Day 27

Day 27

Matthew 5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. For theirs is the Kingdom of heaven."

Held in reverence are those who are harassed, chastened, harmed, and suffer because they have chosen to stand fast for what they believe. As the result, that which belongs to them is the realm in which God's will is fulfilled: a spiritual state of everlasting communion with God.

I don't know about you, but when I look at the literal meaning of the words in this passage, I suddenly not only feel empowered to do just that, I also see why things have been and can be so rough. Is it not true that the closer we get to God and the more obedient we are, the more intense the attacks become? Why not? If you are the enemy of good, what does evil do when it sees good begin to prosper? It fights it, of course.

Last year was our first spring on this property. The former owners had sprayed the property with a chemical that had completely killed every form of grass in the pasture; our land was a barren waste with virtually nothing growing. My intent and hope was that if I let the land go this first spring, life would return, and grass would once again begin to grow, and grow it did. We had every form of grass and weed to a depth of three feet in our pasture. The kids were frolicking in it, and the horses were partaking of the bounty. However, as the grass began to grow, I soon noticed thistles thriving in and among them. The animals and the children began giving them a wide berth, and soon the only thing visible were thistles: no grass, no children, and no horses. The beauty of my pasture had been replaced with the ugliness of thorns and thistles. Had I been aware of the seeds and roots in the ground, I would have fought them, yet once they began to grow it was too late, and soon they had taken over.

The enemy knows that if he can harass us long enough, he, too, may have the field to himself. He knows that if he gives up because we are in a good place with God, his chances of getting us back are greatly diminished. Therefore, he fights and does so unfairly: he claws, he scratches and bites, and lies hidden in wait because for him it is a desperate fight for survival. All too often we forget about the fight, and for us the fight becomes a neglected or forgotten one. Now that I know the seeds are in place and the roots are there for the thistle to grow in my pasture, I am also aware that this is going to be a long, hard battle, one that may take years to win. It takes time and effort to remove thistle from a pasture, just like it takes time and constant battling to remove evil from our hearts, from its influence in our lives.

Remember the promise, acknowledge the battle, recognize your foe, and lean on the strength of your God, above all, keeping your eyes on the prize!

Daily Prayer: Father, helps us Lord not to get discouraged when the enemy comes at us, especially at those times when we feel particularly close to you; remind us Father of the blessing and reward to come. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

"Water the thorns in your life with the Word, and watch them die."

Gene Burroughs, Servant

Day 26

Day 26

Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."

Oh, to be called a son of God. Who would not choose or desire to be recognized as a child of the one who cast the stars from His fingertips, controls time, created all living things, and has dominion over all of the heavens? We might say, “Who wouldn't?” Yet, when God chose to manifest Himself on this planet in the form of His son Jesus Christ, many chose not to. Sadly, this pattern continues on today across the world. One key, they are not peacemakers. What does this have to do with salvation, you ask? Nothing at all, it has to do with sacrifice. Wow, now I have you thinking (it’s OK, I'm scratching my head as well)! Peacemaking comes with sacrifice and cannot be found without it. Peacemaker here is defined as "one who makes peace by reconciliation," so in order to make peace there must be those who are at odds. Could it be that Jesus was speaking to us about those who were at odds with God as well as those who were at odds with each other? Think about it, you are a peacemaker if you can show a person lost in sin the pathway to salvation! Have you ever known a sinner who was not in some way at odds with God? Of course not, it is impossible not to be at odds with God unless your sins are covered in the blood of Jesus.

Wow! I never really thought about this until today–the ultimate peace–salvation through Christ, allowing me to be called a son of God. But I thought when I got saved I became a son of God. You did. Our lives lived through Christ should cause us to be makers of peace, lights in a dark world, revealers of turmoil–one who provides hope for the lost, friends to the friendless, and sources of joy for the downtrodden.

Recently, my family and I spent an evening at our friend’s Country Inn. There was no moon, and we were in the shadow of the mountain. It was pitch black after the sun went down. Yet, I noticed that as soon as the sun disappeared and darkness took hold, every path became illuminated so brightly that you couldn't help but find your way. As a matter of fact, the only way to experience darkness was to step off the path. I see us very much that way in this world, people who can choose to follow the path or choose to step off.

I said earlier that peace does not come without sacrifice. Let's explore that thought for a moment–the most obvious, of course, is that peace with God cannot be found without the sacrifice Jesus made for us. Secondly, in order to lead others to peace, we must sacrifice our pride, and thirdly, in order to maintain peace, we must all sacrifice our flesh. Maybe you attempted one or all, and possibly you have and failed–keep trying. Maybe you are one who has succeeded–stay on guard and never give up–you are a child of God. Be encouraged!

Daily Prayer: Father, help us to be peacemakers for you in a world filled with turmoil. Teach us to be humble, upright, and joyful, even when we don't want to. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

"Peace comes at a cost, but the price is never too high, after all, it has been paid."

