Overcoming fear

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Fear will often turn people away from something that everyone else is safely doing. Paul reminds Timothy that God has given us power, love, and self-discipline to overcome those moments of fear.

In 1973, 26-year-old director Steven Spielberg was hired to make a movie based on Peter Benchley's novel about shark attacks called Jaws. The movie was so scary that even to this day millions of Americans panic when they get wind that a shark might be present in their beach area. A persistent shark phobia keeps people away from the beach.

But an article in Foreign Policy magazine claims that on average less than one American (0.92 people) dies each year from a shark attack. So just in case you really need something better to worry about, here's a list of some items more likely than sharks to cause your death while living in the United States:

Trampolines account for an average of 1.1 deaths per year.

Roller coasters take 1.15 lives per year. So the article advises, "Keep your hands inside the car; your next thrill-ride could be to the coroner's office."

Free-standing kitchen-range tip-overs cause 1.31 deaths per year.

Vending machines account for 2.06 deaths per year. The article states, "So if those high-fat snacks don't take your life prematurely, rock or tilt that machine while looking for a freebie, and you'll be sleeping with the Pepperidge Farm goldfishes."

Riding lawnmowers take 5.22 lives per year.

Fireworks cause 6.6 deaths per year. Although, technically, these deaths were caused more by careless and impatient people who peered into the PVC piping because the fireworks didn't seem to be igniting. Most of these deaths occurred despite safety posters warning something like, "Fireworks Can Burn at 2,000°F—Hot as a Blow Torch!"

Skydiving accidents account for 21.2 deaths per year.

Getting crushed by a television or furniture causes an average of 26.44 deaths every year in the United States. This statistic led the comedian Stephen Colbert to issue a warning against the perils of "terrorist furniture."

The article concludes with a challenge to face our fears and take action. After reminding us that the risk factors of smoking, poor diet, lack of physical activity, and alcohol kill 87 percent of Americans prematurely, the article urges us to get off the couch, turn off Jaws, and go for a swim.

In our Christian walk there are times we fear to do what is right. Take a moment and remember 2 Timothy 1:7. Hopefully your fear will be removed or diminished.

Good actions show love

1 John 3:18 (NLT)

18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

There is a difference between words sweet to the ears and sincere affection and actions or services of Love. As song writer Don Francisco stated, “Love is not a feeling, it’s an act of your will.”

On September 30, 2013 Dwayne and Dawna Johnson of Buena Vista, Colorado had the perfect day planned. The electrician and high school football coach and his wife took their two teenage daughters on a day hike up a popular mountain trail. But then the unthinkable happened: a rockslide barreled down at them at a vantage point looking up on Agnes Vaille Falls.

Just before the cascading dirt and boulders swept Dwayne, his wife, and their oldest daughter to their deaths, Dwayne made a decision that saved the life of his 13-year-old daughter, Gracie. A few weeks after the tragedy, Gracie said, "I did cover myself, but I was just standing in the open. [My dad] pushed me to a rock that was bigger than I was, and he just saved me." Sheriff's Deputy Nick Tolsma added, "[Gracie] said her dad jumped on top of her to protect her right at the last moment when the rocks were coming down."

Immediately after the rockslide, as rescue workers began to search the area, they heard Gracie's voice coming from beneath the pile of rocks that covered her. Deputy Tolsma eventually spotted Gracie's hand sticking out from the rocks. No one in the town was surprised by Dwayne's act of sacrificial love. As a family friend said, "He would have done the same for any of our children, absolutely."

Just two days before the accident, Dwayne wrote to his 18-year-old daughter Kiowa-Rain, and encouraged her to "dream big," "develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ," and remember that "deep, meaningful relationships bring happiness." Dwayne lived out those words and the words of his Savior— "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." [Catherine E. Shoichet, Kyung Lah and Jack Hannah, "Colorado rock slide kills 5 members of one family; teen survives," CNN (10-2-13)]

The heroic actions of a father saved his daughter, but cost him his own life. Actions always speak louder than words. Imagine if the father had just said “Move out of the way” instead of protecting his daughter. Watch the actions of those around you. If they have good intentions towards you it is love. If the intentions are bad then love is missing. A friend told me once about a neighbor who showed up at his door. She had been beaten by her husband. She kept saying over and over to my friend, “He says he loves me, but what kind of love is this?”  Obviously it was not love, but misguided actions and false words.

