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I have dealt with depression in my life.  It is in depression that I feel like it is me against the world – or probably more accurately,  I feel like the world is against me. It used to affect my ability to hold down a job or live a “normal” life. But now I realize that my depression stemmed from vanity and self, from separating myself from others and from God’s love and mercy and forgiveness – and it was aggravated further by my self medicating with the escapes of alcohol,  drugs, sex, etc.

Depression is a twisting of the truth by that spiritual enemy. And during the dark wandering years of my twenties, depression led to all kinds of things, including attempted suicide, drugs,  and criminal activity. But the Lord had work in store for me,  and he is now using even the dark world that my youth took me into,  and He is turning all of that to a good purpose.

You see, now I get to go each week and spend time with young men in jail and share the gospel with them and study together with them, and at times provide personal counselling. And even though my life is quite removed from their world at this season of my life,  we have walked similar paths. Before, I was walking purely for self,  now I am working for God’s purpose,  for His Kingdom work to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Now,  I’m looking for more workers,  wherever they can be found – in the workplace, on the Internet, in the streets, in the churches, in the jail cells, in the hospitals, in the bars,  restaurants,  or wherever I go. And I just don’t have time to stay depressed anymore,  there is too much work at hand.

These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.
Luke 10:2 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.10.2.NLT

The fields are everywhere we walk,  friends. And our job is not to burn down the fields trying to set fire to the weeds, it is to share the Love of Christ with others,  so that we will find unity with other believers in truth,  and so that we will walk together in repentance holding each other accountable to this goal of Christ’s righteousness lived out as a testimony of His touch upon our lives.

It isn’t so that I can LOOK humble or righteous to others in order to be recognized or honored – but so that they can see Christ in me and so that they can see His righteousness IS a part of me and that He deserves the honor and praise and glory. Because the bright shining appearance of “perfection” doesn’t draw sinners to the light, it can actually push others away when they feel that they are “not worthy” of coming into our fellowship. But the verbal testimony of our own imperfections, and how Christ has and is touching our lives – that coupled with the clear and evident testimony of our actions demonstrating a life changed and dedicated to working for the Lord – that is the full testimony of a humble and faithful servant that can do great c work for the Lord.

And it only takes two things –
1) acknowledging that you fall short of the glory of God and that you needed Jesus Christ as your Savior, as your example of the truth,  the life, and the way, to bring you into humble fellowship with God’s will and purpose for your life today
2) dedicating yourself to the purpose of walking it out,  following in His footsteps,  sharing the truth,  the life,  and the way with others in a born again,  renewed life serving as a faithful citizen of God’s Kingdom of workers/servants/witnesses

But let’s not stop there in case we might still fall into an us against the world mentality. Let’s pray the prayer of a righteous man,  of a repentant person who is resisting evil, avoiding temptation,  and not participating in sin. Let’s pray the prayer of a humble Child of God who needs His Father’s guidance and power and authority and assistance to see the day’s tasks accomplished. And let’s use this prayer to ask for more workers,  more laborers in the Lord’s work today – because we aren’t meant to go at this life alone.

And the very workers we are praying for are the very citizens of the Kingdom that we need to realize to find unity. And they are the very souls that we need around us to experience the beauty of fellowship. So let’s ask the Lord to rain down laborers upon us within this earthly life, drawing more near with his soft,  still call to the work at hand – and let’s realize that we are the ones sent to deliver His message and His loving touch.

I send you forth as sheep amongst the wolves, you workers of God,  you Children of the one true God,  you saints in the royal priesthood of our Lord – make disciples of the nations,  baptize in His name,  and bring honor and glory to His name by the love and service and example that your life offers as a living testimony today.

Live like Christ if you love my Christ.

If you do not yet Love my Christ,  I pray you will find Him through conviction and surrender,  because the workers are few and the harvest is great.

If you do not yet serve my Christ daily,  I pray that you examine yourself and that you will find Him through conviction and surrender,  because the workers are few and the harvest is great.

Your work is needed today,  friends. There are lost. There are hurting. There are hungry. There are needy. There is oppression. There is injustice. Be the body of Christ that fills the need and that resists the enemy and that lives and serves your fellow man.

Don’t just LOOK like a Christian,
Don’t just SOUND like a Christian,
BE like Christ.

