Category Archives: General

When I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10)

Today’s word of encouragement is as counter-cultural as it is counterintuitive. The world has no interest in weakness; it views weakness with derision and contempt. But the Word of God says weakness is the walkway leading to the only real power in the universe, a power that is available to us twenty-four hours a day, seven days each week, three hundred-sixty-five days each year — the power that God gives us.

Weakness protects us from ourselves. God uses our weakness as a witness to His awesome power that flows through us. Our weakness is one of the ways that God demonstrates His strength in our lives. Paul understood this truth from personal experience. Paul knew that he was nothing apart from Christ, and he could do nothing of any eternal value in his own strength. He knew that every bit of forward progress he made in his service to Jesus was because of the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through him. And the weaker he was, the more Holy Spirit power flowed through him!

Weakness keeps us dependent upon God. Weakness keeps us trusting in God. Weakness keeps us from thinking we are capable of living autonomous, independent, and self-reliant lives. We were made by God; we were made for God; and in order to live for God’s glory, we must live in His strength, not our own. When we believe that we are strong and and assure ourselves, “I’ve got this,” we miss out on the life-changing, daily-rescuing, transforming power of God.

When we see how the great apostle Paul celebrated his weakness, we too can celebrate our weakness, knowing that when we are weak, we are truly strong. May this be the confession of our lives.

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

The one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 4:14-15)

Yesterday we celebrated the most important day of the year, not only on the church calendar but in the history of the entire world: the Resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord from the dead. Having paid the full penalty for our sins by His death on the cross, Jesus walked out of His tomb, providing the divine guarantee of eternal life for all those who put their trust in Him as both Savior and Lord. On that first Easter morning, God the Father put His stamp of approval on Christ’s finished work on the cross by raising Him from the dead.

But if we view the Resurrection only in light of eternal life, we shrink the size of the cross work of Jesus Christ. We are to live out our everyday lives in view of the Resurrection; it is the window through which we are to view all of life. In our verse for today, we see a several implications of the Resurrection as it relates to everyday life. Here are just two that will be a source of great encouragement to you as you journey through this life.

1 – Resurrection Grace – The grace that saved you is the same grace that sanctifies you every step of the way into glory. What starts in grace continues in grace, and it will be completed in grace. Keeping this resurrection truth in view will help you trust in and depend on the grace of our Lord Jesus instead of attempting to live out your salvation in your own strength.

2 – Resurrection Thanksgiving – When Jesus walked out of the grave alive and well, He conquered our last enemy, death. No matter what is going on in our lives, we have reason to be thankful. No matter what storm winds may be howling around us, we can give thanks, knowing that Jesus is in control of it all and is graciously using that storm for His glory and our eternal good.

Remembering that Jesus is risen and that death has no sting will encourage, equip, and empower us to live a risen life, no matter how high the waves of challenge are that we are facing.

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

God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

What’s so “good” about Good FRIDAY? It seems like a strange name to give to the day when the most horrific crime ever committed was done to the greatest Person who ever lived. But that is exactly what that day is for all those who trust in Jesus Christ for salvation; it’s not just a “good” day, it’s a glorious day!

Let’s take a look at the acronym G.O.O.D. for today’s word of encouragement.

G – God

O – Offers

O – Our

D – Deliverance

Going back to our verse for today, we see that salvation is a gift from God. He who is the giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17) offered His one and only Son — offered Him up on a Roman cross to die in our place and pay the penalty for our sin. It is God who offered Jesus to us – offered Him to all those who would believe in Him and receive Him as Lord and Savior.

God did not offer His Son for a special few: the rich, the influential, the important, the movers and shakers. No, God offered Jesus for all those who would believe. And if that is you, your deliverance has been secured by your Savior. You have been delivered from Satan, you have been delivered from sin, and you have been delivered from death. Regardless of where this message finds you today, take a moment to ponder this profound promise : You will not perish but have eternal life simply by trusting in Jesus Christ alone.

One final thing: God’s promise of eternal life is also God’s promise of everyday life. In Christ, you have been promised an abundant life. In Christ, you have been promised a peace that passes all understanding. In Christ, you have been promised a joy unspeakable. And all of this is yours right now, today ,because God SO LOVED YOU!

Have you claimed these promises for your own life? Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and the atoning work He accomplished on your behalf on that Good Friday, and all these promises are yours.

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

In the feeding of the 5,000, which would have actually numbered anywhere between 10,000 – 20,000 men, women,and children, Jesus fed the entire crowd with only five loaves and two fish. And then we read this: 

When they all had enough to eat, [Jesus] said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over.  Let nothing be wasted.” (John 6:12)

With only five loaves and two fish on hand, Jesus multiplied those meager supplies to feed thousands on a hillside near the Sea of Galilee. Even after everyone had eaten all they wanted, there were still leftovers when the meal was done! So what is the lesson our Lord wants us to learn from the leftovers?

