Which Direction Are You Facing?

"And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom."

Genesis 13:10-12

In the 1929 Rose Bowl, the California Golden Bears squared off against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and provided one of the most famous plays in college football history. In the second quarter, California player Roy Riegels recovered a fumble, but instead of advancing it, he got confused and began running toward his own end zone. A teammate finally stopped him at the goal line, but the two points Georgia Tech scored following "Wrong Way" Riegels' mistake proved the winning margin in the game.

Many times believers make the mistake of thinking they can face the world and even move toward it without adverse consequences. They think that since they are not yet too close, they are fine. But in truth, the direction in which we are pointed tells the story of where we will end up.

Lot made the same tragic mistake. When Abraham offered him a choice of land for his flocks, Lot chose based on short-term rather than long-term benefit. Then when he reached the well-watered grasslands, he set up camp so that he was facing Sodom. It wasn’t long before he ended up in that wicked city, which eventually led to the destruction of his family.

If you fall into the trap of thinking your direction doesn’t matter, you are headed for trouble. It is far better to turn your back on the things of the world and fix your eyes on Jesus.

Today's Principle: 
Are you facing toward the Lord or toward the world? The direction you face determines the destination you will reach.

by Dr. Paul Chappell

Don’t Waste Your Trials

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." 1 Peter 4:12–13 Dr. Lee Roberson, a great pastor for many years in Chattanooga, Tennessee, experienced great tragedy in his life. His baby daughter Joy died not long after she was born. He was serving the Lord, leading a church, and faithfully preaching the Word. Yet that did not mean he was exempt from suffering trials. Through this tragedy, Dr. Roberson led his church to establish a camp in memory of his daughter. At this camp, thousands of underprivileged children attended free of charge each year. They heard the Gospel and learned that they were loved and important to God, and thousands were saved. If Dr. Roberson had become bitter against God because of the loss of his daughter, he would have missed his opportunity to be a blessing to so many people. It is not easy to go through a time of trials. The temptation is to feel that we are being treated unfairly in some way when things don’t go as we think they should. But God’s plans are far higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8–9). When we respond to pain with faith in Him, He uses even trials and tragedies to provide us great opportunities for service to others. Trials are a test of whether or not we truly trust God. We may say that we believe He knows all things and has all power when things are going well, but when things go wrong do we still believe? Job said it this way: "shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" (Job 2:10). God always brings us what we need and what He knows is best. Trust Him in all circumstances. Today's Rooted Principle: God can transform your trials into great blessings. by Paul Chappell

No Man Can Say That Jesus is the Lord, But By the Holy Ghost

1 Corinthians 12:3
by F. B. Meyer

Jesus is Saviour, but is He Lord? Hast thou yielded to Him the Lordship? Nothing short of this will give thee true peace and power. Thou must be brought to say with the psalmist, "Other lords beside Thee have had dominion over me; but by Thee only will I make mention of Thy name."

Jesus must be Lord of thy heart; every affection must be brought under His most wise and loving control. He must be Lord of thy home, so that no conversation may be indulged, no recreation set afoot, no society entertained, which is inconsistent with His character and claims. He must be Lord of thy business and its returns, so that thou shalt live in perpetual communication with Him, along the lines of the Heavenly Telephone; and in the use of all its proceeds He must have the supreme voice. He must be Lord of thy plans. It is for Him to say Go, or Come, or Do this. That was a true message which Ahasuerus sent through the good Ezra to the Jewish people: "Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done exactly for the house of the God of heaven." I liked that word exactly.

But this perpetual recognition of the Lordship of Jesus is only possible to those who have yielded their entire nature to the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit, who loves to glorify Christ. Dost thou seek the attitude of consecration which thus honors thy Lord? Then let the Holy Spirit work it for thee! Wouldst thou have it maintained? Let Him maintain it! And if thou askest thyself, whether thou hast received the Pentecostal endowment, be sure that thou hast, if with all thine heart thou sayest that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. This is the certain test.

Your "Want To"

(by Paul Chappell)

"And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head."

Luke 9:57–58

I remember talking to a man who didn’t like what we were doing at Lancaster Baptist Church. "You just do everything the Bible says to do," he accused. I told him, "I love the Author of the Book, and I want to do what He says." Although I don’t always succeed at that effort, it is my goal to do what God wants me to do.

The reason for that "want to" is that I love Christ and desire to follow Him. It is not that the Bible is a list of rules for me to keep. There are commands of God which carry blessings for obedience and punishments for disobedience; but the Christian life is far more than just that. Walking with God in a close personal relationship through prayer and spending time in His Word creates a desire in our hearts to follow what He has said to do.

Someone once said, "Rules without relationships bring rebellion; rules with relationships bring response." The closer I am to Jesus, the more likely I am to want to do what He wants me to do. Remember before Peter three times denied the Lord, he was first following Him "afar off" (Matthew 26:58).

The more time we spend with Jesus, the more like Him we become. Acts 4:13 says, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." The more like Jesus we become, the stronger our desire to please the Father becomes, and the more we desire do right.

Rooted Principle: 
If your "want to" concerning following Christ’s commands is weak, check the strength of your walk with Jesus Christ.