The Bitter Root of Bitterness (Hebrews 12:15)
Hebrews 12:15, Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; A certain man went to the doctor and told the doctor he was hurting all over his body. The doctor wanted to know the specifics of this man’s pain. The man told him when he touched his foot, he hurt. If he touched his nose, he also hurt. He proceeded to touch various areas of his body; with each touch the doctor noticed his pain was very real. The doctor diagnosed that the man had a broken finger. As with this patient, the bitter person finds pain in nearly every area of their life and often fails to properly diagnose the root of their misery. The reality of their misery comes from that root of bitterness. A bitter person only focuses on their own personal pain. A bitter person looks at their own pain meticulously, but blindly ignores the pain of others. It is always self-inflicted. We cause our own bitterness. It will completely destroy you. Bitterness is holding onto an offence until it has a hold on you. If one decides to go this route; it is a personal choice. If you allow bitterness to rob you of your joy then you have no one to blame other than yourself. Bitterness is not something that someone can do to us. A root is hidden beneath the ground, but it feeds the entire plant. The root of bitterness that is growing in many lives must be dug up and exposed for what it really is. As we diligently dig up the roots of bitterness within our lives, we will find that many of the roots have grown deep into our heart. This points to the deceptive nature of sin in the heart (Proverbs 4:23). The person that willingly exposes the bitterness will realize that the bad taste in their mouth has practically ruined them socially, spiritually; and emotionally. The pill of bitterness is so hard to swallow, but when it has been swallowed it is even harder to digest. This bitter pill lodges within our very being and wreaks havoc upon us continually. The sin of bitterness will spread poison in a church if the sinning person does not repent, or is not put out of the church. This person will cause trouble and many will be defiled. As a member of the church, you are responsible to make sure that no “bitter root” springs up and defiles others by turning them away from God. Points to Ponder: Bitterness is the most dangerous form of anger. Bitterness is a deep seated, long burning, smoldering resentment. Bitterness is an anger that is constantly brooding and holding grudges. Bitterness, in its most poisonous stages, is a deep-seated anger that has stewed deep down inside until it's poison rules the heart. PRAYER: Father in Heaven, I ask You to examine my heart and expose any resentment or unforgiveness lest any root of bitterness would spring up inside me. Help me to walk in the Spirit that I may produce the Fruit of the Spirit. In Jesus name, AMEN! If this post has blessed you in any way please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com
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20 Wonderful Years (Acts 20:24)
Acts 20:24, But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. On this day, back in 2000, Joy and I became husband in wife. And Yes! If I had to do it all over again, I would have married her again. I’m so grateful to God and to her parents. I’m thankful that she fears the LORD (Proverbs 31:30). Her name speaks for itself and supersedes the value of great riches (Proverbs 22:1). Joy has faithfully stuck by my side for 20 years, undoubtedly representing the term “helpmeet”. Anyone can love while living on the mountain peaks, but it takes grace to love someone and to remain in love with them while down in the valleys. It is easy for people love the LORD while the sun is shining, but when the dark clouds are overhead their love begins to decrease and fade away. I give God the glory and praise for these 20 wonderful years. Had it not been for Him our marriage would not have thrived and survived. Here are some reasons why.
