Tag Archives: God

Sustenance We All Need: Eating the Bread of Life

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Sustenance is defined as “food or drink regarded as a source of strength, nourishment, or the maintaining of someone or something in life or existence.” As I am sure all of you are aware, sustenance is vital for life, and all of us need something to eat. After all, what is it that sustains YOU? But, are there different KINDS of sustenance? And do we eat what we need?

Jeremiah answered these questions by pointing out that there is food, and then there is FOOD. “Your words were found, and I ate them. And your words were to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord God of Hosts.” (Jeremiah 15:16, NIV)

The Apostle Peter made a similar comparison about our nutrition and God’s word: “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow by it…” (1 Peter 2:2, NKJV)

Different Kinds of Food

We need sustenance in the form of food or nutrition to grow physically. An important part of any training regimen involves proper fuel that provides the correct nutrients for the body… But how about other types of growth? Intellectual growth requires education and information; social development requires knowledge about etiquette; but what about spiritual growth? How does one sustain a spiritual life?  Besides the verses just mentioned here, there are several times that the Word of God is described as our sustenance or our spiritual food. It’s an interesting analogy, and one that deserves some thought.

First, it indicates that spiritual growth is a process, not something that happens instantly. You don’t eat all the meals of your life in one sitting, and you don’t absorb the Bible that way either. Peter says that we start as immature spiritual beings, and should begin with “the pure milk” of the word, receiving our sustenance in a form we can handle. It’s an analogy that makes sense. You grow in understanding God’s word as you “eat” it and apply it in your life, and it provides your spiritual sustenance.

You Are What You Eat

Second, look in the mirror at your physical self. Then imagine your spiritual self. If God’s word is your spiritual sustenance, then what kind of shape is your spiritual man in? How much sustenance does he or she get? When you look into your spiritual mirror, who do you see?

I feed my physical body, (usually more than it requires) and I make sure it gets the fuel it needs to grow and stay strong. It’s easy for us to see the results of feeding our physical man. Now, picture your spiritual man (or woman) in your mind’s eye. He’s up there, waiting for nourishment. His needs are the same as or even greater than your physical body’s. But is he or she strong and healthy? How many meals a week are you feeding HIM (or HER)?

For most of us, I’d bet that our “spiritual self” is just wasting away, looking like a prison camp refugee, half-starved and emaciated. Our spiritual self is weak and listless, propped over in a corner just waiting for the preacher to spoon-feed them their weekly meal…

Come to the Banquet

If God’s word is our spiritual food, we should be sitting at the banquet table enjoying a feast each day, not waiting for someone else to toss us a crust of bread every once in a while. Think about your poor spiritual body, and consider feeding it a little life-giving nourishment. Sit down and have a spiritual meal every so often.

Jeremiah says that if you do, a couple of things will happen. First, God’s words provide a reason to live with joy and rejoicing in your heart. Not a bad outcome if you’d like a little more JOY in your life! And second, Jeremiah says he was identified with God. He was called by God’s name, which means he was in the family, fully adopted as an heir—another positive result and another reason to rejoice. So eat. Grow. Rejoice. Repeat.

Eat Well, and Live

Look into your spiritual mirror. Who is looking back?
Are they strong, or is there maybe something that they lack?
If the Word of God is food, how often are they eating?
Do they get nutrition in the meals that you are feeding?
Can you, like Jeremiah, say the Word of God is filling?
Do you really want some? You can get it, if you’re willing.
You can say with him, “Thy Words were found, and I did eat them”,
And folks will sense a godly spirit in you when you meet them.
Remember this: the word of God is food, and it is real.
Your spiritual man should eat some every day, at every meal.

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread
For the Kindle Edition, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Bo-Jackson-ebook/dp/B01K5Z0NLA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-2&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

Three Simple Rules That Can Change the World

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There is a tremendous amount of conflict in this world today about almost everything, it seems. With any issue that is reported, the are three or four sides, whether left/right/center, or liberal/progressive/moderate/conservative. People who have been marginalized want their voices to be heard. Our society is fragmented and divided. That division hinders any possibility for meaningful change. If only we had some universal rules and guidelines! Then, all of us could apply them so could could find peace instead of conflict.

What Kind of World Do We Live In? What Kind of World Do We Want?

