The Best Gift Of All

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16 (NKJV)

Christmas is a time when people give and exchange gifts.  Some people give and get more gifts than others, some people may receive something that is not exactly what they wanted, and some people receive a gift that fits them perfectly, and it is just want they wanted.  There are all kinds of gifts someone can give, but the best gift would always be something that the other person has needed and hoped for.  Giving a gift that no one wants would be a mistake, but giving a gift that someone had only dreamed about would be the best gift of all.

At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, at least that is where our focus should be.  Today, the emphasis of Christmas is more about family, celebrations, and gift giving, which is fine, but we should not forget the most important reason we have to celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus.  Some believers get concerned and even upset when others lose their focus on the true meaning of Christmas, and while getting upset with people for any reason is not very helpful, it is good to understand the real reason for celebrating Christmas and to remember how God sent Jesus to save us.

Although we do not usually think of John 3:16 as a Christmas verse, what that verse tells us is at the heart of what Christmas is all about: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."  The gift God gave us of Jesus was the perfect gift, the best gift of all, and it is just what we needed.  God loved humanity so much, that He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to the earth to die in our place, so that we could be reunited with God.  That was, and is, the best gift of all, and it is exactly what we needed!

Where Is It, And What Are We Doing With It?

"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (NKJV)

Nearly everyone has a smartphone, and they can be very useful.  But what if you bought a new smartphone, or someone gave you one, and it was the newest smartphone available with all the apps and features you needed and wanted, but you never used it?  What would it be like to have that new phone and never take advantage of all that it could do, and what if you not only never used it, but you only took it out of its package and then put it back?  That would be very strange, and it is something no one would ever really do.

We are very fortunate today, because we have the complete Bible, where in the past some people did not own a Bible, or even have the complete set of Scriptures that we have today.  God gave us His Word to help us, to show us how to follow His plan, and live the kind of life He planned for us, but it is up to us to do something with it.  God's Word should not just be in our head, on some paper, in a book, or in some audio or video file, God's Word needs to be in our heart, and an active part of what we do and what we say.

Deuteronomy 6 says that God's Word should be in our heart, we should teach it to others, we should talk about it, and it should be a vital part of our life.  If the Word is in our heart, it will come out of our mouth, it will direct our actions, it will be the focal point of our life, and the basis for how we live.  If God's Word is just in our head, on some paper, or in a video, then we won't think about it, we won't act on it, we won't talk about it, and it will not guide our life.  Where is God's Word in our life, and what are we doing with it?

Living In The Right Spiritual "Time Zone"

"giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."
Colossians 1:12-14 (NKJV)

In my personal life and ministry work, I have done a lot of traveling.  When I travel overseas, there is a several hour change in the time, and that means adjusting to a new time zone.  My strategy is that once I am on the airplane I change my time from the location where I am to where I will be.  Some people keep their watch and devices in their former time zone during the entire trip, and even after they have arrived in their new location, which only makes adjusting to the new time zone more difficult.

When someone becomes a Christian, a born-again follower of Jesus, they move into a new kingdom.  So there has to be an adjustment from living the old way of life, in the devil's kingdom, to a new way of life in God's Kingdom.  If we try to continue to live the way we have in the past, then just like trying to live in the wrong time zone we will have some problems.  We have left the past behind, and even though we may sometimes feel like we are still a part of that former kingdom, we need to make the shift and adjustment to living in God's Kingdom.

Colossians 1:13 says that we have been conveyed, transferred, out of the kingdom and power of darkness into the Kingdom of God's Son, Jesus.  You could say that in God's Kingdom we are in a new spiritual "time zone," and we need to make the necessary adjustments to live there properly.  In our new kingdom, we have an inheritance and redemption through the blood of Jesus; we are in a new kingdom, and we have to live that way.  No matter how we may feel, or how much we may remember our former kingdom and spiritual time zone, we have to leave all of that behind and live in the reality of our new kingdom. 

Your Piece Of The Puzzle

"But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.
And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
But now indeed there are many members, yet one body."
1 Corinthians 12:18-20 (NKJV)

Putting together a puzzle can be an enjoyable way to spend time.  When a puzzle is completed, you have a beautiful picture of something, or you at least have an interesting picture, depending on the puzzle.  But, for a puzzle to be complete, you have to have all the pieces in the right place.  Some pieces may look similar, but each piece will only fit in one specific place, so each piece is uniquely necessary to create the entire puzzle.  If a piece is missing, you cannot complete the puzzle, and you will have an incomplete picture.

Many people lack purpose in their life, and they live without a real purpose.  That is one reason so many people have problems.  If someone does not have a true purpose in life, if they are just existing, their life is not as full as it should be.  God has a plan, a purpose, for each and every person, whether they are born again or not.  But, until someone receives Jesus as their Savior and Lord, that person will never really connect with the true purpose that God has given them.  If people understood that there is a place and purpose waiting for them in God's family, it would make a difference in their lives.

The Bible refers to believers as the Body of Christ, and we each have a part to play in the Body.  This is just like every piece of a puzzle being important for the complete picture.  If someone is not filling their place in the Body, then something is missing, just like if you were missing a piece for a puzzle.  God has a purpose for our life, and it is up to us to discover it.  This comes through spiritual growth and development in God's Word and with the help of the Holy Spirit.  We are all valuable parts of the Body of Christ, and God needs us all to take our place so that His will can come to pass.

Thankful And Peaceful

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful."
Colossians 3:15 (NKJV)

It has been said that for every cloud there is a silver lining, meaning that even when things are less than perfect, something good can still be found.  However, some people seem to have this concept backwards, because for them it seems that every silver lining has a cloud.  Two people can be looking at the same thing and see it completely different, it is simply a matter of perspective.  We can choose to find a silver lining in a cloud and find something positive in a situation, or we can see a dark cloud, no matter how bright things might be otherwise.

The Thanksgiving holiday in the USA happens every year in November.  But that does not mean that we cannot be thankful for things during the entire year.  We can see the positive in things and be thankful all year long, or we can wait for some special thing to happen to give us a better reason to be thankful.  Being grateful and thankful for things will help us beyond just having something positive to say in every situation.  If we are actively looking for something to be thankful about, it can create an attitude of thanksgiving in us that will be a benefit to us in other areas of life.

