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“Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.”  __ Daniel 10:12 [emphasis mine]

Do you find yourself dismayed to the point of prayerlessness when you have experienced no move of God in response to your petitions?

I recently applied for a passport upon visiting the local post office.  The clerk was sure to inform me of how I might track the process given the long amount of time it takes to actually receive my passport.  Tracking allows one the comfort in knowing that things are progressing along properly.  Such assurances are unnecessary when it is a matter of waiting upon God.

Several days had passed since the first day Daniel began to fast and pray in accordance with God’s will.  There would have been ample time for him to allow discouragement to set in.  Nevertheless, he perseveres with God, believing that God must be consistent with Himself and therefore is faithful to His Word.  What if you knew that from the very first day, when the words had scarcely left your lips, heaven began to move in response to your petitions?  Would you give up so readily?  Will the Son of Man find faith on earth when He returns (Luke 18:8)?

Be wary of giving in to the evil urge of deciding that perceived inactivity on the part of God is a matter of indifference or even unfairness.  God in His infinite wisdom and foresight enjoys the perfect and complete picture of things, whereas we have a very biased limited view.  If we have settled the all-important matter that what we are asking for is indeed consistent with God’s word, His will and His nature, then shall we have the confidence to wait patiently and expectantly  for its timely fulfillment (1 John 5:14, 15)… no matter how long it is delayed.

Always love the LORD your God and walk in his ways.  Deuteronomy 19:9 NLT

We have composed many heart letters to God, signing them “love always.” We really meant what we wrote at the time; however, our love has waned now and then. Is it our true intention to love the Lord with undying love?

God’s mercy saved us from the penalty of sin—rescuing us from eternal death. God’s grace saves us from sin’s power—morally resurrecting us from the corruption of an unbelieving society to a better life. God’s power will ultimately rescue us from the very presence of sin—sculpting us into His Son’s likeness, escorting us into paradise.

God has always loved us and He always will—His faithful love endures forever. We should see that we never outlive love for God, that we allow no condition dissuade us from heartfelt devotion to our Creator, Protector, Redeemer, and Friend.

We should always love God in our worship. Every moment we can enjoy His constant Presence and rejoice in His unfailing friendship. Whatever happens, we can depend on His sustaining grace and trust His loving Providence. No matter how discouraging current events get, we can anticipate fulfillment of His bright promises. Worship involves being grateful for God’s’ lavish blessings, hiding behind faith’s indomitable shield, yielding to heaven’s perfect will, running from spiritual adultery, and reverently entering the throne room to enjoy the privilege of conversation with our Father.

We should always love God in our lifestyle. Obedience proves authentic love—only the obedient genuinely love God. Christ’s true friends stand out from those who are not because they follow His orders—they love each other in the same way Jesus loves them; they are busy making disciples and teaching them to carry out His commands; they are telling people about Him everywhere they go; they give as freely as they have received from Him. Real affection is expressed in actions, not only in love letters. We should not just talk about loving Jesus—we should walk with Him.

We should always love God—at all times. At sunrise, we can thank God for giving us a new beginning. At sunset, we can bless God for getting us through the day. When we feel stressed out, God is right beside us, and promises to stay. His love never quits—ours should not either.

We should always love God—in all our ways. God opens heaven’s windows and pours out blessings we do not have enough room to store. We can say thanks through preaching the good news from the pulpit of our personality and loving God with all our intelligence and energy. If we always give God first place in our heart, God will always give us first place in His.

Johnny R. Almond

Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church - Friends on a Journey of Faith

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—Scripture Personalized

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity--ScripturePersonalized.com/

This devotional based on day 101 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity

“At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved”.  Daniel 9:36

“Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words”.  Daniel 10:12

“And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage”.  Daniel 10:19

The key to having power with God in prayer is having established and nurtured an intimate relationship with Him.  The foundation and prerequisite for a right relationship with God is always faith in Jesus Christ.  Nevertheless, intimate communion with God never leaves off being the priority of the true seeker.  God’s reward for such holy persistence is answered prayer.

When I got my most recent cellular phone, the service representative led me through an initial exercise that enabled the phone to recognize my voice.  Even after several months, if I am to be successful using this feature I must speak clearly without noise distraction because the phone is sensitive to my voice and my voice alone.

In a like manner, we must develop such a habit of prayer where there is a mutual recognition of speech–God hearing and recognizing our voice and we in turn recognizing Him speak softly to our hearts without the melee of competing noises and distractions all around us.  Why did Jesus often retire away from the multitude to be alone with God the Father?  So that He might hear clearly the unmistakable voice from on High.  And the Father would recognize the voice of the Son immediately and bless His soul through answers to His prayers.

Do you recognize the Divine Voice?  Has He become accustomed to hearing your voice?

Divine Speech Recognition

The process of discipleship in  Matthew 4:19 and Mark 1:17 was Jesus' call to vocational fishermen to become "Fishers of Men". We see that time and time again as the disciples followed Jesus' example as he grew them to himself in the discipling process.

