Be a Spiritual Mentor

4 One generation will declare Your works to the next and will proclaim Your mighty acts.

Psalms 145:4 (HCSB)

God is great isn't He. Psalm 145 is a Psalm that declares God's power, greatness and His goodness. But tucked away in all the praise is a challenge. Let me pose it as a question. Who are you a spiritual mentor too?

I know you're saying, "who me?" Yes you! Who are you mentoring spiritually. We all have someone who is younger or at least younger in the faith that we can share with. The Psalm says that one generation will declare God's works to the next. If you are a Christ follower and God has saved you from your sin. You have at least one great work of God you can proclaim to someone else. And I am sure there is much more that God has done in your life since your salvation. So who will you tell about it? What a privilege we have to share with a young believer the lessons we have learned and just maybe help them avoid some of the spiritual pitfalls we have encountered along the way.

Don't make them do it alone!

Don't Laugh

10 The Lord said, “I will certainly come back to you in about a year’s time, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him.11 Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 So she laughed to herself: “After I have become shriveled up and my lord is old, will I have delight?”

Gen 18:10-12 (HCSB)

Have you ever laughed when God makes a promise or you hear His call for your life? Sarah did! In her old age God promised she would have a child. This was physically speaking an impossibility. But we fortunately serve a God who is known for doing the impossible. God says, "Sarah will have a child." Guess what happens. You got it she had a child. Nothing is impossible with God.

Now why did Sarah laugh? Well certainly she doubted. But let me suggest there may be more. I am sure, based on the Scripture itself, that Sarah said come on is that possible? But perhaps there was also a giggle that surfaced because of the prospect of a miracle. Maybe she looked at old Abe and herself and thought wouldn't that be funny. Maybe for just a second she reverted back to a giddy school girl hoping for the impossible that she had been waiting for all her life, and a little laugh erupted.

Now what about us? When God calls, when He says this is what I want to do through you, will you doubt. Will you say wow that's impossible but wouldn't it be cool when God pulls it off. Will it bring in you a chuckle to see how God will bring about a miracle when He does in your life what only he could do.

Go ahead, laugh, I think God loves to show us the impossible made possible through a great and powerful God!

God's true view of marriage and sex

Drink water from your own cistern
water flowing from your own well. 16 Should your springs flow in the streets, streams of water in the public squares? 17 They should be for you alone and not for you [to share] with strangers.18 Let your fountain be blessed, and take pleasure in the wife of your youth. 19 A loving doe, a graceful fawn—let her breasts always satisfy you; be lost in her love forever.

Prov 5:15-19 (HCSB)

Many in the world if asked about Christianity and marriage would perhaps think that a Christians marriage is boring and that sex is taboo. God's plan is nothing of the sort. Sex inside the marriage bonds is wonderful, beautiful and if I can say it fun and enjoyable.

God does say that it is exclusive. There is a great gift that God gives to the Christian and a gift that a husband and wife can give to one another. There is a special bond between a man and a wife when they realize that they are exclusively a gift to their spouse, past, present and future. Several teenagers (including two of my children) a few days ago celebrated and committed to a True Love Waits commitment. http://www.lifeway.com/tlw/ http://www.lovematters.com/truelovewaits.htm What a wonderful gift they will give to their spouse someday when they can share themselves exclusively with the one they love.

But notice also how the proverbs writer says to enjoy your spouse, "The wife of your youth." and to find pleasure in the one you love. God gives us a gift of intimacy in sex. It is not just for procreation it is also for enjoyment.

I know that on a blog like this there are a number of people reading. Perhaps you are young and this seems a little uncomfortable for a devotion or maybe you are older and you might feel oddly out of place. Sex is a great thing but it is meant for a man and a woman in a marriage relationship. Since God created us and marriage was His idea, He should have the last word on the subject of sex and marriage.

Satisfied

God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You. I thirst for You; my body faints for You in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.
2So I gaze on You in the sanctuary to see Your strength and Your glory.

Psalms 63:1-2 (HCSB)

Are you satisfied with Jesus? The Psalmist describes God as the one he seeks, who satisfies and nourishes him. He is like the water that springs up in a dry and desolate land and He is the only supply of water. When we are thirsty we seek something to quench the thirst. Jesus quenches are spiritual thirst. Many are searching for the well of refreshing. They are looking for something to satisfy the longings of their heart. There are things only God can satisfy.

Fortunately, for us we have seen Jesus. We have gazed into the sanctuary to see Him in His strength and glory. We recognize Him for who He is and we have accepted the gift of His salvation. Isn't it wonderful to have the one that satisfies the longing of our hearts. Jesus does satisfy!

Failure

Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will run away, because it is written: I will strike the shepherd,and the sheep will be scattered. 28 But after I have been resurrected, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 29 Peter told Him, “Even if everyone runs away, I will certainly not!”30 “I assure you,” Jesus said to him, “today, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times!”31 But he kept insisting, “If I have to die with You, I will never deny You!” And they all said the same thing.

Mark 14:27-31 (HCSB)

Peter is so bold. He insists that he would never run away, he would never deny. But he does. And all the other disciples said the same thing and they did. There is an important lesson for the Christ Follower here. Be careful about your bold proclamations. We are all susceptible to failure and to deny Christ. Talk is easy. The walk can be so hard. Yet Jesus knows that they will fail. He knew their response. In fact he knew because Scripture proclaimed it.

You may be asking, "is there a positive message here?" Yes, thanks for asking, there is. It is this: that even after the ALL failed Jesus came to them as He said He would. While they denied Him, He did not forsake them. Failure is going to happen. It's not an excuse but reality. If you think that you can go through your Christian life without failure you will be disappointed or you will be lying to yourself. But Jesus forgive and still uses us in spite of ourselves.

So when failure comes. Cry out for forgiveness and move on. Don't dwell on it. Don't accept it. But move on to the next challenge and through our failure we will learn obedience which is success for the Christ Follower.

No Fear!

For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.

2 Tim 1:7 (HCSB)

You've probably seen the bumper stickers that read, "Fear no Art." I have seen a variety of stickers playing off of that original. Perhaps the Apostle Paul would have made a bumper sticker that would say, "Fear no opportunity to share the gospel." I know its probably too long for a bumper sticker, unless it is a really big bumper. I have heard it said that Christians and non-Christians alike fear evangelism. While humorous it may be truer than it ought to be. We are afraid sometimes to share our faith.

Paul says, "don't be fearful!" In fact he says a lot more than just don't fear. He reminds us that we are empowered to share. We have the Holy Spirit residing within us to guide and work in us and through us. We also have a stronger motivation than fear itself and that is love. When we truly understand that those around us who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus are destined to an eternity separated from God in a place we know of as hell, we should be motivated by our love for them to do something about it. And then Paul also reminds us of our sound judgement as the HCSB translates it. In other translations it uses the word discipline. We must have sound discipline to prepare and do what we need to do to help others find the wonderful relationship with a loving God that we have.

So don't be afraid but let God work through you in power, because you love those in our World around us and discipline yourself to do something about their eternal destiny. They may just thank you someday for it!

Serve

“You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and their men of high positions exercise power over them. 43 But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:42-45 (HCSB)

Jesus is always our example. Jesus made it clear He did not come to be served but to serve. In fact Jesus came and laid down His very life for us. He held nothing back, He gave all. Our example is Jesus as a servant. We too are called to be a servant.

It is Human nature to want to be first and to be served. We have an innate desire to be honored and looked up too. But we must realize our fleshly desires as natural as they may be and turn our desires over to the Holy Spirit. He will give us the desire and strength to be like Jesus our great example.

Enjoy your service today!

What are you doing?

I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me, and what the king had said to me.They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and they were encouraged to [do] this good work.19 When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard [about this] , they mocked and despised us, and said, “What is this you’re doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”

Neh 2:18-19 (HCSB)

When God calls us we often begin with excitement and anticipation. But when God calls us to join Him in His mission we must also anticipate opposition. These gentlemen try to discourage and threaten Nehemiah and the people from their God given task. Expect to find a nay Sayer, a discourager even an antagonist when you begin the Lord's mission.

Unfortunately, you never know who the antagonist may be. It might be a family member, an older (should be maturer) Christian or someone outside of the fellowship of faith. Keep in mind that they always have some kind of ulterior motive. They will have their agenda, plan or fear that you might mess something up for them. Sometimes they may just not understand God's call and plan for your life. They may not be listening to His call in their life.

Don't be surprised when opposition comes. Just remain faithful and watch God work through you!

Evaluate

So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall.

Neh 2:15 (HCSB)

Nehemiah had been given an assignment by God. It was to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. But before he could rebuild he needed to evaluate. Sometimes are mistake is to jump right into what we believe God has called us too without ever evaluating. It is not a matter of, "will I do it?" But it is a matter of knowing what you will need, how you will go about it and what will it cost.

When God calls the answer is always yes Lord! But we really need to take some time to evaluate and know exactly what will be the best God honoring way to approach the task. Just remember the old adage, "There is more than one way to skin a cat" (I have no idea of its origin) might sometimes apply to spiritual tasks as well!

Unique

“Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One.

Deut 6:4 (HCSB)

At face value this verse seems to be simply telling us that God is One God. While this is true there is more to what it is saying. Commentators and those skilled in translation debate exactly what "the Lord is One" really means. It certainly does me that God is One. While He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit He is one God in three. It also seems to mean that the Lord alone is God. There are many religions out there and all have different gods that are worshipped. This passage wants to be clear that Yahweh alone is God and there is none other.

I think there is yet another significant understanding for us that encompasses all of the other thoughts. It is that Yahweh is God alone and He is one God, but He is also a one and only God. While we may agree that there are no other real gods but Yahweh. We also must recognize that there is no other god real or imagined that can compare to Him. No man's imagination can even create a god as great as our one and only unique God. He is more glorious than we can even imagine or create.

Simply our God is an awesome God. Worship and celebrate His greatness today!

His Kingdom

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

Matt 6:33 (HCSB)

What does it mean to seek first the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom is God's rule and plan for all of creation. It not only speaks of Heaven to come but those who are obedient to Him here on earth.

It is a challenge to seek His plan and purpose for our lives, for our culture and society. God wants us to be His representatives to be an agent of change. He wants us to be an influence that He uses, through the Holy Spirit in us, to transform our world and people around us.

Are you an instrument that God is using to transform people and culture around you. It may require us to be radically different and open to be and do things we may not be comfortable with. But that is His call for those who are interested in being a Christ Follower.

Seek First

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

Matt 6:33 (HCSB)

Seek First. two simple words that remind us of priorities. Everyone has priorities. They are things that we make more important than other things. Sometimes our priorities are good and sometimes they are not. Jesus tells us that as a Christ Follower we must have some priorities. There are two; His Kingdom and His righteousness.

Jesus message is don't make priority the things of this world, even the most basic of necessities. Make priority His Kingdom on earth and being righteous like Him.

Simple words Big challenge!

Rejoice inspite of it all!

You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to be distressed by various trials 7 so that the genuineness of your faith —more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire —may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:6-7 (HCSB)

We must rejoice. We rejoice because of our great salvation. God's grace in action gives us more than enough reason for rejoicing. Peter prepares us that although we rejoice at times we will also be distressed by various trials. Hurt, pain and problems are a part of life even the Christian's life. But even in pain and difficulty God is good. He is testing the genuineness of our faith. He is teaching us and gaining glory for Jesus. So rejoice in spite of it all!

My One and Only

I am at rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him.2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will never be shaken.

Psalms 62:1-2 (HCSB)

Where does your peace come from? Where do you turn when everything in life seems to have turned on you? God never promised that when we came to Him we would stop having difficulties and trouble. The psalmist declares that Salvation comes from God alone. He also says that he is our only rock and stronghold.
That's a lesson to be learned. If we would only stop turning everywhere else for our strength, comfort and security we would proclaim with the Psalmist, "I will never be shaken."

Standing Together

When Joab saw that there was a battle line in front of him and another behind him, he chose some men out of all the elite troops of Israel and lined up in battle formation to engage the Arameans. 10 He placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai who lined up in battle formation to engage the Ammonites.11 “If the Arameans are too strong for me,” Joab said, “then you will be my help. However, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I’ll come to help you.

2 Sam 10:9-11 (HCSB)

Have you ever felt outnumbered? Joab did. He saw his enemies lining up in front and in back. He called upon his brother Abishai to help and they devised a plan. I think that plan leads us to some important spiritual truths.

We may not have actual physical enemies lining up against us but there certainly are spiritual one. What can we do when we are overwhelmed by temptation, culture and this world. We turn to our brothers. Spiritual brothers who will stand with us. There is nothing more encouraging than to have a brother who will stand with you. Who will challenge, encourage and strengthen in time of need. That's why fellowship and relationships with other believers is so important. You really can't be all that God wants you to be alone. You need a brother.

If you are not in a relationship with another believer who can strengthen you, may I encourage you to seek one out. Get involved in a local Bible believing church. Find a group of men (for the guys) or women (for the ladies) who will strengthen and support, encourage and challenge you. That support group will make all the difference.

Honor God with Your Stuff

Honor the Lord with your possessionsand with the first produce of your entire harvest; 10 then your barns will be completely filled, and your vats will overflow with new wine.

Prov 3:9-10 (HCSB)

Do you honor God with your stuff? We don't often consider all the things we have as something that we honor God with. We like to think at best God gets 10% and we get the rest. But that really isn't God's idea of how it works. It all belongs to Him and we are asked to manage it for Him. The Bible tells us that everything we do is to bring glory to God (1 Corinthians10.31). So what about your stuff? Is it honoring God? What you have, how you use it, how you got it all need to be for His glory.

So we should honor God with our possessions. We should give Him our very best and He reminds us that He will bless us. Not necessarily monetarily or with possessions but He will bless. So honor Him with your stuff. You will be glad you did.

Going Back

Then the Lord said to him, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.”

Gen 31:3 (HCSB)

One of the hardest things is to go back. After you have come to Christ, whether for the first time in salvation or a second time after committing or recommitting your life to Christ, it is hard to go back.

Going back to family and friends is so hard because they know who we are and what we used to be like. Now we are a committed Christ Follower but those old reputations remain.

It is hard to go back not knowing exactly what kind of response we will receive but look at God's promise and comfort. "I will be with you." God will be with you. He was with Jacob and He will be with you. Could there be some moments of humility even humiliation? Yes possibly. But He will be with you and you can do it. You can go back!

God's Testing

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”

Gen 22:1 (HCSB)

Has God ever tested you? Any Christ Follower who is seeking to live in obedience will be tested. Before God will give you the big assignments that most of us are looking for, He begins with the small ones.

God tested Abraham and it was no small test. He tells Him to take his only son, the promised son and slaughter him as an offering on the Altar.

God spared his son and Abraham passed the test by being obedient. That's really what God wants. He wants to know that when He calls I will respond in obedience.

Called Out

The Lord said to Abram: Go out from your land, your relatives,and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.2 I will make you into a great nation,I will bless you,I will make your name great,and you will be a blessing

Gen 12:1-2 (HCSB)

There are times in every persons life when God will call us out. Like Abram (later to be Abraham) it will require us to leave the security of what we know to the insecurity of the uncertain.

God called Abram to a new land. A new work, ministry, culture and responsibility. Abram may have felt very secure and happy where he was but God wanted to use him somewhere else, in a new way.

With a calling also comes a promise. I will be with you. I will work through you. I will bless you. It will be worthwhile. With calling comes purpose and promises.

How about you today? Are you listening closely enough to the Lord to hear Him call you? When He calls He will make a way. He will provide a new and clear purpose. He will make some promises. Just listen. Make sure the call is clear. Don't make assumptions about His purpose or even His promises. Just listen. You may begin today a journey that will change you, your family and your life. It can be a great adventure!

Pity Party

Cain presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also presented [an offering] —some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he was downcast.

Gen 4:3-5 (HCSB)

Cain gives us a good picture of a bad attitude. God did not find Cain's offering satisfactory and it made Cain mad. The Bible also says he was downcast. What is downcast? Well basically he was pouting. He was having a pity party!

Oh how we need to be careful about those pity parties. When God comes and corrects us, or shows us the error of our ways how do we respond? Do we humbly acknowledge our sin and repent or do we get angry and throw a temper tantrum? We would avoid much of the pain and problems of our life if we would just agree with God (confession) and turn away from our sin (repentance) rather than to become angry and downcast.

Be careful of throwing a pity party. God may be your party poop-er!

A Crafty Creature

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?”

Gen 3:1 (HCSB)

The serpent was the most cunning the Bible says. Most of us don't like snakes. However, the Bible is speaking about Satan who happened to be in the form of a serpent. The message from this verse is very simple. Be very careful. Satan is not to be trusted or fooled with. Just like a real snake can strike without much notice, Satan will strike at your life without much notice.

He is cunning or crafty. He finds a way to lure you in and then before you realize it he strikes! As Eve discovered Satan knows the Scripture and he's not afraid to use it against us. However, what he says is always twisted and dangerous. So beware out there today for that very crafty creature who wants to steal, kill and destroy you. (John 10.10)

Sin Separates

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

Gen 3:8-9 (HCSB)

One of the greatest ways that sin damages us is that it separates. It separates us from one another (Gen. 3.7) but even greater is that it separates us from God. Adam and Eve heard God in the garden and they hid themselves. Can you imagine the grand privilege they had, to fellowship with God one on one in the garden. Sin damaged that wonderful relationship. It caused fear and guilt in Adam and Eve but it also caused God to call out to Adam and Eve.

When we sin it also damages our relationship with God. It causes us to experience the fear of being found out and all kinds of guilt to surface in our lives. But just as God called to Adam, "where are you?" God calls to us.

Understand its not that God did not know where Adam and Eve were. He is all knowing. He was identifying for them that their sin separated them from fellowship from Him. It was for their benefit that he called out because He already knew where they were. God is calling out to you and me when we are in the midst of our sin. He does it to remind us that our sin has separated us from Him.