Whose Child Are You?

Does the title question disturb you? Do you take offense to it? Or are you wondering what the intent is and where the question is going? Have you seriously considered whose child you are? Do you know it is evident in your behavior, speech, and actions?

When asked a question like the one in the title, we often give the name of our parents. But the question goes far deeper than that. Ultimately, we must decide if we are going to be a child of God or a child of Satan. Perhaps that sounds harsh, but it is the truth.

So, how do we decide? The simple, yet challenging, answer is that we either follow the truth of God’s Word or we follow the lies Satan throws at us each day. Why is it challenging? Because Satan’s lies are subtle, conniving, convincing, and alluring.

Satan tells us God doesn’t really love us. He tells us it’s alright to be angry with someone who offends us. He tells us we must provide for ourselves, because God won’t. He divides us by pitting us against one another. He convinces us to worship possessions and other people. He tells us we must take control of our lives.

God’s Word tells us God will provide. It tells us to trust him. It reveals God’s promises. In God’s Word, we see that God is in control. We hear that God loves us. We are told that he works everything for our good. His Word provides us with direction, guidance, and truth. So, if we are going to live in truth, we must read and study God’s word. It is only by living by God’s Word that we will live abundantly.

I pray we all recognize the lies Satan continually inundates us with. I pray we seek to know the truth that is in God’s Word. I pray each one of us trust that God is in control, submit ourselves to him, follow his direction and guidance, and live in his truth. Recognize Satan’s lies. Seek the truth of God. Trust God is in control. Submit to God.

John 8: 47 “Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God.”

Be Convinced

Some of us are difficult when it comes to being convinced something is true. Others of us believe anything we hear or read, regardless of the source. The best option is to be somewhere between those two extremes.

We absolutely should question virtually everything we see on social media. Anytime we read a news article online, we should first verify the URL (web address) is a legitimate site. There are numerous fake sites that portray themselves as being legitimate. They will even mimic a legitimate site in hopes of tricking us into believing they are the real thing.

On the other hand, we cannot be so thick skulled as to not believe everything we hear. When we know it is a legitimate source that is doing their best to report the truth, we must at least consider it. Regardless of the source, even people we trust, we must understand everyone has their own biases and may spin the news to reflect what they want it to reflect. Rare is the person who doesn’t. Yet, there are a few.

Jesus tells the story of a rich man who mistreated a beggar outside his gate. When Lazarus, the beggar, died, he went to heaven. Later, when the rich man dies, he goes to hell, being tormented for eternity. The rich man cries out to Father Abraham to send Lazarus with just a drop of water to cool his tongue. However, there is a great chasm between heaven and hell, and Lazarus could not do so.

The rich man then asks that Lazarus be sent to his father’s house and to tell his family about the differences between heaven and hell. Abraham says they have Moses and the prophets, but rich man says they don’t believe them, but, if a man returns from the dead, they will believe. Abraham’s reply is telling, both then and now, when he says they will not be convinced by a dead man returning to life.

Folks, Jesus is the dead man that returned to life; besides the people He raised from the dead when He walked this earth. Yet, there are people in this world today who continue to not believe in Him. Jesus’s telling of this story strikes to the heart of humanity. We want proof. We desire to see with our own eyes. Otherwise, we won’t believe.

The question we all should ask ourselves is, do we believe in the risen Christ? If our answer is yes, we then must ask ourselves, will we follow Him? If we choose to follow Him, we must do so with our entire being. There can be no half measures, no half stepping, nor can there be half-heartedness. Jesus wants full commitment—every moment of every day.

If we are disgruntled with the things we see going on in our world, we must first choose to change ourselves. Without choosing to give Jesus everything we have; we cannot begin to think we will change the world. Why? People follow actions far more than they follow words. We cannot say, “Do as I say.” We must be like Jesus and say, “Follow me.”

He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Fight the Good Fight

When you hear “fight the good fight,” what comes to mind? Do you think of wars to overcome oppression by rabid dictators? Do you think of standing up to corrupt politicians? Do you think of striving to ensure there is justice for all? Or do you think about your faith?

Though there may be many good things we should fight for, there is only one most important thing—our faith. If we can only fight for one thing, it should be our faith. There is no doubt there is evil in this world. Yet, we cannot fight all of it, and certainly not on our own.

