19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to thosewho are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. 1 Cor 9:19-23 (NKJV)
The book of Leviticus declares that the people of God are not to tattoo their bodies. How clear is this command? "You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord." Lev 19:28 (NKJV) (Before I offend anyone, let me say that this devotional is not about tattoos) Here is the point that I am trying to make. I have a friend who has been called to preach the gospel message to bikers. I'm talking about hardcore bikers. To reach this particular group, he has big, colorful, Christian-message tattoos covering a good portion of his arms. One could make the case that he is literally living out the Apostle Paul's words of "becoming all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."
Not being under the ceremonial Levitical laws, I would not say that I have an issue with tattoos, other than being deathly afraid of needles, or even more afraid of being stuck with some really tacky meaningless art on my body that I end up regretting later. On the other hand, what would I be willing to do to reach a group of people that God called me to reach? Would I be willing to move to a remote part of Africa? Would I be willing to learn a different language--study up on my Apologetics--serve in a soup kitchen--share my testimony with strangers? What price am I willing to pay to save some?
Paul's "whatever-it-takes" attitude made him a very effective evangelist-missionary. He paid a tremendous price to "save some." We are talking being arrested, whipped, beaten, stoned, imprisoned, ship-wrecked, persecuted, and eventually paying the ultimate price of being a martyr. Paul had a personal conviction concerning the sharing of the gospel. In the church today, we often teach people techniques of how to engage the "lost" in personal evangelism. Techniques and methodologies are fine and helpful, but they are no substitute for a personal conviction. The most effective personal evangelism that I have ever observed comes from people who have the personal conviction that they need to win the lost, and they invariably become all things to all men, that they might by all means save some.
Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, continue to break my heart for those that are lost and dying without You. May I not become complacent or withdraw from the mission to tell people about You. You have made all the difference in my life and I know that You can do the same for them. Use me--use my voice--use my intellect--use my talents--use my gifts--use my testimony and life to save some. May this become a conviction and a passion in my life! Amen"
10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel. 11 And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord: "For He is good, For His mercy endures forever toward Israel." Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 12 But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers' houses, old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy, 13 so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off. Ezra 3:10-13 (NKJV)
The Book of Ezra is all about new beginnings. The children of Israel were coming back to their homeland after their long exile in Babylon. It was a new beginning to establish their nation and a new opportunity to serve God. For every Hebrew that it made it back home, there were hundreds, if not thousands that never made it back to the Promised Land. But, for those that made it, they recognized that God made their return possible.
They declared, "For He is good, for His mercy endures forever!" One of the first reconstruction projects in Jerusalem was to rebuild the temple of the Lord, which had been destroyed by the Babylonians. The builders, with the whole nation assembled and accompanied by the fanfare of trumpets, cymbals, shouts of praise and singing, laid the foundation for the new temple. There was a strange mix of bitter-sweet sounds that burst forth from the vast crowd. There was both weeping and shouts of joy.
When a life is turned around and given a new opportunity to begin with a clean slate, it stirs the emotions of our heart. Like a family greeting a prodigal son, we find ourselves running alongside the Father, bursting with hope as we spot the lost sheep returning home. As the prodigal returns--the angels of heaven rejoice--the Father wraps His arms of mercy around them--and we stand in awe with weeping and joy as we witness the grace of God in action. No wonder we call God's grace "amazing!"
Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, You are good and Your mercy indeed endures forever. Your patience is beyond human understanding, because You continually give to us--sinner all--prodigals all--the opportunity to start again. Thank you for Your love and for looking beyond all that is wrong with me and seeing the possibilities that You bring about through Your transforming work in my life. I will forever be grateful! Amen"
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." 25 "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."26 Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here." Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. Dan 3:19, 24-26 (NKJV)
Nebuchadnezzar made good on his threat and threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego into a fiery furnace. The three Hebrew teens had taken a stand and were now living with the consequences of that decision. Make no mistake about it, nonconformity comes at a price, and the outcome of taking a stand may not always what we might wish for. That said, I believe that when I take a stand, God is standing with me. In the words of Job,"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."