Gene Burroughs, Servant

Day 25

Day 25
Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God"
In this particular passage we see a change in the original meaning of the word blessed, here it means something more like; honored, happy, joyful, someone enjoying the bliss of Heaven. The word pure can be translated as untainted, free from dirt, free from harshness, or well tuned. For most of us the thought of having a pure heart seems so unattainable that we tend to feel more discouraged than encouraged upon reading this passage. However let's look at it through the eyes of God rather than those of man, in present tense rather than the tense in which it was written. Remember this was spoken prior to the death of Christ yet written for those who followed Him. Today we have the blessing of a High Priest who makes petition daily for us at the throne of God as our mediator, (Hebrews 8:1-13). Therefore those who seek the covering of the blood of Jesus, those who repent and turn from impure and tainted thoughts, are now pure in heart. So what is the promise for the "pure in heart"? That "they shall see God!" Once again I see this passage as a warning; a warning to flee from the hardness of our hearts and the judgment of our minds yet there is more, again the promise; "for they shall see God". If the promise of redemption is alive and well, then so is the promise to see God yet rarely do we profess to see God. We go to great crusades, revivals, or meetings, hoping to see the works of God done through another, yet we avoid or discount the possibility that God can do those same things we seek in and through us, why? Is it because we know our hearts and cannot believe in the power of God through us? Or is it possible that we just don't believe that God does those things today: if so why not? If one promise is for today then they all are! Could it be that we have placed God in our own little box and by doing so have limited our ability to see and understand His great power and desire to bless us? In Luke 11:9 Jesus says "ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you will find;" when was the last time you practiced this passage? When was the last time you asked for God to show Himself to you? I'm not suggesting that God is a magic spell to be used every time we want to be encouraged, or see His power. However fear of humiliation, insecurity, or whatever excuse you use can has I believe more often than not prevented ourselves and others from seeing God! I have a friend that was complaining to another friend of mine about me, he said this; "every time Gene preaches he expects to see people get saved", dare I say duh! Not only that but every time I preach, walk the street, or buy groceries I expect to see God! I even expect to hear God, and I am committed to obeying God when I do, why not? Look He is either Lord or He is not, He is either Lord of my life or He is not, He is either my savior or He is not, and if He is one He is all! What is He for you, that is the question?
Daily Prayer: Father help us to live for you everyday, expecting to see you everyday, to hear your voice, obey your commands, and to serve you somehow everyday, and today I pray that all would be so: In Jesus name, Amen.
"A miracle may just be a prayer away"
Gene Burroughs Servant

Day 24

Day 24

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

One thing I know, I am a man in need of mercy, also known as compassion. I am one who would ask others to consider the circumstances surrounding my situation before judging me for where I am. We are all failed beings in a hard land attempting to reach the other side, yet how quickly we forget.

As a child in my grandmother’s home, I remember very clearly a small picture frame on a side table in her living room, and in it were written these words, "Father, let me walk a mile in my brother's moccasins before I judge him." The word mercy here means to be compassionate, caring, or to come along side of. One thing I am certain of, we could all use a little more mercy and compassion. Why, you ask? It seems that most of us on this journey through life truly are seeking for others to come along side us. People who care enough to listen and not judge, to hold up our arms, to show us mercy, yet for me, it is all too often a struggle to do this for others. The flesh is constantly battling the heart, all too quick to judge, easily offended, yet rarely patient and kind. Therefore, the giving of mercy in my own life must be purposed, I must commit to it and even plan for it.

As a child, every time we were in a vehicle, my father was yelling at other drivers. After all, every action others took was directly related to their desire to discomfort him. If you cut him off, it was because you intended to, after all, you had set out that day with a plan to find him and ruin his day. However, life has taught me a few lessons about people. First of all, no one is going to waste his time planning to mess up my day. Now, while the devil may use people to do so, my frustration should be leveled at him, not the people. Secondly, I have learned that other people just like me have constant challenges–doctor appointments, ball games, dance lessons, school meetings, jobs, birthday parties, holidays, and loved ones in need–all of which contribute to the confusion in their lives. Oh, you mean it's really not all about me?

One afternoon my daughter and I were heading to town, and in the rear view mirror I watched as a car approached us at a very high speed, erratically weaving in and out of traffic. As the car passed us, the driver promptly cut us off and then reduced her speed so quickly I had to change lanes to keep from hitting her. My mind went rampant, what was wrong with this person, how could she be so stupid? There was no off-ramp, no reason to do that, and of course I vocally expressed my frustration in front of my daughter. As we began to pass the car, it became quickly apparent that the woman driving was very distraught and crying profusely, and then the Spirit convicted me. Was she on her way to the hospital, and was her driving a result of some terrible event? Yet, in that moment I made it all about me, completely ignoring the needs of my fellow man! My daughter and I began to pray after I openly repented and asked both her and my Lord for forgiveness. Yes, people are selfish, rude, and unruly. Yes, they do foolish things. Yes, Jesus died for all of them. And yes, I, too, am one of them.

Wouldn't you like to receive mercy? "To give is better than to receive," and Christ might add, ‘and if you do, you will.’ Would you today and every day attempt to give more of the gift of mercy, the gift of not getting what you deserve?
Daily Prayer: Father, help us to be givers of mercy, to set ourselves aside and allow you to help us see what you see in the people around us. Give us mercy Lord, I pray. Amen.

"Anyone can judge, only the merciful can forgive."

