True Lies

“Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”-Matthew 19:30-

There are certain lies we live by. If we knew they were lies, we certainly wouldn’t live by them. But there are lies that we have believed to be true, and the truth is that lies we believe to be true can have power over us as if they were true.

For example, we eat carrots and we encourage our kids to eat carrots because — as everyone knows — carrots improve your . . . ? Yeah, carrots improve your vision. Except that they don’t. This lie is actually rooted in World War II propaganda. I know that many of you reading this right now don’t believe me, but it’s true. Now, millions of children and adults eat carrots in hopes of improving their vision. It’s not true, but because we believe it is, we end up living by the lie. Or how about this one: Many of us were told as children that we couldn’t go swimming right after we ate. I remember very well getting out of the pool, going in for a snack, and then being told I had to wait at least a half hour or sometimes an hour before swimming again. My parents explained to me that swimming after eating is dangerous because it increases your risk of muscle cramps. Yeah, except that it doesn’t. That’s simply not true.
Sometimes we believe these statements because they have been so widely accepted. Nearly everyone you know believes it is true, so it must be true. Or you’ve believed it for such a long time, you can’t imagine it could be false. You likely heard it for the first time when you were a kid, and the longer you believe something, the truer it seems.
The Bible is full of widely held beliefs that Jesus turns completely upside down. For example, you want to find real life? Then be willing to lose yours (Luke 9:23-25). You want to experience complete freedom? Then choose a life of submission (Romans 6:19). Greatness? It’s found in humbly serving others (Matthew 20:26-28). True riches? They’re not accumulated in this life (Matthew 6:19-20). Somehow, you can rejoice in suffering (1 Peter 4:13); you can have nothing yet possess everything (2 Corinthians 6:10).
The way of Jesus may seem counterintuitive. It might feel upside down. But you can always count on the One who is Truth.

Pursuing Today
Look up the following verses:
Luke 6:27-28; Acts 20:35; Romans 12:17, 19; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 3:7-8; James 1:2-4.
Write down the upside-down ways of Jesus that you observe. Underline one or two that you will live out today. If you have more time, read the other passages referenced in today’s devotion.

I Believe

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?”-James 2:14-

Anyone who works out at a gym several times a week will have noticed the “gym rats” — the ones who always seem to be there. You can typically spot them walking aimlessly around the weight room and staring at themselves in the mirror. But I’ve noticed something about these guys. They tend to have huge, well-developed upper bodies and puny little legs. This is because they spend hours working on their chests, biceps, and triceps but for the most part, they ignore their calves and thighs. They look like they’re completely out of balance, like they might tip over on uneven terrain. It’s what I call (not to their faces, of course) the “Pee-Wee Schwarzenegger” effect. They have a Schwarzenegger upper body and a Pee-Wee lower body.
Some churches (and Christians) have this same unbalanced approach when it comes to discipleship. We spend too much of our time and effort bringing people to a point of belief without clearly helping them to follow. Too often, we have written BELIEVE in big, bold capital letters. And then everything that has to do with living for Jesus and being a disciple has been put in small print: follow.
As a result, many people have made a very real decision to believe in Jesus, but they have never made a commitment to follow Him. They don’t know how to engage in a daily pursuit of Christ. They give a puzzled look when you describe “missional living” or “walking as Jesus walked.” Unless somebody tells them, they may never know that Christian belief is more than just accepting something as fact in your mind or raising your hand and repeating the right words during an altar call.
Jesus’ own brother, James, discussed this balance in his book in the New Testament. He asks the question above — “What good is it?” — and the answer seems obvious: It’s not much good at all! But in case you didn’t come to the same conclusion, he states it even more clearly: “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17). Believing Jesus implies movement and action.
Of course, biblical belief is the acceptance of something as real and true. But it is so much more than that. Beyond intellectual assent and heartfelt acknowledgement comes the decision to follow, and that will change the way you live the rest of your life.

Pursuing Today
How has your belief in Jesus manifested itself in your pursuit of Him? In other words, what are you doing that demonstrates your belief? You can’t follow and stay where you are at the same time. Our beliefs are validated by our actions. Read the rest of James 2:14-26. Prayerfully look for opportunities today to put your belief into action.