We need today to speak regarding Spiritual Parenting and Spiritual Grandparenting. In the conversion of Saul of Tarsus (later the Apostle Paul), when on the road to Damascus, he is blinded and needs to have Ananias lay hands on Saul as the scales come off and Saul receives his sight. From Damascus to Jerusalem Saul continues to get his "spiritual" feet wet by preaching to the Jews in the synagogues. When in Jerusalem, he wanted to fellowship with the disciples, but they were afraid of Him (Acts 9:26). But in Acts 9:27 Barnabas (name meaning "Son of Encouragement") begins to do what everyone else is afraid to do and that is DISCIPLE SAUL OF TARSUS!!! Then in Acts 13:2 at Antioch the Holy Spirit,  Barnabas and Saul were set apart for the first missionary journey, but along the journey (Act 13:9) Saul takes the name he will be known as from this point forward-Paul! Further, it's now Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:42 ff). On the journey, John Mark, known as Mark, leaves the journey at Perga. The reason is not stated, but Paul and Barnabas got in a team-splitting disagreement regarding the issue. Therefore Barnabas and Mark, his cousin, set out to minister together and Paul sets out with Silas. Paul mentions Mark in a positive tone (1 Thessalonians 4:10). So up to this point we've seen Barnabas disciple Paul and his cousin John Mark.

Next we see Paul with  those whom he has come in contact: Silas, Silvanus and others . But the one most prominently mentioned---including two epistles to him--- is Timothy! So this is how this ties together:

1) Barnabas disciples Paul

    * Barnabas also continues to disciple Mark

2) Paul disciples Timothy

    * Paul also disciples Silas and other

3) Timothy gets his marching orders from Paul:

     * The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to           faithful men who will be able to teach others also...2 Timothy 2:2 (NASB)

So you have:

Barnabas-the Spiritual Parent

Paul- the Spiritual Child

Timothy- The Spiritual Grandchild

 GO THOU AND DO LIKEWISE     

Be on your guard not to let the base thought get the upper hand in your heart.  DEUTERONOMY 15:9 MLB

As we read God’s Word, we should pay attention to waving red flags repeatedly warning us to be careful as we make our way through life. God cautions us to beware of falling into the evil one’s clever trap of compromise and idolatry. Over and over Scripture counsels discretion—telling us to avoid faddish foolishness and seek timeless wisdom.

At all costs, we must never give in to mindlessness. We would not think of swimming in shark-infested waters—then why live recklessly in a world ruled by invisible forces of the dark side? Wisdom stays on the alert spiritually!

We are not what we think we are; but what we think, we are. We are the product of our thoughts; so we should be careful what we permit to enter our mind. What we put into our mind may eventually come out in words and actions. It’s a good idea to occasionally review what we are feeding our mind through television, movies, magazines, and the Internet. It’s certainly a good idea never to consume moral garbage! Most importantly, we should daily read heaven’s Textbook for Living.

Over the course of our lifetime, we can learn to focus our mind on what is good, and make it a habit to fix our thoughts on wholesome ideas. It takes practice to change how we think, but faith makes it possible. Guarding our mind, we can fill it with the beautiful, not the ugly. Programming our mental computer with true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, kind, lofty, and worthy thoughts—we make this formula for excellence the charter for our thought life.

We should never tell our self that our thoughts are hidden from God. Our inner life is transparent to the One who perfectly understands human nature. Our Creator understands us better than we know our self. This being the case, it is best for us to be open and honest with the Lord.

To ensure that vulgar and low ideas do not predominate our mind, we can overcome the deadly poison of evil with the antidote of goodness. With God’s help, we can cancel dishonesty with truth, self-centeredness with sacrificial love, perversion with purity, obscenity with decency, criticism with compliments, and mean-spiritedness with generosity. Above all, we should give God first place—running from false gods of the mind threatening to steal loyalty we owe him.

Letting God be our Best Thought is the best way to conscientiously guard our mind gate.

Johnny R. Almond

Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church - Friends on a Journey of Faith

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—Scripture Personalized

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity--ScripturePersonalized.com/

This devotional based on day 100 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity

I was in the Emergency Room Waiting Area, waiting on the arrival of a friend from the church where I was serving as Interim Pastor, when a young mother brought her screaming child in the room. The frightened child was yelling loud enough to be heard three floors up – “I OK, I OK, No owie! No owie!” Other than being temporarily deafened, I survived the experience with only a ministerial application. How many times have I hurt, yet still screamed to my listening world, “I OK! No owie!” Is it pride that keeps me from admitting pain? Or is it fear that others will think less of me if I share my owie? Perhaps it is the memory of a baseball coach of long ago responding to every injury with, “Rub it off and play ball!” What was it, that allowed Paul to admit, “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)? I really hope the little girl calmed down long enough to admit her pain and get relief. Me? Honestly, some days, I not OK, I owie! I’d like to be more like Paul, and acknowledge my hurts while assuring every one that I’m not yet “crushed” or “destroyed.” At the very least, I’d like to make my old coach proud and just “rub it off and play ball!” How about you?

TRAINING DISCIPLES SYLLABUS

* KNOWING YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE--ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

A. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Romans 5:8, John 1:12, 2 Corinthians 13:5, John 6:37

B. 2 Peter 1:10, 2 Corinthians 13:5, John 6:37

C. Romans 1:16, 2 Timothy 1:12

* THE IMPORTANCE OF GOD'S WORD IN DAILY LIFE

A. 2 Timothy 3:15-17, Proverbs 2:1-5, John 12: 47-48

B. Jeremiah 5:14, Jeremiah 23:29, John 6:63, 1 Peter 1:23, Hebrews 4:12, 2 Timothy 3:15

* HOW TO LEARN THE TRUTHS OF GOD'S WORD

A. Meditate- Psalms 1:2-3

B. Memorize- Psalms 119: 9-11

C. Study- Acts 17:11

D. Revelation- 1:3

E. Hear- Romans 10:17

F. Miscellaneous Scriptures- Mark 4:2-8, Acts 20:23

* SPENDING TIME ALONE WITH GOD

1. Psalms 42: 1-2, Psalms 27:4, John 14:23-24, Psalms 116:1-2
2. Bible Study/Prayer:

*Adoration-Luke 7:38 (Example)

