I recently turned 17. It was somewhat of a big birthday for me, because something about the sound of "17" sounds older for whatever reason. In one way, I only turned a day older; in another sense, I've entered a whole new chapter of my life. How this chapter is written...well, that's a decision I'll have to make every single day - and with more than 350 "pages" yet to be written, this year can be either good or bad. It can be a time of great spiritual growth, complacency, or even of drifting from God. But the choice is mine. Nobody will make it for me. But let me say here and now that I am resolved to dedicate this upcoming year to the Lord. I don't want to see one sunrise, or one moonlit night, with Him. After all, of what beauty is a sunrise without knowing the One Who made it?

David said in Psalm 34:8, "O taste and see that the Lord is good..." My prayer is that each day, Christ would become sweeter to my taste - that from today until the day I die, I would not cease to fall deeper and deeper in love with Him. Whatever may come my way, I am convinced that neither, "tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword...nor death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, not things to come, nor height, nor depth, or any other creature" will be able to separate me from His love, or to stop me from loving Him (Romans 8:35-39).

"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."

                            -Matthew 5:8 

I don't know about the rest of you reading this, but when I imagine heaven, the first thing I think about is getting to see my Lord. In my opinion, the streets of gold don't really matter; the gates of pearl are of secondary importance; and fishing in the crystal sea will be the last thing on my mind (hey, who says there won't be fishing in heaven?). The first thing I want to do when I get to heaven is to see Jesus.

I read a book by Max Lucado once (my memory fails to recall which one it was), and in it he asked the question, "If you could live however you please - doing whatever sins your heart desired - and still make it to heaven, would you do it?" (I'm paraphrasing here.) However, he then proceeded to explain that, if you were to accept the deal, you would not get to see God once you got there. Yes, you would still get to have eternal life, you'd still get to see your loved ones that have passed away; but you just couldn't see the Lord. My answer to that question, without hesitation, is a resounding "NO!" After all, getting to see Christ is the only reason I want to go in the first place! You could change the golden street into a gravel road and the crystal see into a dirty pond, but if Jesus is there, it would still heaven!

There's a song that my Aunt sings in church from time to time that brings tears to my eyes almost every time I hear it, and I want to share the words with you today:

I dreamed of a city called Glory,
So bright and so fair.
When I entered that gate I cried holy;
The angels all met me there:
They carried me from mansion to mansion,
And oh what sites I saw.
But I said, "I want to see Jesus,
He's the One who died for all."


Chorus:
Then I bowed on my knees and cried,
"Holy, (holy) holy, (holy) holy."
Then I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory,
Glory to the Son of God."


I thought as I entered that city,
My friends all knew me well.
They showed me the streets of heaven;
Such scenes too numerous to tell;
I saw Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Mark, Luke and Timothy.
But I said, "I want to see Jesus,
He's the One who died for me."*

*NOTE: I do not own the copyrights to this song. Please obtain permission from the owner before use.

"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."

                               -Matthew 5:7 

The Word of God tells us time and time again that, in order to be forgiven ourselves, we must forgive others. Or, in other words, in order to obtain mercy we ourselves must be merciful.

"And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." 

                            -Matthew 6:12

I recently commented during Sunday School at our church that, by praying these words, many Christians are really praying a curse on themself. By asking God to forgive us in the same was we forgive others ("as we forgive our debtors"), many times that would mean, "Lord, please forgive me...that is, until I do something else wrong. Then you can rehash it all, and hold everything I've ever done against me." After all, that seems to be the way in which most "Christians" forgive others, isn't it? As sad as it may be, many times children of God haven't the slightest idea of what it means to truly forgive someone.

"For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell."

                            -Psalm 86:13 

The mercy of God is immeasurable. Likewise, our mercy should also me immeasurable. We should grant forgiveness to those who ask it, as well as to those who don't ask it. In doing so, we are assured that we will be shown mercy by God Himself - and if you're like me, you need all of His mercy that you can get!

According to Psalm 51:4, all sins are ultimately against God Himself. If someone lies to us, they've sinned against God and violated His holiness. If someone steals from us, they've done more than just do us wrong; they've transgressed the express commandment of the Lord Almighty (Exodus 20:15)! With that said, we should be able to grant mercy to those who sin against us without hesitation, if the One Whose name is Holy is able to be merciful toward them (Isaiah 57:15).

"It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." 

                            -Lamentations 3:22-23

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."

                            -Matthew 5:6 

I must say that this beatitude has to be my favorite. As the inspired Word of God, each of these Scriptures are of infinite value (see Psalm 19:10), but this one in particular speaks to me in a special way.

The Lord didn't say that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness might be filled, or that they would most likely be filled. No, He gave us an unconditional promise that they shall be filled. But what does it mean to be filled with righteousness? It means to be conformed more and more each day to the image of Christ Himself. It means to present our bodies a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1), and be emptied of ourselves so we can be filled with God. Just like turning on a light switch will not only dispel the darkness, but also fill the room with light, likewise, if we are emptied of ourselves we will be filled with God!

"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."

                            -Romans 6:6 

God is not like human parents that force-feed vegetables to their children. He won't make us become righteous. If He gives it to us, it's because we were hungry for it, and therefore sought after it. As Christ said just two chapters later, if we ask, we will receive; if we seek, we will find; if we knock, the door will be opened (Matthew 7:7)

Empty me of the selfishness inside,
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride,
And any foolish thing my heart holds to.
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with You.*

*Empty Me- Chris Sligh
I do not own the copyrights to this material. Please obtain permission from the copyright holder before use. 

Seeing as I recently defined meekness in my series on the fruit of the Spirit (click here to refresh your memory), I won't waste time trying to explain what it means to be meek. Instead, I'll jump right into the second half of this beatitude, and focus on what Christ was telling us with the words, "...they shall inherit the earth."

Honestly, I don't recall ever thinking deeply about this promise until now. I guess it's one of those verses that you hear so many times growing up that you just take it for granted. Anyway, as I began to consider the meaning of this passage, I immediately discarded the idea that Christ was saying the meek will overtake the earth is such a way that the entire population will have this virtue. On the contrary, I'm sure we'd each be hard-pressed to find 1 meek person in 100. Without a doubt, meekness is an exceedingly rare attribute.


So what was Christ saying then? Well, I personally believe He was referring to His 1,000 year millennial reign on earth, during which time His children will rule with Him (Revelation 20:6). In that sense, we will inherit the earth because Christ will place us in authority over it. Now obviously we shouldn't serve the Lord just to be rewarded in this way, but as we are told in Luke 14:11, those who exalt themselves will be abased, and those who abase themselves (a.k.a. being meek) will be exalted. If we don't seek positions of honour in this life, Christ will place us such a position in the life to come. If we seek to be honored on earth, that will be all the honor we get.

Inheriting the earth is only one of the benefits meekness incurs, for blessings flow freely upon those who align themselves with the Word of God. Will you follow Christ's example and pursue a life of meekness and humility (Matthew 11:29)? I can assure you, it is well worth it.

"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted."

                            -Matthew 5:4 

As we saw in yesterday's devotion, the word "blessed" generally means "happy" when found in Scripture. To some, then, this beatitude may seem paradoxical. After all, if you are mourning, that is an indication that you are not happy, right? In some ways this may be true; but a child of God can retain their joy even in the midst of life's darkest nights. How? Because we are not alone. As Christ says in this verse, "we shall be comforted."

The depths of this promise are nearly indescribable. Those who mourn for sin can be comforted in confession. Those who mourn because of life's various hardships can be comforted by the sweet peace of God that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). No matter the reason for our sorrow, or the magnitude of our sorrow, we have it in writing that God will be there every step of the way, comforting us and helping us through.

"Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." 

                                -II Corinthians 1:4

Christian or not, we will all go through difficult times in life. But the child of God has the promise of comfort in those times - not only for our benefit, but for the benefit of others. When we understand what it means to be comforted, we will be able to comfort others as well, and hopefully lead them to the ultimate Comforter in the process (John 15:26). (And just to clear up any confusion, I'm not referring to a nice bed.)

God comforts those who are cast down (II Corinthians 7:6). If you fit that description, cast all your care upon Him. He cares for you (I Peter 5:7).

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

                            -Matthew 5:3 

The poor in spirit are not those who are lacking in God's spiritual blessings. Rather, they are the opposite of those who are haughty and arrogant in spirit. Being poor in spirit does not mean constantly being down on yourself, thinking that you are no good; it means viewing yourself and your accomplishments in the light of God's glory and grace. When we do this, we will realize that even our greatest achievements are nothing in comparison with God's excellency, and will therefore praise Him, not the person we see in the mirror.