Gene Burroughs, Servant

Day 23

Day 23

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Once again, we see a two-part promise in the Word: first, divine joy for the believer, if we would only crave or have an urgent need or ardent desire for the gift of righteousness, translated as freedom from guilt and sin; and secondly, that we would be filled and fattened, in other words, completely satisfied. Jesus is telling us, His people, that if we will crave His righteousness, He will fill us to the point of being fattened with that very righteousness. How cool is that? The God of all creation says, ‘If you will crave freedom from sin, freedom from shame, freedom from guilt, then I will give you so much that you will be stuffed.’ So much so that every cavity within us will be filled with that very righteousness! Do you know what that freedom from guilt and sin can do? If you do, I would dare say you are already craving it, if not, maybe this will help.

When I was very young, I saw things that I knew only God could do–there was no human explanation or power that could cause the miracles I saw. Therefore, I have always known that there is a God who created all living things and that He is alive and well. I have even experienced a number of physical healings in my own life and have been blessed with praying for others and seeing the miraculous. However, even though I had experienced these physical manifestations of God's Holy power, the battle in my head over my past sins and present shortcomings more often than not clouded my ability to walk in the divine joy of a true and complete healing. My mind was often in torment with guilt. Then came the day where Christ showed me how I was allowing guilt to prevent His will from being fulfilled in my life. I was so busy repenting for old and long-forgiven sin that I rarely had time to pray for or help others in their walk. I was literally crippled by guilt. Once this was revealed, it became evident that I had been stealing from Christ, yes, stealing! I was taking back those very sins which He had bought and paid for, and since they were no longer mine, I had become a thief! I would never advocate not asking for forgiveness of sin or facing the consequences of sin, but I would ask you this, "Are you a thief?" If so, repent and move on. Christ died for our guilt as well as our sin–let Him have it and move on. Get hungry for His righteousness, and you will walk in the true fullness of forgiveness, something satan never wants to see in you.

Daily Prayer: Father, forgive me for wrongly, yet not purposely, taking back the guilt that no longer belongs to me. I ask that you would heal me Lord and release the full power of forgiveness in my life. Amen.

"Anyone can walk in guilt, only the righteous can walk in forgiveness."

Gene Burroughs, Servant

Day 18

Day Eighteen
Matthew 4:18-22 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, Simon and Peter, and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fisherman. Then He said to them "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from their, He saw two other brother, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called to them and immediately they left the boat, and their father and followed Him.
Here we see an amazing example of communicating to people in a language that they can understand as opposed to expecting people to understand our message as we present it. Jesus knows what kind of people are on the shore, fishermen. Therefore He speaks to them as fisherman not as future disciples. Imagine this, three guys are standing on the shore, you want them to be your disciples so you stroll up and tell them something like this; "hey I'm the Son of God and I'm going to do great things on earth so how about leaving your family, your money, your warm bed, and come hang out with me for a while then I'll be beaten and killed. Then come back in three days, give you instructions, and send you out to spread the Gospel and be persecuted and killed as well." You wouldn't be very successful at gathering disciples now would you? Of course we know that the Lord influenced their hearts and it was more than a statement that brought these guys along, but that isn't really Jesus point. His point was if you like fishing how about going fishing with Me we'll catch men? Do we communicate to people in a language that they can understand or do we communicate with people in the language we understand? Maybe this will help, do you know someone who talks all of the time and it appears that they just do it to hear themselves talk, do you listen? If so when you do I would suggest that it isn't long before you tune them out. I had a second uncle that was by far the most intelligent human I have ever met, he was off the charts on his IQ score and he knew something about everything, however he literally never stopped talking, I used to wonder how and when he breathed, he would move from one subject to another without a break and seemed to be more robotic than human. The little dirty trick was when a new friend was visiting we would introduce them to Wolford and walk away leaving them in the grasp of his well exercised vocal cords, sometimes for hours on end. However as I grew older I began to understand what a terrible waste his intense knowledge had become. If only he had learned to communicate, his knowledge would have benefited others greatly, his reputation would have been honored rather than joked about, he would have been sought after rather than avoided, and his contribution to this world would have lived on. However this was not the case, when he died much of his knowledge died with him. Will your life be wasted because of your pride, arrogance, low esteem and insecurity, or are you able to watch, and wait seeking the right method and words before speaking your piece?
Father help us to be people who draw others to us rather than people who others avoid, gives us ears to hear and eyes to see that we may affect the world around us for Your glory Lord. Amen.
"Knowledge is a fresh wind waiting to be blown often stopped by the untamed tongue"
Gene Burroughs Pastor

Day 22

Day 22

Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Let us first of all remember that to be blessed is “to have divine joy," so what Jesus is saying is that those who are meek will have divine joy. So, who are the meek? In this case, according to the Strong's Concordance, it is those who “wholly rely on God rather than their own strength to defend themselves against injustices.” It also describes meekness as accepting His dealings with us as good; therefore, trusting that He is in complete control of all circumstances.

