Category Archives: Advice

Advice, Belief, Bible, Confession, Deliverance, Eternity, Forgiveness, Grace, Justified, Obedience, Righteousness, Salvation, Scripture

DON’T DO THAT!

GALATIANS 5:2

“Look! I, Paul, tell you that if you have yourselves circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you.”

We often think if we just do this one thing then everything will be fine between us and God. We seem to think we can do things to warrant His grace. Let me tell you that is a hopeless endeavor. There is nothing you can do to gain His favor – nothing that is except coming to Jesus and acknowledging your need for a Savior. Why do we work so hard at something that is free?

As a former Pharisee, Paul is giving the Galatians a warning.  Albert Barnes said Paul was saying this, “if you are circumcised with a view to being justified by that in whole or in part, it amounts to a rejection of the doctrine of justification by Christ, and an entire apostacy from him.” They were thinking if they followed the Mosaic law and agreed to physical circumcision, they would be justified in God’s eyes. Paul says, “No! Stop! Don’t do that! It won’t work!”

APPLICATION

As I said in the opening paragraph, you can’t do one thing to gain justification. It’s all been done for you by Jesus. You just have to accept and believe. Do you remember Paul’s words to the Roman church in Romans 10:9-10? “9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Confession and belief – that’s all that is needed. I hope you understand that it is not up to you. You are hopelessly doomed to an eternal damnation UNLESS you simply confess and believe. No other act is necessary. John tells us in John 1:12, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name,” I didn’t see one mention of circumcision or any other act in that verse. Did you?

In your journey with Christ, lean into Him. Don’t fret about what you must do. Sure, we need to study His Word and pray. We need to spend time with Him. As we do that, we will want to do more things for His kingdom. But none of those things will bring us salvation. Only Jesus will. Amen. I pray today you know the One who came to give you the greatest gift – eternal life.

Father, help me to stop striving and do more resting in You.  

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Accountability, Advice, Allies, Battles, Bible, Conflict, Confrontation, Direction, God's Will, Harmony, Relationships, Scripture

STRAIGHT FOOTED

GALATIANS 2:14

“But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, ‘If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?’”

I used to love to mow grass. Just the task of getting it done and seeing the finished job was calming. That probably sounds strange, doesn’t it? In my last children’s home job, I would occasionally hop on our zero turn mower and mow some of the large fields on campus. The key to keeping a straight line is to look down the field and find a spot to go towards. You have to watch your tire tracks to keep them straight also. My dad taught me that. Going straight just made the field look nicer once I was done.

Paul and Peter aren’t mowing grass in today’s verse. But the principle I just shared is applicable. Paul saw that Peter was not walking straight in regards to the teachings of Christ. The Greek word for “they were…straightforward” is orthopodeo, which is from two Greek words – orthos (straight) and pous (foot). This word is only used here in Galatians 2:14. Peter had strayed from the straight path. He was off course, and Paul had a moral and spiritual obligation to confront him publicly for this public display.

APPLICATION

Sometimes we do things that are not “straight-footed.” We get off course. We stray. We are headed down the wrong path. Isn’t it great when someone confronts you? Not really! No one wants that. But it is so necessary. I have had to confront friends who were not walking straight. Friends have confronted me, as well. John tells us in 1 John 5:16 “If anyone sees his brother or sister committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will, for him, give life to those who commit sin not leading to death.”

Even Jesus gave us instructions in this matter. In Matthew 18:15-17 we read, “15 ‘Now if your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that ON THE TESTIMONY OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY MATTER MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17 And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, he is to be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.’”

Now, all that may sound too confrontational for you. I understand. It’s not easy to confront a brother or sister. It’s not easy to be confronted. But if we live that way, holding each other accountable in love, we would have so much less need to do it. As for you, be willing to receive correction when given. None of us are perfect. Amen?

Oh Father, thank You for friends who will confront me in my sin to help lead me to walk “straight-footed.”

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Accountability, Advice, Apologies, Bible, Choices, Confrontation, Encouragement, Gospel, Influence, Mentoring, Scripture

BAD INFLUENCE

GALATIANS 2:13

“The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.”

It is not a good thing to be a bad influence. God does not look approvingly on that. I have to admit that before I came to Christ, I was not the best influence. I had some bad habits that I shared. I repented of that and have apologized to those I may have harmed back then. Even as a believer we can do that also. Let’s look at what happened in Antioch.

Paul begins to get in more detail why he had to oppose Peter to his face (as he said back in verse11). Because Peter stopped eating with the Gentiles, the rest of the converted Jews and even Barnabas, were influenced by him. The word Paul uses for “carried away” is only used three times in the New Testament. Once it is positive (Romans 12:16) and twice negatively (here and in 2 Peter 3:17). These Jews and Barnabas were led away by Peter’s negative behavior towards the Gentiles.