In the case of the three Hebrew teens, God directly intervened. There in the midst of a fiery furnace (that was so hot that it killed the guards that tossed the teens in) a fourth person joined them. This being looked like the Son of God and all four of the persons in the furnace were not harmed by the heat nor the flames. King Nebuchadnezzar really had no choice, but to recognize that he was witnessing a miracle. He called out, "Servants of the Most High God, come out..."
What can we learn from this story? That in the toughest moments of life--God is with us! That we need to stand by our principles--stand on the Word of God--and stand for what is right, regardless of the consequences. That God's power is often released when we put our faith in Him and step out on the basis of that faith. Last, but not least, we cannot make compromises with evil. We need to fight the good fight and have the courage to defy the enemy.
Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, I know that I have often found myself living a lifestyle of compromises. And often, I was completely unaware of the compromises that I had made to fit-in and to be anonymous. But, I would ask that You would give me the courage to stand when others are bowing down. May I be faithful and truth--an enemy of all that is evil. With Your help, wisdom and strength, I intend to stand for You. Amen"
Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?" 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." Dan 3:14-18 (NKJV)
While it is true that teens are susceptible to the pressure of conformity, it is equally true, that if convinced that a cause is just, they are willing to put everything at risk in its defense. That was the case with Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego; when everyone else was bowing down and caving in to the intense pressure, they refused to capitulate. They were brought before the King, and he carefully explained what was expected of them and then further explained what would happen to them if they did not comply.
With the whole Babylonian crowd bowing down to Nebuchadnezzar's Golden Statue, the three Hebrew teens literally "stood out" from everyone else. The King could not let such nonconformity go unchallenged. This is similar to the culture that surrounds us today. Under the guise of Political Correctness there is pressure to accept concepts and practices that are considered evil by Biblical Standards. We have a choice to make. Either we bow down or we stand.
The real concern is this: "What will happen to us if we stand up for what we believe?" Will Pastors be charged with hate crimes for preaching the Bible? Will churches lose their tax exempt status? Will there be state-sanctioned hate crimes committed against Believers? Will the American Church face real persecution? All of these things are possibilities. The King's threat to the three Hebrew teens was real--but, it did not matter to them. They boldly met the Babylonian Political Correctness with the following statement: "We have no need to answer you in this matter...let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up!" This historic moment of nonconformity was pulled off by three teens who decided to put it all on the line.
Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, we live in a day and age where the threat of persecution looms large and is growing. Everything is at risk, including life itself. I am concerned for the well-being of my children and grandchildren...concerned that they only have two choices available; to bow down and sell their spiritual heritage for a pot of beans, or to stand for You and be the object of persecution. Please give us Your wisdom in this challenging time, and give us the courage to stand for You. Amen"
Then a herald cried aloud: "To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; 6 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace." Dan 3:4-6 (NKJV)
I think that it is safe to say that most people bow down before the dictates of the culture without giving it a second thought. We indulge and consume what the culture skillfully lays before us before considering the implications of what we are participating in. Like frogs in the kettle we are slowly lulled into a false sense of security never realizing that we are being cooked by the values of a culture headed in the wrong direction.
Young minds are the most susceptible to the pressure of conformity, and many Christian parents were not aware of the real dangers and the full impact of the cultural influence on their children until their children were in full-blown rebellion. The real challenge for Christian parents is this: How can you effectively pass your faith and values down to your children without being sabotaged by the influence of world that surrounds them?
There are probably two actions that Christian parents will need to consider: Firstly, we must limit the exposure of our children to those things that pose danger to them. Having a "whatever-it-takes" mentality in eliminating unwanted influences. Secondly, we must be much more pro-active in exposing them to a list of influences and experiences that are good, pure, right, positive, spiritual, productive and meaningful. (We cannot send our children to public schools, take them to church a couple of times a week and assume that they will be "OK." It will demand more time, energy, interaction and discernment than that!) Ultimately, we want to raise children who take a stand when the music of the culture begins to play, who absolutely refuse to bend or bow. May the Lord help us and guide in raising children who are unwilling to be "Conformed to the pattern of this world."
Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, please hear my prayer for the generation of children that are in the church today. Give us the wisdom so that we know how to effectively raise them up to be followers of Christ; and give us the courage to stand against the cultural influences that we know to be detrimental to their walk with You. We desire our children and grandchildren to be a part of a mighty revival that sweeps around the world. We want them to a spiritual salt that challenges and changes the culture! Amen"
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. Col 1:13-18 (NKJV)
Preeminence is not a word that we commonly use. (Just think about it--how would you use "preeminence" and McDonald's in the same sentence?) Preeminence can be defined as: Something that stands out from among the rest--Number One--Something of great importance--The highest. The Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus is the image of the invisible God and that He has preeminence over all of creation.
As we walk and sometimes stumble through life, we often forget who is standing with us. Life seems hard and cruel--circumstances seem to work against us--times seem to be growing more evil and dark; and we are filled with the unwanted feelings of fear, worry, stress and despair. Time to remind you that the One who lives in you is preeminent over all things--even the worst of what life is firing at you. There simply is no greater power in this universe than the power of our Lord!
God has delivered us from the power of darkness and has conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son. What does this mean? It means that, "No weapon formed against you will prosper." It means that even when, "You walk through the valley of the shadow of death, there will be no reason to fear evil." It means that, "The one living in you is greater than all the forces that are arrayed against you." Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords--He has been given a name above all other names--and He has preeminence over all that is and is the substance of the things that we hope for.
Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, You do all things well! You have proven to be worthy of my trust. You have been the source of my hope. You have been consistent in forgiving me and restoring even though I have been unfaithful. I take great comfort in two facts: Your love is greater than my sin, and Your power is greater than the power of my enemy. Blessed be the name of the Lord! Amen"
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. Col 1:9-12 (NKJV)
I have a list of people that I pray for on a regular basis. The list is so important that I do not write the names down. Let me explain--these people are so precious to me that there is never a day that passes where they are not predominate in both my thoughts and prayers. I think of my wife--my children--my grandchildren--my extended family--my church family--and my close friends...no doubt about it, they are always on my heart and love inserts them into the middle of my prayer life.
When I pray for the people that I love, what do I hope for in their lives? Prosperity, fame and power? No doubt, I want the people I love to do well in this life, but prosperity, fame and power are not very high on my list. I have watched too many "Mouseketeers" flame-out, because they could not handle their own overgrown egos caused by too much, too soon. So, what do I want for the people that are close to my heart? When praying for the Colossians, the Apostle Paul prayed that they would be filled with the knowledge of God's will, wisdom and spiritual understanding.
What chance do my grandchildren have making their way through the challenges of this world in one piece apart from God's grace? I have lived long enough and observed enough human behavior to conclude that I'm going to make Paul's prayer for the Colossians the prayer that I will be praying for my grandchildren. I can not think of a better prayer or a better gift than to be filled with God's wisdom, spiritual understanding and to be walking in the center of God's will. As they embrace these precious gifts of God's grace, I already know that an abundant life in Christ awaits them...and ultimately, they will "Be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light." Paul's poetic way of saying, "Eternal life is waiting!"
Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, I already know that You love my family and friends; and I am persuaded to place them into Your tender care and mercy. I pray that You would be the treasure in the hearts of my children and grandchildren. May You--and You alone be their first love. Fill them with the knowledge of Your will--fill them with Your wisdom--and fill them with a deep spiritual understanding by Your Spirit. Thank you for Your amazing faithfulness and blessings! Amen"
