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God is Love, May 3, 2021

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.

Well, the November elections are well behind us. A new president took office months ago. But our nation hasn’t changed much. We still feel the effects of the divide that has been developing for a couple of decades. Party politics, escalated by the algorithms that social media shove to us to keep us addicted to what we want to hear, continue to grow on a hyperbolic curve.

We continue to have the growing concern about racism or reverse racism or whether there is any racism and what constitutes racism. Is it against color? Ethnic origin? National allegiance? Religious affiliation? Political ideology? Socioeconomic status? It seems all of those get stirred into the mix whenever racism starts rearing its head in some circles.

The “woke” movement and “cancel” culture are equally divisive. Somehow, we forget our entire history, good and bad, brought us to the place we are today. Right or wrong, the past is what it is and cannot be changed. It is history. Are we proud of our history? Some of it should be rightfully proud. Some of it we should fall on our knees in disgust and ask God forgiveness for our people as Daniel did. It doesn’t change the facts of history, but it changes us.

Then we see what is still happening with the pandemic. India seems to be the disease’s principal target as I write these words, although the United States still has 32.5 million positive cases and more than half a million deaths in its wake so far. And the number of new cases has remained relatively flat since mid-February despite more than half the population receiving at least one dose of the miracle vaccine to stop the spread. Chances are we will take another booster in six months or at least twelve months because of the mutations the virus undergoes with each generation of its spread.

It appears masks will become the new global fashion statement. The virus’s secondary and long-term effects on the body are still being discovered. It is a vicious disease. We also don’t yet know the long-term effects of the vaccines we take or the effects of the cures to get us out of intensive care wards. We know those are better than the days of suffering those with the disease endured with death knocking at the door, but we don’t yet know what they are only a year into the process. So, what do we do?

Responses look typical from where I sit. Some still isolate themselves, daring to go out only for necessities and emergencies. Businesses like DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber capitalized on the isolation quickly delivering whatever you need – with the requisite fee and a tip, of course.

Others try to hoard supplies as if the apocalypse arrived and factories will close forever. When supplies get to needy areas, sometimes money makes a difference in how distributors handle those supplies. The wealthy somehow always seem to have enough, and the poor always seem to remain in need. We can examine the plight internationally and blame poor government, but we can look at home and see the same results. Our responses continue to divide us no matter how we try to come together over issues.

So, what do we do? As Christians, what is our role, and how should we respond to the mess we see around us on every front? Let me share from one of the readings this week, and I think it will speak for itself.

My dear friends, we must love each other. Love comes from God, and when we love each other, it shows that we have been given new life. We are now God’s children, and we know him. God is love, and anyone who doesn’t love others has never known him. God showed his love for us when he sent his only Son into the world to give us life. Real love isn’t our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven. Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we must love each other.

No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is truly in our hearts.

God has given us his Spirit. That is how we know that we are one with him, just as he is one with us. God sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. We saw his Son and are now telling others about him. God stays one with everyone who openly says that Jesus is the Son of God. That’s how we stay one with God and are sure that God loves us.

God is love. If we keep on loving others, we will stay one in our hearts with God, and he will stay one with us. If we truly love others and live as Christ did in this world, we won’t be worried about the day of judgment. A real love for others will chase those worries away. The thought of being punished is what makes us afraid. It shows that we have not really learned to love.

We love because God loved us first. But if we say we love God and don’t love each other, we are liars. We cannot see God. So how can we love God, if we don’t love the people we can see? The commandment that God has given us is: “Love God and love each other!” (1 John 4:7-21)

I grant you that it is hard to get through the rhetoric we hear on every front today. We get blasted by the far-right and the far-left with little sanity from either side. Both sides’ ideas begin to sound okay when all you hear is what they feed you, but when you really listen to what the other side says, you find both sides often want the same outcome. If we would remember that neither party is in control of the world, or the country, or much of anything really, we would start to learn to talk to each other and solve problems. Neither side has control because Jesus is King. The head of one party or the other might promise all kinds of things, but they have little control over what they can do once on their throne. Obstacles in their path blur their vision, cause them to stumble, and stop their plans. It happens to every leader except one – King Jesus. His plans will succeed.

We need to stop listening to the world’s rhetoric on both sides and spend time with the King of kings. Learn how he lived and interfaced with those around him. Figure out what he did and what he said to those who followed him. Listen to the words of his disciples, those who lived next to him for three years and saw the miracles he performed and the way he treated the fringes of society. He was and is the King of kings then and now. Most people in the world just haven’t acknowledged it yet. But it won’t be long until every knee bows before him.

Watch him. God is love, and his actions show us what love looks like, what God looks like in action. Jesus demonstrated the ultimate example of love for his followers and all humanity, taking on his shoulders the sins of all humankind and carrying them to the cross. That horizontal beam of the Roman symbol of agony and death should remind us of the love we should have for each other as Jesus showed us when he lived with us for those few years. He is our example.