Here is one: God takes our little and makes it a lot, giving an abundance of blessings to all of His children. What “little” do you have to offer Jesus today? Perhaps your thinking has been much like that of Andrew, who said, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:9 emphasis added). To be sure, the boy’s offering would have been “short rations” for a group of 20 people, much less 20,000. But in the hands of the Almighty, the loaves and fish went far beyond meeting their needs . . . this “little” went all the way to exceeding their needs. Our Lord is in the business of doing exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

God takes whatever we offer him — our little time . . . our little talent . . . our little treasure — and multiplies it beyond anything we could have ever imagined. If God can make something out of nothing, which He did when He made the universe and everything in it, He can surely take our little and make it a lot! 

Moses had only a shepherd’s staff, but in the power of God, it swallowed up the staffs of the Egyptian magicians. David had only a sling and five smooth stones, and in the strength of the Almighty, he struck down the giant Goliath. Samson had only the jawbone of a donkey, and with the strength of the Almighty, he slew a thousand Philistines. The woman who was bleeding for over a decade had just a little faith (only enough to reach out and touch the hem of Jesus’ garment), and she was instantly healed by the power of God. 

Here is the key in the lesson from the leftovers. We must be willing to put in what God has given us in order for God to bless it. God multiplied the five talents and the two talents that were put into faithful service to Him, but He did nothing with the talent that was hidden away (Matthew 25:14-30). Remember this: God will not steer a parked car! We must be willing to put in whatever we have been given, trusting that God will use it for His glory and the good of all others.

What “little” have you been holding back lately? Surrender control to Jesus, and watch Him multiply that little you have until you have an abundance of leftovers . . . because God supplied the increase. 

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

When I first started to drive, my dad kept telling me it was always a good idea to pull into a gas station when the tank got down to one-quarter full. His theory was simple: If you fill up with a quarter-of-a-tank of gas still remaining, you will never run out of fuel on some lonely stretch of road. I followed much of my father’s advice over the years . . . but not this piece of advice, however, and sure enough, I did run out of gas once. Today, as soon as I see the “low fuel” light come on, I head right for the station.  

All of us feel like we’re running on empty at times. Our fuel supply is low, but the distance to travel is long. As God’s Word tells us, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41 NASB). And keep in mind that our Lord said this to His disciples on the night He was betrayed.  Jesus had asked the disciples to watch and pray while He went into the “garden of suffering” to pray to His Father, and they dozed off during His hour of deep need. Peter had asserted that He would die with His Lord, but he couldn’t even stay awake for one hour!

Where do we go to fill our spiritual tank?  We go to the only true power source in the universe that can fill us to overflowing! 

Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God. (Psalm 62:11)

Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand? (Job 26:14)

Regardless of where this message finds you today — running on a full tank, three-quarters, one-half, one quarter, running on fumes, or actually out of gas and needing a push to get to the gas station to refuel — here are two steps you can take to fill your tank back up.

Step #1. Acknowledge God as your only power source. 

Now, I know we all say this is our truth, but functionally, we turn to things smaller than God to find the power we need. Some look for it in their work. Others in a relationship.  Still others in the applause of man. The list is endless.  So have you acknowledged God as your only true power source today? 

Step #2. Believe God for the seemingly impossible.

The power in you is greater than any power that can come against you, which means you should erase the word “impossible” from your dictionary. With God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). The same God who sent manna from heaven, brought water from a rock, and turned five loaves and two fish into a meal for thousands, is ready, willing, and more than able to meet you in your place of deepest need.

Have you been running on empty lately?  Perhaps you’ve been trying to fill up at the wrong pump? To keep from running on empty, keep running to the Everlasting One, and you will have everything you need to do everything He has called you to do. “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

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

I readily admit that the advice given in the title is much easier said than done. Human nature finds it far easier to focus on the problems we face in life, rather than to look to the One who can solve those problems. Perhaps you’ve had this experience: Someone exhorts you to “Cheer up, things could be worse.” You cheer up, and sure enough, things get worse! I never really cared for pessimistic advice like “Things could be worse.” It directs our attention at the problems of life rather than at the Problem-Solver. This is not for you!

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3)

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith . . . (Hebrews 12:2)

Those are just two of the many verses that encourage us to shift our focus away from our problems and onto our Problem-Solver. Isaiah 26:3 is telling us that, regardless of the problems we are facing . . .

• Financial reversal
• Trouble at the office
• Difficulties in our marriage
• Fractured relationship
• Health concerns

. . . God will keep us in perfect peace when we shift our focus away from our problems and put it on Him, trusting our God even when we cannot trace Him. This is a faith that knows deep down that our God is for us, so it really doesn’t matter what problems come against us.

The author of Hebrews exhorts us to keep our focus on the Author and Perfecter of our faith. In other words, what Jesus began in us He will one day bring to completion. Jesus is perfecting us in and through our problems. You see, God has ordained the challenges of life to conform us to the likeness of our Savior. James said it very plainly: “The testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:3-4).

