Supernaturally Natural

“…it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.” I Cor. 15:44-46

The Scripture typically divides all humans into two divisions, the natural and the spiritual. Some refer to the spiritual as being the “supernatural”. So, for cohesion sake, I will also.

The natural, or unspiritual, man identifies the un-regenerated person. You know, the one controlled by mere natural instincts and desires. This kind of person does not have the Holy Spirit, is under Satan’s dominion, and is a slave to the body and its passions. He or she belongs to the world, is in agreement with it and rejects the righteous ways of the Spirit. The natural person is not able to understand God and his ways, but instead relies on human reasoning or emotions. The natural person, without some kind of divine intervention, is headed for doom.

The second division that humans fall into is that of the supernatural. The supernatural man identifies the regenerated person. You know the one who has the Holy Spirit. This person is spiritually minded, thinks the thoughts of God, and lives by the Spirit of God. Such an individual believes in Jesus Christ, strives to follow the leading of the Spirit, and resists sensual desires and sin. It’s obvious that this is the kind of person God desires for all to be.

It is true that all men are born as natural. From the start we all desire for our own natural desires to be met. If you have kids or have ever had kids you know exactly what I mean by this statement. Newborn babies are some of the most selfish individuals you’ll ever come across. Why? Because that’s all that they know, they haven’t come into the knowledge of Christ yet.

So the question is this; how does one become a spiritual man or woman? Simple… when a person accepts by faith the salvation provided through Christ, he or she is regenerated; the Holy Spirit imparts to him or her new nature. He or she is born again, renewed, and made a new creation and recipient of God’s righteousness through faith in Christ. He or she is made to be supernatural but this doesn’t mean that the entire “natural” has vanished nor does this mean that we should disregard the “natural”.

As Christians we must realize that before you can have supernatural experiences there must be the natural. I know that some of you are having a hard time with that statement. If you look at all of the miracles Jesus performed there were often, if not always, elements of the natural present. Why? Because I believe God wanted to show humanity how much better and superior He is than what we have come to know on this earth!

Everyday my natural tendencies are at war with my supernatural inclinations. Sadly sometimes nature wins. But I have determined to not look at them as defeats or setbacks. I’m learning to look at them for what they really are: just more opportunities for God to show His superiority in my life. So I say work Jesus, work! I’m proud to be supernaturally natural!

Adraine Scott

Adraine is the president of Edvance Services LLC. His entire professional career has been spent helping others find their unique ways of learning and being. He has been able to accomplish this by serving as a youth minister, speaker, counselor, college and career minister, secondary education teacher, and business owner.

Stranger in a Strange Land

I write this Tuesday’s devotional as a somewhat privileged refugee.  As Hurricane Irene headed toward the NC coast, I took my daughters and headed to Virginia to stay with family until the storm had passed.  The hurricane passed over Hatteras Island with wind and rain, but then dealt it a brutal blow with hard westerly winds as it left.  I had seen pictures of locals who had stayed through the storm standing out in the sound on dry land as the waters had receded during the beginning of the storm.  The sound came rushing back in with a vengeance, flooding the northern villages of the island, from Avon to Rodanthe, and destroying great pieces of Highway 12, the only road onto the island.

Many dedicated people and companies are working around the clock to restore power and transportation to our beautiful island.  In the meantime, those who left wait to return to the lives they left behind.   I am reminded of the period of time before I came to know Jesus, when I increasingly was feeling like what I found the Bible calls “a stranger and pilgrim on the earth”.

Hebrews 11:13-16 (NKJV)

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.  But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Hatteras Island has a spiritual heritage that could be called a microcosm of the pilgrim dream of America.  The villagers’ lives centered around their church and families, the work ethic was strong.  These were a people who knew they were “strangers and pilgrims on the earth”.   Many of the old-timers of Hatteras Island have now passed on to that heavenly country – and they too “died in faith, not having received the promises”.  These promises included the salvation of their households – their inheritance which is composed of their children, their grandchildren and so on.  This inheritance also includes the nations of the world, for the Word of God promises He will give His people the nations as their inheritance.  In their day, Hatteras Island was a wild and desolate place, isolated from the world.  In our day, people from all over the world come to us to enjoy all that nature has to offer.  Many people have moved to Hatteras Island for a simpler lifestyle, drawn by the passion and purity of life surrounded by sound and sea. They are included in the inheritance of the saints.

And so, as the Church age rapidly draws to a close, we will see the promises of God come to pass for all those who died in faith, for those who confessed they were strangers and pilgrims, for those who desired a heavenly country.  This includes all who died in faith all over the world, throughout human history.   The days are upon us that we will see the nations give up the inheritance of the righteous – an inheritance far more valuable than gold or diamonds – an inheritance composed of men and women and children.  Those who will recognize that they too are strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Ephesians 2:19-22    

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,  having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,  in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,  in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

These are the most exciting days of human history in which to be living, days in which we will receive the promises of those who died in faith.