Pull on the Rope

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
-Colossians 3:13-

You may recognize the name ten Boom. As a teenager, I read Corrie ten Boom’s famous autobiography, The Hiding Place. Corrie’s family was instrumental in hiding many Jews in their home during the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands. But eventually she was captured and imprisoned at the Ravensbruck concentration camp, where she was forced to do backbreaking labor. Years later, after the end of the war and her release, she was greeted by one of her prison guards at the end of a public meeting. With the love of Christ deeply rooted in her, she managed to forgive the guard. She noted, however, that sin, even though it is erased by forgiveness, still has repercussions. She compared it to pulling on the rope in a bell tower. When you stop pulling the rope, the bell still keeps ringing for a while. That’s like the momentum of your emotions when you have been wronged. Over time, God can heal the raw wound, but for a while, you must bear the reminder of it.
You’ve probably heard much about God’s forgiveness — how He sent His Son to die on the cross so that we can be forgiven for our sins. We are fervent believers in receiving forgiveness. We are grateful that we have been forgiven.
But many times we have a hard time extending forgiveness to others. A drunk driver crosses the median, slamming into the bus that was carrying your child. Forgive her? Your spouse betrays and deserts you. Forgive her? Your teenage son sneaks off with your car and wrecks it. Your neighbor takes you to court over a property dispute. Forgive them? What they did seems unforgivable. The wrong you’ve suffered is just too great to bear.
But that’s exactly the point of forgiveness. We’re not meant to carry that burden. We’re not meant to live imprisoned by our own desire to right the wrong. Lack of forgiveness is that “bitter root” that “grows up to cause trouble and defile many” (Hebrews 12:15). I’ve seen it, and it’s not pretty; decades of pain and separation because of stubborn unforgiveness. Families torn apart. Adult children who haven’t talked to their fathers in years.
But I’ve also seen the beauty and freedom that come when we forgive. Marriages restored and even strengthened. Families reunited. Broken teenagers overwhelmed by the patient forgiveness of their loving parents. Oh, you may still feel the effects of the original wrong. You might still hear the bell ringing for a while. But the freedom won by forgiveness is worth it. So, go ahead: Give that rope a pull.

Pursuing Today
As you read today’s devotional, what came to mind that was (or is) hard for you to forgive? Are you still nursing any grudges? Read Jesus’ parable about an unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21-35. Prayerfully consider the next step you need to take to begin the healing process. Write a note. Make a phone call. Walk across the street or into the next room, and forgive just as you have been forgiven.

In This Together

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”(1 Thessalonians 5:11)

I have a friend who recently participated in a 5-mile mud run. Now, this is not one of those “I have a friend who…” Stories that is meant to hide the fact that I’m secretly referring to me. Honestly, just that first sentence tells you pretty much everything you need to know about why such an event holds no appeal for me. 3 words (or 4, depending on how you count the hyphen): Five-mile. Mud. Run.
I listened as he described the obstacle course: miles of running over muddy terrain (that’s the obvious part), scaling walls, climbing ropes, dragging boulders, heaving sandbags, crawling under barbed-wire fencing, and jumping over a fiery pit at the finish line. All that for a pretty cool medal and a free banana!
It wasn’t necessarily a stretch for me to picture my friend running this race. I know him well: He’s a pretty active guy and in reasonably good shape. He’s fairly athletic, and he’s very competitive. My surprise registered only when he told me he had completed the race right alongside his wife. I also know her well: While he is competitive, she is contented. Where he would enjoy taking a risk, she would prefer going on a retreat. He spent 4-5 days a week training at a gym; she spent $45 on her race outfit. She would not have even signed up without his gentle insistence; and she admitted that she could not have finished without his strong assistance. Along with 2 other married couples, they had run this rugged race and crossed the finish line together.
It occurred to me that maybe that was the whole point of the race. To compete together. To strive together. To celebrate together. And maybe that’s the point of our journey too. The writer of Ecclesiastes wisely recognizes that “two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). We were meant to run life’s race together.

*To encourage each other (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
*To pray for one another (James 5:16).
*To challenge and sharpen each other (Proverbs 27:17).
*To share other’s burdens & meet their needs (Galatians 6:2).
*To suffer together & to rejoice together (1 Corinthians 12:26).

The race can get long; obstacles will certainly come. So “let US run with perseverance the race marked out for US, fixing OUR eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-2, emphasis added). Pursuing Jesus is always better TOGETHER!

