By David Cranford “We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the LORD has punished him for the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6, CSB) Slick Willie Sutton was an infamous bank robber. Estimates are that he stole over 2 million dollars from banks during his career. A reporter asked Slick Willie, “Why do you rob banks?” Slick Willie reportedly said, “I rob banks because that’s where the money is.” Although he later denied saying it, nobody can deny his logic, which came to be known as “Sutton’s law.” The simplest answer to the question “Why did Jesus come to earth on that first Christmas?” is that Jesus came to earth because that’s where the need is. “What love is this?” It is a love that is prescribed to meet our deepest personal need. Just as medicine is prescribed to meet our physical illness, Jesus the Savior is prescribed to meet our spiritual illness. Jeremiah was crushed by the condition of his people. “I am broken by the brokenness of my dear people. I mourn; horror has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? So why has the healing of my dear people not come about?” (Jeremiah 8:21–22, CSB) Can’t you shake your head and agree with Jeremiah? Aren’t … [Read more...]
Christmas can be hard
Christmas can be hard. But it also can be good even when circumstances are difficult. Life is filled with difficulties. The circumstances of life sometimes make any celebration–birthdays, holidays, etc–difficult. I remember so well as a teenager when someone close to me was killed in a traffic accident. I couldn’t get over the fact that life for most people went on. How could they be happy when we were so sad? Those kind of events and the feelings associated with them make the holidays hard. What should you do during difficult times? First, worship the risen Christ. His story is the only story of hope for all human beings. While you may not be able to laugh through the holidays, you can worship through the holidays, knowing that God sent His Son to give us hope in the midst of difficult times. Second, spend as much time as possible with other people. For the most part, once you get past your teenage years, Christmas celebrations are about Christ and the people around us. Don’t isolate yourself. Spend time with as many people as possible. Third, take advantage of Christmas celebrations, especially those celebrations that exalt Christ and remind us of His birth. For First Baptist Church, we will have … [Read more...]
A great question
By Steve Horn In the story of Elijah’s epic showdown with King Ahab—which in reality is a showdown between Yahweh, the one true God, and Baal—Elijah asks a great question. “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If Yahweh is God, follow Him. But if Baal, follow him.” (1 Kings 18:21) I see four things about this question. This is a question for every generation. Choosing to follow God or not is a question of every generation and every person. Every single one of us must choose. This is a question of our own discipleship. The choices are clear, and we must make a clear and decisive choice. We cannot waiver in our decision. This is a question that directs our evangelism. In pointing people to Christ, we must point them to a decision. We cannot just talk about Jesus; we must call people to make a choice regarding Jesus. This is not a question that automatically gets a response. It didn’t for Elijah for the rest of the verse says, “But the people didn’t answer him a word.” Pray for someone today who needs to make a decision for Christ! Steve Horn is senior pastor of the First Baptist Church, Lafayette. This editorial first appeared on his blog. … [Read more...]
Confidence in Christ
By David Jeremiah EL CAJON, California (BP) - Our days are fleeting; they may end before the next sunrise. Yet God's children are never insecure. The Bible says of us, "We are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.... We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). We cannot be confident in everyday life if we aren't confident of eternal life. To be self-confident, we must be Christ confident, and that means being certain of His love for us both today and tomorrow. God has placed eternity in our hearts, and that's why secularism can't erase heaven and hell from people's minds. Most Americans still believe in heaven and hell. According to findings published by LifeWay Research, 60 percent of Americans believe there is a heaven, while 54 percent believe hell is a real place where certain people will be punished forever. The Barna Group, drawing from its surveys, stated, "Many adults believe, however, that they will go to heaven as a result of their good works. Broadly speaking, this is the most common perception among Americans who have never made a commitment to Jesus -- and it is also … [Read more...]
God’s path to blessing: study His Word
By Rick Warren “Blessed is the one . . . whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers” (Psalm 1:1-3 NIV). The Bible is more than just a book you put on your shelf. It’s a pathway to God’s blessing.Over and over in God’s Word, we’re told that studying and applying the Bible leads to blessing. For example, the Bible says, “Blessed is the one . . . whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers” (Psalm 1:1-3 NIV). What does it mean to meditate? Some people think it means to put your mind in neutral and contemplate the lint on your navel as you say, “Ommmmmm.” But that’s not what meditation is! Meditation is seriously thinking about something. You meditate on God’s Word when you read a verse, think about what it means, and ask yourself how you could apply it to your life. Doing this, Psalm 1:1-3 says, is like planting deep roots into the ground. … [Read more...]
Stay far from temptation by staying close to God
By Waylon Bailey The Apostle James prepared the people of his day and all those believers who have followed after to resist the devil and to live for God in a culture that opposes God. He gave amazing advice which fits any people at any time (James 4:7-10). "So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites. . . .When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor." Today I want us to look at the relationship between drawing near to God and resisting the Devil. James’ epistle makes that plain. To be close to God is to resist the devil and not to fall under his schemes. On the contrary, when we think ourselves sufficient apart from God we place ourselves in a very dangerous and precarious position. John Kincaid notices this association as well: “Resist the devil by drawing near to God; Satan doesn’t like to be close to God.” That makes so much sense. Of course, Satan does not like being close to God. To be in the presence of God is to be far from the devil and his desire to destroy us. When Jesus resisted the devil in the … [Read more...]
An open display of the truth
By David Cranford “Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful things, not acting deceitfully or distorting the word of God, but commending ourselves before God to everyone’s conscience by an open display of the truth.” (2 Corinthians 4:2, CSB) I was reading a devotion today and I came across a phrase in 2 Corinthians 4:2: “an open display of the truth.” I had one of those aha! moments and immediately thought, “that’s exactly what our culture needs – an open display of the truth!” It seems to me, or maybe it is a bit of wishful thinking, that the truth hasn’t disappeared, it has just gone underground in our culture. We’ve become afraid of proclaiming it and standing for it. Extremists and their groups have become so good at attacking anyone who disagrees with their propaganda that we’re a bit paralyzed, even though truth is on our side. Goebbels would be so proud. While we may not openly proclaim and stand for the truth as we ought, we still hold to it in many of our congregations and homes, or at least I hope we do. The only thing fit for public consumption is lies, half-truths, and deception. I’m reminded of Isaiah 5:20: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and … [Read more...]
Can I change my disposition?
By Waylon Bailey Can I change my disposition? I’m sure you’ve heard someone protest how they cannot change. Usually, they say something like this. “You have to take me the way I am. I can’t change. That just the way I am.” Is that true? Is it impossible to change? Are we destined for impatience, frustration, anger, and bitterness? Or, is it possible that God can do in my life what seems impossible to me? The Bible gives every indication that you are not stuck with the same old way that you’ve always been. What does the Bible say about change? First, the Bible is clear that to be “in Christ“ means to be a new creation. Being saved isn’t about trying harder or reforming our image. To be in Christ is to be made new. “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old passed away; behold, new things have come“ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Second, the Bible says that we have been given the Spirit of Jesus to work within us. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work within us. When you think about that power, you must say, “I do not have to be the way I have always been.” Third, God produces fruit in the life of a Christian. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, … [Read more...]
Learn to be a better listener
By Rick Warren ”The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out” (Proverbs 20:5 NIV). If you want your prayers to be effective, you need to learn to be a good listener. Why? Because prayer is a conversation. While you may not hear God’s voice when you pray, he has still given you the Holy Spirit and Scripture to know how he wants you to live and to encourage you. But most of us are too busy, and we talk too much to really hear and understand what God—and others—may be trying to tell us.You may think you’re already a good listener. But there’s a big difference between hearing and listening! Hearing is simply the vibrations that take place in your ear. Listening is how you decode those vibrations in your brain. Many times I’ve heard my wife, my kids, or someone at church say something—but I didn’t listen. Listening is a skill. And if you’re going to be effective in your prayer life—and in all your relationships—you must develop it. Here are four tips to become a better listener. 1. Withhold judgment and criticism from the start. Don’t evaluate until you’ve heard and comprehended it all. I’ll admit that this isn’t natural. When someone else is talking and you hear something you … [Read more...]
No ‘ifs’ in our victory over Satan
By Steve Horn Horatio Lord Nelson lived from 1758-1805. The son of a clergyman, he joined the British Royal Navy when he was 12 years old. He became a Captain when he was 20. He was heralded as a daring leader who won many a victory for the British. One of his greatest victories was over the French during the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon planned to invade Egypt so to restrict Britain’s trade routes. On August 1, 1798, Nelson came upon the French Navy in the waters near Alexandria, Egypt, in what would later be referred to as the Battle of the Nile. Upon spotting the French warships, one of Nelson’s men said, “If we succeed, what will the world say?” Nelson immediately responded, “There is no if in the case. That we shall succeed is certain!” As believers in Jesus Christ—that we will succeed is certain! There is no “if.” But, we live like there is an “if.” We act like there is an “if.” In Ephesians 6:10-18, we are reminded that we are in a battle. The battle is real. The battle is intense. The battle is with a powerful enemy, Satan, who is out to destroy us. But, I don’t see the “if.” I see the victory, and the source of our victory is our faith. According to verse 16, we are to “in every situation, take the shield of faith.” … [Read more...]
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