*Confession- 1 John 1:9

*Thanksgiving-Colossians 4:2

*Supplication, Intercession- James 5:16

*Petition – Philippians 4:6

* THE CHURCH AND CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

1. Acts 2: 42-47, Ephesians 1: 22-23, Ephesians 2:15-16, 19-21
2. Ephesians 1: 13-14, Ephesians 5:23, Ephesians 2:13-14, Matthew 7:21-23, Hebrews 10:24-25
3. 1 John 1: 3-7, Malachi 3: 10-11

* THE LORDSHIP AND IMPORTANCE OF BEING CHRIST’S DISCIPLE

1. Lordship- Luke 9:23, Colossians 1: 15-18, Luke 14:33, Proverbs 11:14, Joshua 24:15
2. Importance- Luke 14:26, John 1:43, John 13:34-35, James 1:22, Titus 2: 11-12, Galatians 5: 22-23, Luke 6:30, 1 Peter 4:30

 * GOD’S PLAN FOR A COMMITTED DISCIPLEMAKER’S LIFE

1. Hebrews 6:1, 2 Chronicles 16:9, 2 Peter 3:18, 2 Peter 1: 5-9, John 15:8
2. Philippians 3: 8-10, Colossians 1:27, 1 Peter 4 12-13, John 12:24
3. Matthew 28:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:2

Two months ago, I enthusiastically ventured into the world of organic gardening. It was a very modest beginning, planting a small tomato seedling some friends had given me.

I was scheduled to be out of town for a week, but I fully expected to see some tomatoes when I returned. However, no such luck. The seedling had grown, but no tomatoes could be found.

My friends assured me this was normal. “Tomatoes don’t grow overnight!” they explained with a grin.

Despite their explanation, I was disappointed to have to wait so long for tomatoes to appear on my plant. I had planted it in good soil, with plenty of sunlight and water. Why was it growing so slowly?

As I’ve reflected on the source of my disappointment, I think it may stem from the story of “Jack and the Beanstalk,” one of my favorite tales as a child. When Jack’s “magic beans” were thrown on the ground one night, he woke up to a HUGE beanstalk the very next morning.

How cool was that?

Even better, Jack was able to capture a goose that laid golden eggs during one of his trips up the beanstalk. His magic seeds enabled him to get rich—and to get rich quick!

So now you see why I was disappointed that my tomatoes got off to a slow start. I was comparing my experience to Jack’s beanstalk, not realizing that normal seeds require patience in addition to good soil, water, and sunlight.

The Bible has a lot to say about seeds, growth, and harvests. Yes, we’re promised that we will reap whatever we sow (Galatians 6:7). But we’re also warned against “growing weary” in our seed-sowing, “for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (v. 9).

It’s sad that most of us live in a world of microwaves and fast-food drive-throughs instead of seeds and harvests. We expect instant gratification and immediate results. And if the tomatoes don’t appear right away, we’re tempted to quit watering the plant.

Perhaps, like me, you’ve planted some things and are still waiting for the fruit to come. Let’s not lose heart! Let’s keep watering and fertilizing the seeds, confident of a positive outcome down the road.

No, I can’t promise you overnight success and a huge beanstalk tomorrow morning. But God has promised that if you’re faithful to do your part, in “due season” your harvest will surely come.

I never thought it would happen to me. I can’t remember ever envying someone who had a bigger house…a faster car…a higher salary…or a corner office. Nor did it bother me that I wasn’t part of the enviable “1%.”

So it shocked me recently when I found myself in the clutches of the Green-Eyed Monster—a term originating in Shakespeare’s play, Othello: “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; it is the green-ey’d monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on.”

A number of events the past few months confirmed that I’ve been afflicted with this terrible disease. Although material things still aren’t the focus of my jealousy, several incidents pushed other buttons that brought out the Green-Eyed Monster in me…

• I ran into an old friend who now preaches in churches and conferences around the world. In contrast to his apparent success, I have very few open doors for ministry, despite my love of preaching. It puzzled me that he’s had so many opportunities, when I was sure I could preach as well, or even better.

• I spent time with a man who, like me, is a ghostwriter for other authors. I found myself extremely envious of the fact that people were actually reading the books he wrote (in contrast to my books, read by hardly anyone). And in addition to being jealous of the best-selling books he was producing, I groaned as he boasted about the huge fees he received for each book, exponentially higher than my rates.

• I read about a pastor a few hours away who was impacting thousands of young people through a church he planted. At my advanced age, I’ve concluded that the only reason to live is to find ways to pour my life into the next generation. Convinced that it’s a waste of time trying to change Baby Boomers, I’m frustrated that I don’t have more opportunities to disciple young believers.

As I’ve looked back at these three incidents, I see a pattern. For the most part, the Green-Eyed Monster didn’t rear its ugly head because of envying people’s money or status—instead, I envied their impact. The most important thing in my life is still to impact the world for Jesus, and I was jealous of those who were doing that more effectively than I was.

There’s a lot you could psychoanalyze in my perspective. Some of my friends have pointed out that I’m much too performance-focused. They’ve confronted me about basing my self-image on my accomplishments rather than on God’s unconditional love for me.

I’m sure my friends are correct in their observation. I’m praying for the Lord to remedy this.