Love is the characteristic that sets Jesus’ followers apart from the rest of the world. We genuinely care about others. During the final battles between Rome and Jerusalem, the Christians helped those left in the city flee. During the burning of Rome, it was the Christians who provided aid and shelter to those left homeless as they could. It was Christians who helped the plague-ridden victims in the middle ages. Christians come to the assistance of others because they care about their fellow man.

It doesn’t matter what color a person’s skin. God made all of us some shade of brown, from a pale tan to almost ebony, but when we compare our pigmentation, we all fall onto the brown side of the color wheel. We all look the same inside and react to drugs and treatments about the same way. Our limbs, organs, and brains work the same way. God made us much more alike than different if we will stop to examine humanity. And if God made us all, it means we must love our brothers and sisters. As John tells us, “We love because God loved us first. But if we say we love God and don’t love each other, we are liars. We cannot see God. So how can we love God, if we don’t love the people we can see? The commandment that God has given us is: “Love God and love each other!”

Now, go and demonstrate the love of God where you are, show others who the God of creation is by his Spirit living through you.

You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio to hear more Bible-based teaching. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn’t, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day.

Not a Big Splash, June 1, 2020

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.

If you are like me, you probably can’t help but read at least some of the news every day about what’s happening around the world with this pandemic. Here we are with over 100,000 deaths in the US. It’s a little hard to believe something like this would happen in our lifetime with all the advancements in medical care, but we face it every day. And the end still reaches out in front of us with a predicted second wave in just a few short months.

I’m encouraged by some of the news, though. I read a few stories about celebrities giving hundreds of thousands and sometimes millions of dollars to feed those less fortunate. Those left without jobs as a result of businesses closing to stem the tide of the viral spread. It’s great to see those stories sneak into the overwhelming number of bad news articles of gloom and doom that bombard us every day.

What I find most fascinating from today’s news, though, is the almost total absence of the little things that neighbors and strangers do in small ways to help each other in this crisis. We tout the big splash people we don’t expect to share their wealth when they do so but never talk about the millions of those who generously share every day, easing the suffering of those around them.

As an associate pastor, I get to watch the actions of my church and its members as they share their lives. A food pantry serves almost four hundred families a week with dry goods, produces, and baked items for a family of four. Hopefully, we will be able to again open the clothing pantry, job assistance, and life skills classes like GED completion when some of the social separation restrictions ease.

I see stories of members making meals for shut-ins, providing contact and comfort for those who have lost friends and loved ones, and cannot grieve as we could before the COVID restrictions in hospital and funeral settings. I hear about drive-by birthday parties and graduation celebrations. I watch zoom groups connect just to share with each other and make sure we are all okay mentally and physically throughout the week. Food at a neighbor’s door. A yard randomly mowed. Flowers left on a doorstep. Cards zipping through the mail. Tokens of gratitude showing up through Amazon deliveries. Dozens of small, seemingly insignificant acts that brighten the day of another person that extends the love of Christ.

Those names will never make the news. Their acts of kindness will go unnoticed by the general public. CNN will not put a camera or a microphone in front of them and marvel at their generosity and splash their picture across the Mega Screen in Times Square. But God takes not of every act we do. Paul enumerates the responsibilities of those reborn in his letter to the church in Rome.

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;

Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.

Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.

Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; (Romans 8:9-16 NIV)

One word sums up our responsibility. Love. Jesus gave us two commands that engulf the rest of what we should do as citizens of his kingdom. Love God and love others. That’s it. He went on to say we can’t love God, who we can’t see, if we don’t love others we can see.

The unusual conditions we face today present an incredible opportunity for Christians to show what it means to love God. Loving him means we must love others, too. Jesus said it. He understood it and demonstrated it for the thirty-plus years he lived with us. We certainly make mistakes in how we present ourselves as Christians from time to time, but now is an excellent time just to show those around us that we care.

Find ways to connect. Take a meal to a neighbor and leave it on their doorstep. Ring the bell and go. We don’t need credit for doing God’s work. We don’t need our names in the paper or CNN showing up. All I care about is that my name is written in the Book of Life. But because of everything he has done for me, doesn’t he deserve my giving something in return?

It’s interesting when you look at some statistics. Congress continually talks about wanting to help those in need through legislation and programs. The average income in the Senate is just over $2M a year and in the House, just over $1.5M a year. Yet their charitable giving according to their tax records average less than 2%. So I guess they just want to help with our money, not theirs. Because middle-income charitable giving hovers closer to 10%, I sometimes wonder where our elected officials’ hearts are. Do they really want to help, or do they want to get votes from those with a heart to help? It does raise an interesting question.

