24

Jump Start # 1668

Posted on August 24, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1668

1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

This week we have been looking at a series of things in which Christians are victorious over. We are not a defeated, pitiful bunch. Our spiritual trophy cases are stuffed with victories. We have victory over temptation. We have victory over fear. And, in this final piece, we have the ultimate victory over death.

 

Paul’s superb chapter on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ends with a reminder that we, too, will be raised. Christ was the “first-fruits.” And in a taunting fashion, Paul ridicules the finality of death. He says here, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

 

Satan’s greatest tool and man’s most dreaded fear, is death. Everyone dies. Everyone that we know that has died, has remained dead. No one dies over the weekend, and is back to work on Monday. Death ends it all. Death held mankind like a slave. There was no getting around it. Everyone died. Kings died. The famous died. The poor died. The rich died. Solomon declared, “there is one fate,” and that was death. There was no place you could flee to that would protect you. People died at home. They died in war. They died at work. They died on vacation. The rich couldn’t buy a ticket to avoid death. Doctors couldn’t find a way to end all death. Since the day Adam left the garden, death has been a part of this world. “It is appointed unto man to die once…” was a sign that hung around our necks. Our time is coming. Research has ended some serious diseases. Rabies, cholera, yellow fever, small pox, polio, while still problematic in some places, has been controlled and defeated in most Western cultures. But people still died. The march is on to defeat cancer. I hope a cure is found. I’ve lost too many close friends and my own mother to dreaded cancer. Yet, if cancer is crossed off, we will still die. Since Adam, the world is broken and cursed. Death will always be a part of life. In that way, it seems that death wins. It seems that Satan wins. That is, until Christ. He too, died. Yet, He declared ahead of time, that death wouldn’t hold Him. “Up from the grave, He arose.” Jesus was raised to never die again. Everyone that had been resurrected, eventually died again. That’s true of Lazarus. That’s true of the twelve year-old synagogue official’s daughter. That’s true of the young man in the coffin on his way to be buried. They were raised only to die again. Jesus is the first to be raised to never die again.

 

Death couldn’t touch Jesus any more. Death no more had dominion. Death had no victory. O, death, where is your sting? Paul’s words remind us that the righteous are victorious over their greatest fear and their greatest enemy, death. Death isn’t the end. Death doesn’t end all things. Death changes. It becomes only a doorway to the next room in God’s house. It allows us to enter a room where death is not welcomed. It allows us to enter a room where there are no more tears, sorrow or mourning. It allows us to enter a room to be with God. Death is welcome for the Christian. Paul told the Philippians, “to die is gain.” Our outlook and our perspective changes because of Jesus. Instead of hating death, it becomes something to look forward to. Instead of seeing it as something bad, it is great for the one who is with Christ. They made it. They made it safely. They get to be where they want to be.

 

That having been said, the outlook for the Christian at the end of his life is upbeat and cheerful. Nonbelieving doctors will do all that they can to keep a person alive, including surgeries at advanced age, which is really risky, because they do not see anything beyond death. For the Christian, he may skip all those procedures and put his hope in the Lord. There is nothing to lose, literally. Death isn’t the end. Death is a defeated enemy.

 

Oh, I wish I could get brethren to see these things. I wish we could not fear death. I wish we could have the outlook like Paul did. There is a victory to be gained! We win! Just be faithful. Believe. The tears at the funeral of a Christian are so different. There is a hope, as Paul told the Thessalonians. Sure the person will be missed. Certainly, there is a pain. But it’s not final. We rejoice because of where they are. In the hands of God, is the best place to be. No more troubles. No more temptations. No more fears. No more Satan. No more bad news. They made it safely. I have witnessed the last breath of several Christians. That last moment is not like the movies. There is no music playing. There is no dramatic, “this is it.” Very peaceful. Very quiet. They simply stop. It’s at that moment that the angels carry the soul to Paradise. It’s at that moment, that I wish I could hold their hand and go with them. What they now see. What they now feel. They wouldn’t come back if they could.

 

We sing about Heaven. Our favorite sermons are about Heaven. We talk about Heaven. But, when one of us actually goes, we act as if it is crippling tragedy that we will never get over. Death for the righteous means being with the Lord.