The Apostle Paul tells his understudy, Timothy, to rid himself of the desire to gain riches in this world. He says that rather than focusing on worldly riches, focus on the things of God. We, too, should focus on the things of God. It is in our pursuit of them that we learn what true life is all about. But how do we go about achieving them?

Our faith is how we achieve them. They won’t come quickly. That is why Paul says to “fight the good fight of faith.” We battle against our fallen human nature. We battle against the evil in this world. We battle against Satan and his demons. But we don’t fight alone. God is with us every step of the way, so long as we continue to fight.

What is the reward we receive for this fight? Eternal life. We receive the eternal life promised to us by God. He is faithful and will always be with us. There is no question about it. The only question is whether we will continue to fight the good fight, or will we give up? Remembering that we confessed Jesus as our Lord and Savior in front of many witnesses will motivate us to continue the fight. Don’t give up. Hold on to your faith. Keep pursuing the things of God.

I pray we all pursue the things of God. I pray we stop making chasing worldly riches our top priority. I pray each one of us will continue to fight the good fight of faith and take hold of eternal life. Pursue godly things. Stop chasing worldly riches. Fight the good fight. Take hold of eternal life.

1 Timothy 6:11-12 But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Seek Godliness

Are you content? Have you experienced times of discontentment? Are you experiencing discontentment now? What do you think you need to be content? Do you have a plan to acquire or achieve what you need? Are you willing to be content with what you have?

Contentment often escapes us. We continually seek more. Enough is never enough. Our culture encourages us to run the rat race of achievement and accumulation. We jump on the treadmill and go as fast and as hard as we can. Far too often, we never achieve the lofty goals we set.

The Apostle Paul told his understudy Timothy not to chase the riches of this world. Instead, he encourages Timothy to pursue godliness. Included in his encouragement is to be content with having the basic necessities. Paul makes a statement that is often repeated: “we brought nothing into the world, so we can take nothing out of it.” As true as that statement is, we often ignore it.

Being content is a state of mind. It is all about our attitude. We can decide to be content with what we have. It is something I first started working on after going on a few mission trips to Romania. After seeing the contentment the people I encountered had, I realized I didn’t need to accumulate all the things I thought I needed. I started spending less, saving more, and using what I had been blessed with to bless others.

God has blessed us many times over. We are blessed with skills and talents. We are blessed to have jobs, a place to live, clothing, and food. One of God’s purposes for blessing us is so we can be both content and bless others. The more content we are with the basics, the more we can share our blessings with others.

I pray we recognize the many blessings we have received from God. I pray we decide to be content with the basics. I pray each one of us will share our blessings with others. Recognize your blessings. Be content with God’s blessings. Share your blessings. Seek godliness.

1 Timothy 6:6-8 Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it, but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.

Know God’s Name

What comes to mind when you think about knowing someone? Have you thought you knew someone only to be fooled? Have you had others say they know you, and you know they do not really know you? When someone says they know you, do you think about the hidden things inside?

Knowing someone can only be partial. There is no way for us to know their inner thoughts. We think we know them based on their actions, behavior, and by what they say. Others believe they know us based on the same things. Yet, none of us fully know one another.

Yet, the Psalmist records the statement that God will deliver us and protect us, if we know him. I know, it says to “those who know my name.” In the time periods in which the Bible was written, the statement to know someone’s name meant to fully know them, not merely their name. It not only implies fully knowing God but also following his commands.

This means a lifestyle change for many of us. Our lives must reflect that we are followers of Jesus Christ. It means we should act as he acted, which includes taking care of the poor, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, seeking justice for everyone, treating one another with respect and love. In other words, we can’t hold grudges, spout hatred, be judgmental, and disregard those on the margins like the rest of the world.

God identifies his chosen children as those who love him. If we love him, we obey his commands and follow the example Jesus set for us. We give up our own personal preferences to obey God. We make worshiping him a priority. We do everything we do for his glory. There are no half measures, no half stepping, no standing in the middle. Whether we like it or not, God demands we are fully committed to him. When we love him with every fiber of our being and our entire heart, it comes naturally.

I pray we all love God with our entire heart, soul, and mind. I pray we commit everything we do to his glory. I pray each one of us will follow the example Jesus has set for us. Love God with your entire being. Commit yourselves fully to God. Follow Jesus’s example.

