Oh Good for Me

The Man in the Mirror | Chapters 16 | Pride | “A humble man does not look down on others. He can be both proud and humble at the same time—proud of himself without comparison to others and humble by not thinking of himself more highly than he ought.” – Patrick M. Morley

scrip·ture | Philippians 2:3-4 ³Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 

de·vo·tion | Have you ever been inspired by the Spirit? Inspired to the point that the words that come out of your mouth are not your words at all. Words that have such wisdom in them, you know they could not be of your own? Have you been in the position where after a conversation with someone about Christ or faith or God, the individual has been so moved, they come up to you afterwards and wholeheartedly thank you for that inspiration? The pride you feel in that moment is so overwhelming. The accomplishment is so tangible that your heart is overwhelmed with belonging and purpose. I have had these moments, actually, I continue to have these moment…”Oh good for me”, right?

I am not saying this so you see in me a Spiritual advisor looking for adoration. I am not saying this so you remember to come up to me and thank me. I am saying this, because I am confessing that in my heart of hearts, I actually want that, but it is that way of thinking that feeds my personal pride that I constantly battle with when trying to emulate the character of Christ. We are all called to live out the character of God, to love, do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, to live our life in humility and obedience. Jesus Christ, born a human, being of God and God yet chose to humble himself to the point of being exposed to the desires, emotions, and fleshly outcome we all face. Christ came into this world and became a king. Yet, not a king that exposed himself through flashy clothes or trumpets to announce his presence. He represented humbleness to the point of death. Humbleness to the point of taking no credit of the grace and blessings that had already being given to His people. Credit that was so richly deserved that Christ should have been praised while he walked this earth, praised in a way where his face was splashed on Billboards and his signature sought after, because his inspiring word has more depth than any 10 step help book. Yet, Christ did not seek that type of publicity, in fact, he always tended to avoid it. After many of his miracles, he asks that they tell no one. In his ministry, he did not seek to be glorified as king nor does he admit that he is God all too often.

“All glory to God our Father and Jesus Christ”, a message missing from my repertoire and vocabulary post a Spirit filled conversations. In many ways, we need validation as humans that what we have said or done in the name of Christ is inspiring. This validates in some way that we are abiding in what God asks of us. God knows that we need some form of praise as humans to move forward in our journey, a form of feedback that lets us know we are not off our rocker, and that what we are saying and doing is Spirit led. We must remember in those times to not dwell on the pride that comes with that validation or praise, but to thank and give praise to God for His inspiration. A lesson I must learn and live by.  I need to remember that it is gifts from God and the Spirit that provide me the ability to say and do things on His behalf. That he has put all of you on this earth to hold me accountable to living out the Word of God. That through your feedback, praise, and adoration, it keeps me motivated to keep living my life in the direction set before me in Christ. That I must also check my pride at the door and respond with a thank you, but also with “All glory to God our Father and Jesus Christ”. It is in for the honor of the Father we live in His son Jesus Christ.

prayer | LORD, I come to you with thanks and adoration.  I come to you with love and thankfulness.  I realize that I do not always abide in you even when I say and do what you ask of me.  That I seek praise and adoration for myself, and that my pride gets in the way of accepting praise for your Spirit filled words and wisdom.  I also thank you for giving me the feedback through the friends and peers that you surround me with.  Help me to keep that in mind when I stand in front and lead others on Your behalf.  Help me to honor you in all that I say and do.  That you break down the walls I surround myself with in selfishness and that I take a page out of Your Book and humble myself to the point of kneeling before you and confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that all that I say and do is to the glory of God the Father.

Daily Alone Time with God |

 

Chapter of the Week | Proverbs 11

Mon·day | Galatians 6:4 ⁴But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.

Tues·day | James 4:6 ⁶But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Wednes·day | Jeremiah 9:23 ²³Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,

Thurs·day | Philippians 2:3 ³Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Fri·day | Proverbs 11:2 ²When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.

When Did it Get So Heavy

The Man in the Mirror | Chapters 15 | Time Management: Doing God’s Will | “The effective time manager finds time for all of the priorities God has for the Christian.” – Patrick M. Morley

scrip·ture | Luke 12:34 ³⁴For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

de·vo·tion | When I started my first job, I had purchased this stylish over the shoulder bags. It was great, because I didn’t have a ton to carry. I would have my small thermos filled with coffee, my Bible, and a couple of other papers letting me know where I needed to go on my first day on the job. As I continued on in my career, I noticed that I started carrying more and more to work and home everyday in my little bag. My little bag was starting to represent my life, I had more responsibility which meant a little bit bigger of a workload, as well as my Bible being buried by those extra little things I was carrying. Things were getting just a little to heavy for the bag, so I upgraded myself to one of those business backpacks. I started bringing a big thermos, my lunch, take home work, and at the bottom, my Bible remained. For a long time, the backpack worked. I was able to bring all of what I needed, and I was able to carry its weight without it being too much of a burden. After a while, I slowly started adding more and more to my business backpack. On top of my large thermos, my travel mug, my notebooks, business papers, and my Bible, I started bringing home my laptop and other reading materials. My business backpack was just not doing it anymore, my daily load was becoming too heavy, so I upgraded to one of those pull behind business thingys (technical term). I sat and wondered, when did it get so heavy? I had created layer upon layer of things inside my pull behind. My pull behind had become as complicated to navigate as my life had. I had added so much to it, that I didn’t know where to start and in my case, one of the most important things had gotten buried at the bottom. My Bible had gotten buried by my large thermos, my travel mug, my work papers, my laptop, podcasts, and Stephen King novels.

In that moment of realization, I started thinking of my pull behind briefcase and how it related to my spiritual life. You see, when I was born, all I had was one thing in my sleek little bag to worry about, and that was God. My faith with God was so simple. I did not have a lot to focus on but God, but then my parents started throwing little things into my bag and life started getting a little heavier. As I continued to grow, as a teenager, I became even more independent. There were things I wanted to do, and carrying that load with a little bag wasn’t going to do it anymore. I upgraded to a backpack and started adding all of those personal things to it. I started adding sports, games, girls, etc, and my back pack continued getting heavier and heavier and God kept on getting buried. As I got older, I got married, had some kids, and got a career. My backpack was no longer going to work, I needed to get a pull behind briefcase to carry the burdens I added to my life. Not only was I taking care of my family, kids, and work, I started burying God with novels, podcasts, technical work documents, and Facebook. At some point I asked myself, when did life become so heavy and why has it gotten so complicated? I realized that I needed to start pulling things out of my pull behind briefcase and prioritize those things that had gotten buried. I needed to find out what I was doing to complicate my life and I identify what was keeping me away from doing what God had created me for.

Take some time and be honest with yourself, how heavy has your pull behind briefcase become. What have you added to it that has you saying things like, “I don’t have time to read the Bible?”. When you unzip your bag, what do you see at the top? Start identifying those things that you can remove and will allow you to bring God to the top.

prayer | LORD, when did life become so heavy? I really can’t believe I have spent so much time burying you with things that took me further and further away from You. Forgive me for that selfishness LORD. I pray LORD that You help me to sacrificially cut out those things in my backpack that take me away from spending time with You in Your Word and prayer. Give me strength LORD to prioritize You to the top and help me to lessen the burden I have made for myself. Amen

Daily Alone Time with God |

Chapter of the Week | Proverbs 16

Mon·day | Matthew 6:33 ³³But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Tues·day | Romans 12:2 ²Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Wednes·day | 2 Timothy 2:22 ²²So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

Thurs·day | Philippians 3:13-14 ¹³Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Fri·day | 1 Peter 2:21 ²¹To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

Spiritual Security

The Man in the Mirror | Chapters 13 | Decisions: How to Make the Right Choice | “…to live by the Word of God, …to not put God to a test, …to always worship God and serve Him only…These three principles of decision making will not guarantee that we will always make the right decision, but they will give us the highest probability of not making the wrong decision.” – Patrick M. Morley

scrip·ture | Proverbs 3:5-6 ⁵Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

de·vo·tion | Two years ago, I made the best decision of my life. I was let go from my job with 2,500 other people, and I got myself into the Information Security industry. Ok, ok, ok, it was not my decision, but it was a time in my life where God had provided me a new opportunity. In my first week within IT Security, I was sent to a conference, where the guest speakers proceeded to scare the living daylights out of me. By the time I left, I wanted to delete all my social accounts, have a shredder next to my bed, pack all my personal belongings into a backpack, and secure it with a self-destruct button in case anyone got a hold of it.