Pursuing Today
Who are the people in your life running alongside you? How do they encourage you or build you up? Who are you pouring your life into, cheering them on along the way? Write down some names, and thank God for your faith community. Consider writing a note of thanks or encouragement to someone on your list. If you find it hard to think of names, begin praying that God would lead you to some life-giving relationships.

Self-Control

In reading about the lives of great people, the first thing you find is that the first victory that won was over themselves.

A reporter once asked the great evangelist, D.L. Moody, which people give him the most trouble. He answered immediately, “I’ve had more trouble with D.L. Moody than any man alive.”

A classic Jack Paar line: “Looking back, my life seems to be one long obstacle course, with me as the chief obstacle.”

Sign in an office: “If you could kick the person responsible for most of your troubles, you wouldn’t be able to sit down for a week.”

The Greek word for self-control comes from a root word meaning “to grip” or “to take hold of.” This word describes people who are willing to get a grip on their lives and take control of areas that will bring them success or failure.

“A man without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls.” (Proverbs 25:28)

Anything uncontrolled can harm your relationships:
*Uncontrolled anger – Proverbs 29:11
*Uncontrolled lust – Proverbs 6:26
*Uncontrolled spending – Proverbs 21:20
*Uncontrolled drinking – Proverbs 23:29-35
*Uncontrolled ambition – Proverbs 23:4

My Time With God

Preparation Time
Abraham Lincoln said, “I will get ready and then perhaps my chance will come.” Too often, the disciplines have not been developed and an opportunity is missed.

Begin spending your time with God by listing the areas in your life that are not developed:

Waiting Time
During your waiting time let God…

Love You.
“God, I feel your love today, especially in the area of…”

Search You.
“God, You have permission to reveal any undisciplined areas in my life.”

Show You.
“God, is there anything that I need to know as I enter this day?”

Confession Time
Right now, determine to take responsibility for the undisciplined areas of your life.
Begin to confess to God those areas where you lack self-control.

Bible Time
We can never pray out of God’s will when we pray God’s Word.

…Read Galatians 5:19-26 slowly a couple of times.
…Close your eyes & allow a main truth to surface in your heart.
…Pray the Scripture and allow God to minister to you.

Meditation Time
After praying the Scriptures, write down the thoughts that God has impressed upon your mind.

I would be true, for there are those who trust me;
I would be true, for there are those who care;
I would be strong, for there are those who suffer;
I would be brave, for there is much to dare;
I would be friend of all – the foe, the friendless;
I would be giving, and forget the gifts;
I would be humble, for I know my weakness;
I would look up, and laugh, and love, and lift.

Intercession Time – Praying for Others
Begin this time with a prayer of blessing and thanksgiving for the people for whom you will now intercede.
Name Request

Petition Time – Praying for Yourself

How to Petition God Properly
Talk to Him about the “little things”
Be honest with God
Pray “Thy Will be Done”

Prayer Requests

Application Time
The smallest obedient act is better than the greatest intention.

Q: What is the main thing that God has impressed on me today?

Q: What am I going to do about it?

A self-discipline strategy:
…List your 3 weakest areas
…Which one hurts you the most?
…Work on that area daily
…Have someone hold you accountable
…Chart your progress

All worthwhile people have good thoughts, good ideas, and good intentions, but precious few of them ever translate those into action.


Faith Time
Faith is our positive response to what God has said. Spend a few moments praying, through your eyes of faith. Tell God the positive things you see happening because of His goodness!

Praise & Thanksgiving Time

Praise God by recognizing WHO HE IS!

Thank God by recognizing WHAT HE HAS DONE!

This Week’s Memory Verse: (2 Peter 1:5-8)

This Week’s Time Alone With God

Monday – This Lesson

Tuesday – Friday
For the next 4 days, study and respond to…
John Wesley’s Four Questions:

1.) What known sins have you committed? If there is such, what do you plan to do about it?

2.) What temptations have you faced?

3.) How were you delivered from these temptations?

4.) What have you thought, said or done, of which you are uncertain whether it was sin or not?