Here are 20 more:
PRAYER: LORD, I thank You for allowing me to marry a wonderful person. I praise You for giving me a woman of character, devotion, and integrity because she has deepened and developed our marriage. May our marriage bring pleasure to You and may others see You in our marriage. In Jesus name. AMEN! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com The Things We Magnify! (Matthew 7:3)
Matthew 7:3, And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? It is very easy to see the minor faults in those around us, while being oblivious to major faults in our own life. Jesus illustrates this truth by a mote, which literally refers to the following: a piece of straw, thin piece of wood, a splinter, or a small piece of sawdust, or a speck of debris. He contrasts that to the following: a beam which refers to a huge piece of wood, like a log, a plank, or rafter in a house. He draws attention to the irony by exaggerations. The greater context is avoiding a critical attitude. A person who judges will condemn others for their outward (visible problems) but fails to realize that their attitude comes from problems within their own heart, which they have not yet conquered in their own life. The problem is that they are not dealing with the plank in their own pupil. A peacemaker is one who magnifies his own faults and minimizes his offender’s faults. The very nature of self-righteousness is to justify self and to judge and condemn others. It’s the self-righteous who claim to be both lawgiver and judge, claiming authority that belongs only to the Lord. The self-righteous play God when they do this because they judge themselves on the basis of their own standards and wisdom. The self-righteous and those with a judgmental spirit struggle in their walk with God, because they are unwilling to acknowledge their sin and get right with God. Self-righteous people are the most miserable because they are unwilling to pull the plank out of their own pupil. Our flesh finds it so easy to turn a microscope on another person’s sin while we look at ours through the wrong end of a telescope! People have a tendency sometimes to worry about what everyone else is doing without considering what they are doing themselves. Some will complain, “THEY are doing THIS” or “NOT doing THAT!” Jesus says, “Why are you behaving this way? What are YOU doing? Pull the plank out of your own pupil.” The problem is that the faults which we consider enormous in the lives of others, compared to our own sins, are as a little splinter is when compared to large beam. We are so much quicker to judge small offences in others, than to condemn large offences in ourselves. Prayer: Father, help me to be mindful that it is not my place to judge others. Help me to see people the way You see them, and to be filled with compassion, even as someone is doing wrong to me. Help me to respond with love instead of anger and bitterness. I repent of the pride in my life that is evident every time I have a critical, judgmental thought. You have commanded me to walk in forgiveness and love, to rise above offenses, and to walk humbly with You. I choose that road today. I submit all my thoughts to You for approval, choosing loving thoughts and not condemning thoughts, compassionate thoughts not critical thoughts. And kindly remove the log in my eye. In Jesus name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com The Christian’s Life Should Magnify Christ…Do Others See Christ in You? (Philippians 1:20–21)
Philippians 1:20-21, According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Paul’s earnest expectation and hope was to magnify Christ. His focus was entirely on Christ and zero upon himself. Paul’s desire was to magnify Christ in his body whether by life or death. He wanted to live as Christ desired him to live, and if he had to die for Christ, then so be it. Paul wanted to live so people could see Christ in his life. Paul was determined to "magnify" Jesus Christ in his body. This word "magnify" means "to exalt, to praise, glorify, to make great or enlarge." We can magnify Him to an unbelieving world where He is so often minimized, mocked, and misrepresented. We can glorify Him in the presence of those who are blind to His glory. We can demonstrate His grace to those who have never seen it or known it. People wonder what the purpose of life is today and what they are here for. The Christian knows the answer to those questions. We have a purpose for living and that purpose is to glorify Christ and live for Him, not self, not glory or fame. A group of prospectors set out from Bannock, Montana in search of gold. They went through many hardships and several of the men died. Defeated, discouraged, and downhearted, the prospectors sought to make their way back to the capital city. On one occasion as they rode to a creek side, one of the men casually picked up a little stone from the creek bed. He called to his buddy for a hammer and upon cracking the rock, he said, "It looks as though there may be gold here. We had struck it!" They made their way back to Bannock and vowed not to breathe a word concerning this gold strike. They secretively set about re-equipping themselves with supplies for another prospecting trip. But when they got ready to go back, 300 men followed them. Who had told on them? No one spoke a word. Their beaming faces betrayed the secret! Can others see Jesus, is you? When you got saved, you got a greater treasure than ten thousand mountains of gold. Like those old prospectors, we should be beaming because Jesus is on the inside! If He is there, He should be visible in our lives. Prayer, Lord, as I think of the men and women You have used to speak Your truth into my life, I am overwhelmed by the weight of my heritage of faith. So many have faithfully delivered to me! Forgive me for falling short in passing it on. Renew my commitment to taking advantage of opportunities to share Your Gospel with others. Thank You for the grace in Jesus that strengthens me. In Jesus’ name, amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Compassion of Christ… Seeing People Through the Eyes of Christ (Matthew 9:36)
Matthew 9:36, But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Before Jesus saw the needs of people about Him, He first went. That principle remains true to this day. We rarely will become burdened for people and their spiritual needs until we go to them. In so doing, He saw their true spiritual condition. The troubles were threefold. 1. They lacked strength. "Fainted." The people would faint when temptation and trials came upon them. 2. They lacked sanctity. "Scattered." This word speaks of sheep going astray (Isaiah 53:6), of leaving the right path and going on evil paths. It also speaks of the harm that comes from straying. Unholy conduct hurts the sinner. 3. They lacked shepherds. "As sheep having no shepherd." This was a severe indictment upon the religious leaders of the day. These leaders prided themselves as the spiritual guides and shepherds of the people. But Christ said they were not shepherds at all. They, in fact, were leading the people astray. They were weary and dying spiritually. Jesus saw the multitudes about Him as a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Jesus, no doubt, was quite aware of the sinfulness and hardness of those about him, yet He focused on the fact that they were as sheep without a shepherd. The compassion and kindness of Christ was always evident in His ministry. It flowed from the center of Hs heart and manifested in His teachings. It was evident in both His words and deeds. The love, mercy and grace of God were personified in Him. People enjoyed listening to Him teach and would walk miles to hear Him. The brief record, three years of His teachings, reveals a depth of His wisdom. During Jesus’ ministry on earth, He faced fatigue from long days in ministry, criticism for well-doing, temptation while physically exhausted, sorrow after the death of a friend, and betrayal by a man who spent three years as His disciple. He knew every kind of tragedy and pain we would endure, and He had the compassion to bear our penalty for sin. When we see a lost world around us, our hearts should not be indifferent to their fate. May we never be content to go to Heaven alone. May we never get to the point of viewing the lost as a frustration, but rather as people in need of the Good News. This is why we need God’s heart. We need the Holy Spirit to work in us so that when we see the multitudes, we will be moved. How can we gain a Christ-like compassion? Let’s take a walk in someone else’s shoes. If life has disappointed you, or if you have failed and are filled with despair, with no idea where to turn for inspiration and strength, remember the compassion of Jesus. In the power of His love He encourages you to persevere and to rebuild your life. PRAYER: LORD, I desire so much to be compassionate. Use me as a vessel of compassion for a world in need. I want to be aware of those in need. Please let me see those around me that are in need of hope. Compel me to listen to them, to hear their needs. Let me be what others need, Lord. In Jesus name Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com God's Loved Displayed in the Life of a Christian (I John 4:9-11)
I John 4:9-11, In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. G. Campbell Morgan was once at lunch with his wife and his five sons who were also preachers. A friend asked them, "Who is the greatest preacher?" In unison the six men said, "Our mother." Mrs. Morgan's life affected others more than any sermon her husband and sons had preached. Because we are Christians, people will watch us. They will watch how we live and what we let affect our lives. Many times, they will judge Christianity based on our lives. How did God so love us? God loved us selflessly, sacrificially, sincerely, steadfastly. All throughout the Scriptures, God speaks of His love to us through His Word. He proved His love to us when He sent His only begotten Son to die on Calvary. If God had not taken the initiative to bring about our salvation, no one would be saved. Romans 3:10-11, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God”. But God’s love was so great that He sent His Son to be the sinless sacrifice to purchase our redemption. This is the foundation of our salvation. God did not wait for mankind to come to Him. He sent His Son to seek and to save us. Jesus left Heaven and sought after the lost so that we could have a restored relationship with Him. I John 4:11 tells us that we are to love one another. Christ does not give us a list of requirements someone must meet in order for us to love them. He does not command us to love only those who love us. He tells us to love one another. This means everyone. No matter what someone has done to us, we should love them. God's love for us does not depend on our love for Him; He loves us whether we obey Him or reject Him. Even so, we must not base our love for others on their love for us or their attitude toward us. We must love them as Christ loves us. Romans 5:5 says, "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Of our own power, we would not be able to always show God's love. Yet through the empowering of His Holy Spirit, we can even show love to those who mistreat us. Not only does Christ desire for us to love others, but He desires for us to let His love flow through our lives. God is invisible, but we as His children are visible. While some may not read of God's love in His Word or see His love on Calvary, they may see it through us as believers. The only way some people may see the love of Christ is through our lives. Questions to Consider: How would someone judge Christianity based on your life? Are you letting Christ's love flow through you? Or will someone never see the love of Christ because of your life? Points to Ponder: John says that the logical progression and response to God’s love is for us to love one another. We are challenged to put our love on the line. Ask Christ to give you the strength to love those around you, and let His love flow through you today. PRAYER: Thank You for bringing me into a relationship with You through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help me to never forget the price and the power of His cross. In Jesus’ name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Don’t Put It Off Another Day (Hebrews 3:7-9)
