honest pure discipleship – Daily Devo Time

Daily Devotional for April 21, 2024 -Serving God with humble, faithful obedience – are you the “real deal” or a false witness?

Proverbs 10:32 and 11:1-7
The speech of a good person clears the air;
the words of the wicked pollute it.

God hates cheating in the marketplace;
he loves it when business is aboveboard.
The stuck-up fall flat on their faces,
but down-to-earth people stand firm.
The integrity of the honest keeps them on track;
the deviousness of crooks brings them to ruin.
A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart,
but a principled life can stand up to the worst.
Moral character makes for smooth traveling;
an evil life is a hard life.
Good character is the best insurance;
crooks get trapped in their sinful lust.

Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.

Last night, I went back for Timothy’s second performance with his high school theatre troupe in “Crumpled Classics.” As I anticipated, the actors were more relaxed and comfortable in front of a crowd – and the performance was even better than that of opening night. As we stood around afterward waiting for the actors to receive their accolades and pose for photos, I looked at the crowd. I saw everyday, ordinary folks…hardworking parents and grandparents who surely each have a story to tell in their own lives. I saw proud family and friends carrying bouquets of flowers and other gifts to bestow on their particular actor. I saw people who appeared to be from every walk of life…all there to celebrate their kiddos and revel in their accomplishments.

I also noted a half dozen or more teachers and school administrators who helped with this production… a middle school science teacher who ran the lighting and sound…the elementary GATE teacher, the middle school band director and the elementary school librarian who sold tickets in the lobby… a surely-weary-but-still-smiling high school principal who came to support her students and staff, to name a few. I know that none of these folks makes a huge salary…that they have plenty of things to do besides attend rehearsals and performances of a high school play – or any other school-sanctioned activity for that matter. And yet, they gave of their time and talents to nurture and enable these kids to grow and learn.

Opening night, I overheard the theatre director/teacher tell the troupe… “If you have something that is dirty, put it in this basket and I will wash it! If you take it home, you will forget to bring it back tomorrow.” I smiled to myself and thought… “This is what many teachers do…they spend their Saturdays washing the laundry of their students (literally and figuratively).” This theater/stagecraft teacher spends countless hours in after-school rehearsals and preparation for the performances of her students from 8th to 12th grade – and her radiant smile and enthusiasm are evidence that she loves each kid and her work.

I am singling out teachers today, but I know there are dedicated people in every occupation and walk of life…dedicated mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, and grandparents who speak truthfully, work diligently at whatever they are called to do, and serve others at every turn. I will go so far as to say there are humble, upright public servants, leaders, and elected officials. I also believe there are “bad apples” in every group…those who are “in it to win it,” seek ill-gotten or selfish gain, or who simply like to stir up trouble. These are the folks who claim to be one thing while demonstrating another…those who hide behind money, power (or perceived importance), arrogance, privilege…and yes, even the name of Jesus Christ.

There are people who pollute the air with unkind and untrue claims on social media and in other “public” outlets, often made all the worse because they hide behind their “Christian faith” while doing so and/or insist that God endorses their claims. These are the ones who dare to say in a manner of speaking – or to ask outright – “Do you know who I am?” These are the ones who insist that laws were made for the other guy, that they are justified to “cook the books” or look down on certain people and groups, and they can buy their way out of anything!

The God-given proverbs of Solomon have application to us today…and thankfully, we do indeed have dedicated, faithful servants who are modeling them. The question becomes…are you among these folks? Are you someone who speaks the truth, loves others with the love of Christ, and humbly serves as God commands? Are you someone who faithfully and obediently speaks and acts as God desires and directs…even when He sends you where you don’t want to be and instructs you to do things that make you uncomfortable or weary? Are you a “hard-working-drama-teacher-who-does-her-student’s-laundry-on-a-Friday-night-for-a-Saturday-performance” kind of disciple of Christ?

God is calling on you and me to be faithful, humble, obedient servants…to go where He sends us – and to speak and act in a manner that brings Him honor and glory. He is calling us to be “the real deal” in our discipleship rather than an arrogant, dishonest, false witness. I promise you, people can tell the difference – and more importantly, so can God! Alleluia!

Daily Devotional for August 10, 2023 – Seeking God…and serving Him with a clean heart and willing mind. It’s time to ditch the “sarcasm!”

1 Chronicles 28:8-9
Then David turned to Solomon and said:

“Here before the leaders of Israel, the people of God, and in the sight of our God, I am instructing you to search out every commandment of the Lord so that you may continue to rule this good land and leave it to your children to rule forever. Solomon, my son, get to know the God of your fathers. Worship and serve him with a clean heart and a willing mind, for the Lord sees every heart and understands and knows every thought. If you seek him, you will find him; but if you forsake him, he will permanently throw you aside.”

The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

When our nephew Nathan was six, he built an airplane out of blocks at our house one day. He said, “You probably won’t approve of what I’m building.” I asked, “Is it inappropriate?” Nathan replied, “You might think so.” It was just an intricate plane with lots of details, and I really made a fuss over it. He told me…”Debbie, I know what sarcasm is!” I asked him how he thought I was being sarcastic, and he said, “Sarcasm is when someone pretends to like something, but they really don’t!” It seems to me that a lot of us are using “sarcasm” with God these days!

The message of this passage could not be clearer…

Search and study every commandment.
Get to know God.
Worship with a clean heart and willing mind.

David surely had his share of shortcomings. But what he tells Solomon is absolutely true…God sees every heart – and understands and knows every thought. We are not fooling Him for one minute when we claim one thing and harbor another in our hearts. You can say all you want that you love Jesus and follow His teachings…but when you discriminate, disparage, spread untruths, share racist jokes (or laugh at them), or otherwise disobey God’s commandments, He knows. And all the claims of faithful obedience are nothing more than what even a six-year-old boy characterized as “sarcasm” (and hypocrisy).

Greg and I try so hard to be honest with our kids…and to ensure that they cannot misconstrue our words and actions. I am not suggesting that any of us be so real and raw with others that we are unkind or hurtful in our efforts to be frank. And yet, plenty of “Christians” are exactly these things as they speak to others – or about others. So, the lesson here is not only to be honest, but to make sure that in our honesty, we are never hateful – and always loving.

I am not going to begin to tell you how to think, speak and act. God has given us a clear and perfect roadmap for this. Study His Word and seek His will for your life. Be genuine in your witness, and let God have the final say. People are watching…always show them a faithful servant of the Most High God – and give Him all the glory! Alleluia!

Daily Devotional for July 26, 2017 – Pure Motives…or Hidden Agendas

Titus 1:10-16
For there are a lot of rebels out there, full of loose, confusing, and deceiving talk. Those who were brought up religious and ought to know better are the worst. They’ve got to be shut up. They’re disrupting entire families with their teaching, and all for the sake of a fast buck. One of their own prophets said it best:

The Cretans are liars from the womb, barking dogs, lazy bellies.

He certainly spoke the truth. Get on them right away. Stop that diseased talk of Jewish make-believe and made-up rules so they can recover a robust faith. Everything is clean to the clean-minded; nothing is clean to dirty-minded unbelievers. They leave their dirty fingerprints on every thought and act. They say they know God, but their actions speak louder than their words. They’re real creeps, disobedient good-for-nothings.

This morning, I saw a post on Facebook titled, “Here’s How to Cope with the Pettiness of Puberty When Your Teen Can’t Even”. I have a precious cousin who will turn 14 in October – and our own little ones and many of our dear friends’ children will be teens soon enough – so I thought I would check out this information. I was drawn in as the mother described her 13-year-old daughter’s seeming angst over the trials of puberty…acne, body changes, and braces for her teeth (which she described as “covering your teeth with a chain link fence”).

The mother noted how not so long ago, she could not even take a five-minute bathroom break without this child clinging to her leg and following her…and now the girl’s door is almost always closed – and Mom is not welcome to enter. She lamented that simple questions like “How was your day?” are met with an eye roll “enough shade that you will never sunburn”…and silence. And then she offered what I thought were going to be solutions…or at the very least, some helpful suggestions.

There were a couple of ideas…setting certain “open door mandatory” times…giving the child plenty of space. But the third suggestion was nothing more than a thinly veiled commercial for a description of a specific brand of invisible braces. The writer noted how this spared her daughter the embarrassment of conventional wires and bands. And she offered a link to this particular company’s website.

Now, I have no doubt that these are a viable product – and they do seem to work like braces without the visible encumbrance. But do you see what this mother did? She drew us in with her vivid – and relatable – description of her experience as the mother of a teenager. She made us want to hear what she had to say, as if she was some sort of expert. And then, she dropped the “ad” for a product. I don’t know if she was paid for the link to their website, but I have to wonder if she got some sort of compensation for it. Frankly, I felt a bit duped…and disappointed. I did not feel like I had been given the wisdom and encouragement I was seeking from this title.

There are a lot of people in this world who are either 1) peddling someone else’s wares with the hope of personal gain; or 2) they are totally out to promote their own agenda and benefit from it. In other words, they have ulterior motives and do not genuinely wish to nurture and encourage us. This not only happens in the secular world – but in matters of faith, as well. We have to be continually “on our toes” to discern when this is happening…and sadly, I am afraid a lot of both believers AND unbelievers never know what’s hit them.

How do we combat this deception? We must strive continually to be “the real deal” for Jesus…to offer others unadulterated, humble love and service in His name…to represent His teachings and direct them to salvation through the blood of Christ. We have to pare down Christian faith and employ the KISS principle (keep it simple, stupid) for others. We must assure them that all that matters is that we sincerely offer our sins to Jesus and ask Him to fill our hearts with the Holy Spirit…that we then operate within the parameters of His teachings…and that we don’t add or subtract anything from His message and commands.

Let me put this in plain English for you. Christian faith and discipleship is not about fancy buildings…flashy music…great programs for children and youth…inspirational Bible studies…what we wear and how much we give…and much more that has become so seemingly important. A relationship with Jesus Christ does not involve adoration for a group of human beings “at the top” – in the church OR in the secular world – who are our “be-all-end-all”…and on whose every word we hang. There is a difference between respect for position and tradition…and “idol” worship of a person, things, or convention.

We cannot talk to God enough…we cannot spend enough time listening for the Holy Spirit’s guidance. We simply must stay awake and alert to the deception that is all around us. The devil is Busy with a capital “B”…and we cannot afford to give him even an iota of time and attention. We certainly cannot allow his dirty fingerprints to touch our hearts and minds…or to in any way perpetuate this to another living soul.

There should be no ulterior motives in our Christian discipleship…and personal gain should be the farthest thing from our minds. Are you guarding your heart – and your “delivery” of the Gospel – these days? Have you checked yourself lately for any hint of ulterior motive or a desire for personal gain and notoriety? Do you know for certain Who you are serving and representing these days in your daily discipleship? Isn’t it time you answer these questions and start living in God’s truth? Will this be the day you get started?

Daily Devotional for May 8, 2017 – Are you doing your best work?

2 Timothy 2:14-17
This is a sure thing:If we die with him, we’ll live with him;
If we stick it out with him, we’ll rule with him;
If we turn our backs on him, he’ll turn his back on us;
If we give up on him, he does not give up—
for there’s no way he can be false to himself.

Repeat these basic essentials over and over to God’s people. Warn them before God against pious nitpicking, which chips away at the faith. It just wears everyone out. Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won’t be ashamed of, laying out the truth plain and simple. Stay clear of pious talk that is only talk. Words are not mere words, you know. If they’re not backed by a godly life, they accumulate as poison in the soul.

“I think one’s feelings waste themselves in words; they ought all to be distilled into actions which bring results.” – Florence Nightengale

Yesterday afternoon, I realized that during my morning Sunday school lesson with the 2nd-3rd graders, we failed to stop and pray. Usually, we open and close the lesson with prayer. But the kids were restless and had lots to share with me, and I got busy engaging with them. Then we delved into our lesson on purity. My teaching partner, Susan, opened her laptop at the end of class and showed the students a “Veggie Tales” video that reinforced the lesson. Before you know it, the hour was up, parents were arriving…and we had not uttered a single prayer. And when I realized this later in the day, I felt guilty.

As I read the scripture passage today, I heard God asking me several questions…

“Were the children loved in my name?” Yes.
“Did you read scripture and talk about Me?” Absolutely.
“Do you feel the children left with a better understanding of how to live in purity – even as 7- and 8-year-olds?” Most definitely.

I realized that God wanted me to see that prayer is important…but making a show of it just for the sake of saying that we prayed amounted to a little bit of “pious nitpicking!” There is no definitive formula for studying God’s word and worshipping Him – in Sunday school or anywhere else!

What God requires of us is genuine, honest worship and service. He wants us to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others…and to demonstrate His love and grace in action. Susan and I did that yesterday. Each child left with a better understanding of what God requires of us…how He knows every thought, word and action – and wants them to be pure and honest. They understood that Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, so that when impurity creeps into our lives (and it will), we can quickly ask forgiveness and turn things around quickly. The Salvation of Jesus is permanent for those who serve Him wholeheartedly.

I will make a concerted effort to pray with the children next Sunday. But ritualistic words and actions will not dictate what happens in the class – or anywhere else. I will make every effort to always listen to God’s voice and follow His lead as I serve Him to the best of my ability. What about you?

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