 

Victory…celebrate. It’s going to be ok. It’s going to be amazing. It’s going to be incredible. So, don’t get fixated upon death. It’s just a door, and I might add, an ugly door at that. Satan can’t do anything right. Don’t fear the door. Look beyond it, to who is waiting for you.

 

When Jesus raised the little twelve year old from death, the Bible says that the Lord took her hand and spoke to her. I wonder, just wonder, when she opened her eyes, that the first person she saw was Jesus. I rather hope it’s that way when the righteous dies. They open their eyes on the other side, and the first one that they see is Jesus. Hope so!

 

Christ has taken the chill off of death. He has removed the fear of death. Do not fear the one who can take your life and do no more. That is understandable now. So you die. Look where you are going. Do you want to stay around here?

 

The victory belongs to the Lord! Satan crushed. Fear gone. We busy ourselves in the work of the kingdom, knowing someday we will be on the other side. The sooner we get there the better!

 

“Won’t it be wonderful there…”

 

Roger

 

23

Jump Start # 1667

Posted on August 23, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1667

Hebrews 2:14-15 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless Him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”

 

The world would have us to believe that Christians are cowards, defeated and a small band of misguided folks who lack intellectual powers. The world paints that picture because Christians are just the opposite. We are not small. We are not powerless. We are not ignorant. And, we are not defeated. Yesterday, we looked at one of the victories Christians have and that is over temptation.

 

Our passage today reveals another victory that belongs to Christ and His people, and that is over fear. Christ became like us so He could defeat Satan, and in so doing, free those who were held captive by the fear of death. Fear is powerful. There are so many fears, phobias, we call them. Fear of flying. Fear of stairs. Some fears seem imaginary. Others are real. These fears can cripple a person and limit what they do. Those who are afraid of flying, will get in a car and drive for days to get across the country. They could accomplish this in a few hours if they flew, but they are afraid. So, they don’t.

 

It is amazing to notice how many times the disciples were afraid. Mark’s gospel is a great place to see this. In Mark 4, as they are crossing the sea, a violent storm catches them. The boat is filling up with water. The waves are above the boat. The disciples wake Jesus up, fearing that they will perish. He stops the storm. The disciples are now even more afraid of the one who can control the weather. As soon as they reach shore, Mark 5 begins, a demon possessed man, who has been living in the tombs, naked, races towards them, screaming. Fear again.

 

  • When the disciples caught the large quantity of fish, fear gripped them
  • When the crippled man was lowered through the roof and Jesus healed him, the audience was afraid
  • When Jesus was entering a village and they met a funeral procession heading out of town, Jesus touched the coffin and told the man to arise. He did. The crowd was overcome with fear.

 

People had never seen what Jesus was doing. There was nothing that could limit Him. It seems, for some of those who followed Christ, fear was becoming a regular part of their lives.

 

The greatest fears that people have are the fear of death, as our passage points out, and the fear of not pleasing God. They fear that “they won’t make it.” They fear being sent to Hell. They fear that God will not or cannot forgive them. They fear being lost. These fears drain any confidence that they have out of them. These fears makes them see themselves as inferior to everyone else. These fears haunt them at night. It’s because of these very fears, that their relationship with the Lord never reaches the potential that it could. They are afraid. They are afraid of going to Hell.

 

Some folks would say, doctrinally, a Christian cannot go to Hell. The N.T. warns otherwise. There are way too many passages that warn about the consequences of our behavior if we do not walk with the Lord. Expressions such as “stumbling,” “fallen away,” “shipwrecked their faith,” “fall,” “turned away,” are used throughout the epistles to remind us and warn us that one can lose their salvation. It’s not a done deal once we come to Christ. We must journey with Him. We must be immovable. We must grow. We must crucify the old man.