Rhonda Roughton
Rhonda is founder of INK Ministries. INK Ministries' mission is to build up the body of Christ through writing, preaching and teaching with an emphasis on the New Covenant and who we are in Christ. "Write down the vision and make it plain on tablets so that whoever reads it may run with it." Habakkuk 2:2-3. This is a "hands-on" ministry as well as a writing ministry - moving in the gifts and power of the Holy Spiit to bring hope, healing and deliverance to all those who hunger for more of Him.

Arise & Shine

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.  See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.  Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”  (Isaiah 60:1-3)

For the past week or so my seven-year-old daughter, Hannah, and I have gotten up early, put the dogs on their leashes and taken off for an early morning walk.  One of the benefits of doing so is getting to see the beauty of daybreak as the sun rises in the sky and grows in intensity.  When we leave it is barely light and by the time we return home, much more exhausted than the dogs, the daylight has taken over and dispelled all trace of the dark.

The prophet Isaiah looked around at the world in his day and saw little trace of light.  The evil of mankind had brought a blanket of darkness over the world that God originally created “good”.  Yet when he looked at the people of God he saw light breaking through.  Why?  Because they were covered by the “glory of the Lord” that had dawned in their lives.  As God’s chosen people they were going to be the rays of light that would drive back the darkness and allow others to see the Lord.  In fact, the prophet makes clear that their influence would stretch far beyond their imagination to impact nations around the world.

Today, the world hasn’t changed much from Isaiah’s time.  The darkness that surrounds its people is as thick and oppressive as ever.  People are stumbling and perishing and desperate for light.  That’s the bad news.  There is, however, good news – God’s glory has not diminished one bit and that glory is still able to puncture the darkness and bring light to a lost world!  And the way God chooses to do so hasn’t changed either.  He still uses “moons” to light up the darkness. 

One of the myths believed by a young child is that the moon “shines” at night time.  It isn’t till they get older that some well-meaning parent or science teacher lets them in on the truth – the moon doesn’t shine at all, it simply reflects the light of the sun.  When there is little or no moon the darkness wins, but when the moon is shining full the darkness is held back.

In 2 Corinthians 3:18 Paul makes clear that we as believers are the “moons” God uses to drive back the darkness.  “…we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord…”  It wasn’t long ago that we were a part of the very darkness we now seek to repel – “…that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”  (1 Pet. 2:9) Did you notice that last phrase? – “his wonderful light” – we can never forget that the light we shine is not our own.  When we lose sight of this, when we forget the darkness we once stumbled around in, it becomes easy to look at those still living in darkness with judgmental condemnation, when instead we should be shining the light of Christ into their dark soul so they too can come to see the “light of the world” (John 8:12) The challenge for each of us is to keep our lives pure of anything that would diminish Christ’s glory from reflecting.  The impact of a life lived like that cannot be underestimated – it could reach around the world!

Clark Hausman
Clark is the pastor at Moyock Assembly of God.

Breaking News: A Storm's Coming - Get Prepared!

Photo credit: Lori Stewart via FB

I’ve lived all my life in the northeast area of North Carolina. We have been through many hurricanes, tropical storms and nor’easters. We’ve even had a couple of blizzards. It never fails that as soon as the forecast is made that a storm may be in our area the news begins telling people how to prepare for the storm. The need of so many gallons of water per person, per day; non-perishable food items, flashlights, batteries, boarding up windows, picking up lawn items that will most likely blow around and sometimes evacuations. There is a rush on the grocery stores to buy water and many other items. The shelves are wiped out of the items that people feel they will need to survive. They always wait until they are told a storm is coming – get prepared.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 - ^“Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

Many people have tried to predict when Jesus will return. He taught the disciples to be prepared because it was unknown. In this passage, Paul was teaching the same thing. If we know that we have a storm coming we have time to get prepared. If we were told a burglar would be coming, he would definitely be met with a surprise! But we aren’t told of the time, day or hour of Jesus’ return, but we know it’s coming – we should prepare! However, we tend to wait until it’s too late and we find the empty shelves.

I think the problem is we look inward rather than upward. We get caught up in our day-to-day lives. We run errands, go to work, run our kids around to their activities and we forget that we have an urgent matter at hand. There are friends, family, neighbors, strangers, people we might not care too much for, and honestly, some of us “christians” that when the day comes of Jesus’ return will face an eternity of judgment.

Are you prepared? Are those around you prepared? We need to be about our Father’s business and make sure the world and ourselves are prepared for that day – no matter when it may be!