So . . . how has it been with you lately? What have you been focused on? Your problems or your Problem-Solver? Your focus really does make a dramatic difference in how you walk through trials. Know this: what you focus on tends to get bigger and bigger in your mind’s eye. So if your focus is directed at your problems, guess what gets bigger? That’s right, your problems! But if you fix your eyes on Jesus, your Problem-Solver, He will occupy more space in your heart and in your mind, and you will make better decisions about how to deal most effectively with whatever problems you are facing. 

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructed us to ask, seek, and knock (Matthew 7:7); when we do that, we can be assured that we will receive, we will find, and the door leading to a solution will be opened to us. We have His Word on that! 

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

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 pressed our Lord to speak on His own behalf, and we read that Pilate was amazed that Jesus remained silent. Yet in another passage of Scripture we read, “No one ever spoke the way this man spoke” (John 7:46). So we can be sure that the Son of God wasn’t at a loss for words!

So much can be said about our Savior’s silence that brings great encouragement into the life of the Christian. For every disciple of Christ, there are times to speak and times to be silent. The key is to possess the wisdom and discernment to know and understand the times. Jesus was silent 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 the diminutive tax collector rose up into the ministry of the gospel alongside his Master. 

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

Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, “Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?” 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. Jesus was silent in the presence of Pilate, refusing to provide a defense against the false accusations, but He never missed an opportunity to defend and bless others.

Where has Jesus spoken in your life that brought you great blessing? Remember, Jesus was silent before Pilate because He chose to take our place and die on a cross. Jesus was silent 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” (Isaiah 53:7).

When it comes to your relationship with Him, however, He has not stopped speaking words of life to you, and He will never go silent, not one time, 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 fulfillment 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 either as an example to follow or as a warning to avoid. As one who has served as a coach for decades, I am always saddened when I hear high-profile athletes insist, “I am not a role model!” The truth is, they may not want to be a role model, but they most certainly are to someone who is watching. The very same thing can be said for everyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ. 

Did you know that you are the only Bible that some people will ever read? They may know nothing about the 66 books of sacred Scripture, but they know a great deal about the life they see you living out before their eyes. And because you are a disciple of Jesus, the way you live is what they come to believe about the Jesus of the Bible.

So the question that needs to be asked and answered is this: Is your life serving as an example to follow or a warning to avoid? 

Let me make something perfectly clear: I am not suggesting that you are to live a perfect life. Only Jesus did that. You and I 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. What I am talking about is the desire to live a life that is pleasing to God, knowing full well that it will never be perfect on this side of the grave. 

Let’s look at the apostle Peter, who was one of the three disciples who were closest to Jesus. Peter’s life was far from perfect! He denied our Lord three times and later refused to eat with Gentile Christians, an error that earned a sharp rebuke from Paul (Galatians 2:11-14). Yet the life Peter lived serves as a wonderful example of what it means to live for nothing smaller than Jesus, even while living it imperfectly.

Every great saint in Scripture and in history books had their share of blemishes and warts. Paul frankly admitted that “The evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19). But all those flaws just make these people more real to us. Even when others don’t see our shortcomings, we are painfully aware that they are there, just as Paul was. We know when we do not measure up. And yet, in spite of all our imperfections, God has chosen us to put the Gospel on display to a watching world. Remember, God uses imperfect people because that’s all He’s got to use! 

So let me ask you: Have you considered the example you are setting for those who are watching you? When you mess things up, confess it and ask for forgiveness from God and from those you have offended or hurt. Then get on with life! As much as it is within your power, live that life for the good of others and the glory of God. 

Everyone is an example; what kind of example are you?

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

A few days later, when Jesus again 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 am confronted by two questions: First, do I have any faithful friends like that who would make a hole in someone’s roof because that was the only way to get me to Jesus? Second, am I a faithful friend like that to anyone in my life right now, for whom I would refuse to be denied in bringing them to Jesus? Powerful questions, don’t you think?

Faithful friends have a way of making things happen for the good of others and the glory of God. They 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 come before our Lord.

Luke, ever the careful historian, gave added insight into this event: “When they could not find a way to [to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus] 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 clambering onto 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 have been looking up, probably with great indignation, as dust and pieces of the roof began to cascade down into the room below. 

I simply cannot think of any better phrase than “faithful friends” when I read 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 “faithful 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 “faithful faith” that will push past any obstacle to bring 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)

I long ago lost count of how many times I have heard people say that they are struggling with temptations and telling me that is 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? There may be 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 came to Jesus and tempted Him — not once, but three times. And each time Jesus dealt with the temptations of the devil in the same way: with Scripture. With each new temptation, Jesus used Scripture for strength, so as not to be overtaken by Satan’s schemes.

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. 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. 

What temptations have you been wrestling with lately? In your personal life? In your professional life? Remember, temptation is not sin; giving in to the temptation 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 resist temptation.

One final thing. When temptation does overtake you, remember the cross. Jesus 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 powerful, personal promise. 

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