Should we look at Paul’s description of our responsibilities again? Perhaps it will encourage you to be different in this new normal we face. Some things have changed for the better because of our separation from the hustle and bustle of life. Maybe we can focus on what we should do as the body of Christ as some of the constraints lift in the coming days. Listen again and let Paul’s words settle not just in your mind and heart, but in your hands and feet as you daily work as for the Lord.

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;

Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.

Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.

Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; (Romans 8:9-16 NIV)

Scriptures marked NIV are taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV): Scripture is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™. Used by permission of Zondervan

Be the Body of Christ, May 4, 2020

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.

It’s hard to believe four months of the year are behind us. Days creep along when faced with the daily grind of the coronavirus restrictions. Or when fighting the disease on the frontlines of hospitals watching patients struggle for life. But here we are with a fourth of the year gone by. Life rushes by at an incredible pace. Before you know it, time is gone.

During these days, I am trying to be a little more mindful of things going on around me. Couples walking around the block that didn’t have time to do so before. Kids riding bicycles that have laid idle in garages in the past. Friends and neighbors spending time talking across the yard to each other when before this crisis began, there seemed to be little time for any of these activities.

I’ve also tried to filter the news to which I pay attention. Most of the reports give us the number of sick and dead around the world or in our country. They tell us the worst-case scenarios we can expect with the disease and our economy in the months ahead. It’s all the same. Look for, here’s the dreaded word, “unprecedented” events in the coming months.

I’ve come to really dislike the word. We misuse it. It’s not true of this plague. Many alive today never experienced anything like it, but it certainly isn’t unprecedented. Ask anyone who survived the “Great Depression.” We are nowhere close to that stage in this country yet. If you could resurrect those who lived during the “Black Death” that swept through Europe in the middle ages, they would laugh at us. Between 25 and 50 percent of the population died then. Even the 1918 Spanish Flu took 25 million of us.

We cannot call this unprecedented. We can call it a pandemic. We can call it a disaster. We can call us unprepared. We can say a lot of things about it, but we should stop using the word unprecedented. It’s not.

What is also not unprecedented, but rare are the acts of kindness I’m beginning to see around us. Rather than hoarding, I’m starting to see neighbors making grocery runs for neighbors who are at higher risk of severe symptoms if they acquire the virus. I’m seeing those neighborly actions that were so common in the 1950s and 1960s. I’m seeing people talking to each other with real words instead of through mechanical devices. People are beginning to understand that the entertainment industry and sports world might not be the most essential segments of society. Maybe teachers and health professionals and first responders and janitors play a much more indispensable role than we have given them credit over the last few decades.

Maybe we can begin to charge our federal officeholders to become statemen instead of politicians in the future. We have watched enough of their party politics result in tremendous human suffering. It’s time we stop their petty scramble for reelection and keep the good of the people in mind.

But frankly, governments will never take care of people well. They never have. Rome created one of the best welfare systems for their Roman citizens. It eventually failed. The state couldn’t afford it, even with their world-wide conquests and burdensome taxation. So how were people cared for? The fringe was the concern of Jesus. He ministered to outcasts by the governments and religious organizations. So did those who followed his example after his resurrection. We read about them in the second letter Luke wrote to Theophilus concerning the acts of the early followers of Jesus. We call the letter the Book of Acts. Luke writes:

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day, the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47 NIV)

More people became followers of this new way of life because they saw the joy and peace that radiated from those who ministered to them. They saw something different in these Christians. Even though the Romans and the Jewish leaders sought to destroy them, they didn’t fear death or suffering at the hands of these leaders. They exuded peace in the face of death that could not be explained by ordinary means. It was the presence of the living God in their lives that made the difference. And it was this same presence of God that caused them to joyfully share what little they had with others to ensure all had enough to survive the onslaught of the persecution they faced.

Generosity in the face of poverty. Gladness in the face of persecution. Hope where others thought there should only exist hopelessness in their situation. These are the traits of the early Christians that drew men and women into their fold, adding to the church day by day. Their demonstrated love brought people to them and the church, nothing more and nothing less.

So here we are in the middle of this pandemic. Some states and cities relaxed their shelter at home orders freeing us to move about with certain precautions. The pandemic isn’t over. We will have a second wave in the next few months. More will become sick, and many will die before we see the end of this disease.

As Christians, we have an opportunity to extend God’s love during this time. We can act like the Apostles in the early church and be mindful of the needs of those around us. We can praise God and have the goodwill of the people because of the genuine love we have for those around us demonstrated by our actions. Let’s be the living body of Christ that he intended us to be in this crucial time.

Scriptures marked NIV are taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV): Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™. Used by permission of Zondervan

Love the Underdog, November 4, 2019

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.

I like stories where the underdog wins. Maybe it’s because I’ve never been much of an athlete. In Junior High, I tried out for the football team and discovered with my size at the time, pain and I didn’t work well together. I was a cornerback, and everyone who came at me weighed at least 30 pounds more than me. I saw a lot of blue skies that year while lying on my back. Did I tell you I’m not fond of pain? This business of no pain, no gain, just doesn’t work for me. It seems pain is there to tell us something is wrong. We might be doing something stupid and need to stop.

