Category: Strength for Today

Colossians 3:13
“Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”

You will sometimes hear people say, “Life would be good if it were not for people.” This may be true, but the problem is that interacting with people is part of our daily routine. These people make up all types of personalities and lifestyles, and some of those personalities and lifestyles will seem to clash with yours. If you are going to enjoy life, then you are going to have to learn to get along with others who don’t do things like you, or with others with whom it is hard to get along.

God shows that once a person gets saved, they are to act differently than the world. It was common in Paul’s day for the Jew and Greek to completely avoid each other, but God said that once you get saved that mentality should be put away. He shows us how we can get along with others, even with those with whom we normally would have a hard time relating to because of culture or personality.

First, you must learn to forbear if you are going to get along with others. To forbear mean to withhold from action. In other words, you are going to have to practice restraint in your relationships with others. You must learn that reacting will not help you to get along with others. Many times it is our reactions that cause the greatest strife. The initial action that caused the schism is not the greatest cause that continues it, but the reaction after the schism is what causes the greatest harm. You must learn to be guarded in your actions. You must decide before there is ever a disagreement that you are going to practice restraint.

Second, you must practice forgiveness if you are going to get along with others. You will find that forgiveness is a part of every strong relationship. The marriage that is the strongest is the marriage where both spouses have learned to forgive. The friendships that are strong are the friendships that have learned to forgive. You will find that the strongest relationships are not the ones where no disagreements or hurts have occurred; instead, you will find that hurts and disagreements have happened, but they learned to forgive one another. You cannot carry grudges if you are going to get along with others. If you want to get along with others, then you must decide before the disagreement or hurt happens that you are going to forgive.

Love is the key to make forbearing and forgiveness a part of your life. Verse 14 says, “And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” Love is the bond that allows relationships to mature. Love will give forbearance when retaliation seems to be the natural move. Love will cause one to forgive when someone hurts you. Love is the glue that holds forbearing and forgiveness in every relationship.

Friend, you are going to be hurt in your relationships. There is no getting around this. The only hope to making your relationships work after you have been hurt is letting your love for the individual move you to be forbearing and forgiving. If you want relationships with others that are strong, then you must make forbearance and forgiveness a part of those relationships. These two actions are the ingredients to holding relationships together until they mature into an inseparable bond.

Joshua 9:6
“And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.”

There are some invaluable lessons that we can learn about decision making from Joshua’s dealings with the inhabitants of Gibeon. This city heard what the LORD had done for Israel at the Red Sea. They were told how the LORD parted the Jordan River. They saw the remains of Jericho, the strongest city of their day. With a fear that they would be next, the men of Gibeon contrived a plan to deceive Israel into thinking they were from a far country. They put on old clothes, carried empty bottles and moldy bread to meet Joshua so they could enact a treaty between the two. Their plan worked, and they deceitfully got Joshua and the men of Israel to make a league with them so that they would not be killed. In this story there are five invaluable lessons you can learn to help you with making decisions.

First, never make a decision without prayer. Joshua never asked God one time if they should make a league with these men. Had he prayed, God certainly would have revealed the deceit of these men. It is so easy to think you know what it right that you don’t pray to ask God’s mind. Never be so confident in yourself that you don’t ask God for His mind on a decision. It doesn’t matter how small the decision may be, you need God’s mind with it. Small decisions carry large ramifications, so never make any decision without prayer.

Second, don’t depend on your perception. Joshua and the men of Israel looked at the bottles and bread and thought they were telling the truth. Many bad decisions have been made based off perception. What you see may not always be true. Certainly, you should take what you see into account, but don’t let your perception be the only factor in your decision making.

Third, listen to your gut. One of the first questions the men of Israel asked was, “Peradventure ye dwell among us…?” This was their gut instinct telling them that what they saw was not true. There are going to be times when your gut tells you not to do something. When that happens, you need to listen because God is using your gut instinct to help you in making the right decision.

Fourth, research your decision. Joshua and the men of Israel never investigated the validity of what they said and that came back to bite them. Whenever you make a decision, give yourself time to research the matter so that you can make a decision based off facts and not feeling.

Fifth, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Joshua and the men of Israel knew this story sounded far-fetched, and they should have responded accordingly. We oftentimes think that we are going to be the exception to the rule but rarely, if ever, are we that exception. When a decision you’re making sounds too good to be true, unless you have proof that refutes it, don’t fall for the deceipt. You are going to be safer making decisions based off facts than you will off feelings.

You are only one decision away from making a tragic decision. Let these five invaluable lessons be a guide with every decision. It is always better to be deliberate in your decision making than to rush into a decision and regret its implications for months and years to come.

