Category: Strength for Today

Matthew 10:5
“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:”

Immediately after establishing the Baptist church, Jesus commanded His disciples to go soul winning. As He commissioned them to go, He then taught them what they were to do as they went. His whole purpose of teaching them was so that the lost sheep could be saved. That is the ultimate desire of Jesus Christ. He wants every person to be saved. There are five important principles you must always follow if you are going to reach the lost sheep of your area.

First, your command is to go and give the Gospel. Throughout the Scriptures God has always commanded the Christian to go. It doesn’t matter where you go because every place is the right place. This command to go is easy to obey because God does not put the requirement of people getting saved on the Christian, He only puts upon them the requirement for them to give out the Gospel. Friend, you cannot mess up in giving out the Gospel. You may feel that you totally messed things up, but it is God Who does the saving, and He will take your presentation and do the work. All you have to do to be obedient is give out the Gospel.

Second, use your testimony when going. Jesus says in verse 8, “…freely ye have received, freely give.” Jesus is teaching that you received salvation freely, so go tell everyone how you received it. Your personal testimony is more powerful than you can realize. I’ve heard powerful testimonies of people being saved out of a horrible life of sin, but I’ve also seen my personal testimony of being saved as a preacher’s son work powerfully in the hearts of people. Always use your testimony when going soul winning. It is a powerful asset to use.

Third, look for those who want to get saved. In the next few verses Jesus taught that when someone receives you, then those are the ones on which you should spend your efforts. Let me remind you that there are people in your city who are ready to get saved. Your job is to go find them. You will find them if you simply give the Gospel to everyone you see. Stop trying to qualify people before you talk to them; simply try giving them the Gospel and if they are receptive then you have found the one who is ready to be saved.

Fourth, don’t waste your time arguing with those who don’t want to get saved. Jesus says in verse 14, “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.” Arguing gets you nowhere. Always remember that it is the Word of God that does the work on the heart of an individual. Arguing will only keep you from the one who wants to get saved.

Fifth, be wise with what you say. Jesus says in verse 16, “…be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Don’t say things that will keep someone from getting saved the next time someone talks to them. Be kind and courteous even if they are rude, because someone is coming after you to whom they may listen.

Let this devotional simply be a challenge to daily be a witness for Christ everywhere you go. Someone will cross your path today who wants to get saved. Ask God to lead you to them, give everyone a Gospel tract and you will be surprised how easy it will be to see the lost sheep get saved.

2 Samuel 13:16
“And she said unto him, There is no cause: this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her.”

The story of Tamar is a heart wrenching story. This young lady had kept herself pure. She was the king’s daughter and no doubt could have enjoyed pleasure with any young man in her father’s kingdom, but she understood that staying pure was of more value than a few minutes of pleasure. Yet, what she tried to protect was destroyed because of her brother Amnon. The heartache that Amnon caused by forcing himself upon his sister was great. This heartache could have been averted if David had set some simple guidelines for his home. Let me give you some principles for your home that will help you to avert the family heartache that David experienced.

First, don’t trust your children. David’s first mistake was that he trusted Amnon instead of trusting what he knew was right. An older man years ago taught me before I was married to never trust my children. I know there are people who will think this is ridiculous, but everybody is a sinner at best. God says in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” When you learn to stop trusting your children, you will stop their manipulating ways.

Second, have an open door policy in your home. Tamar had no business being alone behind closed doors with her brother. This may seem extreme, but many young ladies have been hurt by their brothers because their parents allowed closed doors. The doors must be open when a brother and sister are in a room together. If you keep an open door policy in your home when brothers and sisters are together, you will avert the heartache that happens from closed doors.

Third, demand decency in the home. Just because brothers and sisters are family doesn’t give them permission to be indecent. When families break down the walls of decency in the home, they open themselves to tremendous heartache. You must always require your children to be completely dressed anytime they leave their bedroom. No exceptions!