I like it when the underdog wins. Whether in sports, business, or life. It’s good to see the guy you least expect to come out on top do just that occasionally. It helps us to know there is hope that any of us can make it. Underdog stories give us the energy and enthusiasm to keep on going when things look kind of bleak. They give us courage when we want to back away from some seemingly insurmountable obstacle in our path.

We find an underdog story told by Luke from some eyewitnesses that saw Jesus come to Jericho. In chapter 19 of the writings in his name, he shares the account in this way.

He [Jesus] entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way.

When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.”

So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.”

Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

Zacchaeus would be called an underdog. No doubt about it. First, he was short. So short, he couldn’t see over the heads of the crowds gathered along the road, waiting to see Jesus. That meant he must find a way to maneuver through the mass or find a higher vantage point. Otherwise, the preacher everyone talked about would pass by without Zacchaeus seeing him.

Second, Zacchaeus held one of the most hated occupations in Israel. He collected taxes for Rome from his own people. And how did he earn his wages? From the taxes he collected. Zacchaeus added a little more to each Form 1040 to make sure he could pay his mortgage each month. Everyone knew the game. Tax collectors lived on the excess the received above that which Rome required. And that leads to the third problem for Zacchaeus.

The man was rich. In ancient times, Israel did reasonably well economically. Like any city, Jericho had its slums, its middle-class, and its wealthy. I picture Luke, a physician, one of the higher class in both our day and his, knew what rich looked like. Zacchaeus may have been Jericho’s poster child for the wealthy.

That meant no one was going to let him through. He would not push his way past that mob to see the man called Jesus. He’d have to find another way. So he did. Luke tells us he ran down the road and found a tree to climb. Picture in your mind this middle-aged man in flowing robes running down the street, kicking off his sandals, and climbing a tree. Zacchaeus probably put on a few extra pounds since buying food wouldn’t be a problem for him. So watch him in your mind’s eye pulling his rotund body up those limbs to find the right spot where the branches wouldn’t sag too far, but he’d get a good view of this miracle man.

Then imagine the surprise when Jesus stops under the tree. I expect most thought Jesus would ridicule this thief among them. He stole their money and gave it to their oppressors. They knew Jesus was about to let Zacchaeus have it. He preached righteousness and holiness, after all.

But that’s not what Jesus did. Luke says, “When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.'”

Stay at the house of the tax collector? Spend time with this thief? Make friends with someone who has tried his best to steal us blind through the years? Surely, not! But Jesus did. The crowd didn’t applaud Jesus’ action. They grumbled and complained. Why would the Prophet, the Teacher, the Rabbi, the Son of God, go to the house of a sinner? Why would he dirty himself by even being in this tax collector’s presence? They were not happy. Zacchaeus was. Jesus was. The underdog won.

But the day turned in a rather strange way. After spending time with Jesus, the tax collector changed. He saw people the way Jesus saw people. Zacchaeus’ focus shifted. Remember what happened? Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.”

Zacchaeus didn’t think about what it might cost. He didn’t pull out his calculator to see if he would still be rich or if his plan would put him in the poorhouse. He just did it. We’re not told, but I expect Zacchaeus carried through with his promise. Meeting Jesus will do that to you.

Then Jesus says an interesting thing that you might not have caught before. Listen again. Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

Did you get it? Salvation came through living out the commands Jesus gave us. There are only two. Love God and love your neighbor. Then Jesus told his disciples to make more like themselves. Teach them to love God and love their neighbors. Let them see faith demonstrated through love as James and Paul and Peter tell us. Zacchaeus did it and found salvation.

We can find salvation, too.

We forget about that horizontal beam of the cross, but Jesus says it’s as important as the vertical one. He says you can’t love God whom you can’t see if you don’t love those around you that you can see. Paul’s letters and the other epistles tell us the same thing. Love other people and give us some examples of how to do that. Then, like Zacchaeus, we can find salvation. It’s not about a works-based faith, but as James says and as Paul says, faith without works is no faith. Expressing your faith through your behavior driven by the love of Christ in you demonstrates your faith.

We need more of that demonstrated faith in our world today. We see plenty of hate and vengeance and revenge. What we need to see is love demonstrated – a cup of water for a thirsty child, a blanket for a cold and homeless woman, a small meal for a hungry man on the street. We need to show we love God by loving those around us who appear so unlovable.

That’s what Jesus did, and that’s what he calls us to do. Just love – with our actions. Be Jesus to the world around us. Now go and do what he said.

