Category Archives: Christian Living

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A Promise Made Is A Promise Kept

God’s Got All Your Concerns Covered

SYNOPSIS: Do you have either a nagging concern distracting you or an overwhelming burden pulling you down? The good news is there is a promise in the Bible that covers all your concerns and burdens: “God will perfect everything that concerns you.” (Psalm 138:8, NKJV) Did you catch that? EVERYTHING! So fulfill your end of the promise: take your concerns to God in prayer, obey what he tells you to do, trust his loving care and complete competence to meet the need, then stand on his promises. You see, with God, a promise made is a promise kept.

Moments With God // Focus: Joshua 21:45

Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.

What a great verse! Toward the end of the Book of Joshua, after Israel had conquered their enemies and had taken possession of their promised land, Israel’s brilliant commander, Joshua, made this declaration: not a single one of God’s promises remained unfulfilled. What an amazing testimony about God’s faithfulness. But more than just a significant piece to ancient Israel’s historical record, the author of the book, inspired by the true Author, God, included this line so that you and I would know that since he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, this will be our experience with God as well.

A certain Bible scholar pointed out that God has made over 6,000 promises to us in the Bible  Some of those promises are universal in nature—all believers anytime and anywhere who are walking in obedience to his commands can claim them  Other promises are quite specific to certain people at certain times, and the Holy Spirit reveals them to us through prayer and the study of God’s Word in response to situations that arise in our lives.

Whether God’s promises are universal or personal, what we are taught repeatedly in the Bible, including this verse in Joshua, is that God is a promise maker, and more importantly, God is a promise keeper  The fact is, God has never broken a promise—not even one  I can’t say that about me, and you probably can’t say that about you, but we can say that with complete certainty about God  With him, a promise made is a promise kept.

When I was a little kid in Sunday School, we would often sing a song about God’s promises that went something like this:

Every promise in the Book is mine
Every chapter, every verse, every line.
I am standing on his Word Divine,
Every promise in the Book is mine!

Over 6,000 promises—and he will bring every single one of them to pass  Here are just a few of those 6,000 promises that are for you  Upon which one will you “stand” today and every day until God fulfills it in your life?

  • That he will forgive all your sins  (Psalm 103:3)
  • That he will supply all of your needs  (Phil 4:19)
  • That he will never leave you or forsake you  (Heb 13:5)
  • That he will give you Divine wisdom for your lack of human understanding  (Jas 1:5)
  • That he will turn all of your circumstances to your good and for his glory  (Rom 8:28)

What is your area of concern  A promise covers it, so look it up in God’s Word  Fulfill your end of the promise—that’s the big caveat here—and then rest in God’s proven character  What is your end  Pray, obey, trust, and stand  Do that, and you can plant your feet firmly in the certainty of God’s Word because a promise made is kept with him.

Yes, you can expect that “God will perfect everything that concerns you.” (Psalm 138:8, NKJV)

Take A Moment: Are you “standing” on a specific promise  Are you praying, asking God to fulfill it  Are you offering him a life of obedience in your attitude and actions  If not, why not  Don’t leave any of those 6,000 promises on the table  Your Father wants to fulfill them in your life.

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Trophy Wife

She Deserves A Trophy Husband

Synopsis: As a Christian man, if you desire the wife of noble character that Proverbs 31 describes – the truest kind of trophy wife, not because of her physical beauty and charming personality, but because of her godly virtues – then work on growing as a man of character. She will grow in response to the growth in godliness she sees in you. But even if she doesn’t, you are accountable to God to be that kind of man anyway.

Moments With God // Proverbs 31:10

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.

Most red-blooded American men want a trophy wife. And every man deserves one! Oh, not the kind you may be conjuring up in your mind right now—the kind hot babe Hollywood has invented—with the aid of cosmetic surgeons, make-up artists, and photoshop, of course.

The one I am referring to is the kind of woman Proverbs 31 talks about. She is a trophy gal not because she has a hot bod, but a holy character. Guys, that is a longer-lasting and infinitely more rewarding kind of woman than the carefully coiffed and cosmetically crafted woman our sensual and selfish culture promotes. The culture-built woman’s looks have a shelf life of only so long, and while you are enjoying her looks, if she doesn’t have a godly character to sustain her, those looks probably won’t be that pretty after all!

If you have a woman of noble character, like me, you are a blessed man indeed. I am doubly blessed with a woman of both beauty and grace. If you are looking for a trophy wife, take my advice: Set your sites on noble character above all else. As Proverbs 31:30 says,

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Now if the wife you have, in your opinion, is not a Proverbs 31 woman, here is what I would suggest: Begin to treat her as if she were, and watch what God will do. And as he is working on her, be the man of noble character she deserves.

