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Selflessness a great preservative 

Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. Luke 17:33

Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: Jude ( verse 1)

In the natural world, self-preservation seems to be the answer to survival and prosperity. The world influences people to take care of “number one” and be selfish. It’s interesting that most selfish people are unhappy while they may have an outward appearance of having it all together. In the process of saving themselves, people lose the true life that God intended for them. The more we focus on self, the emptier and darker our lives get!

Jesus has a better solution to a full life. In the Kingdom of God, self-preservation is the opposite of being preserved. Jesus taught his disciples to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. What are we to deny? We are to deny the pangs of competition, anger, & negativity. We are to say, “no” to self when it tries to get its way. We are to deny the desire to indulge, be indifferent, or prove to be right.

There are times that denying ourselves will feel like the kiss of death to our future or reputation. Nevertheless, God has promised to fight for us and keep us alive even in the midst of opposition.

Joseph didn’t defend himself when the Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him. Why didn’t he do it? Could it be that he cared about his boss (the Potiphar) and the marriage more than Joseph’s own well being? Was he being careful in not bringing any division or embarrassment to Potiphar’s family? Joseph had plenty of opportunities to have had a conversation with his boss, but he didn’t.

Can we love people beyond the hurt they inflict on us? Can we continue to do things for their benefit even at our own detriment? Joseph certainly had to deny seeking justice by abstaining to defend himself. When was the last time, you chose not to preserve yourself?

Ultimately, the Lord is our keeper. If we have been walking with integrity and humility, Jesus is our preserver. He is the one who defends us, protects us, and guards our hearts from poisonous situations.

God preserved Joseph because he chose to trust God and do what was right. The preserved became the preserver of the nation of Egypt and his own family. He laid down his own rights, and he gained life for himself as well as multitudes.

Lord, today we choose to follow to your instructions on how to be preserved. We choose to fear you above all others. We want to show discretion in our speech, and we will deny ourselves by being selfless regardless of the person you put before us. Give us the strength to do it well. In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

How can we as preservers of the society be preserved? 

This is a continuation of the subject I began in the last devotional. 

Integrity a powerful preserver

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You. Psalm 25:21

Integrity and uprightness keep us constant regardless of our circumstances. Salt shouldn’t change, but it needs to be a changing agent. An upright person has learned to remain the same and not give in to taking shortcuts. A person of integrity waits on God to do His work on his/her behalf. Those who choose to manipulate, lie, or take shortcuts may reach their goal, but they are not preserved because they will eventually get caught in their ways! I would rather be preserved by my Lord than reach my goal. Wouldn’t you?

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. Matthew 5:13

Jesus declared in the Sermon on the Mount that if salt loses its saltiness, it has lost its purpose and value. We are called to remain true to our identity as His children and not cave in to the pressure of those around us. Integrity and uprightness preserve our potency in a dark and defiled world!

Discretion Preserves

Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you. Proverbs 2:11

He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction. Proverbs 13:3

If we are going to be persevered, we have to guard our mouths from saying things that are inappropriate, cutting, divisive, or excessive. In the age of social media where thousands can be reached with a click of a button, it becomes more critical to be thoughtful about what is shared and how much is shared.

In the last few months, I have noticed that some are posting very personal information on Facebook in the hope of reaching a few for Christ. The problem is there are many people reading their posts who don’t necessarily care about spiritual things. People such as their current employer or prospective employer can perceive the information negatively and have it be a detriment to the individual.

What we share should pass the following tests:

  1. Is this the right forum to share the information? Do we know our audience?

  2. Is this helpful to those who hear it?

  3. How much information is appropriate to be shared?

Our families including our children have the right to privacy, and we can’t share information about them in the name of ministry or transparency that has not been approved by them.

We never regret having discretion in sharing information because it can preserve us and our relationships. On the other hand, not showing discretion can cause much regret. It could damage our relationships, and we could lose the trust of those around us.

Praying for protection and preservation for our loved ones and ourselves is one of the most frequently prayer requests that most of us have. We usually pray for physical protection as well as spiritual protection and preservation.

According to Webster’s dictionary, the word “preserve” means:

to keep (something) in its original state or in good condition; to keep (something) safe from harm or loss; to prevent (food) from decaying

All of the above definitions apply to our prayers. We want to be preserved for eternity and not get defiled by the world. We desire to be protected from any harm or losses, and we also hope not to backslide or have a decaying faith because of difficulties and/or persecution.

Jesus called us the” salt of the earth” hence we are to be the preservers of our society. We are the ones who are called to cover our communities with salt of truth, love, and prayer in order to preserve a culture that is very opposite to Biblical truth. The question is, how is the salt preserved? How can we as preserver of the culture be preserved?

Fearing God

And the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 6:24

God is pleased with us revering Him. When we honor our Lord, we take seriously what He says in His word, and we obey His rules because they are for our benefit. Our desire is not to go against what God says because we know He is not playing! His statutes are not just nice suggestions but they are life and wisdom!

God has given us much to enjoy in our lives. In order to fully enjoy everything, we are to use it the way it is prescribed in the instruction manual (in this case the Bible).

For example, if we were to send an IPhone to a remote place in the world where they have no access to electricity, technology, or even phones, what would they do with it?  Since they know nothing about phones, they might use it as a hammer, a weight, or a whole host of others things that have nothing to do with the true function of an IPhone.

The same holds true for us. We don’t truly know our purpose apart from our Creator and Savior. When we were unbelievers, we abused our bodies and soul because we just did what felt good at the moment. Now that we know Him, we should desire to read His instruction manual and listen to His voice because He has much to say to us. When we pay attention to God’s design and purpose for our lives, we are preserved! We can experience joy in living the full life He’s given us without the headache and heartache of abusing His craftsmanship!

Are we being preserved by paying attention to what the Lord says in His word? Do we get enough rest or are we overcommitted?  Do we eat right and exercise or do we struggle with gluttony, alcohol, or soft drugs? Are we quick to forgive? Do we press through loving people even when we don’t feel like it?

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:  “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.  Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.  Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.  But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolatians, which I also hate.

 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’ Revelation 2:1-7

In the last two devotionals, I have been sharing about some of the factors that can cause us to leave our first love. Lack of consistency is another factor in leaving our first love. We can’t afford to take our relationship with the Lord for granted and assume that without effort it can remain strong and healthy!

Faithfulness is a marathon of consistency

To be faithful, we need to remain in a position of faith and obedience. By its sheer nature consistency cannot be achieved unless it is practiced over a long period of time. Any relationship can start out very easily and joyfully but maintaining a healthy and strong relationship over the decades is the challenge.

The best example of a long term relationship that requires consistency is a marriage relationship. People start out in their relationship to one another all excited and optimistic about their future together. At the beginning of their relationship, couples like to spend every waking hours with each other. However, over the years, the busyness of life, the demands of parenting, the pressure of finances all start straining the relationship. Couples begin to argue more and forgive less. They develop other friendships outside of marriage to have a retreat or a venting place. They take each other for granted and begin fanaticizing about freedom of being single! Over time, couples can grow apart while they still stay together.

Maintaining a strong and healthy relationship takes work. In the case of a marriage relationship it takes two imperfect people making the commitment to work with each other and with the Lord to succeed in their marriage. However, in the case of our relationship with the Lord, since one party is perfect, the burden of leaving the first love falls on our shoulders. The Lord is always willing and available to walk with us. His love for us does not change but our love for him does change. Sometimes we bring other lovers in the midst that take our attention away from him.

If being used by God becomes the center of our focus, the enemy will even use that desire to subtly draw us away from the Lord!  We may think we are putting our Lord and His Kingdom first but we really are putting our significance in the Kingdom first!

What is the solution to all of this? Jesus told the church of Ephesus to repent and return to her first love.

Thank you Lord for pointing out where we have fallen from our place of intimacy. Forgive us when other things or people have eclipsed your presence in our lives. Please return to us the joy of our salvation and help us enjoy our time and relationship with you above all other lovers.

Here is a great worship song to make your commitment to Him:

“Come Make War” by Rick Pino. You can watch it on YouTube if you can’t watch it from here.

To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:  “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.  Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.  Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.  But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolatians, which I also hate.

 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’ Revelation 2:1-7

I shared in the last devotional that success in ministry is not the only factor in determining our love for God. There are more factors that we need to pay attention to in order to not veer off of our intimacy with Christ.

Comfort Breeds Self-Confidence

The scripture states, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen”. This statement implies that at one point the church was at a right place, but they fell from that place.

We generally are surprised by the fall of leaders because we look at their activities and presume that they must love God passionately. How can one be so zealous and self-sacrificial and not still be in love with God!?

For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7b

If we have walked with Jesus for any length of time, our vocabulary has been perfected in sounding mature and passionate, but it doesn’t mean that our heart is still as close to the Lord as it once was before. Giving lip service to truth is a lot easier than you might think!

The Lord does not look at the outward appearance; He looks at our hearts. The appearance in this case is our works. Our good works can look very good but internally our heart can grow distant from the Lord.The fall of an individual especially a leader is never a sudden event, but it is an incremental step by step compromise in walking away from the Lord!

What is the anatomy of a fall? Individuals can get comfortable with their spiritual state because of what they do in ministry. Their Bible knowledge can give them an aura of confidence and being untouchable. People begin to depend on them more and they begin to depend less on the Lord! They start spending more time in ministry but less time in His presence. They discern everyone else’s spirits but can’t recognize their own. Individuals can pride themselves in having the authority to judge others’ spirituality, but there is no one to judge theirs.

There is also a danger for those who are on the payroll of a ministry for being honest about their issues. It might be difficult for them to admit they are struggling or need help in fear of losing their job. As a result, they can keep an appearance of spirituality but inwardly they are quietly wasting away!

When one’s gauge of intimacy is their works, they are going down a wrong path! All of the above factors are a set up for a falling away. They all cause a person/church to move from the condition of dependence on the Lord to self-confidence!

We have seen too many “falls” in the landscape of the body of Christ. A church can do well for years, and then suddenly we hear the implosion of a leader or a church. Beloved, as people of God, we can learn much from other’s failures if we take the time to understand the elements that led to the fall.

To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:  “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.  Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.  Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.  But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolatians, which I also hate.

 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’ Revelation 2:1-7

Jesus declared to the church of Ephesus that He knew their works and all the labor they have endured over the years. This church did not compromise on truth, and they were clear on what was evil.

The church in Ephesus had the maturity to discern between true and false apostles. They had all the appearance to signify they were capable, holy, and strong Christians. However, they had one major flaw that Jesus spoke about. They had left their first love!

The word, “left”, in the above scripture, (According to Strong’s Concordance in Greek) means ; neglect or disregard.

Outwardly this church was doing very well, but inwardly they had neglected their God! Isn’t that amazing!? How can this happen?

I would like to share a few reasons that could cause us to lose our first love!

Loss of Focus

If we determine the approval of God based on all the things that a church is doing right, we could be terribly wrong! While doing the right things is an important factor in God’s approval, but it is not the main component!

Jesus could see the inward condition of this church, and it wasn’t good. Is it possible that they had become so skilled in what they were doing that they didn’t find a need to depend on the Lord any longer? Were they so focused on the work of the ministry that they forgot the Creator of the Ministry? Could it be that they equated the approval of others with the approval of God?

The church had done all the right things, but they weren’t right before God!

How can we focus on God’s approval?

1. We need to have a regular time with the Lord away from people and activities. This is the place where we come before the Lord and allow Him to speak to us about those things that are important to Him.

2. We should have people in our lives who are not in our circle of friendships and/or ministry and give them permission to speak into our lives! These individuals should have the maturity to be obedient to Christ but not have their own personal agenda/need.

When David came on the scene and saw Goliath intimidating the people of God, he had no agenda except to stand up for truth and righteousness ( See 1 Samuel 17). David’s so called  “skilled and mighty” brothers had been breathing the same air of defeat as all the others. They believed Goliath’s report instead of God’s truth about their situation. They communed with others in the lowland of fear and doubt and missed their high calling and purpose to be warriors for God!

3. Our focus needs to be laser sharp! Examining our focus from time to time is paramount! Is there anything that is competing for our attention?

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” Acts 3:5-6

The lame man expected to receive something from Peter & John just as he did from others who came to the temple. He had been conditioned to feel entitled and expected others to help him, but his vision was only to get the assistance to relieve the pain of lack and inadequacy.

Feeling entitled to receive something from others doesn’t truly change our condition. It only puts a band-aid to the problem. It neither builds our character nor does it make us a stronger person. As a matter of fact, it leaves us in a position of weakness and inadequacy.

When I was a teacher, I had variety of students with different levels of ability and drive. Some were willing to work hard and do what it took to get a good grade. Others struggled but asked for help. There was always a couple of students who felt entitled to a get good grade or special treatment.

I was not one to give any student special treatment because I really believed in their ability more than they believed in theirs. Since they were used to getting the sympathy of others, they hadn’t had the opportunity to be pushed over the edge and see what is in them.

Saying “yes” to an expectation is a lot easier because it makes the student and their parents happy, and you can be considered a cool and popular teacher! It’s always a struggle to say “no” to someone who expects something from you, but if we are patient and are doing it for the right reasons, we will see the fruit of it.

I had the privilege of seeing students achieve the grade on their own and feel really good about it. We can get to see the person’s confidence grow over time because we have given them the opportunity to struggle and come out on the other side stronger. Now they can feel that they have overcome a major obstacle without a handout or special treatment!

What if the people whose help we seek, know their assistance is like alcohol to an alcoholic!? What if they are the ones who really care about us because they are not giving us what we are craving. Their desire is to give us what we really need which is healing and wholeness in Jesus! I surmise that if Peter & John had silver and gold, they wouldn’t have given it to him because they were spirit led rather than emotionally driven! They had the faith and the vision to see him healed!

Is it possible that those who looked seemingly as our enemies or adversaries have all along wanted the best for us? Perhaps we weren’t willing to receive it because it didn’t come in the package we were used to!

Lord open our eyes to see the treasure in the form of peculiar people that you have placed in our lives whose assignment is very different than all the other people we have encountered. Thank you for people like Peter & John who came to bring wholeness and not a handout. They have come to bring the Good News of healing and restoration that can change the course of our lives. Help us not to miss the encounter with them.

Help us to be agents of true healing and restoration rather than handout and special treatment toward others!

Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. Acts 3:1-7

A lame man sat at the entrance of the temple begging people for money because he was disabled and disadvantaged. Generally, we like to help those who are not capable of helping and providing for themselves. The fact that people were going to the temple, would have compelled them to help this poor man by giving him alms.

Years of disability and poverty had made the lame man to remain in his identity as a poor and disadvantaged person. He had learned to beg and depend on the monetary help of others. However, the lame man was in for a surprise!

The condition of being lame is not just limited to physical state but it can also be our about emotional impairment or our perceived mental limitations. Somewhere along the journey of life, the circumstances or rejection from others may have made us lame. We are not necessarily in need of money but we beg for acceptance and value.

Women can get into unhealthy relationships with the opposite sex because they need the affirmation of a man regardless of the cost to their emotions or bodies. Children perform highly at an athletic level just so they can have Dad’s respect. Men and women enslave themselves to their careers, so that they can feel valuable and significant by others.

Do we beg people for attention, value, security, or purpose? Has the attention of others made us remain in our needy position? Do we see ourselves as incapable apart from others’ intervention in our lives?

This lame man was brought by his friends  on a daily basis to the temple. They assisted him to beg everyday for what he thought he needed. This man had made a career out of begging, and he could have easily justified it because he was lame.

Have we become professional beggars and justify it because of our past? Do our friends help us to stay in the position of being beggars? Do we depend on people so heavily to the point that we think we would not be able to live life without their acceptance or assistance? As friends, are we enablers for others because it makes us feel valuable?

Peter and John approached the lame man, and he expected from them what he expected from others. However, Peter & John were no ordinary temple goers compelled to just give him a handout. They were about to knock his socks off by completely transforming his world and his life-long condition!

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

If we treasure and value what God treasures, we will be building our lives in such a way that we will not have regrets later in life!

Earthly treasure in competition with spiritual treasure

Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to Him, “Which ones?”

Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’  ‘Honor your father and your mother, and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”

Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Matthew 19:16-22

The rich young ruler must have known something was missing in his life but couldn’t put his finger on it, so he asked Jesus about it. Jesus knew that wealth was a stumbling block for the rich young ruler to give himself wholeheartedly to the kingdom of God, so that’s what He asked of him to give away.

Worldly riches have value and add comfort and provision to life. We don’t have to look down upon earthly riches, but the riches can’t own us or drive us in life.

A couple of years ago, I met a man named Charles Mulli. He became a millionaire in his early forties. He loved his wife and his large family, and they all lived in a large beautiful house very comfortably, but the call of God came upon him. The Lord put a burden and a passion in this man’s heart for orphans. He gave up his career to start an orphanage. 25 years later this man is unstoppable. He has a foundation called Mully Children Family that has touched the lives of thousands of kids in Kenya.

The riches Charles is gaining through saving the lives of those orphans are far greater than any riches he could accumulate in his investment portfolio! I wonder what the rich young ruler missed out on as he walked away sorrowful!?

In the book of proverbs it tells us,

The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10:22

Our priority is to have the hand of God and the blessing of God in our lives. That’s the true treasure. If we build wealth according to Biblical principles, it won’t cause any strife in us. The earthly treasure won’t lead to division in our homes or with those around us. If the Lord asks us to give generously, we are willing to do it because we know we can never out-give God.

Some riches bring sorrow with them because people go after the riches rather than following the finger of God in their lives. He knows how to bless us if we stay in step with Him and be obedient to our part, but having Him in our lives is always the greatest blessing!

God’s treasure is stored in us 

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 

2 Corinthians 4:7

Paul considered himself and all of us earthen vessels; another translation calls us “Jars of clay”. A jar of clay is frail and hollow inside. We are saints, ministers, and  ambassadors of Christ because of the treasure that He has placed in us through His spirit. He is our treasure and the one who gives us value.

Those of us who have walked with God for quite a few years, can take the treasure inside for granted sometimes. We may think it’s not a big deal that we can pray, encourage, empathize, prophesy, give, or witness for Christ, but none of those would have been possible if He wasn’t inside of us giving us the desire, the heart, and the ability to do them.

What do you treasure today? Do you treasure what God treasures?

For more information on Charles Mulli ministry, you can check out his website mullychildrensfamily.org.

In a world with an upside down value system, it behooves us to pay attention to what God calls treasure! We should  highly value and esteem what God considers to be a treasure!

His people

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” Exodus 19:5-6

For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure. Psalm 135:4

God saw us and chose us to be His special treasure. God treasures those He makes a covenant with. He takes full responsibility and pleasure in His relationship to His people. The blessings of walking with God and obeying Him are amazing towards His people.

If you read Deuteronomy 28:1-14,  you will be astounded at the number of blessings that are part of His covenant relationship with us. It makes you wonder why do we disobey or wander off from the Lord in the first place!?

Do we treasure our relationship with the Lord?

Fear of God

The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high;
He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times,
And the strength of salvation;
The fear of the Lord is His treasure. Isaiah 33:5-6

Fearing God is nothing distasteful or humiliating, but it is actually a treasure for those who see its value and significance in their lives. If you have ever stopped doing something because of fearing God, you realize how His fear is so important to save us and keep us from a bad decision that could change the course of our lives.

If we want to have a good and peaceful life, we need wisdom. The scripture tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. In order to have Godly wisdom, we must first fear God and pay attention to His ways. Fearing Him should be a treasure to us.

Treasure shapes character

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21

One of the definitions of heart here is, “of the will and character”. What we treasure defines our character. This can be a blessing or a curse depending on what we treasure. What we treasure defines what we submit our will to. Our treasure is where we spend our time and energy. We try to learn more and more about those things we treasure and like to become very skilled at them. In the process, our character changes by what we treasure.

What do we treasure? Has our character changed for the better by what we treasure? If we treasure the right things, our relationships should become stronger. Is this what you are experiencing?