You Could Learn a Lot from a Donkey

Well hello again. Hope you all had a good weekend, and that the start of the week is a good one as well. Here is a word from the folks over at dare2share.org. Hope it helps!

"Crucify him!" they shouted. (Mark 15:13)

O.K.- let's do an exercise in self-reflection for a moment. Think about the past few days, and how people's words have impacted you. If you are like most folks, the regular repartee of a routine day deeply encouraged and/or discouraged- and one or two words may have made the difference between brave action and boring apathy.

Or perhaps there were things that you truly wanted to do, but decided against doing because of what people might say.

A missionary named C.T. Studd had great insight into the impact of opinions. Here's a story he told:

There once was a miller, his son and their donkey went to the market. The miller rode the donkey all the way and people exclaimed, 'Cruel man, riding himself and making his son walk' So he got down and his son rode; then people slanged, 'What a lazy son for riding while poor old father walks.' Then both father and son rode, and people then said, 'Cruelty to animals, poor donkey.' So they got down and carried the donkey on a pole, but folks said, 'Here are two dumb animals carrying another dumb animal.' Then all three walked and people said, 'What fools to have a donkey and not ride it.'

Ever have a day like that? Especially when it comes to living the Christian life. As soon as you make a definite decision to serve God one way or another, I guarantee you will soon have critics of what you are doing. Let me illustrate:

"I'm not going to rated R movies anymore, Satan is using images from them to distract my mind"

"Oh c'mon, you are so legalistic- come down from your soapbox and let's go catch the latest Vin Diesel flick!"

or...

"I think it's o.k. to be friends with non-Christians as long as they aren't influencing you away from God."

"Are you serious? Christians should totally avoid unbelievers and just hang out with other believers- preferably from their own denomination. I think that's in the Bible somewhere."

See what I mean? When you start communicating your convictions, get ready to be carped and cajoled.

So when it comes down to a fight between your beliefs and your buddies, who will get the upper hand? The Apostle Paul was aware of this battle, which is why he wrote:

I'm not trying to be a people pleaser! No, I am trying to please God. If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ's servant. (Galatians 1:10)

The point being that you can never make everyone happy, so why try? In fact, Paul takes it a step further to say that basing your decisions on public opinion is not only foolish, it is also a form of rebelling against Christ!

I would challenge you to fulfill God's calling on your life. Remember, the purpose of life is not to be wealthy, popular, well liked, successful, educated, good-looking, thin, buff, or even happy (though you would think so if you read some 'Christian' literature).

Jesus told us that life is about seeking first the Kingdom of God...

Perhaps it is time to start listening for the applause of heaven rather than the curtain calls from the crowd?

Questions:

1. What is God calling you to do right now?
2. In what areas are you listening to the crowd instead of Christ?
3. Is it ungodly to be popular? Why or why not?

How Far Would You Go for God?

Here is a devotion from dare2share.org about the events that happened on September 11, 2001. This is part of the story of the 4th plane, the one that didn't make it to the intended target because the passengers rallied against the terrorist.

Christians Of Courage And Compassion

In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise-- in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? (Psalm 56:10-11)

On September 11, a man named Todd Beamer boarded flight 93. The majority of people in America had never heard this name before, but after that day his notoriety has grown considerably. Did he write a hit pop single? Did he produce a groundbreaking video? Did he write an amazing best seller? Actually, Todd Beamer did none of these things, but his actions far surpassed all musician, producer, and author's works combined.

Flight 93 was supposed to be the fourth plane used as a devastating weapon against our nation. The smallest flight to be hijacked with only 45 people aboard out of a possible 289 had 84% of its capacity unused. Yet these people stood up to the attackers and thwarted a fourth attempted destruction of a national landmark, saving untold numbers of lives in the process. One of those people was Todd Beamer- a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ. Moments before he and the other passengers rallied against the hijackers, he prayed Psalm 23 with a phone operator, and his last words were: "are you ready? Let's roll!"

Todd Beamer gave his life so that other lives could be saved. His faith in Christ and his assurance that he would be in heaven gave him the tremendous courage it took to accomplish his heroic acts.

In Acts 6 and 7, we read about a man of God named Stephen. He was full of faith, power, and conviction. He was brought before the Jewish ruling council on trumped-up charges and allowed to make a statement. Stephen, however, decided to play a different role. Rather than allowing it to be a setup for him, he turned into a powerful condemnation of the religious leaders. They despised him and his message, so they dragged him out of Jerusalem and stoned him. Stephen fell to his knees and prayed for his killers. The way he died spoke as eloquently as his sermon.

These men should serve as an amazing example to us. We are called to be people of conviction, standing tall for Christ and serving Him fearlessly. Be prepared believer- you never know what day you may be called on to offer yourself for His glory.

Questions:

1. Would you be willing to pay the ultimate price for Christ?
2. What are your biggest fears about serving God everyday?
3. What would you have done if you were Todd Beamer?

Have Courage in God

Here is a devotion from teenmailbiblestudy.org. Hope it brings you courage!

We all experience situations in life that create a bit of nervousness. Perhaps there are times we have wished for a little more courage than was felt to be possessed. However, when we are faced with things WE KNOW MUST BE DONE anyway, hopefully we have the courage to step forward and do them. Paul asked for prayers for such courage.

Writing from prison to the church at Philippi he stated…
“(19) for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, (20) as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but THAT WITH FULL COURAGE NOW AS ALWAYS CHRIST WILL BE HONORED IN MY BODY, whether by life or by death.” ( Philippians 1:19-20 ESV)

There is no question regarding the convicted and courageous life lived by Paul. It seems nothing could possibly stop him from pressing on! What was it that kept him moving on in his faith and work to the glory of the Lord in spite of the challenges he faced?

In 1953, a columnist for the Chicago News -- a writer by the name of Harris who had gained a large following of readers by what were noted as frank and often caustic comments -- wrote what he called “A Prayer For The President.” It went like this: “O Lord … give him the courage, not of his convictions, but of Your commandments.” [original source unknown]

Perhaps that would not be a bad prayer for any of us! When Paul (as Saul) was a persecutor of the church, we might agree that he was very bold and courageous based on his convictions. This was his mission when his confidence was in the flesh. ( Philippians 3:4-6) However, those convictions were wrong! Convictions must be based on the RIGHT FOUNDATION! When Paul’s life became firmly established in the TRUTH OF JESUS, we see His readiness to press on with it mattering not whether he faced life or death. Whatever came, Paul was determined to honor Christ!

May we heed the words of the Hebrew writer as he exhorted…
“(35) Therefore DO NOT THROW AWAY YOUR CONFIDENCE, which has a great reward. (36) For YOU HAVE NEED OF ENDURANCE, so that when you have done the WILL OF GOD you may receive what is promised.” ( Hebrews 10:35-36 ESV)

When our life is based on the WILL OF GOD we can develop the greatest courage for pressing on in that which is right. This is the stand that is of eternal significance. May we, like Paul, have a mindset to honor Christ regardless of what we face. Let us pray for sufficient courage as we press on with each step securely placed on God’s foundation of truth!

Have a great day CONFIDENTLY LIVING ACCORDING TO GOD’S RIGHTEOUS WILL!
Carl