Archive for January, 2024

Hope is NOT a Strategy…

Posted: January 29, 2024 in Inspirational
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Over the last few years, we have seen this phrase trotted out constantly in the media through political campaigns as a reminder that the idea of Hope is actually a bad idea. Why? Because Hope should not be counted on as something that will happen. But, if this were true, then why would anyone feel good about hope in the first place? 

Today, I hope to change your mind about this topic because if your hope strategy is actually Biblical Hope, then it is by far the best strategy any of us can count on or put our faith in.

One of the most powerful emotions we can experience as humans is the feeling of Hope. I have experienced this personally as I am sure most of you have too. To go through a situation that is painful or difficult at whatever level, grief or loss or something, and to come out of that ordeal with a solid Hope for the future is a feeling that is hard to describe. Hope not only makes you feel better, but it also makes you feel better also. What I mean is…Hope is healthier for your body because when you are full of hope, you are not full of stress. 

Think about this; Hope and Stress do not peacefully coexist in the same body.

I am writing about Hope today because, by its very nature, Hope concerns the future and when I watch the news, the future looks to be very disconcerting. Yet Hope involves so much more than just a desire or a wish for something better in the next week, month, or year. If you haven’t already noticed, I wanted to introduce you to a different kind of Hope and one that is a far more solid version. 

Yep…you guessed it, Biblical Hope. Here are two hope verse examples below:

But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose Hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. Psalms 33:18-19

Then you will know that I am the Lord, those who hope in me will not be disappointed. Isa 49:23b

Can you imagine hoping for something and not being disappointed? This is what I mean… Biblical Hope is a whole different level of Hope because it consists of assurance of the heart and firm confidence about the future of things on this earth. Why? Because these “things” are based on God’s promises. 

In other words, Biblical Hope is inseparably linked to a Firm Faith and a strong confident trust in God.  These all work together to provide you with a foundation that cannot be shaken. You can be navigating the largest and most difficult situation you thought possible, but because of Biblical Hope…everything changes. I am not blowing smoke here. Biblical Hope can feel physical and can provide the foothold you need to make it to your next step…and the one after that.

Guys…I cannot emphasize enough how many promises are made in the Bible that are mentioned for no other reason than to give you and me HOPE. God didn’t leave you on an island called Earth without a lifeboat. He filled up an entire book with reasons why you should hang on and not give in to whatever tidal wave you think is coming.

Bottom line for you and me…Hope is, without a doubt, a strategy if your Hope is in Him…

Until next time Guys-

Is Good Enough, Good Enough to Get into Heaven?

Posted: January 28, 2024 in Heaven Bound
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Over the last year, I have found myself in conversations with different friends discussing Heaven and the different journeys we are taking to get there. What is clear to me is each of them has a very different viewpoint on how to get there and the direction we each are going is also very different. I think the most concerning takeaway I have gleaned from these conversations is the fact that many of them have a diluted idea of what God says in His word about this very topic. They believe strongly in the idea that being Good Enough, is good enough, to get to Heaven. 

You have probably heard this a thousand times but how could God send a good person to Hell?

If you live your life well, meaning you haven’t killed anyone or you haven’t wronged anyone, and although you are apart from Christ, why would living “that kind of life” sentence you to Hell?

Let’s begin this short blog by ensuring we are all on the same page with this one fact. You, me, Billy Graham, even Mother Teresa; there is absolutely no path available for any human being to earn their way into Heaven. With ALL of the amazing things that Mother Teresa did, literally saving thousands of children’s lives through her efforts…those actions were not good enough to get her into Heaven.

Billy Graham preached for over 50 years and I would say millions of people came to know Christ through his many years of ministry. Do you think that punched his ticket into eternity?

Think of it this way…No matter how amazing of a person you are on this Earth, there is NO version of a “better me” or a “better you” where we can achieve something that earns our gift of Heaven. All of us are born into this sinful, unclean world with no way of saving ourselves, and people who rely on “goodness only” as their life plan are going to be disappointed. Trust me.

Paul said, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” He also said, the wages of sin is death” Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23

The bottom line is, that is why Christ came. God knew we couldn’t do this on our own, so He sent Christ to pay the price we couldn’t pay. When we think that just being good enough is enough, there is an arrogance to that mindset which is the opposite of what is needed. God requires humility from us. We need Him, He doesn’t need us. But, He loves us and that is the difference.

If you hear just one thing from me today, please hear this, our human version of “good enough” is NOT good enough. Being just a good person is NOT good enough.

You and I need rescuing from this world but we can’t simply go along in life thinking good enough is good enough, because it isn’t. 

You are probably NOT hearing this from many people but please hear me today-

The key is, recognizing that you can’t get to Heaven on your own and that you need to receive forgiveness from Christ first…if you do, it will help ensure your stay at God’s Heavenly Hilton…and your own eternal life. I know these are hard words, but please know they are the truth.

Until next time Guys-

Boy, Do We Need Grace…

Posted: January 15, 2024 in Devotional
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I have heard that word my entire life but what does it really mean? Or maybe I should say, what should it mean to you and me? I remember saying “Grace” before each meal growing up and I always give gratuity when someones service goes above and beyond what is expected…which is also Grace. 

The acclaimed author Philip Yancey calls the word Grace, “the last best word”, because he believes that Grace is “still one grand theological word that has not been spoiled”by a society that tends to weaken the meaning of words. 

I agree with Yancey because when you hear the word “Grace”, the core of its meaning hasn’t been spoiled. Grace still shouts “I’m going to help you!” which is something all of us need to hear. Yancey goes on to ask the question, “Where can the world go to find Grace?” and that is the cornerstone of this post.

Grace is simple in meaning. I looked it up in the dictionary and it says, “unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration”…which means, something God gives to humans that is completely undeserved. 

But you can also experience Grace from a friend or even a stranger through kindness or acceptance. Have you ever experienced an undeserved gift from a stranger? Maybe the Grace gift that was provided gave you some needed relief yet was completely unexpected…

That is what Grace is at the core…

Recently, I found myself thinking about Grace because there is so much “ungrace” or the opposite of Grace that I see in this world. We like to bully each other especially online. We are a “no mercy” society and when you look around, giving Grace seems to be the last thing on the list.

Christ provided the greatest example of Grace for all of us by sacrificing Himself for all of us but yet showing Grace to each other STILL does not come naturally.


So what do we do with this information? How do you move from ungrace to grace? I can tell you from personal experience that the first step is forgiveness…something also very difficult. 

When you can forgive a friend or family member that has wronged you, you are extending Grace to that person. Obviously, that means some work on our part with God because we do tend to keep score on wrongs committed against us. 

If we think we have been wronged, the other person needs to make the first move…right?. WRONG…Extending Grace means you take the first step by forgiving. Grace is acceptance, Grace means, I forgive you, and I am there for you…

Let me put it to you another way. Do you realize that achieving heaven is IMPOSSIBLE without the Grace extended to us through Jesus Christ? That means you, me, or any other famous person ever to live, cannot get to heaven without Gods Grace. 

That means you must rely on Him…and not on yourself…you need His Grace to make it through each day and ultimately, to Heaven. But that begins each day with a dose of Grace from Christ and Grace that you give to other people who need it too. 

Remember the words of Christ in Matthew 6:14:

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Grace freely given and Grace freely received…

So I again ask the question Philip Yancey asked, “Where can the world go to find Grace?”

Look in the mirror…It starts with you and me…

Until next time guys…

Yancey, Philip. (1997) What’s So Amazing About Grace, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Zondervan

Friendship with this World

Posted: January 6, 2024 in Heaven Bound
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Do you think it is possible for a Christian Man or Woman to “ride the fence” so to speak with their relationship to this world and then with God? Can we do what we want Monday through Saturday and then make it all up to God on Sunday? I don’t know about you, but I have a work friend that does exactly that. He knows how I feel about what he is doing and so now he just avoids me.

So I thought about this issue recently on my way home from work and I realized that all I can do for this person is to NOT judge him, but rather just be there and be me. What I mean is, to show him that I can live in this world by creating boundaries for myself that I choose not to cross. As far as our friendship goes, I can and I WILL continue to be his friend but I just don’t approve of his choices.

My dad used to tell me right before a spanking, “I love you, son, I just don’t love what you did”…and that is where I am now with my friend.

Because of this situation, however, I went back and looked at what Scripture says about a Christian’s relationship with the world, and what I found was God has a lot to say on this subject. In fact, scripture is crystal clear on how we are to cohabitate while we are here on this earth.

Without preaching to anyone, here is how God feels about our relationship with this world. Again…He does not mince words and He starts with this statement below-

Friendship with the World is hatred toward God

Secondly, James had some very strong words for his audience when he spoke these scriptures below about their friendship with this world.

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity (hostile) with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 

Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?  But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.    James 4:4-8

I get it. This is STRONG scripture but I think the important points to recognize are:

  1. If we are focused on anything ELSE other than Him. 
  2. If we are spending time on something that is a distraction from our relationship with Him.
  3. If we choose to not attend church to enjoy an activity outside regularly

Guys, the list goes on and on. But the reality is that if you find yourself compromising your walk or your relationship, then these scriptures, HOPEFULLY, can help bring you back to center so you can prioritize what is really important for your eternal future.

You, me, we have to separate ourselves from this world…just like scripture says

Jesus said it this way, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”  Matthew 6:24

My intent in writing this to you today is simply a reminder that because life does indeed go on, it is VERY easy to lose focus and compromise your faith. And the reality for us is that just because we are not focused on our walk with Him…HE STILL IS… and compromise is the first step towards a fall.

I care about you guys and want each of you to experience eternal life with Christ. Let me end with what the Apostle John says-

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. 

1 John 2:15-17

Please stay strong-

Until next time Guys-

The Temptation of Jesus

Posted: January 2, 2024 in Inspirational
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Before Christ began His 3-year ministry on earth, he was led by the Holy Spirit out into the Desert where He was subjected to temptation from Satan. This lasted 40 days and during that time,  Jesus did not eat. 

I don’t know about you, but I am confident I would not last even a few days without sustenance before pure weakness set in… but Jesus did it. I want to remind you that at this point, He was just like any other man, which means His body would have started to break down due to a lack of nourishment just like yours and mine would.

Compounding that fact, was that He was being subjected to temptation from Satan, who was and is, the Prince of this World, which made this entire ordeal even more difficult. But, let me be clear, this encounter was not by accident. Christ did not go to the desert to hide but rather He was led to this confrontation by God. Why?, Because as Erwin Lutzer states in his book, God’s Devil, “God wanted to prove that Christ would win in the very arena of temptation where Adam failed”.

In case this fact slipped your mind, Jesus already knew Satan. How? Because He created him. Lucifer, as was his name, was one of the highest-ranking angels ever. He led worship in Heaven and had a direct connection with God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. However, evil was found to be in his heart so God cast him out of Heaven along with one-third of the angels he had corrupted. 

Today, I wanted to take a couple of minutes to add some color to these “temptation” events and try and bring the supernatural perspective that the Bible only tells us in 2D. What Satan presented to Christ would have been truly amazing and frankly would have blown you and me away.

Temptation #1

And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” Matt 4:3

First of all, Christ could have turned the stones into bread in a second. In fact, He basically did the same miracle just a few weeks later when He fed the 5,000 but, we know Satan does not play fair. As Lutzer states, “The essence of this temptation was to show the needs of the body are more important than the needs of the soul.” This was low-hanging fruit and he knew Jesus was hungry, famished, and even starving. But Christ saw through his plan and would not give Satan the disobedience he wanted.

Temptation #2

The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone”. Matt 4:6

This temptation is far more sinister because if Christ quotes scripture, then so does Satan. Lucifer knows the scripture better than you and I. But think about this, Satan quotes scripture to entice Christ into sinning. He literally tried to hamstring Christ by using scripture against Him.

Next, consider this; Satan somehow takes or carries Christ to the apex of the temple in Jerusalem…using his demon power. We know that Christ would NOT have allowed him to do this without His consent. 

Thirdly, do not be misdirected here. Satan was deliberately trying to misuse God’s word just as he will do with you. Are you ready for when you hear the word of God used in the wrong way? Can you discern the difference? Remember when I mentioned this temptation is the most sinister by far?

Finally, Christ simply responded, “DO NOT put your Lord God to the test”. Christ did not fall into the trap that Satan set. He wanted Christ to choose sin even while pointing to a verse and Christ would not.

Let me remind you of Martin Luther’s words from many years ago when he said, “The devil is God’s devil. We have forgotten that only when we know who God is can we know who the devil is. Blessed are those who are convinced that the prince of this world has become a slave to the Prince of Peace.“

Temptation #3

The devil led him up to a high mountain and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” Matt 4:8-9

Again, Christ is taken or carried up to a very high mountain on earth using the demon power of Satan. In an instant, He is shown all of the Kingdoms of the world. Think about that for a second. Christ witnessed Rome in all of its splendor or Ancient Greece or Egypt with the Pyramids. Consider the amazing supernatural experience of ALL these kingdoms displayed to Him at the same time.

Now, I realize that these are earthly kingdoms and NOT Heavenly ones but the sheer power of this should not escape you. Why did Satan do this? It was his last act of power with Christ. He was providing Christ a “shortcut to the kingdom”. He was offering all the authority of the world if He, Jesus Christ, would bow down and worship him.

As we know, Christ did not deviate from the will of God and told Satan to go pound sand. Sorry, that was my paraphrasing. He told him that “you shall worship the Lord your God and him only you shall serve”.

This Case is Closed…

What is the point of writing and sharing this post today? You and I can follow the very same example that Christ set for us by refuting and resisting the enemy using God’s word. Frankly, that is exactly what God wants us to do with it but with one caveat…you must know God’s word well enough to discern when it isn’t… 

That is my challenge to you today-

Until next time Guys-

Lutzer, Erwin. (2015) God’s Devil, Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.