Faith and works are meant to go together! (James 2:14-26), July 18, 2015

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – James 2:14-26

Set – Isaiah 32; James 2

Go! – Isaiah 32-35; James 2

James 2:14-26
¹⁴ Brothers and sisters, it doesn’t make any sense to say you have faith and act in a way that denies that faith. Mere talk never gets you very far, and a commitment to Jesus only in words will not save you. ¹⁵ It would be like seeing a brother or sister without any clothes out in the cold and begging for food, and ¹⁶ saying, “Shalom, friend, you should get inside where it’s warm and eat something,” but doing nothing about his needs—leaving him cold and alone on the street. What good would your words alone do? ¹⁷ The same is true with faith. Without actions, faith is useless. By itself, it’s as good as dead. ¹⁸ I know what you’re thinking: “OK, you have faith. And I have actions. Now let’s see your faith without works, and I’ll show you a faith that works.”
¹⁹ Do you think that just believing there’s one God is going to get you anywhere? The demons believe that, too, and it terrifies them! ²⁰ The fact is, faith has to show itself through works performed in faith. If you don’t recognize that, then you’re an empty soul. ²¹ Wasn’t our father Abraham made right with God by laying his son Isaac on the altar? ²² The faith in his heart was made known in his behavior. In fact, his commitment was perfected by his obedience. ²³ That’s what Scripture means when it says, “Abraham entrusted himself to God, and God credited him with righteousness.” And living a faithful life earned Abraham the title of “God’s friend.” ²⁴ Just like our father in the faith, we are made right with God through good works, not simply by what we believe or think. ²⁵ Even Rahab the prostitute was made right with God by hiding the spies and aiding in their escape. ²⁶ Removing action from faith is like removing breath from a body. All you have left is a corpse.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Listen carefully to what James says here. Faith always comes first. He doesn’t say faith is not necessary, it is. Faith is paramount in walking with Me. But understand that faith without works really isn’t faith. Faith demonstrates itself through the works you do. Faith without works only amounts to a bunch of words that does no one any good. And I placed you on earth to do good for others on My behalf.

Let Me use a simple metaphor. Suppose you tell Me you have faith in the electric company in your town. You believe they will supply power to your house and if you turn the light switch on your table lamp, light will flood your room. But you never turn the switch because in the back of your mind you’re afraid it might not work. Or you’re afraid if you use too much of the power coming through the lines it will use up the power and it will run out. Or if you turn on the switch someone else might see the light, come into your room and use it for their own benefit along with you.

Instead of turning the switch, you just sit in darkness and no one around you recognizes the light available because of the power that surges through the wires in your room. Do you really have faith in the power company? Aren’t you saying that you don’t have faith? You don’t believe the power will light the lamp or the power will be enough or if you share it, the power will run out? Aren’t you limiting and belittling the power of the dynamos the power company put at your disposal?

So it is with faith in Me. When you don’t act on your faith, you belittle My power in you. You tell the world around you that I’m limited in what I can do, that I’m not who you have proclaimed Me to be. You tell those around you that I’m not real. Otherwise, you would step out on your faith in Me and act. You would know I deal in the impossible and you wouldn’t hesitate to take the first step in acting on the things I want you to do. You wouldn’t walk past the naked and hungry and just pray for them, but would take them in, feed them and clothe them.

Faith is more than words. Like My servant James says, “Without actions, faith is useless.” Like the switch on the lamp, if you never turn the switch, you never light the room. How can you exercise your faith if you never act on it.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
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Put God’s word into action – love (James 1), July 17, 2015

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – James 1

Set – Isaiah 31; James 1

Go! – Isaiah 29-31; James 1

James 1
¹ James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, to the twelve tribes of Israel who are spread across the earth: I send you my warmest welcome!
^2-4 Don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing. ⁵ If you don’t have all the wisdom needed for this journey, then all you have to do is ask God for it; and God will grant all that you need. He gives lavishly and never scolds you for asking.
⁶ The key is that your request be anchored by your single-minded commitment to God. Those who depend only on their own judgment are like those lost on the seas, carried away by any wave or picked up by any wind. ⁷ Those adrift on their own wisdom shouldn’t assume the Lord will rescue them or bring them anything. ⁸ The splinter of divided loyalty shatters your compass and leaves you dizzy and confused.
⁹ If you are a brother of humble means, celebrate the fact that God has raised you up. ¹⁰ If you are rich and seemingly invincible, savor the humble reality that you are a mere mortal who will vanish like a flower that withers in the field. ¹¹ The sun rises with a blazing heat that dries the earth and causes the flower to wither and fall to the ground and its beauty to fade and die. In the same way, the rich will fall and die in the midst of their busy lives.
¹² Happy is the person who can hold up under the trials of life. At the right time, he’ll know God’s sweet approval and will be crowned with life. As God has promised, the crown awaits all who love Him.
¹³ No one who is tempted should ever be confused and say that God is testing him. The One who created us is free from evil and can’t be tempted, so He doesn’t tempt anyone. ^14-15 When a person is carried away with desire, lured by lust, and when desire becomes the focus and takes control, it gives birth to sin. When sin becomes fully grown, it produces death.
¹⁶ My dearly loved brothers and sisters, don’t be misled. ¹⁷ Every good gift bestowed, every perfect gift received comes to us from above, courtesy of the Father of lights. He is consistent. He won’t change His mind or play tricks in the shadows. ¹⁸ We have a special role in His plan. He calls us to life by His message of truth so that we will show the rest of His creatures His goodness and love.
¹⁹ Listen, open your ears, harness your desire to speak, and don’t get worked up into a rage so easily, my brothers and sisters. ²⁰ Human anger is a futile exercise that will never produce God’s kind of justice in this world. ²¹ So walk out on your corrupt liaison with smut and depraved living, and humbly welcome the word of truth that will blossom like the seed of salvation planted in your souls.
²² Put the word into action. If you think hearing is what matters most, you are going to find you have been deceived.
^23-24 If some fail to do what God requires, it’s as if they forget the word as soon as they hear it. One minute they look in the mirror, and the next they forget who they are and what they look like. ²⁵ However, it is possible to open your eyes and take in the beautiful, perfect truth found in God’s law of liberty and live by it. If you pursue that path and actually do what God has commanded, then you will avoid the many distractions that lead to an amnesia of all true things and you will be blessed.
²⁶ If you put yourself on a pedestal, thinking you have become a role model in all things religious, but you can’t control your mouth, then think again. Your mouth exposes your heart, and your religion is useless. ²⁷ Real, true religion from God the Father’s perspective is about caring for the orphans and widows who suffer needlessly and resisting the evil influence of the world.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

James couldn’t have put it better. What I want you to do is put My word into action. Just listening to My word and doing nothing about it does nothing for you or anyone else. What does it mean to put My word into action? Love! Love Me with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love your neighbor as you love yourself.

When you do those two things, you will take action to help the down and out. You will assist those in need. You will teach those that need assistance how to care for themselves and lend a hand until they get to the point that they can stand on their own feet. You will take care of My widows and orphans. You will recognize each person as a living soul instead of another mouth to feed or another need to be met. You will see others as I see them.

It’s a simple task when you let Me help you. Just love. That’s all. Everyone wants love. But to get the most love, you must be generous in giving it. So let your faith act out in love toward others. It will return to you as a harvest. I promise.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Faith is simple (Hebrews 11), July 14, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Hebrews 11

