Proverbs 11:3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.

Today we live in a society that cares little about how we do things as opposed to what our results are.  There seems to be little concern about what tactics get us to the top as long as we get to the top. Integrity can often get lost in the journey to reach our goals and sadly few seem to be bothered by that.  The old idea that “it matters little who wins or loses, but how they play the game” has become a saying of derision and mockery.

Today’s verse tells us that playing the game (living our lives) with integrity is important. In fact, if we don’t, the result will be destruction.  Our lack of integrity may seem to be working and “getting us to the top,” but in the long run it will fail us.  A wise man once said, “Be careful who you hurt on the way up the ladder, because you are sure to meet them all again on your way down.”

There are many stories which illustrate the value of integrity, but here are just a couple I am familiar with.  An aging king woke up one day to the realization that he had no male in the royal family to take his place.  He decided he would adopt a son who could then take his place.  He knew that such an adopted son must be extraordinary, so he launched a competition in his kingdom, open to all boys.  After a series of tests, only the ten most intelligent and physical boys were left in the competition.

Since the kingdom depended solely on agriculture, the king gave corn seed to each boy.  The boys had three weeks to cultivate it and at the end of the time whoever showed the best cultivating would be king.  The boys all rushed home, planted their seeds in pots and started caring for their plants.

One boy in particular was very disappointed.  He did everything he should, even praying over his corn day and night, but his seed would just not grow.  Many of his friends advised him to go and buy a seed from the market and plant that because no one could tell one seed from another. The boys parents, however, had always taught him to do what was right and they reminded him that if the king wanted them to use their own seeds, he would have told them that. His parents told him that not all are destined to a throne, and it is better to not receive than to receive through deception.

The big day came and it was obvious that everyone had had great success with their seeds except for our one young boy. The king began making his way down the line while asking each boy, ‘Is this what came out of the seed I gave you?’  Each boy responded, ‘Yes, your majesty.’ And the king would nod and move down the line.

The king finally got to the last boy in the line-up who was shaking with fear.  The king looked at the empty pot and said, “What did you do with the seed I gave you?’  The boy answered, “I planted it and cared for it diligently, your majesty, but I could not get it to grow.”  The boy began to cry as the crowd booed and mocked him.

The king raised his hand, turned to the crowd and said, “My people behold your next king.” The stunned crowd listened as he continued. “I gave these boys boiled seeds. This test was not for cultivating corn, almost all can do that. It was the test of character; a test of integrity. It was the ultimate test. To be a true king, he must place truth above all things. Only this boy passed the test. A boiled seed cannot sprout. Never!!”

We live in a society obsessed with success at any cost.  Sports figures shorten their lives with illegal substances just to increase their temporary fame.  Business people cut ethical corners to work their way to the top.  Students have someone else do their work to better their grades.  Does anyone care?  Yes, God does and those who have integrity do as well.  For all the world’s flaws we have hundreds of stories that are passed down through the years of people who have shown great integrity and are revered for it.

Bobby Jones, one of the greatest golfers of all time, once cost himself a championship by admitting that his ball moved a bit when he removed a piece of grass next to his ball, an automatic one stroke penalty.  No one else saw it and even argued against it because they did not see it move.  Even the tournament director said he did not notice it.  But Bobby was adamant, took his penalty, and lost the tournament by one stroke.  Afterwards, when the story made headlines, Bobby said, “What is the big deal, to congratulate me for this, is like congratulating me for not robbing a bank. It was what had to be done.”

Bobby Jone’s action lives larger than almost any other golf story from the past.  Why? because as much as society says the end justifies the means, it still honors honesty.  In the long run, failure often is often an opportunity for us to show the world that the integrity God speaks of is still alive today.  Doing right, for right’s sake, is always right.