But in each of the three incidents that triggered my bout with envy, something later happened that put everything in an entirely different light…

• I heard reports that my preacher friend had virtually begged one church to have him come and speak. This greatly offended the pastor, and made my friend seem like a real jerk, desperate for honorariums. Perhaps his life isn’t so great after all.

• The ghostwriter did a book project for a ministry I know in another state, and his work was deemed to be substandard. The man also turned out to be very difficult to work with, a real turn-off for the ministry that had hired him for the project.

• The pastor who built such a successful outreach to young people was revealed to have a serious alcohol problem. The board removed him from his pastorate until he could get help, and for now his ministry is over.

Isn’t it strange that we often envy people who don’t have such a great life after all? We’re jealous of the image they project, but things look entirely different when the curtain is pulled back.

Because of these experiences, I’m no longer envious of the three men who triggered my Green-Eyed Monster experiences. I would rather be me than them.

Yet I’m still struggling with envy of another kind: I’m “envious” to be more like the person God created me to be. I want to be more like Jesus (Romans 8:29, Luke 6:40), and more like the Jim Buchan envisioned by my Heavenly Father when He created me.

One more thing…

A few years ago, I was telling my friend Bernard about all the things I didn’t like about my life. I thought I had made a pretty good case for why he should feel sorry for me, but Bernard was much too wise to fall into that trap.

“Jim, don’t you realize that millions of people would gladly trade places with you?!” he said.

How ironic. Despite my complaints and my envy of others, millions of people would be envious if they saw the life God has given me. I guess one of the best ways to slay the Green-Eyed Monster is to be grateful for the life I already have.

The Lord your God is testing you to see if you love him with all your heart and soul. De u t e r o n o my 13:3 NLT

Christianity is not just a mind game played for entertainment—Higher Education is serious business! Life is a battery of tests designed to bring out our true colors.

God’s intelligence test determines our spiritual IQ; it indicates whether we are wise or just smart. As we learn his way, we become a new person from the inside out.

God’s practical test reveals how far we will go in obeying him. To make a passing grade, we must do more than ponder his Word—we must translate it into action in everyday relationships.

God’s authenticity test checks the sincerity of our love for him. To prove our love, we must devote our self to God 24/7. This essay question will take a long time to answer—in fact, it will take the entire course of our life. To give evidence of our genuine love—we must follow God closely, seek to bring other people to him, carry our cross daily, value friendship with God above all things, and keep our mind in tune with Truth.

God’s cross-examination demands the ultimate in introspection. Looking within, we can verify the authenticity of our faith. If Christ lives in us, we pass heaven’s most critical test. This is a true/false question—it demands an either/or response. Either we have Christ in our soul, or we do not. The final answer demands total honesty.

God’s daily quiz tests our motives. If we do what we should, we will enjoy the fulfillment of doing quality work for the right reason. There is no need to compare our work with others; it is only imperative that we follow Christ’s example and do our best for him. At the end of the day, that is all that matters.

God’s endurance test gauges perseverance through severity. Time educates for eternity by strengthening character. We are running in the Faith Marathon—we should not even think of quitting. We are students in Adversity University—we should never disenroll. Ignoring sideline distractions and focusing on Jesus is the wisest way to live. Start to finish, we can rely on the Spirit Wind for adrenaline. Holding on to the Lord for dear life, we will ultimately celebrate victory.

God’s final exam will inspect our life’s building materials. Fiery judgment will incinerate inferior work. Quality construction will shine brightly forever. We should do more than merely aim to survive—we should live so we will graduate with honors!

Pastor Johnny R. Almond

Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church - Friends on a Journey of Faith

Devotion based on Day 99 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity--ScripturePersonalized.com/

Do not be trapped into following their example. Do not say, “How do these nations worship their gods? I want to follow their example.” Deuteronomy 12:30 NLT

God is absolutely holy, and He yearns for us to reflect His holy nature. Worshipping God with all our heart’s passion, all our soul’s personality, all our mind’s intelligence, and all our health’s energy is what God asks of us—obeying His will, we walk life’s noblest path.

Satan’s bandwagon propaganda entices us to join the crowd, but the majority is dead wrong. The world system has no time for God and no respect for His law. Sincere worshipers of the one true God are challenged to ruthlessly destroy all centers of false worship—questionable activities, selfish attitudes, pride in possessions, and evil habits—anything that occupies the first place in our heart due to God. We should never naïvely flatter our self by thinking we are too strong to be tempted. Israel learned the hard way, but we do not have to. Curiosity with the world’s ways need not turn our head; fascination with sin need not capture our heart—if we stay in love with our Creator, Redeemer, and Friend.

We can worship God, no matter what the coordinates. On the mountain, we can celebrate His majesty. In the valley, we can celebrate His vision. By the river, we can celebrate His resources. In the desert, we can celebrate His delight. In any country, we can be grateful for His care. In any place, we can revel in His peace. At any location, we can be thankful for His love.

We can worship God, whatever the time. At dawn, we can celebrate His mission. At dusk, we can rejoice in His encouragement. At night, He is our Light. In the daytime, He is our Defender. Every hour, He is our Hope. Every minute, He is our Mercy. Every second, He is our Savior.

When we surrender to God, we find strength to resist the urge to copy behavior and customs of the world. Without God, we are liable to fall into seemingly harmless practices. We do not play volleyball in a minefield, so we should be careful how we conduct ourselves morally. The prowling lion would love to tear our soul to shreds—we should stay alert!

Folly imitates the ungodly; wisdom imitates God. Apathy indulges self; passion crucifies ego. Simpletons follow the evil one’s suggestions; the sincere follow Jesus’  example. Rebels run from God; the reverent walk in Jesus’ steps.