Having two years to mature in the Information Security space, there are two things I have come to understand. Yes, information and identify theft is a real and serious threat; however there are things that can be done to reduce the risk of your personal and private information from being stolen. Every day, I work in an environment where the bad guys are constantly coming in and testing what we have tried to protect for the intention of either steeling personal information, doing physical harm, or exploiting information for blackmail. Our job within Information Security is to use and help others apply whatever technology, standards, and policies we can to reduce the risk of some threat being exploited by some bad guy. Don’t kid yourself though, the bad guys are smart, and they are constantly changing their tactics to find their way past your defenses. In fact, it has to be an accepted reality that the bad guys will sometimes succeed in what they are doing, but it is our job to either make it really hard for them to succeed or to reduce the harm that a bad guy does.

Like the physical information that is under constant threat by the “hackers”, God knew from the beginning, that every day we would face a constant threat from the spiritual hackers that try to exploit our weaknesses as humans. It is in those times where we must work to do what we can to employ Spiritual Security and enforce the spiritual policies and guidance given to us by God. In His constant guidance and steadfast love for us, He provided us with directional principles (10 commandments) and a human example (Jesus the Christ) of how to live out those principles to reduce the risk of being infiltrated by these evil exploits and live a life of constant sanctification and safe harbor. Does this mean that if we live strictly by God’s principles and mimic the character of Christ all will be hunky-dory? First, do not be deceived, you will screw up. We all make bad choices that have consequences. Second, Jesus said that no matter whom you are, righteous or unrighteous; we will be faced with hard decisions and tribulations regardless of where your faith lies.

John 16:33 ³³I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” In Information Security, just because we have employed the right technology, policies, and standards, that doesn’t mean that hackers will not attempt to break those barriers down. In Spiritual Security, just because we have employed the directional principles and strive to live out the human example of Jesus, does not mean we are protected from constant threat to our spiritual self. But in the same way we do everything we can to protect individuals personal information, we must also do everything we can to protect our spiritual purity. Start working on the three principles outlined by Patrick M. Morley in his book The Man in the Mirror. Ask yourself, what can I do to increase my ability to live by the Word of God, to not put God to the test, and to always worship God and serve Him only. Be diligent my friends and do whatever you can to utilize what God has given us as direction, but more importantly let’s make it as hard as we can for the evil in this world to steal our spiritual identify.

prayer | LORD, I am a man full of exploitable vulnerabilities. I acknowledge that by myself, I would ruin or at least come very close to ruining this life and world that You have created for me. I thank you LORD for knowledge and guidance you have given us in Your Word and in Your son. I realize that the law of good has been written into my heart, but I need to exercise my heart in order for me to be reminded of the good I must do. In providing Your Word and Your son, I am given a chance to understand You and to be guided in a way I could not do on my own. Help me to vigilantly seek out Your Word, to not test You, and always worship You in all that I do. Amen

Daily Alone Time with God |

Chapter of the Week | Proverbs 1

Mon·day | Philippians 4:6-7 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Tues·day | Isaiah 30:21 ²¹And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

Wednes·day | James 3:17 ¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

Thurs·day | 1 Corinthians 10:13 ¹³No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Fri·day | Psalm 32:8 ⁸I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