Fourth, teach your children how to deal with indecent actions in or outside the home. Teach the girls how to kick and scream if anyone in the home tries to hurt them. Tell your children they can come to you with any problem. They will only believe this if you listen and do something about indecent actions. They need to believe you will take action if something wrong happens to them. If you don’t take action or if you don’t believe them, then they will close up and carry hurt and bitterness towards you the rest of their lives.

Fifth, control your child’s friends. Amnon had a friend he should not have had. David should have ended that friendship. There are times as a parent when you are going to have to tell your children that they cannot be friends with a certain person. This may sound ridiculous, but you are the parent who should protect your child from friends who could teach them wrong things.

These are only a few things that can help you avert heartache in the home. Seriously consider following this advice. I believe it will help you to avert heartache.

Matthew 3:3
“For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”

John the Baptist is a preacher who is oftentimes lauded for his ministry, yet he would not be welcome in many pulpits today if he were alive. He was not one voice by accident. His preaching was not accepted by the religious leaders of his day. His preaching was pointed and clear. He was direct and called out sin. His attire was not trendy, but out-of-date. He was one voice that was crying in the wilderness, but that one voice led the way for a greater voice, the voice of Jesus Christ.

Our world needs people who will be willing to be one voice. Many people don’t seem to have the fortitude to stand and be the lone voice crying in the wilderness, but it is the lone voice that seems to always make the difference. It is not the voice that is in lock-step with everyone else that makes the difference, but the voice that makes the “paths straight” that makes the difference. It is not the voice that is concerned with political correctness that makes a difference, but it is the lone voice that stands up to the leader and tells them their lifestyle is wrong. If you want to be that lone voice, then there are some things you must expect.

First, be prepared to stand alone. John the Baptist didn’t have many friends, but he didn’t need friends to pat him on the back to know he was doing right. His need for approval only came from God. If you become that one voice crying in the wilderness, you will be lonely. Don’t volunteer to be the one voice if you are looking for the accolades of man.

Second, be prepared to be misunderstood. John the Baptist was one of the most misunderstood preachers of all time, yet he continued to be the lone voice. Many will not understand your motives or heart, but if you are going to be the lone voice then you must continue to tell the truth. You must take comfort in the fact that you know you are telling the truth, and that truth will do its work on the hearts of man long after you are gone.

Third, be prepared not to get the credit for what is done. John the Baptist was very willing not to receive the credit because he understood that he was preparing the way for someone who would come after him. If you are the lone voice in the wilderness, you won’t be the most wanted person on the national platforms. Your lone voice will seem to most as a controversial voice that they don’t want to be around. If you are the lone voice, you won’t have colleges calling you to give you honorary doctorates, but you won’t need the honor of man to know that you are doing right. The only thing that will keep you going if you are going to be the lone voice is understanding that you are preparing the way for more voices.

Fourth, be prepared to reap great rewards in Heaven. John the Baptist will receive credit for everyone saved since the ministry of Jesus Christ. His ministry prepared the way for Christ, and he will receive the proper credit. It won’t be popular to be the lone voice, but there are many following you who you will influence for right. You will get credit for the work of those you influenced for right. Don’t despair if you are the lone voice, God is watching and will reward you openly. Until then, keep on being the lone voice that prepares the way for generations who follow.

2 Samuel 6:20
“Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!”

How could Michal move from being a wife who protected her husband from her father’s attempt to assassinate him to a wife who disrespected and despised him? This dear lady certainly had a tumultuous relationship with David, but she never really dealt with the fatal mistakes that led her to say what she did to her husband in the verse above. There are four fatal mistakes Michal made that led this marriage to become a marriage that merely existed.