Thanksgiving is a great time to be thankful, and by being thankful, we are choosing to focus on something positive rather than something negative.  Colossians 3:15 talks about allowing the peace of God to rule in our heart, and being thankful.  God wants us to live a life of peace, as well as being thankful, and I do not think it is just a coincidence that these two things are linked together.  In every situation, we need to see what we can be thankful for, not just on Thanksgiving.  Being thankful can help us live at peace, rather than being agitated by things we are unhappy about and not thankful for.

Nothing Else Will Satisfy

"Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to finish His work."
John 4:34 (NKJV)

Have you ever gone to a restaurant, with a high expectation of enjoying a wonderful meal, but when you finished your meal, you were not very satisfied with what you had?  Maybe the food was not prepared properly, or maybe your idea of what the food would be like did not match what you received.  Or maybe you had the experience of being hungry, finding some food, and then what you ate did not satisfy you, and you wanted something else.  But no matter what, having an experience like this that does not satisfy you and leaves you disappointed is not good.

Just like someone can eat some food and not really be satisfied, there are a lot of things that people fill their lives with that may be nice, but they ultimately do not leave them feeling satisfied.  People put an emphasis on things in their life like sports, family activities, a career, money, social status, and other things, but none of them bring lasting satisfaction.  But by following the will of God we see in the Bible and following the direction of the Holy Spirit in our life, we can live a successful and satisfying life.

Doing the will of God and fulfilling His purpose in our life is the only thing that will truly satisfy us.  This is what Jesus was telling the disciples in John 4:34 when He talked about His "food" was doing the will of God.  There are many things that people try to substitute for God's will, but those things never bring the ultimate satisfaction that following God and doing His will can bring.  The only thing that will really satisfy us is following God's plan for our life, living according to His Word, and doing the will of God.  Jesus' satisfaction in life came from doing the will of God, what about us? 

Called, And Excited ... But Trained?

"And Jesus came and spoke to them saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen."
Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)

Imagine a situation where someone is hired to do a job that they are excited about, some kind of a job that they have always wanted.  For example, there are some people whose dream job would be that of a barista.  The person who was hired for the job would be happy that they were hired, and they would be very excited about the job and motivated to do the work.  But if the person who is employed as a barista does not know how to operate the coffee machine, they are ineffective, they still have to be trained.

Many Christians understand that we have been called to go into all the world the preach the Gospel.  Once someone is born again, they are an ambassador for Christ, but not all believers are as focused on, or as excited about that as they should be.  And while some Christians understand that they are called by God to do something, and they are excited about reaching the world for Christ, their level of spiritual development is too low for them to be effective in going out into the world to make disciples of all nations.     

When Jesus gave us "The Great Commission" (Matthew 28:18-20), He was talking about making people disciples, not just converts, but people who had been taught and then observe, do, what they were taught.  Some believers know they have been called, and they are excited about doing the will of God, but they have no training or spiritual development, so they are not really equipped to do the work the God has called them to do.  Being called, and being excited is good, but we need to be trained and equipped to be the kind of disciples that Jesus expects us to be.

The Bible Is Not Clickbait

"The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statues of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, then much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Psalm 19:7-10 (NKJV)

In the world of the Internet, things are not always what they seem to be, or what they claim to be.  You have probably seen something that talks about a celebrity who may have died, some amazing thing that you have to see, or an unbelievable situation that just happened.  But if you click on the story, it is not really worth looking at.  These types of things are often referred to as "clickbait."  Clickbait is defined as something that tries to get a person to click on a link or story, but the content is actually of little value or real interest, and could even be something bad.

The Bible is a book that is easily available, but even so, not everyone reads the Bible.  People are sometimes skeptical about the Bible and what it says, and there are also people who think the Bible is too confusing, out of date, unreliable, or not really relevant any more.  But the real problem is that people do not spend the time in God's Word that they really need to in order to get the benefit from it.  While we cannot just figure everything out in the Bible with only our natural intellect, God will help us to understand the Bible and show us how we can apply His Word to our life.

People have a lot of different ideas about the Bible and how important it is for us.  God gave us His Word to help us and to guide us, and not just to try and attract our attention and then not give us what we need.  God tells us plainly what the truth is; He's not trying to hide things or make it difficult to find what we need for our life.  God's Word is not just some clickbait that is trying to draw us in with a promise of something it cannot deliver.  God's Word is life changing, and what we learn from God's Word can make an amazing difference in our life. 

Why Aren't You Walking Together?

"Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?"
Amos 3:3 (NKJV)

Recently, when I was out for a walk, I saw two other people walking.  These were people I had seen before, and it seemed to me that they were probably husband and wife.  But, in this recent time when I saw them, they were not walking together.  The man, presumably the husband, was walking about five feet in front of the woman, who I took to be his wife.  But for some reason on this day, they were not walking together.  It made me wonder what had happened that they did not want to near each other, and I hoped that it was not some permanent problem.

In the Bible, our life and relationship with God is compared to, and even called, a walk.  And our walk with God should be with God, not separated from Him.  Sometimes Christians talk about how they do not feel as close to God as they once did, but God is not changing, and if anyone has moved, it is certainly not Him.  It should be that what we do in our life is done in unison with God, and that we walk along with Him in our life, following His plan and direction, and not wandering off on our own way, which would definitely be a bad thing.

Amos 3:3, says, "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?"  Sometimes Christians do not "walk" as close to the Lord, so to speak, as they might at other times, but why is that?  Are there times in our relationship with God where He changes or somehow moves?  Or could it be that there are times that we are not in such a close relationship with God because we are somehow not really in agreement with God?  Our goal should be to have a life, a walk which pleases God, where we are walking along with Him and not somewhere behind Him. and certainly not ahead of Him. 

What Is Our Source?

"Preach the word!  Be ready in season and out of season.  Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching."
2 Timothy 4:2 (NKJV)

Many times, when reading a story, listening to a report, or researching something, you can find sources listed for the material that someone is writing or talking about.  To be accurate with a story, a news account, or any information that is being shared, a reliable source needs to be quoted or made note of.  Anyone can say something or cite some information that has no actual basis in truth, so to be certain that what is being said is worth paying attention to, a good source for the given information is necessary.

There is so much information that we have access to, and that is both good and bad, because while there are good things available, there is a lot of information being given out today that is not correct.  This is true in every area of life, and unfortunately it is also true with Christians and people who talk about God and the Bible.  There are so many things I have seen and heard from various sources, talking about some supposed Bible truth, which is not right, and it sometimes goes into completely wrong teaching.  To be accurate when talking about biblical things, we need to base what we say and teach on God's Word.