Ephesians 4:12
“For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:”

There have been many influences in my life who have helped me to grow into the Christian that I presently am. There was not just one person who influenced me, but everyone from outside preachers to my Sunday school teachers have had some influence on my life. Without each influence, I would not be the preacher, Christian, husband, father or friend that I am.

In the verse above, God shows the importance of having many influences in ones life. Each influence that you have is there to help perfect or mature you for the “work of the ministry.” In other words, each of these influences help grow you so that you can be involved in the ministry of building others.

Who are these influences that we are to have in our lives? Verse 11 shows us these influences when it says, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;” God used the apostles to leave us the New Testament Scriptures. In other words, reading the New Testament will grow you. God also used the prophets to pen the Old Testament. In other words, the Scriptures as a WHOLE were given to help mature you as a Christian. Just reading the New Testament will not grow you into the Christian you are supposed to be. That is why God says, “All scripture…is profitable.” There are some who say that the Old Testament is no longer relevant for today, and they are absolutely wrong. You cannot mature as a Christian without reading the Old and New Testaments.

Moreover, God placed human influences in your life to help you mature. He sends evangelists to your church to help mature you. This is why you need to attend all the services of a special meeting when your pastor invites an evangelist. God also uses your pastor to help mature you as a Christian. Your pastor should not just be some figurehead in your life, but you need to allow him to pastor you so that God can grow you to the point where you can minister to others. God also gives teachers to help mature you. When you miss Sunday school, you are missing an important part that God has ordained to mature you. Each Sunday school teacher that you have had will have an important impact in your spiritual maturity.

There is one part that is often overlooked in this verse that helps to mature you. The Scriptures and human influences in your life all had a part in maturing you, but you will never reach spiritual maturity without ministering to others yourself. Notice it says, “… for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” You don’t edify others without teaching others yourself. If you don’t get involved in trying to teach others, then you will never mature to the spiritual level that God wants you to be.

Let me encourage you to do three things. First, set a time in your daily schedule to read the Scriptures. You cannot grow without reading and studying God’s Word. Second, let the human influences in your life help you grow. That means you must be careful that these influences are right, and you must be there when they are teaching and preaching the Word of God. Third, ask God to grow you to the point where you can teach others. These three areas are the only way you will be perfected or matured as a Christian.

Joshua 4:24
“That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.”

Israel did not understand the impact that crossing over the Jordan River would have on their lives and their future. The Jordan River was that border that completely divided them from Egypt. When they crossed over this river, they were saying that they would no longer go back to Egypt. In essence they were saying that they were choosing to live God’s lifestyle and live in His will for the rest of their lives. That decision not only had an impact on them, but it also had an impact on those around them and on future generations.

Egypt has always been a type of the world. The Jordan River is that decision when the Christian decides that they are choosing God’s life and are no longer going back into the world. Every Christian has to make this decision at some point in their life if they are ever going to be used greatly by God. The impact of this decision is amazing. There will be few decisions that will have a greater impact on you, your testimony, and future generations than the decision that you are going all-in on serving the LORD. The verse above shows us the three things this decision impacts.

First, it will personally impact your life forever. The decision to cross over will cause you to “fear the LORD your God for ever.” One of the reasons many Christians struggle in their walk with God is because they have never made that decision where they said the world is no longer an option in their life. When you make this decision, it will cause you to fear the LORD. The fear of the LORD will help keep you from sin, and it will help you to realize what God’s power can do through you. This will change the way you think and every decision you make when you cross over your Jordan River and say that the world is no longer an option in your life.

Second, it will impact those around you. God shows us what this decision will make on those around you when He says, “That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty…” People will see God working through you when the world is no longer an option in your life. They will see the power of God working through you when you face hardships and heartaches. One of the greatest reasons that the world has not seen God’s power is because the Christian has not removed the option of the world from their lives. When you make this decision, God will begin to work mightily in your life and the world will take notice.

Third, it will impact generations to come. God had them set up a pillar of stone to remind the generations to come what this decision did for them. When the world is no longer an option, future generations will take notice and follow. Maybe one of the reasons we are losing future generations is because we have not yet removed this option in our lives. Friend, this decision will impact whether your children and grandchildren will serve the LORD. If you want your children and grandchildren to serve the LORD, then you must remove the option of going back to the world.

Let me encourage you to cross over your Jordan River. The impact this decision will have on your entire future and usefulness is immense. This decision to cross over will impact how much your life will have an impact on others for the LORD.

