Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD is the one who goes before you.
He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT
We step into the future confidently, knowing there is no surprise to God. God is our Vanguard—so there’s no need to worry about the future. He is already there; He knows what is coming. When tomorrow arrives, He will be there for us.
The Good Shepherd faithfully walks ahead—we listen for My voice and follow His lead. Jesus precedes us, so we can be certain that sunrise will bring strength for all of life’s challenges. He walks ahead of us and shows us the way, one step at a time. We give Christ control of each moment as it comes by deciding to obey Him. We rest in green meadows and by quiet streams by trusting Him unquestioningly even in dark valleys. Whatever the emergency coming our way, heaven is ready.
We step into the future capably, realizing there is no real success without God. God is our Vitality—Center of Gravity in all seasons, Song in sad times, Solid Rock when everything nailed down comes loose, Physician when we are sin-sick, Creator who perfectly understands us, and Almighty God who stands under us.
There’s no need to let shadows intimidate us or let fear unnerve us. Our Father’s eyes watch over sparrows and supervise our journey beyond the stars. In hope, we smile through our tears; by faith, we dance through our troubles.
We step into the future courageously, believing there is no superior force above God. God is our Valor—injecting adrenaline into our timid soul, encouraging us in our nagging doubt. Because of His Presence with us, we can live without terror, cowardice, flinching, dismay, or despondency. All the demons in hell cannot conquer our heart—it is sacred territory, God’s home. We can do all our Master orders through the invigorating power of Christ. We can defeat any spiritual enemy by the protective love of Jesus, our Shield. Hiding in Ultimate Reality, we sing eternity’s song even when we feel like crying. Focused on the cross, we keep running Faith Marathon even when tempted to drop out.
We step into the future cheerfully, understanding there is no song without God. God is our Vision—Sovereign holding tomorrow in His hands, Meaning behind life’s mysteries, and Highest Dream of our heart. He is the God of Abraham’s moving experiences, Isaac’s laughter, and Jacob’s struggles. He is our Stability in transition, Best Answer to prayer, and Truest Riches. Love blesses us with all we need today and all we will need tomorrow—counting on God’s promises coming true, we keep believing in a bright future.
Johnny R. Almond
Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church - Friends on a Journey of Faith
Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity – book available from Amazon
Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses.
I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make.
Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live!
Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him
and commit yourself to him, for he is your life.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NLT
All the natural laws God instituted, in every part of the universe He created, preach the same sermon and reinforce the same truth—there are inevitable consequences for the personal choices we make. Death inevitably derives from disobedience. Curses accompany carnality. Blessings result from belief. Life cascades from love.
Moral decisions affect emotional, physical, and spiritual health. They impact our future and the welfare of our family. They are critical, not inconsequential. Time and eternity will be colored by what we choose day by day.
If we are obedient, we will choose the Way—walking with Christ in humility and habits. We are challenged to live a life of unselfish love—following Jesus’ example of sacrificial living, not trying to impress but meekly considering others better than us.
If we are wise, we will choose the Truth—walking with Christ in honesty and holiness. We are challenged to live with moral integrity, avoiding evil no matter how it is packaged.
If we are trusting, we will choose the Life—walking with Christ in hope and heaven. We are challenged to celebrate buoyant and eternal life in relationship to God’s Son—purposefully motivated, optimistically anticipating paradise restored, enthusiastically serving, singing the song of hope through long nights, and relying on supernatural strength to see us through every difficulty. Living this way, we do not just exist—we exult!
Is our mind genuinely open and receptive to the Holy Spirit? Are we willing to let the Lord cleanse our soul and teach us to love Him with all our personality and intellect? Can we clearly hear the message of ultimate truth echoing in our heart?
If we turn away from God, there is only bitterness and death. If we obey Him, life in all its fullness is ours.
God never twists our arm; but if we take His hand and hold on for dear life, He will teach us how to live life in all its fullness day after day, year after year—the choice is ours.
Johnny R. Almond
Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church - Friends on a Journey of Faith
Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—Scripture Personalized
He was 23 years old, married to a girl back in Ohio. He had been trained to become part of the elite battle-ready 82nd Airborne. He was ready for anything the war on terror might bring. From his observation post on a housetop in Baghdad, his sniper-sharp eyes scanned the streets for signs of the enemy.
Separated from his partner, he was ambushed by a squad of insurgents. He was helpless against their cruel, methodical shooting at him. Taking aim beginning from his feet, they slowly worked their way up his legs to his abdomen, approaching the threshold of murder.
Seconds from death, he was rescued by his buddies. Then he was evacuated from the combat zone to a military hospital in Germany, and eventually to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in D.C., where both of his legs were amputated. A double prosthesis did not cancel his will to walk again. Searing pain did not stop his desire to achieve. Self-pity did not even seem to enter the picture
Observing this authentic patriot and American hero, now part of the Warrior Transition Brigade, I saw an object lesson in endurance and the personification of perseverance. Not only was he daily placing cones and agonizingly stepping over them, he had chosen to live in a third-floor apartment, because he liked the challenge and wanted to get strong again—so he could return to the front.