Set – Isaiah 21; Hebrews 11

Go! – Isaiah 19-21; Hebrews 11

Hebrews 11
¹Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for, the absolute conviction that there are realities you’ve never seen. ² It was by faith that our forebears were approved. ³ Through faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God; everything we now see was fashioned from that which is invisible.
⁴ By faith Abel presented to God a sacrifice more acceptable than his brother Cain’s. By faith Abel learned he was righteous, as God Himself testified by approving his offering. And by faith he still speaks, although his voice was silenced by death.
⁵ By faith Enoch was carried up into heaven so that he did not see death; no one could find him because God had taken him. Before he was taken up, it was said of him that he had pleased God. ⁶ Without faith no one can please God because the one coming to God must believe He exists, and He rewards those who come seeking.
⁷ By faith Noah respected God’s warning regarding the flood—the likes of which no one had ever seen—and built an ark that saved his family. In this he condemned the world and inherited the righteousness that comes by faith.
⁸ By faith Abraham heard God’s call to travel to a place he would one day receive as an inheritance; and he obeyed, not knowing where God’s call would take him. ⁹ By faith he journeyed to the land of the promise as a foreigner; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, his fellow heirs to the promise ¹⁰ because Abraham looked ahead to a city with foundations, a city laid out and built by God.
¹¹ By faith Abraham’s wife Sarah became fertile long after menopause because she believed God would be faithful to His promise. ¹² So from this man, who was almost at death’s door, God brought forth descendants, as many as the stars in the sky and as impossible to count as the sands of the shore.
¹³ All these I have mentioned died in faith without receiving the full promises, although they saw the fulfillment as though from a distance. These people accepted and confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on this earth ¹⁴ because people who speak like this make it plain that they are still seeking a homeland. ¹⁵ If this was only a bit of nostalgia for a time and place they left behind, then certainly they might have turned around and returned. ¹⁶ But such saints as these look forward to a far better place, a heavenly country. So God is not ashamed to be called their God because He has prepared a heavenly city for them.
¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when he endured God’s testing, offered his beloved son Isaac as a sacrifice. The one who had received God’s promise was willing to offer his only son; ¹⁸ God had told him, “It is through Isaac that your descendants will bear your name,” ¹⁹ and he concluded that God was capable of raising him from the dead, which, figuratively, is indeed what happened.
²⁰ By faith Isaac spoke blessings upon his sons, Jacob and Esau, concerning things yet to come.
²¹ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed the sons of his son Joseph, bowing in worship as he leaned upon his staff.
²² By faith Joseph, at his life’s end, predicted that the children of Israel would make an exodus from Egypt; and he gave instructions that his bones be buried in the land they would someday reach.
²³ By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born because they saw that he was handsome; and they did not fear Pharaoh’s directive that all male Hebrew children were to be slain.
²⁴ By faith Moses, when he was grown, refused to be identified solely as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter ²⁵ and chose instead to share the sufferings of the people of God, not just living in sin and ease for a time. ²⁶ He considered the abuse that he and the people of God had suffered in anticipation of the Anointed One more valuable than all the riches of Egypt because he looked ahead to the coming reward.
²⁷ By faith Moses left Egypt, unafraid of Pharaoh’s wrath and moving forward as though he could see the invisible God. ²⁸ Through faith, he instituted the Passover and the sprinkling of blood on the doorposts among the Hebrews so that the destroyer of the firstborn would pass over their homes without harming them. ²⁹ By faith the people crossed through the Red Sea as if they were walking on dry land, although the pursuing Egyptian soldiers were drowned when they tried to follow.
³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho toppled after the people had circled them for seven days. ³¹ By faith the prostitute Rahab welcomed the Hebrew spies into her home so that she did not perish with the unbelievers.
³² I could speak more of faith; I could talk until time itself ran out. If I continued, I could speak of the examples of Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah, of David and Samuel and all the prophets. ³³ I could give accounts of people alive with faith who conquered kingdoms, brought justice, obtained promises, and closed the mouths of hungry lions. ³⁴ I could tell you how people of faith doused raging fires, escaped the edge of the sword, made the weak strong, and—stoking great valor among the champions of God—sent opposing armies into panicked flight.
³⁵ I could speak of faith bringing women their loved ones back from death and how the faithful accepted torture instead of earthly deliverance because they believed they would obtain a better life in the resurrection. ³⁶ Others suffered mockery and whippings; they were placed in chains and in prisons. ³⁷ The faithful were stoned, sawn in two, killed by the sword, clothed only in sheepskins and goatskins; they were penniless, afflicted, and tormented. ³⁸ The world was not worthy of these saints. They wandered across deserts, crossed mountains, and lived in the caves, cracks, and crevasses of the earth.
³⁹ These, though commended by God for their great faith, did not receive what was promised. ⁴⁰ That promise has awaited us, who receive the better thing that God has provided in these last days, so that with us, our forebears might finally see the promise completed.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

This chapter of Hebrews gives a littany of heros of faith. But the truth is they were ordinary man and women. There was nothing special about them. They had no special powers or extraordinary traits. They had one distinction that set them apart from those around them. The believed what I told them.

The first words in today’s scriptures tell it all. “Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for, the absolute conviction that there are realities you’ve never seen.” They believed enough to take action. They believed the promises I made to them. Faith is as simple as flipping the light switch and expecting the lights to come on. It’s just believing. So exercise so faith. Like the heroes mentioned here, believe in Me.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Faith – just do it! (Matthew 14:22-36), Apr 27, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Matthew 14:22-36
Set – 2 Samuel 2; Matthew 14
Go! – 2 Samuel 2; 1 Chronicles 11; Psalms 142; Matthew 14

Matthew 14:22-36
²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on to the other side of the sea while He dismissed the crowd. ²³ Then, after the crowd had gone, Jesus went up to a mountaintop alone (as He had intended from the start). As evening descended, He stood alone on the mountain, praying.

²⁴ The boat was in the water, some distance from land, buffeted and pushed around by waves and wind. ²⁵ Deep in the night, when He had concluded His prayers, Jesus walked out on the water to His disciples in their boat. ²⁶ The disciples saw a figure moving toward them and were terrified.

Disciple: It’s a ghost!

Another Disciple: A ghost? What will we do?

Jesus: ²⁷ Be still. It is I. You have nothing to fear.

Peter: ²⁸ Lord, if it is really You, then command me to meet You on the water.

Jesus: ²⁹ Indeed, come.

Peter stepped out of the boat onto the water and began walking toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he remembered how strong the wind was, his courage caught in his throat and he began to sink.

Peter: Master, save me!

³¹ Immediately Jesus reached for Peter and caught him.

Jesus: O you of little faith. Why did you doubt and dance back and forth between following Me and heeding fear?

³² Then Jesus and Peter climbed in the boat together, and the wind became still. ³³ And the disciples worshiped Him.

Disciples: Truly You are the Son of God.