I want to leave you with a powerful piece of writing. From all accounts I can find, it was written by a young pastor in Africa. It was found amongst his papers after he was martyred.

“I'm a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of His and I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. I'm done and finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, or first, or tops, or recognized, or praised, or rewarded. I live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by Holy Spirit power.

My face is set. My gait is fast. My goal is heaven. My road may be narrow, my way rough, my companions few, but my guide is reliable and my mission is clear.

I will not be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice or hesitate in the presence of the adversary. I will not negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He does come for His own, He'll have no problems recognizing me. My colors will be clear!”

A storm’s coming, we’re not sure of the day. It’s time to prepare.

Crystal Owens

Crystal is a speaker for the Fabulous You Conference. She’s married with 2 girls. Crystal is currently teaching a weekly adult Bible study and a monthly Bible study for Women. She has a passion for reaching youth and a heart for missions.

Category 5

I read the quote recently, “Count your rainbows, not your thunderstorms.” It is very basic at first glance, but the reality is, it is quite spiritual.

Most people (including myself) tend to focus on the storms that seem to always come up and they come.....sometimes daily. Whether it is a late bill, a sick child, the death of a parent, unemployment, or an unsaved spouse, there our storms surrounding us. Be it natural disasters darkening our very door or spiritual enemies hindering our spirit, we are bombarded with attacks.

It is in our human nature to place emphasis on the storm and devalue the victories. I have great news! When new storms come, it probably means old storms have passed away. It also means that we have had victory in certain areas of life. While focusing on the rainbow which also represents the promise of God as seen in Genesis 9:12,

Genesis 9:12 (Whole Chapter)
God continued, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and everything living around you and everyone living after you. I'm putting my rainbow in the clouds, a sign of the covenant between me and the Earth. From now on, when I form a cloud over the Earth and the rainbow appears in the cloud, I'll remember my covenant between me and you and everything living, that never again will floodwaters destroy all life. When the rainbow appears in the cloud, I'll see it and remember the eternal covenant between God and everything living, every last living creature on Earth."

We minimize the anxiety of the battle ahead. We recollect on the times when bills were paid with no money, bodies were healed, people (including ourselves) were delivered, and God took care of every situation. In Luke 8:22, the scripture says that when the disciples were on the boat with Jesus and the storm came, he spoke and the storm ceased.

If we are consistently recollecting on the times when God came through for us in the midst of the storm, we will always see the next rainbow. Every time there is another rainbow, it will encourage us to push harder and trust more because then we realize that God is with us, EVEN IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM.

Kasey Scott

Kasey is currently a high school English teacher, whose students are young ladies who are substance dependent and incarcerated. Kasey has a passion to reach into the lives of girls in desperate situations and show them the Hope that is available in Jesus Christ. She also is the VP and Director of Curriculum Design for Edvance Services, an educational services company she co-founded with her husband.

Things You Thought You Couldn't Do - Part II

“But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.” 1 Corinthians 12:18

Realizing that our sovereign Lord has made us for a purpose far above anything we could imagination is mind blowing. The word exemplifies this in so many people and stories in the Old and New Testament. One step further in accepting that awesome calling is understanding that just as we are called to a higher potential as individuals, we also are called to that same level as a community. When Adam, the very first individual, was created there was an immediate dilemma. “The Lord God said, It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Thus, the first community was created.

If the truth be told, we all have somewhat of a hard time with acknowledging the need for community. In the last couple of decades, our society has devalued relationships outside of our everyday sphere. Let’s face it, unless an earthquake hits who really talks to their “neighbors” anyway?

This has got to stop......

According to Peter*, we are like living stones being built into a spiritual house. The Living Stone, Jesus, is crafting us into the very church He has such a passion and love for.  Not one stone will build this glorious structure alone. This is no physical building that is being built; it’s the community, the spiritual house of the Lord. Each of these stones are connected and molded together through the blood of Christ. We all have a common thread, the day we allowed Jesus into our lives. As for any good community, we too have a common incentive in mind. Heaven, our prize, is full of community, so should we be here on earth. I challenge you to connect, relate, and discover your community.

Remember we serve GOD the father, GOD the son, and GOD the Holy Spirit … the great 3 in 1……

* "As you come to him, the Living Stone - rejected by men bt chosen by God and precious to him - you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Christ." 1 Peter 2:4-5

** Inspired by a teaching of Pastor Judah Smith **

Ashley McDougal
Ashley is the Children's pastor for 3N1 Church in Virginia. Her passion is to see the Church being Christ's Church consistently no matter where they are and of course Children!! For more info on 3N1 you can check out their website at http://3n1church.com.

The "F" Word

When I was young my brother enjoyed terrorizing me on a regular basis. He was mischievous and a prankster.  He would splatter ketchup all over himself and turn his eyelids up and chase me around the house like he was a zombie. I would run screaming into my bedroom where he would turn the light off & hold the door close from the outside. I was frozen in fear and because I was so afraid, it never occurred to me that all I had to do was switch the light on and I would no longer be in the dark. My brother did this because he knew he would get a reaction from me and he thought it was very funny.  Not once do I remember my parents coming to my rescue, maybe they were never home during his zombie attacks.  It’s funny how all these years later I think back on this and I find it very comical.  I guess he prepared me to enjoy being scared because now I like scary movies!

Somewhere I read that there are about 530 documented phobias.  We live in a time when people are afraid of everything.  Fear is poison from the enemy. It is the root of many physical and emotional ailments such as anxiety, stress and depression. When fear sets in it affects our mind, which alters how we think.  Fear distorts our perception; we no longer are able to see situations as they really are, just as I was unable to reason all I had to do was turn the light on.  But God has not given us a Spirit of fear but a Spirit of power, love and sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

Fear steals our peace. Peace is a state of mutual harmony, cessation of war, and freedom.  Peace produces clarity of mind and rest for the body. The enemy tries to keep us at war with God, through fear, but because of the blood of Jesus the war has ceased. “…and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:20 NIV Christians are no longer at war with God; we have freedom from torment, dread, and anxiety.  “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace” Ephesians 2:13-15 NIV

The enemy takes advantage of fear in our lives to stop us from fulfilling the plan God has for us. We will continue to have feelings of fear but be encouraged that you have a heavenly Father who is always home and waiting to come to your rescue. God knew this would be an area where His children would struggle, that must be why He left us so many instructions on not fearing, about 365 one for each day of the year. Stand firm in your promise of peace, “Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]” John 14:27 AMP

Stop allowing the enemy to torment you and fill you with fear and darkness.  The light of Jesus lives in you; you no longer live in darkness. Daily you can make a decision for peace and not to live in fear. Be bold and believe the war has ended you have VICTORY. You can live the life God has planned for you; a life filled with love, joy and peace.

Michelle Odom
Michelle is an Ordained Minister through United Christian Fellowship and co-founder with her husband, John, of MJ Ministries, a “Practical Evangelism” ministry expressing the Gospel through action. MJ Ministries is dedicated to revealing God’s love through the practice of hospitality using our God given gifts, talents and resources. We are challenged to Engage others in the pursuit of Jesus, Encourage others to realize their potential in Jesus, and Empower others to have influence for Jesus. “Mission Possible” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God” Mark 10:27

Should We Work or Should We Worship?

I was shaken and challenged today while reading a book by one of my favorite authors, Dan Miller. In his book, 48 Days to the Work You Love, Dan makes a bold statement concerning work. Here’s the statement, “Never separate your work from your worship.” See what you do during the week as a form of ministry. If you are unable to see your work this way, then you really need to look at changing it.”

Wow, straight to the point! No sugar coating anything there! Isn’t that right, Dan?  

AS a Christian I have always tried to view my work as a form of serving God. I'll admitthat some days are easier than others. But if the truth be known, in the hustle and bustle of the moment I often lose sight of this truth.

I somehow seem to unintentionally compartmentalize my life. On one side there’s work and then on the other side there’s Jesus. I’m now realizing that somewhere along the way I was given the wrong information concerning what it really means to minister before God. The ill conceived notion that only those who are in full time ministry or missions are the only ministers before God is not true. What we really need are some “regular” occupational ministers.

Imagine what the world would look like if we never separated our work from our worship. Buildings would look much more ascetically appealing because they would have been designed through the lenses of worship. Customer service would be changed to Godly service. Overtime wouldn't even be a concept because we'll lose track of time worshipping. The wold would be a totally different place.

Colossians 3:17 teaches us to “whatever… deed…do it all in the name of Jesus...giving thanks to the father.” Simply put, ‘never separate your work from worship’.

In closing I'll like to leave you with another thought from 48 Days to the Work You Love. This helps us to sum it all up, "In addition to the paycheck, we all want a sense of meaning, a feeling of accomplishment to what we do. And what we do vocationally is important; the way we spend 40 to 50 hours a week is no small matter. OUr work must be a fulfillmet of our unique ministry; otherwise, we are wasting a lot of our time and energy."

So to answer the question of whether we should work or should we worship?

My answer is simple...What's the difference?

Adraine Scott

Adraine is the president of Edvance Services LLC. His entire professional career has been spent helping others find their unique ways of learning and being. He has been able to accomplish this by serving as a youth minister

Fat N Happy

I have been a Christian for over 20 years and have been privileged to hear the very best of preaching and teaching.  From time to time over the years, I have heard people say that the American church is fat and lazy, always the recipients of Bible teaching and preaching and not going out and doing the work of God.  I thought about this when I watched the movie Secretariat – for the fourth time – over the weekend.

Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in twenty-five years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby (1:59²⁄₅), and the Belmont Stakes (2:24)—records that still stand today. (Wikipedia)

The Spirit of God quickened a couple of things to me in this movie.  The man who was with Secretariat all the time as his groom, Eddie Sweat,  said this about his huge appetite – “Right now that horse is all sleep and eat but he has fire in him!”

There is a saying that there are good things, and then there are God things.  Good things seem like the thing to do at the time, but a “God thing” is anointed by His very Spirit to accomplish a work for His Kingdom.  In the Pentecostal world, we love the verse – “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.”  (Zechariah 4:6)   

There is a Church that has grown fat and happy on the Word preached by the Spirit.  Some think she has slumbered for far too long, and perhaps that is true. 

The world never saw a champion like Secretariat, and by all records, has never seen one like her again.  If you haven’t seen this movie – it’s a Christian movie and powerfully prophetic – you should.  The final race scene is a picture of the Church as we are about to see and be a part of.  We have fed heavily on the Word of God and we are baptized by the Spirit of God – there is a fire in our belly and in our bones. 

But we will not fully run our race until the battle cry is sounded.  When the call of God resounds in our spirit, we will rise from what the world thinks is ineptitude and irrelevancy and we will run.  We will not flinch; we will not stop until we have accomplished all that the Word of God says we will accomplish in these last days.  It will be a mighty work, it will be a work of completion, it will be the harvest of the ages. 

The world has never seen a champion like the Church of the Living God and will never see one like her again.

This is the verse that is read as Secretariat runs with all his might at the end of the movie and it will be the crowning verse of the Church – grown fat on the Word and happy in the Spirit – chomping at the bit and ready at the gate:

Job 39:19-24 (NIV)
  “Do you give the horse its strength
   or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?
 Do you make it leap like a locust,
   striking terror with its proud snorting?
 It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength,
   and charges into the fray.
 It laughs at fear, afraid of nothing;
   it does not shy away from the sword.
 The quiver rattles against its side,
   along with the flashing spear and lance.
 In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground;
   it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.
 

Rhonda Roughton
Rhonda is founder of INK Ministries. INK Ministries' mission is to build up the body of Christ through writing, preaching and teaching with an emphasis on the New Covenant and who we are in Christ. "Write down the vision and make it plain on tablets so that whoever reads it may run with it." Habakkuk 2:2-3. This is a "hands-on" ministry as well as a writing ministry - moving in the gifts and power of the Holy Spiit to bring hope, healing and deliverance to all those who hunger for more of Him.

What's That Smell?!

“…thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.  For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.  To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.  And who is equal to such a task?”  (2 Cor. 2:14-16)

There’s times I wonder just how much my wife really loves me.  I come in from working hard outside (mowing grass, changing oil in the car, working in my shop, etc.), try to give her a great big hug, and I’m met with refusal….go figure!  Any other time I’d be catching flack for not giving her hugs often enough (I am supposed to read her mind and know when she wants one!).  When I protest she quickly informs me that it isn’t me that repulses her (whew!) but the smell I am giving off.  Funny thing is, I don’t even notice the stink.  After working in the environment of those fumes for a period of time, the nose begins to lose sensitivity to them.  I worry for just a moment about whether I’m losing my sense of smell, but my fears are quickly relieved when I pick up on the scent of dinner filling the house (barbecued pork ribs….can you smell them?).

There’s a story in John 12:1-8 that takes place at the home of a man named Lazarus.  Jesus, his disciples, Lazarus, Martha and Mary are having dinner together.  At some point in the festivities Mary takes a jar of expensive perfume, pours it out on Jesus’ feet, and proceeds to wipe them with her hair.  What an incredible act of love!  The passage goes on to say that “the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”  You see, Mary’s expression of love for Jesus left behind a “scent” that others couldn’t help but notice.

Paul tells us in 2 Cor. 2:16 that, as believers, we leave behind a scent trail everywhere we go.  He states that the scent we give off is “the fragrance of the knowledge of Him” (try fitting that on a perfume bottle!).  We can’t help it (nor should we want to), everywhere we go we leave a trail of Jesus particles behind us – through the words we speak, the acts of kindness we perform, the forgiveness we offer, the standards we live by – and others are picking up on our scent.

There are two effects our “scent” has on others – for those who refuse to embrace it, it becomes the “smell of death”.  Their rejection is really about Christ, though we may often find it being expressed toward us.  On the positive side, there will be those who will wonder “What’s that smell?” and this presents us with the opportunity to “give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”  (1 Pet. 3:15)  To those people our scent represents the “fragrance of life.”