Reading this has me wondering, how many times have I, in my own flesh and unrighteousness, unknowingly yet openly complained about the things going on in my life, when the very one orchestrating those events was the God I serve? What if, as the Word says, He was allowing me to experience trials to make me stronger and more dependent on Him? Therefore, in order to have divine joy is to trust that He is in control, that He will see I am vindicated, provided for, and given new land, as long as I seek to serve, love, and obey Him. The promise here is amazing! It is a promise of peace as well as a new land, a new earth, and a kingdom, yet God has no need to promise anything. He could have just as easily said trust me, be happy, or die, yet He chooses instead to bless and promise even more blessings. Through my time of caring for and the eventual passing of my wife, I had many questions of God, but one question never took root, “What about me?” The enemy tried with all his might to make it about poor me: he desired to hold many pity parties in my presence, yet that was never my desire. Why, you ask? Because it never has been or never should be about us as individuals, our needs, or wants–our lives should be about His will.

I know someone who is never happy. She is constantly complaining about the people who have or have attempted to take advantage of her. To hear her tell it, everyone is out to get her, and if she wasn't on her toes, they would. So, her claim to fame is her vindication; however, she is rarely ever happy. This person has no divine joy, only misery: she never has anything good to say, yet rarely ceases speaking, like an old smokestack, constantly polluting the environment around her. She is more often avoided than sought after, true friends are a rarity, and her health is forever failing. Her name is discontentment, and her goal is to spread her pain. Do you know her? Perhaps you have taken her in–she is no friend. Let me encourage you today to trust in the one who made you, to allow Him to be your guard, your defender, and your redeemer, and peace will be your friend.

Daily Prayer: Father, teach us to have divine joy in all situations, to be content when challenged, and to be confident that you are in control of our circumstances. May we never complain when discontentment comes to our door, but rather deny it the food it needs to survive.

"God doesn't need our help, but we can't please Him without it."

Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 21

Day 21

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

This short little passage has always puzzled me. I have often asked myself why Jesus would talk about mourning in the beatitudes. Is there more to it than the extreme pain we experience when we lose a loved one, or is that alone enough of a reason?

Twenty months ago, my wife of 31 years was diagnosed with terminal cancer; just 7 months later she went to be with the Lord. We mourned. But not everyone has experienced such pain, and Jesus is here for all, so maybe there are other forms of mourning. Maybe He's also speaking of the intense emotional pain we can’t help but feel when a loved one makes poor choices in life or the feelings of separation when a loved one has gone off to war or a foreign land to serve in missions. It could even be the pain of our children moving on, possibly out of the area and taking our grandchildren with them, the hurt in our hearts when we see the abuse of children, and so on. Yes, the loss of a loved one is painful, yet so is all of life–if we care–and daily we mourn for the loved ones around us and seek comfort in one form or another. Jesus is telling us in this passage that we will be comforted. What great hope we have, yet what is this comfort He speaks of, is it financial, emotional or physical, and is it miraculous or mundane? The word comforted here is best translated as, "to call to one's side, to summon." This is the promise for us in Christ, when we mourn He will come to our aid, He will stand by our side, and He will comfort us!

Can there be a greater peace than to know that the God who created the heavens and the earth and the great seas and stars is coming to our aid in time of need? After my wife’s death, I would often awake in the night crying out for comfort, for a touch, and on every occasion He was there. Often we struggle with such a concept, our worthiness, His ability, or questions like “Why trouble such a great God with my trivial pain?” Yet, He is asking today, ‘Why not?’ Jesus is telling us, if you mourn, you will be comforted–just like that. And even though we want to read much more into it and come up with a hundred what ifs, how about just accepting His promise for what it is–a promise? I would ask today, “Are you ready to admit your hurts and receive the comfort of the great King, or maybe you know someone else who is struggling with this promise today? If so, take action, after all, it is His promise.

Daily Prayer: Father God, may we accept your truths, walk in your promises, and receive gladly the gifts you have for each of us. Amen.

"God can carry the world–we can only live in it."

Gene Burroughs, Servant

Day 20

Matthew 5:1-3 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying; 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
In what appears to be his first what I would call a sit down sermon Jesus preaches some very exciting news; the first being that all men can be blessed, defined as having "divine joy", or "perfect happiness" by being poor in spirit. Being blessed was a largely a foreign concept to the people of the day. You see to them having divine joy or perfect happiness were things reserved only for the gods, the dead, or great leaders, common man was not worthy of such status. Needless to say this promise brought great joy, hope, and admiration for the one who was speaking these new truths. He then doubles their joy by saying that it is the "poor in spirit", or humble who will receive such blessings, and I dare say that the common man of this day was indeed by and large very humble. After all they were for the most part servants, people under great forced submission, people under Roman rule. However a more accurate translation of "poor in spirit" for us would look something like this; being honest enough with ourselves to admit our shortcomings, build upon our strengths, and seek to please God thus bringing glory to His name. You see it is not the same picture that the world paints, no the world would have us believe that humility is more like being the 90 pound weakling that everyone picks on and kicks sand in his face. However by God's standards humility is great strength. By knowing and admitting who we truly are, by understanding and avoiding our fleshly weaknesses we become strong. Why, because we no longer fail, but rather walk in victory. The result Jesus promises is, that we will be "blessed." Jesus is making a promise to us that if we will walk in Godly humility we will have divine joy, inner peace, and perfect happiness. I don't know about you but that's a wow for me! Think about it, we all know people who put on this act like they have their lives so together, they are never wrong (in their eyes), yet they continue to have the same behavior. They complain because nothing ever goes right for them, you hear things from them like, "I deserve better", or "what about me"? Is it of little wonder why their blessings seem to be cut off? They have built a dam of pride, how about you, are you willing to admit your imperfections and shortcomings? The payoff from God for true humility is far greater than the false praise of man received on this earth.
Daily prayer: Father God, teach us to walk in Godly humility, show us the power of such obedience, and Lord please accept our plea for forgiveness for those times we have failed. Amen.
"Great joy is behind the door and true humility holds the key"
Gene Burroughs Servant

