Daily Devotional November 11 - Agape Love

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:1-2

This is the heart of the gospel and it represents the heart of God.

• It's OK to have the best theology.
• It's a good thing that you tithe.
• It's a good thing that you give to food banks.
• It's a good thing that once a year you fill your quarter packet for the missionary fund.
• It's a good thing that you read your scriptures.
• It's a good thing that you go to church regularly and that you are part of the small core group on Wednesday night.

Paul was being facetious about understanding all mysteries and having all knowledge and having all faith, but the point was made to reveal that even if you did possess those attributes, they are not the measuring stick for true spirituality.

Charity as used in this verse is from the Greek word agape, (ag-ah'-pay). This word agape means love, but in the deepest sense, like a love feast. In other words an irresistible urge to do something, a compelling that is so strong that you fall over yourself trying to accomplish it.

The reason Paul defines the importance of this agape love is to make sure that you aren't still trying to move up the spiritual ladder by your good works, your performance, your ability, your skills, your education or your disciplines. All of these are good, but you know people that have advanced skills and yet they are austere or hardened in their character, lacking sensitivity and lacking agape. You can be real smart and be mean to the people around you. And for the businessmen out there, there is no separation from business and faith. Who you are and the way you treat people at the workplace is the real you. Anybody can put on a smiley-face for church.

It's everywhere, every day that God calls you to operate in agape love. It is the discerning factor in Christianity. It is the difference in religious philosophy from one world religion to another. It is the God factor. Superficial love sickens God. Agape love is God. You can operate in this agape love. Pray before making decisions. Think diligently before answering back. Allow the decisions of your inner man to rise to the surface before speaking. Let the Christ in you shine forth from you.

Daily Devotional November 10 - Listen Carefully and Act Swiftly

"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. But as He which has called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, be ye holy because I am holy." 1 Peter 1:13-16

Gird up the loins of your mind. To paraphrase: "Strengthen, through use and constant communication with God, the center of your mind; the inner most part of your thinking; the root of all your thought life." We do this because as born again believers, we have a new nature that can be trained in the things of God. We have a living spirit that makes the direct connect with God through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We strengthen our minds by exercising them.
Be sober. In your thinking be sensible and use the wisdom that has been imputed into you by God. Don't let yourself be caught under the influence of anything that can blur your inner vision. It's not just alcohol and drugs. There are other vices that can keep you from sober thinking.

And hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Hope, look toward the end, but in the meantime you are living under the auspices of grace. Christ has already been revealed to you and you have already received the blessing of living under grace. You are not waiting until the end to receive the grace. You are currently actively involved in living under the rule of grace, the dispensation of grace, the time prior to the end of the end of man. Your hope must be in the finished work of Christ. You need to know that God's grace is to be fully understood, activated, and utilized now, on this side of heaven. All that God has is available to you right now under grace. If you are waiting to cross over to the other side so you can really experience Christ, you will be disappointed. Grace and peace with God are for this life we live , fully activated for use and complete in every way. Of course this is not heaven, it was never meant to be. This is life in Christ, for the now. Heaven is meant for another time and when we get to heaven we will no longer be under the dispensation of grace. We will be in the dispensation of the kingdom of God.

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. Obedience to God only means good things. Obedience brings blessings. Obedience saves us from ourselves. Obedience to God is so much better than anything this world has to offer for our allegiance. If you claim Christ, fight your mind and your body to fashion itself to be like minded with Christ. You didn't have the power to do that before you were born again, but you do now. Use it wisely.

But as He which has called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.
Conversation means lifestyle. Jesus is calling us to a holy lifestyle. And more than that, holiness is all about the direction you are in. Holiness is not a static position that you earned because you belong to the right church, because you are a pastor, because you are a priest, because you tithe, because you always make the right decisions or because of any other level of perfection that you think you might have reached. Holiness is fluid and part of the sub-structure of the Christian life. You are holy because of Christ, not because of you. You are holy because God sees you through the works of Jesus, not because you attended church and didn't miss a Sunday for six years. Of course it is wonderful that you or someone you know is faithful to do what they say they are going to do and follow the important tenants of faith of the church they attend. But don't get that kind of holiness mixed up with the holiness that God calls you to through Christ. The holiness we live through Christ, is Christ in us the hope of glory, and it is the indwelling Holy Spirit that lives in our inner man, but it is not from our good works that God looks upon and bestows blessings. It's always been about what Christ is doing in you and through you that makes you holy. Let God have His way with you.

Because it is written, be ye holy because I am holy. Because it is written. I won't belabour the point, but this is so important in how you view the scripture and God.
Because it is written it cannot be rescinded.
Because it is written God has proven Himself that He will not change his plan.
Because it is written, you have a contract with God that is immutable.
Because it is written you can stake your life on it.
Because it is written you don't have to worry about dysfunctional cult leaders taking you down the wrong road.
Because it is written you can find the truth for yourself and decide.
Because it is written it will come to pass the way it is written, because God promises that not one jot or tittle will be changed until all is fulfilled.

You might not like it. You might not agree with it. You might not do it this way if you were God. But because it is written, it will come to pass. My suggestion is to get on board with all that God is doing, pray about your part in this great move of God, listen carefully to what is written and act swiftly to fulfill it.

Daily Devotional november 9 - Will You Be Found Thinking About God?

"And He spake a parable unto them, saying, the ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, what shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, this will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow my fruits and goods. And I will say to my soul, soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." Luke 12:16-21

There is noting wrong with getting rich. But success is found in the honest pursuit of wealth, not in the accumulation of things. The mistake that this man made was not that he was rich. God provided rich soil and the man worked the soil and it produced well. The mistake that this man made wasn't that he had become so rich that he needed new, bigger and better barns. Again God wants men and women to be diligent and produce goods and services to service the people.

So what was it that the man did that made him a fool?

He had not reconciled with God along the way. He was rich with goods, but poor with the things of God. Had he made a place for God in his life, this parable would have been written about another man. God did not take his soul because he worked hard and was rich and about to get richer. God didn't plan his death so he couldn't enjoy his harvest. God didn't take his life at all. But God did know when his earthly life would end and this man was not ready to pass over.

That's the point. You are working hard and making a life for yourself and your family. Maybe you have been successful and maybe things are going really well for you. Don't wait until you think you have it all together to get right with God. Do it now. Do it today. You can't be sure about tomorrow, but you can be sure about right now. Bow your knee and let God know that you do want the things of God to be pertinent in your life.

Become a steward of everything instead of an owner of a few things. Were the man in the story a steward, it would mean that he had already reconciled himself to God and he was now using his mind and his hands to produce goods for the betterment of mankind, sharing his wealth and sharing his smart business acumen. He would have had no less wealth, but an even greater wealth in having the satisfaction that he was doing business God's way. It does matter. Time is fleeting and as each day passes, your collective opportunity to follow God's leading and change the way you think is diminishing. On your last day, let it be that you were thinking like God.

Daily Devotional November 8 - Truth within the truth

"And He said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity (insistence and persistence) he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. And I say unto you, ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."

There are some great truths here.
The first truth is the reference to midnight. Midnight is after the last minute. If you were going to go to someone who could help you with your need, you usually wouldn't go to them after hours, probably not after 7:00 or 8:00 pm. Even if you were almost desperate you would still not go to them that late, but midnight, that's out of the question. It's just too late. But notice the inference here. Even if you come to the Lord past the last minute, it's not too late.

The second truth is the reference to the 'story.' The story being the man's story who is knocking on the door. He starts by telling the man with the bread why he needs the bread and the urgency of the matter. His friend needs the bread, but he doesn't have the bread to give him. In other words he has someone coming to him with a need and he is not prepared to meet the need. Of the thousands of Christians I have interviewed, it seems to be normal to be under-supplied; to not have more than the bare minimum; to be living from paycheck to paycheck. There is a tone of embarrassment in his voice as well. Maybe he feels embarrassed that he can't offer his friend even the bare minimum. Either way, he tells his story to the man who has the bread. It is imperative that we follow Jesus in His leading about how to approach these kind of situations. And giving our story is a way of communicating where we are and why we are in need.

The third truth is the reference to the lender. The bottom line is that the man with the bread tells the man asking for the bread several important messages:
It's after hours. You should have come to me hours ago.
There was many previous opportunities for you to come and get the bread.
My children and my family are down for the night and it will be quite an inconvenience to them for me to get up and take care of your need.
Since I am already up now, come on in and I will get the bread.

God has made a way for you to get your needs met, even though you might come to Him late, maybe ask for the wrong thing, maybe ask at the wrong time, and maybe not even ask in the right way. But if you ask seems to be the real message here. God has what you need, for your friend and for yourself. Even if you wait too long to go to God with your problem/need, God will assist you simply because you asked. And from experience, I have found it true that God has answered some of my prayers because I was importunate, not because I asked the right way or at the right time or ended my prayer with the right title; not because I was properly prepared, not because I had made provisions for future events, not because I was warned in advance; simply because God is that great and that good, that God can overlook your insufficiency when He sees your sufficiency, i. e., Christ in you.

Daily Devotional November 7 - Lawyers Are People Too

"Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them." Titus 3:13

This is a remarkable statement. Let me paraphrase. When you bring Zenas, the lawyer and Apollos the preacher to see me, make sure that:

• the plans for their departure and arrival are well thought out
• everything they need is properly set up
• someone helps with the baggage
• their family is taken care of while they are gone away from home
• they have enough food and drink for the whole trip
• that all their bills are paid before bringing them
• and that the trip is completely paid for

That's the Christian way. This notion that lawyers don't need anything because they make so much money is foolishness and most of the time not true at all. Let me tell you a story. Hurricane Andrew hit SW Florida and I was living in Florida at the time. I had a small construction company with about 10 workers. One week prior to the disaster of hurricane Andrew I was praying and I said, Lord I will go anywhere you send me, willingly, except Miami.

Well hurricane Andrew goes through the Miami, Homestead area the end of that same week. God said go. I said you've got to be kidding and then God changed my heart. I took my truck and a few men with me the day after the hurricane had gone through. I ended up at a place called Quail Roost, an area South and West of Miami. I did not know I was in Quail Roost for weeks. Anyway, I went down to help people, except I didn't know what they needed until I got there and saw the destruction.

So went went back and forth from Mid Florida to Quail Roost for weeks, gathering supplies in Mid Florida and taking them to Quail Roost. We brought mostly plywood and tar paper just to help people have a dry spot in their home. Many people stayed and wouldn't even leave their property, even though there was almost nothing left, especially any roof shingles or plywood. During the next three months we dried in 43 homes, not completely, but enough where they could have a place to sleep and eat, out of the weather. (All at no cost to anyone receiving our help). It would be months and in some cases more than a year until some of these people could rebuild their homes. Anyway, keep in mind, I didn't know anyone and there was no Red Cross or National Guard yet and even when they did come it was not nearly enough.

here was this one home; two story, beautiful home, completely ruined, missing most of its second floor and most of its roof. There was a woman outside in a fuzzy nightgown with a glazed look in her eyes, staring off into the sky as if a bomb had hit their home, and this was a few days after the hurricane went through. As with all the help that we were offering we pulled over and the men and I took some plywood and tar paper and filled in a section of their roof so that they could have a dry area to live in. Wouldn't you know it, months later Christians back in Mid Florida and seven some of the local churches were angry at me for drying in the roof of this home. They said I should have only dried in the homes of the poor. They also said that this home wqas owned by a lawyer and he had plenty of money and didn't need help. Really?

The water was coming in their home just like everybody else's. You couldn't buy plywood or tar paper or anything else for that matter (in the area) at this point in time. All the money in the world had no value in their neighborhood. They couldn't get out and almost nobody could get in for weeks and months for many in that area. Any way, I am thankful to God that I didn't go down their with an agenda, taking my pride and arrogance and ignorance with me or I would have looked around to see who was worthy to have me fix their roof. God help us all. The point is that lawyers are people too.

Next Paul tells Titus to do the same for the preacher that he is doing for the lawyer. Our pastors work hard and they (almost all of them) are grossly underpaid. Not only that, too many parishioners actually resent pastor making anything, much less maybe having a nice car or wearing new clothes. Next time you are thinking of finding some old hand-me-down clothes for the pastors kids, you need to think again. They deserve for you to sacrifice and buy them something really nice, new and beautiful. Your pastor needs a new car. The pastor's wife is to be respected and honored and loved and cared for as a guest. You shouldn't even think of how little you and your church board can get away with paying your pastor. You should think of ways that you can double or triple their income. Don't bother writing me or trying to find scripture that supports not supporting your pastor. You won't find it.

Paul instructed Titus to bring Zenas and Apollos and that nothing should be wanting unto them. This is Bible truth. Find a way to bless your lawyer or pastor. Go the extra mile. Sacrifice some time or money and make their lives better. It is God's way.

Daily Devotional November 6 - You Have To Believe It To Receive It

"Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

What Paul is trying to say and has been saying in his ministry throughout the scripture is for us to realize and experience the world, but to think about and respond to our spiritual calling from Christ. Along with the many blessings, the good times, superior health, financial stability, job stability, family love, answered prayers and miracles from God, there will be times:

• You will have pain.
• You will experience mistreatment by others.
• You will get sick.
• You will be disappointed.
• You will be lied to.
• You will coerced.
• You will robbed by satan of whatever is available.
• You will feel discouraged.
• You will feel beaten.
• You will slip form your plan.
• You will make mistakes.
• You might even sin.

In these things, rejoice that God is still on your side.
In these things, pray that you will overcome.
Give thanks that God has not abandoned you, but is with you through it all.

That's the part that so many Christians don't like or maybe don't understand about God. They want to go around the fire instead of through the fire. You really can't blame them. Through the fire is when you experience these negative things I mentioned above. Of course we are not going to choose any of them and we certainly don't desire the valley experiences, but you will go through them at different points in time in your life. What are you going to do about it?

Well, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo had an answer to this question. They said, "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Daniel 3:17-18

It isn't a question of whether or not bad things are going to happen to good people, because they are. The question shouldn't be "why do does God allow bad things to happen to good people?" The question should be, "what are you going to do with what God allows to happen."

Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing.
In every thing give thanks.
For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Can you believe this and make it a part of your relationship with God?

Daily Devotional November 5 - Are You Tooled Up?

"Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but satan hindered us. " 1 Thessalonians 3:11

Wait a minute! What does Paul mean that satan hindered him? How could it be that satan had any influence on the Apostle Paul? Wasn't Paul immune to satan's ploys? If Paul wasn't protected against satan hindering his mission, what hope do we have? Aren't Christians protected against any power that satan might have had before we were saved?

satan is a real spiritual force in our world. And because satan has so many followers, some by choice, some by default, he uses people to perform his will. In the Christian realm it's like when we pray to God, we know that God wants us to put feet to our prayers. In other words, for us to do what we can toward the tasks at hand and relying on God to complete the task with His supernatural intervention. With satan and his followers it works much the same. satan relies on people to cause whatever havoc he can influence them to do and satan and his emissaries (demons) apply whatever spiritual initiative necessary to complete the (havoc, pain, death, sin, indescretion, turmoil, fraud, terrorism, castatrophe.)

What Christians through prayer accomplish to bring to pass the will of God, satan and his followers buffet by standing against the things of God, attempting to thwart the will of God. satan is successful where the power to overcome his influence is missing. In Paul's case it wasn't that he could not go here or there because there was some sort of invisible barrier like a forcefield keeping him from his mission, it was that satan and his emissaries had plotted and planned, using men and women to set up obstacles and barriers making it difficult and sometimes almost impossible for Paul to accomplish his goal. No matter how spiritual you are, you can only fight so many battles at one time. Mortals have a limit.

If you are a Christian you have probably been in a similar battle. You see with your spiritual eyes that you are doing the right thing, but you also see with your spiritual eyes that there is an enemy waiting, plotting and planning your demise. This is the spiritual battle that you are in. This is the battle that you need to be prepared for and tooled up to fight. This is where you are hindered. One thing to remember in the midst of the battle/s. "Submit yourselvs therefore to God, Resist the devil and he will flee from you." James 4:8. satan can't stay where he isn't invited or wanted, but don't think he can't come around on occasion to check on your progress. That's right, even for Christians.