Copying the world’s ways merely produces a cheap imitation. Emulating Christ’s ways transforms our life into a costly imitation.

Obedience cost God’s Son His life; obedience will cost us ours—yet it is the only path to holiness. Are we willing to pay the price?

Johnny R. Almond

Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church - Friends on a Journey of Faith

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—Scripture Personalized

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity--ScripturePersonalized.com/

This devotional based on day 98 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity

I’ve been a goal-setter for as long as I can remember. Whenever I got a “B” on my report card, my dad and I would sit down and come up with a plan for getting an “A” the next time. And when my batting average fell below 300 on my middle school baseball team, we would spend extra time hitting balls in the batting cage.

After I gave my life to Christ at age 18, I found Bible passages that seemed to endorse my enthusiastic approach to goal-setting. I quickly embraced Paul’s statement about forgetting the successes of the past and pressing on toward a calling that was always “upward” (Philippians 3:3-14).

I also was influenced by motivational speakers and self-help gurus who warned that “If you don’t set a goal, you will hit it every time,” and “People don’t plan to fail, they just fail to plan.”

But now, at this advanced stage in my life, I’m rethinking my approach to goal-setting. I find myself disregarding the promotional emails I receive every from authors wanting to sell me on their “revolutionary” new approaches to better goal-setting.

Maybe I’m just feeling too tired for all of this goal-setting hype. But some recent events in the lives of other people have also given me quite a wakeup call. Could it be that my goal-setting approach has been off-balance all these years?

When Perry Noble was removed as pastor of New Spring Church because of alcohol problems, some of the “back story” really caught my attention. Perry clearly was an amazing goal-setter, and this helped to make him wildly successful. His church was one of the largest in the country, with 30,000 people over 17 cities.

Yet it turns out that Perry wasn’t satisfied by this incredible achievement. In fact, he wasn’t even close to his ultimate goal of having a following of “100,000 or more.”

Wow. A goal for New Spring to grow to “100,000 people or more.” This was goal-setting on steroids. Although I’ve tended to be driven by ever-higher goals, I’ve never driven myself anywhere near this extent.

A friend pointed out to me that Perry Noble probably wouldn’t have reached 30,000 members in his church if he hadn’t aimed at 100,000. Perhaps so. But I’m wondering if he also wouldn’t have had a problem with alcohol…

So I’m working on a new approach to setting goals. Here are some of my preliminary thoughts for your consideration:

1. 1.     Make sure you involve God in setting your goals. A few years ago, one of my divorced friends set a goal of “finding a new wife in the next 12 months.” Although I’m sure his intentions were good, the result wasn’t. He should have spent more time consulting with the Lord before setting such an audacious goal.
2. 2.     Make sure you’re looking to God to help you reach your goal. Even if you have a correct, God-given objective, you’ll end up frustrated if you try to attain the goal through your own strength and ingenuity. The Lord not only wants to show you His will, but He also wants to work through you to accomplish that goal (Philippians 2:13).
3. 3.     See your goal through the dual lenses of quantity and quality. Numerical goals are important, but too many leaders and churches judge their success only on the basis of numbers. Hey, wouldn’t you tend to feel successful if your church had 30,000 people, like Perry Noble’s? Yet Jesus saw things much differently. Knowing that the crowds would come and go, His central objectives were to (1) do the Father’s will and (2) pour His life into some true disciples (John 8:29, John 6:60-71). Even after three years of Jesus’ ministry, only 120 people showed up for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
4. 4.     Resist the urge to compare yourself to others. If you compare your church to the size of Perry Noble’s, you will undoubtedly get depressed. No wonder the Bible warns us against comparing ourselves with others (2 Corinthians 10:12). Listen to me on this: If you’ve been faithful, you’ve been successful. But even as I encourage you on this profound truth, I know there will be many times when I’ll need people like you to remind me to apply this principle to my own life.
5. 5.     Healthy things grow, but they don’t grow by striving. I’ve visited many churches that have done well in gaining numbers, but there’s clearly a spirit of “striving” in the air. The pastor, staff, and volunteers all seem entirely exhausted and burnt out—a symptom that they’ve achieved their objectives with self-effort rather than abiding in Christ and waiting on the wind of His Spirit (John 15:1-5, Isaiah 40:28-31).

So, I wish you happy goal-setting, my friend. But don’t forget that the Father loves you, no matter what your earthly achievements may be (Matthew 3:16-17). Remember to cease striving, always recognizing that He’s God and you’re not (Psalm 46:10). And if, like Perry Noble, you’re dealing with personal issues behind the scenes, take time to disengage from the rat race. Get the help you need so you can finish well.

One more thing...

My son Ben is finishing his final college class this week. The past few years, I’ve been telling him not to worry about grades. “Just shoot for a ‘C’ Ben!” I regularly say.

Despite my encouragement not to sweat the grades, Ben has been getting “A’s” lately. He tells me goal-setting is a good thing, and perhaps he’s right. But I’m really not so sure anymore.

I arrived in the Middle East last weekend to spend 35 class hours serving a group of tomorrow's ministry leaders in this region. It is a periodic privilege and responsibility I've enjoyed for most of the past 20 years. Several past students are present colleagues in ministry. How special is that!

At church, some men asked what this group from six countries will focus on. I replied, "The course is called 'Christlike Character in Leadership & Family.' We'll explore the implications and applications of cultivating lifestyles of Christlikeness as we lead and live. But it is at heart a discipling course focused on 'applied agape.'"

That two-word term seemed to catch their attention.

That term captures my attention, too. Why take this special teaching opportunity and dedicate it to "applied agape"? Here's why: God's Word clearly and repeatedly points to the #1 outcome that He desires in and through our lives, churches, and other ministries: agape love. Ponder such passages as 1 Corinthians 13, Galatians 5, Ephesians 4 & 5, and Revelation 2: "The fruit of the Spirit is love" . . . "If I . . . have not love, I am only a noisy gong" . . . "Walk in a manner worthy of your calling" . . . "Walk in love" . . . "Remember . . . repent . . . and return to your first love."

Prequels to these words permeate the Old Testament. Check out, for example, Deuteronomy 6:5-6.

In stark contrast, if data gathered for the Barna/Navigators study of "The State of Discipleship" are reliable, Christians in general are confused about both the meaning and the bottom line--the output--of "discipleship." They often focus so much on processes--which are manifold--that they lose sight of the outcome God desires: a lifestyle of agape love. How God must grieve at our lack of focus.

I appreciate the many discipling processes that various people and ministries have developed. A variety of flexible, practical discipling process can be useful. But does the program/process that you use make applied agape love the clear and prominent outcome?

Life is short. As we grow personally and help others do likewise, we honor Him most when our focus is less transactional and more transformational. We dare not fall in love with our diligently developed processes instead of God's most-desired outcome. Let's adjust each of those to their appropriately proportionate share of our emphases as appliers of agape who influence others to do likewise.

"The main thing is that the main thing remain the main thing!"

Simple.

But not easy.

Your thoughts on this?

One of the most baffling experiences in life is when you’ve sincerely endeavored to follow God’s will, only to find that His provision seems to be drying up. Yet this is something experienced by just about everyone at one point or another.

Even the prophet Elijah faced this. The Lord had given him explicit instructions to go to the Brook Cherith, “And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there” (1 Kings 17:2-7).

There’s an old maxim that says, “Where God guides, He provides,” and this was Elijah’s experience for many days as he sat by the brook. Plenty of clean, cool water to drink, and the ravens brought him bread and meat twice a day. It was a pretty nice life, carefree in every way.

But when God wants to bring us to an important transition point, He often allows our “brook” to dry up. This is bewildering, because we’re certain the Lord has used the brook to provide for us in the past. We’ve been following His will, and it’s hard to imagine our carefree life ever coming to an end.

However, through no fault of Elijah, his circumstances began to change: “It happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land” (v. 7).

Ironically, the brook dried up as the direct result of Elijah’s obedience in telling King Ahab there would be no rain “except at my word” (v. 1). Without rain, it was only a matter of time before the brook would run out of water—but all of this was part of God’s plan.

Perhaps you can relate to Elijah’s experience. Maybe the job that provided income for you and your family for many years is drying up. Or the thriving church that once nurtured your faith is now a lifeless pile of dry bones. Or perhaps you find yourself in a marriage that has grown cold and dry, with no solution in sight.

So, what can you do when your brook dries up? How should you react when some life-giving stream of God’s blessing is no longer bringing you the provision and nourishment you need?

Here are some thoughts…

1. 1.     Thank God for how He used the brook in past seasons of your life. Instead of cursing the dry creek bed, be grateful for the sustenance it once brought you.
2. 2.     Be grateful that a new season—with fresh provision—is right around the corner. When your brook starts to dry up, you should get excited instead of depressed! Since the Lord has promised to be your provider in every season, you can look at the future with great anticipation.
3. 3.     Let go of any false nostalgia about the “good old days” when the brook was full of water. Yes, God used the brook to bless you in the past, but now you can trust Him for even BETTER things in your future. Don’t let past blessings become an idol that hinders you from embracing the next season of your life.
4. Listen for a new set of instructions. Elijah knew God had told him to go to the Brook Cherith—and Elijah had obeyed. But now it was time for some new instructions, which God was faithful to provide: “Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you’” (vs. 8-9). If you want a fresh start, you will need to listen for fresh directions from the Lord. The new instructions may cause you even greater bewilderment, and I’m sure Elijah wondered how some widow he’d never met was going to provide for him. Are you willing to trust God anyway?

Here’s a brief prophetic thought on this important message: The world is entering a season when many of the “brooks” we’ve been relying upon are going to dry up. It has never been more important to trust God and obey His instructions. If we do, the new season can be far better than the previous one. If we don’t, we could find ourselves sitting next to a dry creek bed, wondering what happened to the water and the ravens.

I’ve never met anyone who isn’t a people-pleaser on some level. Even my boldest, brashest, “tell it like it is” friends are secretly hoping to find some supportive audience for their message.

Although it’s a fact difficult for me to face, I’m clearly a people-pleaser too. I want people to like my sermons, my blogs, and even my wardrobe and my car. And I still want my kids, my friends, and my boss to admire me and think I’m doing a good job.

This realization hasn’t been easy. It comes after years of declaring, “I don’t care what anyone else thinks of me!” But now I have to admit that I still tend to evaluate myself by how other people are evaluating me.

I’ve concluded that the ironic thing about people-pleasers is that our mission is doomed to failure. We may succeed in pleasing some of the people some of the time, but we’ll never please all the people all the time.

So why do we insist on persevering in this foolhardy venture? Why not just drop the façade and acknowledge that play-acting is a dead-end road, inevitably leading to frustration and defeat?

This issue came up recently when I happened to be sorting through some very old family photos. I came across press clippings from the Columbus Dispatch when I was a child actor. Even though the reviews were over five decades old, I still wanted to read what the reviewers said about my performance! Oh my…

Like me, perhaps you’re still obsessed with your press clippings, job reviews, or comments on your sermons or blogs. You’ve given countless other people the power to be your judge and jury.