First, she didn’t rejoice in her spouse’s success. David was thrilled that the ark of God was coming to his city. Michal knew that David’s previous attempt failed, so when her husband finally succeeded she became selfish instead of rejoicing in his success. The one person who should always rejoice in a person’s success is their spouse. When one spouse succeeds, both succeed. You must be careful that you don’t become so self-centered that when your spouse succeeds you are jealous of their success. Your spouse needs your approval when they succeed, and that approval will strengthen your marriage relationship.

Second, she didn’t reverence her spouse’s position. David was king of Israel. Though she was his wife, he was still her king. Instead of barking her displeasure about how David danced before the LORD, she should have reverenced him for the position he held. One of the mistakes many marriages experience is the total disrespect of one’s position. Because we live together, we think that their position doesn’t apply to us. Let me remind you that though they are your spouse first, they still hold a position that you should reverence. Don’t ever lose the respect for their position because that is part of who they are.

Third, she didn’t appreciate her spouse’s spiritual victory. Getting the ark of God to this city was a spiritual victory. You should rejoice in your spouse’s spiritual victories. When they learn something from the Scriptures, be excited with them as they tell you about it. When they lead someone to Christ, you should be just as excited about it as they are. Don’t discourage your spouse when they have a spiritual victory because you just may turn them away from serving the LORD which will become a grief of heart.

Fourth, she didn’t know the heart of her spouse. Michal accused David of uncovering himself to the “handmaids of his servants.” If Michal would have spent more time trying to get to know the heart of her spouse instead of despising him in her heart, she would have known the innocency of his heart. The discovery of your spouse’s heart should be a lifelong journey that you never stop seeking. When you stop attempting to know the heart of your spouse, then you will stop attempting to meet their needs.

Friend, these four steps can be fatal to your marriage. Whatever excuse you may have to not avoid these steps is never good enough. You are married to your spouse, and avoiding these mistakes will help your years of marriage to be treasured ones.

Revelation 21:8
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Has someone ever come to your house who you did not want to come? Unwanted company can certainly ruin a good day. In the verse above, God gives a list of unwanted company. This company is so unwanted that God said they would have their part in Hell. Sadly, many Christians have invited these unwanted guests into their life. Though the Christian will certainly go to Heaven, these unwanted guests should be avoided at all costs. Let me show you these unwanted guests you should avoid.

First, the fearful guest is one who is simply afraid to do the right thing. They fear man more than they fear God. The only one you should fear as a Christian is God. Never be afraid to do the right thing. A proper fear of God will move you not to be afraid of doing the right thing.

Second, the unbelieving guest is one who doesn’t believe the right thing is right. This guest influences the Christian to question God. When God commands something through His Word or moves you to do something by faith, never question why God is telling you to do it. Obey God by faith and don’t let the unbelieving guest into your decision making.

Third, the abominable guest is one who is hateful. No Christian should be hateful or have spiteful actions. Yes, you should have hatred towards sin, but God despises it when a Christian is hateful or spiteful towards others.

Fourth, the murdering guest is one who has bitterness in their heart towards another. You may never physically kill someone, but have you killed them in your heart? Bitterness should have no part in the life of any Christian.

Fifth, the whoremongering guest is one who lives an immoral life. Christian, you are to live a pure and holy life. Immorality of any sort is hated by God. Christians need to be faithful to their spouse and be pure. This guest always leads to heartache and destruction to relationships.

Sixth, the sorcerer guest is one who substitutes God’s power with something else. Have you as a Christian practiced sorcery in your life? Have you substituted God’s power with man-made ideas. Nothing is a substitute for God’s power. Don’t let this unwanted guest in your life.

Seventh, the idolater guest is one who replaces God with objects or people. Is there something that you seek before God? Anything that would cause you not to seek God first is an idol. If God is not your priority in life, then you have allowed this unwanted guest into your heart.

Eighth, the lying guest is simply not telling the truth. Truth must always be the Christian’s motto. Telling a lie just to keep from doing something you don’t want to do is inviting the unwanted guest of lying into your life. The Christian is to mirror Jesus Christ which means they are to tell the truth at all times and no matter the cost.

I certainly understand this list is for the lost, but it can show the Christian which guests God doesn’t want in their life. Let this list of unwanted guest remind you who and what God does not want you to be and do. Only let the guests God would approve of into your life.

Deuteronomy 6:3
“Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.”

One of the desires for my life is to be someone who serves the LORD until the day I die. I truly understand that this will not be an easy task. There have been many who were better Christians than I who have fallen by the wayside for many reasons. By God’s grace my desire is to be a lifer for Him.

You will not mistakenly serve God your entire life. If you are going to be a lifer for God, then you will purposely have to do some things to make that happen. God gives us a formula that will help us to be a lifer. If you will follow that formula, you will find that the Christian life will not just be a way of life, but it will be your life. Let me show you four things God reveals of what it takes to be a lifer.

First, you must make God’s commandments a part of your being. God commanded in the verse above to “observe” His commandments, but He goes further with this thought by telling us to make them a part of your heart, soul and might. He wants every part of your being to be in love with God and His commandments. God’s commandments have to be more than just a picture we hang on the wall, but we must put our heart, soul and might into making them our horizon to guide us through life. You will never be a lifer for God until His Word becomes a part of your being.

Second, if you are going to be a lifer, then you must teach His commandments. In verse 7, God told Israel to “diligently” teach them “unto thy children.” Teaching the Word of God will help to make His commandments a part of your being. It is not enough for you to simply read and obey them, but you must teach them if you want to be a lifer. Teaching God’s commandments not only helps you to learn them through study, but it makes you accountable to obey them to those whom you taught.

Third, if you are going to be a lifer, then you must talk about God’s commandments everywhere and all the time. Don’t just make Sunday the only time you talk about the Word of God. Every time you are reminded of God’s Word, tell people about it. When you make the Word of God a part of your everyday conversation, it will help you to obey it and will keep those who would invite you to do wrong away.

Fourth, if you are going to be a lifer, then let others know you are going to follow God’s Word. Verse 9 talks about writing God’s commandments “upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” In other words, God wants you to declare to tell others that you are a Christian and that you will only obey His Word. Declaring your position marks you. Don’t be ashamed of it. You will never successfully be a lifer if you don’t declare you’re following the LORD.

Take the challenge of being a lifer for God. This formula is simply taking you from being an undercover Christian to wearing the uniform of the Christian so all can see. It won’t be easy, but God gives us the wherewithal and the strength to be a lifer.

1 Corinthians 2:5
“That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

“They need to learn to stand on their own two feet.” This is what is said about those who seemingly cannot seem to do anything by themselves. It is a natural process for someone to go from total dependence to becoming a person who can make it on their own without the assistance of another. Just like a child goes from depending on their parents to total independence as an adult; likewise, a Christian needs to get to the point where they don’t need a man to validate their faith.

One of the greatest problems with the church of Corinth was that they couldn’t seem to stand on their own two feet. That is why you see them fighting about whether they were of Paul or Apollos. Certainly, it was natural as young Christians to need stronger Christians at which to look to keep standing, but at some point they needed to grow to the point where their faith could stand on its own two feet. There were four things they needed to make their faith stand on its own two feet.

First, they needed Scriptural preaching. Preaching that is simple, yet centered on the Word of God, builds Christians. Paul said in verse 1, that he declared “the testimony of God.” He didn’t talk about himself and what he had done, but he used his preaching to point them to Christ through the Word of God. You will never grow a strong faith without Scriptural preaching.

Second, they needed the Word of God to grow their faith. If the only time you get something from the Word of God is during the church services, then you are going to have a weak faith that needs man. God’s Word grows your faith into a faith that stands on its own. You don’t need “man’s wisdom” to have a strong faith, but you need God’s wisdom which is the Word of God to build a strong faith.

