What HAS to be done?

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns." ~ Exodus 20:8‭-‬10 NIV

In Exodus 20, God set up the Sabbath for His children for a reason. He knew that things like rest, margin, and dependence on Him would ultimately lead to better, more thriving lives for believers.

As author and pastor Pete Scazzero often says, our greatest and highest calling is to commune and be in fellowship with God. All the other things on our to-do list are extra, nice-to-do’s. But we should be clear, they are NOT have-to-do’s.

It doesn’t matter what it is, it doesn’t matter what culture you live in or work in, nothing HAS to be done today. There are preferences, traditions, and man-made deadlines imposed on our lives, but they are just that – man-made preferences, traditions, and deadlines.

What does God call us to do? The answer is found in Matthew 22:36-40. We are to love God and love others. Point blank period.

If you find yourself stressed out today, ask yourself: am I doing the things that God is calling me to do? Or is my schedule filled up with nice things that ultimately could be put off for simply communing with Him?

God bless,

J.W.

The Choice Is Clear

Romans 1:20 tells us that God's attributes are CLEAR. So why is it that so many people don't believe in God?

Might I posit that it takes more faith to believe that there isn't a God than to believe that there is. 

Faith, like love and almost everything else in the world, is a choice. God won't force it down our throats. He'll lay out His evidence and then it's up to each of us to believe it or not. We can look at the world and choose to only see the chaos and destruction. Or we can look at the world and see the order and intelligent design behind it.

We can choose to believe that life is random. Or we can choose to see the times where divine intervention stepped in and blessed us.

The choice is always ours. But the choice is also always clear.

God bless,

J.W.

Seek Unity, Not Division

"To the woman he said, 'I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.'" ~ Genesis 3:16

Not to wade into controversy, but many people misinterpret this scripture or simply don't even try to interpret it for lack of understanding.

When Eve sinned, God says that her desire will be for her husband. This doesn't really like a punishment, does it? Most people in marriage would say that spouses desiring each other would be a good thing, right?

But if you look at other translations, the conflict becomes clearer. For example, the NLT interprets this scripture to read "And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.'" Similarly, the English Standard Version says "Your desire shall be contrary to husband."

Here, we see why God's statement is such a bad thing. God says that there will be conflict within marriages because spouses will seek to control each other.

Regardless of what you think about the gender dynamics, or lack thereof, that play out because of this scripture, the point is that we see this type of division, not just in marriages, but in other parts of society as well. Families, nations, occupations, races, socioeconomic classes, and many other divisions exists because we are trying to control each other.

But God offers a different path through His Son. There are over 100 scriptures in the Bible imploring us as Christians to live and walk in unity. Here are just a few:

1 Corinthians 1:10 ESV - I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

1 Peter 3:8 ESV - Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

Be clear - the enemy will try to cause division among mankind. It's up to us to seek unity where it can exist.

Seek unity today fam!

God bless,

J.W.

Training Season

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." ~ 2 Timothy 3:16‭-‬17 NIV

Today, we want to focus on the word "training" in today's scripture. 

While we typically think of training in terms of an athlete training for the Olympics or someone training for a marathon - that is, developing a particular skill or type of behavior through practice and instruction over a period of time - there is another definition of training.

Oxford's dictionary defines "to train" as "to point or aim something, typically a gun or camera, at."

What would happen if we thought of scripture in this way? That is, what if we used it to equip as to pierce like a gun? Or to give us more focus like a camera?

How much more powerful would the church be?

How are you using/seeing scripture today?

God bless,

J.W.

Thanksgiving All Year

"...speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." ~ Ephesians 5:19‭-‬20 NIV

Thanksgiving just passed. But Ephesians 5:19-20 tells us not to wait for a holiday to express thanks to God for literally everything.

In other words, we ought to live in a posture of gratitude each and every day. It's one of the keys to living the type of life God wants us to lead.

God bless,

J.W.

Read It In Context

"The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself." ~ Proverbs 11:25 NKJV

It's important we don't take scriptures out of context - either out of the context of the scriptures around it or the context of the entire Bible.

Generosity is one key to God's blessings over our life. But it's just one key. It's also important to be obedient, to be diligent, to be temperate, and to be a good steward. That's why it's important for us to read the whole Bible and not just pieces. 

