Unsustainable Good

Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. 

--Exodus 18:17-18

Moses was surrounded by people who needed him. Sound familiar? These emancipated Jews had problems with each other and they required a mediator. Moses had personally received wisdom from God. So, this leader, hand-picked by the Almighty, settled the disputes of angry, hurt, and confused individuals. “From morning till evening,” Moses was knee-deep in the troubles of others. He was “all in.” He alone was bearing the weight of being the community’s peacemaker.

After a short time, Jethro, Moses’ paw-in-law, saw where all of this inter-mediation was headed. Moses could not keep this up. While Moses had the proper motivation, his method was unsustainable. One person cannot do it all. Moses was human and so are you.

At times, you and I are “all in” doing our best to help others. We care about people. So, we seek to be there for them. We are open 24/7 expressing the love of God, soothing hurts, and extinguishing fires for distressed souls. However, working alone will wear us out and ministering solo robs others of the blessing of serving. God can use others to meet the needs of people. Do not be afraid to ask others for help.  

(This above was included in a collection of devotions written for Servants Alive Ministries.) 

Will He Find Faith?

I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”  Luke 18:8

During World War II, John and Carl Gray faithfully served their country. Their devoted military service carried the two brothers from rural North Mississippi to Luzon, an island in the Philippines. In 1945, under the leadership of General Douglas MacArthur, John and Carl participated in the campaign to reclaim the island from the Japanese. The campaign was successful. Unfortunately, John was killed in action and Carl died of wounds he received in the battle.

As I ponder the ultimate sacrifices of my great uncles, I wonder if they would be proud of the manner in which I have used the freedom they helped secure. Sometimes it is as if I hear them saying, “Philip, I didn’t die in order for you to act like an idiot.”

My uncles cannot return from eternity, but Jesus has promised he will return. He once asked “When the Son of Man returns, will He really find faith on the earth?” What would Jesus find if he returned today? Would he find you faithfully serving him or would He find you acting like an idiot, neglecting the freedom He purchased with his blood? Do not forget the sacrifice Christ made for you. He deserves your faithfulness.

(The above devotion was included in a collection published by Servants Alive Ministries.)

Contradicting Confessions

And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”  But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”   Acts 10:13-14

Peter was never shy in expressing his opinion. When Jesus asked His disciples who people were saying He was, Peter boldly declared “You are the Christ, Son of the Living God.” Jesus affirmed his answer and that Peter had received this insight from God. On the other hand, when Jesus declared He was going to Jerusalem to die, Peter adamantly declared he would never let anyone kill Him. This time Jesus reprimanded Peter by saying “Get behind me Satan.”

As Jesus predicted, during the arrest and trial of Jesus, Peter denied Christ three times. Yet, after the resurrection of Jesus, Peter boldly preached the Gospel and say the Holy Spirit descended upon the Jews, resulting in the salvation of 3000 souls.

In another episode of Peter’s up and down spiritual journey, he received a vision from God. When he was told to “Rise, Peter, kill and eat,” the crusty fisherman said, “By no means, Lord.” The term “Lord” is used to declare God’s dominion over the world. So, Peter contradicted himself by saying “no” to God and at the same time expressing God’s sovereignty over all. He would later change his mind and follow the directions of God. Then, he was used to declare the Gospel to gentiles and the Holy Spirit descended upon them just like he had been given to the Jews.

What about you? Are you saying “no” to God and at the same time calling him LORD? If so, how do you need to change in order to erase this contradiction.  

(The above was included in a collection of devotions published for Servants Alive Ministries.)

Focused on Prayer

In the recently released movie War Room, Tony and Elizabeth Jordan face severe marriage struggles. But their lives take an unexpected turn when Elizabeth meets the resilient Miss Clara who challenges Elizabeth to establish a prayer “war room” and a battle plan of prayer for her family. As Miss Clara wisely says, “Victories don’t come by accident!”
 
The Bible challenges us to “Pray without ceasing.” A prayerful spirit should characterize followers of Jesus. In 2016, I am resolving to continue to pray even more intentionally this year. I pray you will as well. With this in mind, for whom shall we pray? I believe David’s words in Psalm 122:6-9 reveal to us a focus for our prayers in six areas.
1. Country- Military Leaders (v.6a) “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:” We should pray for Israel as the Bible states. However, just as “Jerusalem” faces threats of terror, the USA faces these threats as well. May God protect and guide the men and women who voluntarily serve our nation’s military.
2. Commerce- Business Persons (v. 6b) “May they prosper who love you.” May our economy be characterized by Biblical Ethics and fair labor practices. We should pray that Christian business persons be successful.
3. Crime- Law Enforcement Officers (v.7a) “Peace be within your walls,” Daily, local law enforcement officers take risks to protect property and persons in our towns and county. Individuals who serve on our police forces and through the Sheriffs Department need and deserve our intercessions.
4. Capital- Governmental Leaders (7b) “Prosperity within your palaces.” Pray for those national, state, county, and city governments. Only God’s wisdom can help our leaders solve the complex problems of our society.
5. Companions- Our Neighbors (v.8) “For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, ‘Peace be within you.’” We must pray our neighbors will develop a personal relationship with Jesus, the real peacemaker. A helpful website that can assist you in intentionally praying for your neighbors is Pray4everyhome.com. The site reveals the names of your neighbors and gives you a plan for praying for them.
6. Churches- Communities of Faith (v.9) “Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek your good.” Pray for all churches in our community. As a way to facilitate prayers for the churches of JCBA, the Calendar of Events listed in the newsletter will list 3 or 4 “Churches of the Month” who can be the focus of intercessions.
 
While many decry our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, the paramount hindrance to our peace is dependence upon ourselves. We need God to help us deal with our problems. He has provided the remedy for our sinfulness in the person of Jesus Christ. May our nation be a nation of praying people seeking and serving God.