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.   John 1:12

A few years back Elaine and I went to the movie Overcomer with our daughter, her husband, and a granddaughter.   It is one of those faith-based films that gets a 30% approval from the ten critics on the Rotten Tomatoes site and a 98% approval from the 2000 viewers.  Pretty typical, especially when the gospel is clearly articulated.   As soon as one of the characters started talking about the need for having Jesus I am sure the critics started noticing all kinds of poor lighting, poor performances, poor plot lines, and poor music.  Other than these things, I am sure they loved it.

One of the interesting things that stood out to me in the story was the contrast between a dying  man Thomas Hill and the main character John Harrison.   Thomas Hill had come to believe in Christ in his latter years after a lifetime of abusing himself in every way possible.  John Harrison, on the other hand,   was a successful basketball coach who had been a believer for many years and had just recently fallen on some hard times.   At one point in the movie Hill asked Coach Harrison who John Harrison was and the coach answered with  things like coach, husband , father, and other typical answers until he eventually said he was a Christian.   Hill  then asked Harrison why he had placed Christ so low on the list.  The coach was indignant at first, but the Hill’s words began to work on him as the movie progressed.   Thomas Hill was right.  The reason Coach Harrison placed Christ so low on the list was because Christ was so low on his list.

Thomas Hill’s difficulties had led him to a sincere faith in Christ, while Coach Harrison difficulties had exposed his weak faith in Christ.   In the Greek original of the New Testament the word sincerity means ‘judged in the sunlight’; and the English word is derived from the Latin—’sine cera’, which means ‘without wax’. In the days when art flourished in ancient Greece, it was the common practice to repair with ‘invisible’ wax any vase or statue that had, as a result of carelessness or misadventure, been damaged.

A rich man or a person of high rank might employ a sculptor to chisel the dignatary’s  bust in marble. Sometimes, if the chisel slipped, an important part of the bust would be chipped off. Rather than start all over, the sculptor would mend the damage with wax. The flaw could not be detected by a layman except under very close scrutiny. This way the sculptor was able to palm off  his defective workmanship to the unsuspecting buyer.  However, if the client happened to be a knowing person, he would carry the finished statuette out of the studio into the open before paying for it, and  would examine it carefully in the sunlight. If he failed to do this sometime in the future he would possibly see the nose drop off his statuette in the heated room of his house. The statue was not `sincere’, not ‘without wax’, and could not bear careful scrutiny or intense heat.

Many Christians have John Harrison faith.  They say that Christ is the most important person in their lives, but believe their identity comes from people, possessions or position.  If they can squeeze Christ on the list somewhere between some of these things, that’s fine, but He certainly can’t replace any of  them.   The difficulties the coach was facing shined the light on his identity of Christ.  He had be playing the Christian game for  a long time and as long as the heat didn’t get too hot,  the wax stayed in place.   When tough times came his waxy faith was exposed.   Likewise, today’s Christianity can often be inauthentic because appearance is more important than actuality.   

Many products today are designed to imitate the real thing. There is plastic decking that looks like real wood. Vinyl flooring that appears to be ceramic tile. You can purchase fake fur or jewelry, phony noses, hairpieces, and other body parts. We have even reached the point to make artificial mud designed to fool the neighbors. 

Spray-on Mud was created for use on the outside of your SUV or four-wheeler. That way it appears you use your expensive hobby for more than taking up space in the driveway. Spray it on and friends might think you’ve just returned from a wilderness adventure.  People want the authentic look without authenticity .  It’s the best of both worlds- a cheap way to look real.

There are many expressions of imitation Christianity that we can try to pass off as the real thing. Occasional church attendance when convenient passes for worship.  Giving when there is some extra money can substitute for sacrificial service.  Christian bumper stickers and symbols can be used as evangelism replacements.  Christian clichés handed on facebook can  appear to be deep biblical wisdom.  Talking a good Christian game can be just that- a game.  Charles Spurgeon once said, “I would sooner possess the joy of Christ five minutes than I would revel in the mirth of fools for half a century.”  

Let the words of Paul  in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 inspire a real walk with Christ, “When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.  I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling.  And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit.  I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.”

