Daily Devotion Time: Psalm 101:3

Psalm 101:3 is a powerful verse of scripture. It reads, "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me."

Most people focus in on the first part of the verse... "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes." Obviously, this teaches us that we should be careful what forms of entertainment we choose... what we watch on TV, what we listen to on the radio, and what we view on the Internet. To set a wicked thing before our eyes is to take pleasure in it... and God regards pleasure in sin as being just as sinful as the sin itself (Romans 1:32).

As a child of God, a Christian, a Believer, one who has been Born Again, who is indwelt with the Holy Spirit, and is a new Creature in Christ... all of which a person becomes at the point of repentance of sin and trust in Jesus as Savior... we have a new nature. Sure, we still struggle with sin, but our new nature is one that is in line with God, and not our flesh. Therefore, when we sin, or when we take pleasure in sin, we are convicted by the Holy Spirit. We can't be comfortable in sinful situations.

Therefore, we don't set wicked things before our eyes because they no longer give us pleasure. It may seem fun at first, but then comes the conviction and guilt. Psalm 101:3 says "I hate the work of them that turn aside." Sin upsets us, because we see the consequences of it, and we see the eternal ramifications of it. It upsets us that people would choose to go that direction.

But the most profound part of this verse is the last part, "It shall not cleave to me." So far, you may have read this post and thought, "but I am still tempted, I still sin, and though I feel guilty and turn to the Lord for forgiveness, I sin again." If you thought that, you have a Romans 7 issue. But the key phrase to Psalm 101:3 is that sin "won't cleave to me."

I stumble. I fall. But I don't stay down. I confess my sins before God, and 1 John says He is faithful and just to forgive my sins. Sin happens in my life, but sin is not my lifestyle. It can't be. It runs contrary to my new nature.

Do you live in a sinful lifestyle? Are you comfortable there? If the answer is yes to both questions, then you may not have the new nature. You may not be saved. Repent of your sin and trust Jesus Christ as your personal savior. If you are in a sinful lifestyle, but are uncomfortable, repent of the sin and turn to the Lord.

Sin and virtue can not co-exist. Unrepented sin is not part of living for God. Be not deceived. God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man sows, he reaps.

May God bless you as your continue your spiritual journey.

Daily Devotional Time: Philippians 1

How do you feel about your brothers and sisters in Christ? Do you love them? Long to be with them? Or can you not get away from the church quickly enough on Sunday? The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 1:3-7

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.

Every time Paul thought of the believers at Philippi, he thanked God. He also prayed for them every time, making requests for them, and being thankful for their fellowship in the Gospel.

As brothers and sisters in Christ, we have a common experience. We were lost, dying and going to Hell for our sins, until an evangelist, preacher, friend, family member or neighbor shared the Gospel with us. Upon hearing how Christ died for our sins, taking our punishment, and rose again to give us eternal life, we repented of our sins and trusted Him for salvation. That saving experience liberated us from the shame of sin and guilt, and gave us a whole new lease on life.

At that time, God began a perfect work in us... redeeming us from the sin that entraps us, and teaching us how to overcome the wiles of the devil. Through His word, the Lord has built our faith, and helped us to live our lives for Him. The longer we live under His grace, the more we grow to be like Him. Paul wrote that God will continue this work until the day that we are reunited with Christ.

As Christians, we all share this common experience. It unites us as believers. It makes for some very good fellowship time.

To my brothers and sisters in Christ, it is a pleasure to fellowship with you, and an honor pray for you every day. I hope you enjoy the fellowship as well. May God bless you, wherever you are.

The Journey Through the Bible Will Continue... As Soon As I Learn to Walk

In studying Genesis for the "Journey through the Bible" YouTube series, I came across Genesis 5:22, 24, which talked about how Enoch walked with God. So, I did a word study on walking with God and learned that it means to walk with and commune with... so, Enoch walked and communed with God.

Have you ever taken on an exercise program where you and a friend would walk together? Along with the walking, you probably enjoyed some good conversations. That is what Enoch did with God. He communed with God. He talked to God. God talked to Him. In spending time with God, he grew close to the LORD, and became a spiritual giant in his day.

At this point in my study, I did some introspection. I discovered that I was not walking with God as I should. If I am going to preach a message to the world via YouTube, I ought to be practicing what I preach. So, I have been "Walking with God," meaning that I have been spending more time in prayer, and more time studying His Word (outside of my sermon preparations.)

Now don't misunderstand me. I have been a man of prayer, and a man of God's Word up until now, but I had not spent much time with the Lord lately. I've prayed for others. I've spent hours preparing sermons and lessons. But I have not spent much time praying for myself, nor had I spent much time just learning from God's Word for my own benefit. Think of me as the older brother in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. I was out in the field working, doing what my Father wanted, but I wasn't spending time with Him.

So, now that I am correcting this issue, I expect that a "Walking with God" vlog will appear on my YouTube page in the near future.

The awesome thing about the "Journey through the Bible" is that we grow and change as we study God's Word. For me, changes began happening at Chapter 5. How about you?

To catch up on the Journey, click here.

Daily Devotional Time: Philippians 4

My daily time with God, today, involved a 1-mile prayer walk at Riverside Park, and reading Philippians 4, where three verses caught my attention...

Philippians 4:11-13 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

I have worked myself silly, and worried myself sick making sure that I was able to provide a certain lifestyle for my family. Through the course of things, problems arise, bills come in, bank balances run low, and things break. When those things happen, it can be easy to become disgruntled, stressed out, and wonder why things always happen to us. (To quote Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh, "Oh why does it always have to be me?!!!")

When problems arise, it's important to look at the big picture. In Matthew 6, The Lord made two promises, (1) to feed me and (2) to clothe me. Anything beyond that is gravy.

Not only has God kept His promises of feeding me, and clothing me, but He has also thrown in a good variety of food, a nice home, and a beautiful family to boot. Did I mention that God has blessed me with an awesome way to make a living... serving as the missionary pastor of Grace Pointe Missionary Baptist Church, and as news director for KOXE 101.3 in Brownwood, Texas. On my worst day, I should be praising God for the blessings in my life. Whatsoever state I am in, therewith I should be content.

What if the bottom falls out? What if I lose one of my jobs, can no longer pay my mortgage, lose my home and struggle financially? This passage tells me that God has given me the power to endure hard times, and I should praise Him anyway.

Paul said in verse 12 that he is instructed to abound and to be abased. To both be full and to be hungry. The lesson I took from this today is that God wants us to be thankful for what He has done for us. In all things, we are to be full, or content. However, at the same time, we are to be hungry... that is, we are to be motivated to continue to work for the Lord. We work when we are hungry, and we shape up when we want God's favor. These verses tell me that we should stay in that state of mind, ready to work and serve the Lord. Though God has made us full, we should continue to work as if we are hungry.

Then verse 13 concludes the thought... that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. This verse, taken in context, means that we can endure all things. We can enjoy the good times, endure the bad times, and stick it through until the end.

God is great, all the time, and He has blessed us beyond all measure. Let's continue to praise Him and serve Him as He provides opportunity.

The Journey: Genesis 4:17-24

Genesis 4:17-24 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech. 19 And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20 And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah. 23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. 24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

It's tempting to skip over genealogy passages when reading the Bible. Oftentimes, however, interesting nuggets of truth are contained between the lines of genealogical passages. In Genesis 4:17-24, we not only have the genealogy of Cain's descendents, but we have the record of the rise of an unGodly civilization.

Contrary to popular belief, Cain didn't move to Africa and live in poverty. He moved to Nod, which is east of Eden, in modern day Iraq or Iran. He then began fathering children, and thus became a grandfather and great grandfather. Along with his descendants, Cain founded a society that would go on to be the center of agriculture, commerce, music and craftsmanship.

Cain, unable to farm, wanted to prove to everyone how good he could be without God. Doesn't the world try the same thing today?

New Wednesday Night Series at Grace Pointe...

The Restoration

Brownwood is described by many as the buckle of the Bible belt. At one time, the city had more churches per capita than any other town in Texas. It is home to Howard Payne University, a school affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, which trains ministerial students before they head to seminary.

Despite the many good things about Brownwood in terms of churches, outreach, civic and benevolent organizations, many people still struggle in their personal lives. One doesn't have to look far to find people who are hurting.