Micah lived in a similar climate, full of corruption and division. His ministry took place in the Southern Kingdom under Ahaziah, one of the corrupt kings of Judah, and Hezekiah, who initiated some reforms. But Micah’s prophecy was directed primarily against Israel (the Northern Kingdom). They were enjoying a brief interlude of prosperity before the Assyrians came in to destroy, despoil, and deport, so it makes sense that Micah’s preaching was not well received. The average person didn’t see it coming, but Micah predicted doom and gloom. In the midst of his harsh revelation from God’s spirit he also offered some advice:

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8, NKJV) In the midst of his lament about the judgment of Israel, Micah provides three simple rules about how to live.

He has prophesied against Israel’s corrupt rulers and priests, and he has listed their transgressions. Israel’s leaders were scheming manipulators bent on oppressing their own people. (Wow, things don’t change much in government over the years, do they?)The priests abandoned true worship and were participating in pagan idolatry. Israel’s culture was corrupt and materialistic (sound familiar?). Because they were enjoying a brief time of financial prosperity, people lived with a false sense of security about their future. Wealth will do that to you…

Three Simple Rules

Micah predicts a time of Messianic restoration, but warns first of Israel’s fall, the deportation of its people, and the devastation of their way of life. How to avoid such a fate? Micah said it was possible, and offered three ways to avoid judgment and live:

1) Do justly. The Bible is full of warnings to those who abuse their power or oppress the downtrodden. Anyone who marginalizes, ignores, or ridicules others for being different must be reading a different Bible than the one I read. God’s character demands fairness, so treat others with love and respect. Our daily news is still filled with examples of injustice, and while it is an easy thing to say, eliminating injustice is a very hard thing for a society to DO. But as the slogan says, just do it.

2) Love mercy. Do you? Do you, really?? This means desiring mercy not just for ourselves, but for everybody else as well. This means not just requesting mercy, but dispensing it. Can you be merciful to those with whom you disagree, to those who are selfish and wrong, to those who don’t deserve it? God can—after all, He’s been merciful to me. He’s been merciful to you.

If God only dispensed mercy to perfect people, none of us would get ANY. What if ALL of us Christians gave mercy the way it has been extended to us? Would the world be a different kind of place if EVERYONE loved mercy? If you love someone or something, you will make it a priority. You will put it ahead of your own interests. Maybe we could all extoll and extend mercy today. Oh yeah, and every day.

The Rule that Rankles Most, Perhaps

3) Walk humbly with your God. Wow, this one actually covers a lot of ground, because I think we are prideful in so many subtle ways that we don’t even realize all of them. I’m so sure of that I’ll say it: right now, sitting there reading this, you have pride issues in your life. Yes, you do! (And so do I) Suffice it to say that we are not naturally humble, and we pretty much operate from a “me-first” point of view.

If you took inventory of things in your life that make you proud, or things that make you satisfied, how many of those things are self-centered? Do you love your stuff? Are you proud of being humble? At family gatherings, do you serve, or help wash the dishes?

Walking humbly with God would require first that we actually WALK with God, spending time with Him daily, moving at His pace, staying connected with Him much like Enoch did. And being humble requires that we remember who God is, and who we are: Who God is. Who you are. Take a moment to think about that, and start the day with three simple things. Be just. Love mercy. Be humble. I think we could agree that if everybody did that today it would change the world; but here’s the real point: if YOU do it, it might just change yours.

Change the World, Three Things at a Time

Three things that God requires of man, three very simple rules
To help the leaders and the priests all keep from being fools:
Do justly. Offer justice every single time you can;
Love mercy. Always be forgiving with your fellow-man.
Walk humbly with your God! O man, His perfect love inspires
Your grateful heart to give him everything that He requires.

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread
For the Kindle Edition, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Bo-Jackson-ebook/dp/B01K5Z0NLA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-2&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

Walking By Yourself in the Wild Is Scary. Better to Take a Guide

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The Bible has a lot to say about walking. It tells us to walk in faith, to walk together, and to walk in love. The whole Biblical notion of a person’s walk is that it’s indicative of how they live and conduct themselves. To paraphrase James Allen, “As a man walketh (not thinketh), so is he.” That’s what makes this brief snippet about Enoch so interesting. “When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” (Genesis 5:21-24, NIV)

Short Eulogies

Genesis 5 is a summary of the lives of those who lived from Adam to Noah. Almost every one ends with an obituary, saying they lived so many years, had such-and-such offspring, and ends with the statement, “then he died.” After all, that’s pretty much how obituaries go for everyone, right?