Day 19

Day Nineteen
Matthew 4: 23 – 25 And Jesus went about all Galilee teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Great multitudes followed Him from Galilee and Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
You will notice that the purpose of Jesus ministry was to preach the gospel, a pattern that His disciples continued to follow after Christ's resurrection, why? I propose to you today the true power that many believers seek lies in the heart of the gospel, so what is the gospel? Strong's concordance describes the gospel as good tidings, good news, and glad tidings of the Kingdom to come; today we might describe the gospel as hope. After the resurrection of Jesus the gospel became a message of hope through Jesus, the messiah, the savior, the ultimate payment for our sins, our only hope. Jesus knew that what the people really needed was hope, hope for a future, hope for a life without pain, tribulation, sorrow, and fear, a life of joy. The power of the message of Christ was not in the divine healings or deliverances He performed upon the people. No that was rather the method or avenue He used to establish His ultimate earthly reign and power over satan, His display of power and compassion for His people. The true power was in the hope for without hope people give up, give in, and eventually fall in to despair. Hope for earthly healing brought the people to Christ yet the message He preached to those and the others who followed Him was the message of the gospel, the ultimate and eternal healing. I would imagine the entourage of Jesus looked something like this; there were the devoted believers who heard the message and believed, then the semi skeptics who believed only after seeing the power then hearing the truth. Next were those who witnessed the miracles and believed as long as they saw them. You know them, they can't wait to get to Church to see the next performance and within a short time are back to their old habits, never really changing just observing and getting their endorphin release at each service or event. And on the outer edge the proud the few, the walking dead, those who have become too intelligent to believe such unproven non-scientific rubbish. Their only intent and desire to convert others to their higher wisdom. All the while touting the impending failure and ultimate downfall of this prophet. You see things really haven't changed much have they? These same people are all around us today, and yet even the proud deep down are seeking the hope that lies in the gospel, and for us that gospel includes Jesus. The question for you today is twofold, what do you seek, and what do you speak, are you seeking the hope, the relationship with your father, or are you seeking the next event, or so called great move of God? Remember the greatest miracle performed was the death and resurrection of Christ, and even though He still allows miracles the truly next great move of God will be His return.
Daily Prayer: Father help us to seek and speak the hope of eternal life thru Christ Jesus for in that Lord we know there lies the greatest power of all. Amen.
"Hope will last an eternity, memory fades with time"
Gene Burroughs Servant

Day 17

Day Seventeen
Matthew 4:12-17Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying; “ the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness saw a great light, and those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned”. Jesus began to preach and say; "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Having now gone from His wilderness experience, overcoming the temptations of the enemy Jesus now begins the real purpose of His ministry; to bring salvation to all mankind! How easily we forget the basic premise of the purpose of Christ, we summarize, we evaluate, and we extenuate everything He said and did. Yet all too often in an effort to make human sense of Godly things we minimize the true purpose of Jesus dissention to earth and ultimate crucifixion. What was it Jesus began to preach, not I'm here look at me, or look out I'm coming to condemn, no He begins His message with an amazingly powerful yet all too forgotten word, repent; what does it mean this word repent? Repent can be defined best as: "To be sorry for", to "turn from", or my favorite "to change one's mind". The question would be, "have we as children of the King, witnesses on this earth changed our minds regarding sin?" Sometimes I think we take the whole idea of grace and mercy to a place far more liberal than it was intended to be. Yes we serve a God of grace and mercy, but that is not how Jesus began His ministry, nor is it the message of the old covenant, the Ten Commandments. Remember these words, "Thou shalt not" the Lord our God did not say "please don't" or "if you feel like it", no He said don't do it. Now don't get me wrong I'm not suggesting that we should live under the law that would be contrary to the message of Christ. However I am suggesting that in many cases we have become far too familiar with grace and mercy, while leaving repentance behind. Yet the message of Jesus is repent, change your mind, turn away from old habits and become a new creature in Christ not subject to the whims and desires of our mortal bodies, and when you fail He will forgive you. Recently the Lord gave me a picture of what the consequence of sin looks like maybe this will help someone; imagine that it is constantly raining all around you (rain representing temptations), yet you are covered by a rather large umbrella (which represents Christ). When you sin, or miss the mark the umbrella disappears until you repent, and upon repentance the umbrella once again shelters you from the rain. However your still wet, this is the consequence of sin. The question is how wet do you want to be, how long will you stay out of His covering? Let us also not forget excessive wetness always leads to rot , mold, mildew, and more, not very appealing is it.
Daily Prayer: Father may we people who turn away from sinful behavior, people who change our lifestyles to be more like you, thank you for your grace and mercy and may we honor your gift with repentant hearts. Amen.
"Changed minds are always stronger than broken backs"
Gene Burroughs Servant

Day 16

Day Sixteen

Matthew 4: 8-11 Again, the devil took Him upon and exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, "All these things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve." (Deut 6:13) 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
The devil is constantly attempting to distract the people of God, he knows if he can't steal their salvation he can at the very least steal their joy, or keep them busy, either putting out fires, striving for personal gain, and much more. Satan knows if he can get man desiring the things of this world that eventually he can get him to worship the things of this world. Maybe not in the sense of standing before it with arms raised, but rather in true worship meaning that the things of the world has stolen his heart. You see worship truly is seeking after, desiring, working toward, and appreciating the thing that has your heart, or has become foremost in your mind. Worship is a powerful thing, and in this passage the devil shows us just how powerful he sees it, by offering the greatest of all his influences for it. In John 12:31 Jesus refers to satan as "The ruler of this world", so we know that satan is such. If he is the ruler of this world then what of this world do we desire to have, and more importantly why? I am not so naive as to suggest that there is nothing in this world worth having, I for one rather enjoy my wife, children, the out of doors and more, however there is nothing on this earth worthy of my worship! There is nothing here that should interfere with my worship of God, my fellowship with Him, and my time with Him. Likewise nothing should of this world interfere with my day set aside to rest in Him, and gathering with the saints in a house of worship. For many it is far past the time of checking our hearts, asking ourselves the tough questions, like; "why am I doing the things which I do?" and then responding properly and accordingly. Sometimes we just need to take inventory, see where were at, and make adjustments, and sometimes we need to take the sword to the idols in our lives and destroy them! So how about you, have you unknowingly become a worshipper of the things of this world?
Daily Prayer: Father reveal to us those things which we have inadvertently turned into idols in our lives, help us Lord to turn from the desires and temptations of this world and turn back to you, our first love, our God, our Redeemer, and our Savior, may we worship you and you alone oh God! Amen.
"Better to have love and be poor than be rich and have none"
Gene Burroughs Servant

Day 15

Day Fifteen

Matthew 4: 5-7 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, "if you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written; He shall give His angels charge over you, (Psalm 91:11), and, in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone (Psalm 91:12)." 7 Jesus said to him, "It is written again, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God," (Deut. 6:16).
Once again the devil puts his twist on things to make it look like God is saying its ok to do what is in reality a foolish thing. In Psalm 91 the writer is saying that those who dwell in the presence of God, those who follow Him He will protect. But what He is not saying is that the Lord will protect those who jump in sin and then ask to be protected from the consequences. I am curious just how often the enemy has taken scripture out of context and gotten us to be side railed waiting for God to bail us out of a place He never intended for us to be in. As scary a thought as it is, and though I know in my own life it has happened on far too many occasions, thanks be to the Lord that He doesn't walk away and leave us. We must learn to be wary, to wait and be patient, to seek the Lord diligently and to test the things we hear and feel long before jumping into the fire. Here of course satan was just playing his foolish game hoping to catch Jesus unaware and vulnerable in His flesh. Do you think if he would be brazen enough to attempt this with the Son of God that he would likewise attempt it with you? Let us also look at how Jesus battled the enemy; first of all He used the Word, but not just any passage, He used one that was most appropriate. Deuteronomy 6 is a chapter intended to instruct the Israelites to warn them of dangers and temptations and remind them of their God when they cross over to possess the promised land. Jesus was about to fulfill the promise made long ago of the Messiah; He was about to establish His rule over the entire Earth, Heaven, and Hell. The tempting of the Lord in verse sixteen is in direct correlation and speaks of a warning not to follow the gods of the land, but rather that we serve a jealous God whom we should not tempt. Yes it does us all well to know our scriptures, because as you can see when used out of text they can be dangerous to us, as well as those we influence. However when used properly and in text, the scriptures can and will be a powerful tool for all; are you spending time in them so that you might know them?
Daily Prayer: Father help us to see the distractions of the enemy afar off, may we recognize his schemes and plans for what they are and not be caught unaware, that we might be able to prepare ourselves with the weapons of our warfare. Amen
"Confusion is a pit with no bottom unworthy to be even peered upon"
Gene Burroughs Servant

