Be Careful

“So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.” ~ Deuteronomy 5:32-33

Living a righteous life is not easy. In Romans 7:21, Paul says “although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” It doesn’t take much for us to fall into the devil’s schemes or our own sinful nature.

That’s why Proverbs 4:23 calls us to “guard our hearts.” And Deuteronomy 5:32 tells us to “be careful” to keep God’s commands. Jesus, in fact, said that “whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). Jesus warned us that it would not be easy.

Because of the original sin, doing what’s right doesn’t come naturally. So, we must be cautious and careful to keep God’s commandments. We must be on guard at all times. We are in a battle and if we are not careful, we can do exactly what Deuteronomy 5:32 warns us not to do – that is, turn aside to the right or to the left.

Jesus tells us to walk the narrow path that leads to life – the John 10:10 life. Walking the narrow path requires self-discipline and a carefulness found in Deuteronomy 5:32.

Be careful today!

God bless,
J.W.

Train Up A Child (Part 8)

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." ~ 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

Ultimately, God is not training us just to train us. He trains us to get results (1 Corinthians 9:24).

Just like a runner trains to win the grand prize, we ought to train ourselves in such a way as to win our prize (Philippians 3:14).

What is that prize? Very simply, it's the John 10:10 life. It's the Ephesians 3:20 experience. The Luke 6:38 principle.

God wants to give us His very best. But in order to get His best, we have to give ours (Mark 8:34-36).

What are you giving Him today?

God bless,
J.W.

Each According To His Ability (Part 7)

As we close out this series, I just want to encourage you to not live in isolation (Hebrews 10:25). You were not meant to do everything yourself. Find what you are good at and partner with others who have complementary gifts.

God gives each of us according to our ability (Matthew 25:15). But it's always His will for us to use what He's given us to its fullest potential (John 10:10). That can only happen in community. We were made to be one of a larger whole (Romans 12:4-5).

Find who complements you and live life to the fullest!

Have a great rest of your week!

God bless,
J.W.

Series Recap - Each According to His Ability

• Part 1: Operate In Your Function
• Part 2: Be Content With Where You Are
• Part 3: Manage The Small Stuff Well
• Part 4: The Power To Produce Wealth
• Part 5: Avoid Comparisons With Others
• Part 6: Do Not Live In Isolation

Why Bad Things Happen To Good People (Part 2)

If God truly cares about us, why does He allow bad things to happen to us?

Well, the answer lies in the premise.

God cares about us (John 3:16). He wants relationship with us (Revelation 3:20). In fact, we were created to fellowship with God. God seeks relationship. But any relationship worth its salt has to be one built on mutual consent. If one party is compelled, coerced, or threatened to be in relationship with another, it’s not a relationship at all. It’s slavery at worst, and an abusive, manipulative relationship at best.

But Jesus said He came to release us from bondage (Romans 8:21, John 10:10; Galatians 5:1). God wants us to be free (Exodus 6:6, Romans 8:2). And He wants us to choose to be in relationship with Him.

This is why free will exists. Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20). God doesn’t barge His way in. He knocks and waits for us to allow Him in. He doesn’t compel us to do anything.

This is why it’s so important that we invite Him in to work in our life. He won’t force it. That's not the kind of King he is.

More to come!

God bless,
J.W.

Stumbling Blocks

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy..." ~ John 10:10

The Bible uses very aggressive language when it talks about the enemy's mission. See John 10:10 above - steal, kill, destroy. But it's important that we know that while the enemy's goals are aggressive, often times, his tactics are not. The Bible tells us to stand against the devil's "schemes" (Ephesians 6:11) -
schemes invoking thoughts of subtlety, deception, and discreteness.

In Matthew 16:23, Jesus describes Satan as a stumbling block. Think about that. A stumble doesn't completely knock you out or even take you off your feet. It certainly doesn't steal, kill, or destroy you. But it does slow your progress and distract you. It may even cause embarrassment, humiliation, and shame. More importantly, it knocks you off balance, making you susceptible to even stronger attacks.

So often, as Christians, we only recognize the enemy's "steal, kill, and destroy" attacks. But we must remember that, more often than not, he simply tries to get us to stumble first.

So watch out for those stumbling blocks!

God bless,
J.W.

P.S. If you like this post, please feel free to share it with friends and family. I'll be writing more soon.

The Gift of Life

Michele is so excited right now. In just a few short weeks, her sister is due to give birth to a beautiful baby girl. We're about to be an aunt and uncle for the sixth time. So very exciting!

But all the excitement got me thinking. In John 10:10, Jesus says came so that we might have life and have it more abundantly.

So, while women are absolutely amazing in their ability to give birth, how much more amazing it is to know that One who is the source of all life.

Have you taken advantage of this amazing opportunity yet? If not, what are you waiting for? He's standing with open arms, waiting for you (Revelation 3:20).

God bless,
J.W.

Independence Day

This Independence Day, I celebrated more than just America's freedom from British colonialism.

In many ways, for me, as an African-American, the Fourth of July always comes with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I love being an American and truly believe it's the greatest country on earth. On the other hand, I know this day doesn't truly represent freedom for my people.

But there WAS something to celebrate this past weekend.

The Bible says in Romans 6:6-7: "for we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin — because anyone who has died has been freed from sin."

See, because of what Christ did for us on the cross, we are now free from the chains of bondage called sin. Therefore, Jesus promised us life and life more abundantly (John 10:10).

So, as you go throughout the rest of your days, rejoice in the fact through Christ you can experience true liberty and freedom. That's what life is all about.

God bless,
J.W.