Psalm 91:14

Those who love me, I will deliver; 

I will protect those who know my name.

Shelter in the Storm

Have you ever been in a heavy storm? Have you been on the road when a torrential downpour hit? Have you driven through a blinding snowstorm, a virtual whiteout? Have you experienced fog so thick you couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of you?

It can be near impossible to navigate through a downpour, heavy snowfall, and thick fog, whether in a vehicle or on foot. We prefer not to be out in such storms. We would rather be in our homes, or inside somewhere. To be caught out in a severe storm can be deadly.

But what happens when we get caught up in the storms of life? We may have storms of financial hardship, severe illness, a family death, or a broken relationship. These storms can be even more difficult to navigate. They take away our sense of well-being. We experience high amounts of stress, which can result in depression, frustration, anger, and a sense of helplessness. Where do we turn?

The Psalmist says those of us who trust in God will find rest. When we trust in God, we weather the storm, retaining our peace and joy. This doesn’t mean the storm immediately disappears nor that weathering it is easy. It does mean that our trust in God, asking for and following his guidance will guide us through the storm.

Our difficulty is in trusting God. We want to believe we are in control of our lives. We want to believe we can gut it out, find our own way, and persevere without assistance. Yet, trusting God to guide us through it relieves us the feeling of being all alone. It doesn’t mean we don’t need to act. It means we act based on God’s guidance and feel his peace within us.

I pray we all trust in God every day. I pray we ask for and follow God’s guidance in the storms of life. I pray each one of us experience the peace of God, taking refuge in him. Trust God each day. Ask for God’s guidance. Follow God’s guidance. Experience God’s peace. Take refuge in God.

Psalm 91:1-2

You who live in the shelter of the Most High, 

who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,,*

will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress; 

my God, in whom I trust.”

Saying Yes to God

Have you ever experienced God showing you the way? Has he given you an answer to a long-asked question? Was the answer an obvious answer or one you did not expect? Did God lead you down a path you didn’t know you needed to pursue? Were you willing to follow God?

We can ask God for direction for a long time (by our standards) before we get an answer. The answer may be unexpected. Perhaps we have been looking for a new home, and the answer shocks us. Maybe we are looking for a new job, and answer may have us changing careers.

The prophet Jeremiah had an unexpected answer to a question he didn’t know he should ask. God directs him to buy a field from his cousin. Jeremiah wasn’t looking to purchase a field. But he was willing to do what God told him to do. So, when his cousin came to offer him the field, Jeremiah purchased it. It was a sign from God and a message for the people of Israel.

As a pastor, I am on my third career. The switch from the first to the second was logical. I retired from the Marine Corps and became a defense contractor. It continued to work in IT to support the Navy, Marine Corps, and Aerospace customers. But switching from an IT career to become a pastor was not logical by human standards. Yet, God called me, and I knew I had to answer. Honestly, God didn’t give me a choice.

We all can hear guidance coming from God. Sometimes, it comes in the advice a friend gives us. Sometimes, it comes as a voice in our head when we are quiet. Sometimes, it comes from a complete stranger who hears some part of our story or situation and gives us the advice we need to hear. But make no mistake about it, God is in the midst of it. If you are unsure, ask God to make it abundantly clear. Just be ready for him to do so and be ready to do as he tells you to do.

I pray we all ask God for his guidance in our lives. I pray we listen for him to give us his guidance. I pray each one of us are ready to answer God in the affirmative when he tells what he wants us to do. Ask for God’s guidance. Listen for God’s guidance. Be ready to say yes to God.

Jeremiah 32:6-78 Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me: Hanamel son of your uncle Shallum is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.’ ”

Serve One Master

Yesterday we discussed the parable Jesus spoke about a rich man and his financial manager. We saw that Jesus commended the manager for his shrewdness and stated we, His followers, should be just as shrewd, if not shrewder. But that wasn’t the end of Jesus’s teaching on the subject.

Jesus continued His discourse, speaking of being faithful. He said that whoever is faithful with little will be faithful with much. He also said the converse was true: whoever is unfaithful with a little will be unfaithful with much. Is Jesus solely alluding to earthly business management?

No, Jesus is not solely speaking about earthly business management, though He is using it as an example to make a point. The manager was seeking to procure safety and security for his life once he was unemployed. Jesus is pointing out that we should be even more concerned about securing eternal life by obeying God’s will.