Hebrews 3:7-9, Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. On Sunday night, October 8, 1871, D. L. Moody was preaching the gospel in downtown Chicago. He challenged the listening crowd to go home and “think about what I’ve said about the gospel and come back tomorrow and tell me what you’ve decided about following the Lord.” Sounds OK, right? “It’s a big decision. Don’t rush into it. Weigh your options.” About the same hour that meeting was breaking up, a few blocks west of downtown, a blaze had begun in Patrick O’Leary’s cow barn. By midnight the fire had jumped the Chicago River’s south branch and by 1:30 a.m., the entire business district (where Moody had been preaching) was in flames. By 3:00 a.m., the inferno had raced northward, jumped the main river, and devoured over 100,000 homes. Not until after midnight the following day was the fire extinguished as a steady rain left Chicago smoldering and in rubbles—with hundreds dead. Many of the people who had heard the gospel on Sunday night perished in the flames. By not deciding to follow Jesus the moment they heard the invitation, they had missed their opportunity to respond to God’s good news. D.L. Moody’s ministry was changed forever. He said, “From now on, every chance I get I will urge upon people a decision today, today. Today, sir, make a decision today. Although you can choose your actions; you cannot choose the consequences.” IJesus had an encounter with Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10. In Luke 19:5, Our Lord said to Zacchaeus,” …Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house”. Every word is important, but notice these two words ‘haste’ and ‘today’. God’s call is urgent. It demands an immediate response, as it did in Paul’s day with Felix, Festus, and Agrippa (Acts 24, 25, 26). It is the same with us today. Again and again, people hear the message of the Gospel proclaimed faithfully and sincerely admonishing them to repent and believe on Christ, but they reply, “Tomorrow!” God’s call is not for tomorrow. It is written, ‘…To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation…’ God’s grace always comes with urgent dispatch. Tomorrow is in Satan’s calendar, but nowhere else. II Corinthians 6:2, “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” When you hear what God’s Word says, do something about it. If you want to go further with God than you have in years gone by, decide today that every time God shows you something, you’re going to get after it. If He lays it out for you, don’t put it off. If the Lord is calling, you need to respond immediately, without hesitation. PRAYER: Father, too often I have ignored Your prompting when You have called me to speak to others. This life will end sooner than I think. Help me to remain faithful until the end of this life’s journey. In Jesus name, AMEN. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com To Be Like Jesus (I Peter 2:21-24)
I Peter 2:21-24,"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." The proof of Christianity is not a book but a life. The power of Christianity is not a creed but a Christian character; and wherever you see life that has been transformed by the grace of God, you see a witness to the resurrection of Jesus. God’s purpose and plan for our life is for us to be a reflection of His Son. As Christians, we are not under the law (Galatians 3:24-26). We do not need rules, regulations, threats of punishment or promises of reward to inspire and rule our hearts. In order to live in this world for the glory of God, we must simply follow the example of the One who hung upon the cursed tree, bearing our sins. When I see Christ hanging upon the cross as my Substitute, I see that self-sacrifice is essential to honoring God (Luke 14:33). There is a battle for me to fight, a trial for me to endure, a service for me to perform and a cross for me to bear. I cannot serve God without self-sacrifice and self-denial. When Christ was on the cross, bearing our sins, He set before us an example of willing obedience to our heavenly Father. Our Saviour willingly obeyed His Father’s will, even unto death (Isaiah 50:5-7). This is the way we must serve God. God will never accept any gift, any worship or any service, unless it comes from a willing heart (II Corinthians 8:12). The cross also shows us our Lord’s dedication and perseverance. He not only agreed to bear our sins and promised to die for us; He actually did it. God requires dedication and perseverance from all who follow Christ. Our Lord’s death upon the cross also sets before us an example of real love and patient submission to the will of God. Even before the world was created, God’s plan was for us to be, “conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29). God did not save us solely to allow us to go to Heaven, although, of course, that is a wonderful and undeserved blessing. God also saved us so that we could go into the world just as Jesus did and point men and women to Him. God intends for us to be walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ as we go through this world. Prayer: Father, I know Your desire for me to be like You. You transform me every day. You want me to love what You love and hate what You hate. Many times, I have failed You. Thank You for Your constant love and forgiveness of me. May I never use the power of Your forgiveness to justify sinning, but may it draw me closer to You, so that when temptation comes, I may boldly proclaim, “I want to be like Jesus!” In Jesus’ name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Keeping the Past in the Past (Philippians 3:13-14)