God's sacrifice

1 John 4:9 (NLT)

9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.

Strange that God should love impure, vain, vile, dust and ashes! That he has loved us at such a rate, at such an incomparable value as he has given for us; he has given his own, only-beloved, blessed Son for us: Because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him, v. 9. (Matthew Henry Commentary)

In the book The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom tells the story of Eddie, a carnival maintenance worker who dies saving the life of a little girl. In heaven he meets five people who had been part of his life.

The second person he meets was captain of his army unit in Vietnam. For the first time Eddie learns the captain died saving his life. As they reminisce about their time together, the captain talks about the significance of the sacrifices each of them made.

"Sacrifice," the Captain said. "You made one. I made one. We all make them. But you were angry over yours. You kept thinking about what you lost. You didn't get it. Sacrifice is a part of life. It's supposed to be. It's not something to regret. It's something to aspire to. Little sacrifices. Big sacrifices. A mother works so her son can go to school. A daughter moves home to take care of her sick father. A man goes to war…"

He stopped for a moment and looked off into the cloudy gray sky.

"Rabozzo (a member of their unit who died in captivity) didn't die for nothing, you know. He sacrificed for his country, and his family knew it, and his kid brother went on to be a good soldier and a great man because he was inspired by it. I didn't die for nothing, either. That night, we might have all driven over that land mine. Then the four of us would have been gone."

Eddie shook his head. "But you…" He lowered his voice. "You lost your life."

The Captain smacked his tongue on his teeth. "That's the thing. Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you're not really losing it. You're just passing it on to someone else."

God made a sacrifice by sending His Son Jesus Christ to the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. People often question, what does it mean when it says “that we might”? It means we have a choice to accept the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us on the cross when He died for our sins. We might choose to believe or we might choose not to believe. John 3:16 tells us, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” We have a choice, believe or not to believe, but our choice determines our consequence. Accept the sacrifice Christ made so that you may live an eternal life with Him. That is what He is passing on to you.

Unsafe people

Proverbs 25:19 (NLT)

19 Putting confidence in an unreliable person in times of trouble is like chewing with a broken tooth or walking on a lame foot.

This proverb is a reminder that there are people who we cannot trust with our problems or issues. These people are unsafe and can cause us suffering in addition to our problems and issues.

Dr. Kristina Welker in an article from the AhWatukee FootHill News, published July 19, 2011 provides some clues for recognizing people who can be unsafe in your life. Unsafe people usually reveal things you don’t wish revealed or stir up problems causing issues with other friends. Dr. Kristina Welker says:

Be wary of people who avoid being vulnerable. They are avoiding intimacy, communicating only on a superficial level. They withhold parts of themselves hoping you will believe that they have it all together.

Unsafe people cannot tolerate criticism even when it's constructive. Unable to admit fault, they justify their actions and focus on yours. When you try to tell them you are hurt by their behavior, they make it about them and refuse to see the situation from your point of view.

They lie to you instead of telling you the truth; in spite of this, they demand your trust. They gossip about you, instead of keeping your secrets confidential. They run from one person to another "stirring the pot" and telling each person what they want to hear.

Unsafe people are inconsistent. They don't live up to their commitments. They make promises they cannot keep. They lack integrity. They are out to get their needs met, without considering the needs of others.

You can be assured that you are in an unhealthy relationship when it is one that resembles that of a parent/child. For example: They give you advice when you don't ask for it. They don't trust your judgment. Critical and disapproving, they are quite certain that, without them, you will not make the right decisions.

Enmeshment is also quite common in an unhealthy relationship. This occurs when the unsafe person wants nearly all your time, and is competitive and jealous when you have other friends or other interests.

These are some of the things to look out for when forming friendships and relationships. Eventually the unsafe person will cause issues in your life that brings problems. Remember the characteristics above; they are red flags you could be in an unsafe relationship with someone. Heed the warnings and instead put your confidence in people you can trust.