Galatians 1:23
“But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.”

Every person has assets and liabilities. One of the greatest accomplishments you will achieve in life will be to make your assets greater than your liabilities. Because of sin, our liabilities not only hamper us with the ability to help others, but if you will work on your assets then you will be able to overshadow the liabilities in your life.

Paul certainly had some liabilities in his life. His greatest liability was that before he got saved he killed Christians. The churches in Judaea heard that he was coming. They had never seen his face, but they knew that he was coming to visit them. They had heard that the one who used to destroy people who preached the faith was now preaching the faith. The one who had killed many for telling others about the faith was telling others what the faith did in his life. He obviously made his assets greater than his liabilities.

If you are going to turn your liabilities into assets, then you cannot allow the liabilities to dictate what you do with the rest of your life. The Devil is good at reminding us of our liabilities. Just because you have done something in the past does not mean that you can’t do something in the future. The liabilities of the past will only be a small chapter in your life if you will live the rest of your life serving God. Don’t let your liability to be the last chapter in your life. You can’t change that chapter of your life, but you don’t have to allow that chapter of your life to define who you are.

Second, use your liabilities to build your assets. Paul was not afraid to tell what he did for the purpose of showing what the power of God can do. You may not be able to rewrite the liability chapter of your life, but you can use that liability to show the power of God working through you. David turned his liability into an asset when he was used to pen Psalm 51. Samson was able to turn his liabilities into assets when he got right with God and finished his life with the greatest spiritual victory he had ever seen. You can run from your liability, or you can use it to show what God can do through the lives of others.

Third, be careful not to turn your assets into liabilities. The most powerful tool Paul had was his testimony. If he had messed up at the end of his life, then the asset of his liability would have been turned back into a liability. You have got to be so guarded with your life. Be careful with what you do in private because it will eventually become public and either become an asset or a liability. All it takes is one moment of indiscretion for a life that is an asset to become a liability. One bad decision will turn your assets into liabilities. Be careful to walk circumspectly so that your assets don’t become liabilities.

Friend, others will measure your life by your assets and liabilities. If you were to die today, for what would you be remembered? Make it your life’s goal to let your assets be the thing for which you are remembered. Ask God daily to keep you from that moment of temptation and sin that would cause you to become a liability. Spend your life helping others turn their life around and you will be able to turn your liabilities into assets.

Deuteronomy 27:1
“And Moses with the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, Keep all the commandments which I command you this day.”

One of the tactics Satan uses with God’s people is to persuade them that God really didn’t mean everything that He said. When Satan approached Eve in the Garden of Eden, it was this method that he used to say that God really didn’t mean that they couldn’t eat of the fruit of every tree. Satan wants the Christian to pick and choose what part of the Word of God they want to obey because he knows the destruction that follows if one word is not followed.

God emphasized to Moses and Israel that He wanted them to “Keep all the commandments…” The commandments of God are not a buffet from which you can choose one and leave the other, but all His commandments are to be obeyed. All of God’s commandments work together. One without the other will not give the blessings that they were intended to give.

Moreover, God emphasized the importance of every word when He says in verse 3, “And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law…” Notice, God didn’t say that there are major words and minor words, but He says “all the words.” There are many who want you to believe that God has divided His Word into major and minor doctrines. This is not true! Every word is major to God for He would not command to write “all the words” if they were not. If God placed something in His Word, then to Him it is major. Satan wants you to believe that some are major and minor because He knows the power of obeying “all the words.”

Furthermore, God emphasized the importance of “all the people.” God’s commandments were not to be followed by just those who were in leadership, but they were to be followed by “all the people.” Every command and every word is to be followed by every person. What is good for one person is good for all people. Satan knows that all it takes is for one person not to follow the commandments and every word for it to begin to influence others to do the same.

The power of all is found in chapter 28. God says that if we obey all the commandments and all the words, then all the blessings of His Word will come our way. But, if we lay aside one commandment or ignore one word, then all the curses of sin will no longer be withheld from us. If you want the blessings of God described in His Word, then you must obey all the commandments and all the words.

Friend, everything in God’s Word needs to become major in your life. Don’t fall for the trap of making parts of God’s Word major and other parts minor. Remember that every word and every commandment is important to God. Just because you may not like one commandment or one word does not give you the right to not follow them. If you want God’s blessings, then you need to be sure to follow all of His commandments and words.

Furthermore, all of your friends and associations are important. If all but one of your friends and associations are good, then that one will be what destroys you. Be sure that those with whom you associate or call your friends are people who believe and try to obey all the commandments and words of God. The blessings of God will only be realized when you realize and follow all.

