Category: Daily Devotion

Today’s Word Is ATTIRE

It’s Humor Day!
Fri-Mar-13-2020

One Sunday morning an old cowboy entered a church just before services were about to begin. Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he wore jeans, a denim shirt and boots that were worn and a little ragged around the edges. In his hand he carried a worn-out old hat and an equally worn out Bible.

The church he entered was in a very upscale and exclusive part of the city. It was the largest and most beautiful church the old cowboy had ever seen. The people of the congregation were all dressed in expensive clothes and accessories.

As the cowboy took a seat, the others moved away from him. No one greeted, spoke to, or welcomed him. They were all appalled at his appearance and did not attempt to hide it.

As the old cowboy was leaving the church, the preacher approached him and asked the cowboy to do him a favor. “Before you come back in here again, have a talk with God and ask him what he thinks would be appropriate attire for worship.” The old cowboy assured the preacher he would.

The next Sunday, he showed up for the services wearing the same ragged jeans, shirt, boots and hat. Once again, he was completely shunned and ignored. The preacher approached the man and said, “I thought I asked you to speak to God before you came back to our church.”

“I did,” replied the old cowboy.

“If you spoke to God, what did he tell you the proper attire should be for worshiping in here?” asked the preacher.

“Well, sir, God told me that he didn’t have a clue what I should wear. He said He’d never been in this church.”

If you’re looking for a church, find one where God is surely there. If he is, you will be welcomed by God’s people, regardless of your attire. The Bible will be taught and honored, and many will be carrying one. The love of God will flow in relationships. The life, teaching, miracles, death, and resurrection of Jesus will be openly proclaimed. The Holy Spirit will be at work changing lives. And mission work to bless those in need will be practiced. There is a praise chorus by Lanny Wolfe that goes like this …

Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.

I can feel his mighty power and his grace.

I can hear the brush of angel’s wings,

I see glory on each face.

Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.

Have a blessed weekend, including rest, family, and worship,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is LIGHT

Thu-Mar-12-2020

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” (1st Peter 2:9)

The difference in a life lived without God, and a life lived through him is like the difference between night and day.

Many years back I was an associate pastor in charge of the youth program. Our meetings were on the third floor of a dated building. As I was closing up one Sunday night, my two preschool children and I were the last ones out. I don’t know who designs light switch locations in churches, but they don’t make sense. The hallway lights had already been turned off by someone else, and I was turning off the youth room lights. That put the three of us in the dark, and I realized that the only hallway light switch was at the far end of the hall.

The idea of walking down that dark hallway to the stairs at the other end was not appealing to my kids, because it was very dark outside that night. I pointed out that through the window at the far end where we were going there was a faint streetlight in the distance. We held hands and made it to the other end by focusing on that tiny light.

I’m sure you’ve used the saying about “being in the dark” about something, meaning that there is information that we don’t know or is being withheld from us. This information seems to us to be very important to have.

All light comes from God. If your world is dark at the moment, ask God to shine the light. This could require action on your part as well. Because of where you are in life, it may seem like just a faint light at the end of a long hall, but it is there. God has lots of light shining, but often we don’t want to go where he shines it. We want him to shine it “where I say to shine it.”

There is a way to live in the dark and wonder why there’s no light. Many people do that … no time for church, faith, prayer, study, fellowship, mission projects, family, etc. Yet, God is shining the light in those activities. We should head toward the light God is shining, rather than fretting about the dark where we’re sitting. Today’s verse says that God has “called us out of darkness” and “into his marvelous light.” The implication here, when it says he is “calling us out of darkness” is that we have to move toward the light. And when we come into his light, it is “marvelous”!

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is STING

Wed-Mar-11-2020

“For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14:8)

Having talked about death yesterday, I realize there is more to say – and an important healing you or someone you know may need. Many years ago, I was in a powerful reunion service with 300+ in attendance in which the Holy Spirit fell on the room and dozens of people wept immensely or fell to their knees and received a healing from an affliction I had never thought of.

Before I describe that event, let me say something about my comment yesterday that I “lost” a dear pastor friend.

Why do we say, “I lost a loved one”? That’s a misleading phrase for a person of faith. Yes, we lost someone, in the sense of their physical presence. But neither my friend who died nor I have been living all these years as if we only had hope in this life.

It is a central faith issue to me to know that I didn’t really “lose” my friend in the sense that people of no faith would interpret it. The family of God has members on both sides of the veil. I am on this side, he is now on that side, but not far away. He is not lost in the sense that he no longer exists, or that we won’t see him again. It is only that I have lost the chance to see him at meetings or to have lunch with him. However, he’s just as important to me as ever. His influence is just as real. We still both belong to the same owner, the God that made us. And someday day I will see him again.

I hope you feel some kinship with persons who have died and gone on before you. Eventually the sadness diminishes and gives rise to a sacred connection. A season of sadness is normal, but through God’s comfort, we eventually receive a sense of peace and thankfulness.

Those who go before us are compared in Hebrews 12:1 to a “cloud of witnesses.” So now my friend is one of my witnesses. And his faith story is part of my encouragement.

My mom, dad, sister, and others are also part of my cloud of witnesses. And being “surrounded” by this cloud of witnesses, by these people who have died in the faith, is not supposed to be depressing. It is intended to be life giving and refreshing. It’s sort of like running the race of life and seeing far enough ahead that there are people past the finish line waving, jumping, and cheering us on.

Back to the church gathering in which so many were healed – it happened at my daughter’s church in California. An apostolic woman widely known across America, who was very advanced in age, walked to the podium to say something the Lord had given her. She read this verse to us, talking very slowly and distinctly, pausing to let each phrase sink in …  (1st Corinthians 15:54-55) So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

Then she spoke a few minutes which sums up to something like this, “Some of you in this room have had a death in your life that you have been unable to recover from. This is because of an affliction or spirit that has given you a “sting.” The sting of the death of this particular person has stayed with you so profoundly that normal grieving and healing has not taken place. You are suffering from the “sting of death” and it will not go away. I come to you today in the Name of the Lord to break this sting of death off of you. Sting of death, be gone! Come Holy Spirit and heal!”

During her words, a few people in the room had already begun weeping. By the time she finished, some were on their knees. Some lifted their hands as if to receive what the Holy Spirit was doing. The outcry spread throughout the room. Some ran to the front to kneel and pray. Chairs were being moved around as people ministered to one another. The entire room was filled with the electric sense of God’s healing presence. It must have lasted for an hour, as continually more people realized what this sting had done to them. By the end, there came a holy silence, as everyone in reverence understood the cleansing that had just taken place.

I have a word of hope for you … if there is a death in your past experience that still has a “sting” to it, ask God for this healing. Don’t give up or think that this sting is meant to be permanent. That is not true, and is not from God’s Word. God wants us to be surprised and relieved when this sting goes away, so that we ask, “death, where is your sting?” … because we realize it is gone. And all the glory belongs to God!

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is DEATH

Tue-Mar-10-2020

I have suffered the loss of a dear pastor friend this past week, and two weeks before that, sat with a couple whose wedding I performed a year ago, as they suffered the loss of a child after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Death is not a fun subject, but it must be discussed at some point. I frequently deal with death and tragedy. It is heart-rending to sit with a mother whose son has just died from an overdose, or with a husband at the bedside of his wife who just took her final breath, or with a couple whose child expired before being born. Sometimes there just are no words, and the only thing to do is to be present and, if necessary, to remind folks that God is also present.

There are many people who haven’t prepared to deal with death and dying. All of us know that we will deal with it eventually – either the death of a loved one – or facing our own death. Medical personnel want to help us work toward healthy progress and avoid serious physical issues. But they also know that we must stay prepared for life-threatening emergencies. I have seen a trauma team assisting a patient while at the same time trying to help a friend or family member who faints, panics, freezes, or falls apart during emergency response. I have occasionally seen the same thing at funeral homes, where a room full of mourners contains a few who are screaming, arguing, or out of control.

There is a fine line here. Death brings out intense emotions. It is natural and normal. The question I am posing today is whether there is a way we can prepare ourselves for our own death or the death of another. My answer is “yes … sort of.”

The best and only method I know of that works is the faith method. My faith journey has involved going deeper and deeper into the love of God. Whenever I think I have figured out how much God loves me – it turns out there’s more. This creates a peace so profound that panic, stress, and anxiety can’t survive very well, because God is gradually removing the negative soil of fear that these hurtful emotions grow in and is replacing it with the fertile ground of his love, which tends to produce better fruit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

In my experience, people of the Christian faith (of which I am one), on average seem to handle death and tragedy better than those whose faith is non-existent or shallow at best. And those Christians who mature farther, who draw closest to God, and closest to healthy, sincere, wise, loving believers – in other words they are practicing their faith – these are the ones who do not panic or lose control when death is imminent or a reality. My siblings and I stood beside our father’s bed for the last few hours of his life. We sang his favorite hymns and told stories of his serious and humorous moments.

