Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)

In 1948, General Omar Bradley made a statement with a prophetic ring to it: “We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount…. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants.”

What an accurate description of our times right now. Today, with all our technology, we have simply discovered new ways to kill one another and to eradicate what God has done. Despite our sophisticated technologies and amazing abilities, we have made no progress in solving our basic human problems. That’s because the world is upside down.

While the early church turned their world upside down, it seems today that the world is turning the church upside down. The early church consisted of a relatively small group of Christians. Their numbers weren’t large like ours today. They didn’t have the technology like we have today to get the Word out. Yet they made a dramatic difference wherever they went.

Today, even with so many naming the name of Christ, our impact on the world seems to be smaller than ever. And that’s my point. Christians are allowing secular attitudes to find their way into the church and into their lives. It seems like our culture is affecting us more than we are affecting our culture.

The world needs to see a genuine man or woman of God living the Christian life. They need to see the real thing. In short, they need to see you. God can use you. Maybe you’re not a preacher, but you can proclaim the gospel message through your life and through your words. You can turn your world upside down.

So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

It’s hard to explain when someone’s life has been cut short, dying at a relatively young age. We expected that person to live a much longer life. But who is to say that it wasn’t his or her appointed time to go? Who is to say that it wasn’t the exact length of life that God had preordained for that man or woman from the very beginning?

That is why we want to make every day count. To paraphrase the words of Moses in Psalm 90:12, “Lord, help us to realize our lives can end on any day, so please show me how to use each day wisely.”

We don’t know when our day will come. When God calls you home, you’re going home! You can live on vitamin C, zinc, and Echinacea. You can drink green tea, eat tofu, and avoid all the toxins you can, but when your number is up, your number is up.

On the other hand, you will be around until God is done with you. You won’t go before your time. You may or may not be the healthiest person, but you will live to the time that God has appointed for you…and worrying about it won’t extend your life for one moment.

At the same time, however, we are not to take foolish risks and “put the Lord to the test.”

We can be assured that we are here until God is done with us. As the apostle Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians. 1:21). So let’s make the most of the lives God has given us. Missionary Jim Elliot once wrote: “Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.”

“Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!” (Luke 15:6)

The devil was trying to stop Jesus and the disciples from reaching a poor tortured soul, a demon-possessed man who was living among tombstones (Mark 4:3-5:20). Jesus said to the disciples, “Let us cross over to the other side.” So they boarded their little boat and began to make their way across the Sea of Galilee. Suddenly a storm arose and the waves beat the boat so that even these seasoned sailors thought they were going to drown.

But Jesus would not be stopped. He explained why in the Gospel of Luke, saying:

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’” (Luke 15:4-6)

The devil is always on duty. Ever watchful, he doesn’t rest day or night. He wants to destroy you and make your life miserable. This tormented man on the other side of the lake was the lost sheep Jesus was after, and he wasn’t going to let high water stop Him from His intended goal.

Satan tried to stop Jesus, but he failed. He always will.

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.   Ephesians 4:32

Some members of my church have expressed opposition to a new policy. To me, their complaints show spiritual immaturity and appear to neglect important spiritual principles. Although I refrained from speaking angry words in order to avoid conflict, my thoughts about the issue still contained much anger. I felt justified in my feelings because in my view it was righteous and godly anger.

This issue led me to recall Jesus driving out the moneychangers who were using the temple for inappropriate purposes. (See Mark 11:15-19.) Often I would have identified myself with Jesus and his righteous anger. But this time God led me to consider how often I have been less than worshipful in church or how I have served for selfish reasons rather than godly ones. As I thought about my own motives, I realized that even though I may have reason to be angry at these church members, I am not to judge them; I have been in their position often enough to know that I cannot. Instead of harboring angry thoughts, I decided to pray for strength and wisdom for our church leaders, that they may resolve the dispute peacefully and harmoniously.

Dear Father, give us a forgiving heart, and help us remember that you ask us not to judge others. May we proclaim peace and unity, in our pews as well as in the streets. Amen.

“He who is not with Me is against Me.” Luke 11:23

After Jesus cast the demons out of the man who lived among the tombs, they went into a herd of pigs and ran over a cliff. When the people saw that, instead of rejoicing that their neighbor was saved, “they began to plead with Him to depart from their region” (Mark 5:17).

That really sums up the reaction of all humankind to Jesus Christ. You’re either saying, “Jesus, I want to be close to You,” or you’re saying, “Jesus, go away. I don’t want You in my life.”

You might protest, “Now wait a second. I admit that I haven’t yet made a commitment to Christ. I’m simply saying I haven’t decided yet.” But if you don’t say yes to Jesus, you are essentially telling Him to go away. Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me” (Luke 11:23). Either you have faith and trust in Christ or you have unbelief. There is no other option.

Have you said, “Away with Him?” You say, “What do you mean, away with Him? I have never said, ‘Jesus, go away.’” Maybe you have, indirectly. Maybe you resisted God’s work in your heart. Maybe you don’t want to give up some things in your life that you know are wrong. Or maybe you’re just too busy—you have time for everything but Jesus.

It really boils down to this: what have you done with Jesus? What are you going to say right now? “Away with Jesus”? Or are you going to ask Him to become a part—the very center—of your life? He offers you His forgiveness. Take it. The choice is yours. Don’t put it off.

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (1 John 5:14)

In a broad sense, we should pray about everything. But there are certain things we don’t need to pray about. For example, if someone were to say, “Greg, I’m praying about robbing a bank. Would you pray with me?” I will pray for that person, but I won’t pray that God will bless their efforts. Why? Because the Bible says, “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15). We don’t need to pray about that.

Yet there are certain things God tells us we can pray for. He tells us we can pray for wisdom: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

We can pray for His provision. Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

We can pray for protection. Psalm 91:5-7 says, “You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.”

The key to effective prayer is getting our will in alignment with God’s will, as the verse at the top of today’s devotional explains.

Nothing lies outside the reach of prayer except that which lies outside of the will of God.

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.