What a treadmill of futility this creates. Why can’t we just do our performances before an “audience of One,” like the Bible encourages us to do?

The apostle Paul wrote that his sole ambition was to please the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:9). He said that if he was still seeking to please other people, he wouldn’t be a true servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10).

But even if we know better, people-pleasing is a hard habit to shake. For most of us, it’s deeply ingrained in our personality and psyche.

The Bible is filled with sad stories about people-pleasers. Adam seemed more intent on pleasing Eve than on obeying God. Aaron was so intent on pleasing the Israelites that he was willing to make a golden calf. Samson made the fatal mistake of trying to please Delilah. And although Pilate could find no fault in Jesus, he sent Him to crucifixion in order to please the religious leaders and chanting crowd.

I’ve discovered that one of the crazy outcomes of people-pleasing is that you’ll inevitably offend some people while trying to please others. It becomes an exhausting enterprise, because there’s always someone you have disappointed.

Surprising as it may seem, God is often easier to please than people are (Matthew 3:17). Throughout His life, Jesus always sought to do the things that pleased His Father (John 8:29), and that would be a great objective for us as well.

After all, people-pleasing is an exhausting, never-ending, insanity-producing quest. We’ll breathe a lot easier when we only have One person to please.

“It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”  (Mark 7:20-23 NLT)

The picture above was taken last week by our youngest son, Brandon. His caption “One Nation Under Repair” is apt, in light of recent tragic events in our country. The flag at half-staff reminds us of grief at the loss of innocent lives. The scaffolding is part of the process of cleaning and repairing damage on the outside, but what happens INSIDE needs even more repair.

The shootings in Saint Paul, Baton Rouge, and Dallas have prompted the repeated statement that violence is not the answer to brutality and murder. Such generalizations do not address the source of evil. For that we must turn to the Master.

Jesus summarizes 13 actions and vices that defile a person, and teaches that they all emanate from the heart. He does not paint a pretty picture of human nature—depravity, unchastity, stealing, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, double-dealing, unrestrained sexual drive, envy, malicious misrepresentation, arrogance, senselessness. These bad habits of the heart corrupt and spoil life.

The condition of the heart is so important to God, that the word heart is mentioned nearly 1,000 times in the Bible. Our physical hearts are very important to us—our lives depend on our hearts, so we want to avoid heart disease. It stands to reason that we should be just as interested in avoiding the diseases of the spiritual heart.

During his time in the Gulag, Solzhenitsyn wrote: “The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties, but right through every human heart. This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. Even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained; and even in the best of all hearts, there remains a small corner of evil. If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”

We should humbly recognize that our hearts are in daily need of repair. Repentance is the path to a clean heart. In the holy land of the broken heart—there is joy never felt in sin’s garbage dump; there is light never seen in dark, dingy places; there is peace never experienced in dens of iniquity; there are songs never sung in rebellious hearts.

We are all by nature sinful. The human heart, Jeremiah reminds us, is the most deceitful of all things and desperately wicked. In fact, no one really knows how bad it is. Billy Graham said, “The heart of every problem is the problem of the human heart. That is why Jesus said we must be born again.”

It is obvious, to any thoughtful person, that force or legislation cannot change the inner condition of the heart. Only Christ, the Sovereign of the human heart, can transform us.  

Our nation is in need of repair—one heart at a time.  

Pastor Johnny R. Almond

Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church

Friends on a Journey of Faith

(Facebook Feed)

Sermon today on Mark 8:22ff. Something that has not been preached enough: why wasn't the man healed on Jesus' first attempt? As the Gerasene demoniac wasn't. One could say Christ's intentions are mysterious beyond our mortal comprehension. I've been hearing that "explanation" all my life and suspect it rather signals whenever we don't know or our theology is out of kilter with the biblical record.

A better explanation is that Jesus, being fully human, was no more powerful or knowing than we are. In other words, he didn't cheat but acted and knew as the Holy Spirit, aka the On-Going (trans. English "Living") Word, revealed to him. He said so himself: "I only do what I see the Father doing." (John 5:19) Since he granted that same Spirit to his followers when he gained the authority to do so (John 16:13), his followers technically have the same authority to know and do -- plus more time to hear and do. That's why he wasn't just flattering us when he said that we would do greater things than he (John 14:12).

Which means the story of the church should be: millions of Christians knowing and doing the things Christ did, but more so, and the world was changed. I think it is worth asking, "What happened?" and "Why isn't it happening?" I think at least part of the answer is that Christ was turned into a demi-god so that there would be an excuse for so-called "believers" to not follow.

Second question that was brought up: why did Jesus take the blind man out of the village, the village that brought him to Jesus to heal to start with? Here we must make educated guesses. Fortunately, there are several "red flags" in the text.

First we learn, at the end of the story, that the man was not in fact from that town. Why was the citizenry so solicitous for his healing? In this gospel, the story is placed in a chapter that starts with a miracle that arguably impressed ancient peoples most of all -- given the number of early depictions archaeology has uncovered. Immediately following the feeding of the thousands from almost nothing, the Pharisees come out, seeking a miraculous sign! And the story of the citizens of Bethsaida follows immediately.

At this point, it's important to know that the healing of blind people was widely regarded as a scriptural sign of the Messiah. Which is why the people of nearby Nazareth tried to kill Jesus for heresy when he initiated his ministry with them (Luke 4:18) -- see Ken Bailey's excellent exposition of all this.

