"August 2nd - This Day in History"

“August 2nd… this day in history” is an unusual way to begin a devotional. However, I thought it might be at least instructional, and hopefully inspirational! Here’s just a brief list of some of the things that have happened on this day:

 1914 – perhaps the first “bailout” of a nation. As a result of the economic instability caused by World War I, American bankers were seriously considering an issue of emergency currency within a week’s time. In Washington a conference between President Woodrow Wilson and New York Foreign exchange officials were going to discuss the possibility of allowing England an unprecedented amount of $100,000,000 credit.
 1934 – the rise of Nazism. Adolf Hitler, the chancellor of Germany, became the country's Fuhrer ( president and chancellor ) today after German President Paul Von Hindenburg died.
 1943 – a future president becomes a hero. Lt. John F. Kennedy of the United States command, the PT-109 is sunk by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri while on patrol near the Solomon Islands. The future president was credited with saving members of his crew.
 1949 – a great comedian is injured. Comedian, Bob Hope ended up in Hollywood’s Presbyterian Hospital as a result of been bucked off by his fake steed while working on a Hollywood film set. Hope was straddling a barrel rocked by Lucille Ball when it rolled over and sent him flying.

Oh, I suppose I also ought to mention that it is also the day I was born! Some of the events above were history changing events, some merely incidental occurrences that were recorded because of the personality involved. And, while my birth was certainly recorded by the hospital and celebrated by my family, I’m quite certain it was not a moment of historical importance! That day would come later in my life, at my second birth. Nearly twenty years after making my entrance into this world I came to an understanding of who Jesus was and how He had died to provide me with eternal life. While the second birth would not have happened without the first, the second birth was the most important. It is for all of us.

Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17 NIV).

I certainly hope that I have made a difference in the lives of people that I have ministered to over these last forty-one years, however, the real measure of success in life is not “in the numbers.” It is in THE number. That number is the One who gave Himself on my behalf so that I might have eternal life, now and then. That’s how you make a difference in history! Do you know the One who brings life? You can. Just ask!

"Bureaucratic Red Tape"

One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43 NIV).

I am sure that as you read the title for today’s issue of Morning Devotional you may have been tempted to think that I was about to step over into politics. As much as I might like to do that from time to time, this is not one of them. So, let me start at the beginning so you will have a little context. I am writing this issue on Friday for tonight’s mailing and it has been quite an eventful day. It started with another round of working with my computer to free up some memory. I am not a tech person and that is always a challenge, however I may have put a band aid on it and it seems to be working better. Then my schedule started to compress a bit. I had a pretty long list of details to take care of for the day. Some were benign and others essential to the future of Grace Restoration Ministries.

One of those essentials was to get a bank account established in GRM’s name so that I can begin to receive money from various sources to support the ministry. How hard could that be? Well, as it turns out it was an all afternoon affair as I went from office to office in two cities to get the necessary documentation and licenses I needed to make a deposit! It seems that I needed a license from both the city and county in which I live to declare the “business” in operation. And, I needed the appropriate federal designations and ID numbers to prove that we are duly registered with the state of Tennessee and the IRS. I did think several times that perhaps George Orwell’s 1984 was unfolding before my eyes! I did it done, but it cut into my schedule significantly. By the time I dotted all the “i’s” and crossed all the “t’s” it was three and a half hours later! My first thought was that was a lot of bureaucratic red tape! And my second thought was how glad I am that it’s a lot easier to get into heaven than opening a business bank account!

Then I remembered the penitent thief on the cross next to Jesus. Don’t misunderstand. It is not easy or simple to gain eternal life. It is difficult and costly. But Jesus has already done all that needs to be done and paid all that needs to be paid on our behalf. He has opened an account in our name that is brim-full and overflowing with grace. Further it never needs to be replenished. We can draw from it anytime and as much as we need or want! That’s what the Apostle Paul meant when he said he had discovered the “unsearchable riches in Christ.” No wonder John Bunyan called it “Amazing Grace.” It truly is! My challenge to you today is to believe and practice the life of divine royalty, for so you are when you receive His gift of eternal life. If you have not trusted yourself to Him you can right now. There is no need to wait a moment. His promise to you is the same as that thief… TODAY you will be with Me in Paradise! No red tape in that promise!

"Permanent"

Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." (John 10:27-30 NIV).

As many of you know, jobs are very difficult to find in our economy today. One of the challenges of starting Grace Restoration Ministries full time was being able to secure a part-time position that would allow me to earn a little money while I secured a base of support and give me the time to do the work of the ministry. God opened a door at Home Depot for a “part-time temporary” job several weeks ago. The only down side of the job is that I have to wear an orange apron! I am kidding about the orange vest for all of you who are Longhorn fans. There is one real downside though. It is temporary, which means that it will only last through their “busy season.” On Friday of this week that status changed. I was told that I was definitely going to be offered a “permanent” position!

That gave me a thought. The concept of permanence rarely applies to anything. Almost everything in our lives is temporary. The one thing that is truly permanent is our eternal life. There's nothing more tragic than a Christian fearing they will be disowned by their heavenly Father. Much of the time they end each day wondering if they did enough good that day so that they will continue to hear that they are a child of God. Today’s reading is one of the clearest proofs that my salvation is permanent. There may be days I don't feel like His child but feelings don't erase my identity. I’ve talked to a lot of people who cannot wrap their minds around that truth. They have difficulty with the concept of the eternal security of their salvation. They argue that an earthly father can disown a child, or a child can leave home, declare himself free of his family, and never return to home turf again. However, I’d remind them that if DNA testing were done on the father and child, evidence would still show that they are still very much related. Regardless of that argument, god is simply not bound by earthly habits or practices. Scripture speaks of being born again into the kingdom through faith in Christ.

Birth into any family means a new and permanent identity. I am called a child of God. There are many days I don't feel like His child, even act like His child, yet I am because by His grace I was called into this relationship as a freshman at Texas A&M University! No disgracing behavior can erase whom I belong to. If I had decided along the way to say that I had somehow disqualified myself from being His child, my proclamation wouldn't have nullified my adoption. No matter what I say or do today, it's irrelevant as far as my standing with Christ. Though I may break my Father's heart when I sin, He is still my Father. When I come limping home, He will be scanning the horizon looking for my face to appear.

Perhaps you struggle with your faith when the sun goes down. When you think of the Second Coming of Christ, you fear you will be left. Perhaps you suffer from a disease where the days ahead of you are few. The thought of dying seizes your heart with fear. Look at Jesus’ promise again! He has you in His hand and no one or no “thing” can snatch you out of it. The same hand that created the world, threw the stars into place, and causes the sun to rise in the morning and keep our earth on its axis, can and does hold you in a firm grip!