Be still, and know that I am God.   Psalm 46:10

ONE morning while trying to print an important document, I became angry at my computer for freezing up. I shut it down and restarted it, but still the document would not print. I was furious, angrily praying to God for help. Why does this always happen, I thought, when I need to print something important? This document would help others, and I expected the process to go right because I was doing something for God. I became angrier when all efforts to remedy the problem failed.

At lunchtime, I again tried to print the file–but to no avail. Again I became angry. As I was fuming, I realized that the computer and the printer were not the main concern in this situation; the real issue was with my spiritual health. If I were spiritually healthy, I would not have let this situation bother me so much.  I began to see what was lacking in my life–prayer, Bible study, and quiet time with God. I decided to renew my daily 10-minute quiet time with God–just sitting down and being still, as Psalm 46:10 says to do. This practice helps me to be calm in the midst of a chaotic world and my fast-paced part in it. Now during a day when everything goes wrong, I know that if I pause to be still, God can and will quiet me.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is…impartial and sincere.  James 3:17

Christianity can sometimes get a bad rap due to professed Christians being insincere. They say one thing, yet do another. And it results in one of the biggest excuses people have for not going to church: “It’s full of hypocrites.”  The word hypocrite means a play-actor, one who wears a mask. Many people try to convince the world that they are Christ followers only to turn around and take the mask off when they think no one is looking. 

True sincerity, though, is seen when no one is watching. How do you behave behind the scenes when no one you know is watching? Make sure you are sincere in all that you do, even when you think no one is watching—because God always is. And His opinion of you is truly the only one that matters.

Dear Lord, It can be so easy to say one thing and do another. Help me as I go through each day to follow up my words with the right actions and behavior. And help me to be sincere and display a true picture of what it means to follow you. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

The devil can gain a foothold on your life in many ways. One way is through drugs. Sadly, we are seeing a real revival of drug use today. Another way you can open the door to demonic power is through dabbling in occult activities that are so fashionable in many circles. You may think of some of these activities as innocent fun, but even if they only crack the door to demonic activity just a little bit, it can invite disaster. It doesn’t take much.

Now, can demons tempt Christians? Absolutely. Can demons harass us? Without question. Even the great apostle Paul spoke of a demon power that would come and buffet him (see 2 Corinthians 12:7). But God won’t let you face more than you can handle. He always will put His hedge of protection around you.

When Jesus comes into your heart, it isn’t a timeshare plan where He occupies the heart part of the time and the devil part of the time. No, Jesus takes control and He is there to stay.

But if you are not a Christian, if Christ is not living in your heart, you are open game for the devil. Maybe you’re not a drug addict or an occultist. But I will tell you this…you’re still a sinner. Every one has sinned and broken God’s commandments (see Romans 3:23).

Reach out to Jesus now. He is greater than the devil. He will forgive you, transform you, and start you on a life path beyond what you have ever dreamed. Solomon had it right when he declared, “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day” (Proverbs 4:18, NIV).

When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. (Isaiah 59:19)

In Mark 5, the Bible tells us of a man who was possessed by demons, had superhuman strength and was able to break chains with his bare hands. This dangerous and frightening man lived among the tombs and on the mountains.  But underneath this horrendous exterior was a tortured soul. It’s a picture of Satan’s ultimate goal. This is really what the devil wants to do. He wants to destroy your life. Although it’s true that God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life, it’s also true that Satan hates you and has a horrible plan for your life. The devil knows his judgment is certain. He knows that Jesus is indeed coming again. For that reason, he’s pulling out all the stops, redoubling his efforts.

The good news is that although the devil may be feverishly at work 24/7, God isn’t sleeping either!

This story had a very happy ending. Jesus came into this poor, tormented man’s life and made him into an altogether different kind of a person. Jesus cast out the legion of demons, which went into a herd of pigs…and over a cliff into the sea. It was a dramatic transformation for this man.

Jesus can transform your life, too. Let Him lift up a standard against the enemy in your life, today.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate…  James 3:16-17

To fully grasp the concept of being “peace-loving” and “considerate,” it helps to think about the two visible aspects of the cross—a vertical piece, as well as a horizontal piece.  Once we surrender our life to Christ and place our faith in Him, we secure a vertical relationship with God. And because that vertical relationship has been established, we now have the ability and desire to work on our horizontal relationships—those relationships with the people around us. It is because of what Jesus has done in our life that enables us to reach out to others in peace and be considerate of their needs.  To get the most out of this life and the relationships we have, we need to recognize the fact that we are called to be peace-loving and considerate to those around us. So as you go through each day, ask Him to help you keep peace and to be considerate of the needs of the people you come in contact with every day.

Dear God, Thank you for sending Christ to earth to establish a relationship with me. I know that because my relationship with You has been secured, I have the ability to work on my relationships with others in my life. Help me today to be considerate and to find ways to bring peace to the people around me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is…full of mercy and good fruit…  James 3:17

As Christians, our actions reveal to others that we have taken that step of faith to trust Jesus with our eternity. These actions or deeds are what the Bible refers to as “producing fruit.” And when it comes to producing spiritual fruit, we have three options: peels, plastic or produce.  If we have only discarded peels in our lives, then we are hoarding and eating all the fruit ourselves. This is a me-centric way of life—a sad example that some Christian’s portray.  Displaying plastic fruit means that we work hard at putting on a good façade on Sunday’s, yet don’t back it up any other day of the week. Eventually, this kind of living reveals to others another false image of what the Christian life is all about. 

What Jesus calls us to do is to produce healthy, organic, wholesome fruit. We should be nourishing the people around us with the truth of God’s Word and sharing it so others can be fed. This is what identifies us as being a true Christ-follower. 