So I would say, there's a lot more going on here than we at two millennia's distance from the cultural context of the story realize. Now I assert that the basis of the leaven of the Pharisees is this: that signs beget belief. However, according to Jesus' teachings and actions -- and my own personal experience -- it is quite the opposite: God's acts (let's not call them "signs" in this formulation) FOLLOW belief. Contrary to what the Pharisees -- and I would say the majority of our theologians -- would say, Jesus did not do miracles primarily to get people to believe. He fed the thousands, why? Because THEY WERE HUNGRY. And, perhaps more importantly, they had followed him for days into the wilderness without planning to do so. They were so focused on Jesus that they were blind to the danger of following him. Anyone that knows that faith is not mere belief will recognize it here.

So at Bethsaida, Jesus had a dilemma. He wanted to save the blind man JUST BECAUSE HE WAS BLIND. But the people that had shoved him forward wanted to test God according to scripture. Jesus KNEW the biblical penalty against testing God (v. 12) and wanted no part of that. So he took the man away from there -- for good.

The fact is, miracles as signs and wonders don't work. In Jesus' story of the beggar Lazarus, Father Abraham indicates that they are quite useless for this purpose (Luke 16:31). Jesus' view is that people that will believe will receive with gladness the smallest seed of the Word. The people that won't will not even with the sign of resurrection. "My sheep hear my voice," he said, and didn't agonize that the wolves refuse to. "No sign will be given to them."

No, miracles exist because God is willing and able for them that believe. Period.

Edie Sodowsky Hmm. I've never seen "failures" in these passages. I presumed that when the blind man said that he saw people walking and noted that they looked like trees, that this was the first step of healing. I presumed that previously he had no sight at all, and seeing figures was an improvement. I consider it possible that healing in stages would make the transition easier. Re the Gerasene, I didn't see failure at all, but that the second sentence in Luke 8:29 was parenthetical - an explanation of the man's past, not a result of prior attempts by Jesus to heal him. Am I reading these wrong?

Michael Richter You're right: "failures" is too strong a word. I meant "failure" in the sense that the healing was not immediately complete, as one might expect of an omnipotent being.

I was focusing more on the first part of Luke 8:29, "For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man." Again, as you say, one may see the resulting manifestation of the demon cowering at Jesus' feet as but one stage of that healing process.

Now that you mention the second part of 8:29, I notice this passage is not linear, but follows the "circular" Hebrew rhetorical style explained well (again) by Bailey. Here the demon's confession is the climax of the structure (and therefore the main point). "For He had commanded..." (the line after the climax) matches ""Seeing Jesus..." (the line before). Moving outward, "For it had seized him many times..." goes back to explaining "...who had not put on clothes for a long time..." "And Jesus asked him..." refers back to "...a man... possessed with demons." And outermost, perhaps, "the abyss" matches with the implied Sea of Galilee. This is two more layers than the ideal seven, but might explain the structure of the text.

Reading further is more structural fun, this in couplets. The demon enters the swine, and they all run into the lake. Upon which fear enters the swineherds, and they all run into town. We note here how Jewish chauvinism might nod approvingly at this comparison between pigs and gentiles. Then the people, well, BELIEVED in Jesus ...and turned him away. Then Jesus, perhaps in acknowledgement that a mission field can show promise through rejection, turned the former demoniac away -- to reap the harvest.

It's a complete reversal of Mark 8, and the key to explaining the difference is God's attitude toward fresh hearts (the indigenous gentiles of Gerasene in this case) and hardened hearts (the Jewish settlers of Bethsaida).

Today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse!  

De u t e r o n o my 11:26 NLT

The sun is rising--bringing choices about the road we will travel. Decisions are incredibly accurate boomerangs. We are at a crossroads. So which will it be today—a dark alley or a magnificent boulevard?

Prayer or presumption? Faith in Almighty God or self-reliance? Zero accomplishment in our strength or unlimited capability in God's?

Care or egomania? A lifestyle of sacrifice or of selfishness? Love in our heart was not put there to stay; love is not love until we give it away.

Purity or carnality? Will we fill our mind with heaven’s truth and loveliness or pollute it with hell’s garbage? Will we focus on ennobling excellence or imbecilic filth?

Understanding or criticism? Will we fret because we cannot shape others up morally, overlooking the fact we cannot change ourselves? Or will we wish the best for every person, hating only our own latent evil?

Composure or impatience? When we feel everyone passing us is an idiot, and those going slower are morons, we are out of line! God's timing is perfect--wisdom slows down and obeys heaven’s speed limit.

Attention or preoccupation? Will we permit the Holy Spirit to conquer our inner space and teach us to love people who wander through our days? The surest sign of love is listening--how is our hearing?

Intentionality or wandering? Jesus went around doing good, but we often just go around. It's high time we wrote our mission statement, and lived it.

Serenity or agitation? On high seas, the Master can still calm the waves. He will if we let Him.

Sensitivity or rudeness? Everyone has a silent struggle, unknown agony, unresolved dilemma, or unvoiced pain. To the extent we're like Christ, we will be kind.

Self-control or profligacy? Addiction or liberation? There is no need to shuffle in chains--Jesus is the Key to thorough-going freedom.

It is a joy to catch boomerangs of thoughtful, wise decisions; it is a pain to nurse a bruised skull from foolish ones, made without thinking! If we make the right decisions, then sunset’s benediction will conclude a happy day.

Johnny R. Almond, Pastor

Hull's Memorial Baptist Church--Friends on a Journey of Faith

Devotional based on Day 97 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity