Lord

Romans 14:9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

Scripture refers to Jesus as Lord repeatedly, but what does that mean? If you look up the word “lord” in a dictionary you will likely see it defined as a sovereign ruler, a king, or a monarch. That is true of Jesus. Scripture says He is King of kings and Lord of lords, a supreme ruler.

How did that happen? After the Resurrection God gave all authority to Jesus, both on Earth and in Heaven (Matthew 28:18) Jesus rules over all creation. Because He died and rose again, Jesus is Lord of both the living and the dead, meaning He rules over those who are alive and those who have died.

You see, not only did Jesus die and rise again to set us free from sin, He died and rose again so all would bow to His eternal Lordship. For that reason, if we live, we live for the Lord. If we die, we die for the Lord. Whether we live or die we are the Lord’s. (Romans 14:8) As followers of Jesus Christ we submit to His Lordship; we belong to Him.

Understand this, submitting to Jesus’ Lordship is linked to your salvation. Paul tells us, “If you confess Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Roman 10:9) If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ you will submit to Him as Lord.

Have a God Filled Week,
Brother Donnie

Peace

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Scripture speaks of Jesus as being the “Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) Considering all the violence going on in the world today that is hard for us to understand. Wars and rumors of wars, acts of hatred, innocent men, women, and children dying at the hands of brutal men; all that seems far removed from peace.

The problem is that we do not understand the peace Jesus left and gave us. Contemplate the verse above. In Jesus’ own words He said He would leave His peace with us, give His peace to us, but look at what He said following that. “Not as the world gives…”

The kind of peace Jesus brings and gives is not the kind of peace that stops human wars nor halts violent acts. His peace is much different than a temporal human treaty or cease fire, much different than a fleeting sense of safety from violence. In fact, Jesus said He did not come to bring peace on earth but a sword of division. (Matthew 10:34-35)

What then is the peace Jesus leaves us and gives to us? The Apostle Paul answers that question, “Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1) Jesus did not leave and give us world peace; He left and gave us an opportunity to make peace with God. We were enemies with God until we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son. (Romans 5:10) God demonstrated His love for us, even while we were sinners, when Jesus died for us. (Romans 10:8) That is the kind of peace Jesus left us and gave us, peace with God for those who believe. So, do not let your heart be troubled and do not fear. Place your faith in Jesus; in doing so you will make peace with God.

Have a God Filled Week,
Brother Donnie

Change of Seasons

Genesis 8:22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”

It’s easy to complain whenever the weather starts to turn cold, but we should be grateful for that. I’ve been guilty of stepping outside on what I thought to be a perfect day and saying, “I wish the weather would be like this every day,” but that isn’t God’s plan, and I am glad for that. In truth, I like variety. There are days when I want the sun to shine, a light breeze to blow, and the temperature to be just right for a hike in the woods. There are other days when I want the wind to be still and the sky to be overcast because that’s when the fish bite best. I like rain in the summer to make my garden grow, and a good snow in winter so I can stay in by the fire and read a book. I’m grateful for the change of seasons.

Just think of what Noah and his family endured on the Ark, forty days of the same weather day in and day out; forty days of torrential rain like the world had never seen and never will see again. For forty days there were no seasons, no change in the weather what-so-ever. Forty days that produced a world-wide flood that washed all life from the Earth except for those living on Noah’s Ark. But the sun finally came out, and the waters dried up. Then God commanded Noah, his family, and all the animals to come out of the Ark and inhabit the Earth.

Then God made a promise, a promise that He would never destroy the world by flood again, and a promise that the seasons would never cease. Until the day the Earth ends there will be winter, spring, summer, and fall. Night and day will not cease. I’m glad for that because I find comfort in the change, in the various patterns of seasons and weather. Why? Because I know God is keeping His promise, and since God keeps His promise regarding the seasons, I can also count on Him to keep all the other promises He made, including the promise of eternal life in Heaven for all those who place their faith in Christ. So as the weather grows colder, just remember that’s God keeping His promises and be grateful.

Have a God Filled Week,
Brother Donnie

Thief

Exodus 20:15 “You shall not steal.

I brought my car into the dealership for some maintenance today, and when I got here there were several policemen combing the lot. It seems that sometime in the night someone broke into the building and stole a new car valued at $140,000. Thieves get more and more brazen every day. The same people that take things off front porches are now stealing high-end cars. But God’s word is clear. You shall not steal. It’s a sin to take things that do not belong to you. That’s one of the few places when the law of God and the law of man agree in our culture today. Do not steal.

But that leads to a question. Have you ever stolen anything? I remember a time when I was in high school, and I volunteered to help a couple of other boys clean the school’s concession stand. Somewhere in the process we got the bright idea that we should take a candy bar each as our deserved “payment.” We each stuck a candy bar into our sock and slipped out. I can remember how later that candy bar felt like a concrete block hanging in my sock. The guilt became so overwhelming I couldn’t take it anymore. I went to my teacher, gave it back, and apologized. The relief I felt was amazing. There’s always a blessing in repentance.

I encourage you, if you’ve ever taken anything that doesn’t belong to you, make it right if you can. It doesn’t matter if it was a car or a paperclip from a co-worker’s desk. In God’s eyes stealing is stealing. Ask forgiveness and repent. “Let him who stole steal no longer.” (Ephesians 4:28)

Have a God Filled Week,
Brother Donnie

Necessary Prayer

Colossians 4:2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving…

Have you ever been in a situation where you could not breathe? I remember once when I got caught up under a pile of bodies in a high school football game. I was laying on my back with several large players on top of me, and the pressure would not allow my chest to expand. I could not breathe. The referees seemed to be slow in getting the pile off me, and in a short time I was beginning to feel a sense of panic. I was fighting to breathe.

In the Bible Christians are commanded to pray hundreds of times. For the true Christian, prayer is not an option; it is absolutely necessary. Just as breathing is necessary to maintain physical life, prayer is necessary to maintain spiritual life. If you stop breathing, you die physically. If you stop praying, you die spiritually. So, Christians should desire prayer just as much as they desire to draw a breath. We cannot allow anything to stop us from continually praying. Scripture commands us to pray. Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) In everything pray. (Philippians 4:6)

Let me end this devotion by praying for you just as John prayed for the people he loved. “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” (3 John 1:2) And if you cannot think of anything to pray for today, please pray for me and my family. Let us cover each other in prayer.

Have a God Filled Week,
Brother Donnie

Anger

Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.

Twice this week I was blessed to hear preachers preaching on the topic of anger. In both cases the question was, is it a sin to be angry? That is a good question. In both cases the preacher came to the Biblical conclusion that anger, in and of itself, is not a sin.

There are times when Christians should be angry. What kind of people would we be if we did not get angry when abuse takes place, when innocent people are hurt or killed, or when evil is rewarded? There are many things, especially in our culture, that disciples of Jesus Christ should be angry about. Anger is not a sin, but we must be careful. Anger can be misplaced, and it can lead us into sin. I often hear people speak of “righteous anger,” but if your anger causes you to do something, say something, or even think something sinful, then your anger is not righteous anger.

Scripture often speaks to how Christians should be disciplined—self-controlled. When anger makes a person lose control it quickly becomes sin. When anger leads to rage, hatred, or violence anger becomes sin, but when anger drives a person to pray, love, and act in a positive way it can be godly.

Anger is a powerful emotion. It can drive you to do something good, or it can drive you to do something evil, so be angry and do not sin.

Have a God Filled Week,
Brother Donnie

Never Give Up?

1 Corinthians 7:16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

On a bookshelf in my library, I have a football signed by Jim Kelly, Hall of Fame Buffalo Bills quarterback. I know a good bit about Jim Kelly’s football career, but never knew much about his personal life. Today I read that at age 63, Jim Kelly finally came to saving faith in Jesus and was baptized.

Jim said, “Becoming a Christian is the best decision I’ve made in my life. I wish I would’ve come to Him sooner, but His timing is perfect.”

For many years Jim was lost and angry with God because he lost a son named Hunter at the age of 8 due to a rare genetic condition. For the next 30 years he struggled, but now he is a saved believer in Jesus. Jim thanked his wife and his daughters for encouraging him in his faith. He also thanked his men’s fellowship group and his son Hunter. He said without Hunter he would not have come to faith in Jesus. Now he knows he will see his son again.

As wonderful as Jim’s story is, there is a great lesson in it for all of us. NEVER GIVE UP! That person you have watched struggling in unbelief for years may still come to saving faith in Jesus. Jim was surrounded by people who kept encouraging him to come to faith in Christ. Since that is true of Jim’s life, how do you know your encouragement won’t lead someone you love to saving faith in Jesus? If there are people in your life who have struggled with unbelief for a long time, never give up on them. They might be the next Jim Kelly and come to faith in Jesus because of you.

I can tell you, that football on my bookshelf isn’t just a signed football anymore. It is signed by a brother in Christ, and that makes it extra special.

Have a God Filled Week,
Brother Donnie

In the Days of Noah

Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Noah prepared an ark. He did that even though the judgment God warned him about had not been seen yet. But when that judgment came in the form of a flood, Noah and his family were saved because they entered the ark.

The story of Noah is a great Bible story; yet as significant as it is, many have relegated it as a tale only to be taught in a child’s Sunday-School class. We need to understand the truth here. God warned Noah of His coming judgment on the whole world, and He provided Noah and his family with a way to escape that judgment. There was room on the ark for many people, but when the floods of God’s wrath came, only eight souls were saved because only eight people took God at His word.

As it was in the days of Noah, the same holds true for people today. God has warned us that the final judgment is coming, and He has provided a way to escape that judgment through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Still, people go on eating and drinking and marrying as if there is no storm of judgment coming. Just as it was in the days of Noah, they ignore God’s warning and refuse to accept God’s prepared plan for their salvation. Just as it was in the days of Noah, when judgment comes, they will be destroyed. (Luke 17:26—27)

We must be prepared for that day. How do we escape the coming judgment? We get in the ark, but in our case the ark is not a boat, it is Jesus. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1). Judgment is coming. The ark is ready. Are you prepared to go in?

Have a God Filled Week,
Brother Donnie

The Cool of the Day

Genesis 3:8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

This past week we experienced a few cool days, a rare thing in this part of the Country in August. It was refreshing, even pleasant to sit outside on the porch in the morning or take a short walk in the evening. We enjoy the cool of the day, so does God.

When Creation was perfect, before the Fall of Man, God would walk in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day and spend time with Adam and Eve. Scripture doesn’t tell us how long that perfect state lasted. It might have been a long time, but a day came when that all ended. One day Adam and Eve heard God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day and instead of going out to meet Him they hid in the trees.

You see, they were ashamed to face God because they knew they had sinned against Him. They also knew God would not take their sin lightly and punishment would come, so they were afraid. That’s when God cast them out of the Garden.

No person has walked with God in the cool of the day since then, but there is a day coming when all things will be made new, and everything will be restored. One day everyone who has placed their faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior will walk with God in the cool of the day.

Have a God Filled Week,
Brother Donnie

Taking the Heat

Daniel 3:17…our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.

When Nebuchadnezzar threatened to throw three young men into a furnace for refusing to bow down and worship his image, they said, “…our God is able to deliver us.” Nebuchadnezzar was so mad he had the furnace heated to seven times its normal temperature and tossed them in, but when he and several witnesses looked in the furnace, they were amazed to see four men walking around in there, and one of them looked like the Son of God. The three men came out of the furnace unharmed, and they didn’t even smell like smoke.

There may be days when you feel like you are walking in a furnace. The pressure to bow down to the world system seems insurmountable at times, but just as Jesus walked in the furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, He’ll walk with you through the fiery trial you face. The God whom you serve is able to deliver you.

So when the world tries to force you to accept something you know is wrong; when the world tries to get you to tolerate what you know God hates; when the world hammers you with false ideologies and paints you as some kind of bigot because you won’t accept them; when the world throws you in the fiery furnace… …answer the same way our three Hebrew friends did, “We do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the image which you have set up.” (Daniel 3:18) When you do, you can expect to catch some heat, but because Jesus is with you, you’ll be able to take it.

Have a God Filled Week,
Brother Donnie