What if you won $5,000 every week for life? Would that be a great life or what? Would that make you truly happy? What if you had the biggest house in the nicest neighborhood and drove the coolest car available? Would that make you happy? Oh yeah! I can hear a lot of you saying! But you know, there are millions of people who have these exact things and yes, they’re happy, for a little while, but then it becomes not enough to scratch that “Life Itch” which we all try to satisfy. You say, “Just let me give it a try!” Ha! Ha!

The fact of the matter is, it’s not the things that we possess which give us true life, for they sometimes can possess us! Jesus said in Luke 12:15 “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” He actually told a young rich man to sell all of his possessions to obtain eternal life. It wasn’t the selling that would do it, it was getting the possessions out of the way since they were a stumbling block preventing him from seeing the true source of life.

So what is true life and how do we satisfy the “life Itch”? We go to the Author of Life to get our answer that’s where! Consider these truths about life from God’s Word:

Psalm 119:93 “I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have given me life.”

Acts 2:28 “You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.”

1 John 5:12-13 “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe in the name of the Son of God.”

John 6:40 “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

John 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

John 10:10 Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Once we trust Christ as Savior, we have True Life here on earth and Eternal Life forever with Him. Now that’s the way to fix your Life Itch once and for all!

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The human race thinks it is pretty big stuff! Masters of their own universe, faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap small buildings in a single bound! Mankind has been puffing out it’s chest for anyone to see for millenia and even toward God! I did it my way! But the fact of the matter is we are all subject to a Higher Power whether we believe it or not. The Apostle James said our lives are like a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

GOD is in control and HE knows it, and the sooner we demonstrate that WE know it, the better it will be for us here (while our “vapor” lasts) and there (in eternity) where existence never ends. You say God is NOT in control? Well how about last weekend? Who brought everything on the East Coast of America to a snowy slippery stop? Let’s look to the book of Job for our answer.

As I finished my daily reading of God’s Word in the book of Genesis this morning the story of Joseph and his family drew to a close. As the story ended a significant thing happened. Jacob, the father of the 12 sons of Israel, died in Egypt. Immediately, his 10 sons who had betrayed Joseph thought that since their father was gone Joseph would now take revenge on them for selling him into slavery. But they could not have been more wrong! Read what actually happened:

But now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful. “Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him,” they said. So they sent this message to Joseph: “Before your father died, he instructed us to say to you: ‘Please forgive your brothers for the great wrong they did to you—for their sin in treating you so cruelly.’ So we, the servants of the God of your father, beg you to forgive our sin.” When Joseph received the message, he broke down and wept. Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said. But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them. (Genesis 50:15-21 NLT)

What an amazing response! Joseph realized that the act of taking revenge belongs ONLY to GOD! See what he said? “Am I God, that I can punish you?” Have you ever heard the phrase “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, saith the Lord?”

As the title of this blog says, “Just Don’t Do It!”, please don’t take vengeance! The Apostle Paul had plenty of reasons to take vengeance for all the suffering he experienced in his ministry, but this is what he told the Roman church, “Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,  ‘I will take revenge; I will pay them back,’ says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

You say, “Well, I don’t take revenge!” No? When you keep a record of wrongs, when you close up your heart of compassion, when you ignore, give a cold shoulder, stop communicating, keep an enemies list, spread rumors and carry hatred for another human being you ARE taking vengeance! The methods of vengeance coming from the fallen human heart are endless! You don’t do physical harm, but the emotional and spiritual harm done from one human being to another has no bounds!

But, but, but, you say they lied about me! They hurt me! They robbed me! They betrayed me! They… fill in the blank, and yes they did! But put yourself in Joseph’s place and read again what he said. “Am I God, that I can punish you?” That’s right, when we take vengeance we are playing God! HE is the Avenger and we, brace yourself, are to be….. THE FORGIVERS! “I can’t!” You say. I know you can’t. But GOD CAN THROUGH YOU!

As I’ve said before, when we practice vengeance, when we don’t forgive, it’s like drinking poison and expecting the object of our vengeance to die. But WE are the ones who die inside, think about that. Also, there is no one on earth who deserved to take vengeance more than our Lord Jesus Christ and from the cross, hanging there while being brutally crucified, He had the most amazing response, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” His teaching on forgiveness shows the conditions for our own forgiveness where in the book of Matthew he said, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

So in closing my dear beloved friends please don’t carry this burden any longer! It is tearing you up inside. It is dividing you from loved ones. It is hindering God’s own work in your heart and life! You are a prisoner, trapped by unforgiveness, even to those who offendend you that are no longer on earth. The Apostle Paul said, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:31-32)

Just don’t do it! Don’t take revenge.

Will you pray this prayer with me? “Heavenly Father, thank you so much for Your great love for me by sending Your Son Jesus to die for my sins. Thank You for the forgiveness You provide when one accepts Him as Savior. Father, I want to be set free. I don’t want to carry these offenses any longer and so I lay them at the foot of the Cross. I give them to You! Set me free from all that binds and scars my heart. By faith today, I forgive everyone everything ever done to me. Wipe these things from my mind and heart. Set me truly free I pray in Jesus name. Amen!”

You may need to pray this prayer often but move forward claiming God’s results by faith and you WILL be set free!

