THE CHALLENGE OF HOLINESS!

 

Monday, August 31, 2026

 

THE CHALLENGE OF HOLINESS!

 

Ex 15:11

11 Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

 

1 Peter 1:15-16

15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

 

          The word “Holiness” is found 43 times in the Authorized Version. It means “sacred.” In First Peter the word “Holy” is hagios which means “an awful thing, sacred, physically pure, morally blameless, sanctified.”

 

          Holiness is quite a challenge. Isaiah saw himself as “a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips.” Then an angel touched his lips with a coal from off the altar. (Isaiah 6) I understand holiness as a gift and not a product and yet we are commanded to be holy.

 

          Being holy requires a conscious recognition of and discrimination between right and wrong. Those lines are horribly blurred in our culture today, but we are required to make right choices. We see moral absolutes in few places outside of Scripture.  “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” (Psalm 119:9)

 

1 Thess 3:12-13

12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:

13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

 

Dear Lord, the pressure of sin and the longing for purity battle within us daily. Help us to be holy! AMEN

 

NUMBERING OUR DAYS!

 

Sunday, August 30, 2026

A timely classic

 

NUMBERING OUR DAYS!

 

Ps 90:10 & 12

10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

 

          The older we get the more we understand that life is brief and moves very quickly along. Seventy years seems such a very long time when we are children and that same seventy years seems like such a short span when we are nearing the end of it. So much has been done and placed into the treasure of memories and so much has been left undone that we have a store of regret.

 

          Someone asked George Bernard Shaw this question: “If you could live your life over and be anyone you wanted to be – who would you choose to be?” The answer came quickly: “I would choose to be the man George Bernard Shaw could have been – but never was.”

 

          Wisdom accompanies the numbering of our days. Projects must be prioritized according to importance. We must resist those things that claim urgency and replace them with those things that are truly important because we know there is not time to accomplish both! We assign urgency to the truly important things.

 

          As youngsters, “strength” was taken for granted. We were young and we could do. Now our strength requires effort and sorrow. The Old Testament word for “sorrow” means “to pant with effort.” We wish we hadn’t wasted our strength on unimportant things.

 

          Finally, there is good news! At the very end or our days “we fly away!” The phrase “and we fly away” is translated from only one small Hebrew word. The word “‘uwph” even means “to cover with wings; to shine forth.” Ah, that will be the joyful end when we take flight and shine forth!

 

Dear Lord, help me to wisely apply my heart and my strength to the truly important things today. Amen

 

JESUS PRAYS FOR US!

 

Saturday, August 29, 2026

 

JESUS PRAYS FOR US!

 

Mark 1:35

35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he [Jesus] went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

 

Luke 22:31-32

31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

 

Matt 26:36

36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

 

          Jesus prayed – a lot! He prayed early in the morning before light and before people. Don’t you wonder what Jesus was praying for?

 

          Jesus prayed – specifically! He prayed for Simon Peter regarding Peter’s test of faith. We all know that Peter denied the Lord three times while warming his hands at the enemy’s fire. We also know that he reaffirmed his devotion three times before the breakfast fire after the Lord’s resurrection. Jesus prayed specifically for Peter and that prayer was answered.

 

          Jesus prayed – generally! In John chapter 17 Jesus prayed for you and for me. He prayed in general terms because He prayed for all those who WOULD believe. So He prayed for me.

 

          Jesus is still praying! He sits at the Father’s right hand – ever living to intercede for us. Whatever troubles you today is already being seriously considered in heaven.

 

Thank you, Lord, for praying for me. AMEN

 

TRANSITION AND CHANGE!

 

Friday, August 28, 2026

 

TRANSITION AND CHANGE!

 

Josh 3:4

4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.

 

          The “wilderness” was a relatively small area geographically. Because the ten spies feared entering the land of promise, they discouraged the people. They wandered around for 40 years!

 

          Those forty years were spent learning to trust God for provision, protection, and direction. Most of the fearful died off! Moses was also dead and the leadership was given to Joshua. It was time for a change. It was time for a transition. It was time to enter the land of promise. Some preparation was in order because they had not gone this far before.

 

          Joshua ordered the camp to move ten miles from their encampment to the banks of the Jordan. How would they cross over? God would answer that. How would Jericho respond to their encroachment? God would take care of that too. Change is almost always fearful and, for Christians, always requires trust and obedience. Miracles follow!

 

          Are you facing great changes? Perhaps God is leading you to a place you have never been, or a circumstance you have never encountered. This is always fearful because you are entering unfamiliar territory. The proper response is to keep God in clear view, trust, and obey.

 

Dear Lord, many today are facing unsettling changes and challenges. Help us to never lose sight of Your leadership. Give us strength to follow you. Encourage us because we have not passed this way before. AMEN

 

HE GIVETH MORE STRENGTH!

 

Thursday, August 27, 2026

 

HE GIVETH MORE STRENGTH!

 

Isa 40:29-31

29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

 

          Our God understands that our frame is weak and there are limits to our resources. Even young men grow weary, but God promises power [vigor] and strength.

 

          Whatever has been draining your strength is no match for the God of heaven! Seek Him out! Rest in his presence! “To them that have no might he increases strength.”

 

He Giveth More Grace

Song by Don Moen

 

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater

He sendeth more strength when the labors increase

To added affliction He addeth His mercy

To multiplied trials His multiplied peace

 

His love has no limit, His grace has no measure

His pow'r has no boundary known unto men

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus

He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again

 

Dear Lord, restore and refuel those who are weary today. AMEN

 

HOW TO REPLACE A GRUMPY PROPHET

 

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

 

HOW TO REPLACE A GRUMPY PROPHET

 

1 Kings 19:19-21

19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?

21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

 

Luke 9:61-62

61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

 

          Elijah was tired and a bit grumpy as well. He had fought a great spiritual battle but the strain upon him left him in a cave asking God for retirement in the form of sudden death. God told him that he wasn’t quite finished with his tasks. He had at least two things left to do before mounting the fiery chariot for heaven. One of those was to select his own replacement.

 

          Elisha was found plowing with two dozen oxen which indicated that his family was wealthier than most. Elijah, without saying a word, cast his outer garment upon Elisha, indicating the Lord’s call upon his life. The sudden shift from plow man to preacher man must have been a shock. He requests just enough time to bid his family farewell. Elijah flew into a bit of a rage which questioned the commitment of this young farmer.

 

          What Elisha does next proved that he had no intention of limiting God’s control of his life. He killed two of the plow oxen for a farewell feast and used his plow for fuel. We might understand that he was “burning his bridges.” There would be no turning back because there was nothing to return to.

 

          Dr. Charles Stanley says: “You are only as committed as you are obedient to whatever God is asking of you at any given moment. If you've posted a "no trespassing" sign anywhere in your life, it's time to take it down.”

 

Dear Lord, I unlock all my locked and secret doors. I do not want to limit your access. AMEN

 

LORD, HAVE MERCY!

 

Tuesday, August 25, 2026

 

LORD, HAVE MERCY!

 

Ps 123

123 Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

3 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

4 Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

 

          This Psalm addresses the cruel treatment of those Jews held captive by the Babylonians. We ask ourselves if anyone has ever suffered like the Jew! Yet missiologists say that more Christians have been martyred in the twentieth century than all other centuries combined.

 

          “Lord, have mercy!” was used often by mother and her generation. I have heard her say it many times. Too many times, actually, because I was often the cause of her consternation. Whenever she couldn’t understand my actions and attitudes, whenever she couldn’t believe the mess I had made of things, and whenever I needed grace, she would often say “Lord, have mercy.” I usually joined her very soon in saying it myself.

 

          Asking for God’s mercy is an admission of our weakness and His strength. It acknowledges our emptiness and His fullness. It confesses our stupidity and His wisdom. It is a cry for help when we are suffering. It is a cry for wisdom when we are perplexed. It is a cry for rescue when we are in trouble.

 

Lord, have mercy on all those who call on thee today. AMEN

 

PRAYING FOR RAIN

 

Monday, August 24, 2026

 

PRAYING FOR RAIN

2Ch 7:13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 

14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 

 

          Here in Texas, we do not take rain for granted. Currently we are under a heat dome. Temperatures have been, and will continue to be, above 100 degrees for at least another ten days. Each day there is an air quality alert, extreme heat warning, and an ozone action day. In simpler terms, it is unhealthy to leave the house.

 

          Rain was essential in the Holy Land as well. Crops and sheep needed cool water and green pastures. God said that a lack of rain was an indication of His displeasure. He gave Solomon a formula for rain.

 

          Humility. If my people shall HUMBLE themselves. The word humble is kaw-nah’ which literally means “to bend the knee.”

 

          Prayer. The word PRAY is paw-lal’ not only means “to intercede” but also “to judge.” The idea is that we judge ourselves.

 

          Turn. The Hebrew word is shoob and it means “to turn back or to turn away.” The simple idea is that we should stop the wrong we are doing and return to doing the right things.

 

          God’s promised response is to HEAR, not simply to hear but to pay attention. FORGIVE, and HEAL. The word for heal is raw-faw’ and it means “to mend by stitching.”

 

Psa 23:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

Psa 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 

Psa 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 

 

Lord, we need rain. Repair by stitching our broken fellowship. AMEN

 

CHECK IT OUT!

 

Sunday, August 23, 2026

 

CHECK IT OUT!

 

Acts 17:10-11

10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

11 These [the believers in Berea] were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

 

2 Tim 4:2-4

2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

 

          Sometimes in a sermon, or a conversation with another believer, something will be said that sounds an alarm in me. Something just doesn’t fit what I’ve always read or been told. Excuse me, but I’ll have to check that out! This was the common practice of the Berean believers. Oh, they received the word with all readiness of mind but they compared teaching with the written word.

 

          Paul told Timothy the time would come when sound doctrine wouldn’t matter to those that listened. They would heap to themselves teachers who would scratch where they itched. Ultimately they would venture off into fables and pure fantasy. The remedy for this would be a meticulous adherence to written scripture.

 

          Timothy was urged to “preach the Word” and to be “instant” in season and out of season. The Greek word for “instant” is ephistemi which means “to stand by or to be present.”  To continue the military “guard duty” analogy, we can say that there must have been some marching or drilling before the soldier is ready to stand by. Constant study is the only thing that can prepare a person for any attack on the truth. Study takes time and our hurried lifestyle has filled all our appointments.

 

          Cults are full of those who have listened to someone weave a thread of pure fantasy into the fabric of reason and truth. Satan will not attack with a frontal assault but will flank you with a mixture of truth and error. You must compare what you hear with what has been written. You must check it out.

 

Dear Lord, help me to be a student of your Word that I may be able to “stand by” and to discern between truth and fables. AMEN

 

ONLY TRUST HIM

 

Saturday, August 22, 2026

 

ONLY TRUST HIM

 

Ps 62:7-8

7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. 8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

 

According to Strong’s Concordance, the word “trust” is to be found in our English Bible 134 times! It is curious to me that of the SEVEN Bible Dictionaries in my library NONE of them are willing to define the word. What, then, does it mean to trust? We don’t know – and yet we do. Trust is the X in every equation! Now, math was never my strength, but I know that X refers to the unknown. At the solving of the equation, X equals the answer sought. Generally, to trust in God is to cast our burden on the Lord when it becomes too heavy for us.

 

Ps 55:22

22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

 

Companions of trust are a holy quietness, security, and peacefulness of spirit springing from a full persuasion of our safety. We know that He CAN sustain us because He is God. We know He WILL sustain us because of His nature. He is gracious and full of mercy. Trust is also to abandon our reliance on human reasoning!

 

Prov 3:5-6

5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

 

Christianity is not occasional but constant. “Trust in Him at ALL TIMES, ye people.” Do not use God like a spare tire or a good-luck charm. He should be the constant object of our trust. Through Him we can draw water from wells that are empty, find food in pantries that are bare and gain clarity when all around is only confusion.

 

Dear Lord! I know that if I am to trust you, I must not lean upon my own understanding! Lord, help me to trust in you. AMEN