Day 14

Day Fourteen
Matthew 4:1-4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him he said "if you are the Son of God command these stones to become bread." But He answered and said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."
Points for each of us to consider in this passage; first and foremost it is obvious that the devil is alive and well. I have heard it often said that the greatest deception of the devil was convincing people he never existed, after all if he doesn't exist then there is no evil. If there is no evil then there is no wrong, and if no wrong no judgment, and if no judgment then there is no need for a savior. However he does exist! The second point being that God does allow us to be tempted, (but he does not tempt), why you ask, so we can be made strong. If we have strengths and fail to exercise them like muscles they become atrophied, weak, and hindrances rather than strengths. Lets face it we all need some spiritual exercise now and then. We should also note that the devil came at the weakest point of Jesus flesh; satan is patient and wary he knows when we are at our weakest or when our flesh is ready to take over and then he moves in. And the final and of course greatest point being how Jesus handled this temptation; He gave us important information on how to battle satan when our flesh is weak, lets look at His response again, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Jesus did not argue with satan He simply stated the facts; the first being there is more that sustains a man than flesh, it is the spirit that will live on long after the flesh has returned to dust. And secondly that man will live by the word or in this case the Rhema. Best defined as "That which is said or spoken, an utterance." Rhema is the very utterance of God given to us to sustain our Spirits, and the very tool that God has given us to fight our enemy. Jesus is telling us that we must listen for the utterances of God in order to sustain ourselves and to fight our enemy. As we each commit to this daily journey of prayer and devotions I am convinced beyond all measure that we will be forced to listen to the utterances and not disappointed when we act and feed upon them. Are you ready to change your life, take control of your circumstances, and allow God to feed your spirit as you learn to deny your flesh? Did you know that when you read the scripture in this devotional that you are feeding your Spirit? Please eat more than this, this meal may or may not sustain you, but the Word always will. For more great reading today try John 1, it will lift you up.
Daily Prayer: Father help me to remain strong and committed to reading your Word, to waiting upon you in the quiet place that I might hear Your voice and feed my Spirit with You and your Word. Amen.
"With Him all things are possible, without Him failure is immanent"
Gene Burroughs Servant

Day 13

Day 13
Matthew 3:13-17 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented Him saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so for now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately He went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to Him; and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest upon Him; and behold a voice form heaven said, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased”.
The baptism of Jesus is an often overlooked and rarely taught on passage in many Churches today, possibly it is a little too matter of fact to be provocative or exciting from the pulpit. However this passage bears some points very worthy of repeating, for one the simple fact that Jesus was baptized. In the timeline of life Jesus He was about thirty years old at this time and I am confident (as we all should be) that Jesus was in fellowship with God, (or saved), prior to his baptism. However Jesus did state that John could not fulfill “His righteousness” until the baptism of water. He was also baptized prior to beginning His rather visible ministry. Upon Jesus baptism the Lord God publicly stated that this was His Son, and that He was well pleased in Him, in other words Jesus had the approval of God! How does this pertain to us you ask? I believe that every point is made here for us to realize the need to be baptized in water thus identifying ourselves with our savior. I would strongly suggest all men be baptized prior to serving God in any fashion, or better yet immediately (at first opportunity) after salvation. The significance of water baptism is important if for no other reason than the fact that God required it of His Son Jesus Christ. Isn’t that alone good enough reason for us to do likewise? I for one also believe that many of those who struggle with not sensing or realizing the infilling of the Holy Spirit are doing so because they have never made the commitment to be water baptized or identified publicly with the person of Jesus Christ. And let us also not forget the message it is sending throughout the heavens, surely there is great power in the proclamation before men, demons, angels, when we openly and publicly proclaim our commitment to our God!

Daily Prayer: Father for those who have yet to be baptized with water I pray that You will lead them by Your Spirit according to your will. And for those of us who have, may we never forget what we have publicly declared before men, angels, and demons, in Jesus name Amen.

“Baptism is more than a short swim that leads to an eternal bathing”
Gene Burroughs Servant

Day 12

Day 12
Matthew 3:10-12 and even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in to the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out the threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn: but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
While the warnings of John the Baptist may have gone largely unnoticed by the religious leaders they surely would have no excuse for not understanding the meanings. John used word pictures and terminology that these men could truly understand. You see a tree that bore no fruit was of no use to a farmer. It’s only worth to be cut down and provide temporary warmth as it was being destroyed by fire. The true purpose of any fruit bearing tree or vine is to consistently provide palatable and useable fruit for a long period of time not on a temporary or inconsistent basis. You see a fruit tree requires far too much care to be constantly replaced. Especially since so much effort and time must pass before the first viable fruit is ever realized, (up to seven years). Hence the reason that non-bearing trees were cut up and burned in the fire. The chaff is the worthless by-product of growth that is formed around each kernel of wheat; it is in essence the waste of the plant. Again since it has no value it proves to be a distraction and hindrance to the harvesting process hence the need and desire to burn it.
John is in a sense saying that Jesus is coming and with Him he will bring the decisiveness of an ax and the sifting of a pitchfork, not exactly a calm or soothing picture is it? Jesus came to cause decision, He came to sift the wheat from the chaff and to burn and destroy things that prevented a healthy and prosperous harvest of His people. John gave a harsh warning because a harsh warning was needed.
How about today would you agree that our world needs a harsh warning or would our world be all better served by ignoring the facts? You see the only differences between the times of John and now truly are time, the message never changes. Today we desire not to offend, or to be politically correct, and for what purpose? Yes feel good messages will fill more pews, but will those pews remained full upon Christ’s second coming? Not a comforting thought is it? The truth in love will always be the proper path. Remember this was the message of the New Testament not the old. John was ushering in the Messiah, hence one of truth, grace and mercy, one to be paid appropriate attention to, our only hope.
Daily Prayer: Father may we be bold enough to speak truth in love and not neglect the speaking for fear, for You oh God are as worthy now as You were then, if not more, in Jesus name I pray, Amen.
“Waste is waste and it will always produce more waste but never fruit”