APPLICATION

Why did Paul jump in and confront Peter? Well, we will see more of the story in the rest of chapter 2. But to make a concise point – Paul had to stop the corruption of the Gospel. Peter and the rest of the men who pulled away were essentially adding to the Gospel. They were implying that you had to eat kosher to be right with the Lord. Thank the Lord that didn’t hold up. I love bacon, lol.

Another story of bad influence was told in the book of Acts when Ananias made the plan with his wife Sapphira to lie to Peter about their land sale. Read Acts 5:1-11 for the full story. This decision to follow her husband in this lie cost Sapphira her life. When we influence people in a negative manner, it may not cost them their physical life, but it could spiritually. If unbelievers don’t see a difference in us because of Jesus, they may be influenced to not listen to the drawing of the Holy Spirit in their own lives, thus costing them eternity with Christ.

Who will you influence today? You have the opportunity to be Jesus to someone. You may influence a neighbor by the way you speak to them on the street. You may influence a fellow believer by sharing a prayer request with them or praying with them. We have a high calling. Be an influencer – only in a positive way.

Lord, give me the opportunity today to influence someone to follow Jesus – not me.

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Advice, Allegiance, Allies, Authority, Bible, Church, Counsel, Direction, God's Will, Leading, Scripture

SEEKING COUNSEL

GALATIANS 1:19

“But I did not see another one of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.”

I have had the privilege to work with some fine men through my lifetime. I won’t begin to name names for fear of leaving someone off the list. Some of these came to me through my work environment. Others came through church or a men’s group. Some I chose, and others chose me. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

As Paul made his journey to visit with Peter, he had the opportunity to meet with a lot of different people. Jerusalem was still the hub of Christianity at this time. Surely there were more apostles present besides Peter and the one named in today’s verse – James. Scholars disagree whether this was the James, the son of Alpheus and cousin of Jesus, or James, the actual brother of Jesus born to Joseph and Mary. Irregardless, this James was a leader of the young church there in Jerusalem and someone who could come alongside Paul.

APPLICATION

We have another reference to James in the book of Acts that is quite interesting. In Acts 15, there is a council held in Jerusalem. You really need to read verses 1-21 to get the full picture, but here is Paul and Barnabas before the council giving evidence of the work of God among the Gentiles and seeking the church’s approval of their methods.  After some discussion and Peter’s speech, James speaks up. He is obviously the leader of the church by this time. Verse 19 says, “‘Therefore it is my judgement…’” This is James giving his judgment.

Why do I bring this up? Why point to this passage while discussing Galatians 1:19? Paul had no idea how God would use this James in latter years. But here we have evidence of James’ leadership. That leadership, that respect from the other apostles, gave James the role he held in Acts 15. God led Paul to James early in his ministry in order to seek counsel from the future leader of the church.

From whom do you seek counsel? Do you ask the Lord about that before you seek it? You know, He may direct you to someone you would never think of. He may put someone in your path who has just the right words for you. Don’t just go to your buddy or pal or best friend. Seek counsel from those you respect as a leader in your church. Go to an elder or deacon whom you have observed for a while. God’s counsel is not spoken through just anyone. Be selective and watch how God works.

Lord, You have blessed me with many great counselors in my lifetime. Help me be that for others.

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Advice, Battles, Bible, Commands, God's Will, Leading, Obedience, Preparations, Scripture, Wisdom

YOU SHOULD HAVE LISTENED

ZECHARIAH 7:7

“‘Are these not the words which the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and carefree along with its cities around it, and the Negev and the foothills were inhabited?’”

I can’t recall the number of times I have been given good advice which I ignored in favor of doing something my way. I knew the person giving the advice knew what they were talking about. They had been there and done that. They spoke from experience. But I thought their idea was outdated or too simplistic. I usually had to come back around to their way of thinking to deal with the issue at hand.

The Lord, in this verse, is telling Zechariah basically that. He was saying, “Didn’t Isaiah and Jeremiah tell you all this? They gave you My words, which you ignored. You were all fat and sassy and thought nothing could touch you. You didn’t heed my advice.” The Hebrew literally says, “Should you not have obeyed the words I declared?”

APPLICATION

In Luke 6 Jesus tells us the parable of the two houses. One was built on a firm foundation. The other on sand. You know the story, right? The storm comes and dashes against the houses. The one built on the firm foundation stood while the other one collapsed. But do you know the verse that set up this story?

Luke 6:46 says, “‘Now why do you call Me, “Lord, Lord,” and do not do what I say?’” Obedience to His words, to His advice, to His commands is so important. Why? He is trying to help us prepare for the storms of life. He can see what we cannot see. He knows exactly when the storm will arrive. We would do well to heed His words.

My wife hates thunder and lightning. Anytime it is forecast for our area she watches it closely on the weather app. On that app you can look at the weather radar and can predict when those storms will arrive and how long they will last. What you can’t predict is the damage they will do. So, you must prepare, right? Try applying that to your spiritual life. God has that radar and knows the storms are coming. Get ready. He wants you prepared. That is only done when we listen to His Word.

I know Your Word can show me how to prepare for the storms of life. I will look to it for my guidance.

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Admonished, Advice, Angels, Bible, Commands, Eternity, Following, God's Will, Hearing, Listening, Obedience, Scripture

ADMONISHED

ZECHARIAH 3:6

“And the angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying,”

This time of the year here in the U.S. there are a lot of graduation ceremonies. At most high school and college graduations there will be a speaker, an invited guest. This person may be an alum, a celebrity, a politician or an educator. The purpose of this person’s speech is to admonish, to exhort, to challenge and to remind the students of their responsibilities that lie ahead. I have a granddaughter graduating this year from high school. I am sure she will hear such a speech.

You may question why I would do a devotional on such an insignificant verse. Really? Is any verse insignificant if it is inspired by God? I don’t think so. Look at the verse. The “angel of the Lord” is considered by many to be Jesus Christ who appears throughout the Old Testament. He is reminding Joshua of what is about to come. In the next four verses we will see what He says. This admonishment wasn’t cruel or harsh. It was just a firm reminder.

APPLICATION

I usually see “admonishments” in a negative way. Maybe that’s because I have actually received a lot of those. But an admonishment is not meant to be negative if it comes from the Lord. Remember, His desire is to always draw you to Him. He is not trying to scare you away. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…”

I don’t want to react to God’s voice like a feral cat that runs away if you try to approach. I want to be like the family dog that runs to the door to greet you when they hear your car pull into the driveway. They can’t wait to see you. That’s exactly how I want to react when God admonishes me. He may just want to remind me of my purpose or to tell me He loves me.

When God speaks to you, how do you react? Well, Carl, I haven’t heard God speak to me? Oh, you are missing out. Get alone with Him and ask Him to talk to you. You’ve got to listen, though. You’ve got to get quiet and wait. You have to tune your ear to His voice. Then when He does speak you can recognize it. And then hang on. His words of admonishment will be welcomed then.

Speak to my heart, Lord Jesus. Speak that my soul may hear.

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Advice, Bible, Encouragement, God's Will, Judgment, Scripture

MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE

ZECHARIAH 2:1

“Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with a measuring line in his hand.”

My dad always told me to remember the most important rule about cutting anything. That was to measure twice and cut once. It’s better to take the time to measure again, just to make sure. Because once you have made that cut, there’s no going back. I have tried to remember that tip all through life. It can apply to lots of situations, not just carpentry.

This vision that starts chapter two is very similar to the once by Ezekiel. Look how similar they are. Ezekiel 40:3 gives a similar description. “So He brought me there; and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a thread of flax and a measuring rod in his hand; and he was standing in the gateway.” Both men (many believe to be the Lord Jesus Himself) is measuring Jerusalem, much like Nehemiah measured as they rebuilt the walls. This is a good and positive vision.

APPLICATION

Is the Lord measuring you? I believe He is constantly measuring our lives and seeing the best way to build us up in Christ. Sometimes after measuring He may cut off the undesirable parts. Ouch! Yep, but that is crucial as He builds us according to His perfect plan. We tend to want to add on things that aren’t conducive to Christ. Then the Lord come along with that measuring line and whacks it off.

As believers, it is also our job to build up our brothers. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:8, “For if I boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame,…” Some of us carry around a measuring line of judgment and look for ways to tear our brother or sister down. That is not our job. Let God handle the judging. We need to concentrate on building up.

When I get my hammer and saw out, my wife cringes. She knows I can handle small jobs, but she doesn’t want me to tackle the big stuff. My carpentry skills are okay, but I am by no means a master craftsman. I need to stick to the small stuff. But I can spend more time building her up. Take some time today to build up a brother or sister in Christ. We all can do that.

Thank You, Lord, for seeing the parts of me that need cutting off and for building me into the replica of Your Son.

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Accountability, Accused, Advice, Bible, Blasphemy, Deception, Defiled, Elders, Following, Leading, Scripture

NOT GOOD DESCRIPTERS

ZEPHANIAH 3:4

“Her prophets are insolent, treacherous men; her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the Law.”

When I read this verse, my mind instantly went to the stories of the preachers who buy their multi-million dollar jets. They have mansions and are covered with fine clothes and jewelry. Many of them have been caught stealing from the churches they are supposed to serve. They are wolves in sheep clothing.

The same held true for the priests in Jerusalem. Zephaniah describes them as insolent, treacherous, profane and violent. Not a good way to be described. I am sure Zephaniah put himself in danger saying these words. These men who he is prophesying against would not take kindly to being called those names. But truth must be told.

APPLICATION

This behavior was nothing new. We see it in 1 Samuel concerning the sins of the sons of Eli. In 2:17 it says, “And so the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for the men treated the offering of the LORD disrespectfully.” The saying goes that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Men who hold positions of power have to be careful how they use that power.

And we must be aware of who we sit up under as our spiritual leaders. We must check what they say and do against Scripture. Only the Word is the complete truth. Our spiritual life is too important to be held captive by someone who corrupts the Word and leads falsely. This is a Biblical concept found in Acts 17:11 when the Bereans checked out Paul and Silas. “Now these people were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” 

I am not saying all preachers are bad. Far from that. Most of these men are humble servants who only want to love their people. Follow these men. They are men who heed to the words in 1 Peter 5:1-3. “1 Therefore, I urge elders among you, as your fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and one who is also a fellow partaker of the glory that is to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not with greed but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as domineering over those assigned to your care, but by proving to be examples to the flock.” These are men worth following.

Lord, protect Your servants from the schemes of the devil. Keep their eyes clearly focused on You.

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Advice, Bible, Leading, Modeling, Obedience, Relationships, Scripture

LEADING THE WRONG WAY

ZEPHANIAH 3:3

“Her leaders within her are roaring lions, her judges are wolves at evening; they have no bones to gnaw in the morning.”

I have had the privilege to have served under some great leaders. I have known others who led well. I have always tried to learn from these role models. However, others I have known have not led well. Their employees were uncontented. The turnover rate was high. What made the difference between these two types of leaders? Integrity!

Jerusalem’s leaders and judges were treating the people horribly. Zephaniah compares them to lions and wolves. Not exactly a great compliment. They were taking advantage of their positions and causing harm to the people. People were starving, and they were feasting. For this, they would be judged more harshly.

APPLICATION

If you are a leader in your church or place of work, you have the responsibility to lead well. James 3:1 gives us a warning. “Do not become teachers in large numbers, my brothers, since you know that we who are teachers will incur a stricter judgment.” Teachers are leaders. God holds us to a higher standard. Why? Because we are leading others. They are trusting us to lead well.

Another great verse about the importance of good and godly leaders is Proverbs 11:14. “Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in an abundance of counselors there is victory.” Isn’t that good? We need good leaders, not leaders who use their power to put people down. Pray for your leaders. Ask the Lord to give them wisdom.

I have been in some type of leadership role for the past four decades. I have to admit that I have not always led well. I have allowed my ego to get in the way at times. But God has forgiven me of those failures and has put a servant leadership heart in me. I try to lead by serving now. Will you do that? Allow Jesus to show you how He led and imitate Him.

Lord, without Your guidance I will fail as a leader. Show me how to lead and love well.

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Accountability, Advice, Bible, Conviction, Correction, Forgiveness, Guilt, Judgment, Messages, Scripture

GETTING PERS0NAL

ZEPHANIAH 1:4

“‘So I will stretch out My hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will eliminate the remnant of Baal from this place, and the names of the idolatrous priests along with the other priests.’”

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone who was complaining about people? You may actually agree with them and name a few people you have issues with. But then that person begins to name things about you that bother them. Whoa, wait a minute. Now they are getting personal. They are meddling too much, right?

I am sure those who heard Zephaniah’s message agreed with the first few verses, but now he’s getting personal. Now he is naming Judah and Jerusalem. But Zephaniah isn’t pulling any punches because he is delivering God’s message to the people. He is calling a spade a spade. Those in Judah and Jerusalem who have bowed to Baal and all those priests will be eliminated.

APPLICATION

How do you handle your Pastor’s sermons? As long as he is preaching on someone else’s sins, he’s fine. But when he starts naming yours, well…that’s a different story. How dare he get personal. How did he know about that sin? Was he watching me? Who told him about that?

I have preached a lot of sermons in my ministry, but I have never preached one pointed at one person. No one has divulged a sin of someone I needed to nail from the pulpit. But there have been numerous times when people came up to me after a message and told me how I had really spoken to them that day about their life. God’s Word will penetrate the hardest heart.

If you are a Pastor or have the ear of your Pastor, tell them to just preach the Word. Don’t get fancy with all your eloquence. Just preach the Truth. Let it convict those who hear the message and draw them to point of repentance. Our job is to simply deliver the message, like Zephaniah. It isn’t to judge.

Father, thank You for entrusting me with Your Truth. Help me deliver it faithfully.

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