Third, they needed to pray to grow their faith. You will never know the mind of Christ without spending time with Him in prayer. The power mentioned throughout this chapter will only be realized through prayer. Stop looking to man to get help and go to God through prayer. Every time you get an answer to prayer, you will see your faith in God grow. You will never acquire a faith that stands on its own without prayer.

Fourth, they needed to judge to grow their faith. This is interesting because most don’t see this as a part of spiritual growth, but it is. Paul said in verse 15, “But he that is spiritual judgeth all things…” In other words, your faith cannot grow without judging. A strong faith will judge what is right and wrong. It will judge with whom you should associate and with whom you should not associate. Having Scriptural discernment to judge keeps the Christian from going into sin or being associated with someone who will cause them to fall away from the truth.

The key to all of this is to keep your eyes on Christ. Friend, stop looking to man to validate your faith and keep your eyes on Christ. You will never have a faith that stands on its own two feet until you start doing these four things. These four things will force you to focus on Christ which will build a faith that can stand on its own two feet.

Proverbs 2:10-11
“When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:”

“Hast thou considered my servant Job…?” This was the question God asked Satan in Job 1:8, when He talked about Job’s testimony. Satan responded by saying, “Hast not thou made an hedge about him…?” Satan knew that he could not get to Job because of the hedge or shield of protection God placed about him.

This is what God is teaching in the verse above. God says that when a person allows wisdom to enter into their heart, that He will give them “discretion” which will “preserve” them along life’s way. The “discretion” which God is talking about is discernment to know right from wrong. God says that this discretion will “preserve” them. The word “preserve” is talking about a hedge like Job had about him. When a person gets wisdom, it will give them discernment which will be a hedge of protection about them to keep them from being harmed.

The question we must ask is this, from what are we being protected? This wisdom will deliver them from the evil man who tries to teach them things which will lead them away from God. In other words, wisdom will keep a person from the one who will lead them astray spiritually and morally.

Getting wisdom is truly what one must strive to obtain. The wisdom God is talking about is His Word. Verse 1 says, “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;” God didn’t say if we would receive the words of some theologian, but He says if we would receive His words. He enforces this in verse 6 when He says, “For the LORD giveth wisdom…” This is exactly what God says in James 1:5 when He says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” You do not gain God’s wisdom by reading the books of those who don’t use God’s Word as their authority, but you gain God’s wisdom by reading the Scriptures. The Scriptures are the source from where you will gain God’s wisdom which will give you the discernment to protect you from paths that will lead you astray.

Friend, the one action that will protect you from ever going astray is to stay in the Word of God and study it. The person who searches God’s Word as one searches for silver or hidden treasures will gain the wisdom they need in life to gain the discernment needed for protection. You won’t gain this wisdom by a casual reading every day, but you must search the Scriptures and study them if you are going to gain this wisdom.

Let me ask you, how much time do you spend in the Scriptures? If you truly want to be protected from sin or going astray, then you need to make the Scriptures your sole resource book to gain God’s wisdom. The Word of God is your source of wisdom you need to study to protect you from ever straying from the old paths. Let this be your reminder to daily search the Scriptures.

Romans 11:4
“But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.”

One of the things that we must always remember about those whom God used greatly in the past is that they were people who had struggles and feelings just like us. When Elijah was praying for Israel, he felt that he was the only one who took a stand for God. He said, “I am left alone, and they seek my life.” It was at that point when God reminded him that there were “…seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.”

Elijah fell for the same discouraging tactic that Satan throws at each of us in that he felt he was the only one who was fighting for truth. The Scriptures don’t tell us why the seven thousand men didn’t show up when he challenged the four hundred prophets of Baal, all we are told is that they had not compromised their faith in God. There are some lessons we need to take from this verse that will help us from becoming a Christian who thinks that we are the only one who is standing for truth.