2 Corinthians 7:6
“Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;”

Several years ago, my aunt, Bessie Parr, was dying of cancer. During those final hours, my uncle was by the side of her bed and family members were in the room to be with her. She was a dear lady who had greatly influenced my life and the life of many others. With our hearts heavy, someone came into the room and said that our pastor was coming to visit. I happened to step out of the room when I saw Bro. Jack Hyles, our pastor, walking down the hallway with his wife to come and comfort the family. I remember the embrace he gave, and how his presence alone was a comfort to the whole family.

This is exactly what the verse above is talking about. In the previous verse, Paul talked about the troubles he faced in Macedonia and the fears he had in his heart. He then says that God comforted him “by the coming of Titus.” Though God is the God of all comfort and His Holy Spirit is the Comforter, He also uses people like you to comfort those in need. Let me give you some suggestions on how to make your presence a comforting presence.

First, be sure to lift up Christ. Your presence will never be a comfort to others when you make personality your focus. It is God Who comforts, and it must be God Whom you make your focus of life. It is through the Word of God that you will find the words of comfort and encouragement for those who face troubles and fear. You may feel that you don’t know how to comfort people, but if you will simply use the Scriptures you will find your presence will be a comforting presence.

Second, don’t make yourself an issue. Don’t try to impress others because you are there, but truly be there because you care for them. The quickest way to squelch the opportunity to comfort others is to make your presence about you. Take yourself out of the picture and simply point people to the Comforter. Let the words of comfort from the Scriptures be your comforting tool to make your presence a comforting presence.

Third, have a good attitude. Your attitude can certainly be a comfort to those around you if it is an encouraging one. If you are one who struggles with having a positive attitude, then you need to ask God to help you remove the negative or complaining attitude out of your life. People don’t need to hear the negative, they need to hear the positive. Your presence will be a comforting presence when you learn to talk about the good things in life.

Fourth, give people a chance to recover. When life has cast people down, they don’t need someone who is constantly telling them the mistakes they’ve made, they need someone who will let them know that God can still use them. Don’t be that judgmental Christian who doesn’t give people a second chance; instead, be the Christian who tries to help people when life has cast them down.

One of the great enjoyments of life is to know that you have helped someone who needed encouragement. Try to make it a daily goal to let your presence be a comforting presence to someone whose path you crossed. Let these four things be a part of your life, and you will be surprised how many people God will encourage through your presence.

Psalm 40:2
“He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”

“I’m sorry!” These are the words of someone who says they are going to get right. It is always a good thing when someone decides to get right, but just expressing your sorrow of what you have done is not enough, doing right after that expression is what God desires.

In the verse above, God brought the psalmist out of the miry clay. He recognized that his life was in a horrible pit and that God came to where he was and helped him get his life back in order. In the verses that follow, you see the proof that the psalmist got right in his attitudes and actions. When a person truly gets right, these same attitudes and actions will be the result of them getting right with God.

First, the person who gets right will be a person who sings the right songs. Verse 3 says, “And he hath put a new song in my mouth…” The person who gets right will always have a song in their heart. They will enjoy the right music and they will enjoy singing. It always concerns me when a person doesn’t want to sing because the Scriptures always show that the person who is right will enjoy singing and listening to the right music.

Second, the person who gets right will recognize God’s working in their life. In verse 5, the psalmist saw the “wonderful works” of God in his life. He didn’t complain or gripe about what happened in his life, but he recognized that everything he was going through was the mighty hand of God doing something through him. When a person gets right, they will see everything happening in their life as the hand of God working.

Third, when a person gets right they will delight in God’s will. You will find that when a person gets right they will take rebuke, correction or instruction concerning God’s will with a good attitude. They won’t get angry with those trying to help them because they want to do right. The humility of someone who is right will be evident in their attitude concerning what God wants them to do.

Fourth, when a person gets right they will want to tell others about Christ. In verse 9, you find the psalmist preaching to the “great congregation.” A person who has truly gotten right with God will want to tell others about Him. They won’t be ashamed to talk of Christ because He is the One Who saved their life from the mires of sin.

Lastly, when a person gets right they will see their depravity. In verse 12, the psalmist still saw the great amount of “iniquities” which he still needed to work on. When a person gets right, they won’t point their fingers at others; rather, they will see themselves as they truly are and will continue to work on cleaning sin from their life.

Friend, these attitudes and actions are in the heart of anyone who is right with God. I ask you, are they in you? The greatest evidence that someone is right with God is that they won’t point to themselves, but they will point to Christ. Words will never be louder than actions and attitudes. My encouragement to you is to stop telling everyone how right you are with God and let your actions and attitude will speak for you.

2 Corinthians 4:2
“But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”

Building credibility is never an easy task. It is not something you gain because you acquire position, but you gain credibility over time. When you build credibility, it allows you the opportunity to influence people in a greater way. If a Christian or a church is going to greatly influence their world, then they must build credibility amongst those whom they interact with in life.

God gives us the recipe for building credibility. After the church of Corinth got everything in order, they then had the arduous task of building their credibility so they could reach their community for Christ. In the verse above, you find what it takes for a person, church or an organization to build credibility.

First, you must be honest. Honesty is at the core of credibility. You will never gain credibility when people find you dishonest. You must be honest to your own hurt if you want people to trust you. When people see that you will be honest with whatever you face, then they will begin to trust you and your credibility will start to grow.

Second, you must remove all deceitful actions and methods. God says that we are not to walk in “craftiness.” In other words, deceit can be no part of your character or manner of business. At the core of every relationship problem you will find deceit. Deceit causes a person to hide something for personal gain. People will have no confidence in you when they believe you are using them for your own personal gain. Transparency is a great way to build credibility. When people are not constantly looking for the fine print in your dealings with them, then they will begin to trust you enough to believe you. Truthfulness deals with your words, but honesty deals with your actions. When people can trust your word and actions, then your credibility will continue to grow.

Third, use God’s Word in a consistent manner and as your basis for all decisions. What I mean by this statement is don’t use God’s Word one day to defend your actions, and then deceitfully use it another way to defend wrong actions. Be careful that you don’t twist Scripture to fit your preference. Don’t try to portray your preferences as doctrine. If you will use the Word of God as your basis for all actions, thoughts and principles, then you will find that building your credibility becomes much easier. It becomes easier because your actions and decisions are consistent, and they are consistent with the authority of the Word of God.

Friend, your credibility not only reflects upon your character, but it also reflects on Christ throughout your world. Be careful that you don’t allow people to think ill of Christ because of your dishonest or deceitful actions. Be a mirror of Christ to this world by being truthful with your words and honest with your actions, basing everything you do upon the principles of God’s Word. This is how you build your credibility so you can influence people for Christ.

Deuteronomy 17:16
“But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.”

God knew there would come a day when Israel would no longer be a theocracy. He knew the day would come when they chose a king to lead them, and that this decision would be the first step towards their demise. The reason they would want a king is because all the nations around them had one, and because they wanted to be like all the other nations they too would choose a king.

There was a great danger in this decision that God tried to warn them about. God knew that if they set up a king because all the nations around them had one, then they would also start copying the methods and lifestyles of those nations which eventually would lead them to desire going back to Egypt. God commanded them concerning, “Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.” The way they were to walk were the ways that the LORD prescribed them to walk in His commandments. Any other way but God’s way was not to be followed.

When a person gets saved, they are to “walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4) We should never study the ways of the world for we are to “return no more that way.” That way is the way of death. That way is the way of heartache. That way is never to be considered again because we are to “return no more that way.” If you are to “return no more that way,” then “that way” must not be a consideration. The only lifestyle you are to live is the lifestyle that walks “in newness of life.”

Moreover, if you are not going to “return no more that way,” then you must not copy “that way.” When God says that we are no longer to return “that way,” then He is saying that even copying what they do in “that way” is wrong. Friend, stop looking to the world to measure morality and direction and look to God to determine how to walk in “newness of life.”

Furthermore, it is the leader’s responsibility to be sure that we don’t return to “that way.” Part of the job of the leader is to be the watchman who walks the wall to be sure that those whom they lead are not returning to “that way.” Likewise, the leader is to be sure to look at any trends, lifestyles, books or other leaders who would influence us to return “that way” and to keep them away. This won’t always be the most popular leader, but this will be the most loving leader because “that way” is the way that leads to heartache and destruction.

Likewise, it is the follower’s responsibility to make sure that the leader doesn’t take them back “that way.” Just because someone is your leader doesn’t mean they should think for you. Your leader is not to be your determination of truth. You must be careful that you don’t get so wrapped up into following the leader that they slowly let “that way” become an acceptable way. As a follower, when you see a leader letting “that way” into your church, then it is your responsibility to confront them, and if they don’t change, then leave that church.

The key to making sure that you don’t return to “that way” is to let God’s Word be your compass of truth and direction. If you base every action, direction, lifestyle and truth according to God’s Word, then “that way” will never be a walked again.