I thought to myself—here is a man “who more than self his country loves.” I wondered where there might be found that kind of unflinching courage and devotion in Christian soldiers “who more than self their Savior love”—believers willing to die with their boots on, facing the enemy.
Marveling at his dogged determination to fight again. I wondered how followers of Christ find the tenacity to fight on when self-pity threatens to quench the fire of our resolve.
Then I remembered the Scripture—We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 16-18 NLT
With these truths cascading through my heart, I recalled the lyrics of an old Isaac Watts hymn—Am I a soldier of the cross, a follower of the Lamb? And shall I fear to own His cause or blush to speak His name? Sure I must fight if I would reign; Increase my courage, Lord! I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain, supported by Thy Word.
High-sounding words indeed—but If you and I are truly honest, we must admit there have been times we’ve been tempted to quit the fight of faith. Gazing at the figure of the One on the cross dying in our place sends us back to our tasks again.
I believe that if we ask Jesus to help us, He will (Philippians 4:13). Music historians say many Bach manuscripts have J.J. at the beginning—Jesu juva (Jesus, help me), and at the end of the manuscript S.D.G.—Soli Deo Gloria (To God alone be the glory). In between are found some of the most uplifting music phrases and compositions ever heard by human ears. If you and I are ever going to “make music for our Lord to hear,” we’re going to have to live life like Bach composed music. If we’re going to soldier on for God’s glory, we need Jesus’ help.
Johnny R. Almond
Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church - Friends on a Journey of Faith
Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—Scripture Personalized
Our Heavenly Father knows us through and through. He is aware when we sincerely want to get rid of the evil in our life. He knows we struggle with addictions we would like to conquer and undesirable attitudes we would like to change.
If we are honest to God, we must admit that we brag sometimes, eat too much, sigh now and then, feel that we are a little better than others, get irritable when interrupted doing our thing, are impatient with people who do not quite measure up to our moral standard, choose selfishly, lack heartfelt compassion, and lose sleep worrying about contingencies.
God understands that we are imperfect. We really desire to do right, but in the course of pursuing perfection we are bombarded with wrong suggestions. Our sinful nature sabotages what we know is best. We are in a constant tug-of-war between the compelling desire God has given us to be Christlike and our inherited human nature to have it our way. We are never free from the civil war raging within between opposing forces of light and darkness. We tackle life’s noblest quest to be like our Savior, but miserable failures sidetrack us.
We sometimes grow weary of this life of contradictions—struggling with sin gets next to us. But we should never give up. Though we are far from perfect, God does not condemn us—any friend of His Son is a friend of His. Trusting Jesus, the Father does not judge us. Instead He views us through eyes of mercy.
If we keep giving in to our sinful urges, we will self-destruct—if we yield to God’s ennobling Holy Spirit, we will be freed from ravages of sin.
If we allow our nature to be in charge, we will be agitated—if we let the Spirit control us, we will enjoy serenity.
If we get preoccupied with trinket gods, we will be perpetually dissatisfied—if we let eternal treasures permeate our thoughts, we will be content.
If we strut in our accomplishments, we are in for a fall—if we glory in the Master’s cross, He will promote us to a glorious destiny.
If we go off on our own, we will ruin our life—if we nestle near God’s loving heart, we can rest assured.
If we rely on our power to conquer wickedness, we will fail—if we rely on supernatural power, we will celebrate expansive, exhilarating vitality.
In light of these contrasting consequences, it is the highest wisdom to let God execute sinful desires lurking within us and run from all sin.
If someone has committed a crime worthy of death and is executed and then hanged on a tree,the body must never remain on the tree overnight. You must bury the body that same day, for anyone hanging on a tree is cursed of God. Deuteronomy 21:22–23 NLT
Rereading this ancient command thoughtfully and prayerfully, we detect shadows of Calvary. This Hebrew law gives a preview of Love.
Centuries later, a high priest rudely demanded that the Son of God answer spurious charges hurled against Him. On the verge of slaughter, Jesus remained silent. When the high priest misused God’s name to pressure Him to reveal whether He was the Messiah, Jesus replied, “Yes, I am. And what’s more, in the future the world will see Me majestically enthroned at God’s right hand and returning triumphantly on the clouds of heaven.” Horrified, the high priest tore his robe and ruled Jesus had committed blasphemy, a capital crime.
The Sanhedrin returned a guilty verdict, and innocent Jesus was deemed worthy of the death penalty. The flawless Lamb was sacrificed so you and I could be friends with God. His death in our place commends Him as worthy of our highest devotion.