You could say that all of us walk uncertainly through a changing world, headed towards a certain end. Not so with Enoch. He is mentioned in the Bible several times. The Genesis account says that Enoch “walked faithfully with God, then he was no more, because God took him away.” Jude 14 says that Enoch was the seventh in line from Adam (apparently counting Adam), descending from Seth.

Enoch was apparently a noteworthy individual for several reasons. There is an Apocryphal book of Enoch attributed to him. He is commended for walking faithfully with God in Hebrews 11:5 which says, “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” So why is Enoch special? What the Bible says about him is that “he walked faithfully with God.” Why is that such a big deal?

Walking the Walk

Dig a little deeper into that simple statement: 1) Walking implies proximity. To walk WITH someone, you have to be near them. Who are you near? Who do you walk with?

2) Walking with God suggests intentionality, since to walk TOGETHER means you both agreed to make that happen; (Amos 3:3 says, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”) Simple but true.

3) It implies intimacy, since you travel at a pace that allows for interaction and conversation.

4) Walking FAITHFULLY means it happened consistently with commitment, and it also suggests that Enoch walked the way God was going: Enoch. Followed. God.

5) Finally, it suggests strong individuality: apparently not everybody does it, since the Bible emphasizes Enoch’s life in three different places.

Quick, of all the people you know, who do you immediately think of as faithfully walking with God? Why do you see them that way? How much time do you spend with them? How do the people you DO spend time with walk? Does it lift you up or drag you down?

Take A Walk

This, of course, begs the question: Are YOU walking with God? Are you walking FAITHFULLY with God? When they write your obituary, and summarize what you did on this earth, don’t let it read, “He or she knew God was out there, kinda agreed with Him, but pretty much decided to only hang out with Him every now and then, and basically went his or her own way because they thought they knew better.”

Different types of walks have different types of results. Don’t wait for pie in the sky when you die by-and-by. Reach up, take your Father’s hand, and start walking.

A Good Walk

The Bible says that Enoch was out walking with God each day,
And then he “was no more” because God took him clean away!
Apparently he was more than just a guy who talked the talk;
Enoch rose above his peers because he walked the walk.
When someone writes the epitaph for all you say and do,
Who will they say you walked with, and who also walked with YOU?

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread
For the Kindle Edition, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Bo-Jackson-ebook/dp/B01K5Z0NLA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-2&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

When the God of Relationships Calls, ANSWER YOUR PHONE!

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What is life, if not a network of RELATIONSHIPS? Oscar Thompson, my evangelism professor at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, used to ask his classes, “What’s the most important word in the English language?” People would call out ‘love”, or “money”, “faith”, and Oscar would say, “No, that’s not it. Without the word I am thinking of, NONE of those words would have any meaning.” After several more vain attempts to guess, Dr. Thompson would tell us: “The most important word in the English Language is RELATIONSHIP.

Sometimes relationships come out of nowhere to change our lives. Genesis records an instance where this was true. “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God… (Exodus 3:5-6, NIV)

The God of Relationships

I have always thought that the way God introduced himself to Moses was revealing, which makes good sense because He is and has always been the God of revelation. Being GOD, he could have said, “I am the Almighty Cosmic Rule of the Universe!” (And of course, that would have been accurate.) But in this case, He simply identifies Himself as the God of relationships — the God of Moses’ father, and of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The Bible is the story of how God has revealed Himself to man, and how He has engaged in relationships with us. Here in Exodus He revealed himself to Moses when Moses least expected it. Moses was out tending sheep, not going to church or studying the Bible. And yet, God met him where he was, and revealed Himself to Moses.

Does God still reveal himself to us? On this earth, we encounter the Lord on his terms, not ours. Moses grew up in a land with many gods, so it had to be somewhat of a shock to him to encounter the One True God.

If you think of it, however, we are all in Moses’ sandals, and some point we are all called to step out of them. We have all grown up surrounded and tempted by many gods—celebrities, material things, success, ego, power, lust—and the real question is, have you ever met the One True God? Do you know who He is?

Did God Create Us, or Did We Create Him?

To that end, the introduction to Buell Kazee’s Faith is the Victory contains one of the greatest statements about God I have ever read:

“God creates man in his image, and man creates God in his image. It depends on who is doing the creating as to what kind of being we have in either case. Man, left to himself, will always have a god, and that god will always be like man himself. Because man is confused, he will make for himself many gods, but they will all be like himself. The conflict of the world is between the One God, who arises from beyond man’s realm of knowledge, and the many gods which he has created out of his own heart.” (Faith is the Victory, Intro, page 9)

This world is full of many gods (with a small “g”), man-made idols that people may not even realize they worship. When God reveals Himself, it is surprising to most folks that there is actually only one God, and that He is offering them a choice.

An Interesting Introduction

The way God identified himself to Moses is significant. He didn’t say to Moses, “I am the great cosmic all-powerful God of the universe.” He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” What a surprising way for God to introduce himself!

In essence, he was telling Moses: “I am the God who loves people. I am the God of relationships. You can know me personally, just as your forefathers did. Look at the people who have walked with me, and you will see who I am and what I do. Look for reflections of my character in those who have no earthly means to possess it otherwise. Accept my revelation of who I am, and you can walk with me just as they did. Ignore the many meaningless gods that clamor for your attention, and walk with me.”

Stop and take a look around your life. There are indeed still meaningless gods who clamor for your attention. Somewhere amidst all the material things, the celebrities, the agendas, the politics, the cell phones, the incessant ads, the sports, and the intrusive pervasive media, the God of relationships is revealing Himself to you. Don’t miss Him.

The God Who Is

In Egypt, gods were everywhere–
An idol here, a temple there–
Worshipping idols was the style:
They worshipped cats! The Sun! The Nile!
But Moses in the desert ran
Into the God who said, “I AM”.
“I am the God of Abraham–
Isaac and Jacob, too.”

Moses didn’t doubt and scoff;
He stopped and took his sandals off;
He knew this was a holy place
And so he stopped, and hid his face.
This relationship with God was new:
It gave him more to dare, and do–
Changed more than how he wore his shoes–
Changed everything that Moses knew,
His life, his plans, his point of view!
If God introduced Himself to YOU,
Tell me, then, what YOU would do:

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread
For the Kindle Edition, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Bo-Jackson-ebook/dp/B01K5Z0NLA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-2&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

The Four Dimensions of God’s Love: Love and the Deepest Theology

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If you really want to define love, you can read the verse that everybody knows, John 3:16.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” This verse describes all of the dimensions of love– how high it is, how wide, how deep, and how long.

We talk about our perception of three dimensions around as we look at height, width, depth and length, but we all know there is more to it than that… How tall is beauty? How wide are feelings? Have you ever thought about all of the dimensions of God’s love?

Way back in the day, Job was confronted with them in one of the earliest written parts of the Bible: “Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than heaven— what can you do? Deeper than Sheol— what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.” (Job 11:7-9)

During Job’s discourse with the Almighty, God reminds him of the nature of the universe. We have boundaries and limits; God doesn’t. We think in terms of dimensions; God transcends them. It is that way in the physical universe we touch, see, and inhabit, and it is that way in the spiritual dimension that inhabits us.

Deeper and Longer Still

We are made in God’s image. Whatever passions, values, and emotions we experience are reflections of Him–although as Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 13, we see them incompletely in this world, as though “through a glass, darkly.” In one of his best-known passages, Paul points out that there is a gap between our temporary world and the spiritual one.

In that chapter Paul acknowledges the importance of knowledge and giftedness, and discusses the importance of hope and faith, all of which could be considered as the deep things of God, and all of which are reflections of God’s character. Paul ends by saying this (v 13): “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” The end of theology is not proofs or precepts, and it is not about knowledge or discourse: it is about the way GOD LOVES YOU.

Have you really considered the depth of God’s love for you? Take a moment and reflect upon that dimension. Do you feel loved today? You should. God loves you for who you are, and who you were meant to be. He loves you consistently, relentlessly, passionately, completely—enough to send his own Son to experience death on your behalf. He did it for everyone, and He did it forever. Bask in God’s love today, and remember that it’s higher, deeper, broader, and longer than you can imagine!

Four Dimensions of Love

How big is love? How strong, how tall?
Do we see love as far too small?
Our broken view of broken love
Can’t take the concept far enough—

Considering all that Christ has bought,
Could love be bigger than we thought?
Imagine love, the way you dreamed,
Romance and passion, all redeemed!

