Monday Morning 11/28/2011

Have you ever thought to yourself, “There has to be a better way” to say something or to express a thought that words just cannot seem to say the right way? That happened to me. I was thinking about Thanksgiving.

I was thinking about the holiday. It’s the last Thursday in November. Then the day after is known as “Black Friday.” It’s not called that because of the weather, or the attitude of people waiting to claw their way to the front of the line to get the after-Thanksgiving Christmas specials. It is a business term. When a business is in the “red” they are earning less than they need for a profit. When they are in the “black” they are earning profits. “Black Friday” is the day many businesses earn most of their profit for the year. I saw this posted on Facebook and I shared it yesterday at church: “Black Friday is a day people go crazy buying things we do not have just one day after giving thanks for the things we do have.” We have truly lost our Thanksgiving perspective.

Thanksgiving is not only a holiday on the last Thursday in November. It is not the “start” of the Christmas season. Giving thanks is not a one-day event. Giving thanks is a way to live. Thanksgiving becomes “Thanks-living.”

In the Bible the Apostle Paul, and many others said more than one time that we are to give thanks in ALL situations: Good, bad, planned, unexpected, joys, sorrows, tears, and a Starbucks that is closed. Do you know if you translate the word “everything” from Greek or Hebrew or Aramaic in the Bible what it means? It means “EVERYTHING!” ALL means all. Forever means FOREVER.

So this is where a “special” word comes in. I used it yesterday at church and those paying attention asked me if I had forgotten to use spell-check on my computer. The word is “THANKSGLIVING.”

THANKSGLIVING is the combination of giving thanks, living our thankfulness, and celebrating the blessings God has for each of us. How many blessings do we receive each day? The answer is ALL of them. There are more blessings than we can count but not too many so we cannot count each one. We are blessed to have blessings of life, burdens of life, and benefits of life.

THANKSGLIVING has blessings also because it changes our view of a “normal” Thanksgiving.

- It helps us focus on what God provides more than what we want or what we DO NOT have.
- It helps us focus on God’s free gift of GRACE.
- It helps us to focus on the positive results of negative things.
- It gives us hope for the future. God has something BETTER planned for us.
- If we are “living” and “giving” our “thanks” in ALL things, Our THANKSGLIVING will affect and help those around us.
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Our thanks is to be lived and thanks is to be given. Everyday should be spent in an attitude of THANKSGLIVING.

Christmas is the season of Jesus Christ. THANKSGLIVING is done in HIS name. Celebrate THANKSGLIVING every day.

Thanksgiving Morning 11/24/2011

I am in England for Thanksgiving this year where it is presently 339am. This devotion is based on a devotion that I read today.

How quickly do we forget God's blessings when bad things happen?

When we lose our jobs, do we thank God for a loving family? Do we thank God for a loving church family? This is why God created the church. Do we thank God that He has a better plan for us?

When we lose our health, do we thank God for the comfort of His Word? Do we thank God that he can use us to show others how to minister? Do we thank God that He can use us to show others how to pray for each other? Do we thank God that when we receive bad health news, that His promise of eternal life and glorified bodies has not changed one little bit? This is why Jesus needs to be Lord and Savior of your life. Trust Him.

When we lose a loved one to sin, do we thank God for His forgiveness? Sons, daughters, parents, friends, have all made mistakes and disappointed us in some way in the past. But God forgave you first. So why not forgive others? I remember an old saying: “Hate the sin. Love the sinner.” Separate the sin from the person. Forgive because we are forgiven. The sin is dead. It went to the Cross with Jesus. The Bible says that while we were still sinners Christ died for us and gave his life for us. Can’t we see past a person’s sin and see the person God created?

Sadly, our eyes can often focus on the trials of life rather than on God's blessings in life.

Matthew 6 shows us Christ's words about God taking care of His children. Jesus' simple answer was, "If I care for the smallest of birds, don't you think I will care for you?" Jesus tells us not to worry about what will come tomorrow. He tells us not to be concerned about how we will get through a difficult time. He tells us not to focus on what we think others are doing to us in their sin or how that person has hurt us by their sin. How many times did Jesus say, “Your faith has healed you? He has promised to provide for our every need.

Many Christians fail to trust God because they cannot see Him working. As human beings, we like to have a plan. We want to know what to expect. We do not like surprises in life. We like to know ahead of time how things will work out, and what will happen. For example, how many of us often peek to the end of a good book? We like to know the ending. How many of us will plan a trip down to the last minute of detail?

But when it comes to things that happen in everyday life, God often requires us to trust Him without knowing how He is going to work out the things He has planned for us. Notice that does NOT say how WE want Him to work things out in HIS plan. He requires us to place our faith in Him alone for what we need.

Do you have some need that must be met? Are you stuck worrying about how things will work out? Don't bother worrying; God already has a plan! Take time to give God your worries, and allow Him to take care of you. Remember Jesus' words, "Your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things." Thank God that He knows our needs and promises to provide for them in His time.

Monday Morning 11/21/2011

We live in a society where most times we allow others to label us by what we say and what we do. We are easily controlled by some and easily impressed by others. Likewise, we often allow others to tell us what to do and how to live. But as children of God, we need to develop a lifestyle that lines up with the Word of God.

Think about an electric lamp. By itself it is nice to look at. But it needs three things to give us light. First it needs a connection: a plug and a place to plug it in. Second, it needs some source of power: electricity. Third it needs someone who knows what to do: knowledge. If you have a plug and a cord but cannot find a place to plug it in, it won’t work. If you have the cord and you know where there is a place to plug it in, but there is no electricity, it won’t work.

So it is in our life every day. Yes this would include those days that end in the letter “Y”. Yes it would include all the days on the calendar from Monday to Sunday. We need a connection to God, our Creator, and our Salvation.

The place we find our connection to God is the Cross. What happened there changes lives. We are forgiven. We are made new. We are redeemed. Our debt is paid. When we connect with Jesus Christ, all of heaven opens up and God’s power can flow into our life. But we must make the connection.

The source of power is God: One God period. Because He is God He is ALL power, ALL knowing, ALL around us, and He loves us ALL more than we can understand. God is the source of everything. Everything begins and ends with God.

The person with knowledge is you and me. Yes, it’s YOU. Many of us have been told how to have eternal life, but we never make the connection. Maybe we know about Jesus and Eternal life, but nobody has told us how. God knows YOUR name. Jesus died for YOU.

Sometimes we set up a lamp and the cord is not long enough to reach the outlet. What can we do? We go and we find an extension cord. God has that planned for us too. In fact we don’t need to look far. Our extension cords are those people that God places in our lives for the purpose of helping us connect with the Cross. The Holy Spirit is an extension Cord. When we cannot quite connect with the Cross because of pride, because we think we cannot because of being Deaf, or because of rebellion, the Holy Spirit will show us the way to a person chosen by God to help us to connect. And the Holy Spirit will show the other person the way to get to us. That, my friends is a connection made in heaven.

And so the question is, what does your life look like when you make the connection? What does it look like without the connection? It is the difference between light and dark. It is the difference between future and past. It is the difference between gain and loss. It is the difference between heaven and hell.

You ARE forgiven. You ARE made new, You ARE redeemed. “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT)

Now you KNOW. You have the POWER. Now go and make the CONNECTION.

Monday Morning 11/14/2011

Yesterday we heard God’s preaching from James Chapter 3. James was tired of hearing people talk about his brother Jesus in a way that brought shame to Jesus. He was trying to tell people to control their tongues. He is not telling us what to say. He is telling us to think about what we say. Why? He used the word “tame” in the same way we talk about trying to tame a wild animal. We need to bring our tongues under control, teach it limits, and change its use from acting without thinking of what happens to using our “tongues” in a way that glorifies God.

Sounds easy, right? Not so much…..

The word James uses for “tongue” is the word γλῶσσα “glossa.” If one studies the word it has three meanings.

1. The physical tongue in our mouths.
2. What we use to communicate.
3. Language

We need to realize that we not only use words or Sign Language to communicate. Our “tongue” gives a “voice” to what we are thinking. Think of how we do that. Some people use their voice, some people use their hands. Is that all? No, there is also body language and facial expression. Think about it. Usually our bodies will tell others what we are thinking even before we use any words.

Again, is that all there is? Let’s go to another level. When we cannot “talk” to another person, what do we do? We use computers, laptops, cell phones, video phones, and yes even Facebook. All of these things become our “tongues” in one way or another.

Do you say one thing on Facebook to someone and then say something different on the videophone?

You see, our tongue can either burn the Kingdom of God, or it can build it. Simply by what comes out of our mouths can destroy what God is trying to accomplish in and through a ministry, or it can build it. So this morning I want to ask you, “Is your tongue productive or destructive?”

The Bible compares an untamed tongue to hell’s fire. But there is another fire. It is the burning fire of the Holy Spirit. That is the kind of fire God’s church is hungry for and desperately needs.

I have always heard that “the best way to fight fire is with fire.” So we are going to worship the Lord, and ask the Holy Spirit to burn out all the junk and restore relationships, friendships, marriages, and yes restore HIS church.

This week, focus on how God can use our “tongues” not to destroy or discourage, but to build up and encourage. In that way God is glorified.

Deaf Devotion 10/18/2011

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James 1:2-4 NLT)

James says when our faith is tested our endurance will grow. Do you remember we learned how James talked about not wavering? He talked about having faith that does not show doubt. The more we depend on Jesus in faith the more our faith becomes solid. Endurance is being patient and staying focused knowing that God is working in the background to help us. That is really cool! Because God is working sometimes in ways that we do not even know, we are free to focus on sharing the Gospel with others. We do not even need to worry about the situation that is causing the trouble. God is taking care of it. All we need to do is obey what God says and then let God work out all the details.

James also says we will be perfect. Most people think perfect means that a person does not sin. My friends, we are all sinners. NONE of us are "perfect" in the sense we do not sin. However, in the Greek, the word means to be complete. It means to experience everything alongside God, then to let that experience become wisdom and the wisdom to become patience. Wisdom is taking what we learn and using it in a way God wants us to use it.

What does God want of us? He wants us to experience everything that is Jesus Christ. We learn from His love for us, His sacrifice for us, His joys, His tears, and His character. The way for this to happen is to experience times of trouble and testing. Can we be patient during this process? If we are like most people, we want what we want and we want it now. We become like children who don’t know the difference between “no” and “not yet.” If you say to a child who wants a cookie now, “Wait a while,” to them it is the same as saying “no” because they want it now. But God is interested in developing our rock solid faith in Him alone. Times of trouble and testing bring patience, and patience teaches us wisdom and wisdom makes our faith rock solid.

Is there something you are waiting on? Is there something you are struggling with? Give it to Jesus. Trust in His timing and if you need wisdom just ask.

Deaf Devotion 9/21/2011

"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.” (James 1:5-8 NLT)

Notice two words James uses in his letter that some people have a hard time understanding. The first is “rebuke.” To “rebuke” means to criticize or to show disapproval. When God invites us to ask Him for wisdom He does not get upset with us or shows disapproval for us asking. As the verse points out, God wants us to ask.

The other word is “waver.” James says we cannot let our faith in God “waver.” This means our faith in God needs to be rock solid. To “waver” is to show doubt. We are always faced with living in two worlds: The spiritual and the flesh. We are to show those around us that our faith is in God alone. We cannot show that we cannot decide between what God says and does and what the world offers.

If we believe that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He has promised, why, when we pray, do so many of us back away from God’s throne like a shy child asking for something he is afraid to ask for? Instead of coming before our Heavenly Father with bold faith, we come to the Lord "hoping" He will hear us and answer our requests, but we're just not sure He will. With this kind of thinking, we cannot expect to receive anything from Him.

Once when Jesus was visiting Cana in Galilee, a man from Capernaum came looking for Jesus with an urgent request. The man's son was dying, and the man begged Jesus to come heal him. Instead Jesus told the man to return home, for his son is healed. The Gospel of John says the man believed Jesus’ Word and left to go home. While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. This man had heard Jesus speak, immediately turned and walked away by faith, and Jesus had already done as He said he would do. You and I can only imagine the amount of faith and trust this man had in Jesus to just turn around and go home only with Jesus’ words in his mind.

One reason we are sometimes doubt too much is that we fail to see God at work in our circumstances. We asked, and nothing happened. But God is not some order taker who is just waiting to fill our order when we pray. God sees past, present, and future and knows the right time for every answer. His invisible hands are working on our request before we even ask. We may not know it. He is arranging our situations to reach the goals He has for us. He is opening hearts, and at the same time, preparing us to receive what He wants to give.

Another cause for doubt is lack of knowledge. If we don't know God's ways, we will be disappointed in His answer. All too often when we pray we also tell God how we expect Him to deliver what we ask for. Then, when He fails to act at the time and in the way we expect Him to answer, we start to doubt. But placing our faith in the Lord and trusting in His good and perfect ways gives us strength and peace as we wait for His answer.

To get past our doubts, we must let God lead us. Spend time in reading the Bible to learn what’s important to God, and not so much important to me. Then we can begin to understand what He wants to achieve in our life and how He plans to do it. Examine the past from the point of view of what God says in the Bible. Faith will grow as we see the unexpected ways God has already answered prayers. This will also show how He plans to do it in the future.

Deaf Devotion 8/29/2011

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!“ (Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT)

Suppose someone asks you to choose between a million dollars and a candy bar.
That seems to be an easy decision to make.
Suppose you are asked to choose between a million dollars and two million dollars.
Again, the answer seems pretty obvious.
Easier yet!
Now suppose someone asks you to choose between a million dollars and a penny, or choose between a candy bar and a penny.
One would say that is a “no-brainer.” The answer would be automatic. We would not need to put much thought into our response.
It’s no big deal.

But suppose someone asks you to choose between two of your favorite candy bars? Now we would need to think a little harder about that. How many choices do we make every day?

If you could estimate how many choices the average person makes per day, what would you say? 5? 10? 100? 1000? Probably the higher one goes, the closer we get to the correct number of decisions are required every day. Sometimes our choices even have choices! When did it get so complex?

There are big choices and little choices. Sometimes we make big decisions about little things and easy decisions about something important. No matter how big or small, each choice will affect us in some way.

Now, God fully knows that we face choices every day. The Bible makes it very clear that we have some decisions to make, and that the decisions you make will very much affect you.

Pastor Adrian Rogers writes:

“Years ago I was witnessing to a young lady in Florida. I asked her if she had received Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She became teary-eyed and said, “I just don’t seem…no…I can’t do it today.” I asked her, “Don’t you realize that if you don’t receive Him, that you’re going to deny Him?” She said, “Oh, I wouldn’t deny Him for anything.” I said, “But there’s no middle ground.” And yet she refused.

I said, “Before you go, would you shake hands with me?” And she said, “Well, certainly.” And so I said, “If you’ll take Christ as your Savior, take my right hand. If you’ll take hell and refuse Christ, take my left hand.” She refused to take either of my hands.”

Choosing between life and death is like choosing between a million dollars and a candy bar. It seems like the decision is obvious, right? As obvious as the answer may seem, no matter that the answer is right in front of our faces, there are those who are still waiting to make a decision between life and death. Waiting can be the same as refusing or denying what is right in front of us.

So, there it is. To choose life, is to have a relationship with the Savior. Jesus said in John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

So, in choosing Jesus, we do not just have an ordinary life, but we have a life that is tremendous, overflowing, surplus, over and above, more than enough, plentiful, extraordinary, above the ordinary, and more than sufficient. Choose life. Choose Christ.

Don’t waste the life we have in Jesus Christ. Don’t settle for second best. Don’t go through life just existing, coping, or getting by. We are not put here on earth to just get by. God created each of us for a reason, for a mission, a purpose. That starts by asking the question, “Is this the best use of my life?”