Category Archives: General

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.” (Ezekiel 34:11)

Oh, what a word of comfort we have before us today. Notice this most amazing truth – Our Lord Jesus Christ does not send someone out in His place to search for and look after His sheep. Oh no. The prophet Ezekiel tells us that “He Himself” is the Sovereign, Seeking, Searching, Shepherd Savior. And He is all that for you. Is that not a word of cosmic comfort to you today, regardless of where this finds you?

Notice something else contained within this text. Our salvation not only begins because of our Searching Savior, but it continues and is sustained because of our continually Searching Savior. No matter where and how often we wander away from our Savior, He chases us down and returns us to His sheep-fold. Now this does not happen when a certain number of His flock wander away. The parable of the Lost Sheep makes it perfectly clear that our Great Shepherd leaves the heard to go off and find the one single lost sheep and brings him back to the fold. You matter that much to Jesus.

One final point. To be “looked after by our Shepherd” is to be locked in to our salvation. The Bible tells us, “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day” (John 6:39). Jesus will not lose a single sheep and that includes you. Is this not a powerful promise to plead if at this time you find yourself away from the sheep-fold and away from your Shepherd? It sure was for Peter. When Peter denied Jesus three times on the night He was betrayed and that rooster crowed, his heart was broken for having wandered away from his Savior. But after the resurrection, Jesus restored Peter by asking a simple question, not once, but three times – “Do you love me?”

If your answer is the same as Peters, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you” then you can be assured that nothing can ever separate you from your Searching Savior. Let that truth set you free today and every day until you cross the Jordan and enter into your eternal rest.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor. (Matthew 27:13-14)

Pilate presses our Lord to speak on His behalf and we read to our amazement that Jesus made “no reply.” Yet, in another passage of Scripture we read, “No one ever spoke the way this man spoke” (John 7:46). To be sure, there is, in the life of every disciple of Christ, a time to speak and a time to be silent. The key is to have the wisdom and discernment to know the time.

So much can be said about these two words that can bring great encouragement into the life of the Christian. Jesus made “no reply” when words might have brought a blessing to Himself. But never did He withhold His words when He could bless others. 

Jesus said to the fishermen He found down by the shore, “Come” and they became fishers of men. 

Jesus said to the man up in a tree, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately” and he rose up into the ministry of the gospel along side of His Master. 

Jesus said to the woman at the well, “Will you give me a drink?” and she was given “living water” and became the first evangelist in her town of Samaria, and many became believers. 

Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, “Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?” and she left His presence forgiven and faithful to Her Lord. 

These are just a few of the many examples of the words of Jesus blessing others. He gave “no reply” to Pilate, refusing to provide a defense against the false accusations, but He never missed the opportunity to defend and bless others. So where has Jesus spoken in your life that brought to you great blessing? Remember, Jesus made no reply because He chose to take our place and die on a cross. Jesus made no reply so He could drink the full cup of God’s wrath. This was the time for Jesus to be silent because His silence testified to Him being the True Lamb of God who was silent “as a sheep before its shearers is silent.” But regarding your relationship with Him, He has not stopped speaking life to you and will not all the way into glory.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.  (1 Corinthians 10:11)

Make no mistake about this biblical truth – your life . . . my life . . . everyone’s life . . . will serve as either an example to follow or a warning to avoid. As a coach for decades, I have always been amazed at this statement from high-profile athletes, “I am not a role model!” The truth is, they may not want to be a role model, but they are for someone who is watching. The same can be said for everyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ. 

Did you know that you are the only “Bible” some people will ever read. They know nothing about the 66 books of sacred Scripture. But they know much about the life they see you living before their eyes. And because you are a disciple of Jesus, the way you live is what they come to know about the Jesus of the Bible. So, the question that needs to be asked is this: “Is your life serving as an example to follow or a warning to avoid?” 

Now let me make something perfectly clear. I am not speaking about living a perfect life. Only Jesus did that. We live every aspect of our lives imperfectly. We all do things we ought not do; say things we ought not say; and think things we ought not think. But what I am talking about is the desire to live a life that is pleasing to God, knowing it will not be perfect on this side of the grave. 

Peter’s life was far from perfect, having denied our Lord three times and refusing to eat with Gentile Christians. Yet, the life Peter lived serves as a wonderful example of what it means to live for nothing smaller than Jesus, yet living it imperfectly. Every great saint in Scripture and in the history books have their share of blemishes and warts for all-the world to see. But that just makes them more real to us.  Even when others don’t see our short-comings, we know they are there.  We know when we do not measure up. But, in spite of our imperfections, God has chosen us to put the gospel on display. Remember, God uses imperfect people because that’s all He’s got. 

So, have you considered the example you are setting for those who are watching you? When you mess it up, confess it and ask for forgiveness . . . from God and those you might have offended or hurt. Then get on with life and live it, as much as it is within your power, for the good of others and the glory of God. Everyone is an example – including you?

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

When Jesus entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them.  Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. (Mark 2:1-4)

Every time I read this passage I have two thought-provoking questions: First, do I have any sold-out friends like that who would make a hole in someone’s roof because the doorway was blocked, just to get me in front of Jesus? Second, am I a sold-out friend like that to anyone in my life right now, where I refuse to be denied in bringing them before Jesus? Powerful questions don’t you think?

Sold-out saints have a way of making things happen for the good of others and the glory of God. They simply refuse to be denied. Blocked doors will not keep them out. Crowded rooms will not cause them to shy away. And if they cannot bring someone to Jesus by the ordinary way that has been set before them, they will simply make a new way and not stop until they get before our Lord.

Luke shares this insight on the above account, “When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd” (Luke 5:19). What great risk these men took to get their paralyzed friend before the Christ. Just the sound of them on the roof would have drawn the attention of those in the home. Then when they started digging and tearing away at the roof tiles, everyone below would be looking up as dust and pieces of the roof began to cascade down into the room below. 

I really cannot think of any better phrase than “sold-out” saints in reading this account. They would let nothing stand in their way in getting their friend an audience with Jesus. And how did Jesus respond?

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”  Then Jesus said, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” (Mark 2:5, 11)       

Their “sold-out” faith not only brought their friend physical healing, but spiritual healing as well. So the question I want to leave you with today is this: Do you have the kind of “sold-out” faith that will tear through roof tiles to get someone you know before the Savior of the World? May that be the confession of all our lives as we look for opportunities to bless those God has put in our lives to the glory of the praise of His name. 

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”   (1 Corinthians 10:13)

As a pastor, I cannot count how many times I have heard people say that the temptations they are dealing with are sin. Not true!  Jesus was tempted. We are all tempted. Temptation is simply a part of living in a fallen and broken world. It is giving in to temptation that is sin and who reading this right now does not know this truth by way of personal experience. So what is the key to fighting against the temptations that we all face? 

Perhaps there is no better section in all of sacred Scripture that can strengthen us when we are facing temptation than the wilderness experience of our Lord Jesus Christ. After forty days fasting, the devil comes to Jesus and tempts Him, not once, but three times. And each time Jesus deals with the temptations of the devil the same way . . . with Scripture. With each temptation, Jesus used Scripture for strength so as not to be overtaken by it. 

Now it is important to note one thing in the encounter between Jesus and the devil in the wilderness. Both quoted Scripture. Both Jesus and the devil know the Word of God. What that means is they both were students of Scripture. They were both in the Word of God. But there was one great difference between Jesus and the devil.  Inasmuch as both were in the Word of God, the Word of God was only in Jesus. You see, it’s not enough to simply know and be able to quote Scripture. We must be submitted and surrendered to its authority and rule in our lives. 

So, what temptations have you been wrestling with lately? In your personal life? In your professional life? Remember, temptation is not sin. It is giving in to the temptation that is. The more we get into the Word of God, the more the Word of God will get into us, and the better we will be able to fight against it. Oh, one final thing. When temptation does overtake you, remember the cross. Jesus has already paid for that sin and you have already been forgiven for that sin. Yes, grieve over your sin. Yes, be filled with a godly sorrow and repent of your sin. But never forget, nothing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. Not Satan or even your sin. Now that is a personal and powerful promise from our God. 

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

“And my people will be filled with my bounty,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 31:14)

Just like our cars need to be filled with gas to keep running, we too must be filled with God’s (gas), His bounty, to keep doing what He has called us to do. So, are you filled with the bounty of the Lord or do you feel like you are running a bit on empty? 

Notice “my” is written two times by the prophet Jeremiah in the above verse, and these two words are as encouraging as they are equipping. God says “my people.” These are the people who God sought, caught, and bought with His precious blood. These are the people He has claimed as His own. Is that you today? It is if you have believed and received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. Knowing you cannot save yourself, you have, by God’s grace, transferred your trust from yourself to your Savior. You are part of God’s “my” when you have put your trust in Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, for the glory of God alone. 

Next God says, “my bounty.” He does not say the bounty of the world rooted in power, position, prosperity, pleasure, or prestige. Rather, God’s bounty is rooted in God Himself.  When God says, “my people” He is saying we are His portion. When God says, “my bounty” God is saying He is our portion. He is satisfied with us and we are satisfied in Him. It is in Him that we find everything we need. God is our Faithful “Filling” Station and you can be assured that He will never be closed or run out of the gas we need to do what He has called us to do. 

Think about it this way. God has promised to fill us with His bounty. If His bounty will not satisfy us what will? Now I know that we all run to things smaller than God to find our filling from time to time. But we all know that we are left more empty after our wandering than we were before. No matter how many times we go to the wells of this world, we are never filled to satisfaction, and each time we try to get filled apart from God, it takes more and more to reach the previous level of filling. 

May this year be different than last year. May we rest in God’s first “my” knowing that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. And may we rest in God’s second “my” knowing that our God has promised to meet our every need in the glorious riches of Christ Jesus. There is only one Faithful “Filling” Station – our Faithful Savior.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. (Isaiah 26:3)

For those of us who have never experienced an “earthquake” personally, we still know what it is from reports and scenes in movies. The textbook definition is as follows:

An earthquake is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth’s lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in size from those that are so weak they cannot be felt to those violent enough to propel objects and people into the air, and wreak destruction across entire cities.

Now this is an accurate picture of what happens to all of us when a significant life event has suddenly come upon us: when a family member calls to tell you someone close to you has died; when the doctor’s office calls to tell you to come in to the office to hear about the results of the biopsy; when a work email shows up in your inbox informing you of the rumored layoff; when your child tells you they no longer believe in the faith you raised them up in. The opportunities for “earthquakes” in life are endless, but you are not powerless to endure it and the cross makes this perfectly clear.

The earth quaked for our Lord Jesus Christ, when He went to a cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Nailed to a wooden cross, Jesus endured the judgment and wrath of God, cried out, “My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me?” and then gave up the Ghost. But the story does not end there. After being taken down from the cross and placed in a tomb, three days later, the earth quaked and it was felt all over the world. On that first Easter morning, the ground began to shake, the stone was rolled away, and Jesus walked out of the grave and into the hearts of all those who would trust in Him as Savior and Lord.  

Regardless of what it is you are facing today or will face tomorrow, when your earth quakes and you feel like you have lost your way, don’t look out at your circumstances. Look up to your Christ, who is the solid Rock that no life experience can shake. Circumstances that are designed to cause you to tremble are no match for the Christ who was delivered from death to cause you to trust.

Remember, Jesus conquered sin, Satan, and death, and He will help you conquer anything that causes your earth to quake. Perfect peace is always available for those who trust in the Prince of Peace.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us. (Ephesians 3:20)

For those who walk by faith and not by sight, they have learned the deep truth that God is enough no matter what is going on in life. Is this the foundation upon which you have built your life? Is God enough for you?

• Is GOD ENOUGH when your health is failing?
• Is GOD ENOUGH when your relationships are in turmoil?
• Is GOD ENOUGH when you have been betrayed by a friend?
• Is GOD ENOUGH when your check is returned NSF?
• Is GOD ENOUGH when your nest goes empty?
• Is GOD ENOUGH when you suffer loss?

One of the most important lessons we can learn in life is to realize that GOD IS ENOUGH. God is enough to meet our every need, both physical and spiritual. God is committed to meeting not only our eternal needs through the forgiveness of our sins, but also, our every day needs through the faithfulness of His service. 

Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)

And my God will meet all your need in the glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

It was Helen Roseveare, English missionary who put it this way, “There is a wonderful truth that God has enough to supply all our needs. Enough for salvation, enough for forgiveness, enough to overcome temptations, enough to persevere in adversities, enough to calm our fears and anxieties. Enough grace, enough love, enough power. His supply is sufficient to meet not only all our needs, but the needs of everyone else in the world now and at all times.”

So, how do you know that you know God is enough? When God is EVERYTHING to you in both life and death. May this be the confession of our lives!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

To live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21)

Christ was at the center of the apostle Paul’s life. The question we need to ask and answer is this: “Is Christ at the center of my life too?”

It is easy to move Christ to the circumference of our lives. Yes, we still have Him sitting on the throne, but we have simply moved the throne to the outer edges of our lives. There are so many voices that are vying for our attention and we are so easily distracted. Do you remember how the Tree of Life was in the center of the Garden of Eden? God’s Word was painting a vivid picture of a spiritual lesson of how God, the very source of life itself, was to always and in every way, be at the center of our lives. We were made by Him and we were made for Him, for in Him, we live and move and have our being.

God created us all for worship. So, we will always be worshipping something. The question is what is that something? If God is not at the center of our lives, something else is. And it does not necessarily mean it is a bad thing. Family is a good thing. Work is a good thing. Prosperity is a good thing. Health is a good thing. Recreation is a good thing. All these things are good things, but can so easily become bad things when they become ultimate things – when we allow them to be at the center of our lives.

So, what is at the center of your life right now? What are you most passionate about? Where do you invest your time, talent, and treasure? If you are not sure, ask those who are closest to you because what we worship is impossible to hide. Our deepest passions will always rise to the surface of our lives. For those, like Paul, who have Jesus at the center, it will be obvious to those around you. They will hear you talk about Him. They will see you walk with Him. They will see that your greatest goal in life is to glorify God and expand the cause of His Kingdom, not your own.

Remember, it is the fear of the Lord (Psalm 19:9), the constant awareness of the presence of a God who loved us enough to die on a cross for us, that keeps Him at the center of our lives – but this will be done imperfectly. We will fall, fail, and even forsake Jesus at times. Inasmuch as the goal is perfection, the best we can hope for is progress. May this be the confession of our lives, as we seek to keep Him at the center of our lives.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

I know that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. (Psalm 119:75)

Now that is a biblical truth that every child of God needs to have etched upon the heart when the storm winds of life are blowing, beginning with me.

Everything God does is good and right. In God’s economy, there are no mistakes and no missteps. Everything is happening for two reasons – for God’s glory and our ultimate good. To be sure, we all must process the challenges we face, but they must be processed in faith not fear. And when we do this, we will always come to the same conclusion that the psalmist reached:

In faithfulness you have afflicted me!

You see, it is during the times of great difficulties and challenges that God is most at work in our lives. When I look back over the years in my walk with Christ, my deepest pains have produced my greatest progress because God was in faithfulness afflicting me. Is this not true for you also when you look back over the years in your walk with Christ? Our Good God is too wise, too faithful, too loving, too, well good, to do anything that is not for our ultimate good as He is conforming us to the image of His Son. It is always in faithfulness, not fickleness, that our God sends storms our way.

We need to remember that we do not rejoice in the experience of the storms that we endure. Rather, we rejoice in the results of them. No one likes to be buffeted by the winds and the waves of challenge in life. But because we know that God is in complete control of all things, including the storms of life, we can rest in the results that He has promised. As someone once said,

My Father’s way may twist and turn, My heart may throb and ache,

But in my soul I’m glad to know, He maketh no mistake!

So, regardless of the storms you are facing today, or will face tomorrow, remember that you can trust God to lead you through safely to the other side because He knows the way. And if God does not change your circumstances, it’s only because He is changing you. No mistakes will ever come from the hand of your Master.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!