So the challenge for us as believers is to take every precaution to keep our scent pure and beautiful.  If we’re not careful we can begin to smell like our environment (something Paul warns us about in Rom. 12:2) without even realizing it.  To prevent that we need a consistent commitment to prayer and worship, the daily discipline of reading the Word, and godly friends who love us enough to be honest.    Like my wife, who loves me enough to be brutally honest and tell me when I stink!

Clark Hausman

Clark is pastor of Moyock Assembly of God.

Procrastinators of The World UNITE... Tomorrow!!

As long as I can remember I’ve always put things off to the last minute. One time I had to turn in a science project for a grade and the science fair competition. We had months to work on this! I of course waited until the night before to even decide what it was I was going to do my project on! So, I came home from school that day and flipped through some encyclopedias (we didn’t have Google then) and figured out I wanted to do my project on soil. Hey, I had plenty of dirt around me and all I needed was three types of soil and water. So I measured the rate at which water drained through each soil and recorded my findings, made some index cards, threw them on a spray painted wooden tri-fold back board and called it a night.

The next day I carried my backboard in along with little pie tins full of the different soils I used. This project was looking a hot mess! I remember going to the science fair that night for the judging and expecting to be utterly embarrassed by the grade. However, I was completely shocked when they called my name for first place in my division.

Somehow I’ve made it through life always putting off until tomorrow what I really should get done today. It hasn’t always paid off like my science project. A missed bill equals an unnecessary late fee and the list could go on. My thought on procrastination is that it is essentially delayed obedience and I’ve heard it said that delayed obedience is disobedience.

There are times when God speaks to me, whether it is to do something or to put something out of my life that I procrastinate. I get it done eventually, but not when asked.  A perfect example of a delayed obedience in the Bible is Jonah. When God sent Him to Nineveh, he ran as far away as possible until he had a change of heart and followed through with his mission. Of course he had to be swallowed by a great fish and spend a few days in his belly before he changed his mind!

There’s also examples of instant obedience: Abraham – when God called him to set out to the land He would lead him to and he left everything immediately; Moses – when God called him to go to Pharaoh and demand he set the Israelites free, he did so risking his life; the disciples – Jesus said come follow me and they dropped what they were doing and followed. My favorite though, is when Jesus is walking on water to the boat the disciples were on and calls Peter to join Him. He steps out of the boat and walks – on water!

It pleases God when we obey and we are rewarded for doing so. We need to remember that He only has our best interest in mind when He speaks to us. He is sovereign and is in complete control of the situation – no matter what it looks like to us!

He hasn’t called us to be procrastinators or to delay our obedience. He’s called us to step out on faith and trust Him. It is simply doing our best for Him and doesn’t He deserve our best?

Crystal Owens

Crystal  has a passion for reaching youth and a heart for missions.She is currently teaching a weekly adult Bible study and a monthly Bible study for Women.

Recession or Restoration

New Living Translation (NLT)
2 Chronicles 7:14:
"Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land."

It is common knowledge that the media, specifically news channels, typically sway the public opinion on politics and other HOT topics in our culture. There are many topics that are discussed often. Whether it be financial issues, the legality of abortion, same-sex marriage and many others where there is a line in the sand when it comes to a faith approach.

 Nothing frustrates me more than to hear Christians who will only elect officials who are PRO-LIFE and the same people sing the praises towards extremists who bomb abortion clinics or shoot the doctors who work there. If we take a stand, we must do it with grace and mercy. 

 As we watch the news, it is easy to get caught up in recession, regression, oppression, and DEPRESSION when one looks at the current state of our nation. Some people believe our current situation is judgment on our nation, some believe it’s the politicians’ fought, while others do not have clue who to blame, and some just really do not care. It is not our responsibility to play the blame game. We can keep our current convictions and support our leaders. Regardless of who is to blame, WE can change the situation.

HOW…one might ask? PRAYER. The key to the restoration of this nation is prayer. The Bible clearly says in 2 Chronicles, that if we (the people of God) will humble (lower themselves in rank) ourselves and pray and seek the face of God and turn from our wicked ways, then God will hear from heaven and forgive our sins and restore our land. The reality is this….we, as Christians, have some things we need to work out.  See 2 Chronicles 7:14 is an if, then statement. What that means is this….If we do something, God will do something as well. He doesn’t say curse the president, bomb abortion clinics, or use anti-gay slurs whenever the opportunity presents itself. This is up to us and our willingness to judge ourselves based on the scriptures, not everyone else.

So, let’s get busy. Let’s turn off the media spectacle. Give FOX and CNN a rest. Go into our quiet place, turn from our wicked ways, and pray for the restoration of this nation. WE, as God’s people, have all of the necessary tools to see a spiritual revival in this nation, where all things will be restored, including: morality, finances, spiritual fervor, health, and godliness.

Kasey Scott
Kasey is currently a high school English teacher, whose students are young ladies who are substance dependent and incarcerated. Kasey has a passion to reach into the lives of girls in desperate situations and show them the Hope that is available in Jesus Christ. She also is the VP and Director of Curriculum Design for Edvance Services, an educational services company she co-founded with her husband.

Things You Thought You Couldn't Do

In 1997, James Cameron directed a movie that won first seat in the box office for many months. Most of us have at least heard of it, some of us saw it and if you were anything like me you would have done just about anything to ride on the bow of a ship with your arms out just like Kate Winslet. Yes, you guessed it….The Titanic. This ship in all its glory was amazing. Even though it was made into a chart topping movie, it truly had a spot in history. Three years and countless shipbuilders later, the ship was built and in three hours it found itself at the bottom of the Atlantic. Sadly enough that is all it took for such a large ship to find its way at the lowest point of the sea.

Recently, I came across this quote, “Professionals built the Titanic, but the ark was built by amateurs.” As I reflected on the quote, It reminded me that God truly does “equip the called, he doesn’t call the equipped.”  Through the Lord’s provision, Noah was able to save humanity because of the ark. Noah’s obedience and faith saved his family and two of every animal that ever lived. All the while, I am sure rubbing his head wondering just how he was going to pull the Ark off.......

 Often times we have such a hard time believing that we too would be called to take part in God’s work in such a mighty way. It may be because of the past decisions we have made, maybe lies that have taken root in our heart, or insecurities that we carry. God calls us all in different capacities. Perhaps you are parenting a child with a disability, taking care of your own parent, or you may have been called into ministry, the list goes on.  Over and over again in the Bible the Lord chose the weak to lead the strong and truly turned beauty into ashes. Paul went around persecuting Christians before his transformation, Jonah ran away from his calling and ended up in a fish, Mary was never married, Nehemiah was just a cupbearer, Zaccheus was too small, Martha worried, the disciples fell asleep while praying, Jacob was a liar, and Abraham was too old. See everybody has something. It’s what you do with that something that makes all the difference. 

“Being confident of this that he who began a good work in you will carry it on in completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

The key to taking on this magnificent challenge is to worship God with all your heart and continue to soak in how awesome He truly is. When we praise God for all His goodness we focus on the power that comes from Him. We reposition our minds on the strength, courage, and ability that we attain from the Lord and not on what looks impossible. By this we are able to go one extra mile, to love one more hour, to forgive one more time, to pray just a little longer. All the while remembering we serve a perfect God, we don’t have to be perfect just obedient.  So today, I challenge you that when things get bleak continue to remind yourself of the ways that God has empowered you in your past and remember that He who has called you will provide all of your needs just as He did for Noah and all the others.

“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 my Father’s hand, and I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30

Ashley McDougal

Ashley is the Children's pastor for 3N1 Church in Virginia. Her passion is to see the Church being Christ's Church consistently no matter where they are and of course Children!! For more info on 3N1 you can check out their website at http://3n1church.com.

Oh Joy!

Joy of the Lord is your strength.  Nehemiah 8:10

“No matter what the climate is, what the troubles are, what the difficulties are, there is joy for the child of God, because joy is produced supernaturally by the Holy spirit in us” Billy Graham

I have struggled since childhood with happiness and joy. This may be due to my dysfunctional upbringing; both parents battled with alcohol abuse and unfaithfulness. At times the household could be a very tense and angry atmosphere.  When I met Jesus, I sensed such joy and strength as I have never known before. But that joy and strength would seem to come and go. I would hear “Joy of the Lord is your strength” preached, but when I asked about remaining joyful and in the presence of the Lord I was told by a well meaning saint “you can’t live on the mountain top!” What? Wait!  Then what then does “joy of the Lord is your strength” mean? Is it just a church saying with no meaning? This has taken me on a journey seeking joy because I desperately want joy and strength in my life. I have realized that the saint had a misunderstanding of “joy”.  It appears some Christians only understand joy as an emotion brought on by circumstances or situations.  The joy God speaks of is a satisfaction or gratification of knowing the character of Him, independent of our circumstances.

My favorite example of joy is found in second Samuel sixth chapter. This is the account of King David bringing the Ark of God back to Jerusalem. There was a party going on, dancing, music and sacrifice of bull and fattened calf.  The bible reads, “…David was dancing before the LORD with all his might”. I am a very visual person and I can just envision this event, and I know David was doing the happy dance! You see this was such a joyous occasion because the ark represents the presence of God; there is joy in the presence of God. (Acts 2:28, Psalm 16:11) But wait, there was one person named Michal, King David’s wife was not celebrating. She was watching from her window. The Bible reads, “…she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.” WOW! She despised him in her heart! This is a woman who cared more about “appearance” than honoring God and enjoying the presence of God. Scripture tells us she was barren until her death. I don’t know if King David from that point on no longer had relations with her or if her womb was not able to bear children. What I do know is I don’t want to be barren spiritually and I will rejoice in the presence of the Lord and will not judge others for rejoicing in the Lord.

In Acts 16:16-38 we read about Paul and Silas imprisoned, not a joyful situation. But they demonstrated joy by praying and praising God.  It seems to me they understood living in the presence of God is joy and that joy of knowing God brings strength and courage to handle any situation.  They lived in the presence of God.  Not only were they able to get through this difficult situation, but because of their joy, the jailer and his household was saved!  That is a lesson for all of us, joy of the Lord is found in the presence of the Lord, not from our situation. Joy not only changes our lives, but our joy is even able to change the lives of others.

Both these accounts are filled with joy but from very different situations. So to the well meaning saint, I say we are under a new covenant, the veil is torn (Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38); which means we have full access to the presence of God. The joy, satisfaction and gratification which is found in the presence of the Lord is your strength, courage, and stability needed to handle every situation.  

Michelle Odom
Michelle is an Ordained Minister through United Christian Fellowship and co-founder with her husband, John, of MJ Ministries, a “Practical Evangelism” ministry expressing the Gospel through action. MJ Ministries is dedicated to revealing God’s love through the practice of hospitality using our God given gifts, talents and resources. We are challenged to Engage others in the pursuit of Jesus, Encourage others to realize their potential in Jesus, and Empower others to have influence for Jesus.

“Mission Possible” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God” Mark 10:27

All Talk But No Action!

“But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go." Matthew 21:28-30

The other day I had one of those “fed up” moments with a particular group of individuals in my life. Just for sake of identification throughout this devotional we’ll name that group the “going to”.

The “going to” are those people that seem to have all the good intentions, and sadly the potential, but never has what it takes to follow through. They’re the kindest and most caring individuals you’ll ever meet. They’re the ones that are “going to” show up whenever you need them the most. They’ll be at all of your important life events taking pictures helping you to commemorate the experience. They’ll start to disciple the new converts in the church while driving the bus to pick up the elderly saints. They’ll read the Bible in its entirety this year not missing a single verse. They’ll be the first ones to start a new business venture and end a toxic relationship. They’re the “going to” and they’re no joke!

The “going to” are great motivators as well. Listening to one would have you convinced that you’re lazy. They have all of the drive and tenacity to conquer giants. They’re able to leap buildings with one small step. Excuses are no match for them because they’re “going to” get it done no matter what the cost. They live for the challenge and can’t wait to get out of bed each morning to meet the world head on. They’re the “going to” and they’re no joke!

Okay by now I’m sure that you have gotten the point. This is a pretty elite group of individuals but there’s only one problem that they all share.
It’s simply that they “never do”.

The “going to” “never do” anything that they say they’ll do. They never show up when you need them. They never help out around the church. They never accomplish any goals or anything else they say they’re “going to” do. And the sad part is that often they never realize that they are only a “going to” and “never do” type of person. Sad indeed!

Okay confession time. I’m tired of being a “going to” type of person. I really didn’t realize that I was this type of person until I looked at some of those who are closest to me and noticed that I’m often, not all the time (disclaimer), surrounded by “going to” individuals. Being a strong believer that people usually gravitate towards those that are most like them, well you get the ideal.

Jesus told a parable about two sons that were asked to take care of their father’s vineyard. The younger one agreed without haste but the older son refused. (Immaturity will make you commit to things in haste.) Of course we see that when it was all said and done the older reconsidered and “did’ while the younger one “never did”. (Immaturity will make you commit to things you have no intentions of completing.) I would consider the younger one to be a “going to” type of individual. Likewise I would consider the older one to be just the opposite.

Honestly I probably wouldn’t like the older one if I were to meet him on the street because he seems kind of harsh and disrespectful. He’s probably not going to pump my ego or pacify my ideas. He’s straight forward and focused. Although it may seem like he’s rebellious towards authority, he’s not. He’s just steps ahead of them with his agenda. He’s an “already done” type of individual. He’s all action with little talk!

Which brother do you identify with?

Adraine Scott

Adraine is the president of Edvance Services LLC. His entire professional career has been spent helping others find their unique ways of learning and being. He has been able to accomplish this by serving as a youth minister, speaker, counselor, college and career minister, secondary education teacher, and business owner