First, there are far more who want to do right than there are who have chosen to do wrong. What is interesting about this story is that there were only four hundred prophets of Baal, but there were seven thousand who had not bowed the knee. One thing you must always keep in mind is that the four hundred tend to have louder voices than the seven thousand. The seven thousand are busy serving the LORD. The seven thousand are busy helping others get their lives back together. You are not alone in serving God. The prophets of Baal may portray you as a minority, but they’re only doing so because they are losing the battle and they know it.

Second, just because the seven thousand couldn’t come to Elijah’s revival meeting at the top of the mount didn’t mean they were not standing. We tend to acquire a martyr’s mentality because our meetings are not as big as we think they should be. Moreover, we tend to think people are not standing for truth because they didn’t come to our conference or meeting. You must be careful about judging one’s motives for not attending. We don’t know why they didn’t come, but they had not bowed the knee. Likewise, you don’t know why people don’t attend your meetings, but that doesn’t mean they are not standing.

Third, when you think you are alone, always remember that you’re not alone. There are many people who are still standing for truth who you just don’t know about. God knows where they are and what they are doing. You need to stay focused on your world because your influence on them will only continue if you continue to stand for truth without wavering.

Let me encourage you not to fall into self-pity. Stay busy serving the LORD. The Devil will magnify those four hundred voices to make you feel that you are alone in an attempt to shame you and silence your voice. Don’t let his tactic stop you from doing right. When you are tempted to start feeling sorry for yourself because of loneliness, just look up to God  and ask for His encouragement, remember the seven thousand who didn’t bow the knee and continue doing what you are supposed to do.

Numbers 22:34
“And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.”

The old cliché, “If it were a snake it would bite you” could have been said about Balaam. It is amazing how something so obvious can be so hard to see. The animal which Balaam rode could see the angel of God, but he was blinded to his presence. What could have been a deadly encounter because of his blindness was averted because the donkey on which Balaam rode knew to get out of the way. What was it that caused Balaam not to see the angel of the LORD?

First, his mind was already made up. It didn’t matter what the LORD put in front of Balaam, he already made up his mind. It was obvious from the first time Balak’s servants came that Balaam was not supposed to go with them, but because he already made up his mind he could not see what the LORD was trying to tell him. Many Christians miss God’s message to them in the Scriptures or the sermons they hear because they have their minds made up. If you want to hear God speak or see Him work through your life, then you are going to have to lay aside your desires and have an open mind for the LORD to speak to you. I have personally found that God’s leading is very obvious, but I cannot see it when my mind is closed to His leading. Don’t be closed-minded to the LORD; instead, be open-minded to Him.

Second, he spiritualized his decision to make it feel right. It didn’t matter what God said, he had a “spiritual” answer to justify why it was right. We can want something so bad that it doesn’t matter how plain God’s Word is, we will find something in the Word of God and twist it to justify our desires. Spiritualizing something is saying the end justifies the means. You can spiritualize anything you want to do, but that doesn’t make it right. The only reason you spiritualize what you know is wrong is for the sake of appeasing your own conscience. The problem is that when you grieve the Holy Spirit, you will always know you are doing wrong. How you do something is just as important to God as the results you are trying to obtain. Spiritualizing the result doesn’t make the wrong means of getting there right.

Third, his desire for money and acceptance blinded him to God’s presence. The driving factor in Balaam’s life, to be accepted by the powerful and to have money, caused him not to see the obvious presence of God’s angel. When you are desirous of being accepted by the powerful crowd, you will find it hard to see the LORD speaking in your heart. Friend, rarely will you find yourself doing right when you are with the powerful crowd. The reason is because your eyes are on man and not God. The powerful crowd may or may not be right, but the desire to be with them will cause you to take your eyes off God.

Are you missing the LORD’s presence in your life because of these things? Keep your eyes on God and an open your mind to the Holy Spirit, and you will find that His presence will be clearly seen in your life. It is not hard to see or hear God when your eyes and ears are open to His voice. Turn off the voices of the world, keep your eyes on God and you will hear His voice and see His presence.