Are You Asking God This Question?

by Gwen Smith

Today’s Truth

Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same. (Luke 3:11)

Friend to Friend

Luke 3 tells the story of John the Baptist as he began his ministry. His job? Prepare the way of the Lord. (Luke 3:4) Many royal rulers and powerful leaders of the land are listed at the beginning of the chapter to set the stage and give us historical context, yet it is a normal guy, born to older parents, in an off-the-map-of-all-places-important rural village that the Lord called to be the forerunner for Jesus. (Doesn’t it encourage you that God uses normal people from ordinary places to tell the world about Jesus? Me too.)

The Lord spoke to John when he was in the wilderness and told him what to do (Luke 3:2). Then John walked his sandals to the dusty country trails around the Jordan and got himself busy for Jesus. He preached what the Bible calls “a baptism of repentance” for the forgiveness of sins, and he challenged the people of Israel to live lives that produced fruit in keeping with repentance. (Luke 3:3,8) His message was two-fold, but simple: turn from sin and turn toward God.

The people wanted John to help them understand. They wanted to know what that should look like in their lives.

“What should we do then?” the crowd asked. (Luke 3:10)

That same question was shouted from people of different backgrounds, careers, ages, and responsibilities … from people with different challenges and different experiences. What should we do?

John answered them. And in doing so he painted a picture of what it should look like for every follower of Jesus to produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Look at what he said.

John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.

Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” (Luke 3:11-14)

The Bible goes on to say that John spent time with the people, exhorted them, and told them the good news that God had sent him to share. (Luke 3:18) As I consider the illustrations that John used to describe what a fruit-producing life looks like, I reflect. Am I asking God that question? What should I do, Lord?

Thankful for this fresh heart-burden, I decide to summarize what John told the people and apply the principles to my life. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but it is a great starting point. (Especially for a New Year.) Here are the things that John said we should do in order to be fruit-bearers.

#1. Share – Live beyond yourself and your stuff. Be generous.

#2. Be honest – Do your job. Don’t take what’s not yours, and tell the truth.

#3. Live with integrity – Don't do what you shouldn’t do, even if you can, and treat others well.

#4. Be content – Stop reaching and straining for stuff that doesn’t really matter in light of eternity. Be thankful for what you have.

As I look over this list, I wonder. What changes can I make in the way I do things that will produce more fruit? How willing am I to share? Am I honest? Who am I when others aren’t looking? Do my choices honor God? Am I content?

James 2:14-26 says that faith without deeds is dead. I want my life to give evidence of faith – to shout the fame of Jesus, just like John the Baptist. I want to be a woman who produces fruit in keeping with repentance … fruit that bears evidence of my turning from sin toward God. Yes. Yes. Yes!

So I determine that this list is a great place to start.

Join me?

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, Thank You for your Word that is rich with lessons. Please help me to be a woman who does things that will cause others to see You. Help me to share, be honest, live with integrity and be content.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Today's Devotional Sponsor:

Greed Stinks!

by Mary Southerland

Today’s Truth

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry (Colossians 3:5, NIV).

Friend to Friend

Cantaloupe may very well be my favorite food. When it is in season, I stock up and always have some on hand. On one particularly hot day, a lunch of cantaloupe sounded luscious ... and it was. Afterward, I was gone for several hours, running errands. When I walked back in the front door that afternoon, a foul stench nearly knocked me down. It was such a strong odor! A dead animal was my first thought. A plumbing problem was my next idea. I began a room-to-room search that ended abruptly at the kitchen sink. Opening the cabinet underneath, I nearly gagged at the stench that slapped me in the face. I instantly remembered that I had thrown the cantaloupe peels in the garbage before running errands and forgotten to take them to the outside garbage can as I usually did. The house reeked, and the delicious cantaloupe was forgotten as I threw the peels away, lit every candle I could find, and opened every window in an effort to eliminate the odor of rotting fruit. Nasty!

Greed acts the same way in our life and must be treated like garbage. Deliberately throw it away. Remove it from your life as soon as you discover its presence. In 2 Corinthians 7:1, we find the apostle Paul’s strong warning to “purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." Greed is the gangrene of the soul. If not quickly dealt with, greed will contaminate every emotion, creating a foul stench in every part of life. Choose against it. Fight it with Scripture and bombard it with prayer, remembering that God alone is our provider and that He will supply our every need.

I have come to the conclusion that the underlying problem with wants and needs is that we confuse the two. What we want and what we need are not always the same things. Anyone who has met my husband will tell you that he is down-to-earth and unassuming. Dan may be a mega church pastor, but he is also very approachable and unpretentious. The truck Dan drives is proof that he is totally unimpressed with the material things this world has to offer. Our family named the truck “Old Blue” for two reasons. It is old, and it is blue. However, it is paid for, and it runs. However, I am certain he would not turn down an offer from someone who wanted to buy him a brand-new Ford F-150 truck as a Christmas gift. In fact, from time to time, I have seen him gaze at some bright, shiny new truck with longing in his eyes.

Dan has been the lead teaching pastor of a several very large churches and could easily rationalize driving a nice car or truck as part of his pastoral image. The only problem with that idea is that Dan is not the least bit concerned with his pastoral image when it comes to material possessions. He is, however, deeply concerned with the image of God being seen in his life.

Is it wrong to want and desire nice things? Not if we view and use those nice things as tools and refuse to worship them as idols. I sometimes think God has to strip us of everything we have so we can learn the life-changing truth that He is our Source. Just as the shepherd meets every need of his sheep, God meets our needs. Just as sheep totally depend upon their shepherd's care, we would be wise to depend totally upon God. He is our Provider. He is our Source, and He is all we need.

Let’s Pray

Father, I can be so greedy! Please forgive me when I live as though You cannot provide my every need. Help me to walk by faith, knowing that You love me fiercely and will take care of me. You are my Father, my God … my Provider! Thank You!

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

DAILY SMILE:

Hope the Rain Keeps Up

Sport Jokes

Submitted by Benjones

Two guys sitting in a football stadium waiting for the game to start.

One turns to the other and says, “I hope the rain keeps up!”

“Oh, why?”

“So it doesn’t come down!”

Creme of Coconut Cake

from http://delishpoints.com/creme-of-coconut-cake/2/

You’ll Need:

1 box of yellow butter cake mix.
1 can of cream of coconut.
1 can of Eagle Brand milk.
8 oz of cool whip.
1 package of frozen thawed coconut.

How to:

In a 13x9x2 pan bake the yellow butter cake mix according to the directions on the package.
Pierce the cake with a fork while it’s still hot.
In a bowl, mix together the cream of coconut and can of Eagle brand milk and pour over the cake.
Refrigerate covered. Once cooled, top with 8 ounces of cool whip and a package of frozen coconut and store in the refrigerator.

Easy, peasy and refreshing! This cool white dessert is very simple and easy to make and it’s perfect for dessert! Just give it a try, you will fall in love!