See love reflected in God’s face,
And feel it in His warm embrace.
For God so loved us, every one,
He sent His precious, only Son

To come and revolutionize
The depth and width, the lows and highs
Of love—so broken on the street—
In ways so intimate and sweet,
That in Him, we are made complete.

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

Covenants Are Serious Stuff: Don’t Make One You Don’t Intend to Keep!

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In the old days (ok, the real old days), when people would make a covenant, they would often sacrifice an animal and lay its two bloody halves on the ground. Then they would walk between the halves to seal the covenant. The act implied, “May this happen to us if we break this covenant.” It was a graphic reminder of the importance of their vow to one another, and it indicated that covenants should be taken seriously. The Prophet Jeremiah probably had this life-and-death image in his mind when he gave this revelation about God’s future plans for Israel.

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord.

“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34, NIV)

The Pattern of Covenants

In the Biblical narrative, God has consistently reached out to mankind by offering covenants. In the Old Testament He made one with Adam, with Noah, Abraham and his offspring, Moses, and David. In these covenants He declared his intention to bless all of mankind, and He engaged in an intimate relationship with His people. The Old Testament is filled with Covenants.

Lest you think of covenants as an old, dusty practice that went out of style in the Christian era, consider this: In the New Testament, Jesus continued the covenantal practice with his disciples. “After the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” (Luke 22:20) Even if you follow Jesus and major in New Testament, you are a covenant follower, too.

The Bible consistently affirms the principle of the covenant by comparing our relationship with God to a marriage. Even though God offered himself as a husband, his spouse (Israel) repeatedly (and consistently) broke their marriage vows and went off on their own, pursuing false gods and worthless idols. How could they DO such a thing? God delivered them from slavery and death, yet they cast him aside to chase other delights?? Today, we assume that’s all in the past, because WE don’t have graven images or little shrines in our houses where we blatantly worship other gods.

The Problem With Idols

But before you feel too smug, stop right there! There are idols in your life, other things that sometimes take God’s place in your priorities or in your heart. We are possessive about the wrong things. You may covet a better home or car. Someone might worship money or security. You may present yourself to the altar of self-righteousness. You could be depending on chemicals to make yourself feel better, or comfort food, or pornography, or Pinterest. (yeah, I said it, Pinterest could be an idol)

In The Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis made this point when he said, “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

If the Lord loves you as a bridegroom loves His bride, beware lest you abandon your marriage vows for something so fleeting or temporary. He takes covenants seriously. The good news is that the Lord has promised to make us children of the new covenant, and He will write His law in our minds and in our hearts. And He is possessive in the RIGHT way. As the newlywed Husband who is smitten with his bride, God wants us to covet Him just as much as He covets us. We will be HIS, and He will be OURS. Covet that. Covenant that.

Your Covenant

A covenant is serious stuff, defining where and how
Two parties will agree to act; it is a solemn vow.
In ancient times, agreements would be sealed by sacrifice;
Before they broke a covenant, both parties would think twice.
Agreements based on life itself had mortal consequences,
So if you broke the terms, you’d taken leave of all your senses!
Have you ever stopped to think, in all you say and do,
That Jesus gave his life to make a covenant with you?

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread
For the Kindle Edition, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Bo-Jackson-ebook/dp/B01K5Z0NLA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-2&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

The Unthinkable Sacrifice That Never Actually Happened

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The Bible tells several stories about sacrifice and redemption. One of the most striking occurs early in God’s interaction with Abraham. The Genesis account says this:
“Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” (Genesis 22:1-2 NIV)

This request from the Lord was surprising, to say the least. There were several ancient religions that sacrificed children to deities, but YHWH never endorsed such activities. In fact, when the law was written, the Lord called it an abomination! It is called out in Deuteronomy 12:30-31: “for every abomination to YHWH, which he hates, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt (sacrificed) in the fire to their gods.”

A Miraculous Child

Abram had left Ur and been obedient to God, following Him geographically to a distant place; but the Lord apparently wanted to take Abram further still, and so He asked Abram to do the unthinkable. If we learn anything from Abraham, it is perhaps that faith sometimes takes us into unthinkable territory.

Abram and Sara had waited all of their lives in hopes of having a son, and it seemed the opportunity had passed them by. They were overjoyed (and yes, a little skeptical) to receive the promise of an heir when they were seventy-five years old. Then they waited TWENTY FIVE YEARS to conceive and have a son. It is impossible for us to underestimate the depth of their love for Isaac. Just imagine the attachment these old folks must have had! Isaac was their true heir, their legacy, and their promised child.

Surely, they enjoyed watching Isaac the toddler develop and become a healthy boy in their old age, assured now that God keeps his promises… Certainly, as they sang songs with him or watched him grow up in their household with unrivaled love and affection, they treasured him as much as any parents had ever treasured any child. And yet God told Abraham to go and sacrifice his only son. In light of these new instructions, Abraham’s response was amazing. It’s hard to put yourself into Abram’s shoes; it’s even harder to believe he could do such a thing.

A Miraculous Choice

He immediately took Isaac, his only son, and prepared to sacrifice him as God instructed. So many questions come to mind when you read about the way God tested Abraham in Genesis 22. Why on earth did God do that? How could God be so cruel and heartless? What was the Lord thinking? What kind of God would require you to offer up your only son as a sacrifice? Wasn’t this the child of the Promise, the one through whom the covenant would be fulfilled? Was this a fair test? These are all legitimate questions to ask about this sacrifice, but really, aren’t those questions all between God and Abraham?

There’s really only ONE question, perhaps, that YOU should ask about this: what is it that you love more than anything, that you are withholding from God, that you refuse to offer him? “Then Jesus said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23 NIV)

Abraham denied himself and offered God the one thing in his life that he treasured the most. His relationship changed the way men perceived God, and it changed history from that moment on. God fulfilled the covenant of redemption through Abraham because he had faith and because he was willing to offer everything as a sacrifice to God. What will be different about history when your life is done? Think. Offer. Obey. Move to a new place. Find a new blessing.

The Sacrifice That Didn’t Happen; The Sacrifice That Did

What things went through Abram’s mind? How could God be so inclined,
To make him give his only son? How could such a thing be done?
He had to hold up once or twice as he prepared the sacrifice;
Did God go back on promises made? And yet, old Abraham obeyed…
Isaac’s birth and all the rest had led him to the toughest test
A man would ever think to face! And what did Abram know of grace?
God said, “Take him to the place that I will surely show you.”
Abram had to think, “Oh Yahweh, do I really KNOW you?
Would you have me offer up my one and only son?
Why, Lord, would you sacrifice the only, Promised One?”

Looking back now, Abram knows the answers to his plea;
Yahweh’s test foretold a sacrifice he’d yet to see:
For God allowed His only Son to go to Calvary,
Offered as a sacrifice for them. For you. For me.

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread
For the Kindle Edition, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Bo-Jackson-ebook/dp/B01K5Z0NLA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-2&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

Regifting is Considered Socially Unacceptable, But It’s OK in This Case

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There was a humorous episode of Seinfeld about “regifting”, the practice of taking a somewhat less desirable gift you have received, keeping it new in the box, and then giving it away to someone else. In the episode, various people re-gift and get caught doing it because people either recognize the gift or tell the original gift-giver what they just received. A re-gift is kind of like a white elephant gift, although the idea is not to stick someone else with a useless gift, but rather to divest yourself of something YOU didn’t really want or need in the first place. And hey, the original giver will never know, right? (Although in Seinfeld, everyone finds out and it’s pretty funny.)

What goes Around…

You hate to think that the gift you picked out for someone and hoped they would enjoy would become the object of regifting! You also hate to receive a re-gifted item, right? The whole thing is awkward because it involves rejecting and reusing a gift, and in a small circle of friends it can prove that “what goes around, comes around!”

Well, the Apostle Paul had another take on that, and it’s worth considering: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7, NIV)

Everybody likes to get gifts! They are a small mystery, wrapped in festive paper. We weigh them, shake them, and hold them in our hands with delicious anticipation. We get to take a moment to savor them and wonder what they are. Gifts are a way that someone says, “You are special”, and who doesn’t like to hear THAT more often?

The Reason for Gifts

Here in 1 Corinthians 12, Paul says that EVERY ONE of us has been given gifts: “the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” In yet another small way, the Christian life flips conventional wisdom upside down: we are not given gifts to enjoy selfishly, we are given gifts to BENEFIT OTHERS. Paul compares us as members of the Church to a body, where every part plays a role in its health and function, and where every one of us matters.

As humans, we tend to exalt certain spiritual gifts (up-front stuff like teaching, preaching, or leading worship) and minimize others (behind-the-scenes stuff, like administering, or serving); but every part of the body contributes, and every part shares equally in the accomplishments and edification of the whole. (And yes, that means that the guy who sets up chairs, and the woman who greets folks at the door are just as important as the Preacher in God’s eyes…)

If you haven’t discovered your Spiritual gift(s), then do some study, get some wise counsel, and identify what God has given you. Usually, a good indicator is when other believers feel blessed by something you do. If it edifies someone else, it is a spiritual gift. If it results in self-importance, or pride, or ego inflation, then chances are it’s not. Then it’s time to apply the regifting principle. Once you think you know about God’s gift, you have a re-gifting assignment every day: Open your gift. Give it away. It’s what gifts are for.

Regifting

There are occasions when everyone’s hopin’
That there are some presents which they get to open!
I see all the gifts wrapped up under the tree,
And I always hope some are wrapped up there for ME!
But Paul had a much different take on the season:
He said that we each receive gifts for a reason.
Our gifts are not given for fun, or for play,
But we get them so we can go give them away.
Paul said that spiritual gifts are uplifting,
And those kinds of gifts are ok for regifting!
Discover your spiritual gifts and then shift them
Because they’re designed so that you can re-gift them!

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread
For the Kindle Edition, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Bo-Jackson-ebook/dp/B01K5Z0NLA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-2&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

Flesh is Flesh, Spirit is Spirit: Can You See it? Do You Hear it?

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In one of the pivotal conversations in history, Jesus told Nicodemus something really quite amazing. He said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6 KJV) Do you ever notice the spiritual dimensions of life? Out of all the animals on the planet, only man concerns himself with spiritual things. Ever wonder why that’s so?

The Forgotten Dimension

As wonderful as our furry family members can be, they don’t have spiritual awareness. Animals don’t debate morality, they don’t pray, they don’t pass laws, they don’t worship God, and they just really don’t pay attention to spiritual things. They have emotions, yes, and they can even love after a fashion; but they’ll never understand spiritual things. Man alone has a spirit. Like it or not, the spiritual dimension is clearly around us humans all the time, even when we don’t notice, and especially when we just flat-out ignore it…

The Optional Dimension?

Now, that doesn’t mean that a man HAS to notice spiritual things. He can stay as carnal (fleshly) and as practical as he wants to. In fact, millions of people disregard spiritual things because they require physical evidence, or it could be that they just choose not to see them. But the spiritual dimension is always there, waiting to unveil its power and beauty, pointing to something more profound and moving than the empirical facts suggest. The Bible speaks about being born in the Spirit. One can only infer that a spiritual birth leads to the experience of a spiritual life.

There’s a country song that talks about “beer goggles”, which can affect your eyesight and perception when you’ve had a few too many. Apparently that condition exists in the spiritual world as well, because Paul said this in 1 Corinthians 2:14: “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” As Jesus told Nicodemus, our “natural” man won’t perceive God’s will, or love, or wisdom until he is “born of the Spirit”. If you are living “in the flesh”, there is a whole heavenly dimension available to you, just waiting to transform and to elevate not only you but everything you experience!

So, What’s the Difference?

A sunset can merely be a cosmological array of physical properties—flesh—but the way it moves you with its beauty speaks to something deeper (perhaps an artist of the highest caliber)—spirit. A history book can be a bunch of dry facts—flesh—but when we find ourselves motivated by the gallant acts or lofty notions from those who have gone before, well then—spirit! And a kiss can be merely osculation, which is the physical contact of two curved surfaces between a common tangent—flesh—or it can be—well, you know… It can take your breath away, and speak to the passion and love behind it!

Elevation over Sensation

It’s interesting to me that if you live in the flesh you will minimize the Spirit, and lose its enhanced perspective and all of its attendant blessings. But if you live in the Spirit, you can actually elevate the experience in the flesh and complete it by allowing it to be all that it was intended to be. A kiss can merely be the exchange of saliva, it can even be limited to lust, OR it can be—LOVE! It can point to something more profound and moving than the empirical facts suggest!

The more we stay in the flesh, the less we experience the spiritual aspect of things. And the more we live in the spirit, then… That’s right! The more it gives meaning to life, and it elevates the true meaning behind everything.

The Why

Jesus didn’t encourage Nicodemus to be born of the Spirit so he could live a life of drudgery and self-flagellation. He was encouraging him discover who he was made to be. God’s purpose for us is not to live like animals but to discover another dimension to life above and beyond mere flesh. The question is, have you found it? Are you discovering something more than mere flesh? Read John 3 and listen to what Jesus told Nicodemus. You may just unlock a whole new dimension…

Flesh or Spirit?

Are we merely carnal creatures?
What can set mankind apart?
Is it instinct? Are there features
That transcend the human heart?

When I live in stress or tension,
When I limit how I feel,
There’s a spiritual dimension
Where God’s love is fresh and real!

Let me walk in realms of glory,
Even with my feet of clay;
Help me see salvation’s story
Every ordinary day.

Into Thy hands I commend my Spirit,
More than just in words or talk;
Make my heart like Yours—or near it;
Help my feet to walk the walk.

As I sense the world around me,
Let me see you, Lord, afresh;
Let your loving heart surround me
In the Spirit, and the flesh.

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

If Armor Offers Protection, Maybe We Should Suit Up

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On May 21, 2020, a Naval Officer who guarded the gate at Corpus Christi Naval Station was shot at close range in the chest by an intruder. But, because she was wearing body armor, she was still able to activate the alarm and stop the threat. Her Kevlar body armor not only saved HER life, it also saved the lives of others on the base because she was able to dispatch the perpetrator and keep him from entering the base.

As long as there has been conflict, men have sought ways to protect themselves. Roman soldiers carried shields; samurai wore protective body panels; and armor has been employed by everyone from medieval knights to battleships. Gladiators wore pieces of body armor in the arena, and NFL football players wear pads and helmets on the field of play. People need protection when engaged in conflict whether it be military or sports-related. In the Bible, Paul describes a different kind of armor for a different kind of conflict.

Armor That Helps

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:10-13 NIV)

Can you imagine an NFL football player taking the field with just their shorts, a t-shirt, and their cleats to protect them? (I think it would be called Rugby, lol) Or can you imagine them wearing their shoulder pads but no other protective gear? Or even just their helmet? No way! These guys compete on a field with strong, fast athletes who are trying to knock them into the middle of next week! If they weren’t wearing the proper equipment, they couldn’t perform the same way the other guys could. They would be tentative, limited, and vulnerable. Football players wear all of the protective gear they can in order to keep from being hurt or knocked out of the game. Makes sense, right?

How about the body armor worn by troops and SWAT team members? Let’s ask that Naval officer whose vest just stopped a bullet if she thinks it’s a good idea to wear armor… The battle against terrorism requires troops, and those troops need protection.

The Struggle is Real

So, why do you go into daily spiritual battle against far more malicious foes wearing less than the full armor of God? There are spiritual forces at work in this world that want to bring you down, to limit you and make you vulnerable. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” You may not think about it much, but you are in a spiritual war every day, and there really are forces at work trying to change the values in our world and in our culture.

If you are uncertain about that, read the news once in a while… Or just check yourself: are you ever tempted? Ever lose your temper, or think critical thoughts about people you don’t even know? Is there any bitterness or offense that drives your emotions? Do you find it difficult to love others the way Jesus describes? If there is a God who encourages us to love, there is just as certainly a malevolent force who is probing our armor, looking for weaknesses he can use to promote selfishness and hatred.

While Paul doesn’t tell Christians to go around knocking people down, he does tell us to stand our ground. So stand firm. Protect yourself. Avail yourself of all of the equipment God offers. If you are walking around wearing only gospel shoes, you are pretty vulnerable. Read the rest of the list, which includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the shield of faith (verses 14-17). Don’t go into battle un-equipped. Make sure you are completely dressed.

A Different Kind of Armor

When you take the battlefield, conditions can be hard;
Make sure you protect yourself, and maximize your guard.
God has armor He designed to guard His troops before, behind,
To keep his soldiers all aligned in all conditions they may find.
The armor of God has been designed and put together, all combined
To guard your heart and mind when Satan tries to put you in a bind.
In the battle always keep your weapon close at hand;
When evil comes, you’ll be equipped to rise! And fight! And stand.

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread
For the Kindle Edition, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Bo-Jackson-ebook/dp/B01K5Z0NLA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-2&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread