Lying
“Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, [and] from a deceitful tongue.”
Psalms 120:2
An excited husband called to tell his wife that he had been asked to accompany the boss on a fishing trip to Canada. The husband had to leave that evening and asked his wife if she would mind packing a few things for him. He added, “Be sure to include my new silk pajamas.”
She thought that sounded fishy but said nothing. When the man returned from his trip. His wife asked how it went.
“Great,” he said.
“Did you catch anything?” she asked.
“Yes, pike, walleye. What fun!” Then he asked, “But why didn’t you pack my blue silk pajamas?”
“I did,” she said, “They were in your tackle box.”
Lying is, most of all, about stupidity. We will be found out. You may be getting away with it for now; but, in the end, the truth comes out. It may not be until you die, but God has on file everything we’ve ever said. So you’d be wise to seek His forgiveness and start telling the truth. Always! Otherwise, you’ll eventually look like a stupid fool.
Sex in Marriage
“Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”
Hebrews 13:4
How’s your sex life?
Have you bought into the idea that the best, the most enjoyable, most intense sex is always found outside of marriage? We are constantly bombarded with this message by the media: TV, the Internet, movies, books and music.
This message is a lie. It is the exact opposite of what God had in mind when He invented sex. Any sex that is outside the context of committed love in marriage is always less than the best. It brings emotional harm, broken relationships, turmoil, and guilt. Now that might sell movies and books, but in the end, it will destroy a person’s life. God intended sexual intimacy to be His great gift for marriage and marriage alone. He knows how it is best enjoyed.
So seek to trust the inventor of sex in order to experience the sacred enjoyment that God has in mind for you. Quit settling for second best. Seek God’s best for the best sex.
Use It or Lose It
“…[Scripture gives] you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
2 Timothy 3:15
I have friends who are learning to speak Spanish. They are struggling with different sounds, different sentence structure, and different words. Acquiring a new skill takes practice and patience. You have heard the cliché, “Use it or lose it.” My friends realize that they have to use the few Spanish words they know or they quickly forget them. We must use what we know, or we don’t retain knowledge.
This principle applies in the spiritual dimension as well. Faith in God is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it becomes. The manual for getting this muscle in shape is the Bible, and the personal trainer is Jesus Christ. If you submit yourself to His leadership and His guidance, you will discover how to use the faith muscle each and every day. It’s either use it or lose it.
I hope that you will choose to use it. You will be amazed at how your faith will grow day by day.
Friends
“A friend loves at all times…”
Proverbs 17:17
What is your definition of true friendship?
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Happy is the house that shelters a friend,” and “a friend is a person with whom I may be sincere and before him I may think aloud. The only reward of virtue is virtue; the only way to have a friend is to be one.”
Walter Winchell defines a friend as “one who walks in when others walk out.”
Someone else has said that a friend is “a man who laughs at your funny stories, even when they ain’t so good, and sympathizes with your misfortunes, even when they ain’t so bad.”
Do you have a friend?
Do you know true friendship?
Many, I’m sad to say, would have to answer no. The good news is this; you can have a best friend forever. That friend is Jesus Christ. I encourage you to get to know Him. You’ll never be disappointed. He’ll always be there with you.
Purpose for Living
“He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the Life.”
1 John 5:12
What is your purpose for living? Have you ever taken time to pause in the rat race of life and figure out why you’re in it?
I recommend developing a life purpose statement. A man once told me his purpose statement was “Get all you can; can all you get; and sit on the can!” I hope that when you develop your purpose statement it’ll be more than that.
Don’t be shortsighted, focusing on this life alone. Keep eternity in mind. God created all of us for a purpose. What’s yours?
Here’s a hint. To know God has put you on this earth for a purpose becomes clear when you get to know the person of Jesus Christ. With Him, it’s amazing how all things become clear. Otherwise, you end up like the masses, too busy to take time to know why you’re here and too lost to know where you’re going.
Are you racing through life going nowhere fast?
Stop for a second. Look to God in Christ and discover the purpose of your life.
Getting Off To A Good Start In The Morning
“In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”
Psalm 5:3
Are you a morning person, or a night person? Because of commitments, my wife and I have to be up and going in the morning, yet, millions of people who have to get up early don’t get going until about three o’clock in the afternoon. That’s when their creative juices start flowing and when they really feel alive. Yet, for most of us, the fresh thoughts and energy is in the morning.
Even if you’re a night owl, let me suggest a great way to start your day. The writer of Psalms knew the key: “In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice (or prayer).”
Doesn’t it make sense to be in touch with the One who created the day? Why not begin your day by spending a few minutes alone with God each morning. Study God’s Word and share with Him through prayer your heart and your concerns. It will help get you in the right frame of mind. You’ll find your day will start, and finish, a whole lot better.
Lasting Change
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
2 Corinthians 5:17
Ahh—another new year. The old one has gone. The new one has come—ready or not. Most of us will admit we have character traits or habits that we would like to change. Some of us even try to modify our behavior. But just changing outward behavior is like rolling back the odometer on a car. You reduce the numbers from 200,000 to 20,000, but you still have a car with 200,000 miles on it.
However, there is hope for the person who sincerely desires to change. The power to change like that means admitting that we can’t do it on our own. Remember, lasting change comes from within. We need the help of the Lord.
The Bible says that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone and new has come. When we give our lives to Jesus Christ, He transforms us—changes us from the inside out. Instead of just rolling back the odometer and being the same old person inside, He gives us a spiritual heart transplant.
Now, that’s a change for the better. And a change that lasts.