3 Most Misunderstood Bible Verses on Money by Chris Brown

The Man in the Mirror | Chapters 11 & 12 | Money: A Biblical Point of View & The Four Pillars of Financial Strength | “When you become a faithful steward, God will guide you into an abundant life, and that’s the gospel truth.”
scrip·ture | Luke 12:20-21 ²⁰ But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be? ²¹ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
de·vo·tion | Laura and I have done a good job at living our life under the umbrella of biblical Stewardship, but I still do not feel completely qualified to write a devotional on the subject. A new sermon series, Shape Up, has started at Grace Fellowship, and one of the focus areas is “YOUR FINANCES”. There is also a class starting on January 18^th called Financial Peace University, which is using the Dave Ramsey material as the curriculum. I chose a devotional to share this week that is written by Chris Brown, a pastor who joined the Dave Ramsey team in 2013. I encourage all of you to listen to the Shape Up message, go to Financial Peace University, and enjoy Chris Browns message. Peace – Shua
“Have you ever come across a chapter or verse in the Bible that left you scratching your head? Or maybe you always thought a certain verse meant one thing, only to have your pastor completely blow your mind one Sunday when he explains it in a completely different way! I think we’ve all been there as we’ve grown in our understanding of God’s Word. That’s why it’s so important that we keep digging and learning. The Bible is so full of truth that unpacking it often involves peeling away the layers before we understand what God is really saying.
One Bible subject many of us misunderstand is money. You might be shocked to learn that the Bible even has anything to say about money! Or maybe you’ve heard a money-related verse misquoted so often that you begin misquoting and misunderstanding it yourself.

And that’s why I want to help clear up any confusion about some popular money-related verses. Below are the three I see misinterpreted most often, plus my explanation of what the Bible is really trying to tell us through them.

1.       “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” 1 Timothy 6:10, NIV
Raise your hand if you’ve heard this verse misquoted all the time as saying money is the root of all evil. I have! But it’s just not true. It’s the love of money that gets us in trouble. Our attitude toward money is the problem, not the money itself. Money is morally neutral.
Throughout the Bible, both the impoverished and the wealthy are considered godly. Job very well could have been the wealthiest person in the world during his time, but the Bible is clear that he was a godly man. When he lost everything, God even replaced it twofold! In fact, sometimes those who were materially blessed, like Job, were also blessed by God with the power to carry out His work. God clearly doesn't equate money to evil.

2.       “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Luke 18:24–25, NIV

Many people use this passage to make the wealthy feel guilty for their financial success. I guess that means we should all aim to be poor, right? But did you know the majority of Americans earn an annual salary that puts them in the top 1% of the world’s wealth? According to that misinterpretation, nobody in America earning more than $34,000 a year will enter the kingdom of God. That’s crazy! And it contradicts the very clear teaching that God’s grace is sufficient.

The reality of this verse is that Jesus is calling out a major stumbling block for anyone who thinks they can get to heaven by their own works: their wealth. If we stop reading there, we miss the whole point. But if we continue to verses 26 and 27, we understand: “They who heard it said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ But He said, ‘The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.’”

This passage doesn’t condemn wealth at all. It’s Jesus’s way of letting the crowd know that none of them can get to heaven by their own effort, but by grace alone. And let’s not forget that just a handful of verses later, Zacchaeus, a rich, tax-collecting crook, accepted Christ and inherited the kingdom of God because of the grace of Jesus. God truly does make the impossible possible.

3.       “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12:34, NIV

So often that verse is misquoted backward, but the meaning is still mostly the same. It’s telling us that when we look at our budget and our bank statement, we can see where our heart is. So is the large percentage of our money going toward earthly matters, or is it going to fulfill God’s purposes for it? Our spending (or saving or giving) are all good indicators of whether we’re giving our hearts to God or to material things. The wallet is a great window to the soul.

prayer | LORD, I realize that you continue to provide me with what I need. Help me to look past the selfishness that resides in my heart and to suppress the sorrow I feel when I do not get what I want. I praise You in knowing that Your grace and mercy is enough, yet You want to do so much more for us, Your creation. Guide us in our journey towards Spiritual purity in all aspects of our life. Help us to see all of Your gifts and know that they are more than enough. Amen

Daily Alone Time with God |

Chapter of the Week | Proverbs 18

Mon·day | Luke 12:13-21 ¹³ Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” ¹⁴ But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵ And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” ¹⁶ And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, ¹⁷ and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ ¹⁸ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry,”’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ ²¹ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Tues·day | Deuteronomy 5:21 ²¹ “’And you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s’

Wednes·day | Proverbs 19:17 ¹⁷ Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.

Thurs·day | Mark 7:14-23 ¹⁴ And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: ¹⁵ There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” ¹⁷ And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. ¹⁸ And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, ¹⁹ since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) ²⁰ And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. ²¹ For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, ²²coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. ²³ All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Fri·day | 1 Timothy 6:17-19 ¹⁷ As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. ¹⁸ They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, ¹⁹ thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.