Walk The Walk

“So I say, walk by the Spirit.”-Galatians 5:16-

When you took your first steps as a baby, everyone praised you. But that was not your crowning achievement as a biped, because you went on to run, skip, jump, and dance, among other things. Nobody praises the 9-year old child for walking across the living room into their mother’s open arms. No one cheers as the 42-year old woman navigates her way around the dining room by holding on to the edge of the table. Learning to walk was just a normal part of growing up.
Over the years, sometimes your feet have taken you places you weren’t supposed to go. You directed your own steps according to your objectives, often influenced by the people you were walking with. Sometimes you walked in the dark and it was difficult to see where you were going. Sometimes you ran right into trouble. Other times you strolled in the sunshine and everything was good.
You have been on a parallel path in your spiritual walk. You took your first steps when you were saved, but that was only the beginning of your journey. Sometimes you stumbled in the dark, losing your way. Other times you took a deliberate detour and found yourself alone. But many times, you followed closely in the footsteps of Jesus. You “kept [your] feet from every evil path” (Psalm 119:101); you chose to “run in the path of [His] commands” (Psalm 119:32). And you discovered the beautiful truth that “blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord” (Psalm 119:1).
That’s being a disciple. That’s pursuing Jesus. And the more the two of you walk together, the more you walk the way He does.

Pursuing Today
Can you see maturing fruit in your life? That’s the best way to know if you have progressed from baby steps to mature strides. If you haven’t already, memorize this scripture: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. . . . Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23, 25). List that “fruit” on a notecard and put it in an obvious place where you will see it each day.

Holy Comforter

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”
(2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

In a museum in northern France, you can view the Bayeaux Tapestry. It is so long that it wraps around the walls of a large room, like the longest cartoon strip ever, with hundreds of scenes and captions. It dates from the late eleventh century and tells the story of the Norman Conquest. The Latin captions were first translated into English in the 17th century.
One scene depicts William the Conqueror urging his troops forward into a bloody battle at lance-point. The caption on the panel is translated, “William comforts his soldiers.” Pushing them into battle. Urging them on with the tip of his blade. Something must have been lost in translation, right? But this is not a mistake. The translation was made around the time when Bibles were first coming out in English, giving us the term Comforter for the Holy Spirit, and comfort had a different meaning than it does now.
So why am I telling you this? Because these days, when we think of a comforter, we think of a nice soft blanket. We want to stay in our comfort zones, take comfort measures, and eat comfort food. We enjoy creature comforts like comfortable homes and comfy clothes. But the word really means “with great strength.” It carries the idea of encouragement in the strongest sense of the word, because it includes the idea of pressing someone to take an action that could mean discomfort. When you think of the Holy Spirit, put your warm fuzzy feelings aside.
Yes, he will come alongside you to comfort you in your grief. He is more than capable of giving you peace that is not dependent on your circumstances. But the Comforter also might shake you up and dislodge you from your safe and comfortable rut, especially when a battle rages just ahead.

Pursuing Today
How have you experienced the Holy Spirit? Recall the times He has stimulated you and strengthened you to face challenges. How has His comfort both calmed you and given you strength? In your own words, contrast the pursuit of comfort with the pursuit of the Comforter.

Exhale, Inhale

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
-Galatians 5:25-

The teaching of Bill Bright, co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, has helped me learn to become a follower of Christ who is filled with the Spirit. He taught a spiritual exercise called “spiritual breathing.” The basic idea is that you learn to live with a moment-by-moment awareness of the Spirit until walking in the Spirit becomes as natural as breathing. It just becomes a part of who you are.
Here’s how it works: The moment you become aware of an area of sin in your life, you exhale. When you exhale, you breathe out the impurity of your sin and repent of it. Repentance becomes a natural response, clearing out space in your heart for the Spirit to fill you. The moment you become prideful, jealous, lustful, harsh, selfish, dishonest, impatient, etc. — you exhale and repent on the spot.
And then, you inhale. You breathe in and pray to be filled with the Spirit. You surrender control to Him. You thank Him for forgiving you, and you receive the purity and fullness of the Holy Spirit. You let Him empower and direct you.
As you practice this spiritual breathing, it teaches you to keep in step with the Spirit. It will probably seem unnatural at first. Your first few tries will be self-conscious and you will feel like a toddler learning to walk. It will take your total concentration. But before long, you will be putting one foot in front of the other and walking will feel completely natural.
Spiritual breathing is an exercise of your faith, and it enables you to experience God’s love and forgiveness on an ongoing basis.

Pursuing Today
Starting right now, try this simple exercise. Exhale. (What do you need to confess? In what ways are you still striving to live in your own power?) Inhale. (Surrender yourself again to the work and power of the Holy Spirit inside of you.) Repeat. Give Him room. Let the Spirit breathe through you.