God's Word has to be our source for what we believe and for what we use to teach and share with others.  As Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2, we must "Preach the Word!" to not only be accurate but also helpful.  Paul encouraged Timothy that if he was going to be helpful to others, he could not preach about his own ideas or opinions, but Timothy had to be sure to use God's Word as his source.  What is the source for what we do and say?  Is our source really God and His Word, or are we taking our source materials from someplace else?

If I Had That, I Would Do This

"He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much."
Luke 16:10 (NKJV)

Have you ever heard someone say, "If I had a million dollars, I would ..." talking about something that person would do with a large amount of money.  Or maybe someone talks about what they would do with more time, a certain ability, or if they lived in some other place.  If we are honest about it, we have all probably said, or thought, something like this at some time in our life.  But the point is not what we would do if we had something different or we were in some other place, the question really is, what are we doing right now with what we do have?

It is easier to talk about doing something than it is to actually do it, and it is easier to talk about what we might do in the future, rather than looking at what we can do now.  This is really something that is a universal type of thing, and pretty much everyone, including Christians, are guilty of this kind of thinking.  We can all fall into the trap of looking at something someone else has, wishing we had that thing, and dreaming about what we would do if we had it.  But rather than looking at something we do not have, we need to see what we do have and make use of that.

In Luke 16:10, Jesus said that if someone is faithful in a little thing, they would be faithful in a big thing, and if someone is not faithful with something small, then that is how they would deal with something bigger.  This relates to all of us in some way.  If we are not making the best use of our time, our resources, and our abilities now, then what makes us think things would be different with more time, resources or abilities?  Instead of looking at what we do not have, and dreaming about what we would do if we had that, we need to see what we can do now, where we are, with what we do have.

Our Weekly Report

"Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed."
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
John 8:31-32 (NKJV)

My smartphone and tablet are made by the same company, so it is not surprising that they have similar features.  Both of these devices have what they call the Weekly Report.  This report pops up on my smartphone and tablet every week, showing me how much time I have spent on these devices, what apps I used the most, and how long I used them.  It is somewhat interesting to me to see what I was doing on my smartphone and tablet in the past week, and what apps I have been getting the most use out of.

Unless someone lives in a nation that does not have some of the basic freedoms that most people in the world enjoy, having access to a Bible is not a difficult thing.  Personally, I have several physical copies of the Bible, Bible apps on my smartphone and tablet, a Bible program in my computer, and there are websites I can go to where I can read the Bible, or have it read to me.  That is all great, unless I never make use of those things.  It would be strange to have all this access to the Bible and never make use of it, but unfortunately that is the case for some people.  

In John 8:31-32, Jesus said that to truly be His disciple, you had to abide in His Word; then you would know the truth, and the truth would make you free.  But what if someone only referred to what Jesus said on a rare occasion?  And what if Jesus' disciples then, and now, had a weekly report, just like the one my smartphone and tablet have every week, that showed how much time we spent in God's Word?  What kind of disciple would our weekly Bible report show we are, and would that help us see why we may not be living in the benefits that Jesus provided for us?  Reading and studying the Bible is something we should do on a daily basis. 

Being Immersed

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
Colossians 3:16 (NKJV)

Immersion schools develop children in a specific language through an education program done in another language.  This means that classes dealing with things like math are done in another language.  So, while the children are learning the different subjects, they are also developing their language skills.  Another example of immersion would be if you were underwater scuba diving or deep sea diving and doing something while you were underwater.  You are involved in some activity, and the entire time you are doing it you are immersed in the water.

The word immerse means to submerge something, to be put into something that entirely covers and surrounds a person or a thing.  If someone or something is immersed in something, then what they are being immersed in covers every part of the person or thing.  In a sense, being immersed in something could also be used to describe someone who is so caught up in, and focused on something that this thing dominates who they are and what they do, such as someone involved in training for a sporting event, or someone studying in a university.

In Colossians 3:16, it says we need to let the Word of Christ, God's Word, dwell in us richly.  This is talking about our making God's Word a priority in our life so that our thinking, our actions, and our words all have their roots in biblical principles.  We have to immerse ourselves in God's Word on a daily basis so that it is the main influence in our lives.  If we are not immersed in God's Word to the point where it dwells in us richly, and it guides our life, then what is the governing factor of our life?  We need to be immersed in God's Word so that it makes a difference in every area of our life.

Are You Fully Convinced?

"He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God."
and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform."
Romans 4:20-21 (NKJV)

When you believe something strongly enough, and you are convinced about something, there is nothing that can persuade you otherwise.  When you are completely convinced something is true, no one can change your mind about that.  But what if you had an idea about something, but you were not sure if it was right or wrong?  If you were not completely convinced about something being true, someone might get you to believe that something else is true.  But once you are convinced something is true, nothing can change that.

Faith is a key element in the life of a Christian.  Faith is believing in something, and having faith in something means you accept that thing as true.  If you are in faith about something you find in God's Word, then God's Word is your evidence of the truth and accuracy of that thing, despite what you might see or experience around you.  Faith is something that can be developed to the point of having unshakable faith where you are fully convinced about what God has said, and nothing can change that.  But to get to the point of being fully convinced, we may need to have our faith more developed.  

Romans 4:21 says that Abraham was fully convinced that what God had said was true.  Abraham was strengthened in faith as he kept his focus on what God had said, and by saying what God had said.  We may read something in the Bible about what belongs to us in Christ, or what God will do in our life, but it may not seem real to us.  That is when we need to be like Abraham and keep our focus on what God has said, and we need to keep on saying what God's Word says.  By doing this, we can become fully convinced that what God has said is what He will do for us. 

Are You Stopping In The Wrong Places?

"Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you.
Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. 
Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil."
Proverbs 4:25-27 (NKJV)

In Germany, there are different types of trains: regional trains, regional express trains, intercity trains, and intercity express trains.  Regional trains make more stops on their routes than the intercity express trains do, so the intercity trains are able to get you to your destination much faster than the other trains do.  Depending on where you need to go, there may be one specific train you need to take, but no matter what, the best train is the one that will get you to the right destination without making any unnecessary stops.

The Bible says that we are on a path in life, that there is a way we should be going, and we need to be sure we are on the right path to get to where we need to go.  If we are following the path that God wants us to take, then our goal should be to do what we can to reach our destination without unnecessary delays or stops along the way.  If we make unscheduled stops in our journey, or take the wrong route, we will be delayed in reaching our destination and we may not reach our goal the way that we should.  

In Proverbs 4, we are told to keep our eyes looking straight ahead, to ponder (consider), the path we are on, and not to turn to the right or the left.  Just like some trains in Germany make a stop at every station, while others make less stops and travel faster, we can make stops in the wrong places in life and get off track in the plan of God, through getting involved with people and things that are not part of God's plan.  We need to find the best way to reach our destination in life, to be sure that we fulfill the will of God, and that we do not get bogged down with excessive delays and stops along the way.

Honorable In The Sight Of Everyone

"providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men."
2 Corinthians 8:21 (NKJV)

Have you ever seen people going to some type of meeting or convention for people who take part in role playing games, or for fans of sci-fi fantasy movies or television shows?   Often people will dress up as a favorite character to attend these meetings as that character.  In those types of conventions, everyone dressed up as some character looks fine and fits in well, but what if someone dressed that way and went to their work as a doctor or a police officer?  If they dressed the same way in both places, they would look out of place in one of those two locations.

It is one thing to live in a way where you are just trying to please people and fit in for the sake of fitting in, but it is something else to do things that do not create some kind of problem.  While we should not live a two-faced type of existence where we behave one way with a certain group of people and then another way with a different group, there is a way to live where we can fit in to whatever situation that we might find ourselves in.  If we fit in well in one situation, and we look completely out of place in another, we may need to check into what we are doing.

In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul said that the way he was doing things was "honorable," not just in the view of God and Christians, but even with others outside of the church.  Integrity is an important quality that every believer, and especially leaders, needs to have.  Do we have a good reputation with those outside the church, or just with the people in our church?  If we only look good to other believers, and in our church group, but not to the rest of the world, we have lost at least some of our influence with those people.  We need to do things that everyone will see as honorable and good, and not just by those closest to us.  

Every Tool Has A Purpose

"from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."
Ephesians 4:16 (NKJV)

There are many different companies that make tools for different uses, but no company would make a tool that would never be used.  Every tool and piece of equipment that is made is made for a reason, there is some purpose that the tool was created for.  No successful business would create a tool that no one had a reason to use for something.  Some tools are very simple and easy to use, and some tools are more complicated.  But no matter the kind of tool, each tool has a purpose, and it was designed for that use.

Feeling useless and not having a purpose is a terrible thing, and many people today are living a purposeless life, but it should not be that way.  God has a plan and a purpose for everyone.  One of the greatest things in life is discovering the purpose God has for our life.  Once we become a Christian, we need to grow up spiritually and learn about who we are in Christ and about the plan and purpose God has for us.  As Christians, we should not live a purposeless life, because God has something for each of us to do in life.

God has a purpose for us, to help fulfill His plan for the Body of Christ and the world.  Just like every tool was created for a purpose, God has given us an ability that we can use to supply something in and to the Body of Christ, which will then impact the world.  We are God's children, He loves us, and He wants to use us to bring a supply of something to the Body of Christ and the world.  We need to get into God's Word and follow the direction of the Holy Spirit to learn who we are in Christ, what ability God has given us, and how He wants to use us to fulfill His will. 

Flight Delays And The Will Of God

"For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.  Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."
Habakkuk 2:3 (NKJV)

More than once, for various reasons, I have had a flight delay. The flight was not cancelled, so it was going to leave the airport and arrive at the planned destination, but it was leaving later than expected.  While I am never thrilled to have a flight delay, I do not get into a panic that I will never get to my desired destination, I know that what is happening is only a delay in my eventual arrival.  Whenever this happens, I do what I can to make the best of the extra time I have, to keep the right focus, and be productive as possible in some way while I wait.

When things are delayed, and we do not get what we want when we want it, we can become concerned, frustrated, and even give up on ever getting what we want.  In our world today, so many things can happen so fast that when things do not happen quickly, we can become upset and wonder what is going wrong.  But while something may be delayed, it does not mean that what we are waiting for is not coming, it is just going to get to us later than we had planned and would have liked to have had it.  

There can be times in our Christian life when things do not happen as soon as we would like them to, but that does not mean that it will not happen.  In Habakkuk 2:3, God told Habakkuk that even though the vision might tarry, or be delayed, it would come.  Just because something does not happen in our time frame does not mean that it will not happen.  What God has promised us may take longer to get to us than we would like, but we can be sure that God's plan and purpose for our life will come to pass as we follow His direction and act in faith on His Word.

When Will You Be A New Creation?

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)

A lot of kids, and people, have dreams about something they want to be, someday.  For example, when kids are growing up, they will talk about becoming something they want to be when they are older.  A child might say they want to be a doctor, or a singer, or something else.  But it would be very strange for a child to say they want to be a doctor one day, and then when they become a doctor to keep wishing they were a doctor.  Once a person becomes a doctor, they need to focus on being that and not just keep hoping to be a doctor one day.

When discussing Bible truths, we can see two things.  First, there are things that God has already done for us, and second, that we need to take advantage of those things and live in the reality of what God has already done.  Salvation is a good example of this.  Through Jesus, God has provided a way for mankind to come into a right relationship with God, but a person still needs to act on that.  God does not need to send Jesus back to die on the cross again, a person just needs to act on what has already happened through Jesus.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17, it says that if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation, the old is gone and everything has become new.  We are a new creation in Christ, right now!  We are the righteousness of God, our past mistakes are washed away in the blood of Jesus, and we have a bright future with God!  This is not something that is going to happen one wonderful day.  We need to find out everything the Bible says about who we are as a new creation and start living that way, not just wish we could be that one day.  We are already a new creation in Christ, and we have to live in that reality. 

A Family Resemblance?

"Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us."
Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?  He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father?"
John 14:8-9 (NKJV)

People sometimes talk about a "family resemblance" when someone in a family looks like, or even acts like another member of the family.  Often, this is referring to something in a positive way, but it can also be referring to a negative thing.  Someone may look like or act like someone else in that family, in a positive or negative way, and that will make other people either want to get to know that family or avoid them.  Based on something one person does, it can make their entire family seem more or less appealing to others.

When people hear us and see us do things, they will often associate our behavior with who we are connected to: our family, our place of work, and even our beliefs.  We are either a good reflection of who we are connected to, naturally and spiritually, or we are a bad reflection.  We should never do or say things that would make anything we are connected to look bad, and that is especially true with what we believe.  Christians can sometimes do and say things that make a relationship with God and Jesus look like something much less than it really is, and that should not be.  

In John 14, Philip asked Jesus to show the disciples the Father.  Jesus said to Philip, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father."  Jesus did and said the same things as His Father, there was a family resemblance, and what Jesus did and said made other people want to get to know His father.  What about us?  When people hear us and see us do things, are they hearing and seeing our Heavenly Father?  Is there a "family resemblance" between us and who we are related to spiritually?  There should be.  Our life should be a reflection of our spiritual Father, and encourage others to get to know Him and His Son Jesus.

Don't Just Hear It, Do It, Use It

"And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
I fed you with milk and not solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;
for you are still carnal.  For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?"
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 (NKJV)

Having something is one thing, but doing something with what you have is another.  Whether it is some device, a skill, money, or something else, just gaining that thing and having it is only part of the picture.  You could get or be given something very important, exactly what you need, but if you never make use of it, then that thing is wasted.  Some people think that if they could only have this thing or that thing it would make a big difference in their life, but once they had that thing, they would still have to put it to its proper use.

The Bible is clear that we not only need to hear God's Word, but we also need to put it into practice.  God told Joshua to meditate on the Word and do the Word (Joshua 1:8).  In Deuteronomy 29:29, it says that the things that have been revealed to us are the things we need to do.  And in James 1:21-25, we are told to receive and do the Word, and that those who do the Word will be blessed.  So, we can easily see that we have to know God's Word and act on it.  Once we have heard God's Word, we then need to do what we have heard.  

The Apostle Paul had a great understanding of what God did through Jesus, and Paul spent his life as a Christian teaching others about that.  Paul told the believers at Corinth that he could not talk to them as spiritual people, but carnal.  The Corinthian believers had the Word, but they were not acting on it and making it a part of their life.  We need to read, study, and hear good teaching about God's Word, but then we still need to put it into practice.  If we don't, then we will not live in the blessings of God as we should, and we are in danger of living a life contrary to God's plans and purposes.

Personal, Or Professional Problem?

"But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land!" 
Therefore Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; so they called the place the Rock of Escape."
1 Samuel 23:27-28 (NKJV)

There is a difference between business and pleasure, personal and professional things.  It can be that a person's business, their profession, is something they thoroughly enjoy, but there is still a business aspect to their work that does not allow things to become just an entirely personal activity.  But, if someone loses sight of the professional side of their life because of a personal issue with someone else, or a personal problem of their own, that can take away from the effectiveness they should have in their profession.

As believers, our main focus should be on our relationship with God and spiritual growth, which enables us to be an effective part of the Body of Christ.  It is vitally important for us to find the purpose God has for us, and understand the plan He has for us to fulfill that purpose.  But we have an enemy, the devil, who will do everything he can to hinder us from understanding God's plan and fulfilling it.  The devil will try and keep us ignorant of what God has planned for us, and if this fails, the devil's secondary plan is often to create personal problems to distract us.  

Saul was the first king of Israel, but he had some problems.  Saul became jealous of David, which clouded Saul's judgment, causing him to lose his focus on God's plan for his life.  In 1 Samuel 23, while Saul was pursuing David, focusing on this personal issue, the kingdom was in peril as the Philistines invaded the land.  The same thing can happen today if we allow personality issues, jealousy, or something another person has done to distract us from doing what God has called us to do.  We need to keep our focus on God's plan, and not allow personal issues to get in the way of our doing the will of God.

Given To Me, For You

"For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles - 
if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,"
Ephesians 3:1-2 (NKJV)

One of the first jobs I ever had was delivering auto parts for an auto parts store.  Different places would call our store to order various parts that they needed to work on cars.  Then I would get those parts from our inventory and deliver them.  My job was not just to get the parts that someone else needed and keep them for myself, those auto parts were needed by other people to be able to do the work they were involved in.  The only reason I had the parts was to give them to someone else, not to keep them for myself.

The Bible shows us that Christians make up the Body of Christ, and that each part of the Body has something to supply that contributes to the overall operation of the Body.  All the parts of the Body of Christ are connected and have to work together.  God gives each of us a grace, a gift, that we need to use to supply something to the Body.  As each part gives what it has to supply, the entire Body benefits, and if some part of the Body of Christ would somehow withhold what it should supply, there would be a problem in the Body.  

In Ephesians 3, Paul talked about how God had given him grace, a gift, and that God had actually given it to him for the benefit of the people of Ephesus.  In the same way, God gives each of us a grace gift.  One of the goals in our life is to discover and develop the grace, the gift, the ability, that God has given us.  We need to not only recognize the gift that God has given us, but we must also understand that what we have been given, was given to us for others.  The grace, the gift, the ability, that God gives us is meant to be used to help other people and not just kept to ourselves.

Where Is Your Focus?

"Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin.  But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied."
1 Samuel 17:45 (NKJV)

What you focus on and what has your attention is very important.  You might be driving a car, but if your focus is on something other than the road, you can have a serious problem.  You might have a deadline for a project to be done where you work, but if you are focused on planning your vacation instead of working on the project, you will likely have trouble.  It could be that what we are paying attention to is really not the most important thing, so we need to be sure we understand what is important and focus on that.

For the Christian, spiritual realities are more important than our natural reality.  This does not mean that our natural situation does not exist, or that it is not something we should be aware of, but the spiritual side of our situation is what we need to be focused on.  In our life, generally speaking, and in specific situations, we need to look past the natural reality and focus on the spiritual side of things; we need to know what God and His Word have to say about our situation, and we need to put our attention on that.

One of the things we can learn from the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, is that David was victorious because he focused on the spiritual side of things, while everyone else was focused on the natural side.  David recognized that Goliath was defying and fighting against God, but Saul and the army were looking at Goliath's size and listening to what he said, rather than focusing on God and what He said.  David succeeded because he looked past the natural situation and focused on the spiritual side of things.  God is on our side, and no matter how big the "giant" that we face is, by focusing on God and His Word, we will win.

Give Or Get?

"Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
Luke 6:38 (NKJV)

Christmas is a favorite time of year for most people, because that is when they receive gifts.  But, while everyone likes to receive something, not everyone is quite as excited about giving something.  Most people do not get excited about Christmas because it is an opportunity to give something, but it is all about getting something.  There is a biblical principle here however, that is seen in the natural world, that to get you first have to give.  Getting something is great but giving something is actually a key to getting something.

The principle of sowing and reaping, giving and receiving, is seen throughout the Bible.  Unfortunately, many people have reduced this to just a monetary situation where someone talks about giving money in an offering, or helping someone by making a donation for some cause, and this has sometimes clouded the true nature of this principle.  What most people do not understand is that the principle of sowing and reaping, giving and receiving dominates much of our life, often without our realizing it.

In Luke 6:38, Jesus talked about giving and receiving, and while He was not specifically talking about money, this principle does work with material things.  Too often we only think about what we can get, without looking at what we can give.  What if everyone in a church, family, relationship, or on a job, looked for ways to give and help others instead of just getting something?  What would happen is that these situations would improve and everyone would reap benefits.  If we really want to be blessed and have what we need, we should first focus on giving, not getting.

Who Are You?

"Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God."
Romans 1:1 (NKJV)

We all have various forms of identification.  We might have a passport, a driver's license, a library card, or even a membership card to some store or organization.  When you go to different places, you need a valid form of identification.  For example, when I travel to different nations, I cannot show them my library card, which is not a valid form of identification outside of the library.  Although I may really like my local library, my library card is not my main form of identification, it is a secondary form of identification.

Knowing who we are is very important, and who we are is more important than what we do, especially as Christians.  The first and most important way we need to identify ourselves is in our relationship with God, not what we do for God.  To be someone that fulfills the calling of God and is a help to other people, we need to first develop in our relationship with God.  People can have problems if they focus more on what they do for God than they do on maintaining a strong relationship with Him, because doing what God has called us to do starts with our relationship with Him.

In the letter to the Christians in Rome, Paul first identified himself as a "bondservant" of Jesus Christ.  Then, after that, he talked about what he had been called to do.  Paul correctly identified himself first of all based on his relationship with God, not on what God had called him to do, his ministry work.  Just like Paul, we need to put our identity in Christ first.  What we are called to do is not as important as who called us to do it.  We are first of all children of God, then servants of God.  That is where it starts, and what we do for God grows from that.

Who Do You Give The Ball To?

"Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
But God be thanked that though you were slaves to sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered."
Romans 6:16-17 (NKJV)

Soccer is played around the world, and it is a relatively simple game.  The goal of soccer is for one team to use the ball to score more goals than the other team.  But, what if only one team was able to use the ball?  The result would be that the team with the ball would score all the goals and win the game.  It would be foolish for the team without the ball to wonder why they lost the game, because obviously they never had the ball.  Whoever is given the ball, whoever controls the ball, will always win the game.

We all have choices in life about what we do.  And, while this is true, there are still some Christians who believe that God is in control of everything.  But, if God was in control of everything, then the Bible would never tell us that there is a right way and a wrong way to live our life, we would never be told to resist the devil, and there would be no point to the encouragement for believers to walk by faith and not by sight.  The truth is that we all have choices in life, and what we choose will have a major impact on the life that we live.

In Romans 6, Paul said that we should not allow sin to reign in our life.  Paul also said that whoever or whatever we yield to will become our master.  Just like in a soccer game, the team that is given the ball will score the goal.  In the same way, spiritually, whoever we "give the ball to," who we yield ourselves to, will become dominant in our life.  We can yield to God's direction and guidance of how to live our life, or to the wrong attitudes, actions, and desires.  Who we yield to is who we give the ball of our life to, and that is who will have dominance in our life.

Stay In Your Lane

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,"
Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)

One thing that is very important while driving is to stay in your lane.  Although there may be times you will change lanes while you are driving, generally you need to stay in your lane.  The same concept is true in many events in track and field, where each runner needs to stay in their assigned lane during the race.  If you cross over to another lane while you are running, you could be disqualified, and if you move into another lane while you are driving, you could have an accident.  The best thing to do is to stay in the lane you are traveling in.

God has a plan and purpose for every person, and in the Bible this is sometimes compared to a race.  A race is a specific course that is followed by someone to reach a desired destination.  In our individual race, as a part of the plan that God has for our lives, there are things we are called to do, and there are things other people are called to do in their race.  We need to understand the race we are called to run, and encourage others in their race, but we should never judge anyone for the race they are running, just because it is a different race than ours.

Hebrews 12:1 talks about the race that is set before us, which is talking about the plan that God has for us.  It is our race, that is set before, in front of, us.  My race is what I need to run, and your race is what you are called to run.  In God's plan and purpose for our lives, His will is unique for each of us and the course of our life, so each person's race will look different than someone else's.  To successfully run our race, we need to stay in our lane and do what God has called us to do, and not get into the lane, the calling, that God has for someone else.

Walking In Love - Are You Keeping Score?

"does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;"
1 Corinthians 13:5 (NKJV)

Have you ever met someone who remembers the score from some sporting event, or the last time their team played a certain opponent?  Then, the next time that important type of game comes up, or when the other opponent is mentioned, that person remembers exactly what happened in the last game, what the score was, and they can even tell you about specific parts of the game.  That can just be a dedicated sports fan, or it can be someone who is obsessed with something in the past.  It is one thing to be a sports fan and have a favorite team, but often past games and scores are better left in the past.

People want to remember the good things in life, and to forget the bad things, usually.  But some people will keep in mind something that someone else did, that offended them or actually hurt them, and the person who was offended or hurt will remember that thing more than they should.  Everyone has been offended and hurt by someone else, but if we are keeping track of the wrong things people have done, and in some way we are keeping "score" with exactly what happened, when it happened, and how terrible it was, that is the kind of thing that can develop into a serious problem. 

In 1 Corinthians 13:5, we see that one of the characteristics of the God kind of love is that it "thinks no evil."  The word "thinks" here, in the NKJV of 1 Corinthians 13:5, means to take an inventory, with the idea of "counting up" something, like someone would keep score in some sporting event.  If we are going to walk in love, where we are fulfilling the will of God, living in the blessings of God, and being helpful to other people, we will need to learn to forget about past wrongs, accidental or intentional, and walk in love towards others.  We need to stop keeping score and start walking in the God kind of love.

What Is Your Supply, Your Share?

"from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."
Ephesians 4:16 (NKJV)

You cannot give someone something that you do not have.  If someone asks you for a pen, but you do not have a pen, then you cannot give them a pen.  But if you have a pen, you could simply give it to the other person.  But what if you had a pen in your pocket, that you had forgotten about, or what if you had something else that someone asked for, but you did not know that you had it?  If you had forgotten what you had, or you somehow did not know you had something, you would not be able to give that item to someone, until you realized you actually had that thing.

A basic Bible fact is that believers make up the Body of Christ; Jesus is the Head, we are the Body, and each person has some gift from God, some ability that they can use as a part of the Body of Christ.  But what if someone does not understand that?  What if someone only thinks some people have a gift, but they themselves do not?  If you do not understand that you have a gift, you will not use that gift.  The result will be that your part of the Body of Christ will be lacking what you should give, and that is not good.

Ephesians 4:16 says that every part of the Body of Christ has a gift, something to supply and to share, so that the entire Body of Christ will grow and develop.  But some people do not even know that they have a gift, a supply, something to share.  We need to learn who we are in Christ, and what God has equipped us to do, through God's Word, and then be led by the Holy Spirit about how God wants us to give our supply, to share what we have, so that God's plans and purposes will come to pass.  What is your supply, what is it you have to share?

Just Turn On The Light

"For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life."
Proverbs 6:23 (NKJV)

Imagine being in a dark room, and you need some light.  And imagine you were next to what you knew was a light switch that could turn on the light.  What would you do in this situation?  Would you call out to a friend in another room to come and turn on the light for you?  Would you just give up and sit on the floor thinking that maybe it is better not to be able to see anything, or would you just do the simple thing of turning on the light?  It is hard to imagine that someone would not use the easiest solution and turn on the light with the switch that is already there.

So many people are looking for direction and help in finding the right thing to do, in specific situations and in life in general.  This is one of the biggest areas that people deal with, and it seems to be one of the hardest things for many people to figure out.  Christians want to do God's will, but exactly what is it?  It seems that many people look mainly for some spectacular or supernatural external way to be directed, and there is a place for that, but there is always a place for us to get direction from God's Word and the principles that God has already given us.

As we see in verses like Proverbs 6:23 and Psalm 119:105, God's Word is a lamp, and a light that will give us direction and guidance.  Getting "light" and direction from God can be as simple as the Holy Spirit reminding us of a Scripture, but it can also involve our searching the Scripture to find the guidance we need for our life, and for individual situations.  Sometimes people are looking for a dramatic, external way to "turn on the light" of wisdom and direction, while missing the easy way of just receiving light and direction through God's Word.  The light is there, in God's Word, we just need to "turn it on."

Every Part Is Valuable

"But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.
And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."
No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary."
1 Corinthians 12:20-22 (NKJV)

Playing chess can be complicated, because there are several different pieces on a chess board, and there are a variety of things those chess pieces can do.  You have to know how all the pieces work to do your best.  What would happen if someone played a game of chess with only half of the usual pieces, or if they had no idea how the different pieces moved?  Most likely, that person would do poorly.  But, if you had a person who was skilled at chess, and they knew how the pieces can move, that person would do well.

Some people think that there are only some Christians that God has a plan and a purpose for.  Every Christian, every part of the Body of Christ is valuable, and God knows this.  The devil knows this too, and he wants to limit our usefulness to God by trying to convince us that we are not necessary for God's plan.  But God wants to use all of us to do His will, and just like the natural body has many parts that all need to function correctly for the body to be healthy and do what it should, the same is true with the Body of Christ.  

God has a plan for each person and a way that He wants to use us.  And although we may have different functions in the Body of Christ, we are all a part of God's plan.  Just like every piece on a chessboard is valuable, and has a part to play, every part of the Body of Christ is valuable and has a part to play.  God knows us and how we can best function, but do we know that?  Are we doing things according to God's plan, or our own plan?  We all need to recognize our true value, understanding how God will use us, and be prepared to do our part in God's plan.

Are Big Steps The Best Steps?

"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs His steps."
Proverbs 16:9 (NKJV)

When you are going somewhere, normally you want to get there sooner rather than later.  But if our goal is simply to get to our destination as soon as possible, we could actually go faster than we should and miss something along the way that could be important.  Or if we are in such a hurry to get to some place, we may accidentally leave something behind and not bring it with us on our journey.  The goal is not really how fast we get somewhere, but to get to where we need to be, with what we need to have when we get there.

Usually, when we have a goal in mind, the thing we obviously want to do is to reach that goal.  But we can make a mistake by just focusing on the goal itself and not on the best way to reach that goal.  We might think that the fastest way is always the best way, but that may not always be true.  We may think that if we can take one big step in the right direction it would be great, but is a big step always the best step to take?  It could be that we are trying to take a bigger step than we should take, or that we are able to take, and that can cause a problem.

Proverbs 16:9 tells us that our heart may plan the way, but God will direct our steps.  Moving in the right direction is more important than the size of the steps we take, or the speed we are going.  It is better to take the steps God directs us to take towards our goals, and in life in general, rather than just trying to take a big step that we may not be ready for; or we could be moving too quickly, and going in the wrong direction, which would be bad.  The steps we take, big or small, and the speed we are moving, are not as important as the direction we are going. 

A Trusted Source?

"But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,"
and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."
2 Timothy 3:14-15 (NKJV)

Today, it seems that everyone has an opinion on almost everything.  With the Internet, and social media, no matter what the topic is, you can find a lot of ideas and opinions about almost anything.  But we really need to know if that person, institution, or group that we are getting the information from is a reliable, and trusted source for the information.  How well do we know that source?  Do they always give good, reliable information that can be trusted?   If not, it would be foolish to get any advice from them.

Trust is not something that is built overnight, but when you know that someone is a trusted source of information, you can take their advice and the information that they give you.  There are many people and places we can get information from, but not every source is one we can always trust and rely on.  There are many people who could, and who would like to, give us information and advice, but are they a trusted source?  We need to test all things and hold on to what is good, which includes the source of our information.

In 2 Timothy 3, Paul told Timothy to continue with the things that he had learned, because Timothy knew who he had learned those things from.  Paul was not just someone who showed up one day and started to teach Timothy and give him advice.  Paul had taught Timothy, and he had a good relationship with him, so Paul was a trusted source that Timothy could rely on.  We should not just accept teaching or take advice from someone we have no real relationship with.  We can always trust the Word of God, but not every source of information is a source that we can trust.

Are These Your Only Choices?

"Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel.  And Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen these."
And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all the young men here?"  Then he said, "There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep."  And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him.  For we will not sit down till he comes here."
1 Samuel 16:10-11 (NKJV)

Having a wide variety of choices is often a good thing.  If you want to eat at a restaurant, there are different places that you could go.  But what if there was one restaurant located next door to you, but it did not have the kind of food you wanted, and it was more expensive than what you were willing to pay?  And what if there were other restaurants to choose from, but they were not as close to you?  Would you just go to the restaurant that was nearby, or would you go a bit farther to the place you really wanted to eat at?  Sometimes our choices are only as limited as we allow them to be.

When God directed Samuel to go to the home of Jesse to find the new king, Jesse showed Samuel seven of his eight sons, leaving David out of the group.  After Samuel had seen the first seven sons, he knew that none of them were God's choice.  Samuel could have just said, "Well, none of these are the right one, but these seem to be the only choices that I have, so I will just pick one of them and move on."  Samuel could have done that, but he would have missed what God wanted to do.  Samuel knew what God had said, and Samuel was not willing to settle for anything less than what God had promised.

Sometimes, when we see something in God's Word, we then pray and take a stand in faith, but we do not see the results we expect.  This is when the devil will tell us that we cannot have and experience what God has said, and our choices are limited to something that does not really agree with God's Word or meet the need.  That is when we need to make the choice to stay with what God has said.  No matter what choices it seems like we are facing, we must choose to believe that what God says is true, and take a stand on that to receive what we need; that is our choice. 

Are You Ready To Move Forward?

"And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them.  So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.
Then they said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness?  Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?"
Exodus 14:10-11 (NKJV)

Moving from one thing to something better is good.  Receiving a promotion at work, having an increase in our finances, or getting some new phone or tablet, are all good things.  But, what if we get promoted, and we cannot actually do the work, what if we have an increase in our finances, but we do not manage our money well, and what if we get some new device, but we really do not know how to use it properly?  To truly be successful in anything and do well, we need to be ready when the opportunity comes.

God delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt to lead them to the Promised Land.  But, as we see Israel traveling to the Promised Land, not long after they left Egypt, there were problems.  Israel came to the Red Sea, and then they saw Pharaoh and his army coming after them.  Sadly, rather than call out to God to deliver them, just as He had already done, at the first sign of trouble, the people started to panic and complain. Even though God had delivered Israel from Egypt, Israel was not really ready to move forward with God.

Everyone would like to be successful and see things improve in their life.  But what if when the opportunity for improvement comes, and God starts doing something great in our life, we are not ready for it?  When God brings us an opportunity to do something for Him and to experience His blessings in our life, are we ready to move forward with God, or will we stay stuck in our old habits and attitudes and end up not really moving forward?  We need to live by faith and continually grow and develop spiritually, so that when God is ready to do something then we are ready too.

The Right Amount

"This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: 'Let every man gather it according to each one's need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.'"
Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less.
So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.  Every man had gathered according to each one's need."
Exodus 16:16-18 (NKJV)

Have you ever ordered food at a restaurant, and when it arrived, the amount of food was not what you expected, and it was less than what you wanted?  Or you may have had the experience of ordering something, and when it arrived you realized it was too much, and you would not be able to eat the entire meal?  Getting the wrong amount of food, or something else, whether it is not enough or too much, is not good.  While there are some things you can do to fix these situations, it would be great to always get the right amount the first time.

God's Word is spiritual food that will help us grow and develop spiritually (1 Peter 2:2).  Every Christian is at a different level of spiritual development, and what one believer needs from God's Word is not the same as what someone else needs.  So, what each person receives from God's Word would also be different than what someone else receives for their situation in life.  When we spend time with God in His Word, He can and will speak to us and show us the things we need to see, for us to grow and develop spiritually and to deal with the situations we face in life.  

When Israel was in the wilderness, God sent manna to feed them, and each person had to gather what they needed.  Some gathered more than others, but each person had just what they needed, no one lacked, and no one had too much.  In the same way that they needed to go and gather manna daily, we need a daily time in God's Word to get the spiritual food we need to grow and develop, and to help us to deal with our life situations.  By spending time with God in His Word, we can get exactly what we need, without having too much for us to handle, or too little to satisfy us. 

Where Does The Road Take You?

"Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza."  This is desert."
Acts 8:26 (NKJV)

There are many places I have traveled to by car in the USA and in Europe.  Sometimes the roads have not been as nice to travel on as they were at other times.  There are places I have traveled to where the roads were not as good as other roads, but while the road was not so good, it did not change the quality of the destination.  There were times that I have traveled to some very nice places, but the road to get to that place was not very nice.  The type of road we are on is not an indication of our destination.

Many Christians have strange ideas about how God leads and directs His people today.  Sometimes we might think that to get to where God wants us to be, the road we need to take to get there will be a perfect road.  But while the road we are on may not seem to be the best, by following God's direction, we will always get to a great destination.  The point is not what the road you are on is like, but what is important is where you are going.  Your road may be small, but the destination can be big. 

In Acts 8, God directed Philip to go on the road that went down from Jerusalem to Gaza, which was desert.  Philip had been preaching in the city of Samaria, and great things were happening, but God led Philip to a place that was a desert for the next step in Philip's ministry.  Philip then met the Ethiopian eunuch, who received salvation before Philip was taken to another place.  God sent Philip to a place that looked bleak, but it led to a man's salvation.  God may lead us in a way that does not seem like the best way to go, but the results are always worth it.

What Identification Are You Using?

"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
Colossians 3:1-3 (NKJV)

After I moved to Germany, there were times that I had to show someone my identification.  What I learned very quickly was that the form of identification that I always used in the USA, my driver's license, was not a valid form of identification in Germany.  When someone in Germany asked for my identification, I needed to show them my passport.  Even though my driver's license was once my valid form of identification, I cannot use it where I live now, because it is the wrong kind of identification.

There are many ways that we can identify ourselves, but not every form of identification is valid in every situation.  As Christians, we have been spiritually raised with Christ, and our real life is hidden in Christ.  Some Christians identify themselves by the church group they are a part of, some Christians identify themselves by a certain type of doctrine that they follow, and some Christians identify themselves by their title.  But, the only valid form of identification we have as a member of the Body of Christ is who we are in Christ.  

Colossians 3:3 says, our life is hidden in Christ in God.  Who we are now is based on who we are in Christ.  It does not matter what nation we come from, it does not matter who is in our natural family, it does not matter how much money we have or what our education level is; in God's Kingdom, the only valid form of identification is who we are in Christ.  If we are going to live in the blessings of God that were provided through Jesus, and if we are going to fulfill the will of God in our life, we have to identify with who we are in Christ.