³⁴ All together, Jesus and the disciples crossed to the other side of the sea. They landed at Gennesaret, an area famous for its princely gardens. ³⁵ The people of Gennesaret recognized Jesus, and they spread word of His arrival all over the countryside. People brought the sick and wounded to Him ³⁶ and begged Him for permission to touch the fringes of His robe. Everyone who touched Him was healed.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Peter started what Nike made famous. I want you to pay attention to these two stories and see the similarities in what faith does. Faith just steps out and does things. For Peter he was just as afraid as the other disciples in the boat, but when he thought he recognized Me, he made one simple request. “If it’s really You, ask me to come to You.” I did and Peter stepped out of the boat. That’s what faith does.

The same was true of those in Gennesaret. They knew if they could just touch even the fringe on My robe, they could find healing from their infirmities. So many of them stretched out their arms to touch My robe and found healing. Their faith launched them into action. James talks about faith in his short letter to the early churches. Faith requires action. Without action, faith is dead. Without action, faith is only words. There is nothing to it. It’s lifeless and meaningless until you put feet to your faith.

Peter and the people of Gennesaret understood faith. They understood it takes putting yourself in motion and doing something before real faith is exercised. Do you have faith in Me? Show it with your actions. Just do something for Me. Stop talking and do something. That’s what Peter did. That’s what the people of Gennesaret did. That’s what you’ll need to do to demonstrate your faith to those around you.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Doubt is okay, just don’t give up (Exodus 6:1-13), Jan 23, 2015

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Today’s Devotional

Today’s background scripture comes from Exodus 6.
Sometimes doing what I ask of you will seem like beating your head against the wall. You will tell Me you’ve done that before with no results. Jesus’ disciples felt that way sometimes. They were expert fishermen. They had fished all night and caught nothing and Jesus told them to do what seemed foolish. “Cast your nets on the other side of the boat.” They thought, “What do we have to lose? One more cast won’t make a difference, so we might as well try.” They filled their nets with a haul that almost sank their little trawler.

Noah probably felt the same way sometimes as he cut lumber for an ark. The world had never seen a drop of rain in his day. His neighbors ridiculed him, mocked him, and laughed at him, for the 100 years it took to build the ark. But he kept at the task until one day I told him to go in with his family and the animals and I shut the door. Then the rain began. Everyone else wanted in, but I shut the door and Noah couldn’t open it. Noah saved his family by doing what others thought foolish.

Moses and Aaron spoke their people about My coming deliverance. The people were excited until the labor doubled and the supplies didn’t increase to do the work. Then they only got angry at Moses and Aaron for what they thought was foolishness. Moses and Aaron weren’t so sure it was a good idea to talk to Pharaoh either. But that’s okay. They didn’t quit.

That’s the secret in following Me. It’s okay to doubt Me sometimes. The disciples did. Noah did. Moses and Aaron did. The important thing, though, they continued to follow My directions even though they didn’t make sense to them. They believed in Me enough to keep going. They knew for My past interventions with them that I would follow through on My promises with them and they continued to do what I asked of them.

Doubts can creep in at times, but I’m big enough to take those. Just keep pushing onward and upward. Keep doing what I ask of you, complete with doubts. I will reward you richly in the end. Your doubts will melt away and you’ll see that I always make good on the promises I give you. Now, go do what I asked you to do today. You know what it is.

Today’s Scripture

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Exodus 6:1-13
Set – Exodus 6; Luke 23
Go! – Exodus 6-8; Luke 23

Exodus 6:1-13
¹ The Eternal One spoke to Moses.

Eternal One: Now you will see what I have in store for Pharaoh. When Pharaoh sees the power of My hand, he will not only send My people from this land, he will drive them out.

² (pointedly to Moses) I am the Eternal. ³ I revealed Myself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God-All-Powerful; but I did not reveal My name, the Eternal One, to them. ⁴ I also made My covenant with them. I promised I would give them Canaan—the land where their ancestors lived as strangers. ⁵ In addition, I have heard the constant cries of the Israelites who have been enslaved by the Egyptians. I have remembered My covenant; ⁶ go now and tell the people of Israel, “I am the Eternal, and I will rescue you from the heavy load the Egyptians have laid on you. I will liberate you from their oppression. I will stretch out my powerful arm and free you with amazing acts of judgment. ⁷ Then I will gather you to Me as My people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am the Eternal who rescued you from the heavy load the Egyptians have put on you. ₈ I will lead you into Canaan—the very land I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession for I am the Eternal.”

⁹ So Moses went and told these things to the Israelites, but they turned a deaf ear to him because they were in such low spirits and exhausted from their harsh labor.

¹⁰ The Eternal One once again instructed Moses.

Eternal One: ¹¹ Go speak with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and tell him to release the Israelites from his land.

Moses: ¹² The Israelites haven’t paid attention to anything I’ve said. How do You expect Pharaoh to listen to me if my own people won’t? I am not fit to speak for You.

¹³ The Eternal then addressed Moses and Aaron and gave them instructions about dealing with the Israelites and Pharaoh, king of Egypt. The instructions had to do with bringing the Israelites out of Egypt.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.