When God’s dear Son was crucified, punctilious Jews did not want to see His body left on the cross the next day, since that was the Passover. So they requested that the Roman governor take the body down. The day of Jesus’ vicarious death was more critical than their “special Sabbath.” That dark day the Father’s obedient Son was wounded for humanity’s rebellion, flogged mercilessly so people could find mercy in relationship with God, and hurt to the depths of His soul so the spiritually sick could get well.
Jesus was mocked, so we could inherit a mansion. He was deserted, so we could delight in the pleasure of My company. He was spat upon, so we could be shielded from the effects of sin. He was bruised, so we could be blessed. He shouldered a heavy cross, so we could wear a crown. He was crucified, so we could be changed. He experienced agony, so we could experience ecstasy. He went to hell for a while, so we could go to heaven forever.
Hanging on a tree on Skull Hill, Jesus took upon Himself the insult for our wrongdoing. Others may curse the Savior, but He has transformed our life, so we show our love by blessing Him. Jesus offers us life’s greatest challenge—self-denial, cross bearing, and walking in His footsteps. To the world, this appears to be suicide; in reality, it is the only path to life.
Johnny R. Almond
Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church – Friends on a Journey of Faith
Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—Scripture Personalized
Always love the LORD your God and walk in his ways. Deuteronomy 19:9 NLT
We have composed many heart letters to God, signing them “love always.” We really meant what we wrote at the time; however, our love has waned now and then. Is it our true intention to love the Lord with undying love?
God’s mercy saved us from the penalty of sin—rescuing us from eternal death. God’s grace saves us from sin’s power—morally resurrecting us from the corruption of an unbelieving society to a better life. God’s power will ultimately rescue us from the very presence of sin—sculpting us into His Son’s likeness, escorting you into paradise. God has always loved us and He always will—His faithful love endures forever. We should see that we never outlive love for God, that we allow no condition dissuade us from heartfelt devotion to our Creator, Protector, Redeemer, and Friend.
We should always love God in our worship. Every moment we can enjoy His constant Presence and rejoice in His unfailing friendship. Whatever happens, we can depend on His sustaining grace and trust His loving Providence. No matter how discouraging current events get, we can anticipate fulfillment of His bright promises. Worship involves being grateful for God’s’ lavish blessings, hiding behind faith’s indomitable shield, yielding to heaven’s perfect will, running from spiritual adultery, and reverently entering the throne room to enjoy the privilege of conversation with our Father.
We should always love God in our lifestyle. Obedience proves authentic love—only the obedient genuinely love God. Christ’s true friends stand out from those who are not because they follow His orders—they love each other in the same way Jesus loves them; they are busy making disciples and teaching them to carry out His commands; they are telling people about Him everywhere they go; they give as freely as they have received from Him. Real affection is expressed in actions, not only in love letters. We should not just talk about loving Jesus—we should walk with Him.
We should always love God—at all times. At sunrise, we can thank God for giving us a new beginning. At sunset, we can bless God for getting us through the day. When we feel stressed out, God is right beside us, and promises to stay. His love never quits—ours should not either.
We should always love God—in all our ways. God opens heaven’s windows and pours out blessings we do not have enough room to store. We can say thanks through preaching the good news from the pulpit of our personality and loving God with all our intelligence and energy. If we always give God first place in our heart, God will always give us first place in His.
Johnny R. Almond
Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church - Friends on a Journey of Faith
Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—Scripture Personalized
Be on your guard not to let the base thought get the upper hand in your heart. DEUTERONOMY15:9MLB
As we read God’s Word, we should pay attention to waving red flags repeatedly warning us to be careful as we make our way through life. God cautions us to beware of falling into the evil one’s clever trap of compromise and idolatry. Over and over Scripture counsels discretion—telling us to avoid faddish foolishness and seek timeless wisdom.
At all costs, we must never give in to mindlessness. We would not think of swimming in shark-infested waters—then why live recklessly in a world ruled by invisible forces of the dark side? Wisdom stays on the alert spiritually!
We are not what we think we are; but what we think, we are. We are the product of our thoughts; so we should be careful what we permit to enter our mind.
What we put into our mind may eventually come out in words and actions. It’s a good idea to occasionally review what we are feeding our mind through television, movies, magazines, and the Internet. It’s certainly a good idea never to consume moral garbage! Most importantly, we should daily read heaven’s Textbook for Living.
Over the course of our lifetime, we can learn to focus our mind on what is good, and make it a habit to fix our thoughts on wholesome ideas. It takes practice to change how we think, but faith makes it possible. Guarding our mind, we can fill it with the beautiful, not the ugly. Programming our mental computer with true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, kind, lofty, and worthy thoughts—we make this formula for excellence the charter for our thought life.
We should never tell our self that our thoughts are hidden from God. Our inner life is transparent to the One who perfectly understands human nature. Our Creator understands us better than we know our self. This being the case, it is best for us to be open and honest with the Lord.
To ensure that vulgar and low ideas do not predominate our mind, we can overcome the deadly poison of evil with the antidote of goodness. With God’s help, we can cancel dishonesty with truth, self-centeredness with sacrificial love, perversion with purity, obscenity with decency, criticism with compliments, and mean-spiritedness with generosity. Above all, we should give God first place—running from false gods of the mind threatening to steal loyalty we owe him.
Letting God be our Best Thought is the best way to conscientiously guard our mind gate.
The Lord your God is testing you to see if you love him with all your heart and soul. De u t e r o n o my 13:3 NLT
Christianity is not just a mind game played for entertainment—Higher Education is serious business! Life is a battery of tests designed to bring out our true colors.
God’s intelligence test determines our spiritual IQ; it indicates whether we are wise or just smart. As we learn his way, we become a new person from the inside out.
God’s practical test reveals how far we will go in obeying him. To make a passing grade, we must do more than ponder his Word—we must translate it into action in everyday relationships.
God’s authenticity test checks the sincerity of our love for him. To prove our love, we must devote our self to God 24/7. This essay question will take a long time to answer—in fact, it will take the entire course of our life. To give evidence of our genuine love—we must follow God closely, seek to bring other people to him, carry our cross daily, value friendship with God above all things, and keep our mind in tune with Truth.
God’s cross-examination demands the ultimate in introspection. Looking within, we can verify the authenticity of our faith. If Christ lives in us, we pass heaven’s most critical test. This is a true/false question—it demands an either/or response. Either we have Christ in our soul, or we do not. The final answer demands total honesty.
God’s daily quiz tests our motives. If we do what we should, we will enjoy the fulfillment of doing quality work for the right reason. There is no need to compare our work with others; it is only imperative that we follow Christ’s example and do our best for him. At the end of the day, that is all that matters.
God’s endurance test gauges perseverance through severity. Time educates for eternity by strengthening character. We are running in the Faith Marathon—we should not even think of quitting. We are students in Adversity University—we should never disenroll. Ignoring sideline distractions and focusing on Jesus is the wisest way to live. Start to finish, we can rely on the Spirit Wind for adrenaline. Holding on to the Lord for dear life, we will ultimately celebrate victory.
God’s final exam will inspect our life’s building materials. Fiery judgment will incinerate inferior work. Quality construction will shine brightly forever. We should do more than merely aim to survive—we should live so we will graduate with honors!
“It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” (Mark 7:20-23 NLT)
The picture above was taken last week by our youngest son, Brandon. His caption “One Nation Under Repair” is apt, in light of recent tragic events in our country. The flag at half-staff reminds us of grief at the loss of innocent lives. The scaffolding is part of the process of cleaning and repairing damage on the outside, but what happens INSIDE needs even more repair.
The shootings in Saint Paul, Baton Rouge, and Dallas have prompted the repeated statement that violence is not the answer to brutality and murder. Such generalizations do not address the source of evil. For that we must turn to the Master.
Jesus summarizes 13 actions and vices that defile a person, and teaches that they all emanate from the heart. He does not paint a pretty picture of human nature—depravity, unchastity, stealing, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, double-dealing, unrestrained sexual drive, envy, malicious misrepresentation, arrogance, senselessness. These bad habits of the heart corrupt and spoil life.
The condition of the heart is so important to God, that the word heart is mentioned nearly 1,000 times in the Bible. Our physical hearts are very important to us—our lives depend on our hearts, so we want to avoid heart disease. It stands to reason that we should be just as interested in avoiding the diseases of the spiritual heart.
During his time in the Gulag, Solzhenitsyn wrote: “The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties, but right through every human heart. This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. Even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained; and even in the best of all hearts, there remains a small corner of evil. If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”
We should humbly recognize that our hearts are in daily need of repair. Repentance is the path to a clean heart. In the holy land of the broken heart—there is joy never felt in sin’s garbage dump; there is light never seen in dark, dingy places; there is peace never experienced in dens of iniquity; there are songs never sung in rebellious hearts.
We are all by nature sinful. The human heart, Jeremiah reminds us, is the most deceitful of all things and desperately wicked. In fact, no one really knows how bad it is. Billy Graham said, “The heart of every problem is the problem of the human heart. That is why Jesus said we must be born again.”
It is obvious, to any thoughtful person, that force or legislation cannot change the inner condition of the heart. Only Christ, the Sovereign of the human heart, can transform us.
One nation is in need of repair—one heart at a time.
If someone has committed a crime worthy of death and is executed and then hanged on a tree,the body must never remain on the tree overnight. You must bury the body that same day, for anyone hanging on a tree is cursed of God. Deuteronomy 21:22–23 NLT
