Deaf Devotion 6/28/2010

“Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.” (Ephesians 2:16 NLT)

“Hostility” – unfriendliness; resentment; lack of sympathy; anger; animosity.

I had to ask the question, “Why are people so hostile against God?” Some people are downright mean in how the approach God, treat God, and in what they expect from God or expect God to do. Is it because He is righteous and we are not? Is it because He is holy and we are not? Is it because He is in control and we are not? Is it because He is God and we are not?

No, that’s not it. The answer my friends, is with us. It is pride. It is plain and simple pride. We want to believe we can do more than God and get ahead of Him in His plan. It’s not going to happen. We cannot give more than God and we cannot give up more than God gave up.

Pride’s primary fruit is HOSTILITY.

The word is only found in the New Testament, here in Ephesians 15 and 16 and once in Luke 23:12. We’re told there that Herod and Pilate did not get along too well. It was a political thing. They were hostile toward one another. That ended when Pilate sent Jesus to be judged by Herod, and Herod having his ego properly stroked, softened toward Pilate and after that they were best buddies. Awww... how sweet.

It is interesting that the three times this word is used in the New Testament, Jesus the one who is somehow involved in erasing it.

Up in heaven is the holy God; down below is the sinful man. And sin is what separates us from God and God from us. We have an empty void in our soul, so we are constantly trying to reach God. But he cannot get past the sin barrier.

Then God, who wanted to have mercy on us and our hopeless situation said, “I will do something.” God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, to make a way. And upon the rough sawn timbers of a cross, Jesus gave His life so you and I could not only live forever, but also live forgiven forever.

All of our sin for all time was judged, condemned, and came under the fire of God’s wrath, in the body of His Son, Jesus Christ there on that cross.

There’s a song that goes, “There’s a bridge to cross the great divide. There’s a cross the bridge the great divide.” Jesus built that bridge between man and God with His life and His blood. It’s a bridge man could never build and a bridge that man can never take away. God made a way that we couldn’t make — for you and for me. Since Jesus built a bridge of love for us to be reconciled to God, it's our turn to build a bridge of love to someone who is lost and searching.

Drop the pride. Drop the Hostility. Right now we all know a person who needs to accept Jesus as Savior. Tell them now how to live forever forgiven.

Deaf Devotion 6/21/2010

“How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets.” (Hebrews 11:32 NLT)

I’m letting you know. I’m going to get personal.

Last week was a tough week for me personally. I saw my job of eight years given to somebody else. I saw my office closed. I saw my friends and co-workers laid off. It was tough. I saw the reality that if I want to continue working, I must transfer to an office in another city.

But the focus is not me. Personally, I would like to focus more on God’s work. I sometimes wonder just how bi-vocational Pastors do it. There is so much work, but not that much time. Frankly, I would rather be a Pastor full time teaching Deaf and hearing how to share Jesus Christ. I would rather do that than anything else, but it’s up to God to prepare me for that.

My goal is to obey God’s call, and let Him work out the details to lead me to what He wants me to do. My responsibility is to be obedient. It is the same for all of us.

God led me in my personal devotion time to the verse in Hebrews and what I realized is that even the writers of Scripture ran out of time. The author of Hebrews 11, who is assumed to be Paul, wanted to list the Old Testament heroes of faith, but by the time he covered the ones in Genesis, he was almost out of space. He snuck in a handful of examples of Godly faith from the early books of the Bible, and then regretted that it would take too long to tell ALL the stories he wanted to tell. Do you have a story to tell?

In heaven, we'll have no limitations; but here on earth we have only so many years, days, hours, and seconds. The Bible tells us to "number our days" and to "redeem the time" because, frankly, life here is short.

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. “ (Psalm 90:12 KJV)
“Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.” (Ephesians 5:16 NLT)

We can't do everything, so let's ask God to show us day by day the work He has assigned us. A good prayer upon awakening each morning is: "It’s your plan today, Lord!" A good bedtime blessing is: "I have finished the work you gave me to do today."

With my new schedule at work, I regret to say that I will need to cut back the devotions from two times a week to once a week. I am planning to publish the devotions on Mondays, one of my days off. I feel like maybe I am letting down some people or even letting God down in some way.

But I’m not. Satan wants me to think I have let you down or let God down. But I don’t have time to listen to Satan’s lies. I am going to continue teaching and preaching from God’s Word the grace, mercy, and love that God has for all. I will continue reaching people with the Gospel by this devotion. There is so much God has blessed me with and I want to teach and I want to use this devotion to teach as well as teaching at preaching at church. But it’s not about what I want. It’s about what God wants

In the end God is still God, Jesus Christ is still Lord, Savior, and the King of Kings. Keep it that way. Use the time God allows us to glorify Him, expand His Kingdom, spread His Gospel, and tell people about Jesus.

