Changing Your World

Daniel 3:29

"Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort."

One of the most amazing stories you will find in the Scriptures is the story of

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Famous for the Wrong Reason

Ezekiel 23:10

"These discovered her nakedness: they took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the sword: and she became famous among women; for they had executed judgment upon her."

Fame is highly overrated. Many people think they would want to be famous, but don't understand what comes with it. Sadly, many of those who were famous for the right reason later became famous for the wrong reason.

In the verse above, Ezekiel used two imaginary sisters who were harlots to show Israel what God thought about their sins. The older sisters name was Aholah. She lost her virginity and ruined her name to the point that "she became famous among women." No, she wasn't famous for the right reasons, but she was famous for her infidelity. She was the illustration a mother would use when telling her daughters who not to be like. She became the illustration in every preacher's sermon. She was famous, but for the wrong reason.

In my lifetime I have watched many people who became famous for the wrong reason. I have watched men who were very well known and were respected among men lose the respect because of one sinful action. What they were once known for is only a memory. When they did right, many pastors and parents alike would point their children to that person as an example of what to be like. But, one moment of indiscretion caused them to be famous for the wrong reason. One moment of indiscretion caused them to lose the good name they worked so hard to obtain. Today, if you were to mention their names, even if they have been spiritually restored, their name comes up in a bad light. Whether or not this is right is not the purpose of this devotional, I'm simply trying to show how one indiscretion can cause you to be known for the wrong reason.

Proverbs 22:1 says, "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold." It takes years to build a good name. I like to equate building a good name to building a credit file. You don't build your credit overnight, and neither will you build a good name overnight. Once you have a good name, you need to be sure that you protect it with all of your being.

However, all it takes for you to lose a good name is one moment of weakness. One bad decision can change a good name to a name of ill repute. Just like one bad financial transaction can cause your credit to be marred, one moment of sin will cause you to be known for the wrong reason.

Christian, be very careful with every action and decision. Always remember it's easier to be known for the wrong than it is to be known for good. This may not be fair, but life is not fair. This is why you need to live your life above board, and do right at all times. Don't let expediency, fame, convenience or the flesh guide you and your decisions. Always do everything by principles. Let the Scriptures guide you in all you do. Daily ask God to protect you from the moment of temptation that would cause you to be famous for the wrong reason.

Finally, if you are known for the wrong reason, then you still have time to turn that around. No, you probably will never get that mark off your life, but you can make the mark not as noticeable if you will determine to turn things around. Don't let the actions of the Pharisees discourage you. Ask God to help you make the end of your life better than the moment that caused you to be famous for the wrong reason. Don't give in to the Pharisee, but keep doing right and obeying the Scriptures. Eventually, you can work through the bad name and end your life on topside.


Parenting Principles in Preparing Children for Life

Ezekiel 19:2

"And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions."

One of the sad results of children being born outside of the boundaries of marriage is the lack of a sense of responsibility by the parents. Any person can produce a baby, but not everyone will take on the responsibilities of child rearing. Rearing children is no easy task, and the responsibility of rearing them is great.

In the verse above, God uses a parable of a lioness to lament the sins of Israel. In this parable are hidden some responsibilities of every parent. As the lioness takes care of her whelps and prepares them for life, I believe you can see  parenting principles to prepare each child for life. Let me show you some things you can learn as a parent from the lioness.

First, spend time with your children. The verse above says, "...she lay down among the lions,..." Too many parents are never with their children to teach them how to live life. Sadly, there are parents who are busier running with their friends, playing in city sports leagues, spending time with their friends at the mall or going to activities. You will never be able to train your children for life if you are not with them at home. There is no substitute for time. You can't throw money and gifts at your children and think that is a great substitute for spending time with them. They need to be with you.

Second, make sure your children are properly fed. The lioness "nourished her whelps." In other words, she made sure they had a proper diet. I know, it seems very obvious that a parent should properly feed their children, but you would be surprised how many children aren't fed a proper diet. My mother made sure that I had a proper diet. She kept us from eating a lot of sweets, but made sure that we had a good balanced meal. She didn't let us skip our vegetables because we didn't like them. We had to eat everything that was placed on the table. I believe you would be wise to be sure your children eat a proper diet so they can go into their adult years healthy.

Third, teach them principles for life. Nourishing your children is also teaching them principles for life. A parent is responsible to make sure their children know how to face life. Teach them the responsibility of paying their bills on time. Teach them to get up early and on their own, for they will have to do this when they get a job. Teach them they have to fulfill their responsibilities before pleasure. You're responsible as a parent to make sure your child knows how to face life as an adult.

Fourth, teach them how to avoid sin. In verse 4, the lioness found her whelp was caught in the traps men set for it. Parents should be sure to teach their children the price of sin. One of the best ways to do this is to take them with you as you reach the lost for Christ. If you are trying to reach everyone, you will run into those whose lives are ruined by sin. This is a great teaching moment. Likewise, when someone falls into sin, that is a teaching moment and not a gossiping moment.

Last, teach your children how to make it in tough times. Verse 13 tells how the lioness "planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground." Times are not always going to be easy. Part of your responsibility as a parent is showing your children how to make it in tough days. Show them they need to prepare ahead by saving and not always spending on wants.

Parenting is no easy task. If you train your children with the proper skills of life, you will find you will have less heartache when they become adults. I'm not saying you won't have heartache, but if you teach them how to be responsible adults, then you can at least be proud when they choose to live responsibly.


Realizing Spiritual Results

Psalm 37:6

"And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday."

A young evangelist recently asked me about some of the obstacles he would face as an evangelist. There are many obstacles an evangelist will face, but one of the glaring obstacles is realizing spiritual results. Evangelists often get to see immediate results in their ministry, but realizing long-term results will be hard to see. Let me explain. Pastors and church members get to see immediate results as well, but they also get to see the long term results of their service to the LORD because they are in one place for many years. On the other hand, an evangelist doesn't get to see those long term results unless the LORD brings them across the path of those whom they helped many years prior. If I hadn't followed the steps from Psalm 37, I would have never realized spiritual results in my ministry.

One of your great desires as a Christian should be to see spiritual results that are lasting. John 15:16 says, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain:" The Devil would love to discourage us from realizing spiritual results, but we must keep on following the steps of Psalm 37 is we are going to realize spiritual results in our Christian life. Let me show you the steps it takes to realize them.

First, you must trust God. Verse 3 says, "Trust in the LORD, and do good;..." Notice, God says to trust Him "and do good." In other words, trust God that He is right and do good. You must not let discouragement keep you from doing right. You must trust what the LORD says to do is the right thing to do. We can often wonder if what we are doing is really going to pay off, but you simply have to trust God and His Word. If God says what you're doing is right, then trust Him that good will come from your actions.

Second, you must delight yourself in God's ways. Verse 4 says, "Delight thyself also in the LORD;..." When one delights in God's ways, they are getting their pleasure from serving Him. Let me ask you, from whence are you seeking pleasure in life? Your seeking of pleasure should come from serving God. Stop looking for pleasure from sources other than serving the LORD.

Third, you must be committed to God's way. Verse 5 says, "Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." Friend, you've got to be committed that God's way is right. If you're not committed, then you will quit before you see results. Commitment is deciding you are going to do something whether or not it works. Commitment is being sold on what you're doing. That is true commitment! Commitment says that no matter what results God's way brings, you are going to do them. If heartache, trials and persecution comes, you are still going to do them. Commitment to God's ways is doing them because they are right to do.

Notice what happens when you do these three things, "And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light,..." The realization for doing right comes to light. In other words, you will see the fruit of doing right, but you must stick to it.

Have you almost given up on doing right? If you're not trusting God's Word, and seeking pleasure in His ways, or committed to them, then you won't realize spiritual results. I challenge you to be committed to God's ways. Get sold on His ways and you will find the spiritual results you desire.


Improper Magnification

Jeremiah 48:42

"And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the LORD."

Psalm 34:3 says, "O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together." This is a command from God. God wants to be magnified. The word "magnify" means, to extol or glorify. In other words, magnifying the LORD is to increase attention upon Him. The mistake Moab made was they turned their magnification upon themselves. Instead of magnifying the LORD, they magnified themselves. Whenever anyone turns the magnification away from the LORD, they are walking in dangerous ground because God says in Isaiah 42:8, "I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another,..."

So, if we are to only magnify the LORD, then what is improper magnification? We must look to 2 Chronicles 7:14 to understand what it is, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways;..." Pride is always the cause of improper magnification. When we turn our magnification away from the LORD, and then place it upon ourselves, then we are magnifying the wrong person. That is why the key to revival is turning the magnification away from ourselves and placing it back upon God. You will notice from 2 Chronicles 7:14, there are three things that lead to improper magnification.

First, lack of prayer leads to improper magnification. Pride always causes us to stop praying. We stop praying because we think we can work our problems out ourselves. This is nothing short of pride. When you pray, you are placing the magnification upon the LORD for you understand that only He can help you with your problems. When you magnify yourself, prayer will not be the first thought that comes to mind when you have problems.

Second, a lack of seeking God leads to improper magnification. What is truly sad is how we seek what man thinks about a subject more than we seek God's Word. Friend, you must be careful about placing man above God. You must be careful about putting your eyes on man, for this is magnifying man more than God. It truly doesn't matter what man's philosophies, methods or thoughts are. What God tells us to do is what really matters.

Third, covering sin instead of turning from it leads to improper magnification. God commands us to turn from our wicked ways if we want revival. It is sad when Christians cover sin to keep their spiritual leaders on their "spiritual thrones." Covering sin for the expediency of allowing people to keep their position is wrong! When we do this, we are magnifying man above God. We are telling God that man defines sin, and not God.

I caution you to keep God magnified in your life. A humble heart will keep the spiritual magnifying glass upon the LORD. Don't make the same mistake Moab made by magnifying yourself or others above God. Remember Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." If you don't want to face a fall or destruction in your life, then you must keep magnifying the LORD.


Running to the Older Generation


Jeremiah 5:5

"I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds."

When Jeremiah said, "I will get me unto the great men," he was showing from whom his principles, philosophies and direction in life would come. The word "great" is talking about older men. Jeremiah wasn't just going to men who were considered great in his day, but he considered older men who had known the way of the LORD to be great men. To Jeremiah it wasn't about how much they were known to others that considered them great, but he personally defined greatness as those of an older generation who had been where he wanted to go.

Years ago a man said to me, "Find you an older man and make him great." To be honest with you, I thought that he was teaching me to find an older man and help him become known. Yet, when you look at the verse above this man's statement doesn't mean that at all. What this man was telling me was that I needed to find some older man who was experienced and allow him to become great in my eyes. This counsel has helped me through life. I've always tried to surround myself with men older than me so that I will know the way of the LORD. I want men around me to guide me and correct me when I get away from the ways of the LORD. My desire for my life is to continue in the ways of the LORD until the day of my death. One thing that will help me do this is to find an older man and allow him to become great in my eyes.

If you are going to walk in the ways of the LORD, then you need to surround yourself with older people who have known and are practicing the ways of the LORD. These people don't have to be well-known people, they just need to be people who have served God their whole life and continue to serve Him. So, where do you find these older people whom you should make great?

First, look in your church for the older people. All around your church are elderly people whom you could make great. No, they won't be flashy, and they probably won't know all about technology, but they do know about the ways of the LORD. You need to get to know these people. These people need to become great in your eyes.

Second, get to know the older men and ladies who your pastor brings to your church. When I was a boy, I had the privilege of sitting with older people who came to our church. I would question them and watch them so I could learn. When your pastor has an elderly preacher and his wife come to your church, be sure to get around them. Spend time with them and learn what has made them who they are. Learn the ways of the LORD from them.

Third, read books from those of generations past. There are many people God has used in a great way who wrote books that are still around today. You would be wise to find these books and read them. Read the biographies of men and women from the past who knew the ways of the LORD. Make these people the ones who are great in your eyes.

Christian, get yourself unto the great men. They will not come running to you, you must go to them. They will not demand your attention, but you must give your attention. Learn from them the ways of the LORD so that you can continue in those ways and keep yourself from straying from what it is that God wants you to do.

Decision Making Guide

Proverbs 29:4

"The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it."

Leaders of nations make serious decisions every day that will literally impact thousands of lives. One bad decision by a national leader can cause someone to lose their life. One bad decision by a country's leader can change the course of a nation for good or bad. Needless to say, a leader of a country needs to make sure they make right decisions.

In the verse above, God says that a leader will establish his country by allowing judgment to make his decision. On the other hand, God says that a leader who allows gifts to influence his decision making will destroy his country. God is trying to show the importance of making decision by judgment. What does it mean to make a decision by judgment? God is teaching that you need to allow principles to guide your decision making. He is teaching that a leader of a country needs to have several principles set in place to guide them through their decision making process so they can make the right decisions.

I recently read a discussion by a member of President George W. Bush's cabinet. In this discussion, this man was defending the intelligence of President Bush by telling about how they came about decisions. He said that President Bush would question the cabinet members and his advisors to help him in making his decisions. His cabinet members and advisors were the guides that helped him in making decisions as he led the United States. In essence, the information he received from the cabinet members and advisors were the principles that he followed in making decisions.

If it is important for the leader of a nation to make decisions by principle, then why would you think decisions about your life and the lives of those you influence are of any less importance? Yes, the realm of your decisions may not influence as many lives as the decision of a country's leader, but your decisions directly impact you and your family for generations to come. It is critical to make sure every decision you make is one that is decided by principle.

The best time to establish your principles in decision making is when you are not under the pressure of making a decision. When God said that a king who "receiveth gifts" is a king who will destroy his nation, He was teaching that feelings will always lead you to a wrong decision. Your feelings are based on the emotion of the moment. Depending on whether that moment you are in is adverse or profitable will determine whether or not you do something. Just because something feels good or seems right doesn't always make it a right decision. You must set your feelings aside and depend on your principles to guide you.

Friend, I encourage you to allow principles to guide you in your decision making. Sit down and literally write out the principles that will guide you through your decision making. Let those principles be guided by God's Word. Then, when you are faced with a decision, if you will run to your principles and let them guide you, then you will find that making a decision will not be that difficult.