Moving Sidewalk

“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you — they are full of the Spirit and life.”
-John 6:63-

My family and I flew into the Atlanta airport one time on a vacation trip to Florida. (By the way, I believe you are going to have to go through Atlanta to get to heaven some day!) After landing, we grabbed our bags and began the long hike to our connecting gate. When we travel, my wife and I split the luggage responsibilities: One of us packs lots of stuff, and one of us carries it everywhere. That’s how we have worked it out. So, I’m carrying about a half dozen bags through the airport. They’re hanging all over me. It’s just a moving pile of bags with my head sticking out the top. We turn to go down a hallway that is about 100 yards. My wife & kids all get on a moving sidewalk. But carrying my wide load, I’m not able to navigate the turn and I miss my on-ramp. I wish you could have seen what it looked like from my perspective. They set their few bags they have on the moving sidewalk and just stand there watching me. I’m sweating like, well, like a man carrying a half dozen suitcases through an airport. I’m trying to keep up with the pace. We end up arriving at the end of the sidewalk at about the same time, but there’s a difference. I’m frustrated, exhausted, and annoyed, and they are ready to keep moving on.
That’s what our lives look like when we try the self-empowered hike instead of the Spirit-filled walkway. You can try to play the role of the Holy Spirit, but trying to be God has a tendency to wear you out.
Jesus knew that would happen. So, He promised to give us an an advocate to help us and be with us (see John 14:15-17). His Spirit teaches us, gives us life, guides us into truth, convicts us of sin, and reminds us of what Jesus said. He gives powerful gifts that we could never manufacture on our own. And He always, always points us to Jesus.

Pursuing Today
Do a quick search with your Bible app or an online Bible version (or a good, old-fashioned concordance) for the word SPIRIT. Look up several of the first verses that come up. Using short phrases — 2 or 3 words — write down several observations about the activities of God’s Spirit. What are some ways you have experienced that active presence in your own life as you pursue Him?

Outsider

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.”-John 14:16-

Growing up, I was an outsider in my own family. In Pennsylvania, hunting is the norm for almost everyone. When you are a child, you can’t wait to get to be 12 years old so you could take your hunter’s safety course and get your hunting license. It’s just as important as becoming 16 and getting your driver’s license. It’s just what you do. Everyone does it and you are expected to do it. There are no written rules, of course, but it is certainly implied that when you become 12, you hunt; no doubt about it.
The problem for me was, I hated hunting! I had no interest in hunting! I couldn’t stand the thought of killing an animal! But, I was expected to hunt and so I went along with it. I wanted to be a part of the group and the crowd when they talked about hunting — and they talked about hunting a lot. In fact, it was all they talked about all the time!
I had other interests. I would much rather have been listening to music or reading or being involved in musicals at school, but that wasn’t part of the family tradition of hunting. Early on, I went along with it, but when I got into high school, I decided I was going to do my own thing and feed my own interests and the rest of the family weren’t quite sure what to do with me.
This is how a lot of Christians approach the Holy Spirit. To them, He is sort of like the Cousin Eddy of the Trinity – the one you’re not quite sure how to relate to. It never occurs to some of us that He (not “it,” by the way) may be our vital link to the Father & Jesus. We promise ourselves and others that we’re really going to change this time. But the change lasts only a few days. We keep striving to obey Jesus’ commands on our own, as if it were somehow possible to actually love our enemies, forgive those who hurt us, or consistently consider others better than ourselves. On our own, it just doesn’t work. When we try to pursue Jesus without being filled daily with the Spirit, we find ourselves frustrated by our failures and exhausted by our efforts.
Here’s the bad news: You can’t live the life Jesus calls you to in your own strength. But here’s the good news: You were never meant to. And here’s even better news: For the Christian, the power of God’s Holy Spirit is already available inside of you. Begin discovering the Spirit’s power by asking God to give it to you today and then paying attention to the ways it shows up in your life. It may manifest as extra patience with a family member, or an unusual amount of self-control with a temptation, or maybe you will experience a supernatural sense of peace in the midst of an overwhelming difficulty. God has given you this gift; make sure you open it.

Pursuing Today
What life circumstances are currently overwhelming you? What areas of your life are you trying to manage on your own? What promises have you made again that you have failed to keep again? (Be honest here; put words to your weaknesses and write them down.) Now compare your list to the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. Identify where the power of the Holy Spirit can give you victory, and then begin to surrender to Him daily. DON’T BE AN OUTSIDER!!