Notice that the condition of such a person is described as "blessed", or, in modern terms, "happy." This is because obedience to the will of God, no matter what it is, always brings inner peace and joy (John 13:17). Not only are the poor in spirit happy because they are in the will of God, but they can also find delight in knowing that "theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Nobody has greater happiness than he who knows his name is written in the Lambs Book of Life, and that he will one days spend eternity in the kingdom of heaven.

Are you poor in spirit? If not, then be aware that you are robbing yourself of a great and indescribable "blessedness." You might like focusing on how great you think you are but, let's face it, we're never as great as we think.

"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."

                            -Romans 12:3

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake."

                            -Matthew 5:3-11 

Having just read the beatitudes, I decided that this portion of Scripture would make an excellent series. I'll be  covering each of them in a series of 8 posts (combining verses 10 & 11), and expound on both the responsibilities as well as the promises we are given through Christ's teaching here.

I'm really excited about this series, and I'm anxious to see how God ministers to each of us as we dig deeper into His Word and seek to know Him better. I hope that you'll enjoy it!

However, this series will not begin until the 17th. While I do plan on sticking to a daily format for this blog, I feel that taking a short, 1 week, break from posting would be in my best interest. Coming up with a devotion every day is not always easy, and I can use this time to regain my thoughts and refresh myself in the Lord. If you really have a hankering to read something encouraging, I'm sure you'll be able to find something in my archives.

Until then, may God bless you and draw you closer to Him.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handywork." 

                            -Psalm 19:1

It is amazing to me that anybody could possibly look up at a moonlit night, or think about the enormousness of the sun and universe itself, and yet say "There is no God." Even in the current age of mind-boggling technological advancements, no camera has ever been made that can be compared to the human eye, nor a computer that can perform as well as our brain. The world around us was clearly created with infinite wisdom and understanding, but yet some people still claim that it found it's origin in random chemical processes that, despite countless attempts by scientists, cannot be repeated. As this verse tells us, creation speaks for itself. If you listen, you can almost hear it crying out, "There is a God!"

"Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge."

                            -Psalm 19:2

Every day, every hour, and every minute declares the glory of God. When the sun is shining and the birds are singing, but also when the rain is pouring and the thunder rolling. Every aspect of creation was created by the Divine Hand, and His fingerprints are clearly visible to those who are willing to see them. There is "no speech nor language" that cannot see the glory of God revealed in creation (Psalm 19:3).

Like my blogging friend Camden once said, "Sometimes we just get so self focused that we forget the sizeless God that we serve. He is over all, and if he can create 350 billion galaxies and blood clotting, I'm pretty sure He has our lives in control." No doubt, our God is an awesome God.

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

                            -Genesis 1:1 

As we saw yesterday, every Christian will face a degree of persecution in their lives. However, some Christians will experience more of this persecution than others. These individuals belong to what we call the persecuted church. The persecuted church faces much more severe treatment for their faith than we do here in U.S. But this does not give us the right to just sit back and enjoy our religious freedoms while our brothers and sisters are tortured and even killed for their faith. Instead, we are called to minister to these people, doing whatever we can to help them.

"Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body."

                            -Hebrews 13:3

We are instructed by this passage of Scripture to have a compassion for the persecuted church that is as great as if we were actually in bonds with them. As fellow members of the body of Christ, we are like one big spiritual family (Romans 12:5) and should care for them just like we would care for our earthly family. If our mother, sister, or brother was being victimized, would we just sit back and watch, and perhaps offer up a prayer every so often? No, we would do whatever we could to end that oppression, and to encourage them during their trial. This is the manner in which we are to minister to our persecuted brothers and sisters in the faith.

"What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?"

                            -James 2:14-16

While prayer is one of the most powerful weapons in a Christian's arsenal, many times I'm afraid we use it as a cop-out for actually putting forth and effort to do something about a situation. Instead of making an effort to help the persecuted church directly, oftentimes people just say "Well, I'll pray for them.", even though they are capable of doing much more. Through wonderful organizations like Voice of the Martyrs, you can serve Christians overseas without even leavng the comfort of your own home. You can write letters to Christians in Prison (postage only costs about $0.94 last time I checked), send blankets to those who are without any, and even help smuggle Bible's into restricted nations.

If you haven't yet supported persecuted Christians directly, can I encourage you to prayerfully consider doing so? It is an investment that will, no doubt, reap eternal rewards (Matthew 6:4).

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

                            -Matthew 5:10 

In a country where persecution is almost unheard of, it is hard for many of us to imagine the dangers that our brothers and sisters face in foreign lands. We think we have it rough when our friends make fun of us for going to church, when they go to jail for attending Sunday services. We feel tempted to give up on Christ after we get our feelings hurt, but they persevere despite physical torture. So why is it that they endure this type of treatment so willingly? It's because they accept it as part of the package when they become a Christian.

"...If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you..."

                            -John 15:20

Notice hear that Jesus didn't say, "...they will also persecute middle-easterners." He made an all-inclusive statement that every Christian will at some point face persecution. If we expect to be ridiculed, then we won't be surprised when we are. People in China, India, Columbia, etc., know that if they become a Christian they will most likely lose life or limb because of it. Thus, when trouble comes knocking, they are prepared to answer the door. Likewise, if we aren't expecting to face hardship, then when we do we won't be prepared to face it.

"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." 

                            -II Corinthians 12:10

Though persecution isn't something any of us have a desire to experience, we should remember that it is during those times of affliction that we are drawn closer to God and His glory is displayed most brightly in our lives. In light of these things, we should welcome any persecution God allows us to endure, knowing that He has a purpose behind everything that He does.

"But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew..."

                            -Exodus 1:12

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

                            -John 3:36 

A few weeks ago I began to study this verse, and one of the first things I noticed was that John the Baptist (the one speaking) had a different perspective on eternal life than most Christians today. He said that whoever believes on Christ hath everlasting life, not that they will one day have it. The reason I found this so intriguing is that I had previously viewed eternal life as nothing more than endless existence, but according to this verse, eternal life begins the moment we are saved, not when we make it to heaven. Sure, endless existence is, in a way, eternal life; but even sinners will experience this type of eternal life in hell, and we know from Scripture that the lake of fire is "the second death" (Revelation 21:8), not a place of eternal life.

So what is eternal life then? To answer that question, we need to look no further than the second chapter of Genesis, verse 17:

"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

                            

If you have read the story of man's fall in the first few chapters of Genesis, then you know that when Eve disobeyed God and ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, she didn't drop down dead at the foot of the tree. Yes, she eventually experienced a physical death; but God had promised that death would come instantly, not eventually. So did God lie? Not at all! Adam and Eve did die, in that their perfect relationship with Him was severed. Based on these Scriptures, then, we can conclude that God's definition of life is more than living, moving, and breathing; it is having a relationship with Him.

Eternal life does indeed mean living forever, but it's more than just that. It is having an everlasting relationship with God. After all, a life apart from Christ is no life at all.

As many of you know, the Rebelution Tour will be in St. Louis on August 28 (if you are unfamiliar with the Rebelution, then check out the website here). Thousands of teens will be attending this conference and, for many of them, this has the potential to be a life-changing event.

As we read in James 5:16, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." With that said, I believe prayer is imperative to the success of this conference. That is why I am asking those of you who will be attending to earnestly and prayerfully consider joining me as a member of the Prayer Team. As Captain of this team, I will be recruiting as many people as possible to, in essence, pray for the event. You would be expected to,

• Pray approximately 15 minutes per day for the conference, its volunteers, and attendees. Also, I would give you periodic updates informing you of more specific prayer requests that have been presented to me by the staff, coordinators, and other volunteer workers.

• On the day of the conference, a prayer room will be designated at the event facility. The Team will gather there and have a prayer meeting before the conference begins.

• If any of the attendees request to be prayed with/for, we would be the ones to do so.

• Members of the Prayer Team will take turns spending a short amount of time (perhaps 15-20 minutes) praying in the prayer room in such a way that there is somebody praying throughout the entirety of the conference.

If you are willing to join me in this work, please contact me  and I will set you up as a member of the Team.

Any questions or comments are more than welcome.


In Christ,
Dakota

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

                            -Proverbs 3:5 

This verse is one that I heard quoted a multitude of times when I was very young; but only in recent years have I begun to understand what it truly means to abandon our own understanding and to rely completely on God's.