Plans to prosper

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV)

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Through the prophet Jeremiah God speaks to the people about the plans He has for them. The plans are for their prosperity so they will have hope and a future.

There was a man named Jeremiah Lanphier who lived in New York City during the 1850s. Those were years of tension, when the shadow of war loomed over America. There were strikes, depressions, tailing banks, long jobless lines, and an air of simmering violence. In this setting, Lanphier accepted a calling as a full-time city evangelist. He walked the streets, knocked on doors, put up posters, and prayed constantly—all to no visible result.

As his discouragement increased, Lanphier looked for some kind of new idea, some possibility for breakthrough. New York was a business town; maybe the men would come to a luncheon. So he nailed up his signs, calling for a noon lunch in the Old Dutch Church on Fulton Street. When the hour came, he sat and waited until finally a single visitor arrived. Several minutes later, a couple of stragglers peeked through the door. The handful of them had a nice meal.

Lanphier gave his idea another go on the following week. Twenty men attended; at least it was a start. But then forty came on the third week. The men were getting to know each other by this time, and one of them suggested he'd be willing to come for food and prayer every day. Lanphier thought that was a good sign, and he ramped up his efforts for a daily meal and prayer time.

Before long, the building was overflowing. The luncheon had to move again and again, so high was the demand. The most intriguing element of the "Fulton Street Revival," as they called the phenomenon, was the ripple effect. Offices began closing for prayer at noon …. Fulton Street was the talk of the town, with men telegraphing prayer news back and forth between New York City and other cities—yes, other cities had started their own franchises; other godly meetings were launching in New York.

The center of the meeting was prayer, and it was okay to come late or leave early, as needed …. Men stood and shared testimonies. [This was not] a place for the well-known preachers of the day—this was about the working class, businessmen who wanted to share the things of God.

Some historians went so far as to refer to the Fulton Street Revival as the Third Great Awakening, because it lasted for two years and saw as many as one million decisions for Christ. Given the influence of New York City, no one could estimate the national and international impact that spread out from Jeremiah Lanphier's simple lunch breaks. It is well known, however, that great funds were raised for fulfilling the Great Commission. [Ronnie Floyd, Our Last Great Hope (Thomas Nelson, 2011), pp. 167-169]

Jeremiah Lanphier started out with a single purpose that grew and prospered. God had plans for him, to grow his future and in the process help others grow and prosper.

The Word of God

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Here we are told that the word of God is inspired by God and that he literally put his breath to the words that are written. The purpose of God’s word is to become equipped for good works, to teach the scripture, and the use of scripture to correct and train how one should live.

After I send out a devotional the other day a friend wrote back and asked, “Are you reading my mind?” Something I wrote spoke to him and he related to the words.  But it wasn’t me speaking to him; it was God working through the scripture breathing life into His words so my friend could hear from God.

I have been writing devotions for over 10 years. I started writing them to encourage a friend. What I soon learned is that I was encouraging myself and learning things God wanted me to do. As others read my devotions they would occasionally write back saying, “How did you know what I needed to hear today?”  Honestly, I didn't! I knew nothing about their situation, problems or anything else going on in their life. I just started with a Bible verse and wrote from what I read. God was the one giving the person what they needed to hear.

This is why it is so important to read through The Bible. As you read God will bring thoughts to the surface and help you see meanings you never saw before. God will teach you and train you so that you will be equipped for every good work; that is the importance of reading The Bible.

Heavenly Father, I pray that we will become good servants obedient to you Lord. I pray that you will breathe wisdom upon us and let us know how to live. Let us learn to love one another even when we may not feel lovable or loving. Let us be a reflection of Jesus who died for our sins. Teach us to live as He did and reach out to others. Father thank you for the wisdom you give us.

I pray these things in the sweet name of Jesus,

Amen 

Love prospers when a fault is forgiven

Proverbs 17:9 (NLT)

9 Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.

When love is put aside to focus on faults of others it becomes an opportunity to separate friends. Matthew Henry once said, “The best method of peace is by an amnesty or act of oblivion.” Turn our heads away from the faults and let love fill in the gaps.

