[The criminal] said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”   Luke 23:42-43

I will never forget my first five minutes of prison ministry. I walked into the unit with a ministry team; the big iron gate swung closed behind us; and I thought, Lord, what have I done? In the prison’s maximum-security unit were people who had been convicted of some very bad crimes. But were they beyond hope? Would there be no place for them in heaven?

Before becoming involved in this ministry, I thought people who had committed serious crimes should be locked up forever. However, the more I went to visit and the better I got to know them, the more they resembled people from the Bible: David committed adultery, Moses committed murder; Rahab was involved in prostitution; Peter who, had he been under oath, would have committed perjury. The Bible is filled with stories of people who made serious mistakes. Yet in the end they found favor with God because God gives second chances. The first person Jesus promised heaven was a criminal. What does that say to us?

Loving God, help us to remember that you gave your son to die for all sins. Keep us from judging people, even those behind bars, and remind us what we have done that you have forgiven. Amen.

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom.  James 2:12

If you are a Christian, how do other people know? If you boil it down, what evidence shows others that you have accepted Christ as your Savior? It all comes down to actions, how you behave and treat others.  We are saved because of our profession of faith in God and what his Son, Jesus, did for us on the cross. We do not receive our salvation because of good behavior. But our faith should be evident in the things that we do. In other words, our talk and our walk have to be in sync.  No matter who we are dealing with at the time, God expects us to reveal Christ to others. The greatest way to do that is through our actions. God wants us to speak and act in ways that reflect his mercy, his grace and his forgiveness. 

As you go through each day, look for ways to mirror the compassion of God. Exhibit kindness in everything you do and say. And readily offer forgiveness to those who have hurt you. Treat everyone as Christ has treated you, and you will discover the life-change that comes from being “judged by the law that gives freedom.”

Dear God, As I go through life, help me to treat other people the way that you have treated me—with love, mercy and forgiveness. And help me to reveal Jesus to every person I meet through my words and actions. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.  Ephesians 4:26

So often we equate anger with sin. And as we look at this verse, we might assume that Paul is telling us to avoid sin. But anger itself is not sin. Righteous anger, in fact, has a place in the Christian life.  The key is not allowing your anger to cross the line. Keep your anger on the right side of the fence by not allowing yourself to gossip about the situation you’re angry about. Stop talking about it to everyone except the person you are angry with. Also make sure you don’t obsess about it in your mind. It’s so easy for anger to take root in our hearts and fester, causing more damage than the initial act that made us angry in the first place. 

Follow the advice from the Scripture and do not let the sun go down on your anger. Speak with the person or people involved and rationally talk it out. Even if you can’t find common ground, it is better to amicably agree to disagree, than to let the evil one use your anger to damage a relationship that could be used by God.

Dear God, I know that there will be times in life when I am talking with someone I completely disagree with. During those times, help me to remain calm. And if I do become angry, help me to not hold on to that anger but instead resolve it as quickly as possible, so that I can continue to bring honor to you in all that I do. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen.

The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”  John 1:29

Imagine an annual religious ritual where two goats were used to cleanse the people of their sins. One goat was ceremonially sacrificed with its blood offered for the sins of the people, while the other goat had to bear the sins of the entire nation before being released into the wild. This may sound like a scene from a Discovery Channel special, but this is actually right out of the Old Testament book of Leviticus.  God’s people had sinned against him greatly, and the only way they could be forgiven of their sins was through the sacrifice of innocent animals. But the problem with this ritual was that the results were only temporary. Every year there would be new sins requiring new sacrifices from new animals. The process of covering the people’s sins was exhausting. But God had another plan in mind.  God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to be the sacraficial lamb for his people. Jesus wasn’t sent to be a temporary sacrifice to provide relief from the consequences of sin. He was sent to be the final sacrifice for everyone’s sins—past, present and future. His death is the final payment for all who believe in him. 

But even though Jesus paid the price, there are some who still rely on rituals to save them. Some even try to earn forgiveness by doing enough good deeds. But none of these works will earn forgiveness from a holy God. Only the sacrifice of Christ can. Don’t rely on your own sacrifices to cleanse your sins. Instead, look to the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”

Lord, I want to take this time to confess my sins to you. I have done some things that are not pleasing in your sight. But I thank you for sending your son to be the ultimate sacrifice for my sins. Because of his death, I can experience permanent forgiveness and experience eternal life with you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.  Genesis 3:21 

We have all felt it—that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach when you realize a great plan wasn’t so great after all. It’s when you recognize your approach was wrong from the start. It happens when you discover you have stumbled into the wrong place and you cannot find a way out. 

That must have been the feeling Adam and Eve had right after they ate the forbidden fruit. They thought they had a brilliant cover-up plan. They realized they were naked, so they attempted to sew fig leaves together as a solution. And as you can imagine, fig leaves didn’t do a great job of covering their naked bodies.  We’ve all had times when we made a situation worse by trying to fix it ourselves. When our brilliant ideas fall short, it is a great opportunity to look to God for strength and wisdom. God’s plan is always the best plan—even when we’re too proud to ask for his help.  When Adam and Eve realized the inadequacy of their fig leaves, they accepted the greatness of God’s garments. God’s covering was far more sufficient for them. So if you are dealing with the consequences of a plan gone bad, it’s time to look to God for his solution instead of trying to cover things on your own. 

Lord, today I expose the depths of my heart to you and ask that you forgive me for my sins. I am tired of covering up with the fig leaves of shame and guilt. I ask that you cover me with the garments of your greatness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.   Genesis 3:6-7

There may be something in your life right now that seems pleasing and desirable, yet is forbidden. What is your forbidden fruit? Is it the temptation to lie in an attempt to save yourself? Is it the temptation to get in on a juicy piece of gossip? Is it the adrenaline rush from giving full vent to your anger? Is it a relationship with a person other than your spouse? 

No matter who you are or what you do, we all experience those forbidden fruit temptations. Giving in could bring a feeling of fulfillment, enjoyment or great satisfaction. But it won’t last. The problem with sin is that it overpromises and under-delivers each and every time.  But God designed a way for you and me to find lasting fulfillment. In John 10:10, Jesus tells us that he came so we could enjoy a full life. God’s plan is designed to fill us. And we can find that true satisfaction by turning away from our forbidden fruit and embracing the Bread of Life, God’s Word. 

Lord, I confess my forbidden fruit to you right now. I know that the things of this world can never fulfill me as much as you can. Sin has left me empty and caused me to be far away from you. Today, I embrace your plan for my life and invite you to fill my heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

What does it matter? The important thing is that … whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached.  Philippians 1:18

One night years ago while I was on a Scouting wilderness camp, raccoons tore into a bag of trash I neglected to hang up. I rose early to find a mess. I pondered three simple thoughts. First, This is what raccoons do. Second, They really didn’t hurt me. Third, Next time, I’ll tie my trash up higher!

God led me to write about the “raccoons” in my life, the people who seem to go through my “trash” — my weaknesses, scars, and unresolved pain — making a mess and causing me problems. One by one, I prayed for and about them, remembering the three thoughts above.   In Phillipians, Paul spoke of those who “preached Christ out of selfish ambition, … supposing they could stir up trouble” for him. But Paul had learned to let go of anger at people like this. He said, “What does it matter?” 

Some people seem to rummage through our weaknesses, trying to “stir up trouble.” But anger, retaliation, and distress are unnecessary. As Jesus told his disciples, we can be “wise as serpents” and “harmless as doves” (Matt. 10:16). All of us, even troublemakers, are welcome at God’s table. 

Lord, help us to face life’s troublemakers with confidence in your power. In Christ’s name. Amen.

The Sovereign LORD says, “I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”  Ezekiel 11:19

While watching a television documentary, I learned that heart rhythm problems in some cases can be caused by dead heart cells. Heart cells can die from internal as well as external causes. The dead cells do not conduct electrical impulses along the correct, predetermined path.

Likewise, the spiritual heart can be impaired. If we allow it, over time emotional injuries and personal offenses can harden our spiritual heart. The callous remarks we sometimes make to others can hurt them and cause them to harden their hearts as well. A hardened heart is spiritually impaired and doesn’t work as it was designed to. Jesus implied that a hardened heart impedes faith, discernment, and understanding.  As far as I know, dead cells in a physical heart cannot be revived. But this is not true for our spiritual heart. God’s grace creates in us a clean, new, and perfect heart when we recognize our need and call on the Lord.

He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”  Genesis 3:10-13

There are very few things like the heat of having to answer for something you did wrong. The moments leading to your confession can be excruciating and filled with anxiety. And in those confrontational situations, something begins to happen whether you want it to or not: you start wondering who you can blame.  God saw everything Adam and Eve did. He questioned them to see if they would tell the truth. But they chose to play the blame game. Instead of facing the difficult reality of their own faults, they shifted the blame from one person to the next. 

If you find yourself face-to-face with the flames of accountability, you will probably be tempted to look out for number one. But you’ve got to check your motives. Be honest with yourself and others. And let God lead you to the freedom and growth of overcoming the tendency to play the blame game.

Lord, sometimes it’s hard to be honest when I am faced with confrontational situations. But I know that shifting the blame to others does nothing but reveal my own selfish desire to escape the heat. Help me to practice honesty in every situation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Hebrews 4:15-16

It is human nature for us to gravitate toward people we can relate to. Think about most of your friends. You all share the same perspective on life and can identify with each other’s experiences. Whether it’s connecting with the depths of our pain or celebrating in our successes, we value the ability of others to understand what we are going through.

But no matter how great our friends are, they may not always be available when we need them. And sometimes, even with our closest friends, we still tend to hold back because we’re not sure if we can trust them with everything. We’re afraid of being judged or think that if we confess a sin, they’ll think less of us. But there is one person who we can always count on. Jesus is our most trustworthy friend. From our darkest secrets to our mountain-top experiences, we can share it all with him.

Christ’s time spent on earth allows us to share a deep connection with him. He understands our battles with temptation as well as our frustrations with isolation. We don’t have to deal with the issues of life alone because Jesus is able to sympathize and empathize with our weaknesses.

Don’t get flustered about your flaws or hammered about your hang-ups. Once we confess our struggles to Jesus, he will unload his strength and grace in our lives. Our all-access connection with him gives us the confidence we need to know that we can depend on him. Whenever we need him—he is there!

Lord, I am so thankful that you fully understand the struggles that I deal with in life. I place all of my sins at your feet knowing that I have total access to your grace. Help me to accept your forgiveness and live in confidence—because through my weaknesses, you are strong. In Jesus’ name, Amen.