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Life happens. The year 2015 brought to me changes I was not expecting nor did I think I deserved! After 45 incredible years of working for one company, my successful career all came to an end as my job was transferred to China. Then three months later I injured my back and a herniated disc put me in an emergency room with the most pain I had ever experienced in my entire life! I’ve lived with pain now for four months and sometimes I ask, “Why me Lord?”. Can I get a witness?

Joseph in the Old Testament must have asked himself that question a million times! That is until God opened his eyes to see what HE was accomplishing in all of the ups and downs dealt to him. A quick review of his story begins with his father Jacob giving him a “coat of many colors” which he used to brag to his brothers. He told how in a dream that he saw them one day bowing down to him! They later took the opportunity to sell him to a caravan of Ishmaelites and Joseph’s “why me” story began. He was purchased by Potiphar and thought his luck had changed, that is until as the manager of Potiphar’s entire household, his wife unjustly accused Joseph of trying to molest her which landed him in a dark prison. Why me Lord?

While in prison he successfully interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh’s baker and cupbearer. He thought they would remember him once they realized his interpretations had come true, but instead he was forgotten. Why me Lord? Many years passed and Pharaoh’s cupbearer remembered Joseph when Pharoah had dreams that no one could interpret. Joseph interpreted the dreams and was vaulted to second in command of all of Egypt! When his 10 brothers came to Egypt for food they bowed before Joseph, not recognizing him as their long lost brother. After a series of tricks that Joseph played on them they finally recognized this man was their brother and expected a deserved punishment. But instead Joseph realized that the hand of God was at work in all that had transpired. Look at his response as he finally revealed his identity to his brothers in Genesis chapter forty five.

 Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, “Out, all of you!” So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace. “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt. (Gen 45:1-8)

Life happens…. and God is the Planner, the Author, and the Sustainer of it all. He knows the beginning of our lives and the end. It is up to us to trust Him through it all. I just thought of the old song by Andrae Crouch with lyrics that go like this.

I’ve had many tears and sorrows
I’ve had questions for tomorrow
There’ve been times
I didn’t know right from wrong
But in ev’ry situation
God gave blessed consolation
That my trials come
To only make me strong

Through it all through it all
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus
I’ve learned to trust in God
Through it all through it all
I’ve learned to depend upon His word

Tomorrow I go for an epidural shot into the area of my back causing the pain. I’ll also meet with some friends this week to brainstorm about the next chapter of my work-a-day life. I do covet your prayers. Who knows what God has planned? But through it all I plan to trust in Jesus.

Walk with the King today! And be a blessing!

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Today I share a challenge which Charles Haddon Spurgeon known as the “Prince of Preachers” gave in the late 1800’s. Certainly in our 21 century we need to examine our own hearts with the purpose of moving closer to our Lord. Amen?

“Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me; when His candle shined upon my head, and when, by His light I walked through darkness; as I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle,” (Job 29:2, 3, 4)

Let me enquire whether there are not many of us whose zeal is almost gone? We once loved the Saviour intensely, and His cause we eagerly sought to serve, but now we take matters easily, and do not travail in birth for souls. Some rich men were wont to give most freely to the cause of God, but now covetousness has palsied the hand of generosity. Even poor Christians are not always so ready with their two mites as they were in better days. You were wont to labour too, but that Sunday School class sees you no longer; no street preaching now; no tract distributing now; all forms of Christ’s service you have renounced, for you fancy you have done enough. Alas, poor sluggard! Has the sun shone long enough? Has God given you your daily bread long enough? Oh, cease not working, brethren, till God ceases to be merciful to you. “On, on, on,” “forward, forward, forward,” is the very motto of the Christian life. Let none of us talk of finality, for we have not yet attained. Till life is over, our zeal should still glow, and our labours for Christ should multiply. (C. H. Spurgeon, Treasury of the Old Testament, Vol. 2, p. 284)

One of the most heartwarming stories of the Bible is the account of the reconciliation of Jacob and Esau. The twin sons of Isaac and Rebakah, were divided from each other early in life. There were hard feelings to say the least between the two brothers and Jacob took refuge with his relatives to escape Esau’s vengeance. Many years passed and God greatly blessed Jacob with a large family and rich possessions until the time came when God told him to return to his own land and family. There was only one question in his mind, what about his offense toward Esau? Unbeknownst to Jacob, God had also richly blessed Esau and despite what may await him Jacob made plans to return home.

What is obvious is that Jacob obeyed God no matter what response or action his brother Esau would take. He was willing to suffer the consequences of his wrongdoing come what may. Jacob understood that he was the offender as many years earlier he had schemed to take his brother’s birthright and the blessing of the firstborn from their father which were huge things in that culture. Here is the Genesis account of their eventual meeting:

“Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, “Who are these with you?” So he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and bowed down. And Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down. Then Esau said, “What do you mean by all this all this company which I met?” And he said, “These are to find favor in the sight of my lord.”But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” (Genesis 33:1-9)

Much more could be said about the process of forgiveness but leave it to say in this account we see the great wound between the two brothers was healed because Jacob obeyed God and because he humbled himself before the one he offended. The fact is, God is the Great Forgiver and when WE forgive we are doing a Godly thing. Soon after creation, in the opening account of mankind on earth, it was God who FIRST demonstrated forgiveness as He forgave the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God demonstrated forgiveness even when the object of His forgiveness did NOT ask for it. The first place in the Bible when the actual word FORGIVE was used is the story of Joseph who was betrayed by his brothers when they sold him into slavery. God used the brothers wrong action to save the nation of Israel from extinction and He used Joseph to demonstrate His love and forgiveness.