Can we be prepared? The reason that I said above – “yes, sort of” – is because even if we are mature and grounded enough to deal with various difficulties in life, death events still impact our emotions deeply. Tears are normal, loss is heavy sometimes. When a death occurs it is OK to say, “I was prepared, but I wasn’t prepared.”

It has been said of the statesman Hubert Humphrey that he “taught us how to live well, and he taught us how to die well.”  To do so ourselves, we can affirm that God will be there for us in our time of need. If it is our own death, God can comfort us through it. If it is the death of another, we can receive assurance that God will hold us in our future, so that when a moment of loss comes, we don’t have to panic as if to conclude, “What am I going to do? I am lost. I can’t go on.” We may “feel” lost and unable to go on, but even though we may not want to go on past this loss, the Spirit will speak into our hearts that we can go on because of him.

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

I am thankful for readers who have ventured forward in faith and who help others make it through difficulties.

But, I also want to speak to someone who realizes that you are probably just treading water in the spiritual pool, someone who realizes that you probably aren’t prepared for handling tragedy, someone who needs to let God take you on a faith journey, sort of like a rafting adventure, to get out of the pool and into the river, to get tossed about a bit, to fall overboard a couple of times and experience God lifting you back into the boat, and thus learn that he will not let you sink. It’s an adventure in faith-building. If you are this person, hold tightly to God. If you know someone who is like this, encourage them to go deeper in faith and trust.

And later, when tragedy or death comes along, we will not panic. We will trust. Sadness, yes – destroyed, no.

“…If God is for us, who is against us? … Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, … nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:31 selections)

I’m living by faith, even in the worst moments!

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is GRUMBLE

Mon-Mar-9-2020

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing …” – The Apostle Paul (Philippians 2:14)

I’ve done my share of grumbling, however it’s not very effective in the long run for me. I may end up getting what I “say” I want, but I may also lose some things that I wanted more – like friendship, harmony, and favor.

A very long time ago my wife and I were headed to the car after the church service, being one of the last handful to leave. A long-time church member was standing in the parking lot gazing at the back building, a wooden structure which housed the fellowship hall. He stopped us long enough to point at that there were three dead ex-Christmas trees discarded at the side of the building. (It was now February.) “This,” he said, “is a fire hazard!”

A couple in our Sunday School class was also walking to their car near us and overheard the comment. They paused and the husband looked at me. It was like our minds simultaneously knew what we were going to do. We didn’t miss a beat, as we strode over to the back building, grabbed the 3 trees, and dragged them about 50 yards away to a patch of woods, where we allowed them to join their other dead tree friends that were lying there crumbling away.

We turned back toward the parking lot, not looking at the grumbler, and joined our wives who had watched the scene unfold. We headed to our cars, waved and drove away. The grumbler was still standing there as if this didn’t turn out quite the way he had hoped – which would have been getting some mileage out of a perfectly reasonable grumble.

Was he right to point out the hazard? Yes. The problem he carried with him every Sunday at church was that he had the reputation of being a grumbler. Being friends with a grumbler is difficult, unless you are another grumbler, in which case you seem to feed off of each other. Such a reputation can be fixed – by repentance, seeking God’s help, making a sincere effort to change, and asking others to forgive you. It is my hunch that many Christians don’t start out being grumblers, it just develops over time in certain people. Thus, we should be on our guard.

“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.” – The Apostle Paul (Colossians 3:14-15a)

The Apostle Paul knew that the grumblers in the church worked against unity. They drive away hungry and sincere people who come to visit looking for a home church, but attract other legalistic people like themselves. The love of Christ softens our hearts and keeps us and our church at peace.

Have a blessed and grumble-free day,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word is HEARS

It’s Humor Day!
Fri-Mar-6-2020

At the end of their third date, a young man takes his favorite girl home. Emboldened by the evening, he decides to try for that important first kiss.

With an air of confidence, he leans with his hand against the wall and, smiling, he says to her, “Darling, how about a goodnight kiss?”

Horrified, she replies, “Are you mad? My parents will see us!”

“Oh come on! Who’s gonna see us at this hour?”

“No, please. Can you imagine if we get caught?”

