Uncategorized | Revelations From The Road

Lessons From Sports – Part 3, Training

September 10, 2010 by Bill Leave a Comment

Given March 2010

In sports, once you’re on the team, you’re taken through a regimented series of activities designed to develop you physically and mentally to the point where you can be effective as a team member and successful against your opponent. The training regime is demanding and difficult but those who dedicate themselves to the cause, making the necessary sacrifices, will increase their skills and reap the rewards. Some drop out before the game; they aren’t willing to pay the price. Some make it to the game but are unsuccessful and require more training. But the coach is always there to guide the willing and obedient to success.

In life, once you’re on God’s team, you have the opportunity to go through a plan designed to develop you mentally and spiritually to the point where you can be effective as a Christian and successful against the enemy. Each is given a measure of faith, (Romans 12:3), and all have the potential to be great but that faith must be exercised, used, and developed. However, the training plan is demanding, sacrifices must be made, and each member must dedicate themselves totally to the coach and the cause. Some do not have what it takes; (When Gideon was choosing his army to go into battle, God said to tell the men, “Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead. So twenty-two thousand men left,”, Judges 7.)

Then when we reach a certain level, according to our Master, we are tested and tried, “The purpose of these troubles is to test your faith as fire tests how genuine gold is.” (1 Peter 1:7 God’s Word translation). If we pass the test, we move up to the next level, “And we all…are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV). If we fail the test the Master will pick us up, dust us off, and take us back to the training facility until we’re ready to be tested again. And if we persist, we will become strong, skilled, and feared by the enemy, ready to be a force in the Kingdom of God.

Are you ready to be tested? Are you want to go to the next level? Do you want to please the Coach? Be blessed.

The Judgement

August 20, 2010 by Bill Leave a Comment

Given August 18, 2010

During my morning devotion and prayer time on this day, I read something about the Judgement seat of God and, as frequently happens, I got a different vision of what this may be like. Now, I don’t claim that what I will describe is what will happen but just what I saw and the way it might be. I do know it brought me to tears and I want to share it with you so you may be encouraged or at least cause you to think about what you’re doing now to prepare for that judgement day.

I saw a long line at the Judgement Seat of God and thought, as we step up to the front of the line and face God, we may see three reactions from God. 1) He may look at us and say, “Let me look and see if your name is here in the Book.” (Of course He’ll already know if our name is there.) 2) Your name’s not here; I never knew you”. (Matthew 7:23). or 3) “Hey Son, good to see you again. Many of those you sent ahead are already inside, go in and see them.” “His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” (Matthew 25:23). Then He looks back to the line behind you and says, “How many of you all are here because of this son of mine? Come on up here and go in with him.”

That’s when the tears came. I was so thankful that my name is in the Book and I spend time with my Father every day. I have led a few people to the Lord at the alter or somewhere else and they’ll be there but it made me realize I want many more to be there because of my obedience to the commands of God. I’ve got some more servant work to do, how about you?

Believer or Disciple?

May 1, 2010 by Bill 2 Comments

Given April 12, 2010

Working in technology education, I often have the opportunity to evaluate software and, working with educators, I’m usually interested in finding something good that’s free. Everyone knows however there’s a difference between the free version and the pro version; more features, better output, more options, but…there’s a cost; it’s not free. So you must decide; do you want just the basics for free or do you want to pay the price to get more?

Being a Christian, I often have the opportunity, (at the prompting of the Holy Spirit), to evaluate my walk with Jesus, the Master. When we get saved, all we have to do is, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.” (Acts 16:31), and it is free, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (Ephesians 2:8). When we get saved, we are believers; we believe in Jesus and accept His sacrifice for us and get into Heaven on the Basic Package, and it’s free. But there’s more and if you want it, it’s going to cost you.

Becoming a disciple is like the student/teacher relationship; we are the students and Jesus the Master teacher. We’re striving to be like the Master¸”A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher”. (Luke 6:40). We CAN be like Jesus but there’s a cost for this “Pro Version” of Christianity. “If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26). That’s a cost! We have to be willing to follow Jesus, give up the world, learn from Him, and do the things He teaches us. Remember the rich, young ruler in Luke 18, he wasn’t willing to do it.

Yes, the Basic Version, a Believer, which is free, will get you into Heaven but the Master wants more out of His students. Too many Christians are satisfied with just getting inside the Pearly Gates but there are going to be different rewards when we get there, (Note Jesus’ parable in Luke 19:11-26). There is work to be done. He’s looking a few good men and women who WANT to be His disciples. It’ll cost you something but the rewards are “outta this world”! Are you willing to get out of kindergarten and move on up?

Lessons From The Garden – Fruit

April 10, 2010 by Bill 1 Comment

Given June 2009

Fruit is one of the most important parts of a plant especially in the garden. If all is done properly, there will be a great harvest of fruit. It’s the same with Christians. Here are some points about fruit:

Plants will produce the same kind of fruit as its parent. “The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:12. This is God’s plan, to reproduce after its own kind. We, as God’s children, are to be like Him, “.. because as he is so also are we in this world.” 1 John 4:17.
Plants will produce their fruit when they’re supposed to. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9. We can become discouraged by not seeing any immediate results when we pray or “plant a seed”, but when we plant, we are turning it over to God to bring the harvest. So, hold on in faith and expect the harvest.
A plant is known by the fruit hanging from its branches. If a fruit tree doesn’t produce any fruit, that’s bad, (check out what Jesus did about this in Matthew 21: 18-19). If we are a seed of Jesus, we should be producing the same kind of fruit He did. How do we do that? We “abide” in Him; we live in Him; we get our nourishment from Him. “I am the true vine…Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15: 1,4).

So, when people look at us, do they see any fruit? Is it good or bad fruit? “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:8. But one caution, we are not called to be “fruit inspectors” for others. We each should be cultivating our own fruit. God told our ancestors in the Garden, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it.” Genesis 1:28. How’s your fruit?

The Seed

November 13, 2009 by Bill Leave a Comment

Given September 1, 2009

Think of what you know about a seed. You plant a seed in the ground, water it, and wait. Soon it sprouts, breaks the ground, you keep the weeds away, and the former seed blossoms into a beautiful plant. And…produces more seeds for the process to replicate.

You may not have thought of it this way. The seed contains within itself all the attributes of its parent. An acorn has within its 3/4s of an inch everything the 60 foot tall adult oak tree will be. If planted in the ground and cared for properly, it will reproduce like its parent and become like its parent. Can we agree with that? Sure.

When we got saved, the seed of Jesus was planted in us. “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.” Galatians 3:16. All the potential of the parent is there. We must water it with the Word, nurture it, keep the weeds out, and it WILL produce the Father in us. It is possible. The apostle Paul said, “We have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:16. And John says, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” 1 John 3:2. Think about it, it’s in us.

And, one other thing; most plants produce fruit. We are to produce fruit and be know by it, Matthew 7:16, and that reflects our parent. But I heard something else the other day; fruit is not produced for the benefit of the plant, it is for the benefit of others. A tree doesn’t eat its own apple. It is known by the apple but the apple is solely for someone else. What do you think about this?

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