Category Archives: Decisions

Bible, Decisions, Glory, Image, Scripture, Wisdom

BAD DEAL

ROMANS 1:23

“and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures.”

Have you ever made a bad deal, one you wish later you had never done? I sure have. I’ve sold trucks I wish I had kept. I gotten rid of tools that I needed later. Most of those decisions were made by me without seeking the advice of anyone. It is so important to weigh out important decisions before making them. We have to look at the long term implications, don’t we?

Well, these individuals which Paul is referring to in today’s verse had made a terrible deal. They “exchanged” God’s glory for a manmade idol. The Greek word translated as “exchanged” is allassó. Look how the Topical Lexicon describes it. “Strong’s embraces the idea of an exchange or change—sometimes glorious, sometimes disastrous—depending on the context in which the verb appears. Across its six New Testament occurrences the term frames two great biblical polarities: (1) the fatal trade of God’s glory for idols and (2) the gracious transformation of people, customs and even the created order under the hand of God.” Let’s take a look at and another use for allassó.

APPLICATION

Probably one of the most quoted and utilized passages using allassó is found in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52. “51 Behold, I am telling you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” (On a funny note, I’ve seen the last part of verse 51 hanging in a lot of church nurseries, lol) 

Change is not a bad thing if it’s done right. We will be changed one day into a glorious image which will be with the Lord forever. That’s a lot different than giving up that glory of God for an idol, isn’t it? If we give up what God has given us, we are on the wrong side of that deal. Now, I am not saying a true believer and follower of Christ can “unsave” themselves. They didn’t save themselves to begin with. But we can make horrible decisions that mar our testimony and injure our walk. Bad deals.

None of us have arrived, have we? We can all still continue to make good changes to become more like Christ. We can change behaviors that may lead us into sin. We can change friends who are not good influences. Change may mean making some hard decisions. Make sure any change you make is God-centered.

Lord, today help me make the changes I need to make to be more like Your Son, Jesus.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Attitude, Bible, Decisions, Rejoicing, Scripture, Testimony

WASH, RINSE, REPEAT

PHILIPPIANS 4:4

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”

Have you ever noticed the directions on a shampoo bottle? Most of them say, “Wash hair, rinse and repeat.” Now, come on. Admit it. How many times do you do that? Not me! I wash and rinse once. If I have an unusually sweaty time outside, I may do the repeat, but rarely. I bet I would have better looking hair if I followed the instructions. But this may just be a sales ploy to get me to use more shampoo. Lol

Paul must have wanted these Philippian believers to revel in their joy, to repeat it over and over again. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance refers to a “oscillatory repetition.” What is that? I used to have my grandma’s old oscillating fan. It would swing back and forth to cover the room. I loved that old fan. It would blow and blow and blow, never seeming to tire. That’s the idea Paul is portraying here. We should rejoice, rejoice and rejoice. The two uses of “rejoice” are commands that we are to repeat over and over again.

APPPLICATION

So, I was thinking. What keeps us from doing this? I believe it is no coincidence that Paul couches this statement right between verses dealing with disharmony (verses 2-3) and verses 6-7 that deal with anxiety. Disharmony and anxiety can kill our desire to rejoice. Jesus tells us to rejoice, even in the midst of persecution. In Luke 6:23 He says, “‘Rejoice on that day and jump for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For their fathers used to treat the prophets the same way.’”

There is never a reason to not rejoice. We have to have that attitude at all times. Knowing that, we can follow this command from Paul. Rejoice in the bad times. Rejoice in the good times. Rejoice always. I am not saying this is easy, but it is a decision we make. We choose to rejoice rather than complain. We rejoice instead of getting revenge. We rejoice when everything seems to be going against us.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:10, “as sorrowful yet always rejoicing…” Make up your mind today to rejoice, no matter what. You’ve heard it said, “Turn that frown upside down.” There’s a lot of truth in that little statement. After all, they say it takes more muscles to frown than to smile. Why overwork?

Lord, give me a spirit of rejoicing today.

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Accursed, Bible, Captivity, Circumcision, Darkness, Deceit, Decisions, Evil, Flesh, Light, Rescue, Scripture

ONCE UPON A TIME

EPHESIANS 2:11

“Therefore, remember that previously you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision” which is performed in the flesh by human hands—”

“Once upon a time” has been used to start a lot of stories. Some of those stories ended well and some didn’t. But those first four words told you that this happened in the past. It doesn’t specify exactly, but you know it was back then and not now. Isn’t it sad, though, that so many people live back then in the “once upon a time” period? They are slaves to their past.

Paul reminds the Ephesians today that “once upon a time” they were just considered the “Uncircumcision.” They were looked down upon by the “Circumcision,” the Jews. They were pagans who had no hope of redemption. That little Greek word, pote, is the difference. It means “at one time or other, at some time, formerly.” One definition given is “in the old time.” I like that one. Paul tells the Ephesians (and us) that that was then. Things have changed though because of Christ.

APPLICATION

Think back to how you were before Christ. Aren’t you glad He has changed you? Paul says a few things about our former life in this letter to the Ephesians. In Ephesians 2:2 we saw that we “formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.” In 2:3 we “all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.” We walked. We lived.

Paul goes on in verse 13 (which we will see in a couple of days) to say we “formerly were far off.” And Paul uses pote one more time in this letter in 5:8 and says we “were formerly darkness.” Look at what we were: we walked in sin, we lived in sin, we were far off in sin, we were in darkness in sin. Sin had that grip on us.

But praise be to God, He has rescued us from this former life. He has given us a new life in Christ. We walk differently. We live differently. We are near to Christ and are in the light. Wow, what a change! Is that you today? Are you brand new in Jesus?

What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my life.

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Bible, Choices, Death, Decisions, Eternal Life, Eternity, Gospel, Offenses, Scripture, Sin

YOU WERE DEAD

Ephesians 2:1

“And you were dead in your offenses and sins,” 

Let me let you in on a little secret – dead means dead. I have attended a lot of funerals and burials and have never once met someone who came back from that event. I am not trying to be hurtful or disrespectful if you have gone through that recently. I just know that death is the final act of this earthly body. Unless you are lucky enough to have been brought back medically, everyone who is reading this has never experienced death – yet.

Paul kind of slaps the Ephesians in the face with today’s verse. “You were dead! D-E-A-D, Dead!” Why? Because of their offenses and sins. Remember Romans 6:23? “For the wages of sin is death,…” The result of the fall of man in the garden was death – physical and spiritual death. Without an intervention by God, man would die spiritually because of their sins. Paul wants the Ephesians to remember that.

APPLICATION

You are probably thinking Well, thanks for the good news, Carl. That really made my day! You have to hang on. The first three verses of chapter 2 are all about showing us what we were BEFORE Jesus. In verse four we will see the good news. So, just hang in there. Keep coming back each day to get the full picture. This may feel like a cliffhanger, but I promise there is a bridge in sight.

Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned—” It all sounds so hopeless, doesn’t it? We have all been infected by this germ called “sin.” It is highly contagious. In fact, we were all born with it. Now hang on, Carl. You can’t tell me those precious little babies are sin filled. According to Scripture, yep! I don’t believe a baby or child will be held accountable for that until they are able to hear and comprehend the Gospel (but that’s a whole other discussion for another day).

I love 1 John and how John shows when we have left this sin-filled life and chosen to live our lives for Jesus. He says this in 1 John 3:14. “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death.” This is how we apply this verse. First, we accept Jesus, and then we show the world. Can you live today in that manner? Through Christ, you can.

O Lord, You have given me a new life. Help me live it honoring You.

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Abiding, Belief, Bible, Choices, Decisions, God's Will, Hope, Messiah, Promises, Scripture, Trust

FIRST TO HOPE

EPHESIANS 1:12

“to the end that we who were the first to hope in the Christ would be to the praise of His glory.”

Some people are eternal optimists. They have hope when all else fails. They seem to look at the world through rose-colored glasses, as the saying goes. It seems nothing gets them down. When things are at their lowest, they will say, “Well, it could be worse.” Don’t you just hate those people, lol? Seriously, we could use more people like that in the world, couldn’t we?

Paul uses a phrase in today’s verse which has many scholars disagreeing. “We who were the first to hope in the Christ” could refer to the Jews, who first hoped in a Messiah. It could refer to the first Christians, Jews and Gentiles. No one is sure who Paul was referring to here. We’ll have to ask him one day, won’t we? However he meant it, these people “would be to the praise of His glory.”

APPLICATION

The Greek word for “first to hope” is proelpizó, which comes from two Greek words, pro, meaning before, and elpizo, which means “actively waiting for God’s fulfillment about the faith He has inbirthed through the power of His love.” (HELPS Word-studies). Are you still with me? This word is only used right here in Ephesians 1:12. From the definition, I personally believe he is referring to the Jewish believers who had held a hope for the Messiah and then responded when He arrived.

But how does this apply to us today? Jesus has already come and gone. He came to give us access to the Father (John 14:6). Now we hope in His return. When will that be? Nobody knows. But we have been told how. Acts 1:9-11 says, “9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were watching, and a cloud took Him up, out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, then behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them, 11 and they said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.’”

Are you gazing intently? Are you watching for His return? It could be any day. Prophecies have been fulfilled. We are at the threshold of heaven. Are you ready? He is coming. We can hope in that. Give someone else that hope today. Share the good news of Jesus with a lost friend or family member. Then they too can hope in Christ.

Lord, You are returning. I stand today gazing at the sky hoping it is today.

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Access, Answers, Bible, Decisions, Father, God's Will, Judgment, Love, Plan, Scripture

GOD’S MATH

EPHESIANS 1:10

“regarding His plan of the fullness of the times, to bring all things together in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.”

We probably all had that one teacher that we were scared of. Mine was Mrs. McCracken, my fourth grade math teacher. She told us all on the first day that she might turn green and fly around the room. She really said that. She was hard. I remember having to stay in from recess to recite multiplication tables. Mrs. McCracken demanded perfection. To this day I can still recite those tables, lol.

God has His own kind of math, though. Paul uses a phrase here today, “to bring all things together,”which is actually one Greek word. It’s a long one, though – anakephalaioó. It means “bring to a head, recapitulate” – head-up, summing up all the parts as a comprehensive (organized) whole.” (HELPS Word Studies). In other words, Paul is saying Christ will wrap all this up. He has finished the equation. The answer is clear.

APPLICATION

You are probably thinking Enough already with the math stuff. Sorry about that, but it is pretty plain to see. God had a plan from the very beginning. He didn’t need any “new” math to get the answer He had planned. Jesus was and still is the only answer. Go back and read verses 3-10. You need to see the whole flow (by the way, that is only four sentences, the fourth which continues through verse 12). God had a plan. God’s math always gets the right answer. That answer is Who? Jesus.

Anakephalaioóis only used twice, here in today’s verse and over in Romans 13:9 which says, “For this, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET,’ and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’”Love sums up all things. Jesus is love. Here’s a math problem for you: If God is love and Jesus is God, then Jesus is love.

If you had to “add up” your life, what would it equal? Would the negative overcome the positive? Would the hate you show outweigh the love? We need to use more of God’s math and less of ours. Recognize that all things add up in God’s eyes. He knows the plan He has for you (Jeremiah 29:11). His plans always include Jesus. How about yours?

I am so grateful You had a plan, Father, from the very beginning.

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Attention, Attitude, Bible, Boasting, Decisions, Humility, Influence, Pride, Scripture

SHOW OFF

GALATIANS 6:12

“All who want to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.”

Some people are all show. They want everyone to see them and what they have accomplished. I love the verse that our ministry has adopted, Isaiah 26:12. “Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us.” The last phrase is what we claim. It’s all Him, not us. We have nothing to brag or boast about.

Paul pointed out in this verse today that those who were trying to compel the Galatians to get circumcised only cared about themselves. They were trying to appease the Jewish leaders with their Mosaic Law following. It wasn’t about Jesus. It was about what they could do, even to their flesh, to appear more spiritual or to be a more sincere follower.

APPLICATION

What kind of “showing” are you making? Is it all about you or is it about Jesus? We should echo the words of John the Baptist. “‘He must become greater; I must become less.’” John knew he was just the forerunner of Christ. He was there to proclaim the message God had given him. He wasn’t “The Man.” Too many people today think they are.

Remember this story from Acts 8? “9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, ‘This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.’” We know what happened to him, don’t we? Are you sure? He got saved through the preaching of Philip, but he still struggled with this desire to be “The Man.”

Later in the chapter, he is confronted by Peter because Simon offered to buy the power to lay hands on people which he had seen done by the apostles. He still hungered for the attention he had earlier. Thankfully, after Peter rebuked him, he repented. As far as we know, we will get to meet Simon in heaven and ask him more about his life. What will your story be? Will it be about yourself or about Jesus? I can’t wait to see.

Hide me behind the cross daily, Lord. Let others see Jesus and not me. 

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Abiding, Bible, Choices, Comfort, Commands, Decisions, Following, Grace, Law, Scripture

CASTING OUT

GALATIANS 4:30

“But what does the Scripture say? ‘DRIVE OUT THE SLAVE WOMAN AND HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE SLAVE WOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN.’”

In our recent move from Chattanooga to Knoxville, my wife and I did some “casting out.” We got rid of furniture that would not fit in our new home. We got rid of clothes that we had not worn or did not fit anymore (I will not say why, lol). And we cast out household stuff that we just did not have room for anymore. All these things didn’t  make the cut, so to speak. Downsizing meant things had to go.

Paul quotes Genesis 21:10 in today’s verse. I mentioned 21:9 yesterday in my blog. Paul continues the story of Ishmael and Isaac (Hagar and Sarah) and uses this story to point out why the old law could not coexist with the grace of Christ. There was no room for the old way in their new faith. It just did not fit. Paul was not rejecting the Jewish people. He was rejecting what those Jewish believers were trying to insert into their faith in Christ.

APPLICATION

Before you get all self-righteous and say, I would never do that, you might better check out your way of living in Jesus. Do you demand people do certain things? Do you put your church’s traditions above doing what the Word says? What does God require of us? We are told that in Micah 6:8, “He has told you, mortal one, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” We don’t need a bunch of rules and regulations to tell us to do that.

I noticed a bottle the other day on my desk. Can you make out the name on it? It says “Purity.” It’s a brand of eyeglass cleaner my eye doctor gives to her patients. Don’t you wish we had a spiritual eyeglass cleaner so we could see more clearly. Oh wait, we do! He’s called the Holy Spirit. If we will just listen to Him, He will tell us what to keep and what to cast out, how to live pure lives.

As you go through your spiritual closet, look for those things that just don’t fit God’s Word. Look for the old, worn out excuses you have hanging up that you continue to put on every day. Throw out those things that hold you back from living the victorious Christian life. You will be all the better for it, He promises.

O Lord, I want to have only what will draw me closer to You.

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Abiding, Answers, Asking, Belief, Bible, Boldness, Decisions, Encouragement, God's Will, Promises, Scripture, Seeking

TIRED OF WAITING

GALATIANS 4:28

“And you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.”

My wife and I have been waiting on something for well over a year. Every day we pray about this, asking God to do whatever He needs to do to resolve the situation. Waiting is hard. Asking for the same thing over and over is challenging. But I am reminded of the story told in Luke 18 where Jesus taught the disciples about prayer. Verse 1 says, “Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged,” I’ll let you read the next several verses later to see the parable He told them.

Why mention waiting? Because Paul mentions Isaac today in verse 28 of chapter 4. He was the child promised to Abraham and Sarah. Sarah didn’t get pregnant right away. God waited 25 years. Abraham was 75 when God gave him that promise, and Isaac was born when he was 100 (Sarah was 90). Why would God do that? Don’t you know Abraham asked Sarah a hundred times if she was pregnant, and every time she would tell him “Not this time.” Annoying, right?

APPLICATION

Sometimes God moves swiftly. We just moved and the process happened so quickly. We prayed for the right buyer and the right house for us on the other end. From listing our house to a contract signed took seven days. Then we found a house and had a contract in two days. So, we know He can move fast when it is His plan. The danger we face is getting ahead of God. I am sure you have never done that.

In 1 Samuel 13:8-9 we see a story about Saul when he did not wait as instructed. “8 He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, ‘Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.” And we know what happened as a result. The kingdom which had been promised to him was torn away and given to David. Waiting is important.

I want to encourage you today (as I encourage myself) to wait on God. He has a plan for your life. Listen to Him. Wait on Him. His timing is always perfect even though we don’t think so sometime. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it (I keep reminding myself of that).

Lord, Your promises are always true and will be fulfilled. Help me wait on You instead of kicking in doors myself.

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Abiding, Belief, Bible, Decisions, Faith, Following, God's Will, Grace, Justified, Obedience, Righteousness, Salvation, Scripture

THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH

GALATIANS 3:11

“Now, that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, ‘THE RIGHTEOUS ONE WILL LIVE BY FAITH.’”

In March of 1969, a song was released by Frank Sinatra that gained worldwide popularity. “My Way” was an instant success. That song is still sung around the world. You should google the lyrics to that song and read them. Wow! It epitomizes self. Its premise is all that matters is that you do it your way.

In today’s verse, Paul emphatically states what he has been saying in this whole letter. Man is not justified by what he does for himself, by his works, by following the Law. He may feel better about himself, but that doesn’t matter in God’s eyes. God is concerned with faith, with confession of sin, not in how many works a person does or how good he feels about himself. There is no other way to the Father except faith in His Son, Jesus.

APPLICATION

The quote in today’s verse comes from Habakkuk 2:4. This is God talking to Habakkuk. “‘Behold, as for the impudent one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous one will live by his faith.’” Now, if God says it, that settles it. He says through faith we find righteousness. We know that only the righteousness of Christ can make us righteous, not what we do.

Paul uses this same quote in Romans 1:17. “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: ‘BUT THE RIGHTEOUS ONE WILL LIVE BY FAITH.’” Paul must have liked that verse in Habakkuk to use it in two letters. Better yet, he believed it to be true. Do you? Do you believe it is not up to you? Do you believe your righteousness has nothing to do with you and everything to do with Jesus?

An old hymn just popped into my head. Don’t you love it when that happens?  “Faith is the Victory” is a great hymn that describes our reliance on faith in our daily battles. The chorus simply says this:

Faith is the victory!
Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory,
That overcomes the world.

Go out today and be faithful. Place all your trust in Him and Him alone.

Father, I give You praise for the faith You have birthed within me.

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