Devotionals from Dad

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Let me tell you a story about what happened to Joyce and I the other day. We were walking across the parking lot at Wal-Mart and I looked down and saw a $100 dollar bill. I thought to myself this must be my lucky day! But when I held it in my hand for a while the print didn't seem to be exactly right. Then after I held it a while longer I noticed the ink was starting to come off on my hands. That is when I realized it was a counterfeit. You know that so disgusted Joyce and I with money and turned us off so much that we went immediately to the bank and withdrew all our money. We took out our savings, absolutely every penny we had! Then we went out in the back yard put all our money in the fire pit and we had a bonfire. We burned it all, we said that does it, we are finished with money! Do you believe my story? I hope not! Unfortunately this is the way the world approaches Christians. They see someone that is a counterfeit Christian. Someone that lives one way on Sunday and another way the rest of the week and they say, “that does it for me! No more Christianity for me.” I am here to tell you that it is the counterfeit that proves the value of the real. Men don't counterfeit gum wrappers. They counterfeit $100 dollar bills. Why, because the $100 dollar bill has real value and the gum wrapper has no value. So it is the counterfeit that proves the value of the real thing.

2 Peter 2: 1-2 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them – bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 

During the early days of the church there was false prophets, counterfeit Christians. They were merchandisers, peddling their counterfeit version of the truth. Many people followed their depraved version of the truth. They were counterfeit Christians. We face the same thing in our churches today as they did in early days of the church. There are hypocrites in every age and every profession. Some doctors are quacks, but you don't stop going to the doctors when your sick. Some lawyers are shysters, but if you need legal advice you will still seek out a good lawyer. Some money is counterfeit but you don't throw away that which is real. Don't let some hypocrite, some counterfeit Christian keep you from knowing Jesus. It would be ridiculous for you to say, “well I am not going to church anymore because there is some hypocrites there.” When I hear someone say this my response is; the church is a not a shrine for the saint's, it is a hospital for sinners. I am sorry to tell you this, but my church is filled with hypocrites. Even one of the 12 apostles was a hypocrite. My friends I would rather spend a few years with some hypocrites in church that spend eternity with all of them in Hell!

Federal agents don’t learn to spot counterfeit money by studying the counterfeits. They study genuine bills until they master the look of the real thing. Then when they see the counterfeit money they recognize it. There is a clear parallel here to spiritual discernment. Just as the feds are responsible for recognizing counterfeit money, in the same way I am responsible for the bible teachings I accept and later share with others. It is my responsibility before God to inspect every teaching that comes my way. I should test each teaching that is presented to me, refusing to accept any that go against the plain teaching of Scripture. 

 1 Thessalonians 5: 19-22 NIV Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. 

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When I was raising my children they often told me that I was a slave driver and that all I ever did was make up crazy rules and work them to death. They didn't understand that the rules and tasks I was giving them were meant to build their character or to teach them a lesson. I must admit once in a while I would get tired of explaining myself to them and I would tell them, “Some day you will have children of your own and you do you can have you own slaves. Until then you are my slaves and you will do as I say!” I hate to admit it but when I was a child I also thought that my parents rules were only meant to limit my ability to enjoy life to the fullest. To enjoy all the world had to offer. I even thought many of the worlds rules were designed only to limit my ability to enjoy life in the fast lane. For example speed limits on the highway were only there to stop me from experiences the joy of driving at 100 plus miles per hour. Speed limits had nothing to do with my safety or the safety of others they were just there to force me to submit and rob me of the freedom to do as I pleased!

Little did I know when I was a rebellious teen that rules were meant for my good and that if I submitted to those rules I would be better off! Here is a story that will help me illustrate my point. There once was a locomotive, let's call him Thomas the train. Thomas drove up and down the tracks daily from the city of Gotham to Metropolis. Every day as he would make his journey he would check out the country side and wonder to himself what was out there beyond the rail road tracks. Thomas began to feel that the tracks were doing nothing but limiting his ability to see what more the world had to offer. Matter of fact he even felt imprisoned by the tracks. So one day he decided he was going to jump off the tracks and see all the wonders the world had to offer. Poor ole Thomas didn't get far however. As soon as he jumped off the tracks he found himself stuck in the grass of the field. He only got a very short distance before he realized the tracks were not a prison at all they were actually lifting him up, supporting him and giving him the freedom to travel and experience the world. In Thomas the trains case, submission to the rules actually gave him freedom. Submission to authority can be liberating. Following the rules or in this case, the train tracks, can even provide you freedom.

Hebrews 13:17 NIV Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you. 

We all have a lot we can learn about submission. Submission can be a very hard thing. When Jesus prayed for an alternative to the cross, he wanted another way so badly that he actually sweat blood. But, He chose to follow the Father’s plan even when it was hard! All of us should be incredibly grateful that He did! While submission can be hard, the plans of our heavenly Father always have our best interest in mind and they result in immense blessings. Many of us have freedom and safety on a level that first century Christians could barely dream of. And yet, if someone gets elected that we disagree with we, many of us treat them with massive disrespect. During election season, one very effective way to win is for the candidates to slander each other, to exaggerate the others flaws, and even to tell bold-faced lies. We ought to pray more for our political leaders, and complain about them far less. Our elected officials may not realize it but their authority is not of their own, it is granted to them by God!

Romans 13:1 NIV Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 

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How do you react when some one has done you wrong? Depending upon how hurtful the wrong is, in my mind, my reaction could vary from shrugged shoulders to outrage! Here is a story that demonstrates my point. Let's say your at church fellowship dinner and a member of the church comes up to you and says, “I told a lie about you and I am really feel bad about it, will you please forgive me?” Being a forgiving Christian you say, “thanks for asking forgiveness, I really appreciate that, don't worry about it brother, I forgive you!” You go one about your business as if nothing ever happened. Then 15 minutes later this same person comes up to you again and says, “ I did it again, I just told a lie about you, please forgive me.” This time your a little bit confused about why your fellow church member could so easily and quickly could have done this again, but they seem sincere enough so you once again you say, “your forgiven,” but this time your answer is short and to the point. Another short period of time later this same person comes to you again and once again it is the same story, “I told a lie about you and I am really feel bad about it, will you please forgive me?” This time your answer is a bit sharp and you respond with anger in your voice and say, “You better get your mouth under control brother, because I don't know how many more times I can forgive you like this!” With your response you elevate yourself to Judge and Jury and you're ready hand down a stiff sentence of guilty, you quickly turn your back on this person and walk away thinking to yourself, “Wow!” how can you have so little self control over your tongue and still call yourself a Christian? So how often should you forgive your brother in Christ? Peter asked this same question of Jesus, “Lord, how often shall my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Matthew 18:22 NIV Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 

 Jewish tradition stated that the teachers of the law limited the number of times one should forgive another person to three. Peter thinking that he was in line with Christ’s teachings on the Sermon on the Mount, doubled their amount of 3 times, then added 1 more time just for good measure. The truth is that forgiveness is not a matter of counting times, but an attitude of the heart. It is clear that the number itself is only symbolic. If the spirit of forgiveness moves the heart, a person will be as ready to forgive many times. I am so thankful that my wife has a forgiving heart because it is quite possible that if Jesus meant 70 times 7 as a literal number I may have exceeded even that number. Jesus told a parable to further demonstrate how we should forgive a brother in Christ. Jesus said: “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and children and all that he owned be sold to repay the debt. “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ “But he refused and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.” When the Master heard of it, he said, “‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Shouldn't you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 

Colossians 3:13 NIV Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord

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In my home I have a decorative sign that says: Faith is being sure of what we hope for and being certain of what we do not see! How does the world define faith. I think if you ask the average person what faith is they would say it is to believe in something you cant see, touch or even prove exist. It is just a gut feeling that something is real. According to the Oxford dictionary faith is: “A strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual anxiety rather than proof.” Websters dictionary has several definitions of faith. First, “allegiance to duty or a person, loyalty.” For example, they had lost faith in the company's president. Second, “a sincerity of intentions.” example, they acted in good faith. Third, “A belief and trust in and loyalty to God, belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion, a firm belief in something for which there is no proof.” Finally, “something that is believed with strong conviction, a system of religious beliefs.” The world may believe that as Christians we are putting are faith in the promises of the bible without any facts. That we are not making intelligent decisions. I am here to tell you that the opposite is true!!!

The Bible supports and confirms modern day science on an overwhelming number of subjects. The Biblical account of creation includes all known scientific elements: Time, Space, Matter, & Energy. These elements are reflected in the following descriptions: Time, “In the beginning”. Space, “God created the heaven.” Matter “and the earth.” Energy, “Then God said, let there be light.” The Bible also addresses the seasons and the clock-like precision of the heavenly bodies to measure time. 

 Genesis 1:14-16 NIV And God said, Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth. And it was so. God made two great lights the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 

The Bible describes the earth as a being round, a sphere held in place by gravity. Job 26:7 says “He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.” Isaiah 40:22 “He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers.” The bible and science also agree about the basic facts of meteorology. The Bible accurately describes the hydro-logic cycle which includes: evaporation, condensation, precipitation. 

Job 36: 27-28 NIV He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams; the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind. 

Both The Bible and science agree that the blood carries the life and health of a living being. Leviticus 17:11 says “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life…because the life of every creature is its blood. The late scientist, Albert Einstein, believed that science without religion was lame, and religion without science was blind. I believe that it takes far more “faith” to believe in the evolutionary myth, than it does to believe in the existence of God. In fact, evolution is based entirely on faith, because no facts or proof have ever been found to support it! You can easily look around you, and observe how intelligently, planned and executed everything in nature is.Faith in the the inspired word of God and is not only intelligent, it is based on facts.

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The first means of communication was the human voice but about 3,200 BC writing was invented in Iraq and Egypt. The next big step was the invention of the alphabet in what is now Israel about 1,600 BC. In the Ancient World, people wrote on papyrus or parchment. However, the Chinese invented paper in about 200 BC. The next major improvement in communication was the invention of printing. The Chinese invented printing with blocks in the 6th century. In the mid-15th century, Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, which made books much cheaper and allowed newspapers to be invented. In the early 19th century the recipient of a letter had to pay the postage, not the sender. Then in 1840, Rowland Hill invented the Penny Post. From then on the sender of the letter paid the postage. Cheap mail made it much easier for people to keep in touch with loved ones who lived a long way off. The telegraph was invented in 1837. A cable was laid across the British Channel in 1850 and after 1866 it was possible to send messages across the Atlantic. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876. Communication continued to improve in the 20th century, with the invention of radio and TV. By 1964 - 90% of all homes had a television. In the early 21st century the internet became an important form of communication. Now we use texting, cellphones and email messages. About 39% of Americans say they use their cell phones "a lot" to communicate. That compares with less than 10% of the population who said they used a home landline phone. 

What is your most frequent choice of communication. I must admit I use my cell phone to communicate much more frequently than I do the home phone and only 1 of my 3 children even have a land line phone in their home. I frequently use social media, private messaging and text to communicate. How would my life change if I spent as much time in prayer with God as I do texting my friends and family? Prayer is an essential part of a Christian’s life. There are many types of prayers in the Bible, for many different situations. How many times is the word pray in the Bible? The mention of prayer in the Bible depends on the translation you are reading. You will get 547 instances of the word pray in the King James bible. You get 322 references of the word pray and its variations in the English Standard Version Bible. 

Proverbs 15:29 NIV The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. 

There are over 650 prayers in the bible, and scripture records 25 prayers of Jesus. Jeremiah 29:12 says, then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. Colossians 4:2 says, devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, pray without ceasing. Romans 12:12 says Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. I could go on and on with verses in the bible that mention the importance of prayer. Prayer is an essential part of the Christian life. Prayer is our way of showing our gratitude and dependence on God, as well as a way to connect us with other Christians.

‍James 5:16 NIV Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 

Pick a time that works best for you where you can spend secret alone time with God, and when you leave that location remain in continual fellowship with Him as if you never left. Our lives should be one continual prayer. Be as quick to pray as you are to sent a text message!

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It seems like things happen almost every day that could cause worry and fear. The state of world, unrest and war, the economy, natural disasters and even unforseen fatal accidents. The bible tells us that despite what we see around us. Despite the chaos that surrounds us there is a strong arm that will not let us go. What would it take to shake your faith in God? For some of us it may take a great deal to shake your faith, but for others of us maybe it wouldn't take quite so much. For some a single difficult circumstance, an unforeseen heartache and maybe you would say, “God where are you?” Suddenly what you thought was an unshakable faith is shaken and you begin to question God. Recently the small community where I live has really been shaken. We have seen a natural disaster, a storm with winds near 100 miles per hour that destroyed a great deal of property and left many without electricity for several days. We have also faced a great deal of tragedy. In the short period of just a few weeks we have seen a fatal car accident that took the life of a 13 year old boy and seriously injured his parents and a UTV crash that took the life of a successful young man that was well respected and loved by the community. 

I was more fortunate than many because other than a few tree limbs the storm didn't do much damage at my home and I was only out of electricity for about 12 hours. However the fatal accidents really hit close to home for me because the young man who died in the UTV crash graduated from high school with my oldest daughter and the boy that lost his life in the car accident was near the same as age as my grandchildren. My heart aches for these families because it could have been my children or grandchildren. There are a lot of things in this world that are being shaken. God may be behind some of these things but much of it is doing of the devil. There are seasons for everything in life. I am here to tell you that if your life seems to be going well now then brace yourself because a tragedy could be just around the corner. Just like summer gives way to fall, fall turns into winter and then winters becomes spring, life is constantly changing but not always for what we perceive to be good.
Psalm 34: 17-18 NKJV The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
I went though a season in life that felt very overwhelming and it wasn't just a few days. I had a son that suffered from an known illness and died at 3 months old and then about a year later I had another son that was still born. If that was not enough my marriage fell apart and I became a single father trying to raise 3 girls on my own. All these troubles stretched out over a period of several years. I must say my faith was shaken to the core and during these years I didn't feel very close to God. Even when I felt my life was free falling God's arm was still hanging on to me. When I thought I was all alone God was still be my side. It was so hard to see then, but now that I am many years down the road I can see that God was still in control! God is the King of the universe, and His will is always accomplished. Nothing is too difficult for Him. He is the one who changes times and seasons. He is the one who predestines us according to His purpose, and nothing can separate us from His love. When the world around us is in chaos, we can trust that God has a plan that will prevail. When we feel like our life is on a roller coaster, we can steady ourselves by remembering that God is in control. His love for us is constant and never-ending, and nothing can separate us from His love.
Romans 8: 38 NLT And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow, not even the powers of hell can separate u

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Does this sound familiar? You get up in the morning, and you find yourself running from place to place all day without a break. Or you work all day, then have to take care of a million things around the house or with family in the evening. Maybe you run errands all weekend long. Perhaps you have a side job and work on in the evenings or on weekends. You know it’s important to take breaks and rest a bit, but you just have too much to do! Personally I have a hand written to do list of things that I think I must get accomplished immediately and I work at completing that list until I simply have no energy left. As I get older I have discovered that my mind is stronger than my muscles. In my mind I think I should still be able to do everything I did when I was in my twenties but my 57 year old body sometimes let me know that I am not 20 something!

The world is a chaotic busy place. Sometimes it may feel like you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. It is so easy to let the stress of bills, work, your health, family, friends, your children, even your grand children get you overwhelmed. Sometimes it feels like your so busy you will never be able to get caught up. I have even heard people say, “You can rest when your dead!” Many people are caught in the grind of work, family responsibilities and ongoing stress. The world is a stressful place! About 33 percent of people report feeling extreme stress, and up to 73 percent report that stress impacts their health. 

John 16:33 NIV “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 

For me to stop to take a break and rest is a huge trust issue, because in my mind I don't think that anyone else can accomplish the things I need to get done, at least not the way I think they should be done. No matter how busy you may be you must take a break and rest. Do you think you are greater than God, even God rested!

Genesis 2: 2-3 NIV By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. 

Some people don’t seem to believe taking a break is an option. Whether because of limited time, guilt or conflicting priorities, it may seem that taking a break is a misuse of time. However, this is merely a lie we tell ourselves. In Luke 10:38-42, we hear the story of two sisters, Mary and Martha. Martha is busy preparing everything for Jesus and Mary sits at his feet. When Martha inquires about getting Mary’s help, Jesus tells her that Mary chose what is better. It is okay to take a break and rest in God’s presence. The Bible warns us not to become lazy, but it also encourages finding rest for your soul in Jesus Christ. You may be wondering, “How do I refresh my soul and rest in God?” Here are some practical ways to find rest for your soul. First Pray. Take time to pray and slow your pace. Next remove distractions, shut off the TV, put down you cell phone or other electronic device. Limiting or removing distractions can help you focus on what is truly important. Bible study is a great way to rest. The Bible is full of stories of hope, peace and grace that we can all use during busy times. Practice thankfulness. Sometimes we focus so much on what we need to do next that we don’t forget to focus on God and all He has blessed us with. And last but certainly not least, “Be Still” It is important to just listen and be quiet. Go out in nature and enjoy the wonder of God. Be still in His presence!

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Every year 703,000 people take their own life and there are many more people who attempt suicide. Every suicide is a tragedy that affects families, communities and has long-lasting effects on the people left behind. Suicide can occur throughout a persons life no matter their age. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29 year-olds. Recently my daughter Sara called me to tell me that her friends from church, teenage daughter, had attempted suicide. She was on a field trip in Washington DC. Some of her peers had been picking on her to such an extent she felt her only solution was suicide. While the link between suicide and mental disorders is well established, many suicides happen impulsively in moments of crisis with a breakdown in the ability to deal with life stresses, such as financial problems, relationship break-up or chronic pain and illness or simply mean teenagers. But no matter how broken your life may be God can restore you.

In Ezekiel chapter 37, Ezekiel was led through a parched valley, he wondered how many lives had been lost. Everywhere he looked, there seemed to be endless piles of bones without any sign of life. 

A violent battle had taken place leaving many corpses behind, but decomposition and wild animals had taken their toll so that all that was left was dry bones. God asked Ezekiel, can these bones live? Ezekiel replied, Oh Lord God only you know. God told Ezekiel to prophecy over the bones. 

 Ezekiel 37: 7-10 NIV So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet a vast army.

There are 206 bones in the human body. If you brought me a box containing only 1 human body I would never in my own power be able to reassemble just one skeleton, but when Ezekiel trusted in the power of the almighty God. He was able to reassemble not just 1 skeleton, but an entire army of them. 

However strange God's command may have been, Ezekiel obeyed! As he preaches, the bones begin to shake. They come together to form skeletons. Tendons and muscles begin to form and they are finally covered with skin. Instead of bones, there are now human bodies. But there is still no life in them. The Lord tells Ezekiel once again to prophesy, this time to tell them to breath. Ezekiel obeys another strange request and breath begins to enter these lifeless bodies. The once dry lifeless pile of bones becomes a mighty army. As we go through our daily lives, each one of us experiences difficult situations. A lot of the times when we go through pain or suffering, during these difficult or confusing times, we are quick to worry about them instead of having faith in God. God has given us the gift of faith, not because we deserve it, but as a result of his everlasting love for us.

Ephesians 2: 8-9 NIV For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.

No matter how broken you may think your life is, if you put your faith in God he can reassemble your broken life!

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When did it become an accepted practice to wear your pajamas outside your home? I must admit my pajamas are really comfortable but I would never wear them in public. It amazes me when I go to the store, especially Wal-Mart, how many people I see wearing their pajamas. When it comes to the way you dress in public these days, the rules just seem to go out the window. People wear such wild and crazy outfits at Wal-mart there is even a website devoted to posting pictures of how people dress when shopping there. Every person has a different routine when it comes to getting dressed in the mornings. Like a lot of other men, my morning routine is pretty darn simple. I take my shower before I go to bed at night, so when I get up in the morning I shave, brush my teeth, comb my hair and get dressed. It takes me a grand total of about 15 minutes. My wife Joyce, on the other hand, her morning routine takes quite a bit longer and some of the things she does in the morning I am not even sure what it is she is doing. I just smile and tell her how beautiful she is!

Getting prepared for your day, no matter how long it takes, can be very important. When a police officer gets ready for the day he must put on his bullet proof vest, his uniform, his tactical gear, his weapon and his badge. Can you imagine the reaction you would have if an officer pulled you over and walked up to your car wearing his pajamas? Not only would he look very unprofessional it could even be dangerous to the officer if he was not properly dressed. It may only take you a few minutes each day to get psychically dressed but it takes a lifetime to get yourself spiritually dressed! So how do we get spiritually dressed?

 Ephesians 6: 13-17 NIV Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then,... with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 

What do you think are the most important words in these verses about the armor of God? Do you think maybe it is belt of truth? Maybe it is the breastplate of righteousness or the shield of faith or the helmet of salvation? No it must be the sword of the spirit which is the word of God because this is the only offensive piece of armor, the rest are defensive. What if I was to tell you that the most important words of these verses had nothing at all to do with the armor of God. What would you think then? Would you think I gone completely crazy, that my cheese had done slide of my cracker and fell on the floor? The two most important words in these verses are, “Put on!” Because if you leave the house in your pajamas and you don't put on the armor of God it will do you no good at all! Just like the police officer that doesn't put on his bullet proof vest, tactical gear, weapon, uniform and badge, your making yourself into an easy target for the devil if you don't even put on the armor of God!

Ephesians 6: 11-12 NIV Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

So don't forget to get yourself spiritually dressed before you leave your home every day!!!! 

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I don't consider myself to be a hot headed person that has a short fuse and flies off the handle in a fit of rage. Butttt... I must admit that I have a very low tolerance for certain things. Nothing will send me into a fit of rage faster than someone sitting at a stop light after it has turned green. I become even more enraged when the reason they haven't pulled into the intersection after the light turned green is because they are busy doing God only knows what on their cell phone. When I am in the safety of my own car and the person in front of me has know idea what I may be saying I tend to wave my hands scream out some things that I am certain do not glorify God. The other thing that really gets under my skin is people at Wal-Mart that think they own the entire isle and could care less if I can get around them. When I go to Wal-Mart I am not a slow shopper. I almost always have a list and I am in a hurry because I need to get the things I came after so that I can go finish my project. Almost without fail I get stuck behind the fluffy person on the electric scooter. I manage to hold my rage inside but I am certain that if you were to look at my face you would think I was going to bite my bottom lip off as I look for every opportunity to get around the slow poke shopper!!! Luckily for me God cause still use those of us who have a problem with anger and fits of rage.

In the book of Numbers chapter 20 the bible tells us of when Moses had a fit of rage. The Iseralites were in a desert and there was no water for the people or their livestock and so they began complaining to Moses.

Numbers 20:5 NIV Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!

Moses and Aaron heard the people and then went to the Tabernacle, where they fell face down on the ground and prayed. The Lord appeared to them, and said to Moses, “You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will have enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.” So Moses and Aaron gathered the people together and as the two of them were standing at the rock Moses turned to Aaron and said Listen to them complaining! Moses became enraged and instead of doing as God had told him and speaking to the rock, he struck it with his staff and when that didn't work the first time, he hit it again! 

Numbers 20:10-11 NIV He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. 

The most amazing part of this story is that instead of God reacting with a fit of anger and rage he showed Moses his “Amazing Grace” and provided water for all the people and their livestock. I can tell you from my own experience that when my children didn't do exactly as I had instructed them they never received my good grace. Matter of fact they almost always received the opposite, my rage, anger and a spanking. I am so thankful that God doesn't reward my anger with more anger, but instead with his Amazing Grace!!!

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