People need the Lord. However, if we are going to lead people to the Lord, we must turn to the Lord ourselves. Series starts Jan. 1. Scripture references will be from Nehemiah.

The Journey: Genesis 4:1-12

In Genesis 4, Cain brought God an offering of the fruits of the ground, but Abel brought the firstlings of his flock. The Bible says that God had respect unto Abel and his offering, but unto Cain and his offering God had no respect.

Many people have theorized why God respected Abel's offering, but not Cain's. Popular reasons include that Cain's vegetables weren't of the highest quality. Others theorize that Abel's sacrifice of lambs was a blood sacrifice, which God preferred over Cain's vegetable offering. The truth is that the Bible doesn't really support either of those positions.

However, Hebrews 11:4 says "By Faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice." What separated Abel's offering from Cain's is that Abel's sacrifice was made by faith. Abel had faith in God. Cain did not.

What, then, is faith? Faith is defined in Hebrews 11:6, which says "But without faith it is impossible to please Him. For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."

Faith means that you believe God exists. It doesn't just mean that you believe that there is a higher power or divinity, but that you believe in the God of the Bible. Given the fact that both Cain and Abel interacted with God, I think it is safe to say both men believed in God's existence.

Faith also means trusting God. In Hebrews 11:6, it says you must believe God rewards those who seek Him. You may believe God exists, but do you trust Him? Do you trust Him to save you? To protect you? To provide for you? Do you trust Him? Or like Cain, do you harbor resentment for God?

Resentment toward God hinders faith, and leads to conflict with God and His people... and that's a conflict no one will win. Cain went on to kill Abel, and God took vengeance on Cain. If you harbor resentment toward God, you will sin against Him... in fact you are already in sin.

On the other hand, if others are persecuting you for your faith, know that they are not fighting you... they are fighting God. That is a fight they cannot win.

The Joe Paterno Tragedy

During junior high, my reading teacher led the class in reading Something for Joey, the story of Penn State running back John Cappelletti, and his younger brother, Joey, who had leukemia. John would go on to win the Heisman Trophy. Joey eventually succumbed to his disease. The book was later made into a TV-movie.

The book highlighted how the Penn State football team rallied around Joey, and how Head Coach Joe Paterno was an influence and a comfort to Joey and the Cappelletti family. From that point on, I had a certain affinity for Penn State, and Joe Paterno in particular.

Paterno enjoyed a reputation of being a father figure for many over decades. He played by the rules, always did the right thing, and was the picture of integrity... that is, until the world learned that when he was faced with a gruesome situation involving one of his assistants and young boys, he put the program first and did the bare minimum.

The man who had become synonymous with all that was good in college football has been fired in disgrace. It will take years for Penn State to recover its image. Paterno may never see his reputation restored.

One bad decision has erased decades of good service to his university, community, state and even his country. Nothing he can do will undo the decision he made.

Tragically, many people make the same mistake in their own lives. They live, doing good deeds, public service, and giving to charity thinking that their good deeds will somehow outweigh the sin in their life. However, no amount of good that we do can outweigh the sin in our lives.

Our sin separates us from God, and nothing we can do will overcome that separation. The Bible says even our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. How, then, will anybody be saved and go to Heaven?

Romans 5:8 says that God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Our sin carries the consequence of dying and going to Hell. But the death of Jesus Christ on the cross paid that penalty on our behalf. The Bible says if you turn from your sins and trust that Christ died on the cross for your sins, you will be saved. In Bible language, it's called repentance and faith.

Do not go through life hoping that your good deeds will outweigh your sin. It won't. The only way you will get into Heaven is by the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Do you believe on Him? Do you trust Him?

For God so loved the World that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

The Journey: Genesis 3

Genesis 3 is one of the most important passages in the Bible because that is where we find the fall of man, and the first reference to the plan of salvation. In Genesis 3:6, man sins by eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Often we blame Eve for this sin, but the Bible says she gave to her husband "with her," and he did eat. The fact Adam was with Eve when she gave him the fruit indicates that Adam was with her through the conversation between her and the serpent.

1 Timothy 2:14 and Romans 5:14 are two of many passages that lay the responsibility of the sin on Adam's shoulders. I believe this is because God had specifically instructed Adam concerning the forbidden fruit, yet he allowed Eve to be deceived by not interfering in Satan's temptation.

Man's sin brought on the curse of thorns and hard work (Genesis 3:18-19) and death (Genesis 3:19).

However, Genesis 3 is also where God introduces His plan of redemption. Genesis 3:15 says "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, between thy seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

This is a picture of what Christ would accomplish on the cross. Jesus, the Seed of the woman, would crush Satan's power, but in the process would suffer a death blow (bruise His heel.) What Jesus did when He died on the cross was He paid the penalty for man's sin, but He also conquered Satan to where Satan is no longer relevant when it comes to man's eternal destiny. Man's eternal destiny, whether he goes to Heaven or Hell, is between him and God. Either He will respond to God's grace with faith, or he will reject God's grace and go to Hell. Satan can tempt him and distract him, but Satan has no say over whether a man goes to Hell or not.

In the above video, we discuss those concepts, as well as how God covers our sin (Genesis 3:21), assures our salvation (Genesis 3:20), and what the pitfalls to sin are.

180 The Movie: The Full Alicia Interview

Stay tuned until the end...

The Authority in Mission Work

The Apostle Paul, preaching in Athens

During the Pre-Association meeting of the Missionary Baptist Association of Texas, a question was raised about whether mission works which were not under the authority of a sponsoring church should be funded. The discussion was cut short, which sort of disappointed me because this is an issue that I think should be discussed, especially at a meeting where the objective is to share information and not to record votes.

If you poll 100 different ABA pastors, you will likely find 100 different philosophies and understandings about the proper way to carry out mission work. So, in the spirit of the diversity of opinions, here's mine:

In Acts 13, you have the church in Antioch that is ministering to the Lord. In verse 2, the Holy Spirit tells the church to "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them."

Two things stand out for me in this verse. (1) The Holy Spirit spoke to the church and (2) The Spirit called Barnabas and Saul.

The Holy Spirit called Barnabas and Saul to go out as missionaries. Scripture records how the Lord had placed this call on Saul (Paul) during his conversion on the Damascus road.

After the Spirit had called Barnabas and Paul to the mission work, He moved within the church to send them out.

In my opinion, this is the scriptural way mission work should be done. The Spirit calls men to a mission field, and the Spirit leads the church to send those men out. Those men are sent out with the full authority to do the work the Spirit has called them to do. If all those factors are present, I believe that we have a legitimate, and scriptural mission work.

So whether the missionary goes out and establishes a "mission," or whether he plants a "church" is really of no consequence to me. What I look at is whether He is called by the Holy Spirit, and whether His sponsoring church sent Him out.

For this reason, I have never been comfortable with "ministries" that seek to direct the overall direction of our associational missions (and by associational missions, I mean missionaries sent out by churches in our association). For this same reason, I have been leery of associational rules that establish rigid boundaries for missionary qualifications and rigid guidelines for how they do their work. And I have never been comfortable with a board calling, sending, and overseeing missionaries.

So, if you are looking for the authority in mission work, you need to look no further than the Holy Spirit. He calls missionaries, He leads missionaries, and He holds missionaries accountable, and you can find instances of all three of those in scripture.

As for the sending churches, they sent the men out, they sent them out with authority, and they support them. I believe that, just as Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch and gave an account for themselves, so ought missionaries today give an account of themselves to their sponsoring churches.

And that, my friend, is the authority in mission work.

Marriage Pictures Our Relationship to Christ

Ephesians 5:22-27  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Despite the fact that this is one of the most famous Bible passages regarding marriage, it is often the most disregarded. It gives clear instructions on how to have a successful marriage, and highlights the importance of a good marriage by pointing out the similarities between a husband-wife relationship and the relationship between Christ and the church. Yet, most American couples would rather flush this passage down the toilet than apply it to their lives. Why? Because following this passage requires selflessness and sacrifice, something no one wants to do. Is there any wonder that more than half of American marriages end in divorce, and many more non-marital relationships (read: living together without marriage) break up?

Since the scriptures begin with the wife, I'll begin with the wife... but ladies, hang in there, I'll get to the husband's responsibilities too. A good marriage is a two-way street.

Verses 22-23 tell wives to submit themselves to their husbands, as unto the Lord, reminding them that as Christ is head of the church, the husband is the head of the wife. Notice in verse 23, Paul adds that Christ is the savior of the body.

Most churches want to follow God's will. They want to follow the leadership of Christ, and they want to know what the will of Christ is.

The churches I have been a part of wanted to serve the Lord, wanted to submit to His leadership, longed for the Spirit to move and give direction... why? Because we love the Lord and want to be close to Him, to please Him, to see His will done, and to see Him victorious.

In the same way, wives should submit to their husbands. As a church sets aside its own vision to follow the Lord, so should a wife set aside her own dreams to follow her husband. I know this is not politically correct, but follow me here.

Just as a church is all about Jesus, a wife should be all about her husband. Her goal in life should be to honor her husband, to do his will, and to help him succeed. They say, behind every successful man is a good (and sometimes surprised) woman. Proverbs 31 says her husband sits in the city gates and is known by the elders of the land, all because of what she does for him. Read Proverbs 31. That woman did a lot. She wasn't just barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.

You never see a church sit around and complain about Christ, and you never hear a bunch of preachers at an association, fellowship or convention meeting sit around and list the ways Christ could be better. They may complain about each other, but not Christ.

In the same way, when wives berate their husbands in front of others, they are falling short of what God wants them to be. The same way a church loves and submits to the Lord, a wife should love and submit to her husband.

In verse 25, scripture turns the attention to the husband. The husband is to love his wife the same way Christ loved the church... and gave Himself for it.

How much did Christ love the church? Enough to die for it. He died for the church, He puts up with the faults of the church, is patient, caring, and guides the church. Not only that, but He is all about the church, and believers in general.

Jesus died on the cross to save sinners. He died on the cross so that sinners could be saved and grow closer to Him in a church. Since His death, burial and resurrection, Jesus has been all about the church. The church was the joy that was set before Him in Hebrews 12:2. He makes intercession for the church. He leads the church. He empowers the church. He blesses the church.

Sometimes churches drift away from Christ. They quit doing what He called them to do, or they drift away from Him doctrinally. Nevertheless, He stays with them, patiently guiding them back into His will.

In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives. A husband should love his wife enough to die for her... moreover, he should love her enough to live for her. The Bible says Christ gave Himself for the church. The same way, the husband should give himself for his wife... meaning that her needs come before his dreams.

The husband has the responsibility to sacrifice for the well being of his wife. He has the responsibility to come home after work and spend time with her instead of his buddies. (Oh, there's time for buddies, but not at the expense of his wife). He has the responsibility to place her and her needs above his.

Moreover, he has the responsibility to be patient with her. Women are emotional, at least the ones I have known are. Sometimes, they act out on those emotions. We are responsible as men to not become frustrated at those emotions, to continue to show our wives love and kindness despite the emotional state they are in.

We are also responsible to not go off the deep end every time we come home to a dirty house. We are responsible to allow our wives to have lives... I could go on.

I'm really having trouble expressing my view here... but basically, if wives submitted to their husbands unconditionally like the church submits to Christ, and men loved their wives unconditionally like Christ loved the church, and if both put themselves aside and loved each other like Christ and the church, then marriage would be a happy thing... not a dreaded thing that is the joke of sitcoms and break-rooms.

Wives, be all about your husbands. Let your hopes and dreams revolve around them, and help them to be the men God has called them to be. Husbands, love your wives. Put your desires aside and take care of her first. If we all do that, we can reduce stress, blood pressure, and the demand for marriage counselors and divorce lawyers... but more importantly, we will honor and glorify our Savior.

Night Time Photography

Seeing some of the wonderful photography by one of my church member's grandchildren, I was inspired to get my Nikon out and revisit some of the photography skills I learned in college. Below are my attempts at night time photography...

New Sermon Series at Grace Pointe...

Bursting at the Seams: Occupy Wall Street vs. TEA Party

Occupy Wall Street Protesters
Photo by: David Shankbone

Maybe I'm just waking up, but it seems that we have seen an increase in public protest rallies since the 2008 election. From the TEA Party rallies that hit mainstream on April 15, 2009, to the rallies at the Wisconsin State Capitol regarding collective bargaining rights for public employees, to the "Save Our Schools" rallies in Texas during the 2011 legislative session.