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The Betrayer

Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow Him.

He tells us to not look back,  and to follow Him with complete abandon.

He tells us to love our enemies.

He tells us to see past the false security of personal wealth and to consider everything that we have to be His to be shared with those around us who have needs instead of stock piling things and wealth for ourselves.

He tells us to trust in Him alone for our security.

He tells us to “Go and sin no more”.

He tells us to love others, to preach this gospel to the ends of the earth, to make disciples, and to baptize in His name.

He doesn’t say that it is easy, but He does say that His burden is light, He tells us to count the cost, and if we value His Kingdom,  if we value Him above all other things that might stand as idols between us and the Lord – we will forsake all things for Him.

“Listen to me and remember what I say. The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies.”
Luke 9:44 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.9.44.NLT

How many times have I betrayed Christ into the hands of His enemies with the sins of my life?

How many sins have I placed upon Him at the cross?

How many stripes within His flesh were because of the works of my iniquities and disobedience and rebellion against the will of God?

How many of the thorns upon His head were the pains of my thoughts,  words,  and actions in opposition to a just and righteous God who created me in His image to bring honor and glory to His name?

How many strikes of the hammer upon the nails were from my selfish pride and vanity?

Oh,  Lord,  I have failed you miserably with the example of my life. I look upon your perfection and your glory and I see all the more in my own life that needs the healing that your touch alone can restore and redeem to righteousness. As I draw closer to understanding the beauty of your grace,  I am overwhelmed by the inadequacy of my own works and words and thoughts and shortcomings. I am humbled by the magnitude of evidence pulled against me by the accuser,  Lord. By all rights and accounts, I have betrayed you into the hands of your enemy,  Oh Lord,  and my very soul,  my heart inside my body cries out, “Let it not be so that I would be the betrayer of my love, my bridegroom,  my Savior,  my Lord”. But my own words now only testify to what you,  Lord already know to be true. My life is far from perfection, it is worthless beside the glory of your example. So I am thankful for grace,  for your tender mercies Lord. Keep me here, faithfully in your presence. Let me not escape your presence. Let me cling to the hem of your garment, let my tears wash your feet, and let me kiss them,  Oh Lord. Lead me in your ways along this narrow path – I have counted the cost c and the world has nothing to offer me if I can’t have you,  Lord. But you ARE mine,  and I AM yours. Take my hand,  beloved,  and walk with me in eternity.

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Not much further? Uh oh!

Can you imagine Jesus himself telling you, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”

The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.” Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Mark 12:32-34 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mrk.12.32-34.NLT

Part of me wants to see this as encouraging,  while the other part of me is fearful of making it to the gate but not through the door. Being not far from something still doesn’t mean you’re “in”.

I can be not far from the shore and get attacked by a shark. I can be not far from the safety of a safari caravan and be devoured by a lion. I could be in hell,  close enough to see Father Abraham in heaven and beg him to send Lazarus with a cool drink of water,  but still in eternal flames outside the Kingdom of God.

Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury.  At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores.  As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.
“Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried,  and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.
“The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’
“But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish.  And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’
“Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home.  For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’
“But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’
“The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’
“But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Luke 16:19-31 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.16.19-31.NLT

So this statement silences me in the fear of God, just like it did those listening to the answer that Jesus Christ gave this man. They realized the danger in falling short. They realized the fearful thing it is to fall into the hands of God’s wrath. They understood that it wasn’t just about knowing,  but doing. This man admitted to KNOWING the Word of God, but did not admit to DOING the Word of God.

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
James 1:22-27 NLT
http://bible.com/116/jas.1.22-27.NLT

People can practice religion and fool themselves.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us.
Hebrews 10:23-29 NLT
http://bible.com/116/heb.10.23-29.NLT

Oh, Lord.  Help us to not be religious studies and forget the doing,  the loving, the serving, the sharing your gospel, the building up of one another, the encouraging and helping one another – living a life to bring you honor and glory. Don’t let us just come close. Don’t let us turn back or hand from the plow. Let us cling to the hem of your garment. Let us know your healing touch. Tell us to “Go and sin no more” and in your authority,  let it be so on earth as it is in heaven.

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Who is against you?