Remember, if you have Jesus, you have the prize. There is a place in heaven for you. Now the goal becomes to bring as many people with us as possible. Use the time to tell friends, family, and those God sends our way about eternal life with Jesus Christ. Get personal with people. Don’t let anyone live another day without Jesus Christ.

How much more do I need to say?

Mid Week Deaf Devotion 6/15/2010

“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:52 KJV)

There was no Deaf Devotion this past weekend. Did anyone notice? If anyone noticed did anyone ask or say anything? If anyone did not notice the devotion was missing did God prompt you to have time with Him? It is not important what I write or say. It is important what God says AND writes.

God’s Word constantly points out that we should be on watch and we should be prepared at any time for the return of Jesus. If we cannot make time with God or make time to study some ting is wrong with our priorities. If God’s Word becomes such that we do not even notice when He is trying to tell us something, then we need to do a better job of preparation. That only happens with a closer relationship with God. The way to have this close relationship is to ask God to reveal Himself in His Word.

My words in this Devotion are not for my purpose, pride or even a pat on the back. This is writing directly from God’s Word to help anyone, Deaf or Hearing, to make sure we are all able to share the Gospel and have a deeper relationship with God. It is not to influence or force anyone to do anything. It is God’s way of teaching all of us the truth contained in His Word. It is God’s way of telling us that He wants ALL his children in heaven with Him. It is God’s way of telling us that we, that is you and me and not somebody else, need to tell everyone we know that Jesus Christ is Lord, King, and Savior and the only way to Heaven.

In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul is writing to a group of Christians who were struggling with the issue of what happens after the physical death of the body. Although they were living about twenty years after the resurrection, their thinking about life and death were being influenced by their culture. I am afraid that is also a plight that we may share.

We tend to take things for granted. Some of us could care less about what happens to our body after we die. We are just hoping to find enough aspirin, icy/hot and duct tape to keep us together now. Even though we have everything we need right in front of us, at our fingertips, it is something that we think applies to somebody else. Do we speak up? Do we say anything? When God calls it’s all going to happen in the blink of an eye.

In the end it will not matter whether or not we write or read a weekend or mid-week devotion. In the end it will not matter all the good things we do. In the end all that matters is Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In the end, in the twinkling of an eye we will be transformed.

In the end, it will be the beginning. It will be the end of our earthly journey and the beginning of eternity. Do not take God’s Word for granted. Look up, say “thanks” and give praise. My point is DON”T MISS IT. Do not take it for granted.

Mid Week Deaf Devotion 6/8/2010

“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.” (Hebrews 10:25 NLT)

There are so many excuses people use for NOT going to church. Frankly, all of them are lame and weak. “People will judge me.”
“It’s boring.”
“I don’t have any way to get to church.”
“I don’t have the right clothes.”
“Somebody said something mean to me many years ago.”
“Sunday is my only day off.”
“I’m not going to that church if so-and-so will be there.”
“If so-and-so shows up, I will leave.”

Why do we do this? “Why do we put our petty gripes and complaints ahead of worshipping God? Why can’t we set aside for just a short time our pride and plan and focus on God and all He is doing? When will we learn that it’s not about us and what we do. It’s about God and what Jesus did for us on the cross.

Do we realize that time spent remembering an offense from years ago, or focusing on being bored, or any other excuse we can come up with is taking our focus off of God? Church is a place of learning God’s plan through studying His Word in preaching and teaching.

Do you know what is happening in America today? People who claim to be Christians are not getting involved. People are choosing not to become faithful to a church which is the local fellowship of believers.

Such a thing was unheard of in the Bible. If you were a Christian, you were faithful to the fellowship. You attended when everyone gathered together. If you stopped attending, they would find out why. They would not let any division come into the body of the church. This is why Paul puts love above everything in 1 Corinthians and talks about leadership to Timothy. He talks about the Body of Christ throughout His letters. And he says the Body needs to come together in service and worship.

What is more important than the local gathering of the body of Christ to worship God? It is the way we stay “plugged in” to the needs of the body of Christ. It is the way we show honor to Him in worship. It is simply the way.

What is on the schedule this week that is more important than being a part of the blood-bought body of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Even in Jesus’ day people gave excuses why they could not commit themselves to Him. Jesus’ call to the people of his day was that the kingdom of God was at hand, repent of sin and follow Him. And yet people made excuses, reasons why they could not follow Him.

A man replied, “Lord first let me go and bury my father.”
Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Another said, “I will follow you Lord, but first let me go back and say good-bye to my family.
Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”


Many may think that Jesus’ repose seems rather cold, odd, and cruel, but Jesus was not concerned about social or political correctness. Jesus offended people. But guess what. Jesus was right!

These people were ready and able to commit, but on their own terms!

They would commit, but as long as the cost was not too high. Jesus was testing them to see how serious they were about their commitment.

Why is it so difficult for some people to commit themselves to Christ and His Church? The cost of commitment is still a problem for the church today. Yes we are willing to commit, but on our terms and if a lot is not expected out of us. But the Bible teaches maturity. Reading through God’s Word shows us that a wise person isn't easily angered, doesn't spread gossip, and refrains from harsh words.

So why should we give our whole self to God?

What has he done for us? In a single word, it is GRACE.

Thank God for His grace!

God has given us something that we cannot earn by ourselves.

It is something that we cannot go downtown and buy at the local grocery store.

He has given us a gift a very special gift.

And He is the only one that has the ability to give us this priceless gift of grace.

It is a gift that goes beyond measure or any monetary value.

And when we think of how little we have to bring and how much He offers and that He invites us to share with him, we should be shouting His Name in praise from the rooftops.

We do not have enough love, or faith, or grace, or mercy or wisdom.

But God does.

Get Right.

Get over it.

Get to church.

Don’t let excuses stand between you and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Deaf Devotion 6/5/2010

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)

There are times in our life when most people experience some feelings of inferiority. This means we feel that we are “not as good” as other people or that other people are better than us for some reason. When I was growing up, my mother was the main “breadwinner” for the family. Sometimes we struggled financially. We did not live in the fanciest house in the “rich people” neighborhood. We did not have the latest and trendiest clothing. Even in school, I felt that I did not measure up academically to the other kids. The sense of failure and embarrassment at not being good enough is something that still stays with me today in some ways.

The misery of inferiority or not being “good enough” is never what God intends for His children. This feeling of low self esteem usually starts in the hearts of the young and becomes stronger when people start comparing what they have with what they do not have. This kind of emotional “baggage” can cause someone to focus too much on things and can also cause one to be totally focused on what other people expect. Feelings of inadequacy may cause one to avoid challenges. Low self-esteem cripples personal relationships and comparison steals happiness.

Feeling that we are “not good enough” to God is a lie. Satan tells us that to make us believe that God is ready to give up on us or that we are “not good enough” for God to save. DO NOT BE DECEIVED. God loved EVERYONE so much that Jesus died, rose, and lives today that you and I will have eternal life. Satan wants us to believe that we are “not good enough” for God, and Jesus’ work means nothing. Do not listen to Satan’s lies. Satan wants to destroy God’s masterpiece. But the truth is that God loves us more than we understand.

We need to understand how God sees us. Then, when we start feeling that we are not good enough, we can cling to God’s truth that we are His masterpiece and not to our faulty picture of the broken crystal vase that cannot be repaired.

God says we are His best workmanship—His masterpieces. Each person is specially and uniquely designed by the Creator for His purpose. The differences that cause us to make comparisons and feel discouraged are the very qualities that the Lord "programmed" into us to bring Him glory. Where we feel inadequate or “not good enough” is the place where God shows He is mighty and glorious.

Feelings of inferiority block us from becoming the people God designed us to be and fulfilling His purpose for our lives. When it comes to our value, we either accept the truth of our value and worth to God or we decide not to believe Him and instead rely on our own feelings.

So what is our answer? Do we let Satan deceive us and lie to us or do we follow God’s Word that says we are His best work, we are worth dying for, and we are the people He wants with HIM forever in heaven? Has God ever broken a promise? I think we all know the answer.

Mid Week Deaf Devotion 6/1/2010

“And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” (Romans 5:5 NLT)

God is full of surprises. Every miracle is made especially for us to marvel at His power. He individually designs every life. Every day is different, and every way He chooses to show His majesty is unique. He always keeps His promises, and we can fully depend on Him. He is never erratic, or unstable. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. While His ways may seem complex and we cannot understand the depth of His love, His love is the solid foundation that is given to each person in Jesus Christ.

We can always count on that. The Bible longs for us to understand "what is the width and length and depth and height--to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge" (Ephesians 3:18-19). According to the apostle John, the more we understand that the ocean of God's love has no shores, the less we'll fear the choppy waters of life, because "perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18).

If someone feels that life is unpredictable and unstable right now, the answer is to focus on His steady, unchanging love. Thank Him for giving us "the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." (Romans 5:5 NLT)

The Holy Spirit has poured out the love of God in our hearts. This means that we have the ability to love like God. Unleash God’s love on the world and watch God work. Go ahead. Let it out. God’s love needs to be free and unhindered in anyway. 1 Corinthians 13:8 says that “Love never fails.”

Resting in the predictable and perfect security of God's love will bring revival to our souls. We are loved by one whose love for us is greater than anyone can ever explain. And because of that love we can endure and can hope not only in tomorrow but also in eternity. Because of that love we can live, and live abundantly.

The love of God has been poured out for us and all we need to do is open up and allow it to fill us. The love of God has changed everything. It changed everything once and for all. The desire of God’s heart is that we will allow it to change us.