Granted, anytime in American history that a particular group has faced a situation that would hinder their well-being, they turned out to protest against it. However, it seems that now-days, everyone is ticked off.

The TEA Party feels it is overtaxed to pay for welfare programs to supplement those who will not work to earn a living for themselves. The Occupy Wall Street protesters feel that they can't get a fair chance in a world where the top 1 percent keep getting richer while the rest of the country struggles. Public employees feel they are being thrown under the bus. Teachers face more rigid standards and lower pay.

Environmentalists feel that corporations are ramping up pollution. Peace activists feel betrayed by an administration that has failed to close Guantanamo or end the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. (For the record, I have been very critical of the Obama Administration regarding domestic policy, but I feel that they have handled the war on terror well.)

Pro-military groups feel that the Obama administration is floundering on national defense and military issues. And the summer drought has left many Texans burnt out, on a number of issues. (It doesn't help that the Cowboys and Longhorns are struggling.)

I am not trying to agree, disagree, affirm or refute the viewpoints of any of these groups right now. My only objective is to point out that everyone is ticked off at the moment. The country is divided, and there is no easy fix. Can America overcome this time of national discontent? Or will the divide and conquer strategies of our two political parties tear our nation apart?

Our standard of living is tied up in the future of the United States (regardless of where you are when you read this. If the American economy tanks, or the country falls apart, it will have ripple effects throughout the world.)

Whatever happens in the future, I will be just fine. Psalm 23:4 says Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

The Bible teaches that perilous times will come, but it also teaches that God is with His people through whatever trials they endure. If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, you can know that He is talking to God on your behalf as you go through dark times.

I don't fear an economic apocalypse, nuclear disaster, terrorism or war. These things might happen, but I also know that God is in control and He will have the final victory. I trust Him to care for me in the process.

So turn off Fox News and CNN, open the Bible, and grow closer to the Lord. Life will become more peaceful, your blood pressure will drop, and your doctor will be happy.

God bless you. Keep the faith.

The Journey: Genesis 2:7 - God Made Man Different

Genesis 2:7 says "The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

Genesis 2:4-6 recount various aspects of the creation and how things functioned before man was created. Verse 7 then explains how man was created differently from the rest of creation. Instead of speaking man into existence, God formed man from the dust of the ground... meaning He actually molded man... hand-crafted him to be what God wanted him to be.

Ephesians 2:10 speaks to this when it says "For we are His workmanship...." Workmanship means craftsmanship. If you want to see the craftsmanship of God, look in the mirror. There are parts of the human body that science cannot replicate. Despite the advances in computer technology, man cannot create a brain like God gave him.

To put it another way, God made us specially.

Not only did God handcraft us, He gave us a living soul. When Genesis 2:7 says that God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life... it is not saying that God gave man mouth to mouth, it is saying that God gave man a living soul.

The Bible teaches that man is both flesh and spirit. The flesh is temporary, but the spirit (or the soul) lives forever. When it comes to salvation, we are not trying to save the life of the soul as much as we are trying to secure the eternal destination of the soul.

If a sinner dies without knowing Jesus Christ as his personal savior, his soul doesn't die. His soul spends eternity in Hell suffering the wrath of God.

However, if a sinner repents and trusts Jesus Christ as His savior, He looks forward to spending an eternity in Heaven with the Lord.

God handcrafted man, gave him life, and also gave him purpose. Genesis 2:15 says "God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it."

God gave Adam a purpose... to keep and dress the garden. God always intended for man to work... He didn't design work to be so hard and debilitating in the beginning. That came as part of the sin curse which we will discuss in Genesis 3.

God gave Adam a purpose, and He gave us a purpose.

Ephesians 2:10 says "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

God handcrafted us for a purpose, and He wants us to fulfill that purpose. He wants us to follow His plan for our life. But before you can do that, you must know Jesus Christ as your Savior.

Do you know Him? Do you know God's will for your life? Are you doing what God has called you to do? May God bless you and keep you.