God is interested in BOTH sides of the forgiveness equation. He want us to SEEK forgiveness and GRANT forgiveness. When we don’t WE suffer! If you have sinned against someone you need God’s forgiveness and the forgiveness of the one you offended. If you have been sinned against, you need to forgive in the way Christ forgave you. When you do this you are doing a Godly thing and that’s a good thing!

This is all demonstrated in the model prayer given by our Lord Jesus Christ in the book of Matthew:

“For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:8-13)

The motivation for forgiving is in the verses that follow:

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

It has been said, and it is a Bible principle, that when we don’t forgive someone who has offended us, but instead hang onto the bitter resentment and hatred for that person, it is like drinking poison and waiting for THEM to die. That is a very sad thing! So much better would it be to first realize how much WE have been forgiven in Christ and like Him grant the offender the forgiveness which they don’t deserve.

THAT is the GODLY THING!

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You’ve heard that line before haven’t you? You’ve probably said it! I know I have! As fallen creatures we do some pretty stupid stuff. Have you seen the videos? The BIG guys falling flat on their tooshes off of those hover board things which are the big rave today? Last night I’m sitting in a Wal-Mart parking lot waiting for my wife and I see two young people, a guy and a girl, come out of the store and she jumps on his back and he steps up on a hoverboard and they ride all of 100 feet to their car, get off and throw the board in the back seat, jump in the car and off they go! No, they didn’t crash but that would have been cute. Ya gotta love it!

Well, leaving the comical realm, we do some very detrimental and tragic things when we get our thinking on the wrong tracks. You are what you think, isn’t that what they say? There’s a lot of truth to that. As people with natures that have an inborn tendency to do the wrong thing, we definitely need a positive influence to harness our thinking and get it moving in the right direction every day of our lives. That influence is the Word of God via the Holy Spirit and the tool is memorization and meditation!

In my blog yesterday we see the first mention in the Scriptures of the word meditation. Isaac was about to make one of the most important decisions in his life and what was he doing? Do you recall? It was a good thing. He was out in the field in the evening meditating! Imagine the scene… maybe he was  gazing over ripe wheat fields that were flowing back and forth in a soft breeze extending as far as the eye can see. It’s probably sunset and the purple clouds are painting an unforgettable scene. Just over the horizon he sees a caravan and in answer to his prayers he sees his new wife Rebekah approaching and the next chapter of his life is about to begin.

What was HE thinking? It doesn’t take too much to come up with a short list. God has been SO good to me! God is SO great to have blessed my family. My family heritage of faith from my father Abraham has been an awesome sight to behold and the blessings have wafted over us in great measure! Oh Father guide my steps!

Soon after my wife and I became Christians God directed us into the Word of Life youth ministry as assistant leaders. Part of our duties was to be a good example to our teenagers by doing a daily Quite Time devotional, read good Christian books and memorize the Word of God on a regular basis. We were only about a year old in our newfound faith and I must say that we would never have gotten a better foundation for our young Christian lives without doing those things. They still are paying dividends today.

What do the Scriptures say about memorizing the Word of God and meditation? Take a look:

Joshua 1:8 You shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Thirteen mentions of meditate in the Psalms, here’s few:

Psalm 1:1,2 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful, But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 63:6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.

Psalm 119:15 I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways.

Psalm 145:5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works.

This theme is carried into the New Testament as well:

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Finally, you must have something in your mind on which to meditate. If I’m not mistaken, and pardon the somewhat crude comparison, but the basic meaning of meditation has to do with thinking over and over on a matter like a cow who “chews the cud”. The cow eats a quantity of grass and it goes into a compartment to be used later. Then it brings it back up again and really chews on it before digesting.

Have you ever noticed that when you see a cow it always seems to be chewing something? The reason is because cows must chew their food twice in order to digest it properly. Cows spend nearly eight hours out of every day chewing their cud. This plus normal chewing of food can total upwards of 40,000 jaw movements per day!

Wow, what if WE would chew over the Words of God in our minds like that every day! This world would be radically changed and true revival would spread across our land! So for today let’s begin the important practice of memorizing and meditating on God’s Word.

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My Bible reading for today contained this wonderful story of faith and worship. It contains lessons we can apply today and making it personal, the lessons are for me to apply to my own current circumstances! That’s the way God works. He knows the paths we take, the things we are going through and as we seek His will and His face we find direction in His Word and through prayer and the events He brings into our lives if we are sensitive to His leading.

In our story Abraham was following God with all his heart. He had sojourned in the land of Caanan for many years and saw God work in many ways. He saw Him intervene when his nephew Lot was taken captive and provided a great rescue and victory. His wife Sarah became pregnant long after her child bearing years. He saw God’s hand in the testing of his faith when asked to offer up his son Isaac as a sacrifice. In all these things Abraham was faithful and worshipped his Creator. The Bible text of Genesis chapter 24 picks up the story….

Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please, put your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

Lobo: So the servant obeys his master, prepares a caravan loaded with supplies and gifts and heads back to the land of Abraham’s family. Arriving, they stop at a well to drink….

And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. Then he said, “O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”

Lobo: The servant employs a familiar method to find the Lord’s will in a matter and he puts out a “fleece” of sorts like Gideon did. He prays that God would confirm his steps by answering in a certain way. Even today we can pray as he did and God may choose to align our circumstances as well. So what happened? Read on!

And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.” So she said, “Drink, my lord.” Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. ¹⁹ And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.”

Lobo: Praise God! The servant received the answer just as he had requested! But there was one more piece to confirm. Was she a member of Abraham’s family? The story continues….

And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not. So it was, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing tenshekels of gold, and said, “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please, is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge?” So she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah’s son, whom she bore to Nahor.” Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord. And he said, “Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.”

Lobo: This story comes to a hearwarming end. God confirms that Rebecca is the bride of His choice for Isaac. The servant takes her home and the scene of their meeting is one made for a movie that would surely win an Oscar trophy. The caravan approaches while Isaac is out meditating in a field…. 

And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming. Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel; for she had said to the servant, “Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took a veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her.

Lobo: The servant said that “Being on the way the Lord led me” which is a lesson in following the Lord. We must be about His business and His work in our world. We must be busy seeking His will and not just waiting for it to happen. We must listen for His voice in His Word, keenly listening for His whispers through prayer and meditation and we must move out, and while living for Him He will make our path clear.

“O rejoice in the Lord, He makes no mistakes. He knoweth the end of each path that I take. For when I am tried and purified, I shall come forth as gold.”

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There is a tremendous truth in the life of every Christian that is a very well kept secret of the enemy, and that is… YOU were at the Cross! Yes, it sounds simple enough, YOU were at the Cross. Go to a quiet place and think about it, repeat it to yourself and let the truth of it sink in. “I was at the Cross”…. “I was at the Cross”, what a remarkable thought! Amidst the jeers of the crowd, the cowering disciples, the tears of John and Mary, the scorn of the religious leaders, the stares of the Roman Soldiers, the cries of the heavens scowling down on three agonizing souls…. in the darkness… YOU were there.

How could this be you say? How could you, living in the dawn of a new century, have been at the site of the most momentous event in history almost 2,000 years ago, on a hill called Calvary on which Jesus died? The fact is in the mind of God, you were not only AT the cross, you were ON the cross! Yes it is true, but only if you have the life of His Son Jesus flowing through your being. Consider the words of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 2:20 where he said, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live but Christ lives in me….”. The Apostle Paul was not among those who stood on Calvary, nor was he physically on the Cross in the Biblical record, neither did he die by crucifixion since tradition records that he was beheaded for his faith.

So how could this beloved Apostle and writer of most of the New Testament say, “he was crucified with Christ”? It is because he understood through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit the important Biblical truths concerning the physical man and the spiritual man. Let me illustrate by drawing a contrast between your physical and spiritual heritages. You owe to your physical ancestors all that you are physically. Your looks, the color of your skin, your language, and ultimately your position in society, your wealth, education, etc. all were passed to you from your physical ancestors. Just as a whole range of lush green mountain forests can thank the persistence of one lone acorn springing forth with life from the mountain soil, so you can thank the persistence and resourcefulness of your ancestor’s DNA from generation to generation for all that you are physically today. This goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden as we are all physically in Adam.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:22 “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” One is physical the other spiritual. We are physical beings “in Adam” and we walk this earth knowing that our days are numbered and we experience the suffering and affliction all the children of Adam have down through the ages. Which brings us to the second half of this principle. In Christ all can be made alive. All who know Him or ever will know Him, can experience all of the spiritual blessings which He won in His victory on the Cross because in a spiritual way, while He hung there, we were IN HIM on the Cross. Read that again… slowly.

We need to understand and comprehend that Christ did two crucial things for us on that Cross. By dying in our place He covered our sins and fulfilled God’s requirement making it possible for His spiritual life (His spiritual DNA as it were) to indwell our spirit and ultimately our physical body. This happens when we place our faith in Him at conversion, when we are “Born Again” (see John chapter 3). Secondly,  He made it possible for us to defeat our old nature or “old man”(the flesh within us) in our daily walk on earth because positionally, that is from God’s perspective, our old man was crucified on the Cross!

If this were not true then the Apostle Paul would not have declared over and over in his epistiles to the Church, and in essence to you and me, the FACT of this wonderful truth. Consider these passages:

Romans 6:6 “For we know that our old self was crucified with Him…”

Romans 6:8 “Now if we died with Christ we believe that we also will live with Him.”

Romans 7:4 “So my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ.”

Colossians 3:4 “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”

Galatians 2:20 “ I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

The Apostle Paul knew this was true because he experienced spiritual victories and blessings while in his physical body as a result of this important truth. He was not unlike you or me when it came to striving with his old nature that often led him to sin and set him up to be defeated by temptation, trials and suffering. What made the difference was, he discovered that the powerful life of Christ flowed into him from Calvary and his old man was crucified there! He realized he was on the Cross and therefore by faith defeated his spiritual enemies which could have robbed him of all the joys of the Christian life.

So stick with me as I close…. go get a drink of water, take a deep breath.

Consider the rest of Romans 6:6, a portion of which I quoted earlier, “For we know that our old self was crucified with him… that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” Here is the unpreached truth of the ages, WE NO LONGER HAVE TO BE SLAVES TO OUR SINFUL NATURE, THE TEMPTATIONS OF THE WORLD, NOR TO SATAN’S SCHEMES BECAUSE WE ARE DEAD IN CHRIST TO THEM, SINCE WE WERE ON THE CROSS WITH HIM! Rejoice, for the victory over your spiritual enemies is yours to claim by faith! Can you see it? The power of Christ on that Cross flows down through the annals of time right to your heart! Victory awaits!

So how is it done? Do it the Apostle Paul’s way. He knew the victory had been won so he knew he had to get God’s perspective on the battles he would face. He needed God’s thoughts pouring through his mind. I’m sure he used the Old Testament Scriptures and the available New Testament writings as well, and so he memorized and meditated on these truths breathing them in and out of his new inner man created in Christ. When facing sin he would pull out his Sword of the Spirit and slay the enemy!

The Christian today has the full revelation of the Word of God to read, study, memorize and meditate on in order to fill his being with its truth and power. But so many of us have become spiritually anemic by ignoring the Word of God in our lives. Many have fallen into an existence of defeat and despair. The Word of God brings us back to God through repentance, then it reveals these truths to our heart and mind. This is the only way to victory.

Finally, Do it Jesus’ way! When Christ fought the temptations of Satan in the wilderness He showed us the way to fight our enemies. With the Word of God! By an act of His will he purposely used the Old Testament Scriptures as His weapon. “Thus it is written” He repeated time after time until Satan gave up and the angels came and ministered to Him. He could have spoken new revelation and the Biblical writers would have recorded it as Scripture but He did not. That is because He wants US to rely on the principles of the Scriptures today and see ourselves with Him on the Cross. We must see ourselves on the Cross in order to live a victorious life. You were at the Cross! You were ON the Cross! BELIEVE IT!

Join me and read the Bible, the No. 1 best selling book of all time, from cover to cover this year.

You are in good company if you make this resolution!

John Adams, the second president of the United States, read the entire Bible every year. He studied the Scriptures every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. Regularly reading the Bible shaped his character, and his character shaped our country.

Andrew Jackson, our seventh president, referred to the Bible as “The rock on which our Republic rests.” He read three to five chapters each day.

Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president, called the Bible “The best gift God has ever given to man … But for it we could not know right from wrong.”

Woodrow Wilson, our 28th president, said, “The Bible is the Word of life. I beg that you will read it and find this out for yourself. When you have read the Bible you will know it is the Word of God, because you will have found in it the key to your own heart, your own happiness, and your own duty.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower, our 34th president, and his family used the Bible each day during family devotions, with each family member taking his or her turn in reading a passage.

Jimmy Carter, our 39th president, reads the Bible daily and has taught a Sunday school class for over four decades.

Ronald Reagan, the 40th president, wrote, “Inside the Bible’s pages lay all the answers to all the problems man has ever known. I hope Americans will read and study the Bible … It is my firm belief that the enduring values presented in its pages have a great meaning for each of us and for our nation. The Bible can touch our hearts, order our minds, and refresh our souls.”

Here are (20) reasons you should consider committing to read through the Bible this year:
• It’s the No. 1 best-selling book of all time.
• No book has made a greater impact on the world than the Bible.
• The Bible magnifies our ability to love others and to love ourselves.
• No book reveals more about God than the Bible, and God rejoices when we read it.
• Daily Bible reading centers us spiritually and is so enjoyable that you will want to encourage others to do it as well.
• Taking time to read the Bible for 15 or 30 minutes each day transforms our lives, our marriages, our relationships and our families. It helps us to be better parents, spouses, neighbors, Christians, workers, citizens and human beings.
• The Bible is the best understanding that we have of Jesus — the person who has had the greatest impact on history.
• There are over 2 billion Christians. One out of every three people on the planet practices Christianity. The Bible is their chief narrative. It’s worth knowing why.

• The Bible has inspired people to found the first universities and hospitals in Western society.
• You cannot fully appreciate Western culture, literature and art without knowing the Bible.
• Many of the expressions that we use each day come directly from the Bible.
• People constantly debate what they believe the Bible says without having read it. It’s worth reading it to find out what the Bible actually says.
• You can read the Bible every day and constantly find new things within it.
• The Bible will speak to you in a different way each time you pick it up and read it.
• Reading the Bible will push you to explore what it means to be created in God’s image, and it will help you understand God, your life’s purpose and why you were put on earth.
• No two people interpret the Bible in the exact same way. It’s worth developing your own understanding of the Bible and not settling for what someone else has to say about it.
• The Bible, prayerfully and reasonably read on a regular basis, inspires people to be better persons than they ever would be had they not taken time to read it regularly.
• The Bible offers the most sustained and vital value system in history, and we cannot live and impart these values to our children and to others unless we read it regularly.
• The Bible is like a mirror. Reading it regularly develops our conscience, helps us to arrange our priorities and encourages us to make significant improvements in our lives.
• Reading the Bible keeps our heads and our hearts in the right place, develops compassion and good judgment within us and prepares us to spend eternity with God.

Here is a chronological reading schedule which will only take about 15 minutes a day. Every day before you start to read pray, “Lord open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things from Your Word.”

Jan 1 Gen 1‐3
Jan 2 Gen 4‐7
Jan 3 Gen 8‐11
Jan 4 Job 1‐5
Jan 5 Job 6‐9
Jan 6 Job 10‐13
Jan 7 Job 14‐16
Jan 8 Job 17‐20
Jan 9 Job 21‐23
Jan 10 Job 24‐28
Jan 11 Job 29‐31
Jan 12 Job 32‐34
Jan 13 Job 35‐37
Jan 14 Job 38‐39
Jan 15 Job 40‐42
Jan 16 Gen 12‐15
Jan 17 Gen 16‐18
Jan 18 Gen 19‐21
Jan 19 Gen 22‐24
Jan 20 Gen 25‐26
Jan 21 Gen 27‐29
Jan 22 Gen 30‐31
Jan 23 Gen 32‐34
Jan 24 Gen 35‐37
Jan 25 Gen 38‐40
Jan 26 Gen 41‐42
Jan 27 Gen 43‐45
Jan 28 Gen 46‐47
Jan 29 Gen 48‐50
Jan 30 Ex 1‐3
Jan 31 Ex 4‐6
Feb 1 Ex 7‐9
Feb 2 Ex 10‐12
Feb 3 Ex 13‐15
Feb 4 Ex 16‐18
Feb 5 Ex 19‐21
Feb 6 Ex 22‐24
Feb 7 Ex 25‐27
Feb 8 Ex 28‐29
Feb 9 Ex 30‐32
Feb 10 Ex 33‐35
Feb 11 Ex 36‐38
Feb 12 Ex 39‐40
Feb 13 Lev 1‐4
Feb 14 Lev 5‐7
Feb 15 Lev 8‐10
Feb 16 Lev 11‐13
Feb 17 Lev 14‐15
Feb 18 Lev 16‐18
Feb 19 Lev 19‐21
Feb 20 Lev 22‐23
Feb 21 Lev 24‐25
Feb 22 Lev 26‐27
Feb 23 Num 1‐2
Feb 24 Num 3‐4
Feb 25 Num 5‐6
Feb 26 Num 7
Feb 27 Num 8‐10
Feb 28 Num 11‐13
Mar 1 Num 14‐15, Ps 90
Mar 2 Num 16‐17
Mar 3 Num 18‐20
Mar 4 Num 21‐22
Mar 5 Num 23‐25
Mar 6 Num 26‐27
Mar 7 Num 28‐30
Mar 8 Num 31‐32
Mar 9 Num 33‐34
Mar 10 Num 35‐36
Mar 11 Deut 1‐2
Mar 12 Deut 3‐4
Mar 13 Deut 5‐7
Mar 14 Deut 8‐10
Mar 15 Deut 11‐13
Mar 16 Deut 14‐16
Mar 17 Deut 17‐20
Mar 18 Deut 21‐23
Mar 19 Deut 24‐27
Mar 20 Deut 28‐29
Mar 21 Deut 30‐31
Mar 22 Deut 32‐34, Ps 91
Mar 23 Josh 1‐4
Mar 24 Josh 5‐8
Mar 25 Josh 9‐11
Mar 26 Josh 12‐15
Mar 27 Josh 16‐18
Mar 28 Josh 19‐21
Mar 29 Josh 22‐24
Mar 30 Judg 1‐2
Mar 31 Judg 3‐5
Apr 1 Judg 6‐7
Apr 2 Judg 8‐9
Apr 3 Judg 10‐12
Apr 4 Judg 13‐15
Apr 5 Judg 16‐18
Apr 6 Judg 19‐21
Apr 7 Ruth 1‐4
Apr 8 1 Sam 1‐3
Apr 9 1 Sam 4‐8
Apr 10 1 Sam 9‐12
Apr 11 1 Sam 13‐14
Apr 12 1 Sam 15‐17
Apr 13 1 Sam 18‐20, Ps 11, Ps 59
Apr 14 1 Sam 21‐24
Apr 15 Ps 7, Ps 27, Ps 31, Ps 34, Ps 52
Apr 16 Ps 56, Ps 120, Ps 140‐142
Apr 17 1 Sam 25‐27
Apr 18 Ps 17, Ps 35, Ps 54, Ps 63
Apr 19 1 Sam 28‐31, Ps 18
Apr 20 Ps 121, Ps 123‐125, Ps 128‐130
Apr 21 2 Sam 1‐4
Apr 22 Ps 6, Ps 8‐10, Ps 14, Ps 16, Ps 19,
Ps 21
Apr 23 1 Chr 1‐2
Apr 24 Ps 43‐45, Ps 49, Ps 84‐85, Ps 87
Apr 25 1 Chr 3‐5
Apr 26 Ps 73, Ps 77‐78
Apr 27 1 Chr 6
Apr 28 Ps 81, Ps 88, Ps 92‐93
Apr 29 1 Chr 7‐10
Apr 30 Ps 102‐104
May 1 2 Sam 5:1‐10, 1 Chr 11‐12
May 2 Ps 133
May 3 Ps 106‐107
May 4 2 Sam 5:11‐6:23, 1 Chr 13‐16
May 5 Ps 1‐2, Ps 15, Ps 22‐24, Ps 47, Ps 68
May 6 Ps 89, Ps 96, Ps 100, Ps 101, Ps 105,
Ps 132
May 7 2 Sam 7, 1 Chr 17
May 8 Ps 25, Ps 29, Ps 33, Ps 36, Ps 39
May 9 2 Sam 8‐9, 1 Chr 18
May 10 Ps 50, Ps 53, Ps 60, Ps 75
May 11 2 Sam 10, 1 Chr 19, Ps 20
May 12 Ps 65‐67, Ps 69‐70
May 13 2 Sam 11‐12, 1 Chr 20
May 14 Ps 32, Ps 51, Ps 86, Ps 122
May 15 2 Sam 13‐15
May 16 Ps 3‐4, Ps 12‐13, Ps 28, Ps 55
May 17 2 Sam 16‐18
May 18 Ps 26, Ps 40, Ps 58, Ps 61‐62, Ps 64
May 19 2 Sam 19‐21
May 20 Ps 5, Ps 38, Ps 41‐42
May 21 2 Sam 22‐23, Ps 57
May 22 Ps 95, Ps 97‐99
May 23 2 Sam 24, 1 Chr 21‐22, Ps 30
May 24 Ps 108‐110
May 25 1 Chr 23‐25
May 26 Ps 131, Ps 138‐139, Ps 143‐145
May 27 1 Chr 26‐29, Ps 127
May 28 Ps 111‐118
May 29 1 Kgs 1‐2, Ps 37, Ps 71, Ps 94
May 30 Ps 119:1‐88
May 31 1 Kgs 3‐4, 2 Chr 1, Ps 72
Jun 1 Ps 119:89‐176
Jun 2 Sng 1‐8
Jun 3 Prov 1‐3
Jun 4 Prov 4‐6
Jun 5 Prov 7‐9
Jun 6 Prov 10‐12
Jun 7 Prov 13‐15
Jun 8 Prov 16‐18
Jun 9 Prov 19‐21
Jun 10 Prov 22‐24
Jun 11 1 Kgs 5‐6, 2 Chr 2‐3
Jun 12 1 Kgs 7, 2 Chr 4
Jun 13 1 Kgs 8, 2 Chr 5
Jun 14 2 Chr 6‐7, Ps 136
Jun 15 Ps 134, Ps 146‐150
Jun 16 1 Kgs 9, 2 Chr 8
Jun 17 Prov 25‐26
Jun 18 Prov 27‐29
Jun 19 Eccl 1‐6
Jun 20 Eccl 7‐12
Jun 21 1 Kgs 10‐11, 2 Chr 9
Jun 22 Prov 30‐31
Jun 23 1 Kgs 12‐14
Jun 24 2 Chr 10‐12
Jun 25 1 Kgs 15:1‐24, 2 Chr 13‐16
Jun 26 1 Kgs 15:25‐16:34, 2 Chr 17
Jun 27 1 Kgs 17‐19
Jun 28 1 Kgs 20‐21
Jun 29 1 Kgs 22, 2 Chr 18
Jun 30 2 Chr 19‐23
Jul 1 Obad 1, Ps 82‐83

Jul 2 2 Kgs 1‐4
Jul 3 2 Kgs 5‐8
Jul 4 2 Kgs 9‐11
Jul 5 2 Kgs 12‐13, 2 Chr 24
Jul 6 2 Kgs 14, 2 Chr 25
Jul 7 Jonah 1‐4
Jul 8 2 Kgs 15, 2 Chr 26
Jul 9 Isa 1‐4
Jul 10 Isa 5‐8
Jul 11 Amos 1‐5
Jul 12 Amos 6‐9
Jul 13 2 Chr 27, Isa 9‐12
Jul 14 Mic 1‐7
Jul 15 2 Chr 28, 2 Kgs 16‐17
Jul 16 Isa 13‐17
Jul 17 Isa 18‐22
Jul 18 Isa 23‐27
Jul 19 2 Kgs 18:1‐8, 2 Chr 29‐31, Ps 48
Jul 20 Hos 1‐7
Jul 21 Hos 8‐14
Jul 22 Isa 28‐30
Jul 23 Isa 31‐34
Jul 24 Isa 35‐36
Jul 25 Isa 37‐39, Ps 76
Jul 26 Isa 40‐43
Jul 27 Isa 44‐48
Jul 28 2 Kgs 18:9‐19:37, Ps 46, Ps 80, Ps 135
Jul 29 Isa 49‐53
Jul 30 Isa 54‐58
Jul 31 Isa 59‐63
Aug 1 Isa 64‐66
Aug 2 2 Kgs 20‐21
Aug 3 2 Chr 32‐33
Aug 4 Nahum 1‐3
Aug 5 2 Kgs 22‐23, 2 Chr 34‐35
Aug 6 Zeph 1‐3
Aug 7 Jer 1‐3
Aug 8 Jer 4‐6
Aug 9 Jer 7‐9
Aug 10 Jer 10‐13
Aug 11 Jer 14‐17
Aug 12 Jer 18‐22
Aug 13 Jer 23‐25
Aug 14 Jer 26‐29
Aug 15 Jer 30‐31
Aug 16 Jer 32‐34
Aug 17 Jer 35‐37
Aug 18 Jer 38‐40, Ps 74, Ps 79
Aug 19 2 Kgs 24‐25, 2 Chr 36
Aug 20 Hab 1‐3
Aug 21 Jer 41‐45
Aug 22 Jer 46‐48
Aug 23 Jer 49‐50
Aug 24 Jer 51‐52
Aug 25 Lam 1:1‐3:36
Aug 26 Lam 3:37‐5:22
Aug 27 Ezek 1‐4
Aug 28 Ezek 5‐8
Aug 29 Ezek 9‐12
Aug 30 Ezek 13‐15
Aug 31 Ezek 16‐17
Sep 1 Ezek 18‐19
Sep 2 Ezek 20‐21
Sep 3 Ezek 22‐23
Sep 4 Ezek 24‐27
Sep 5 Ezek 28‐31
Sep 6 Ezek 32‐34
Sep 7 Ezek 35‐37
Sep 8 Ezek 38‐39
Sep 9 Ezek 40‐41
Sep 10 Ezek 42‐43
Sep 11 Ezek 44‐45
Sep 12 Ezek 46‐48
Sep 13 Joel 1‐3
Sep 14 Dan 1‐3
Sep 15 Dan 4‐6
Sep 16 Dan 7‐9
Sep 17 Dan 10‐12
Sep 18 Ezra 1‐3
Sep 19 Ezra 4‐6, Ps 137
Sep 20 Hag 1‐2
Sep 21 Zech 1‐7
Sep 22 Zech 8‐14
Sep 23 Est 1‐5
Sep 24 Est 6‐10
Sep 25 Ezra 7‐10
Sep 26 Neh 1‐5
Sep 27 Neh 6‐7
Sep 28 Neh 8‐10
Sep 29 Neh 11‐13, Ps 126
Sep 30 Mal 1‐4
Oct 1 Luke 1, John 1:1‐14
Oct 2 Matt 1, Luke 2:1‐38
Oct 3 Matt 2, Luke 2:39‐52
Oct 4 Matt 3, Mark 1, Luke 3
Oct 5 Matt 4, Luke 4‐5, John 1:15‐51
Oct 6 John 2‐4
Oct 7 Mark 2
Oct 8 John 5
Oct 9 Matt 12:1‐21, Mark 3, Luke 6
Oct 10 Matt 5‐7
Oct 11 Matt 8:1‐13, Luke 7
Oct 12 Matt 11
Oct 13 Matt 12:22‐50, Luke 11
Oct 14 Matt 13, Luke 8
Oct 15 Matt 8:14‐34, Mark 4‐5
Oct 16 Matt 9‐10
Oct 17 Matt 14, Mark 6, Luke 9:1‐17
Oct 18 John 6
Oct 19 Matt 15, Mark 7
Oct 20 Matt 16, Mark 8, Luke 9:18‐27
Oct 21 Matt 17, Mark 9, Luke 9:28‐62
Oct 22 Matt 18
Oct 23 John 7‐8
Oct 24 John 9:1‐10:21
Oct 25 Luke 10‐11, John 10:22‐42
Oct 26 Luke 12‐13
Oct 27 Luke 14‐15
Oct 28 Luke 16‐17:10
Oct 29 John 11
Oct 30 Luke 17:11‐18:14
Oct 31 Matt 19, Mark 10
Nov 1 Matt 20‐21
Nov 2 Luke 18:15‐19:48
Nov 3 Mark 11, John 12
Nov 4 Matt 22, Mark 12
Nov 5 Matt 23, Luke 20‐21
Nov 6 Mark 13
Nov 7 Matt 24
Nov 8 Matt 25
Nov 9 Matt 26, Mark 14
Nov 10 Luke 22, John 13
Nov 11 John 14‐17
Nov 12 Matt 27, Mark 15
Nov 13 Luke 23, John 18‐19
Nov 14 Matt 28, Mark 16
Nov 15 Luke 24, John 20‐21
Nov 16 Acts 1‐3
Nov 17 Acts 4‐6
Nov 18 Acts 7‐8
Nov 19 Acts 9‐10
Nov 20 Acts 11‐12
Nov 21 Acts 13‐14
Nov 22 Jas 1‐5
Nov 23 Acts 15‐16
Nov 24 Gal 1‐3
Nov 25 Gal 4‐6
Nov 26 Acts 17‐18:18
Nov 27 1 Thes 1‐5, 2 Thes 1‐3
Nov 28 Acts 18:19‐19:41
Nov 29 1 Cor 1‐4
Nov 30 1 Cor 5‐8
Dec 1 1 Cor 9‐11
Dec 2 1 Cor 12‐14
Dec 3 1 Cor 15‐16
Dec 4 2 Cor 1‐4
Dec 5 2 Cor 5‐9
Dec 6 2 Cor 10‐13
Dec 7 Acts 20:1‐3, Rom 1‐3
Dec 8 Rom 4‐7
Dec 9 Rom 8‐10
Dec 10 Rom 11‐13
Dec 11 Rom 14‐16
Dec 12 Acts 20:4‐23:35
Dec 13 Acts 24‐26
Dec 14 Acts 27‐28
Dec 15 Col 1‐4, Phm 1
Dec 16 Eph 1‐6
Dec 17 Phil 1‐4
Dec 18 1 Tim 1‐6
Dec 19 Titus 1‐3
Dec 20 1 Pet 1‐5
Dec 21 Heb 1‐6
Dec 22 Heb 7‐10
Dec 23 Heb 11‐13
Dec 24 2 Tim 1‐4
Dec 25 2 Pet 1‐3, Jude 1
Dec 26 1 Jn 1‐5
Dec 27 2 Jn 1, 3 Jn 1
Dec 28 Rev 1‐5
Dec 29 Rev 6‐11
Dec 30 Rev 12‐18
Dec 31 Rev 19‐22

Make the Bible your guide in 2016 and buckle your seatbelt for a wild ride of blessing!