“Oh come on, there’s nobody around, they’re all sleeping!”

“No way. It’s just too risky!”

“Oh please, please, I like you so much!!”

“No, no, and no. I like you too, but I just can’t!”

Out of the blue, the porch light comes on, and the girl’s sister shows up in her pajamas, hair disheveled. In a sleepy voice the sister says: “Dad says to go ahead and give him a kiss. Or I can do it. Or if need be, he’ll come down himself and do it. But for crying out loud, we’d all like to go back to sleep, so tell him to take his hand off the intercom button!”

Oops! I suppose in a moment like that, you would prefer not to be heard by everyone in the house!

It is good to know who is listening. And who is it that is always listening? God is.

“But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.” (Psalm 4:3)

This also means that he is always with you. Some will ask, “If God is always with me and always hears me, then why doesn’t he fix the things that bother me?” Life with God doesn’t work like that. He uses wisdom and timing to guide us. He wants us to grow, mature, and increase in wisdom and strength. Yet he does not want us to feel alone and unsupported.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Many of our relationships are like this. We want to be heard and to know that we are not alone. Most of the time what we really need is the presence and listening ear of others, not fixes.

Today, be glad that God always hears you and is always with you. His divine presence is the very thing we need the most.

Blessings!

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is HELP

Thu-Mar-5-2020

Some people just won’t ask for help. Unfortunately, there are many folks who, like me, have been at a stage where they love to give help but resist receiving it. I still love to help, of course. But I am doing much better with the receiving part. I still have flashes of self-sufficiency and pride, but I finally reached a point where not only am I willing to ask for help, I actually enjoy getting help! That’s a big leap forward.

Why would we resist asking others for help? It could be that we don’t want to be turned down. Rejection is a normal part of life and something we must learn how to accept without getting hurt or becoming angry.

Resisting help can also come from a feeling that we don’t want to be a burden to others. However, surely we can learn how to have a healthy exchange of helping each other without the sense of taking advantage of someone or being taken advantage of. Furthermore, there is also a need at times for someone to assist with our burdens for a specific reason or season. After all, the Apostle Paul tells us to …

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)

A third reason for refusing help is that some folks just want to control everything. As Dr. Phil would say, “How’s that working for ya?”

And finally, some folks make the excuse that they “don’t take hand-outs.” What do you think that is? Pride, maybe? God gives lots of “hand-outs”! And God’s people like to hand out blessings as well. Maybe we should just say, “Thank you!” Always refusing help will, in effect, rob other people of the blessing of giving.

Asking for help … does not imply that you are deficient as a human being.

Asking for help … is not a sign of weakness.

Asking for help … lets others know that you do not think too highly of yourself.

Asking for help … is a good way to make friends.

Asking for help … is OK.

Never asking for help … is equivalent to opposing God … especially if our resistance to accepting help is rooted in pride.

“Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” – The Apostle Simon Peter (1st Peter 5:5b)

There is a balance to learn regarding giving and receiving help. Excessively asking for help can be irresponsible and irritating and will keep us from learning skills and maturing in wisdom. Never asking for help (and even adamantly refusing what help is offered) is a sign of arrogance or pride and will keep us from developing healthy relationships.

Find your “middle” ground where you and those around you can graciously assist one another …

Ask for help at the right times.

Offer help at the right times.

Enjoy the benefits.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is CRITICISM

Wed-Mar-4-2020

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” – The Apostle Paul (1st Timothy 4:12)

At age 19 at the beginning of my junior year in college, I became the pastor of five small rural churches. It was a “circuit” … meaning I would go to a church and preach at 9:00 AM, then jump in my car and preach somewhere else at 11:00 AM. I would go to certain churches on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month, and others the 2nd and 4th.

These people liked me a lot, and I liked them. I worked very hard on my messages. But several years down the road I glanced back at some of my old sermon notes. They were not outstanding, and in fact, I thought to myself, “This is terrible!” I said some worthwhile things, but mostly I was astonished at how poorly written they were and at some of the illustrations I came up with.

Then … this revelation came to my mind … these people didn’t like me because of my great sermons, they liked me because I was “me.” I cared about them. I visited them in the hospital. I ate Sunday dinner in their homes. I was sincere and sympathetic. I had the energy of a young person and the desire to make a difference, so they overlooked my poor preaching and lack of wisdom and maturity. Thankfully, only a small minority were frustrated at me because I was young, and yes, there were some.