Dear Lord, Help me to see the situations and circumstances around me where I can share Your fruit with someone and reveal Your love to them. Help me to bring others closer to you. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen.

 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower.  Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it.”  Luke 14:28

So, how are you doing on your New Year’s Resolutions?  If you are like many of us, frustration has set in.  Maybe you are already behind on your read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year plan.  Are the numbers on the scale increasing, rather than decreasing?  Did that goal to reduce television watching stop when American Idol started?  While we love to set goals, and dream of becoming a slimmed down, spiritually mature and more well-read version of ourselves, the living out of those goals is infinitely more challenging. 

That’s because every time we set a goal for ourselves, a more appealing alternative is presented.  Have you noticed this phenomenon?  Just as you decide to diet, someone brings you a plate of brownies they “baked just for you.”  As soon as you decide to get up early and pray, the cold weather makes it much more appealing to stay in bed.  And that decision to stop gossiping gets challenged when some interesting news about your boss finds its way to your inbox.   Every good intention will be met with a challenge at some point.  Without a plan, most of us will abandon those intentions, telling ourselves we knew we couldn’t  _________ (fill in the blank).

 The reason this happens is we overlook the fact that every “yes” we say, requires a “no” to something else.  Without that understanding, we operate outside of how life works, and underestimate the cost of achieving our goals.  Here’s an example of what I mean.  When you say “yes” to reading your Bible every day, you have to say “no” to the morning news or your favorite novel.  If you say “yes” to teaching a small group of women, you’ll say “no” to your favorite Tuesday night tv show, plus free time to prepare.  There will always be a sacrifice of something when we desire to move forward in an area of our lives.  Goals are exciting.  Possibility of change is alluring.  Sacrifice is hard, but worth it in the big picture of our lives.  In fact, it’s the road Jesus called His followers to walk daily.  The resolutions you set at the beginning of the year have great value if they are helping you grow into a more disciplined, mature follower of Christ.  However, if you feel like you’ve reached a plateau, or hit a dead end, perhaps it’s time to evaluate if you’ve said enough “no’s.”   I invite you to remove the “New Year’s” label, and reevaluate the goals you set in January.  Recommit to them and consider what you’ll have to sacrifice to make them happen.  The good news about sacrifice is we serve a Lord who lived it out on our behalf.  When we are frustrated with the cost of achieving our goals, we can always turn to the One who understands. 

Dear Lord, I praise You and thank You for sacrificing Your son, Jesus, so I could live forever with You. In light of that, help me keep my sacrifices in perspective.  I ask for Your strength to fulfill the dreams and goals You have placed in my heart. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

God can work in spite of sickness. He still answers prayer and heals people today, and He still does miracles. In sickness and in hardships, He can work in a person’s life. Even if a person still has the sickness or problem, God can work in spite of it and give them a special strength. And no matter what happens to our physical bodies here on Earth, we have the promise of heaven and ultimate healing in heaven. At that time, God says He will wipe away all our tears. There will be no more death, sorrows, crying, or pain (see Revelation 21:4).

What a glorious promise! There is more—so much more!—beyond this life on Earth. Whatever our limitations, whatever our problems, God promises us that we will one day receive a new body that will not have the shortcomings we experience today.

And God can also use sickness to bring a person to Himself, can’t He? I know of many people who have come to the Lord in the hospital or when facing death. Suddenly they reevaluate their lives. They wonder, What am I living for? What’s really important in my life? What’s going to happen to me when I die? And they begin to think about eternity.   As the psalmist says, “Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep Your word” (Psalm 119:67). God can work in spite of sickness, and He can work through sickness. Nothing is impossible for Him.

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. (Hebrews 4:12)

I have always felt that when I did preach, I should generously quote Scripture, because I believe there is authority in the Bible. There isn’t authority in the words of bruce  Rice, unless Bruce is quoting the Bible. My authority comes from God’s Word. So I quote it.

People may not like what I’m saying. It may really bother them. But I have heard story after story of people who made a decision for Christ a week, even a month, after it;s conclusion.   A seed was planted. Then it germinated and eventually became fruitful… even though it was a little later than anyone thought it would. God’s Word will not return without accomplishing its purpose, so don’t be afraid to quote it.

As young Stephen was about to lose his life, the devil could have whispered in his ear, “Look at you. You gave up your life up for nothing.” But a little seed had been planted. And unknown to Saul of Tarsus, it was about to bear fruit.  Here were two young men, both standing up for their convictions. One was very religious. One was genuinely spiritual. Stephen was humble, saved by the grace of God. Saul was self-righteous, proud of his works and deeds. Stephen was defending the gospel, while Saul was persecuting it. But Saul ultimately carried out Stephen’s task. He ended up taking his place and carrying the torch that Stephen once did.

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.   1 Peter 3:15

When I was a new Christian I wanted to base my faith on facts, not on feelings. So I became equipped with knowledge of the scriptures, prophecy, and scientific evidence to support truth of the Bible’s content. I was so excited by the truths I learned that I wanted to tell the whole world, especially my family and friends. But over the last 20 years, God has taught me something equally significant to being able to build a case for Christ. That is, God calls us to be bearers of the truth, not enforcers of the faith.

I made this discovery when a friend kindly sent me a letter in which she wrote, “I would appreciate it if you would respect my beliefs.” Humbled and thankful that she loved me enough to try to preserve our friendship, I realized my responsibility is to be an instrument of the Holy Spirit–not a know it all.  Over time, I have become more sensitive to how others receive what I so desperately want to share. Now I try to sense when I’ve said enough and leave the rest up to the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth” (1 Cor. 3:6). Rather than risk offending by saying too much, when I share my faith with someone, I breathe a prayer instead.