 

Christ gives us a victory over fear through His promises. He forgives us. He promises to forgive us. His promises are always true. He never breaks a promise. If He said it, then it will be. You and I can go to Heaven, not because we are perfect. That will never be where our hope is found. This is the basis of that very fear that so many have. They realize that they are not perfect. There are times that they could have been at worship, and they didn’t feel like going. There are times when they promised someone not to tell and they did. There are times when we said the wrong word. There are times when we were at places that we shouldn’t have been. The list is long. Perfection was shot a long time ago. Those memories of wrong causes us to doubt and causes fear to take over. We begin believing that “we are not good enough.” And that’s right. We are not. We see others as better than we are. Everyone seems so good, and we are not. Everyone knows what to do, but we. Everyone makes the right choices but me. That’s not it, and even if it were, they are not saved, nor are we saved, because of our goodness or the gold stars on our page. It’s the grace of God. That’s it. That’s where our hope lives. That’s what drives out fear. That’s what defeats those moments of doubts. The grace of God given to those who believe. We are saved by grace through faith. That faith is action. That faith will lead us to obey Christ. Just as it lead Noah to build the ark, our faith will lead us to obeying Jesus.

 

Fear is driven out when I understand that God loves me and He wants me in Heaven. God doesn’t have His radar gun pointing at me. God doesn’t delight when I mess up. God isn’t hoping that I fail spiritually. It’s just the opposite. God is my biggest fan. God is doing everything He can to help me get to Him. You can please God. You can keep the faith. You can finish the course. You can make it to Heaven. How do you know that? God says so.

 

Jesus promised in John 14 that He was preparing a place for us, so that where He is, we may be also. He wants us to be where He is. Where is He? He is in Heaven. That’s where God wants us.

 

Satan loves fear. Fear will cause you to throw in the towel. Fear will fill your heart with so many doubts. Drive out that fear. Fear not, is a common command throughout the Bible. There is a hymn, “We shall see the King someday.” Do you believe that? Can you sing that? Is that possible? On your own, never. With the grace of God, absolutely.

 

Revelation 22 states that “we shall see His face.” There was a time when seeing the face of God was something that people feared. To see the face of God meant death. No longer. Not now. Forever in Heaven with God. Seeing the face of God. Together with God.

 

You and I can have a victory over fear. Nope, I’m not good enough. I’m not smart enough. I’m not strong enough. I cannot not do it on my own. But with Jesus, we shall see the King someday.

 

Victory…live that way. Don’t hold your head down like you’re defeated. Stop singing the losers song. Stop living without hope. We shall see the King someday.

 

Roger

 

22

Jump Start # 1666

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1666

James 4:7 “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

 

There is much that has been said about temptation. We study the different ways we are tempted. We look at how and why we are tempted. We consider the consequences of temptation. We learn from the temptations of Jesus. From temptation we study sin and what sin does to us. We talk about why Jesus had to come and die for our sins. We come to understand the journey back to God that leads to salvation. This topic has been covered in detail in Bible classes and sermons. We all know it too well from personal experiences.

 

One aspect that is sometimes overlooked in this discussion is the sweet victory that one feels when they have resisted the devil and refused to open the door to temptation. Jesus was tempted, yet He never sinned. We can be tempted and we can resist the devil. Joseph is a great example of that. His master’s wife seduced him more than once. He resisted. He fled. He understood that the he could not do this evil against God. She accused him. He was thrown into prison, even though he was innocent. Yet, he did not sin. The devil didn’t win.

 

There is such a wonderful feeling when one has turned their back to the devil. The moment of temptation can get a person all mixed up on the inside. The opportunity to steal, cheat on a test, lust, say something inappropriate, or to lie comes in many forms and sometimes these temptations come every day. At work, or at school, the devil presents situations in which we can do wrong. It seems so easy. It is appealing. He gets us thinking only about the wrong choice. Our feelings get all mixed up. But then we remember the Lord. We remember Scriptures. We think of the consequences. We get jolted back to spiritual awareness. We walk away from that situation. We calm down. We find that door of escape that God provides. We hold our tongue. We look away from the immodest. We find the better choice. We take our hand off the doorknob of temptation. We have resisted the devil. For that moment, we have won. The victory belongs to the Lord.

 

There is such a powerful and good feeling when that happens. It reminds us of the truth of Scriptures. The devil can be resisted. I don’t have to do wrong. I do have a choice in this. When the devil is resisted, he leaves for the moment. He’ll be back. He always comes back, but not now. Not for this moment. You have won the battle.