People may look down on you for lots of possible reasons. You’re too young, too old, too boring, too moody, too organized, too unorganized … or … you make decisions too slowly, you make decisions too hastily, you have too many emotions, you aren’t emotional enough, you’re an introvert, you’re an extrovert, etc., etc., etc.

You would like to hope that people wouldn’t be so critical, but they are. In the above Scripture passage, Paul is putting the initiative on Timothy to solve the problem … “Don’t let anyone look down on you…”

That goes for you and me as well. Paul doesn’t mean for us to go around correcting other people’s critical attitudes and comments. There will always be someone to criticize us. But here’s what he is saying … that we do not have to “receive” that criticism. Instead of trying to fix critical people and resent them until they quit, we should do the healthy thing … don’t get angry, or resentful, or offended … just say, “I don’t receive that judgment into my mind, my heart, or my spirit.”

Once those judgments and criticisms are released, it is amazing how peaceful and joyful life can be. We can actually get along better with critical people, and even love them more, because we have ceased allowing the hurt to enter our spirit.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is STRENGTH

Tue-Mar-3-2020

After you have made it through a tough time, a stressful deadline, a challenging crisis, or maybe just made it through the day, hopefully you get a chance to relax and breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe you begin to reflect on how this all worked out, what you learned, and where  the strength came from. As believers, we should know that giving ourselves the credit doesn’t really tell the whole story.

Listen to King David after a victory against an enemy:

I love You, O Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;

My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,

And I am saved from my enemies. (Psalm 18:1-3)

When King David says, ”I am saved from my enemies,” he means the battle is over and we won! Yes, we. Through it all, the Lord is our rock, our fortress, and our deliverer.

How good are you at giving God the credit? It is much easier to quickly acknowledge and thank him when we have started out confiding and trusting in him, asking for guidance in the morning and throughout the day. I have made much progress over the years, but I still sometimes find myself seeing a problem or opportunity and just taking off with my own solution. Carrying on that day-long conversation is a great habit, which can keep me from being too hasty and disregarding my greatest source of strength. Then when the job is complete, problem solved, success achieved, victory won – I am more prone to give thanks to God my Father for the strength.

A famous Budweiser commercial shows a young colt alone in the barn beside the huge wagon that the older horses pull as a team. He steps under the harness, puts his neck in place and tries to pull. At first it doesn’t budge. He pulls harder – then suddenly the carriage moves forward, and he starts walking!

Obviously, he is thinking – wow, I’m really doing it! Then the camera angle widens and you see that the wagon is being pushed from behind by one of the huge Clydesdales, which I take to be his Dad.

So it is with you and me. Whether small or large, the things we accomplish are made possible by the God who is helping far more than we often give him credit. It is actually by his strength that we accomplished anything.

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” – Jesus (John 15:5)

Give thanks and give credit,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is JOB

Mon-Mar-2-2020

Many years ago, the owner of a professional sports franchise hired a consulting firm to help evaluate their employees, including job descriptions, distribution of responsibilities, and organizational chart. The purpose was to see if they could improve their sports team’s effectiveness and reputation, as well as to make things more cost effective and improve the “bottom line.”

A selection of employees at every level, from high salaries to minimum wage, and from every part of the company was brought in for interviews. These persons were to describe what their “job” was. For example, “I am in the marketing department, and my job is to arrange for large groups to come to our ball games and receive special treatment.” Another might say, “I travel the country looking for prospective athletes for our team.” While another might say, “I am in the ticket booth selling tickets.”

One of the random names picked was a cleaning lady who patrolled the bathrooms during the games and kept them “fresh.” The interviewer began by asking her, “What is your job for this organization?” And without hesitation, she said, “I’ll tell you what my job is … my job is to help our team win the Super Bowl!” She went on to explain how people are happier, buy more “stuff,” talk up the team, and stay loyal fans if they are able to go to a clean, well-kept restroom. “Furthermore,” she explained, “happy fans are more enthusiastic and yell more, and that makes our team play better and win more games, which is what gets us to the Super Bowl!”

Wouldn’t you like to work side-by-side with someone who has this attitude about their job! I would imagine that lady was fun to be around, easy to work with, and accomplished a lot, while maintaining excellent relationships with the customers as well as co-workers.

No job is insignificant, especially if you are doing it with the highest of purposes. After all, your real reward is from the Lord!

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” – The Apostle Paul (Colossians 3:23-24)

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark