Revelations From The Road

Given May 22, 2008

I teach as an adjunct at the local college and had the opportunity to add another class this summer.  However, I needed to get the approval of the department head and had to see him and get his signature before he left for the weekend.  I walked across campus, up the hill, to his office only to find he had already gone.  I would not be able to teach the class.  However, his office manager said he had spoken to her about the situation and she signed the form.  I was in!

As I walked back down the steps, I was thanking God for His favor in this situation.  I prayed, “Lord, what have I done to deserve your favor?”  His answer came immediately, “Nothing.  You can’t do anything to cause me to love you just like you can’t do anything to cause me to not love you.  I love you no matter what you do.  You can do things to please me or displease me but nothing will cause me to love you more or less.”

It brought tears to my eyes to be reminded that the love of God is unconditional and there’s nothing I can do to change that.  His favor is with me as I seek to serve Him and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.  What an awesome love!  “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8“  “And it is My desire to lavish My love on you simply because you are My child and I am your Father… 1 John 3:1.“

Given April 27, 2008

I look at people around me that have a lot and sometimes get a little jealous.  Then I have to repent because the Lord has really blessed me and my family too.  Some are of the belief that you have to have something great to do something spectacular for God.  That’s not the case.  Look at these three examples:

Moses and his rod.  Moses was sort of whining to God saying, “What if they won’t listen to me?”  “Then the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” A staff, he replied. Exodus 4:2.“  All Moses had was a stick and God used it for a great purpose.

The boy with the fishes and loaves.  Jesus was teaching in a big field and it was getting to be supper time.  He asked His disciples, “Where are we going to get enough food to feed this crowd?”  Andrew said, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, John 6:9“.  One little boy offered his lunch and Jesus fed 5000 men and their families.

David’s smooth stones.  Teenager  David went out to face a giant of a man and along the way, “…chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. 1 Samuel 17:40“.  David slung one of those stones and God guided it to hit its mark.

As an African pastor who comes to our church occasionally says, “Are you getting the understanding?”  It doesn’t really matter what you have, what matters is will you give it to God and let Him use it to His glory?  A stick, a lunch, a rock…do you have anything like that?

Given June 4, 2008

Who do you belong to? Who would describe you as, “My people”? Well, there are lots of people and groups who would say that. First of all, God says that we were bought and paid for with a price. 1 Corinthians 7:23 So we belong to God whether we accept it or not.

We are also the people of our country and our president. He might say, “You’re my people.” In the same way, we “belong” to our state’s Governor, county governing body, or city mayor. They might say, “You’re my people.” We also belong to our parents, our spouse, our pastor, or our boss. They might all say, “You are mine or part of my people.”

But as we look at this list, most of them can change. At some point they might say, “You’re not mine.” Only two of them cannot change, God and your parents. You may reject your parents or they may reject you but the fact remains, you are still theirs. However, God is constant, He is true. “for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5“. “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. James 4:8“.  You can reject Him but He will never reject you.  He’s always there, an “ever present help in time of trouble. Psalm 46:1“.

Think of all the people and groups who you “belong” to.  Who do you spend your time catering to?  Who gets most of your allegiance?  Will they be around next month, will they be there for you?  Think about it.

Given May 26, 2008

I heard something on this day that made me think; I had never heard this idea before. The Word says in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?“. When we get saved, the Spirit of God comes to live inside of us so we are His temple. Right?

In Jerusalem, the temple was the house of God; the dwelling place of God. It was ornate, grand, large, holy, and a fixture in the city. The people had to come to the temple to worship, pray, give to God’s work, sacrifice and learn. A fixture in the city. That is the idea of this revelation….the temple is immobile!

As Christians, we are the temple of God. Are we immobile too? Are people supposed to come to us to worship, pray, sacrifice, or learn? Or, are we supposed to take God to the people? I think it’s the latter. But, sadly, most of us are housing God in a structure that does not attract people or rarely moves to where the needs are.

Think of yourself as the mobile temple of God and move out among the people where the needs are.

Given May 18, 2008

Freedom in worship is a hard thing sometime.  Depending on what denomination you are involved in, you may be totally free or not free at all.  I’m reminded of King David being free in worship: “David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets. 2 Samuel 6: 14-15“.  He didn’t care who saw him or what they thought, he was going to worship his God for the things He had done.

My church is one that encourages freedom in worship and many are, especially the youth.  Most will clap their hands, raise their hands, and even move a little.  Even though I’m one of the “older” generation, I love praise and worship and even sing on the praise team and consider myself pretty free in worship.  However, God showed me a contrast this day in church.

We have three praise teams and mine was not leading this day so I was in my regular seat worshiping God with the congregation.  I was clapping, raising  my hands, and getting into the worship.  I noticed a family nearby where the father and teenage son were pretty ridged. The son was tapping his hands on the back of the seat in front of them so I could tell he wanted to do more but seemed hindered to do so.  The dad stood still.  I prayed for them to be free.

I lead the morning prayer too so I made my way up to the front during the third song and behind the stage, where it’s dark, to await the end of praise and worship so I could lead in prayer.  In the darkness, behind the curtain, as I participated in the last worship song, I was in tears at the wonder of my God.  He spoke to me there and said, “You aren’t really free either.  See the difference between your worship here and out there?”

Oh man!  It was like night and day!  I saw that it did matter to me what “people” thought.  No one was looking behind the stage and I let go and worshiped.  It was a revelation to me.  I had to repent.

Jesus said to worship God, “in spirit and in truth. John 4:24“. I will think of this today as my praise team is not leading and I will be in the congregation again.  Lord, make me free to praise you and be pleased with my response to your presence.  Amen.

Given May 18, 2008

I heard something in church today, during praise and worship, that was one of those, “Wow, that’s right!”  It was said, “You can go a thousand steps away from God but it’s only one step back.”  You know, that’s right.  The Word says, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you, Hebrews 13:5 (The Message)“.  What a comforting thought.

Many times I wander away from the protective presence of my Lord but, you know, He goes right along with me.  Like I do with my grandkids, I follow close behind while they are exploring new wonders but stay close enough that they can run into my arms if they get scared or need help.  My heavenly Father is the same way.  He stays with me no matter how far I wander and is always there to take me back, give me help, step between me and danger, or comfort me when I get a boo boo.  You know what I mean?

If you’re saved, you are never alone.  If you think you’ve wandered far away from God, just call out to Him.  He’ll say, “Here I am son.  I’m right here daughter.”  Daddy loves us.  He won’t let us get too far away.

Given July 31, 2007

As I read my devotion this morning, I received another aspect of a revelation the Lord had showed me previously. It has to do with “looking up”.

Today, I read of a fatally injured eagle on the ground and how he gazed at the sky, longing for the “home of his heart”. His place was not on the ground where danger lurked but soaring in the sky where he was free to be what God had created him to be.

Looking up is a good thing; up is positive, down is negative. I’m reminded of the guys who took their sick friend to see Jesus, (Mark 2). They couldn’t get in the door so, as they pondered how to get help for their friend, they looked up; “Hey, the roof!”

Peter, in his exuberance and faith at seeing Jesus, jumped out of the boat and began walking on the water, (Matthew 14). As long as he focused on Jesus who had said to him, “Come.”, (v. 29), he was OK. Then…he looked down.

My wife was recovering from out-patient surgery and the nurse had gotten her up to walk for the first time. She was still rather groggy and unsteady from the anesthesia as she tried to walk but the nurse told her, “Don’t’ look down, look up. You’ll do better if you look up.”

There are many examples in scripture of the benefits of looking up but I’ll close with the words of an old hymn: Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace, (Hel­en H. Lem­mel, 1922). If you’re going through something right now…”Look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Luke 21:28“.

Given February 11, 2008

A momentous occasion happened yesterday; my grandson walked for the first time!  It was great, he let go of the table and staggered to his mommy, then to big brother, the to Pawpaw, (me).  We all clapped and cheered with every success.  He also fell down a lot.

You know, when he fell, we didn’t berate him about it saying things like, “What’s wrong with you? Get up and walk!” or “Dumb baby, can’t you do anything right?”  No, we didn’t think anything of it because babies are SUPPOSED to fall when they are first learning to walk.  So, why don’t we treat our fellow Christians that way?

The Bible says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23“.  New Christians are going to fall!  Hey, old Christians are going to fall!  We shouldn’t treat them like they should be perfect but do as Paul told the Galatians: “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. Galatians 6:1“.

New Christians, just like babies, need understanding and a gentle hand wile they’re learning.  Many older Christians, however,  haven’t progressed much in their “walk” and need the same considerations.  “Yea…good try! Now, get up and let’s try it again”.

Given April 15, 2008

While traveling on this day, I heard a teaching on the radio about Cain and Abel, (another revelation from the road).  The speaker emphasized something I had not noticed from Genesis 4:7 where God is talking to Cain, “You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master“, NLT.  The revelation to me was, “sin is crouching at the door”.

This is how I see it; for sin to be crouching at your door, it has to be on your porch, have come through your yard, crossed over your fence, and entered your property.  Now, who let sin do that?  I suggest it might have been you.  If an adult DVD store wanted to set up in the far corner of your property, you’d dig your spiritual heels in and run them off!  Right?

So, what about when gossip shows up at your property line?  What happens if your temper tries to cross over your fence?  Then,  pornography comes through your yard and brings lukewarmness up on your porch and they join lying, cheating and cursing at your door?  You see what’s happened?

As the elder or head of my house, it’s my responsibility to use the Spiritual strength and authority available in me and to not only keep sin away from my door but not let it on my property!  But sin has a way of talking us into letting him closer and closer to our door, and if you don’t keep your guard up, it’s in the house.  “…and do not give the devil a foothold. Ephesians 4:27.“

Given March 14, 2008

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us. Ephesians 3:20“. God’s power is in us. Did you get that? The power that created the universe is in us! So why aren’t we powerful?

One reason is that the Holy Spirit is a gentleman and will not push His way in to help us. Jesus said the Holy Spirit is our helper.  “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever…He dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17“.  He is available to help and direct us but we have to ask Him.  The Spirit of God hovered over the deep in Genesis 1:2 but He won’t smack the remote out of your hand.  He will wait right there next to the couch for you to ask.

We have this great power available to us, in us, but we have to focus on the One who sent this power, ask for His assistance, and develop it.  Watching TV, surfing the net, reading the paper, etc. won’t get it.  Be blessed!