 

Not only has this kept you from sinning, but it has strengthen your inner fiber. You now know that you can fight the devil. He’ll come back. He may come back the same way. Another fastball right down the middle. This time you recognize it even sooner. You know what to do. You have courage and strength.

 

Not only has this kept you from sinning, but it enables you to help others who struggle. You have found the path to keep from exploding in anger. You know how to keep from gossiping. You found the way to shut porn out of your heart. Others struggle. Others fail. You understand what works. Your story can help.

 

Not only has this kept you from sinning, but it has drawn you closer to the Lord. What turns the devil is the choice to be godly. A heart filled with Scriptures. A heart that wants to please the Lord. A heart that is praying. It’s harder for Satan to find a way into such a heart. Resisting temptation will draw you closer to the Lord. The next verse says that very thing. James 4:8, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Those words speak of closeness. There are times when God seems distant. Our prayers are not answered quickly. We wonder if God is hearing us. In the darkness of those times, Satan seems so close. Temptations seem so strong. But when we resist and when we draw closer to God, what a great feeling and powerful relationship is established. Close to God is where we need to be. Like a little child, we like to run ahead. We often don’t want to hold a hand. We tend to get too close to things we shouldn’t. Walking with God can be the same way. We need to stay with God. Don’t get ahead of Him. Don’t get close to trouble. And always take hold of His hand.

 

Not only has this kept you from sinning, but it makes you feel great as a Christian. Often, that’s not the case. We feel like we are not doing enough. We feel that God doesn’t like us. We feel that we let God down. Over and over, we just feel like secondary citizens in the kingdom. Resisting the devil, seeing him flee from us can create a wonderful joy within us. Instead of being that person who is always in trouble or is always be called down by the teacher, we have done right. Well done, is what master told the five talent servant. Well done! Those words are fitting to those who have fought the devil and on this day, won.

 

Can we get to the point that we will never sin again? No. There will be days that we make the wrong choices. There will be days that we have disappointed the Lord. But that doesn’t have to be every day. That doesn’t have to be the way it is with every temptation. Resist. Draw near to God.

 

What a powerful picture. The devil attacked. You stood your ground. You rallied under the banner of Christ. Now, you see the devil retreating. He has turned. He’s running the other way. Those old black and white movies that has the wagons circled as the Indians race toward them in war paint. The settlers fight back. They resist. It’s intense for a moment. The battle could swing either way. But the tide turns in favor of the wagon train. The Indians give up. They turn and race back over the hills. The settlers breath a sigh of relief. They rejoice and celebrate a victory. They have won that battle. That’s us. That’s the devil charging over the hills toward us. That’s the devil fleeing in defeat. The victory is for those who have stood their ground. Resist. Dig your heels in. Don’t back down. Hold your position.

 

There are victories that we need to recognize and account for. Those victories help us.

 

The journey is long. It can become wearisome, but with God we can make it.

 

Roger

 

19

Jump Start # 1665

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1665

Revelation 3:1 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.’”

 

The book of Revelation introduces us to seven churches. Those who have studied Revelation, recognize that there are some common threads found in all seven of these letters. There is a description of Christ. There is an awareness of the reality of what is going on. There are compliments for the things done right. There is a spiritual rebuke towards the things that are not right. There is a plea to overcome, repent and a promise of eternal fellowship for those who are faithful.

 

Our verse today begins the thoughts addressed to Sardis. They had a name that they were alive, but they were dead. What they were and what people perceived them to be were not the same. They had an image, but the reality didn’t match the image. I know, says the Lord. I know, but you are dead.

 

Not only did the Lord know this, but now all the other six congregations knew that. Ephesus now knew this. Philadelphia now knew. Laodicea knew. Today, we know. I find this thought interesting. We tend to only talk about the good things being done in a congregation and often we stand behind Sardis in holding up an image that may not be true. “How are things going,” one Christian asks another Christian. This is a common opening line used among preachers. “How are things where you are at?” Unless the preacher is wanting advice or is fed up and wanting to leave, the answer is always positive and glowing. “Great,” is the answer. I find it interesting that God allowed the other congregations in Revelation and everyone today to know the inner workings of each of these seven churches. We don’t do that today. We’d never do that today. We thrive on our independence and sheltering what is going on under the surface. We’d never let others know that among the eldership, there is tension and some who are ready to drop out. We’d never reveal that the preacher left because he was discouraged or dissatisfied. I don’t think God intended for the revelation of these seven churches to be a standard for churches today. There is no reason nor platform to do this and as in the case of Sardis, how we see things and even report them, may not be how God sees things.

 

All of this brings us to another important thought. How is it that the people in Sardis were blind to their own situation? The same could be said about Ephesus or Laodicea. It’s one thing to play this game of keeping a great image before others, a great showroom but nothing in the warehouse, concept. But it seems that they believed this themselves. Laodicea really believed that they did not need anything. Sardis really believed that they were alive. How is it that those in a dead church can think that they are alive?

 

This is concerning, because it forces us to wonder about where we worship and even about ourselves. Are we worse off than we think? Have we fooled ourselves? Have we believed a lie about our faithfulness? Is it possible for us to be dead, yet believe that we are alive? Could we have left our first love and not realize it?

 

The shocking truths about these letters to the seven churches is that so many of these congregations seemed to have deceived themselves. They didn’t know nor did they get it.

 

So, how is it that a dead church believes that it is still alive? We understand that the makeup of these congregations is simply a reflection of the members. Sardis was dead because the members were dead. Ephesus had left their first love because the members had left their first love. Dead Christians who believe that they are alive—that’s the situation in Sardis.

 

This happens because:

  • Superficial worship keeps them doctrinally pure but it does nothing for the heart and soul. They sing, but they don’t think about what they sang. They bow their heads but they don’t listen to the prayer and the prayer that is uttered, is the standard, same safe things that are always prayed. The sermon is true to the book, but it doesn’t move the people. Worship gets checked off, but the faith remains shallow, empty and does little for the people.

 

  • There is little practice of their faith going on. Dead things don’t show signs of activity. A dead tree doesn’t grow. A dead animal doesn’t move. Dead faith doesn’t engage in good deeds. It lives to itself and nothing more. Instead of shinning the light, the light has been turned off. Instead in engaging in good deeds, the person stays home and just watches TV. Instead of meaningful discussions about spirituality, the talk is shallow and surrounds things that really do not matter.

 

  • Faith isn’t lived. Faith is action. Faith does things. In dead churches, as well as in dead Christians, the faith simply isn’t there. There is no joy in the heart. There is no hope that they are walking in. There is no peace in their lives. Under the surface, the lives of dead Christians and the lives of someone who is not a Christian are pretty much the same. Worry, fear, materialism, stress dominate their hearts. The dead faith Christians fail to grasp that God is upon the throne. They fail to see that in Christ they can do all things. They don’t use prayer. They don’t turn to Scriptures. Like the world, they are consumed with thoughts about money and stuff. They don’t act any different from the guy who doesn’t know the Lord. The word of Christ doesn’t dwell in the heart of the dead Christian. He isn’t seeking the things above. His mind isn’t dwelling upon the things that are pure, honest and right. He is still stuck on himself. He doesn’t see the big picture of the kingdom of God.

 

Dead, even though they thought that they were alive. They didn’t see themselves as God saw them. That’s a place that we never want to be. How does one keep that from happening? Keep yourself in the word. Look at the picture God gives us of a sound or healthy Christian and see if you match. Grow. Improve. Engage. Abound in the work. Never be satisfied. Never be content where you are. Push yourself, like an athlete. Plug in to the Lord. Talk about the church. Talk about your spiritual goals. Pray often. Moving water does not stagnate. It’s the water that is just standing there that turns ugly. The same is true of our faith.

 

Dead but they didn’t know it. Dead but they thought they were alive. Dead but they thought they were ok. It happened then, and it can happen today. Keep yourself alive by doing what “live” Christians do. Don’t just go to church, worship. Don’t just bow your head, pray. Don’t just mumble words from a song, sing from your heart. Learn from sermons. Take notes. See yourself in the passage. Move closer to the cross. Live your faith. Walk by faith. Trust in the Lord.

 

I know, said the Lord. May we know as well.