As He continues, He states we cannot serve two masters. One will always be more important than the other. Ultimately, he speaks of the two masters being God and wealth. Now we get down to brass tacks. We cannot make our pursuit of earthly wealth out of selfish ambition be more important to us than serving God.

How are we to serve God? First, we spread the gospel. Beyond that, Jesus has told us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the widows and orphans, and love one another. If we allow our culture and our pursuit of wealth to take us away from doing these things, we have failed to be true followers of Jesus Christ. We become no better than the financial manager seeking to save his own skin in this world.

I pray we all are faithful with the little we have. I pray we seek to serve only one Master, God. I pray each one of us choose to serve God by obeying his commands and doing his will. Be faithful. Share God’s blessings. Speak the gospel. Serve the marginalized. Obey God’s commands. Do God’s will.

Luke 16:13 “No slave can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

Be Shrewd

Do you make astute decisions? How cunning is your thought process when you are put in a bind? Do you keenly consider all options before you choose one? Have you been told you are being shrewd? Do you think you should be shrewd? Why or why not?

When we think of shrewdness, we may also think of someone being miserly. Yet, that is not what being shrewd means. It means we are astute, cunning, or keen. In other words, we are considering the options available and making the best choice for ourselves.

In a worldly perspective, this is being selfish. We are only looking out for our own well-being. We don’t consider the impact of our decision on others. However, in a spiritual perspective, making decisions regarding our eternal life, we are commended to be shrewd by Jesus. How so?

In Luke 16:1-7, Jesus tells a parable of a rich man who has a financial manager who is being fraudulent. The rich man calls him out. The manager quickly has the debtors of the rich man lower what they owe him by simply having them make an entry in his logbook. The manager is being shrewd by getting the debtors to be his accomplices and seeking to provide for himself in the future when he is no longer employed by the rich man.

Jesus commends the manager for his shrewdness and states that God’s followers should be just as shrewd or even shrewder. However, Jesus is not speaking of being shrewd to further ourselves in this world. No, he is speaking to our seeking to be shrewder concerning our eternal life. In other words, Jesus is saying we need to be more concerned for carrying out His will than seeking earthly fortunes. We will continue this story tomorrow.

I pray we all learn the lesson of the shrewd financial manager. I pray we decide to be shrewd with our eternal life. I pray each one of us will choose to put God’s will ahead of our own desires. Seek to be shrewd toward eternal life. Obey God’s will. Set aside your desires. Be a true follower of Jesus Christ.

Luke 16:13 “And the Lord praised the agent [bound up, as he was, in the world] of unrighteousness because he acted shrewdly, because worldlings are more shrewd in taking advantage of their opportunities than are the children of light.”

There Is One God

How many gods are there? Have you added them all up? Have you considered the number of gods people have in their lives? Have you added up the number of things people worship? Do you have many gods? Do worship things or people? Or do you only worship the one God?

People worship many things and many people. Our culture puts a premium on social status and the possessions we can acquire. We are influenced by culture to put people in certain professions on a pedestal. All of this creates many gods for us to worship.

Yet, the Bible tells us there is one God, the Creator of all things. God, who is holy, is the only God we are to worship. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to step into creation to be our Savior. Jesus, through His work on the cross, is our mediator before God the Father. The price He paid, the price we cannot pay for ourselves, sets us free from the culture we live in.

If we are free, why do we continue to allow ourselves to be imprisoned by our culture. Being human, we get wrapped up in what is happening around us. We get caught up in family relationships and friendships. We desire to do well and are pulled into the trap of worshiping our job. To combat these things, it requires us to be disciplined and focus on God.

The truth the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to his understudy Timothy is still true today. We need to remind ourselves of this truth every day. There is one God. Jesus is our mediator before the Father. Jesus is fully human and fully God. By going to the cross, Jesus has set us free. We are free to worship the one God and discard the pressures of our culture.

I pray we all know there is only one God. I pray we know the Jesus is our mediator before the Father. I pray each one of us remind ourselves each day that we have been set free. There is one God. Jesus is our mediator. Jesus has set us free. We have been freed from our culture.

1 Timothy 2:5-6

For there is one God; 

there is also one mediator between God and humankind, 

Christ Jesus, himself human, 

who gave himself a ransom for all 

—this was attested at the right time.