And if you are in a serious dating relationship, make sure your soon-to-be trophy wife will have a sugar daddy husband in you. Not the kind you are thinking, but the kind the Bible calls you to be: a man of pure and noble character himself. What kind of husband is that?

  • He offers her a character that is morally pure: “your name [which represents character] is like perfume poured out [refined from all impurity].” (Song of Songs 1:3)
  • He desires to know her, talk to her, and listen to her: “Husband, dwell with your wife with understanding way.” (1 Pet 3:7 NKJV)
  • He refuses to control and pressure her into what he wants her to be: “Honor her, delight in her.” (1 Pet 3:7, Message)
  • He serves and sacrifices for her: “Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting.” (Ephesians 5:23, Message)
  • He loves her just as Christ loved his bride, the church: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church.” (Eph 5:23, NIV)

As a husband, if you will work on growing in those areas, your wife’s noble character will grow in response to the growth she sees in you. Even if she doesn’t, you are accountable to be that kind of man anyway.

And if you are not yet married, work on being that kind of man. And if you will do that, you will not be able to keep the ladies away—the right kind of ladies!

Take A Moment: If you are a wife, develop a set of growth points from Proverbs 31. If you are a husband, develop your set from Ephesians 5:25-33.

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Tying God’s Hands

Only You Can Surrender Your Willful Unbelief

SYNOPSIS: What is the one thing Jesus can’t do? Violate a person’s willful unbelief, that’s what. He will help a person’s humble admission of unbelief (“Lord, help my unbelief”), but he will not impose his Lordship on someone’s refusal to give him a chance. And that includes you! Only you can control your willful unbelief.

Moments With God // Mark 6:5-6

Jesus could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief.

This is one of the most amazing texts in the entire Bible. Jesus—the second person of the Trinity, the visible image of the invisible God; the one who existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation; the one through whom God created everything in heaven and on earth, the things we can see and the things we can’t see. Think of all those things Jesus created and controls, even when it doesn’t seem like things are under control: thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Yes, Jesus is the one by whom all creation is held together (Col 1:15-17). He is the one who had raised the dead, healed the sick, delivered the demonized, fed the five thousand, and walked on water. Astoundingly, this very Jesus could do no mighty works in his own town because of the unbelief of the people who knew him.

And even he—the one who had seen it all—was amazed by their unbelief. I would dare say it must take an awful lot to stump Jesus!

What is the one thing Jesus can’t do? Violate a person’s willful unbelief, that’s what. He will help a person’s humble admission of unbelief (“Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’” Mark 9:14-25), but he will not impose his Lordship on someone’s refusal to give him a chance.

Now before we get all huffy about Jesus’ neighbors, do you think we sometimes do that with Jesus, too? Haven’t we seen his glory, tasted his goodness; been touched by his love and grace and power, yet we still question his right of Lordship over our lives? You might say, “but I don’t do that!” Yes, you do—so do I! How? We do that when we give in to doubt, worry, fear, depression, anger, or engage in any number of other self-medicating, self-destructive acts, like overspending, overeating, oversleeping, over-talking, over-sharing, over-indulging in sexually addictive behaviors, substance abuse…and the list goes on.

Why would we surrender to any of those harmful and deceptive things when we have seen and touched the power and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ? Truthfully, I don’t know why we would. Sometimes my own propensity to resist Christ’s loving Lordship amazes me.

Here’s what I do know: If we will take an honest look at where we are resisting Jesus’ right to rule over us—both passively and willfully—and come to him with a humble request that he help our unbelief, even that crack in the door will be enough for him to do his mighty works in our lives.

Otherwise, you will be tying God’s hands. And that will amaze even him—and not in a good way. So instead offer him your humble, simple faith, and Jesus will likewise be amazed—and I mean in the best way possible, just as we see in Luke 7:9,

Jesus was amazed. Turning to the crowd he said, “Never among all the Jews in Israel have I met someone with faith like this.”

Take A Moment: Offer this prayer sincere today: Jesus, there are still areas of my life where I resist your Lordship. Help my unbelief. I open the door of my heart to you and invite you to burst through it to accomplish your mighty works in me.

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Dependently Wealthy

Something Greater Than Our Independence

Synopsis: God provided manna for the Israelites to eat, but only a day at a time. They could only collect enough manna for that day, but they could not store it for tomorrow. Why did God do it that way? So that every twenty-four hours they would have to trust God to meet their need. That is where the verse came from, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deut 8:33) You see, God has made it so that we must come back to him daily because he is the source of all we need. That is why Jesus taught us to ask God for daily bread: to keep us ever mindful that our Father, himself, is the source of our life.

Moments With God // Proverbs 30:8-9

Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, “Who is the LORD?” Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

Who doesn’t want to be independently wealthy? Anything that provides independence, especially here in America, is highly prized. That’s why our most treasured national document is the Declaration of Independence.

Yet there is something greater than our independence, and that is our utter dependence on God. When we live in the daily awareness of our absolute need for God, we are dependently wealthy—and there is nothing better. That is what this proverb is saying—a vital Christian life principle that was repackaged by Jesus most profoundly when he taught us in the Lord’s Prayer to pray,

Give us today our daily bread. (Matt 6:11)

Did you notice two times in just six words Jesus refers to “daily?” Apparently, that was significant to Jesus. Why daily?

It is the only time in the New Testament that this particular Greek word was used. In fact, this word baffled scholars for years because they couldn’t find a record of it in ancient Greek literature—sacred or secular. Then, between 1947-56 the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, and the word “daily” was found in both business and religious documents. It referred to a daily shopping list of perishable items good only for that day.

That brings up an important point to what Jesus is saying: Even though God is our provider, his promise to provide is provisional. That means prayer is not a blank check. Jesus deliberately chose the word “daily” not because God likes to hear us beg but to teach us the importance of expressing our day-by-day dependence on God.

Now that is hard to relate to since for most of us, we have not just today’s food, we have tomorrow’s food and next week’s food in our freezer. And when we run out, we have Costco, which is not like a grocery store; it is the size of an international airport. Employees do not use box-cutters; they drive forklifts. Your shopping cart is the size of a Volkswagen. You do not get individual items; you pick up pallets of food. When you check out, it is akin to making a car payment. Then you haul it home and you must figure out where to put all that stuff.

In twenty-first-century America, daily bread is not much of a felt need. Even still, that daily bread comes from God and it can be taken away in a heartbeat, so we should never take God’s provision for granted. But even if daily bread is not our need, we probably have other more pressing needs: a difficult marriage, sour finances, an under-paying job, an impure addiction, or a life-and-death battle with cancer. And the pressing issue is if we will trust God and lean into him to meet our needs today. The need may not be for food, but our need for God’s provision of daily bread is still just as great.

Remember in the Old Testament when God provided manna for the Israelites to eat, but only a day at a time. They could only collect enough manna for that day, but they could not store it for tomorrow. Why did God do it that way? So that every twenty-four hours they would have to trust God to meet their need. That is where the verse came from, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deut 8:33)

What does that mean? God has made it so that we must come back to him daily because he is the source of all we need. That is why both this proverb and Jesus taught us to ask God for daily bread: to keep us ever mindful that our Father, himself, is the source of our life.

What is your manna? What drives you every twenty-four hours to say, “God, you are my source, and I am going to trust you for this. Today, I declare my dependence on you.” When you learn to lean into that truth every day, you have become dependently wealthy—and there is no better way to live!

Take A Moment: First, look up and memorize Philippians 4:19. And second, take five minutes to write out your own Declaration of Daily Dependence.

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Faith and Politics

Your Opportunity To Make The Master Proud

Synopsis: The key moments of history are not winning elections but transforming lives. Therefore, the most important thing a Christians can do for the good of their country is to leverage all their efforts for the ultimate goal of spiritual awakening, not political ascendancy. So, when we offer our political opinions, we must do so in a way that creates interest in the gospel.

Moments With God // Proverbs 29:2.

When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan.

Oh great! Just when you thought the political fervor that roiled the public might die down, another election cycle looms, and the free-for-all starts over. It seems that we are never more than a few months from a full-out war for the White House, or Congress, or the possibility of controversial Supreme Court decisions that will dominate the airwaves, print media, and water-cooler conversations for much too long. Like Christmas, political seasons come earlier and earlier—and each outdoes the others with the craziness it births in the citizenry.

So what’s a Christian to do? Whatever your political persuasion or your beliefs about the mixing of Christ and politics, the Bible makes it clear: We have an obligation to engage our culture at every level—including the political level—as ambassadors of the kingdom of God. Christ desires his people to encounter this world, in every country, in every city, at every level, as his emissaries representing the interests of his kingdom! And we must never apologize or retreat from that—even in our politics!

Contrary to what we’re being told today in America, it was for this very purpose that our forebears fled England for the new world. The pilgrims’ stated mission was clearly articulated in the Mayflower Compact: “For the glory of God, and the Propagation of the Christian Faith.” Those are our roots—our nation’s true birth certificate! Since that time, Christians have played a central role in shaping American government—and must continue to do so, even in this risky political climate.

Why? Simply because, as Charles Finney said, “God will bless or curse the nation according to the [political] course Christians take.” So if Christians don’t speak into our political process, who else will be the moral compass of our nation? Jesus said in Matthew 5:13,

You are the world’s seasoning, to make it tolerable. If you lose your flavor, what will happen to the world? And you yourselves will be trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the world’s light—a city on a hill, glowing all night for all to see. Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all.” (Living Bible)

Now having said that, just remember this: The key moments of history are not winning elections but transforming lives. Therefore, the most important thing Christians can do for the good of their country is to leverage all their efforts for the ultimate goal of spiritual awakening, not political ascendancy. When we offer our political opinions, we must do so in a way that creates interest in the gospel! 1 Peter 2:13-17 says,

“Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God’s emissaries for keeping order. It is God’s will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you are a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.” (The Message)

Unfortunately, some politically active believers are shrill and obnoxious, not a winsome witness to the Good News. To a large degree, that is why many think we are “a danger to society.” But if we can engage with “respect for the authorities, whatever their level…treat everyone with dignity…and respect the government,” then our ultimate objective of transforming lives will be advanced.

Likewise, as we engage, we need to value God’s agenda over our party’s platform. Jesus said, “Make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.” (Matthew 6:33) Whenever possible, our political energies should be leveraged to vigorously promote kingdom concerns, such as:

  • Speaking out for the innocent and vulnerable! Proverbs 31:8 says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” That means not only babies who face abortion before they leave the womb, but the destitute, the immigrant, and the marginalized.
  • Defending the poor and oppressed! Proverbs 31:9 says, “Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
  • Confronting sin and moral decay! Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” Again, this calls for speaking truth to power but doing it with gentleness and respect. Truth without love becomes a cudgel that may force compliance but will never win hearts.
  • Working toward the peace and prosperity of Israel! Psalm 122:6 tells us, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure.” That is not to say that we remain silent when Israel acts immorally or inhumanely—even God didn’t turn a blind eye to their wicked behavior—but it is to recognize their special place in God’s plan for the ages.

By engaging in our political world assertively, respectfully, and Christianly, you and I will “make the Master proud by being a good citizen”—dual citizens, actually, of both heaven and earth. And, giving Jesus reason to be proud is what is most important!

Take A Moment: Memorize Romans 13:1-6 from The Message, “Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it is God’s order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you’re irresponsible to the state, then you’re irresponsible to God, and God will hold you responsible…Fulfill your obligations as a citizen. Pay your taxes, pay your bills, respect your leaders”

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Check The Dipstick

From the Abundance of the Heart

SYNOPSIS: Engage your mind before you put your mouth in gear. Control your thinking and you’ll control your speaking. Control your speaking and you’ll control your whole life. And the best way to control your thinking is by consistently and prayerfully filling your mind with the Word of God. What goes into your mind, gets into your heart, and what gets into your heart, comes out of your mouth. So don’t just watch your mouth—for sure, do that—but “above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Prov 4:23)

Check The Dipstick

Moments With God // Matthew 12:34 & 36

How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.

Just think of your heart as the reservoir and your tongue as the dipstick. If you want to figure out what is in the tank, or how much is there, just listen to what you say and you’ll get a pretty accurate picture of the true you.

The Bible uses the term “heart” to describe the inner person. The word “mind” could easily be substituted for “heart”, but it is more than that. The heart is not only your thinking part, but also your attitudes, desires, dreams, ambitions, personality—the invisible stuff that gives life to your skin and bones and makes you uniquely you. The heart is the inner capacity to know, love and respond to God.

The tongue, or what you say, simply reveals what already exists in your heart. Your words are critically important, and as Jesus said, you will be held to account for them, even the off-the-cuff ones. Yet it is not so much the words you speak, it’s what is behind them that is truly important. That is why you can’t simply discipline your tongue—though that is not a bad idea. It is your heart that needs to be transformed. If you don’t, your speech will ultimately betray what is on the inside.

A person with a harsh tongue has an angry heart; a negative tongue comes from a fearful heart; an overactive tongue springs from an insecure heart; a boasting tongue is from a prideful heart; a filthy tongue comes from an impure heart; a person who is critical all the time has a bitter heart. On the other hand, a person who is always encouraging has a joyful heart. One who speaks gently has a loving heart. Someone who speaks truthfully has an honest heart.

So what’s the solution to managing your mouth? I like what Lloyd Ogilvie, former Chaplain of the United States Senate says, “you’ve got to heart your tongue.”

That means, to begin with, you’ve got to get a new heart. Mouth control begins with a heart transplant. Ezekiel 18:31 says, “Rid yourself of all the offenses you have committed and get a new heart and a new spirit!” Painting the outside of the pump doesn’t make any difference if there is poison in the well. I can change the outside, and turn over a new leaf, but what I really need is a new life or a fresh start. I need supernatural surgery from the Great Physician.

How do I get one? David prayed in Psalm 51, “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” Maybe you ought to pray that prayer right now because God is in the heart transplant business. Ezekiel 36:26 says of God, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

Then once God gives you a new heart, ask him for help every day. You need supernatural power to control your tongue. You can’t do it alone. Your life is living proof of that. That’s why we’ve got to daily ask God to help us. In Psalm 141:3, the psalmist prays, “Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.”

That’s a great verse to memorize and pray every morning: “God, muzzle my mouth. Don’t let me be critical or judgmental or harsh today. Don’t let me say things that I’ll regret.” If you ask God for help, he will.

Finally, master your mouth by disciplined thinking. James 1:19 says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” In other words, engage your mind before you put your mouth in gear. Control your thinking and you’ll control your speaking. Control your speaking and you’ll control your whole life. And the best way to control your thinking is by consistently and prayerfully filling your mind with the Word of God.

What goes into your mind, gets into your heart, and what gets into your heart, comes out of your mouth. So don’t just watch your mouth—for sure, do that—but “above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Prov 4:23)

Takes A Moment: Memorize Psalm 141:3, “Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips.” Then pray this prayer morning, noon, and night for the next seven days: “God, muzzle my mouth. Don’t let me be critical or judgmental or harsh today. Don’t let me say things that I’ll regret, but only things that will please you!”

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The Sun Will Come Out, Tomorrow!

With God, Tomorrow Is Always A New Day

Synopsis: Who knows what tomorrow will hold? Only God! That’s why we need to fiercely cling to him on this day, expressing our utter dependence on his purposes being fulfilled in our lives and recognizing his sovereign control over each second of our existence. King David understood that people who live under the daily threat of death like he did will grasp that reality better than those of us who live relatively safe, carefree, and easy lives. We tend to slide into the false notion that a pain-free, worry-free, tragedy-free life is our divine right. Not David! He got it right when he wrote “Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” (Psalm 139:16) David knew and trusted what we need to learn and trust: God is in control of my life. When you know that, you’ll confidently sing, “The sun will come out tomorrow!”

The Sun Will Come Out, Tomorrow

Moments With God // Proverbs 27:1

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

Who knows what will happen tomorrow? Just ask any family whose lives were displayed on the late-night news last evening—whose peace and tranquility was unexpectedly interrupted by some sort of disaster: a car accident coming home from work, a random act of violence outside the restaurant, a massive layoff at the company that no one saw coming, the sudden bacterial infection resistant to all known forms of medication that attacked their child without warning. None of them got up that morning expecting anything close to that would happen during the day that lay ahead.

Who knows what tomorrow will hold? Only God! That’s why we need to fiercely lean into him for this day, expressing our utter dependence on his good purposes being fulfilled in our lives and recognizing his sovereign control over each second of our existence. The Psalmist David understood that people who live under the daily threat of death like he did tend to get that reality better than those of us who live relatively safe, carefree, and easy lives. We tend to slide into the false notion that a pain-free, worry-free, tragedy-free life is our divine right.

Not David! He got it right when he wrote in Psalm 139:16,

Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Only God knows how many days you have, and what will happen in each of those days. Only he knows the exact number of your days, and you will not live a day longer, nor die a day sooner than what he already has planned for you. That is why it is not wise to get too far ahead of God in your thoughts about tomorrow. Now, obviously, this is not about wise planning and preparation. That is certainly taught throughout the Bible, and a great deal of emphasis is placed on that right here in the book of Proverbs.

What Solomon is calling for is living with an attitude of gratitude for each and every breath we take, expressing humble dependence on the Almighty for each and every second of our existence, and submitting each and every ounce of our energy today, and if he graciously gives us tomorrow, to be used for his good purposes.

When we live that way, we can sing with confidence, “The sun will come out tomorrow.” Maybe that will mean the blazing sunshine of yet another day here on Planet Earth, but if not, the joy of unending days where there is no need for the sun, since the indescribable glory of his shining presence of God himself will render our current source of light and heat meaningless.

So, as scary as that might seem, take courage, because as a Christ-follower, the sun will come out tomorrow.

Read and meditate on Psalm 90, and memorize verse 12: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Then early and often, quote it to yourself and others!