Amy Sutherland communicates some interesting ideas about husbands and wives in an article she wrote for the New York Times called, "What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage." Sutherland begins by explaining that, after 12 years of marriage, she became dismayed that her husband still exhibited several irritating habits. Her reaction to this realization is shared by many women today:

These minor annoyances are not the stuff of separation and divorce, but in sum they began to dull my love for Scott. I wanted—needed—to nudge him a little closer to perfect, to make him into a mate who might annoy me a little less, who wouldn't keep me waiting at restaurants, a mate who would be easier to love.

So, like many wives before me, I ignored a library of advice books and set about improving him. By nagging, of course, which only made his behavior worse: he'd drive faster instead of slower; shave less frequently, not more; and leave his reeking bike garb on the bedroom floor longer than ever.

A breakthrough came when Amy began traveling to a school for exotic animal trainers in California in order to research a book she wanted to write:

I listened, rapt, as professional trainers explained how they taught dolphins to flip and elephants to paint. Eventually it hit me that the same techniques might work on that stubborn but loveable species, the American husband.

The central lesson I learned from exotic animal trainers is that I should reward behavior I like and ignore behavior I don't. After all, you don't get a sea lion to balance a ball on the end of its nose by nagging. The same goes for the American husband.

Back in Maine, I began thanking Scott if he threw one dirty shirt into the hamper. If he threw in two, I'd kiss him. Meanwhile, I would step over any soiled clothes on the floor without one sharp word, though I did sometimes kick them under the bed. But as he basked in my appreciation, the piles became smaller.

A lesson I have learned in life is that it is difficult to change the behaviors of others, but if you change your own behaviors you may see new results in the other person.

Blaming others for our faults

Proverbs 19:3 (NIV)

3 A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the Lord.

The foolishness of man corrupts his way and disappointment comes because they did not obtain their dreams. Instead of man accepting fault for his own mistakes he looks for someone to blame. Often God is an easy target. For man says, “God could have prevented this.”  If the truth be known, so could have man.

Jerry Waxler wrote in Mental Health Survival Guide:  By blaming others we transfer power to "them", and paralyze ourselves while we wait for "them" to change or release their hold on us. By remaining locked into our victimized explanations, we become helpless to change a situation or attitude, while we pour our energy into complaining and anger, and other misdirected activities that can't resolve our issues. Helpless thoughts lead to feelings of depression, anxiety, and chronic anger.

As victims, instead of taking steps to help ourselves, we lobby against others, looking for supporters to help justify our anger and blame. We harden our hearts against others, making our world more antagonistic and combative. We may also believe that we'll be better off if bad things happen to the ones we are blaming, as if their misfortune will relieve our anxiety.

Since our problems are caused by other people, we hope they'll be resolved by other people. We passively wait for a rescuer, in the form of a parent, a lottery ticket, a perfect lover or a discoverer of some kind, who will pull us out of our circumstances and place us in a position where we can get what we deserve. Since we have no control over the rescuer, we remain trapped in our situation, firmly entrenched as helpless victims. [http://www.mental-health-survival-guide.com/brochures/blame.html]

We all need to learn to accept responsibility for our own failures. How often do we blame others for things we have done? When we blame others we fail to see our own faults. When we blame others we don’t recognize the things we need to correct in our own lives. Let’s stop blaming others and take responsibility for our actions. 

Godliness makes a great nation

Proverbs 14:34 (NLT)

34 Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

When justice reigns in a nation there is usually a righteous government administering over the people. There are those who protect and preserve the virtues of men. Charities and compassion to strangers exalt the nation and the people of the nation hold their country in high honor. But sin brings disgrace. It causes failure of those in government and the people react in their own sinful ways.

James Emery White, writes in You Can Experience a Purposeful Life [(Nashville: Word, 2000)]:  Whenever there is a separation between values and practice, things break down. In ancient China, the people desired security from the barbaric, invading hordes to the north. To get this protection, they built the Great Wall of China. It's 30 feet high, 18 feet thick, and more than 1,500 miles long!