One could read today's scripture and think that the being generous is to key to becoming rich. But you can give all of your money away and violate the principle of being a good steward. Just like you could focus on saving and miss the generosity principle found in today's scripture. 

The Bible is designed to put up guardrails on our life. One scripture might reveal one principle that God wants you to follow. But there's a wealth of other wisdom found in the Bible that will ultimately give you a full picture of what God wants for your life.

Let's read the whole Bible in context today fam.

God bless,

J.W.

 

God is a G

"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord ." ~ Joshua 24:15 NIV

God is such a G (as in gentleman), in that while He knows what's best for us and can see the mistakes we make coming from a mile away, He never forces us to do anything and always gives us a choice.

Can you imagine the amount of complaining we'd do if we were forced to obey Him? We'd be talking about how unfair it is and how harsh God is.

But He loves us so much that He's willing to give us guidance, help, and direction, but never forces us to choose His way.

That doesn't mean we won't have to suffer the consequences of our poor decisions. But it does mean we have a God who is big enough to love us in spite of ourselves.

So glad we have a God who is like Himself and not like us.

God bless,

J.W.

Patience vs. Comfort

"Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded towards one another, according to Christ Jesus..." ~ Romans 15:5

Often times, if we're honest, practicing patience can be difficult and uncomfortable.

So, it's interesting that Paul would call God the God of patience and comfort. Seemingly, those two things don't go together.

In fact, they feed and fuel each other.

The more we practice patience, the more comfortable and "second nature" it becomes.

Likewise, the more we rest and find comfort in Jesus, the easier it is to practice patience.

God is the God of the oxymoron. He can take two seemingly opposing things and make them happen in our lives.

His strength is shown through our weakness. We gain our life by losing it. We become great in the Kingdom by humbling ourselves. And patience and comfort come from the same God.

In the words of Paul, may the God of patience and comfort bless you today.

J.W.

Finding Rest

 "...Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him." ~ Psalm 62:1

Often times, in life, we chase so many things that the world dictates to us we should. Examples are success, happiness, material things, sex, money, fame, etc.

But how many times have you heard someone say that they just wanted more rest? How many times have you prayed for that?

God wants to give us rest. But just like everything else, to obtain it, we must pursue it.

How have you pursued God for more rest today?

God bless,

J.W.

God's Witnesses

"'I, even I, am the Lord , And besides Me there  is no savior. I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, And there  was no foreign god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses,' Says the Lord , 'that I am God.'" ~ Isaiah 43:11‭-‬12 NKJV

God calls us to be witnesses, not advocates or lawyers.

We are to testify to what we've seen, felt, experienced. We are not to argue the case. That's for Jesus, the Great Advocate to do.

Have you ever found yourself trying to argue with someone about your faith? It's not your job. Don't carry around that burden. 

Your job is to testify to His goodness and the amazing things He continues to do.

Let others be the judge, jury, and lawyers.

God bless,

J.W.

Irrefutable Evidence

"'no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,' declares the Lord." ~ Isaiah 54:17 NIV

Reading this scripture reminds me of a courtroom. It uses words like prevail, refute, accuse, and vindication. God seems to be saying that He will defend us the way a lawyer might do in court.

So, what's the best way to prove a case in court?

Well, typically, it's to show irrefutable evidence to support your claim or defense. The other side can accuse you of all the things in the world but if you have irrefutable evidence, case closed.

When we are God's child, we don't have to argue our case. Our case argues for us. Through the cross, God has presented irrefutable evidence of His love for us, irrefutable evidence of His power over sin, and irrefutable evidence that we no longer have to suffer the fate that was once ours.

It's not up to us to refute accusations. God said we are vindicated through Him. We just have to keep living our lives and God will fight our battles (2 Chronicles 20:15).

God bless,

J.W.

Peace vs. Fear

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." ~ John 14:27

There's a difference between feeling the emotion of fear and letting it live in our hearts. Feelings can be fleeting. They change based on circumstances. But our hearts are the very core of our being.

God promises to give us peace, even in the midst of having feelings of fear. We can rest in the fact that we know the one who knows the end. But only if we don't allow fear to grip our hearts. 

Is your heart gripped with peace or fear today?

God bless,

J.W.

Face Transplant

"Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always." ~ 1 Chronicles 16:11

What does it mean to seek God’s face? Who even knew that God had a face?

To seek God’s face simply means to pursue His kingdom and righteousness (see Matthew 6:33). The ultimate goal is to stand face to face with Him and take in His presence.

But often times, we are afraid of seeking God’s face because we’re afraid of being exposed – afraid that we won’t measure up, that the façade we give the world will be stripped away, and that God will see us for who we really are – broken, messed up, and flawed.

But the thing is, when we stand face-to-face with God, not only is He able to identity our flaws and exercise His strength in our weaknesses, He’s also able to heal us from our brokenness. God is not looking to expose us and broadcast our sins to the world. That’s what the world does.

God wants us to seek His face so that He might change us from the inside out. So much so that eventually, we take on his image and when people see us, they see Him.

God is looking to give you a face transplant. But in order to do it, you’ve got to go in and see the Physician.

God bless,

J.W.

Nothing New

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." ~ Matthew 5:11-12

There is nothing new under the sun. Oftentimes, we think the persecution, tribulation, or hate we experience is new. But God knows and has seen everything, even before it happens.

While God has created us each special and unique, the trials we got through are not. We all share common bonds through this human experience.

Learn from others' experience and take comfort in knowing that what you experience is not new to the human experience or to God. Seeking the one who knows all will help you through. 

God bless,

J.W.

Planned Long Ago

"Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago." ~ Isaiah 25:1 NIV

"Wonderful things planned long ago..."

What a thought. To know that our Creator had things planned for us long ago. To know that things might be new to us but they're not new to Him. To know that we have a God that has charted our path before we ever existed.

Oftentimes, we get so anxious and worried about the future. But why? We've got a God that holds the future in His hands. And he's already planned "wonderful" things for that future.

God bless,

J.W.

A Reminder of Our True Selves

"You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins." ~ Psalms 85:2

Ego and our own self-absorption often pushes us to have a distorted view of ourselves and our behavior.

This leads us to often deny our faults and gloss over our shortcomings.

But the perfect posture before God is brokenness. It's something to be embraced.

God shows His strength in our weakness, but we block that demonstration when we lead from our own strength and not from our own weakness.

In a culture that is enthralled with the projection of strength, we can forget that we are human and are not perfect.

The beauty of the Gospel is in today's scripture - that God forgave us and covered our sins, even while we were still sinners.

God bless,

J.W.

The Free Gift

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." ~ Romans 6:23

The imagery here is so powerful. We get paid in death for our sin but God gives eternal life as a free gift.

So often we work to try to obtain the results we want, but this verse reminds us that God is the ultimate gift giver. Why do we strive to attain so much when the gift has already been given?

We just need to accept and say thank you.

Just a reminder today that we don't need to earn what God has already given us for free.

God bless,

J.W.

All Fall Short

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," ~ Romans 3:23 NKJV

As Christians, we set up hierarchies of sin, as if God looks at our sin as minor, forgivable on sight, but other people's sin is major, and somehow God has a hard time forgiving theirs.

But we all fall short. Which means none of us measure up. Just as God promises to forgive you upon repentance, He also promises to forgive others the same way.

So, would it blow your mind if I told you that that person you think is unforgivable just might wind up in Heaven? Or the person you dislike the most, God loves?

How would a true recognition and acceptance of this phenomenon change the way we look at life and other people?

God bless,

J.W.

Cancel Culture ≠ God's Way

"Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful." ~ Luke 6:36 NKJV

Cancel culture is plaguing our society. 

But scripture instructs us to show mercy just as God has shown mercy to us.

When we sit on our high horse and shun people to the point of cancelling them, we are violating the very essence of Christianity. 

Christianity is rooted in the notion that mankind is imperfect and needed a Savior to redeem it. We all need that Savior. Every last one of us. Each and every day.

Canceling others without showing mercy is to be like the Pharisees, who Jesus called out for their hypocrisy. 

Our faith teaches us to go into all the world, preach the Gospel and make disciples. So how can we reach the world if we cancel it?

Show mercy today fam. 

God bless,

J.W. 

Casting Out Fear

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." ~ 1 John 4:18 NKJV

Culture will teach you that it is courage that casts out fear. That we should just push past our fear and do it afraid.

But this scripture tells us that the true antidote to fear is love. That if we love through our feelings of fear, love will always prevail.

What are you using to cast out fear today?

God bless,

J.W.