYS on call. Thank you so much! I love you so much and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

March 16, 2015
Do As I Do
Colossians 3:12
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

The reason God wants tenderheartedness, mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience to be as obvious on our person as the clothes we wear is because this is what God himself is like. He doesn’t require us to live one way and himself another. These traits are who he is, and he wants his children to be a reflection of him.

This is great! It is great to know that God is tenderhearted, merciful, kind, patient & gentle. It is very important for Believers to know these things about him readily. It should be first nature to all Believers to know these qualities are God’s because the world has concocted an image of God that is contrary to Scripture. I have seen movies, books, tv, news & social media describe God as ignorant, judgmental, cruel, an outdated. He is none of those things and never asks us to be any of those things either.

God is tenderhearted. Psalm 56:8
You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.

God is merciful. Psalm 103:8
The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

God is kind. Psalm 145:17
The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness.

God promotes humility. Philippians 2:8
When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself... 

God is gentle. Matthew 11:29
Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

God is patient. Very patient! Romans 2:4
Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

God asks me to be tenderhearted, merciful, kind, humble, gentle, and patient because HE IS. In no way is he a “Do as I say not as I do” kind of leader.  He is all “Do as I do.” We don’t see that kind of leadership in society these days. Our leaders are usually self-exempt hypocrites. God is neither, and that is why I trust and follow him as he prescribes.

Dear God,
I am so thankful for your tenderhearted mercy, gentleness, kindness, and patience towards me. Help me to be like this towards others out of appreciation of how you treat me. I love you so much and am so relieved to read your Word that describes you accurately and see that the world’s descriptions of you is absolutely wrong.  You are great and greatly to be praised, and I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

March 11, 2015
Everywhere God is IS Good
Deuteronomy 7:9
Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.

God clearly defines his nature and expresses his character with these words. He is faithful and lavishes unfailing love on us. WOW! Any other religion got that going for them? It sounds so much better to me than worshiping out of fear or having to generate Karma for myself. Lavishes unfailing love! That means he just freely gives it to us. Who else does that?

God makes everything good because of his character and in every place where people love him and obey his commands are good places to be. I saw a post on Facebook yesterday with a picture of the Ten Commandments with the comment that no matter what you believe these are good rules to follow. Yup. That is true. It certainly isn’t true of any other religion with an impact on culture.

Read the news headlines from all over the world about beheadings, lashings, mass kidnaping... Places where the culture is not influenced by the One True and Living God are not good places to be. Unfortunately for our nation, established upon Biblical principals whether historians want to acknowledge that or not, we’re heading down the same path.

Romans 1:28-32 describes the harmful results of such a path...
Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.  Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.  They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents.  They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
 
It sure is a lot better for us all to remain a Nation Under God regardless of our country’s diversity.

Dear God,
Thank you so much for placing me in a place where, at the moment, I don’t fear for my life and can worship you freely and where, for generations, we have enjoyed a “common morality” based on YOUR WORD. It’s been nice. And it is horrifying to see so many people want to reject it. Thank you that you still remain faithful and loving to me personally regardless of what’s going on around me. But I do pray for our nation today and for the people in it to remember YOU and not think it foolish to acknowledge you and your goodness. I love you so much and I just really love WHO you are. I love everything about your nature and character and I praise you and thank you in Jesus’ name, amen.

March 10, 2015
I Can Do That
1 Peter 3:15
Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.

When people live their life a certain way that they do not particularly stray from, like a diet routine or exercise regiment, business practice, money policy, or whatever, they find adhering to their system works for them and has made their life good. The Believer’s personal policies involve being a disciple of Jesus Christ first, making spending time with him in study and prayer the highest priority, imitating his behavior a daily goal, and sharing what he has done naturally in conversation. It’s how we choose to operate. I know living this way has made my life full of blessing, peace, comfort, wisdom, and grace. I like it. 

Similarly, someone who is really good with money, for example, is happy with the way they live, and if someone else were to aks them why they are always so financially successful that person would have to do what the financially sound guy does in order to have a similar experience. Financially sound guy has given the other guy something to think about next time he goes to spend a buck. In the same way, Peter is directing all Believers to always be ready to explain how and why Jesus is Lord of your life. 

Some Believers look at this directive an panic... I can’t prove anything, I’m not an archeologist, Bible scholar or Greek language expert! But that isn’t what God expects of us. I can just share what I know. Hey, I used to get frustrated with people so easily and quickly and now I have lots of grace for people, even people with no grace for me because I know I have received a lot of grace from God. My heart is full of rest and I don’t get all worked up like I used to...

No one can disprove what God has done in our hearts. Especially if you look at how I once was compared to how I am now you would have to absolutely agree with me. I will talk about what I know. I will explain what I have experienced. Peter is not telling me I am personally responsible for all of the religious conversions of every person I meet. All he is saying is explain what has happened to me because it gives people something to think about. I can do that.

Dear God,
There are so many examples of things I used to do, thoughts I used to have, expectations I used to demand that felt more like prison than freedom. I like how seeking you first, above all else, really does allow for you to let everything else be given to me (Matthew 6:33). No one can disprove your existence, your power, and your presence in my life because my life is the proof, how I live is proof, the joy I have is the proof, the peace I know is the proof. Help me always be ready to share these truths. I love you and praise you and thank you for giving me plenty to share, and I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

March 6, 2015
Wonderfully Wonderful!
Isaiah 25:1
O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them.

You do such wonderful things... He really does.

No other religion, no other god gets labeled like ours. People readily worship peace like the Buddhists, reverently abstain like the Hindus, or celebrate the “age of answers” like Scientologists pursue. But wonderfulness??? What religion promotes wonderful things? The One True and Living God does. What child who is given a choice between a practical birthday present like underwear or wonderful gift like motorized mini jeep to drive around in the back yard would choose the underwear? People really like wonderful. Everyone appreciates wonderful. We all need wonderful!

What has God done that is so wonderful?

His relationship with us is wonderful.
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.  For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.  So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. (Romans 5:8-11)

His peace is wonderful.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

God’s eternal plan for me is wonderful.
But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! (1 Corinthians 15:51)

His power is wonderful.
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope,  comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. (2 Thessalonians 2:16)

His reward is wonderful.
So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. (1 Peter 1:6)

His kindness is wonderful.
Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? (Romans 2:4)

There’s too many wonderful things about him to even list!

Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written. (John 21:25)

Dear God,
I thank you for how wonderful you are every single day. I desire your kindness, your reward, your power,  your plan, your peace, and your relationship with me more than anything! You answers are so much better than the ones formulated by finite human imagination, your peace is authentic, and your grace is real and cancels my guilt and shame like no amount of self sacrifice could ever do. I love you so much. You ARE wonderfully wonderful! There is NO one else like you and nothing compares to what you do for me. I love you so much and praise you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

March 3, 2015
Not On My Radar
Isaiah 55:8-9
My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

I figure in light of this passage of Scripture that whatever I automatically think about something that the right and godly thing would be the exact opposite! However, this passage doesn’t say that God’s thoughts are opposite of man’s but that his thoughts are actually absolutely nothing like the thoughts we have. Isn’t that phenomenal? That puts God’s thoughts in the set of “other” and in the subset of “I didn’t see that coming!” Not in the category of opposites.

God says to love your enemies. Well, the opposite of how we treat our enemies would be to just not hurt them, to be kind, tolerant, or put them out of our minds. The opposite wouldn’t be to love them. Love is reserved for our grandmas - someone who loves us and would never hurt us in a million years, never forgets our birthdays, and thinks we’re the greatest person in the world. Love my enemies? That’s not opposite, that’s different.

But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! (Matthew 5:44)

Here’s a good one from Ephesians 5:31-33
As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.  So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Two people united as one sounds like equal partners doesn’t it? But if marriage is an illustration of the best relationship possible, that is, Christ & us, then we see that 50/50 isn’t God’s system for a wonderful, fulfilling, loving relationship. That doesn’t make anything about the relationship “less” for the wife because I certainly do not feel like I’m getting jipped in my relationship with Jesus at all. Women’s libbers may think I’m a sucker, but I’m not. I’m actually an extremely free and happy wife!

1 Corinthians 2:9 reiterates God’s thoughts being nothing like ours:
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. How can I critique what I can’t even imagine? How can people say God’s ways are ancient or ridiculous when they don’t even know what they are since God’s prescriptions for life aren’t opposite of ours? His ways are just better and can’t be contained by our limited imaginations.

Dear God,
I am so in agreement with YOU being in charge. You know more, same as I’m in charge of my kids because I know more than they do, and I can see things coming that their radar doesn’t pick up. Thank you for parenting me! We are not partners. I want you to be in charge and to live the way you say because your way is the best! Thank you for the neat things you have done in my life that certainly were not on my radar at all but have filled my life with joy! I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

March 2, 2015
How To Get A Big Fat “F”
Job 23:10-11
But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside.

Is God really testing me? Or, am I just going through life, with its ups and downs and he simply notices how I do? Isn’t that what a test is? In school, a test is an opportunity for the teacher to see what I’ve learned. A teacher doesn’t devise a test over foreign material; the purpose of a test is not to mess someone up. A test is simply an indicator of how the student is doing. A test isn’t something a teacher does, it’s a student’s performance.

Jesus told us all very plainly in John 16:33 that in this world we will have troubles, many troubles (Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows). He also told us not to worry about our troubles because he has defeated them all for us (But take heart, because I have overcome the world). So when I encounter trouble, I need to look at it exactly for what it is. It is trouble that Jesus already warned me of. How I act and live during that trouble is the test. My behavior indicates how I am doing. The trouble is not the test. The test is about the performance of the student. Do I take matters in my own hands during troubling times, make things worse, lose my temper, swear like a sailor, get even, lie my way out, steal my way out, hurt people??? That would be a big fat “F” from my Evaluator now wouldn’t it?

To assume that God is passing out horrible circumstances for mankind to endure so he can “test” us is absurd because it completely negates all of Scripture! (See Jeremiah 29:11 and James 1:17). It also negates the fact that we have an Enemy who is a real, bonafide troublemaker. Jesus states our Enemy’s purpose very clearly in John 10:10. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.

James 1:12-13 says God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.  And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. The Enemy is the one providing the trouble; God is simply seeing how we do PLUS making things work out for GOOD for those who love and trust him! (See Romans 8:28.)

Job is a very specific person in Scripture and his life should not be generalized upon all of God’s people anymore than a Believer would feel like they are to have identical experiences as Moses, Elijah, Peter, John, or Paul. God used Job’s life to show us all that we can get an “A” if we, like Job, follow all God’s ways and not turn aside no matter what happens.

Dear God,
I pray for my friends who are Believers who have accidentally mistaken your good character. Please don’t let them fall into the trap of believing that you intend harm for people who put their faith in you because that is completely contrary to all of scripture.(Especially Jeremiah 29:11!) You are good all the time, and you just want to look at my life and evaluate my behavior in good or in bad circumstances to help guide me. I want to be found always trusting you, always obeying you, and always being helped by you just like the very many examples of faithful people from Scripture, from history, and even from people that I know. You are so good to us all the time, and I just can’t thank you enough. I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.