The Chinese goal was to build an absolutely impenetrable defense—too high to climb over, too thick to break down, and too long to go around. But during the first hundred years of the wall's existence China was successfully invaded three times.

It wasn't the wall's fault. During all three invasions, the barbaric hordes never climbed over the wall, broke it down, or went around it; they simply bribed a gatekeeper and then marched right in through an open door. The purpose of the wall failed because of a breakdown in values.

No matter how secure one may think a government is, if there is corruption lurking underneath that government is subject to failure. When the representatives of the people follow their own sin and forget they represent the people then they too topple over.

A nation needs to have virtues, honor and morals.  When those are lost a country begins to crumble and even the greatest wall will not keep out the over pouring of evil. We all must look to the church to help restore the morals and values that are so important to the safety of our country. And we too must be righteous in our ways.

To all my friends far and wide let me say that I love you with the love of Christ. May you share the same love with others on this Valentine’s Day. God bless you my friends.

Leave pride behind and take advice

Proverbs 13:10 (NLT)

10 Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise.

Pride makes men impatient of contradiction in either their opinions or their desires, impatient of competition and rivalship, impatient of contempt, or any thing that looks like a slight, and impatient of concession, and receding, from a conceit of certain right and truth on their side; and hence arise quarrels among relations and neighbours, quarrels in states and kingdoms, in churches and Christian societies. Men will be revenged, will not forgive, because they are proud. [Matthew Henry’s Commentary]

Charles Spurgeon once said, “Get a friend to tell you your faults, or better still, welcome an enemy who will watch you keenly and sting you savagely. What a blessing such an irritating critic will be to a wise man, what an intolerable nuisance to a fool!”

Of all the sins, pride is one of the easiest sins to fall into. Pride caused Satan to fall from the grace of God, because he began to believe he was just as great as God. For most of us pride will often take hold when we start to accomplish something. We may have had help. We may have had God leading us in the right direction. However our own flesh takes over and says, “Look what I have done.”

Pride will cause one to ignore the advice of another, which is why the proverb says, “Those who take advice are wise.” We humble ourselves when we listen to others and consider their advice; for their wisdom may point out the flaws in our thinking. But when we ignore others due to pride, we are open to suffer our own consequences.

When we truly are humble, we open the way for God's promotion in our lives. Instead of having to promote ourselves, we life Him up. The result of this is that people are ministered to. As a reward for our humility and faithfulness, God raises us up.

Choose friends wisely

Proverbs 12:26 (NKJV)

26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Matthew Henry writes of this verse, “What is the care and aim of a good man: His root yields fruit, and is his strength and stability, and that is it that he desires, to do good and to be fixed and confirmed in doing good. The wicked desires only a net wherewith to fish for himself; the righteous desires to yield fruit for the benefit of others and God's glory.”

An article from Wired Magazine explored why AA has been able to help millions of people recover from an alcohol addiction. The article begins by stating, "Despite all we've learned over the past few decades about psychology, neurology, and human behavior, contemporary medicine has yet to devise anything that works markedly better." The question is: Why does AA help so many people find and maintain sobriety?

This article focused on one factor: the power in a small group of like-minded friends who provide support, honesty, and accountability. The article described how honestly sharing problems with a small group of supportive friends has been shown to help people overcome their problems. As a few examples:

 In 1905 a Boston physician named Joseph Pratt organized weekly meetings for patients with tuberculosis. He was simply trying to teach them better health habits; surprisingly, he discovered that the groups also excelled at providing emotional support. He concluded that by sharing about their "common disease" they developed a "common bond."

In a more recent study at Stanford University, a pair of researchers reviewed over 200 studies on group therapy and concluded that group members "develop close bonds with the other members and are deeply influenced by their acceptance and feedback."

A 2009 study of those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder found that 88.3 percent of those who participated in group therapy no longer exhibited PTSD symptoms, versus just 31.3 percent of those who received minimal one-on-one interaction.

There is also evidence that the act of confessing one's faults to a few safe people—enshrined in AA's fifth step—helps in changing addictive patterns. According to the researchers, "Revealing one's deepest flaws and hearing others do likewise forces a person to confront the terrible consequences of their alcoholism—something that is very difficult to do alone."

Conversely, some research studies have shown how friendships can also lead us to adopt negative behaviors. For instance, a 2010 paper published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that a person is 50 percent more likely to be a heavy drinker if a friend or relative is a heavy drinker. Also, a 2007 study concluded that a person's odds of becoming obese increase by 71 percent if he or she has a same-sex friend who is also obese. [Brendan I. Kroerner, "Secret of AA: After 75 Years, We Don't Know How It Works," Wired (6-23-10)]

Choose your friends carefully that you would have good and safe friends who look after you. Choose those who have their interest as well as yours at heart. Beware those who are evil for they will lead you down the same evil paths they follow. Stay safe my friends and choose wisely.

Love suffers long and is kind

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (NKJV)

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

Jesus gave a commandment to love one another. Here the apostle elaborates on the theme of love describing what love does and does not do.

God created humans to live a life of love. I saw an article in Fast Company magazine that confirmed this truth to me that we were made to live for others. The article was about a very successful man whom you have probably never heard of: David Kelley. Kelley is the founder of what many regard as the premier design firm in the country—Ideo—and a professor at Stanford University for more than 30 years. He is a creative genius. Unfortunately, at age 56, Kelley discovered a lump on his body, and the doctors told him he had cancer. Linda Tischler writes:

What ensued was sheer hell. Chemo, surgery, radiation. Mouth sores. A throat so raw he could barely swallow. Nausea so severe he couldn't concentrate enough to read or even watch TV. "I spent nine months in a room trying not to throw up," he says. The treatment wrecked his saliva glands and his taste buds. He lost 40 pounds.

Kelley is happily married and has one daughter. This is where the idea of being created for love comes in. As Kelley struggled through the difficult emotions that come with this kind of experience, he discovered his reason to live. Kelley says about his daughter:

At first, you think, "I don't want to miss her growing up." That's motivating, but not that motivating. It's when you manage to get out of yourself and start thinking of her that you get the resolve to continue. When you think, "I don't want her not to have a father"—then you want to stay alive.

What gave Kelley a reason to endure the suffering of his treatment was not the pleasure he would get out of experiencing life with his daughter, as wonderful as that would be. Kelley realized that what truly motivated him was the benefit he could bring to his daughter. What motivated Kelley at the deepest level was selfless sacrifice for another—love. We were made for this.

[Craig Brian Larson, editor of PreachingToday.com; source: Linda Tischler, "Ideo's David Kelley on 'Design Thinking,'" Fast Company (Feb, 2009), p. 80]

Love suffers long and is kind and is for the benefit of others. It lacks those things that would cause us to place a wedge between us and another person. There is no evil in love, but only good, kind and thoughtful acts.

Fear of the Lord prolongs days

Proverbs 10:27-29 (NKJV)

27 The fear of the Lord prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened. 28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness, But the expectation of the wicked will perish. 29 The way of the Lord is strength for the upright, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.

This proverb speaks to man learning many things from God that would keep him safe; because the wicked find their lives shorted by putting it in peril. God is a fortress of safety, but those who live outside of God’s ways often find destruction.

For years, the opening of ABC's The Wide World of Sports illustrated "the agony of defeat" through the painful ending of an attempted ski jump. The skier appeared in good form as he headed down the slope, but then, for no apparent reason, he tumbled head-over-heels off the side of the jump and bounced off the supporting structure.

What viewers didn't know was that he chose to fall. Why? As he explained later, the jump surface had become too fast, and midway down the ramp he realized that if he completed the jump, he would land on the level ground, beyond the safe landing zone, which could have been fatal. As it was, the skier suffered no more than a headache from the tumble.

The fear of the slope, the fear of flying too high, and the fear of the fall led him to change course. Fear led to life. The fear of the Lord likewise will turn us from the snares of death. [Jeff Arthurs, "Clearing the Debris," PreachingToday.com]

Remember, “The fear of the Lord prolongs days, but the years of the wicked will be shorted.” Please keep this in mind - fear of the Lord is a respect of awesome greatness. The Lord can do such miraculous things that the results leave you with a fear of how great God is.

Hate evil but learn to love the people

Psalm 97:10 (NLT)

10 You who love the Lord, hate evil! He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked.

In this psalm we are told if we love The Lord we are to hate evil. For as we draw closer to The Lord our desire for evil diminishes. We are told too that God protects the lives of those who follow him and rescues them in their time of need.

There are two commands I believe that draw us closer to people. The first is - love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. For when we have a deep love for the Lord our actions line up with those of God. We learn and understand from Him the purpose of our lives and how rich our lives can be. We begin to understand God and His great love for us and how He extends mercy and grace to each of us. It is through this personal relationship with The Lord that we gain knowledge of the Lord and understand His intent for our lives.

The second command comes from Jesus. In John 13:34-35 says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Here in this verse Jesus tells us not only to love God, but to love all those around us. We are to build relationships with others. We are to extend love, mercy and grace to them, just as God would do for us.

Christians often have a misconception that in hating evil, we are to hate the people committing the evil acts. The truth is we are supposed to help people turn from evil. We can’t do that if we hate them, but we can do that when we love them and hate the evil that affects them. Remember we are to love one another, showing grace and mercy to all.

So let me ask this, when you see someone committing evil do you hate the evil or the person? Hopefully it is the evil act you hate and that you understand the impact it is having on the other person’s life. I never really knew my father because he was an abusive alcoholic. I never hated my father, but I did hate how alcohol had taken over his life. When the alcohol was missing from his life he could be a decent person. But let him start drinking and he would become someone you could fear.

Hopefully you see the distinct between hating evil, while loving the person and trying to help them. May God bless all your efforts and I pray God would show you how to direct people away from evil in their lives.

Find a life of righteousness and honor

Proverbs 21:21 (NLT)

21 Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor.

There are none, no not even one, of us who are perfect for The Bible tells us, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Yet even in our imperfect state we can strive to pursue righteousness. We should not hold onto the thought, I’m imperfect therefore I will remain imperfect. For Christ can make us perfect through Him. We should walk with The Lord; learning His precepts so that we can have unfailing love for others and enjoy a righteous life with honor.

Not long before his death, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to the congregation at Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church:

If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don't want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. Every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize; that isn't important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards; that's not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school. I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to love somebody. [William Willimon, Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry, (Abingdon Press, 2002), p. 53; submitted by David Slagle, Wilmore, Kentucky]

If you want to be recognized in life, be recognized for the important things. Let others speak of you favorably. Let them acknowledge your love for others. Let them tell how you helped those in need. Yes, above all pursue righteousness and unfailing love that you might find a life of righteousness and honor.

Being transformed

Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

We are both flesh or body and soul. The flesh desires what this world has to offer, while the soul desires what God has to offer through eternal life. There is a continuing conflict inside of us. One part desiring to do what is right and good; while the other part draws us to those things which on the surface may seem fun, but will ultimately destroy us. Therefore we should allow ourselves to be transformed by God by renewing our mind with good things. We should prove to ourselves that which is good, acceptable and the perfect will of God.

Most of us would like to assume that we're the masters of our own thoughts. But marketing professor Jonah Berger argues that we're influenced much more than we'd like to admit by "triggers." Triggers are subconscious thoughts that influence how we act. Berger gives two examples.

First, a research team examined how music triggers can change how we shop at the supermarket. They subtly replaced the store's Muzak with music from different countries. Some days they played French music while other days they played German music. Then they measured the type of wine people purchased. When French music was playing, most customers bought French wine. When German music was playing, most customers bought German wine. By triggering customers to think of different countries, the music affected sales. The triggers spilled over into behavior.

Second, in 1997 Mars candy bars experienced a sudden spike in sales. The company was surprised because they hadn't changed their marketing plans. So what caused the surge in sales? That was the same year when NASA undertook their much-publicized Pathfinder expedition. Pathfinders destination? The planet Mars. The media attention the planet received triggered people to consume Mars candy bars. [Adapted from Jonah Berger, Contagious (Simon & Schuster, 2013), pp. 70-71]

Unfortunately we are often conformed to this world, shaped by the events that take place around us. This week I have seen several tragedies take place that I’m sure if the persons could have rethought their actions there would have been different results. We need to place our thoughts on The Lord and know what is good for us, what is acceptable for us to have a good life, and know God’s perfect will that we may fulfill the purpose of our lives.

Father I pray for those who are reading this devotion. I pray Lord that you would open their eyes to see the truth, to see the reality of the world, and that their minds would be transformed towards something good. Keep watch over us Lord for often the world causes us to stray; so keep us near to You that we may live according to Your perfect will. In Jesus name, Amen.

David gives praise to God against his fears

Psalm 18:1-2 (NLT)

For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord. He sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang: 1 I love you, Lord; you are my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

David sings the praise of his heart because of God’s love, mercy and grace towards him.

Fear can often cripple us unjustifiably. We focus on the possibilities of one item and come to a conclusion that is often wrong. A post in the June 1, 2010 Newsweek magazine gave some real statistics that show how fears can control us.

-          Murders: 14,180 (2008)—Suicides: 33,289 (2006)

-          Children abducted by strangers: 115 (1999)—Children who drown in pools: 288 (2006)

-          Burglaries: 2.2 million (2007)—Identity thefts: 8.3 million (2005)

-          Shark attacks: 28 (2009)—Dog bites: 4.5 million (estimate)

-          Americans killed in terrorist attacks worldwide: 33 (2008)—Americans who die from seasonal flu: 36,171 (est.)

-          Deaths by allergic reaction to peanuts: 50-100 (est.)—Deaths by unintentional poisoning: 27,531 (2006)

-          Fatalities in airline accidents: 321 (2005)—Fatalities in car crashes: 34,017 (2008)

I know for a fact every time my wife gets on a plane, she flies with apprehension. There is no basis to her fear other than someone she does not know is in control of the airplane. Yet when I’m driving the car she is usually the passenger and feels very content. The statistics above show she is more likely to die in a car crash than in an airplane accident and yet she is still more afraid to fly on an airplane.

There were times David lived in fear. He knew there were enemies trying to kill him. He knew even his own king Saul was jealous of him and had his soldiers looking for opportunities to kill him. Yet David trusted in God. He recognized God was the foundation of his strength. God was his place of safety that he could turn to in desperate moments.

When you are afraid give you fears to God. Let God be your place of safety. Let God shield you from thoughts that could render you useless in life. Let the love, mercy and grace of God be evident in your life. Let The Lord take control of your life and put you at ease.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman - a loss to many of us.

Proverbs 23:29-35 (ESV)

Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine. Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things.

This proverb calls attention to addiction in the lives of people. Sometimes it starts with problems in life that draw a person into a need to feel better about them. The problem is they think substituting something into their life, such as alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex and many other things will comfort the problem. Yet they are drawn into deeper problems, which are often hard to escape from.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman was an actor who many may know from the movies The Hunger Games, Charlie Wilson’s War, Mission Impossible III, Path Adams and many other movies. Phillip died Sunday from what appeared to be an overdose of heroin. He was found with the needle still in his arm.

I want to offer prayers, condolences and sympathy to the family and friends of Phillip. He was a talented actor and I know he will be missed by many. It is sad a talent such as his was taken from us so early in his life.

Friends I encourage you, if you know someone who is addicted to any substance, whether it is alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex or even spending money relentlessly they do not have; I encourage you to speak to your friend. They may not listen, but at least you are starting a conversation with them they need to hear. Whatever you do, don’t enable them by going along with their problem. Always take them to a place of safety and escape. Always be their guide and love them enough to keep them safe.

There have been too many lives ruined by addiction. Let us all declare that we will do what it takes to help remove these addictions from the world. Let us be a rock of safety for friends. Let us call on Christ for help and assistance. Let God show us what we can do to rescue someone from the traps the enemy had set for them.

Father I pray Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s death with is not vain. Father we know you can take the things meant for evil and turn them into something good. I pray Phillip’s death will be a wakeup call for many. I pray those who are trapped by addictions will turn from them before it is too late. In Jesus name, Amen.