Every Day is Memorial Day

1 Timothy 3:16 (CSV) - "And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory."

In April 1863, in Columbus, Mississippi, after decorating graves of her two sons who died representing their beloved southland, an elderly woman walked to two mounds of dirt at the corner of the cemetery to place memorial flowers there also. "What are you doing?" friends shouted, "Those are the graves of two union soldiers." Softly that compassionate mother said, "I know. I also know that somewhere in the North, a mother or a young wife mourns for them as we do for ours."

That loving deed set in motion our celebration which has become known as Memorial Day. We honor the war dead once a year, but their sacrifice is evident every single day of the year! 

Today, I do not want to diminish the sacrifice and service of those men and women who have served our nation so faithfully and so valiantly, but I want to talk about one great Soldier. This great Soldier stepped onto a harsh battlefield one day. He took up arms and entered the fight knowing that it would cost Him everything. This Soldier bravely entered that battlefield and won a great victory, but at a terrible price. This Great Soldier gave His life, not for a nation, but for all humanity. His was not a life given in vain, but the sacrifice of His life served to set free the captives of sin. 

For the child of God, Every Day Is Memorial Day. We need to remember the sacrifice of Heaven’s Greatest Soldier. Today, let us remember a man named Jesus and the sacrifice He made for us all.

Prayer: On this day we set aside to remember those who gave the most precious gift they had - their life - that we may have the freedoms we enjoy in this land today. Yet, as a believer, I am reminded of the One who gave it all for me, that I might live in freedom from sin, death, and Hell for all eternity. I give praise and thanks to my precious Savior - my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

I kept hearing these same 6 words.......

Recently, I was a Chaplaincy Volunteer at the tornado damage in Eden, NC. We were able to minister to many folks who had been survivors of this storm in their lives. There were six words that we were hearing over and over. What were those six words? “I didn’t know what to do.” 

They came from an elderly woman who was homebound where a tree needed to be removed from her yard, as the other Chaplaincy volunteer and I talked with her, she concluded our visit with those six words. She couldn’t express her thanks enough for the chainsaw team sho came and removed the tree.

We spoke with a retired school Principal in a wheelchair who shared his story with us. He actually slept through the storm and when he opened his blinds in the morning and saw the trees down, he said those same words. With some tears in his eyes, he expressed his gratitude for the men who with chainsaws and skid-steers removed the numerous trees.

We spoke another time with a Viet-Nam vet who started his conversation with those six words. He told us that the crew who worked tirelessly to clean up the debris and downed trees in his yard were fantastic. He said that he went in after they left and, “even though it might not be a lot, it was all I could do. I left a donation on the NCBM website.”

A church south of Eden, Gethsemane Baptist, had a massive tree down. The Pastor said that he had received a bid for almost $10,000 to cut up the tree. Then he said these same six words. He was so appreciative that the crew came and cut up the tree, removed it off his van, and stacked the brush back in the woods behind the church – all for free.

Each of these, as well as several others, all felt the strain following the storm of how to relieve the situation. The trained volunteers of the NCBM Disaster Relief teams came in and made the situation a little better for many folks. God allowed us to move them from “I didn’t know what to do” to expressions of relief and joy. They were given a ray of hope in a very troublesome situation.

Prayer: Father, as You have given to each of us, may we be willing to reach out to those around us hurting and having needs. We praise You for Your watchcare over us. May we be used by You over and over to minister to those we come in contact with. Amen.

Seven Marks of a Great Mother

Matthew 15: 21-28 - "When Jesus left there, he withdrew to the area of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came and kept crying out, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely tormented by a demon.” Jesus did not say a word to her. His disciples approached him and urged him, “Send her away because she’s crying out after us.” He replied, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came, knelt before him, and said, “Lord, help me!” He answered, “It isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” “Yes, Lord,” she said, “yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus replied to her, “Woman, your faith is great. Let it be done for you as you want.” And from that moment her daughter was healed."

The first Mother’s Day was celebrated 100 years ago in West Virginia in 1912. 

A familiar mother’s day poem written in the early 1900’s is:

M is for the Many things she gave me,

O means only that she's growing Old.

T is for the Tears she shed to save me,

H is for her Heart of purest gold.

E is for her Eyes with love-light shining,

R means Right and Right she'll always be.

Put them all together, they spell MOTHER. 

A word that means the world to me.

God created families and gave mothers a unique place in that unit. They can love, give of themselves, cook, clean, wash clothes, put Band-Aids on scrapes … be the first one up in the morning or the last one down at night. They juggle a lot of things including raising children, working at jobs, managing a home, and sometimes finding time for themselves.

Today we are thinking about 7 Great Marks of a Mother as shown by this mother in Matthew 15.

1. MOTHERS OVERCOME ALL GREAT BARRIERS (VERSE 22)
2. MOTHERS ARE EMPOWERED BY GREAT LOVE 
3. MOTHERS ARE ARMED WITH GREAT DETERMINATION (VERSE 23, 24)
4. MOTHERS KNOW THE POWER OF GREAT PRAYER (VERSE 25)
5. MOTHERS ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR OWN GREAT SPIRITUAL NEED (VERSE 27)
6. MOTHERS TRIUMPH BECAUSE OF GREAT FAITH (VERSE 28)
7. MOTHERS DON’T NEED A NAME TO BE A GREAT MOTHERS

 I asked God, Lord why you did not even reveal the name of this great woman of faith. Isn’t it unfair for her? Then God spoke to my heart.... 

I did it so that whenever you are reading this story, you can put the name of your own mother on her behalf... 

Then God reminded me all the sacrifice of my own mother so that I become what I am today....

Mothers make up a crucial part of our lives. It is so important to give our love to these dedicated women in our lives and don’t take them for granted. 

1 John 3: 18 – “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”

Prayer: Father, today I stop and thank You for my mother. She has meant so much to me. She loved me, trained me, corrected me, and set the stage for what I would become. I also thank You for my wife - she is such a great mother to our three daughters and our four grandchildren. Without mothers, our world would be missing so much. Thank You for creating mothers. Amen.

The Call of a Prayer Warrior - Part 4

Ephesians 6:18 - "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—"

We have considered the command to be a Prayer Warrior, the conditioning of a Prayer Warrior, and to close out this study, let us ponder over the concentration of a Prayer Warrior.

When God has conditioned and trained us to be mighty in prayer, whom do we pray for? God does not take us through the training to pray for ourselves. He trains us to pray for the needs of the Kingdom. God tells us in Eph. 6:18-19 where to focus our efforts as Prayer Warriors. We need to pray for the strength to fight the battle. We need to pray for the "saints," or believers, who fight alongside us. Too often in the church, we forget that we are in the battle together - we are not to be fighting each other. Paul prayed for the believers to gain spiritual wisdom (Eph. 1:15-21; 3:14-21). We also need to be praying for the sinners we fight for - the boldness to share the gospel. As we see, we pray for strength, saints, and sinners.

But, be aware, the more that we proceed in building the kingdom, the more opposition we will face. The more we do for God, the more we will find those who will oppose it. (And sadly, the opposition does not always come from outside the church).

Today, as you ponder and muse over these last couple of days challenge, will you step up and be a Prayer Warrior? Would you be an Aaron and Hur? We need to stoke the furnace of Prayer in this nation more than ever before. 

"Nothing of eternal significance has ever been accomplished outside of prayer."

Prayer: Father, I am willing to take a stand. I am willing to be used by You. Call me. Train me. Equip me. Use me. Amen. 

The Call of a Prayer Warrior - Part 3

Ephesians 6:18 - "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—" (emphasis mine)

We can see this in the physical world around us. When a young person goes into the military, they just don't hand them a weapon and place them on the front line. They send them through Boot Camp. They receive the training that they need to be able to do what they are sent to do. When a person goes into the Medical field, they are trained and go through an internship to be sure they are prepared for treating others. When a person goes into the field of education, they take courses in their field, they student-teach and thus become qualified to teach others.

So, God also qualifies those whom He calls. So, what does Paul mean by "in the Spirit?" Well, first a person must have a salvation experience with Christ (Eph. 1:13-14). One must have heard the truth, trusted in Christ, and thus are sealed by the Holy Spirit. Then, we must not harbor sin, or have any unconfessed sin (Eph. 4:25-30). John Bunyan is credited with saying -"Prayer will make a man cease from sin, but sin will make a man cease from prayer."

In Ephesians 4, there is a list of sins that we are to remove, these grieve the Holy Spirit. Included in the list is lying, anger, thievery, worthless words (gossip, criticism, mean spirited talk) as well as others. We can't be in sin and in the Spirit at the same time. We can't pray and hate at the same time. We mus be yielded to God's Spirit (Eph. 5:15-16). And in turn, we will be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18). When we are this focused in our spiritual walk, then we will be ready to be a Prayer Warrior.

Prayer: Spirit of the Living God, as I meditate upon the truth from this passage, may You drive it deep into my being. Light the fire in my soul to be involved in the Kingdom Building Business of being a Prayer Warrior. Amen.

The Call of a Prayer Warrior - Part 2

Ephesians 6:18 - "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—" (emphasis mine)

Paul is giving us the command to be a Prayer Warrior. He is calling us to constantly live in a present state of prayer. Not the past, not the future, but right now at this moment. No believer, no church, no community, no nation on earth can ever rise above their prayer life.

The seriousness of praying like a warrior is highlighted by the "all's" in this passage. Always. All prayer. All perseverance. It is a call for a totality of prayer - in the believer and in the church. Paul speaks of prayer using two different Greek words in this verse. Proseuche (prayer) is a general term for prayer or the place of prayer. Deesis (supplication) carries the meaning of entreaty or want. In all forms of prayer, we should seek to be on the battlefront, to be warriors well equipped to do battle with the enemy forces. God desires for us to pray daily (I always tell my churches, two things to do every day - Read your Bible and Pray). God promises that when we truly seek Him, we can see great and mighty answers (Jeremiah 33:3).

Consider surrendering to God to be one of His Prayer Warriors. But, you say, I am not sure that I am to be a Prayer Warrior. I don't know if I am equipped to do this? Remember this - God doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies the called. And, whom He calls, He equips. So, in our study together tomorrow, we will consider the conditioning of a Prayer Warrior.

Prayer: Father, give me ears to hear Your call upon my life. Prayer, place deep inside of my soul the call, the desire, the urgency to be one of Your Prayer Warriors. Amen.

The Call of a Prayer Warrior - Part 1

Ephesians 6:18 - "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—"

The way to build strength in our personal lives, and in the lives of our churches is through the power of prayer. As the late Dr. Jerry Falwell said many times, "Nothing of eternal significance is ever accomplished outside of prayer."

Many are seeking to build the Kingdom of God, and by His power and His blessings, they are seeing mighty things being accomplished. So, if one wants to see the blessings to continue, to see God grow His Kingdom in their city and church, to see the sick healed, provision for physical needs, emotional needs be met, unity to thrive, and the Devil defeated in our lives and those around us -- we need to be people committed to being Prayer Warriors.

Over the next three days, let us consider the command, the conditioning, and the concentration of a Prayer Warrior. Will you prayerfully join me as we seek to see a great, mighty, and majestic movement of God come to our families, communities, and nation? Will you join my heart in praying for a movement of God like we have not seen before? Read Ephesians 6:18-20 today, and each of the following three days. Let the message sink into your heart and soul. Let your mind begin to be fully saturated with the Cal of God to be a Prayer Warrior.

Prayer: Spirit of the most High God, fill me with the desire to see the Father move in a wonderful way. May we see His Power and Might. May we see Him display to us His Majesty, Love, and Cleansing Power. I seek Him today. I focus on Him today. I come to Him today. I am anticipating what He can and is willing to do. Amen.

Jeremiah 33:3

Recently my wife and I went to Smithfield, VA to take care of our four grandchildren. One morning as I was working on grading papers for the courses I teach, I could hear my youngest grandchild, Annabelle, constantly saying - "Grandma, this" or "Grandma, that." She was calling out to her grandmother over and over to show her things, ask her things, or to get her to do things for her. And, I listened as my wife always replied in the most loving and caring tone of voice to everything Annabelle would say.

As I listened, I thought about this verse of Scripture in Jeremiah. God is telling us that we have the freedom to call on Him, just as Annabelle was calling on my wife. And He assures us that just as Linda responded every time to Annabelle, God says He will respond to us also. 

How often do we call out to God on a daily basis? How often do we talk with Him? Annabelle doesn't think for a second to call out to one she knows loves her and cares for her. We need to be as little children ("Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children." Mark 10:14 NLT) and trust and talk to our Heavenly Father on a regular basis.

"Grandma, where is my......" Think of the relationship that we can have with our loving Heavenly Father.

Prayer: Father, may I learn to speak to You and bring all my thoughts and needs to You. Just as earthly Grandparents will spend time loving and caring, You will do the same for me. I came as Your child, and I focus on You today. Amen.

Holding the High Ground

I read the following devotion from Dennis and Barbara Rainey, and I felt it needed to be shared. We are in a great battle for the family as God describes it today, and as Christians, we need to hold the high ground at all costs.

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15

During the critical Civil War battle at Gettysburg, a key engagement occurred near the crest of a hill called Little Round Top. A Union regiment under the command of Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was charged with defending this strategic position. If the Rebels flanked his unit, the rear of the Union army would be exposed and the battle would probably be lost.

"You are to hold your ground at all costs," Chamberlain was commanded.

Again and again, Rebel soldiers stormed the regiment's location. Again and again, Chamberlain and his men repelled the assault. They answered fire with fire and held the high ground with a tenacious stand of bravery.

Today, our nation has a Little Round Top of our own — the family. And like Colonel Chamberlain's heroic defense in 1863, our modern battle demands unwavering courage from everyone involved. The courage of husbands and wives who will turn from the seductive voices of the culture and make their marriages work. The courage of moms and dads who will reject the poisons of materialism, choosing instead to use biblical principles to shape the conscience and character of the next generation.

We are living in a culture where parents spend fewer than 15 minutes a week in serious discussion with their children. Where about half of marriages eventually end in divorce. Where decades of moral relativism have left many of us pessimistic about whether we can even enjoy family success under our own roof, let alone win the cultural battle at large.

Now is the time to fight for your family. And in the words of Colonel Chamberlain's superiors, I call you to "hold your ground at all costs." Stand firm!

Prayer: Father, help us to see and remember how vital the family is. The very first institution that You created was marriage - or the family. If we as believers do not take a strong stand for the Biblical view of marriage, no one else will. Let us bind our minds, hearts, and bodies together to stand firm for what You teach in Your Word today. Amen.