As we read in II Corinthians 5:7, a child of God is to walk by faith, and not by sight. The fact is, when we walk by sight we usually don't make it very far, because our own perspective is often tainted and incomplete, making it impossible for us to succeed. But, when we trust in God, we can have faith that no matter what we go through, all things will ultimately work out for our good (Romans 8:28). In view of this, we should do as Solomon instructs and trust in the Lord, not somewhat, but with all of our hearts.

I remember about two years ago, our former pastor had organized a game that would take place after church service. When my turn came, I was blindfolded and led to where the game was to take place. But as he led me by the hand, he was surprised that I followed him with such confidence. I didn't feel the way before me with my free hand, or try to peek through the blindfold. Rather, I followed him without reserve. Why? The answer is simple: I trusted him. He'd never done anything that would have given me a reason to doubt him, so I went where he led me.

This is what it means to walk by faith in God. Though we may not always understand the way He works, He has proven Himself trustworthy and we should therefore trust Him - even when we can't see where He is taking us.

"For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness."

                            -I Thessalonians 4:7 

As Christians, we have all been called by God to pursue a life of holiness. That may sound simple, but those of you who have read the book of Romans know that holiness is something none of us can possibly attain through our own efforts (see 3:9-12, 8:7-8). Why then are we instructed to strive for it? Because God Himself is holy, and requires nothing less of us than to be holy also (Leviticus 11:45). And though none of us can become holy by ourselves, the Holy Ghost can and will enable us to do that which would otherwise be impossible (Philippians 4:13).

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:"

                            -Hebrews 12:14

"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."

                            -Matthew 5:8

As today's text states, uncleanness (i.e. sinfulness) is the opposite of  holiness, and we should therefore stay as far away from it as possible. In fact, according to these verses, a lack of holiness will keep us out of heaven, but the result of a having a pure/holy heart is to see the face of God! What greater reward is there than that?

Sadly, the doctrine of holiness and its importance has been abandoned by many most churches today. But, contrary to what you may have heard, holiness is still important to God and, as a result, should be important to us as well. Let us do as Paul admonished us in Ephesians 4:22, 24 and put off the "old man", and put on the new man of "righteousness and true holiness."

"For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death."

                            -Psalm 48:14 

There are a couple of reasons why I love this verse, but the part that I want us to focus on today is the words, "He will be our guide even unto death." You see, the psalmist realized that there is a difference between the Lord being our God, and Him being our guide. Being a Christian is about much more than going to church, reading the Bible, and praying; it is about allowing Him to guide us in every decision that we make, and making Him the center of everything that we do (scroll down and read yesterday's post). No, I'm not just talking about seeking the Lord's guidance before we buy a house, but also when we buy a movie. Not just when we relocate to a new city, but even before we decide to go on vacation.

"For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish."

                            -Psalm 1:6

Part of being righteous is doing as we have already studied and putting God's will first in all things. When we do this, we can be confident that we will not stumble. After all, would Christ lead us into a ditch? If you think about it, I'm sure you'll admit that the times you have stumbled was when you forgot to put God first and began acting without making sure you were first in His will (at least that's how it usually works for me).

As I have learned by personal experience, being in the center of God's will is always the safest place to be. It doesn't matter if the whole world is against you, when you are in His will, you will have His blessing and will ultimately have the victory over whatever you are going through.

"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

                            -I John 2:17

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

                            -Romans 12:1 

Just like the rest of Scripture's commands, we are here instructed to do nothing more than imitate Christ. Nearly everything the Bible tells us to do has already been done by Christ Himself. We are told to be holy because He is holy (Leviticus 11:45), to love Him because He loves us (I John 4:19) and, as this verse says, to present our bodies as living sacrifices because Jesus became one for us during His life on this earth (Hebrews 9:12).

But what exactly does it mean to be a living sacrifice? Does it mean going to church regularly? No, that is a weekly sacrifice. What about spending daily quiet time with God? No, that is a daily sacrifice. While these things are all very important, as Christians, we are called to be more than a weekly, or even a daily, sacrifice. Instead, we are to be  living sacrifices. This means our every word and deed should be aimed at bringing God glory. It means learning to say with the apostle Paul, "The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God." (Galatians 2:20)


We must learn to follow Paul's example and live our life entirely unto God. No, not our moments of convenience, but our entire existence. Then we will truly understand what it means to be a living sacrifice.

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

                            -I Corinthians 10:31