 

Roger

 

18

Jump Start # 1664

Posted on August 18, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1664

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

  I was watching some of the Olympic track and field events yesterday. The long jump and the high jump are a couple of sports that I once did in school. Our verse came to my mind, especially with the high jumpers. If they “fall short,” the bar falls and they don’t win. Coming short in a running race, a swimming event, in shot put, in pole vault means no medals. The athletes at the Olympics have gathered from around the world to not just compete, but to win. They want to go home with a medal. Falling short is not in their plans.

 

Our verse today, oft quoted by preachers and students of the Bible, reminds us of the terrible consequences of sin. Sin leaves us short of what God wanted and expected for us.

 

There are two central thoughts here:

 

First, all of us are in this together. All have sinned. There are few things in life that we can saw “all” have done. Not everyone has gone to college. Not everyone in the world has tasted Coke-Cola. Not everyone owns a home. Not everyone has eyesight. Not everyone has money. Not everyone has been incarcerated. Not everyone has had a job. Not everyone has been married. Not everyone has had children. Not everyone has flown on an airplane. Not everyone has been to a museum. I was watching a video this morning of questions that were asked on a college campus. Most didn’t know who won the Civil War, nor who the current Vice-President is. All of them, but me, watching, knew who Brad Pitt was married to.

 

However, we all have sinned. All of us. The American. The African. The European. The smart college nerd. The grease monkey who is always tinkering with cars. The cool guy. The jerk. The super star. The nobody. All of us have let God down. All of us have disobeyed Him. All of us have sinned. That puts us all in the same boat. That means we all have the same need—salvation. That is so unique. I need what the millionaire needs. I need what the movie star needs. I need what Olympic gold medal winner needs. I need what you need. We all have sinned and we all need salvation.

 

Second, all of us have fallen short of the glory of God. We all let God down. The very definition of sin is to “miss the mark.” I think of an archer who is trying to shoot his arrow at the bullseye. He misses. He misses the target completely. He’s not close. There is no second place with God. There is no podium standing for those who came close. It’s all or nothing. And with all of us, it is nothing. We missed. Falling short of the glory of God implies that God had a plan for us. God saw us achieving great things with Him. We missed it. We fell short. We didn’t become what God wanted. Sin disappoints God. Sin hurts God.

 

This discussion leads to a question, why do we sin? The answer can be complex, but it’s not, actually. We sin simply because we put ourselves in front of God. We do what we want. We do not look at consequences. The thrill of the forbidden fruit blinds us to all other things. It’s the moment. It’s the fun. It’s not thinking spiritually. It’s all about us. Maybe this is why Jesus in defining discipleship started with us. He said, “if anyone whishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Deny self is where Jesus started. Self gets in the way. We say things like, “I just don’t feel like it today…” so we don’t do anything. We say, “Why should I,” so we don’t. Deny self.  It’s not about you anymore. The universe no longer revolves around us. Science teaches us that. The Bible teaches us that spiritually. Sin problem is a self problem. Too much of self will kill the soul.

 

To conquer the pattern of sinning, it must start with our thinking. Jesus said out of the heart of man is what defiles a man. We say things that we shouldn’t because we first thought those thoughts. We do what we do because those actions began as thoughts. Our thoughts is the source of our attitudes and actions. Change the thoughts and you change the behavior. Often, we address the actions and find ourselves fighting these things over and over and over. They don’t stop because the mind is still producing wrong thoughts. We must fight this at the other end, in the mind.

 

Could that be the reason we find passages that talk about “renew” the mind; set your mind on things above; whatever is pure, let your mind dwell upon these things; let the word of Christ richly dwell within you. These expressions are dealing with the thought processes. Change the thinking and you change the behavior.

 

God has made us for something better than what Satan offers. The devil always offers inferior choices. We fall for them because they are easy and shinny. They catch our eye. Then the thoughts begin. Paul told the Corinthians to capture every thought for the obedience of Christ.

 

Everyone you meet today needs Jesus, no exception. Everyone you meet today has the same problem, whether or not they know it or will admit it. Everyone you meet today can be forgiven if they will only believe and obey Christ.

 

Everyone…

 

Roger