Devotionals from Dad

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Many Christians believe that the most important part of our devotion to God takes place from the chin up. We focus on gaining more head knowledge. We study scripture. We pray. We attend Sunday school. While knowledge of the scriptures is very important for spiritual growth, physical health is also important, because it allows you to better serve God and live a fulfilling life. How much does God want me to care for my physical body? Good question... What do the scriptures say about caring for your physical body? 

1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 ESV Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 

I love food. There are very few things that I do not enjoy eating. It is so easy to become enslaved to food. A sweet treat has immediate reward and delayed consequences. A piece of my favorite pie gives me immediate satisfaction, but it doesn't have immediate consequences. After eating a piece of pie my waist size does grow immediately. My pants are not instantly to small. However, if I was to eat a pie a day over an extended period of time I am going to get fat. The opposite is true as well. Exercise has an immediate consequence and a delayed reward. If I exercise my muscles will ache. The pain will be almost instant, but the reward of continued exercise is delayed. I must exercise every day for a long period of time in order to lose weight, gain strength and stamina. Many people are over weight and unhealthy because they're enslaved to food. They eat too much and they exercise too little. They have heart attacks and get diabetes. 

1 Corinthians 3:17 ESV If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. 

If your health is poor, then you will lack the strength you need to serve God. Everything we do reveals the condition of our hearts. Yes, even the things we choose to eat and drink can say a lot about how we honor God. If it matters to be disciplined about reading the Bible and praying, it matters to stay healthy. I don’t believe that God is calling all of us all to be muscle bound athletes in perfect health. But we have all been given living, breathing bodies. Our bodies are gifts from God. You wouldn’t trash a precious gift from a good friend, would you? So, in the same way, you shouldn't trash your bodies. God calls us to do our best with the gift he has given us. Some of us are given near perfect health and others have health challenges. No matter where you are, steward this gift well. The Bible has a lot to say about healthy living and how our health can honor God. Again, all the gifts God has given us are meant to honor him. So, we can and should honor him with our bodies. 

Third John 1:2 ESV Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 

Ultimately, our lives are meant to honor and glorify God. Getting up each morning and choosing wholesome food to eat, exercising, and taking care of our physical health honors God. As Christians, the Holy Spirit dwells within our bodies. Finally, this is the only body we have. We do not get another one. Our bodies cannot be replaced. We should value all that God has given us and steward it well. Treat your body well and give thanks to God for this beautiful gift. Because Every Body Matters!!!

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New year resolutions come around like clockwork. Every year, folks decide they are going to make big changes in their life. Some common resolutions are: to eat healthier, lose weight, exercise more or to finally tackle that mess in the garage. Despite our best intentions, most of us will give up on our new year's resolutions after only 17 to 18 days into the new year, according to a study by the, Resolution Clinic. By Valentines Day our New Years resolutions are little more than a fond memory. Oddly enough, one resolution I have never heard anyone say yet is a commitment to not change. It seems that we are so busy looking for things to fix we forget that some things are perfect. God, unlike humans, is completely without flaw, possessing perfect love, wisdom, justice, and power, and that this perfection is a source of comfort and security, allowing us to trust in His goodness even when we face challenges in our own imperfect lives.

Psalm 18:20 ESV This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. 

Being perfect, God is the standard by which everything else is measured. It would be impossible for God to be imperfect, because that would mean that another standard has found a flaw in Him. But whose standard would that be, certainly not that of a man? Can creation be greater than its creator? If there is another standard higher than God’s standard, then that means God is subject to judgment by something else, by someone else, making that other thing or person a god. Humanity often tries to elevate its own opinions above God’s decrees, God's word, implying that He is flawed. Any time someone says, “If I were God, I would do such and such” or “If I were God, I would never do this or that,” he reveals his own haughty spirit, not the imperfection of God. When we judge God by our own standards, we are in effect placing ourselves on His throne. 

Deuteronomy 32:4 ESV The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

When we evaluate some of God’s actions from our own perspective, we unwittingly set ourselves in judgment over God. That is a dangerous position to hold because God is our judge; we are not His! We must relinquish our perceived right to judge and approve of God’s methods. When we begin our quest for understanding with the premise that God is right, and we are wrong, we gain greater insight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 

God is perfect; we are not. But when He saves us, the Holy Spirit moves in and begins to transform our imperfections. God’s goal is that we become, conformed to the image of His Son. Although we know we will never attain absolute perfection in this fallen world, He wants us to pursue it. So this year when you consider making your New Years Resolution do your best to make resolutions that will better align your life with the only one that is perfect and needs to make no changes what so ever. The Unchangeable creator God.

Isaiah 40:8 ESV The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. 

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When I was growing up it was just a given fact that on Sunday morning we would be attending Sunday School and Church. The same is true for my Father and his family. My grandparents and my fathers and his 7 siblings went to great efforts to be in church on Sunday morning. When my father was a boy the road to his home was dirt and sometimes it was very difficult to travel, but that did not stop his family from attending church. I remember seeing a photo of my father, his parents and siblings all piled on an old Ford tractor because that was the only vehicle that was capable to making it down the muddy road to his church. The same is certainly not true today. Most of us live on well maintained roads, even paved roads, but if it is a bit to cold or snowy we use the weather as an excuse to not attend church. God forbid there is a sporting event on a Sunday morning or any other form of entertainment we may be interested in, because it often will given a higher priority than attending church and worshiping our Savior. In January 2018, Christian researcher, George Barna, stated that Generation Z, those born between 1999–2015, is the first truly post Christian generation. According to current trends there is and increasing number of religiously unaffiliated individuals within the younger generation. There is a strong possibility that within one generation, those who believe in God could significantly decline, leading to a society where a substantial portion of people no longer identify with traditional religious beliefs. The world we live in today is facing a crisis of unbelief. 

2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 

The family is the backbone of the culture. The family is the educational unit God set up to pass on a spiritual legacy to the next generation and to impact the world for Him in the next generation. It only takes one generation to lose the spiritual legacy, and the devil knows this. That’s why the family has come under incredible attack. Sadly, there is now a generation of kids have been taught through the education system, media, the internet, and movies that the Bible is a book of mythology, man is just an animal, and morality is relative. 

Proverbs 29:18 ESV Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law. 

We live in a time where we this is happening. The younger generations are casting off restraint. Their guidance in life is to do those things which brings them pleasure. They put themselves first and believe that self gratification is the most important and life is whatever they can get out of it right now. They rebel against God, and they do whatever they can to justify doing whatever they want to do. 

2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 

Notice that the verse in Proverbs finishes with, blessed is he who keeps the law. People will not be happy until they are obeying God’s law. Even though we live in a world that faces a crisis of unbelief there is hope if you place your faith in God. It is time to get back to the foundational belief in the holy word of God. The truth found in the bible!

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You've probably been there. Maybe it's a prayer group, and you are a very small group to begin with. It's time to start and several members of your group are still missing, so you go ahead and start the meeting, perhaps saying that Christ has promised if even where only two or three are gathered together, He will be with you. 

Matthew 18:20 ESV For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. 

My difficult question to you is this. Does this verse mean that if I am alone in my home or office in my personal prayer time that God is not there, because there are not 2 or 3 of faithful gathered together? I am sure that we have all had moments in our lives when we felt like God was nowhere to be found? I know I have. When I was burying my second infant son in a little over 1 year after I had buried my first infant son, I was in such a fog of depression! I felt like God was so distant, so far away and I was all alone. However the truth is no matter where we are or what we’re going through, God is always with us. 

Jeremiah 23:23-24 ESV Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord. 

The truth is there is no place where God is not. Wherever you go, wherever you are, God is there. We can take comfort in knowing that God is always nearby. In our most isolated moments, God is there, fully present, fully aware, and fully engaged. When life feels overwhelming, or when we’re tempted to believe that you are alone in your struggles, you can rest assured that God is right there with you, never distant, never unaware. We can talk to him anywhere, knowing he hears us. So what can we do when we feel alone? Make it a point to remind yourself of God’s presence throughout your day. Whether you’re at work, school, or home, take a few moments to pause and acknowledge that God is right there with you. When you feel alone or overwhelmed, whisper a prayer, inviting him into your situation and trusting that he is already there, fully aware and fully present. We need to embrace the truth of God’s omnipresence and allow it to deepen our faith in Him. We can find peace in the reality that we are never alone. 

Psalm 139:7-10 ESV Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 

You can take comfort in knowing that God is always nearby. You can talk to him anywhere, knowing he hears you. Let’s embrace the truth of God’s omnipresence and allow it to deepen our relationship with him, finding peace in the reality that we are never alone. Here is a prayer you can use when you feel alone. Heavenly Father, thank you for always being with me, no matter where I go or what I face. Help me to be more aware of your presence in my daily life. When I feel alone or burdened, remind me that you are near, ready to listen and guide me. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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I have a photo of myself, my father and my nephew sitting on the porch of my fathers home. It is not hard to see that all three of us are closely related. My sister and my middle daughter also share a striking resemblance. I guess you can say the quote, “The nut never falls from from the tree,” is a very true statement. In my family, we all share some characteristics that define us as being a part of the Ellis family. In Genesis the bible tells us that we were created in the image of God. 

Genesis 1: 26 ESV Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 

So what exactly does that mean? In the Ellis family many of us have dark hair, a dark complexion and unfortunately we are usually a bit short and fluffy! So what are the characteristic's, that we as human beings, share with God? It certainly can't be the color of our hair or skin. The children's song, Jesus loves the little children, makes it clear that God's children come in ever color. The lyrics of the song say, “Jesus loves the little children. All the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white. They are precious in His sight.” So if we don't share the color of our hair or skin with God, Maybe it is something else. Do you think maybe God share the similar features such as 10 fingers, 10 toes, 2 eyes and 2 ears? Let us be clear, the bible says we were created by God in his image, so we did not evolve and have not ever evolved from lower forms of life. We were created directly by God to represent Him on the earth and have dominion over every other creation in His name.

Genesis 1: 27-28 ESV So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Having God’s image means we are fashioned to resemble and represent God on the earth. Some Christians like to say we are, Image bearers of God. Image and likeness are similar yet different terms. A person may be described as an exact copy of his parents, just like myself and my nephew are very image of my father. However, that similarity does not does no mean we are identical. To be like someone else means to possess many, but not all the characteristics of each other. Obviously, we don’t possess God’s omnipotence, His wisdom, righteousness, perfection, divinity, and so on. Having the image and likeness of God means, in simple terms, that we were made to resemble Him. The truth is that all humanity was created in the same image and likeness of God; all human beings reflect and express the image of God, unlike animals, plants and minerals. We possessed a special likeness to God for we are capable of developing a personal and spiritual relationship with Him. There are some basic attributes of human nature we have in our likeness with God, such as our intellect, our free will, and our capacity to relate. We are able to think in spiritual ways, acquire knowledge and wisdom. We have the ability to distinguish right from wrong and to make intelligent choices. Free will is another characteristic we share with God. We may use this freedom to worship God or to curse God. Through the Holy Spirits leading we are guided in the right direction, but He does not force us. While God is always reaching out to develop a relationship with us, it is us who choose to accept his invitation or not. Only humans are uniquely created in the image and likeness of God, distinguishing us from all other earthly creation. We were made like Him, so that we could be in relationship with Him—the one and only true God.

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Christmas is celebrated on December 25th and is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two thousand years, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus Christ. People in Europe celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. Many people rejoiced during the winter solstice, when the worst of the winter was behind them and they could look forward to longer days and extended hours of sunlight. In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from late December through January. In recognition of the return of the sun. Men would bring home large logs, which they would set on fire. The people would feast until the log burned out. The Norse believed that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year. In Germany, people honored the pagan god Oden in December. Germans were terrified of Oden! They believed he made flights through the night sky to observe his people, and then decide who would prosper or perish. Because of his presence, many people chose to stay inside. This is just a few ways that people celebrated the Christmas holiday in a secular manner.  n the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated at all. In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday. Pope Julius the first chose December 25. It was first called the Feast of the Nativity. The custom spread to Egypt by 432 and to England by the end of the sixth century. By holding Christmas at the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders hoped to increase the chances that Christmas would be popularly holiday. In the early 17th century, a wave of religious reform changed the way Christmas was celebrated in Europe. When Oliver Cromwell, a Puritan, took over England in 1645, he vowed to rid England of decadence and he canceled Christmas. The pilgrims, that settled America were English separatists they came to America in 1620. They were even more orthodox in their Puritan beliefs than Cromwell. As a result, Christmas was not a holiday in early America. From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston. Anyone exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five shillings. Christmas wasn’t declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870. What does the Bible say? Does the Bible give clear direction as to whether Christmas is a holiday to be celebrated? Some Christians do not celebrate Christmas because the holiday has become increasingly secularized. There’s really not much “Christian” about how most of the world celebrates on December 25th. Those Christians who do celebrate Christmas often see the festivities as an opportunity to proclaim Christ as “the reason for the season” and point to the virgin-born Savior of the world who came so humbly to Bethlehem. In the end, while there is no biblical mandate to celebrate Christmas. Whether to celebrate Christmas in traditional fashion is still just a personal decision. 
Romans 14: 5-6 ESV One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 
Whatever Christians decide to do regarding Christmas, their views should not be used as a club with which to beat down or denigrate those with opposing views. Neither should one’s view be used as a badge of honor inducing pride over celebrating or not celebrating. As in all things, we should seek wisdom from God, who gives it liberally to all who ask.
James 1:5 ESV If any of you lacks wisdom, let him

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For most of us we don't have to put much effort into thinking of someone that has either offended or mistreated us. The most frequent reaction to being mistreated is getting angry. When someone is mistreated, they often feel a sense of injustice and unfairness, that leads to an angry response. Other common reactions to being mistreated include: feeling hurt or upset, becoming resentful, withdrawing from others, anxiety or fear and difficulty trusting others. So what does the bible say about how we should react when someone has offended or mistreated us?

Luke 6: 27-28 ESV But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 

We live in a fallen world filled with fallen people, and we all experience mistreatment at one time or another. It’s important to remember that you’re one of those fallen people, too. Your first instinct might be to lash out against someone who has mistreated you. But before you do that remember, at some point in the not so distant past, you likely have been the one that has offended or mistreated someone. The normal worldly human response is to lash out or get even with the person that mistreated you. This is not a biblical response to mistreatment. So what did Jesus say we should do when we have been mistreated? What if that person that mistreated you was a fellow brother or sister in Christ. How then should we treat that person that has mistreated us?

Matthew 18: 15-17 ESV If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 

Jesus told his disciples, if your brother sins against you, go to them and talk to them in private. In other words keep this conversation between yourselves. If your brother or sister in Christ listens to you then you will have restored your relationship. This is a tremendous witness to the lost world which would rather harbor a grudge, than they would restore a relationship. But if the one-on-one approach doesn't work take one or two fellow brothers in Christ with you and make every effort to restore this relationship. If they still refuse to make amends well then treat them like a Gentile or a tax collector. The Jews treated Gentiles as unclean persons that had to be removed from the community. Tax collectors were hated in biblical times and were regarded as sinners. They were Jews who worked for the Romans, so this made them traitors. So this means that if someone offends or mistreats you, you confront them and the continue to refuse to make amends, then you can just turn your back on them and never speak to them again, right? I think it means exactly the opposite. I think it means, love him! Treat them with exceptional and unusual kindness! And keep on challenging them to be transformed into a faithful disciple of Jesus! Jesus treated tax collectors, not to mention prostitutes, thieves, and all other kinds of "undesirables" with love and respect. He didn't just talk to them for the purpose of encouraging them to get their act together. He invited them to have a personal relationship with him. So, exactly how did Jesus treat Gentiles and tax collectors? He healed the daughter of the Canaanite woman. He ate with sinners and tax collectors. He healed the Centurion’s servant. He even called a tax collector to be his disciple!!! Love them! Eat with them! Show them that you'll never give up on them! That's how people understand that they have been forgiven. Love your enemies!!!

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Every year around the Thanksgiving holiday you start seeing lists of things that people are thankful for on social media. Common things you see people expressing thanks for include: family, friends and neighbors, health, their home and car, their job, food, pets, freedom of religion, a loving spouse, grand parents and even their favorite dessert on the Thanksgiving table. Have you ever thought about being thankful for troubles? I doubt you have. Why would you ever be thankful for troubles in your life? Simply put if it were not for the difficulties in life the the lowest valley's in your life how would we ever be able to recognize how great the blessing, the mountain top moments in our life are!

 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 ESV Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 

But is this realistic or even possible? How can we be thankful for trouble! The answer is yes, you can be thankful for difficult days. Even the days that seem unbearable! In order to thankful for the troubles in our life we must understand why we should be thankful. For example, the death of your spouse or a diagnosis of cancer is a terrible life altering moment. Cancer or the death of a loved one is a most difficult moment, that may even seem evil and we aren’t called to be thankful for things that are evil. But you can be thankful that God has promised to be with you, even when life isn’t the way you wish it were.

Hebrews 13:5 ESV Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

As crazy as this might sound, you can come to the place where you can be genuinely thankful for all of the pain, difficulty and loss you have experienced, even the searing pain of the loss of a loved one. No matter how much you have suffered, you can look back on the way God has used your desperation to make you more dependent on him and for that you can be deeply grateful. I’ve discovered that being thankful for pain is a hard concept to grasp because I live in the United States of America, a country which has convinced us that the pursuit of happiness and comfort is our inalienable right. The Declaration of Independence states that all people are endowed with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Therefore, when our comforts, conveniences, and cushions are threatened, we cry foul. This has deeply affected our understanding of what it means to give thanks and the types of things we are to be thankful for. In Second Corinthians Paul ask God three times to remove the thorn in his flesh.

2 Corinthians 12: 7-8 ESV So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 

To be thankful for our comforts only is to make an idol of this life. God-sent afflictions, have a health-giving effect upon the soul, because they are the medicine used to purge you of self centeredness. Pain and the troubles of this life, sharpens us, matures us, and gives us clear eye-sight. Pain transforms us like nothing else can. If we are perfect and complete, we won't think we need God! So during this season of Thanksgiving don't forget to be thankful for the troubles God has given you! 

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When I was a kid I used to watch the sitcom called “Hogan's Heroes.” The sitcom was about a group of men that were prisoners of war in a world war II German prison camp. One of my favorite characters was Sargent Schultz. Schultz was constantly encountering evidence that inmates of his prison camp were actively conducting anti-German espionage and sabotage activities. He frequently feigned ignorance with the catchphrase, "I see nothing! I hear nothing! I know nothing!" No matter what Sargent Schultz did the prisoners seemed to have their way and accomplish whatever they wanted. This reminds me of God's irresistible grace. What is irresistible grace you ask? Irresistible grace is the doctrine that says God's grace and salvation cannot be resisted. When God determines to save a man, that man is saved! Neither that man himself nor the devil, nor the wicked world are able to prevent his salvation. Nothing can stand in the way of God's saving purpose. 

John 6: 44 ESV No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 

Simply put, the doctrine of irresistible grace refers to the biblical truth that whatever God decrees to happen, will come to pass,... even the salvation of individuals. Why does one person believe the gospel and another doesn't? Is it because one person is smarter, has better reasoning capabilities or possesses some other characteristic that allows him to realize the importance of the gospel message? Or is it because God does something unique in the lives of those whom He saves? If it is because of what the person who believes does, then in a sense he is responsible for his salvation and has a reason to boast. However, if the difference is solely that God does something unique in the hearts and lives of those who believe in Him and are saved, then there is no ground for boasting and salvation is truly a gift of grace.

Ephesians 2: 8-9 ESV For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 

Of course, the biblical answer to this question is that the Holy Spirit does do something unique in the hearts of those who are saved. To help me better comprehend “Irresistible Grace” and remember this concept I use the acronym, TULIP. TULIP stands for "Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. T or Total Depravity is the belief that humans are completely corrupted by sin. U is Unconditional Election, God chooses certain individuals for salvation without any merit or action on their. L is Limited Atonement, Jesus' death only atoned for the sins of those God has chosen to save. I is Irresistible Grace, When God extends grace to someone, they cannot resist it. P is Perseverance of the Saints, once saved, a person will remain saved and cannot lose their salvation. The doctrine of irresistible grace recognizes that the Bible describes natural man as “dead in his trespasses and sins.” Because man is spiritually dead, he must first be made alive or regenerated in order to understand and respond to the gospel message. The heart of irresistible grace is the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit takes a man dead in his trespasses and sins and gives him spiritual life so that he can recognize the unsurpassing value of God’s offer of salvation. Is there any hope for Christians without this doctrine? If it were up to the Christian to become saved, we would never be able to do it. You know yourself!!!! There is no power in me apart from God's grace. I see nothing! I hear nothing! I know nothing, I can do nothing on my own!!!

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Five year old little Johnny brought his shoe to his father, which he had gotten in a knot. Nobody can get a shoe string in a knot like little Johnny! Little Johnny's approach to getting the knot out is to pull the strings harder. Rather than bringing the shoe to his father earlier, he brings it later and the knot is so tiny and so tight that it is takes an act of God to get it undone. Little Johnny's father looked at him and said, son how many times have I told you that when you pull your shoe stings and the knot won't open up like it should, don't pull harder. It will only make the knot worse, to which Little Johnny replies, I pull harder on the strings because I think I can get it out, that's why I pull harder, dad. When you think about this concept of pulling harder on the knot,... isn't that the way it is with the child of God? We get our lives into a knot and we will not admit that it is a self made knot and so we pull harder and harder until it takes an act of God to get it out, to get our lives untangled! As children of God will we be held accountable for our actions, for the knots we get our lives into!!! The Bible is very clear that God will hold His people accountable before Him on the “day” of final judgment. 

 Matthew 12:36-37 ESV I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

Most of us have seen the children's demonstration of the toothpaste tube. The teacher explains that when they squeeze the toothpaste, it is like the words coming out of your mouth. Students are then asked to try to put every last drop of the toothpaste back in the tube. Finally, the teacher explains that just as the toothpaste can't all be put back in the tube, their words cannot be taken back once they've been said. The same analogy applies to all of us. And one day we will be held accountable for the careless words we speak. As Christians we do not think soberly enough, about this. We forget or neglect the fact that we will be held accountable for every word we say. We engage in flippant speaking, all the while thinking that no actual accounting will happen. The truth is that it will! Our words matter; they matter for eternity! 

Romans 14:12 ESV So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. 

Some Christians seem surprised, if not stunned, at the idea that they will have a day of accountability. What about God’s mercy and grace, they ask? I thought Jesus’ death in my place, cast all my sins and failures off my record. For what am I going to be held accountable? It is true by faith in Christ, we will not be accountable for the death penalty our sins deserve. On the other hand, Christians are called to follow Christ, become like him and to live obediently. Our habits of sinning are to diminish; our habits of living rightly are to increase. And, because we are responsible for cooperating with the Holy Spirit, being obedient, we will be held accountable to God for that obedient cooperation. Some future day, in the presence of Our Lord Jesus, we will be held accountable for our words and actions and all of it will become evident!

 1 Corinthians 3: 13-15 ESV Each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 

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