Philippians 3:13-14, Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Have you ever left the house without your checkbook or grocery list—or even worse, without your driver’s license? Ever get amnesia when your spouse’s birthday or anniversary rolled around? Well, you know what they say: “The first thing that goes is the mind, and I can’t remember what else!” It’s usually an embarrassing thing when we forget, isn’t it? Usually it’s the things we shouldn’t forget that escape our minds while things we should forget we tend to remember often, and in detail. One of the Christians biggest problems is right here—dwelling on the past. You cannot run a race while looking backward. Too many Christians are still stuck in the past. We can never be who we ought to be if we are focused on the failures, disappointments, and heartaches. Paul wasted no time on the past. He was running the race for Christ. Paul would not focus on the past. He was looking ahead and determined to stay focused on Christ. He was serious about not allowing the past to hinder his present. Whether filled with the good, the bad, or the outrageous, the past is set in stone and there is nothing we can do to change it. Therefore, we can do one of two things. We can dwell on the past and focus upon our failures and shortcomings; or, lest we repeat it, we can look to the past, learn from it, and move forward. When we focus on the past, we cannot make any contributions for the future. This is what Satan wants us to do. He wants us to wallow in guilt and self-pity. He wants to put us out of commission for Christ. Life is full of ups and downs; good times and bad times, times of encouragement and times of discouragement. Everyone can look back on their lives and wish that they could do some things over, things that they wish they could change, and things that they regret that ever happened. Everyone has had skeletons in their closets. In life, we can learn from, and grow through, past experiences, or we can dwell on and be defeated by them. Failure is not final when God is in control. Let go of your past today. It will set you free to do wonders for Christ beyond your wildest dreams. PRAYER: Lord, You see my pain and You know my grief. There are memories I don’t want to relive, but I can’t erase them. They come when I least expect it, and the weight of the emotions threatens to consume me. In You I am safe, not only from the past, but from lingering memories as well. In Jesus name, AMEN. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com One Shot Opportunity (Acts 8:34-35)
Acts 8:34-35, And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. Don Calhoun worked for five dollars an hour at an office supply store in the twin-city of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. He had been to two Chicago Bulls basketball games in his life and was about to attend a third. When he entered the stadium, he was approached by a woman who worked for the Bulls organization and she told him they selected him to take part in a promotional event during the game called The Million Dollar Shot. The Shot came after a time-out in the third quarter of the game. If Mr. Calhoun could shoot a basket standing seventy-nine feet away or behind the free-throw line at the other end of the court, he would win one million dollars. Don was no stranger to basketball. He played at the Bloomington YMCA. He never tried a shot like this before. He took the ball in his hands and looked over at Michael Jordan and the rest of the Bulls who were rooting for him. He stepped to the line and shot the ball. As soon as it left his hands, the coach Phil Jackson said, "It's good!" Indeed, the ball went through the basket and the crowd went wild! Don rushed into the arms of Michael Jordan and the team slapped him on the back with congratulations. Don went home that night with two dollars in his pocket, but he would receive $50,000 a year for the next twenty years. God has a plan for the world, and He wants us to take part in it. He gives us but one lifetime to participate. We must be wise and seize the opportunity to share our faith in Christ. You may be given a great opportunity over the next week: a volunteer position at church, an open door to share your faith or give an encouraging word to a friend, an opportunity to stand up for someone who is being mistreated, or a platform to proclaim the truth. Learn to see each opportunity to serve God and bless others as part of His plan for your life. Never view an opportunity as being below you or as something you will get around to doing later on. God wants you to respond with humility and without delay. His opportunities may only knock once. One action, one decision, one moment can change your entire life. This is what happens when you trust Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour. Trusting in Him will change your life for eternity! We must seize the opportunity to proclaim the Gospel to those who need Christ. What opportunities to proclaim the Gospel will God put before you today and will you seize the opportunity? PRAYER: Lord, thank You for Your wonderful gift of the Gospel. Help me to have spiritual discernment to Your leading to help share what has impacted me. Give me the courage and the words to share with any person You direct me to meet. In Jesus’ name, Amen. If this post has blessed you in any way, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com |
AuthorDr. Blackman is passionate about helping others grow in the grace of the Lord. His devotions are centered on how to grow closer to the Lord through a personal relationship with Christ. Archives
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