So what is authenticity?  Easy. It looks like Jesus!

Well, Elaine and I just finished up our quarantine from having Covid.  I just wanted to digress from the normal devotion to extend a little be of thanks on this wonderful Thanksgiving.  You might be thinking, “Wonderful?”  Prices are up, daubers are down, and the only constant in the world is the constant state of chaos.   Regardless of what the world looks like around us, I would like to look at three things in my life that continually bring things back into perspective for me- my family, my church family, and my heavenly family.

During these dark times it would be easy to ignore the bright things that are in our lives, so in an attempt to remember them, I am going to write about them.

Since Elaine and I have been sick we have received calls from close neighbors and far-away family members offering prayers, love, and supplies.  I am especially appreciative of our children who are so quick to do whatever they can for us.  Not only that, but they are quick to do whatever they can for each other.  Family (IMG_0750) is a great gift from God.

The family of God is also a great gift.  As soon as we got sick there were prayers, calls, texts, offers of help, and very concerned hearts. In these very difficult times when so many people feel there is no where to turn for help, we had a church full of people who reached out to us and that we could have reached out to in return.

Today when the airways are so available and you can see any preacher you want on your TV, computer, iPad, or even your watch, you might wonder, “what is the use of having a home church.”  It is for many reasons, but especially for times like these.   I often watch Charles Stanley and think he is a fantastic preacher, but to be honest with you, when Elaine and I came down sick, he did not call us.  I know he is a busy man, but we have watched him for years, bought his books, contributed to his ministry, and I know he has our address because we are on his mailing list.  Yet, we did not even get a Get Well card.

I am being sarcastic, of course.  Pastor Stanley seems like a great guy but Elaine and I are not on his radar.  In fact, if I needed something, like counseling for instance, I don’t think he would be available.  Fortunately, I would not have to call Charles… I have a herd of people in my own fellowship willing to give me counsel.   If I needed a shoulder to cry on, our church is full of shoulders and people willing to share them.  Also if I am in a spiritual battle that requires reinforcements, I have a whole battalion at our church waiting to do battle.

In Hebrews 10:25 the author tell us not to neglect, “meeting together, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”  What this verse seems to be saying is that we need to pick up our encouragement every day because every day brings us closer to the Lord’s return.  That is why we need to follow the admonition of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 to “encourage one another and build one another up.”  There isn’t anyone on tv, radio, or on computer that can replace the fellowship of someone who knows and cares about us.

And finally, I am so glad to be a part of the family of God. 1 John 3:1-2 says, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”  In this world there are many who try too pull us into their family.  But only God truly adopts us as one of His own.

There was once a man who contributed to an orphanage for very wayward children.  Unfortunately, even though many contributions had be made to the home for years, the children still had terrible struggles.  In fact, there were complaints in the neighborhood because of the orphans unruly behavior.  The man, who was the orphanages greatest benefactor, visited the children one day and told them the following, “Things are not working out at the orphanage and I have decided to shut it down.”  Even though each of the orphans carried a tough kid’s bravado, it was mostly an act and there was great fear in their eyes.  One of the twenty orphans finally blurted out, “but where will we go?”

The man put his hand on the young boy’s shoulder.  “You will go with me to my house.  I am adopting all of you.”

The man knew what the kids really needed… a loving home,
a loving parent, a loving family.

That is what God did for me and for many of you.  He put His hand on our shoulder and said, “This world is not your home.  I am adopting you into my family.
You will live with me and I will be your Father.”   I am so thankful that He has done that for me because the worldly orphanage I was living in just wasn’t working.

So this is the devotion for today.  Just a prayerful thank you to my family, my church family, and my heavenly family.

In these trying times it is important that we join hands in a world that is intent on division.  God bless.

Praying is hard. It probably shouldn’t be, but it is. Our minds wander, we grow restless, we battle fatigue, but why? We have the opportunity to go to the great Creator of the universe to lay out our deepest desires, hurts, questions, and praises, yet we sometimes find ourselves in a battle to do what should be wonderful. Why?

For one thing, Satan hates prayer. If he can bring any distractions to bear on us during our time of prayer he will. He really doesn’t care about most of our other activities. Reading a book, fishing, working, watching TV and a myriad of other daily dealings don’t concern him.  As long as we are not praying, he is satisfied. That may partly explain why we have an easier time concentrating on facebook than God’s face.

Our own flesh makes the prayer life more challenging. In our flesh we are not inclined toward God. Righteousness is not natural for us. ‘’There is none righteous, no not one.” Just like a person must tend a garden, or weeds will grow prolifically on their own, we must tend our spiritual lives. Sin grows without much watering. In our flesh prayer is not our first resort (unless a grenade just rolled into our foxhole), but we more naturally work our way through a multitude of worldly solutions until we are eventually brought back to God.

So how can we pray effectively? There must be a way or God would not have called us to do it. George Mueller was one of the greatest pray-ers of all time. He cared for thousands of orphans during his lifetime and never once sent out a request of monies other than to God Himself. His diary entries of answered prayer are phenomenal. From the ordinary to extraordinary, God’s grace was illustrated in Mueller’s life on a daily basis. His way of praying (which he discovered during his ministry) reflects the kinds of prayer that is called for in the Word. It is truly Holy Spirit led.

I recently have read books and watched some videos on the idea of praying the Bible. I have to say, it works. If our minds our going to wander naturally, we need to train our minds to wander with a purpose. Praying the Bible allows the Holy Spirit to bring to mind those prayer requests that need our attention. One concern that I think all pray-ers have is the dilemma of list praying. We have a prayer list and we pray the list faithfully, but it seems too routine, too sterile. Unfortunately, if we pray without a list, we miss important prayers and realize after a week that we haven’t brought Auntie Em’s heart condition before the Lord one time.

So how do we remember things but yet not become mechanical in our prayer time. Well, I think there is a way to use lists effectively but also to leave the lists aside for certain types of prayer. I think one of our problems is that we box our prayer time in and if it is not a certain way at a certain time then we tend set things aside. In other words, if we can’t do it “right” we won’t do it at all. There has to be a better way.

Let’s divide our prayer time into two types- Bible prayer and Idle prayer. Let me explain the difference and then detail them a little more over the next few days. Bible prayer is when we can have a Bible in front of us, without distraction, such as our daily quiet time in the morning or evening. Idle prayer is prayer that we do when we cannot read our Bible because we are walking, driving, working out, fishing or in any other place where detailed reading would not be logical or advisable. Idle prayer does not mean we are idle in the pure sense, but idle or away from the Bible. In short, Bible prayer is when we can read our Bible along with prayer, and idle prayer is when we find ourselves without access to our Bible. Really, when we think about it, these two times cover all times. Is there any place or any time we cannot think?  Not really. So there is there any place or any time that we cannot pray?  Not really.

Prayer is something that we can do any time. They say there is no prayer in school, but who can really prevent that? A school might be able to prevent folding hands, closing eyes, and even dropping a head before a meal, but that is not prayer, those are just common indicators that a prayer is happening. Indicators are not prayer. Prayer is an inside thing. There is a story about a child who was told to stand in the corner and he said he wanted to sit. After a brief argument with his mother, he went to stand in the corner. Standing with his face to the corner he said to his mom, “I might be standing on the outside, but I am sitting on the inside.” How true. No one can make us pray (except maybe a bad taxi driver) or keep us from praying. Our thoughts and prayers are our own and no one can prevent them.

In the next couple of weeks, I am going to tell you more about these two types of prayer and tell you how I think we can improve our prayer life dramatically.

“But let your word ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no.’” (Matthew 5:37)

This verse is nestled into an admonition from Jesus that we should tell the truth at all times. In verse 33 we see that we should “keep our word,” and in verse 36 we are told that we should not “swear by the head.” The latter phrase was a common expression of the times which meant, in essence, swearing on one’s life. The rest of that verse says “because you cannot make one hair white or black.” What that phrase is saying (and what Christ is saying) is that we should not think that we have more control over our lives than what we do. God is the author of life and if we swear on our lives, we are superseding His authority. It would be akin to swearing on our mother’s grave. We have no more control of our mother’s grave than we do on our own lives. Jesus is saying that swearing on anything is a useless endeavor; the key is living our lives in truth. After all, the worse men are, the less they are bound by oaths; the better they are, the less there is need for them.

There is a tremendous need for truth in this day and age… well, in any day and age. However, we are particularly surrounded with falseness as the time of Christ approaches.Like a massive boulder gathering speed down a mountainside, falsehood is gaining momentum both in and out of the church. This should be expected, but should not be accepted. As Christians we have the opportunity to illustrate the power of Christ by making sure that our “yes is yes” and our “no is no.” That small show of consistency can separate us from a world filled with erraticism.

A few years back, Brian Williams, well-known NBC anchorman, was caught in a series of lies about his involvement in some of his news stories. He was suspended and has a black eye that will follow him the rest of his career. However, not everyone felt he did much wrong. His series of lies carried less of a stigma than single lies of newsmen, politicians, and public figures of the past. Lying has become almost acceptable if the person lying has the support of the majority. It seems that apologies for lying in this day and age are really apologies for getting caught. One of the early church fathers, Augustine, said, “When regard for truth has been broken down or even slightly weakened, all things will remain doubtful.” We live in a time when many words carry the haze of doubt with them. As Christians we are instructed to make sure there is no haze to our words. Others should, as they say, be able to take our words, “to the bank.”

It has been said that lies have no legs. They require other lies to support them. Lies are never individual and always come in herds. Lies maintain their lives only from more lies. Lies, like weeds in a garden, will choke out truth when it tries to surface. In Psalm 86:11 we are told, “Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.” Untruthfulness is a result of not fearing God. If we fear God, being truthful will be a priority. When we realize that all lies are an offense to Him, we will think twice about what we say. When our world revolves around us instead of God, lying is an insignificant trespass.

A minister told his congregation that he would be preaching on lying the following week and asked them to read Mark 17 in preparation. The following Sunday before he delivered his sermon he asked how many people read the assigned chapter. Many hands went up in the air. He smiled and said, “Mark only has sixteen chapters. I will now proceed with my sermon on the sin of lying.” It might be funnier if it wasn’t entirely possible. Lying is not just for alleys anymore.

Jesus lived out the words He said. In Matthew 22:16 He is told, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.” Jesus knew the value of truth. He knew that truth was freedom. He did not have to listen to the words of others or test which way the wind was blowing.  He knew that the truth would set people free and their freedom was more important to Him than popularity. We are to follow the example of Christ and the apostle Paul reminds us of this in 1 Corinthians 11:1 when he writes “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” Every believer should imitate Christ, and every believer should prioritize truth, not occasionally, but constantly.

The world cries out for those whose “yes is yes” and “no is no.” As believers we need to respond to that cry. Only the power of Christ can equip us to accept nothing less than the truth from ourselves. The great American author William Faulkner said, “Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world…would do this, it would change the earth.” But Faulkner was wrong. Truth alone cannot change the earth, but truth about Christ can. As Christians we can change the world because our truthfulness lends credence to our words about Christ.

Christ is not just truthful, He is Truth. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Our word should always be our word, because our credibility about The Word will be determined by the truthfulness of our other words. Truth is the intention of many, but the deed of few. For believers truth must be much more than just intention. It must be real. Our words of Christ should not be diminished by others doubt in us. There is no better reason to let our “yes be yes” and our “no be no,” than the knowledge that it makes us better equipped to represent Christ. We should be truthful today, so that we can boldly share The Truth of Christ tomorrow.