Am I keeping my eyes on the work that the Lord has for my life today, or finding myself jealous or even judgemental about what others are doing?

John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn’t in our group.” But Jesus said, “Don’t stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you.”
Luke 9:49-50 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.9.49-50.NLT

Comparison to others is dangerous. It leads to either jealousy/envy or pride. This is because it falsely gives us the sense of either being under someone or over them. We aren’t to be called teachers nor call others teachers because we have one one teacher,  the Holy Spirit. We each have one authority we should be walking under and that is God. So comparing ourselves is not just foolish, it can be dangerous – since jealousy and envy are counted in Galatians 5 as sins that must be cast out or bound in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Continue reading “Who is against you?” →

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Be the Church

So thankful to have men in my life who continue to keep me humble in the Word of God and in service for His Kingdom. So thankful for late nights discussing the Word of God and seeing light being shared lovingly and boldly with those we come in contact with. So thankful for seeing ministries coming together to help each other and give freely to one another as stewards of the Lord’s resources, not as someone giving “their stuff away”.

In a world focused on self exaltation, and in a world littered with religious institutions building up walls of division between themselves and advertising their own names more than the name of Jesus Christ – it is encouraging to know there is unity to be found,  there are faithful servants to be found, there are those giving and loving and serving the needs of others and not just playing religion.

Continue reading “Be the Church” →

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Spending Correctly?

How are we spending our resources each day?  Our time, our talents, our life – what are we using it to produce? Are we using it to gain more of the world for ourselves, or are we using it to bring honor and glory to the Lord, to allow Christ to be manifest through our lives living and serving others?

If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.  And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?
Luke 9:24-25 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.9.24-25.NLT

Life Application Devotional
——————————————–
“Nothing material can compensate for the loss of eternal life. Jesus’ disciples are not to use their lives on earth for their own pleasure-they should spend their lives serving God and people. If this present life is most important to you, you will do everything you can to protect it. You will not want to do anything that might endanger your safety, health, or comfort. By contrast, if following Jesus is most important, you may find yourself in unsafe, unhealthy, and uncomfortable places. You will risk death, but you will not fear it because you know that Jesus will raise you to eternal life.”

Continue reading “Spending Correctly?” →

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You Feed Them

Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t be a witness for Christ because of the clothes you wear or the things in your past!

We meet a lady yesterday at lunch who noticed our family and our 4 Kids tshirts. She asked about them timidly and mentioned that she was struggling with some challenges, including the fact that religious people had turned her away in the past because she didn’t have the same prefect clothes or perfect life as them. It was the start of an amazing conversation and exchange of information that ended in a loving hug and a life touched by the true gospel – because she needed to be fed and the Lord provided.

But Jesus said, “You feed them.”
“But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?” For there were about 5,000 men there.
Jesus replied, “Tell them to sit down in groups of about fifty each.”
Luke 9:13-14 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.9.13-14.NLT

Continue reading “You Feed Them” →

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Can you hear my Savior calling you?

How we hear matters.

So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.”
Luke 8:18 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.8.18.NLT

How intently do we find ourselves listening when others are speaking?

How intently do we listen when the Word of God is spoken?

Are we hearing what is being spoken, wanting to learn,  seeking greater understanding?

Continue reading “Can you hear my Savior calling you?” →

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Secrets, Dark Secrets

Secrets. Dark secrets. How many of us have things in our past that we have done that might shock others if they knew? How many of us would be embarrassed if others knew our darkest thoughts?

“No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house.  For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.
Luke 8:16-17 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.8.16-17.NLT

Continue reading “Secrets, Dark Secrets” →

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So much left to learn

Yesterday,  I reacted strongly towards a coworker. The message that I was speaking to him was correction and truth,  but after 30 straight hours at work due to an emergency situation, it did not come out in gentleness,  love and forgiveness – it came out as frustration.

A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.
Luke 6:45 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.6.45.NLT

Who among us doesn’t read this and find conviction? Who among us doesn’t read this and remember that thing that we said recently that was not loving, that was not forgiving,  that did not sound Christ like at all?

If you read this passage and it reminds you of your perfection in Christ – I don’t know whether to commend you as  a saint or earn you of the impending fall from pride that can be expected.

Continue reading “So much left to learn” →