Gene Burroughs Servant

Day 11

Day 11
Matthew 3:1-9 Now in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah saying; “the voice of one crying in the wilderness; ‘ prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’” But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them,” Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.” Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him, and were baptized by him in the Jordan confessing their sins.
John the Baptist did far more than just appear to be controversial, he was! The very thought that someone would suggest to the Jewish leaders that repentance was required to enter the kingdom was very contradictory to their beliefs and understanding of the Old Testament. You see the Pharisees believed that they were guaranteed a place in heaven as the result of their genealogy; they were the children of Abraham. They believed that heaven was their birthright, yes they must endeavor to keep the law. However to publicly repent for sin and then to be baptized into this belief was no doubt by some considered a form of heresy. Yet, to the common man this made absolute sense, to him the need for repentance was much more obvious. You see when people think they have a right to something they tend to become somewhat arrogant about it; they misuse it, and often take the value of that item for granted. However the opposite is true for those who must earn things of value, they tend to be much more humble, appreciative, and nurturing. They are more than happy to receive a message that fosters hope. Now combine the fact that the religious leaders are making them feel unworthy, and John’s preaching of new hope and you have the catalyst for creation of a new movement. Truly John was paving the way for Jesus by spreading a message of hope for the common man, and repentance for the leaders, on one side extremely popular, on the other extremely unpopular! Truly today the circumstances have changed very little, people who have gotten comfortable and complacent in their relationship with God have no desire to change or repent, and after all they have what they desire. And yes as in days of old those who have yet to receive this promise hunger for it and are willing to make the effort to receive it! Just where do you fit in this equation, are you comfortable and complacent, or hungry to the point of desperation, prayerfully you are in the latter group for the first may hear these words “I never knew you, depart from Me” (Matt 7:23).

Daily Prayer: Father may we never become so comfortable in our sin and transgression that we no longer recognize it as a barrier between You and us, in Jesus name I pray. Amen.
“Hope is most alive when we understand the need to have that hope in Christ”
Gene Burroughs Servant

Day Ten

Day 10

Matthew 2:19-23 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, ”Arise take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
Our God is one of amazing detail, He leaves nothing to chance, and even though at first reading one might wonder if God had made a mistake when He told Joseph to go to “the Land of Israel” further investigation again reveals the sovereignty of our God. Jesus was never meant to be anything less than one of lowly reputation. The Lord never allowed nor wanted Jesus to appear in any way to come from royalty or a place of elevated status. His life begins with His birth in a manger, and now as a child He will live in a town where the inhabitants are despised, looked upon as compromisers who cater to the Romans. Remember Nathanael’s reaction in John 1:46 when speaking of Nazareth he said these words,” Can anything good come from there?” The Lord knew what He was doing, He had a plan, and thankfully Joseph was a faithful and obedient man who waited to hear from the Lord, and then obeyed. Faithfulness is truly not something we hear enough about today, somehow the idea of being faithful has been transformed into a sign of weakness rather than one of strength. When you hear someone describe another as self made or successful there seems to be a connotation of joy and pride that accompanies the statement. However when you hear of one being described as faithful it can often come across more like an excuse, more apathetic, you know something like “ well he hasn’t accomplished much but he sure is faithful”. Yes while you often hear people being praised for being self made or successful you rarely hear praise being lavished upon those who are faithful to hear and obey God. However as it is with most things in this life the world truly does have this one backwards, the greater strength and honor truly does belong to the faithful. You see talented and confident people can succeed in almost any situation they see opportunity and they seize it, their confidence and pride will not allow them to fail they continue on until success (in their eyes) is achieved. Faithful people end up in towns like Nazareth, or Sodom and Gomorrah, they tend to be unpopular or at the least hang out with those who are and not many will stand beside them. They are misunderstood and sometimes to a certain degree they are even feared because few can relate to them. While many are more than willing to offer advice to them that advice is rarely acceptable, after all it comes from a heart of those seeking or admiring success. Truly faithful people of God are hard to find, an oddity worth seeking out, people worthy of admiration, if you are one may you be blessed, and if you know one bless them, you may find their faithfulness somewhat addicting, after all they do tend to be rather close to our creator.

Daily Prayer: Father may we all be found to be faithful to You oh Lord, teach us Father to hear Your voice and obey, especially when it leads us away from the ways of the world, in Jesus name I pray, Amen.
“Faithfulness leads to a lonely road, yet those who are will be there with you, and He”
Gene Burroughs Servant

Day Nine

Day Nine

Matthew 2:16-18 Then Herod when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, for two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachael weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

Someone who does not have a clear perspective or understanding of God could easily read this passage and get mad at God for allowing the killing of these children. After all would a God of love allow someone to kill so many in order to protect His own Son; to the world this makes absolutely no sense. Truthfully to most believers it makes no sense either, no more than any others who have had loved ones murdered or suffered a wrongful death. However in order to completely understand these things we must adopt a heavenly perspective, we must not look at tomorrow as a goal to achieve we must be thinking more eternally. We must purpose to live each day, each moment as just another day in eternity, after all none of us will die, we will simply change locations. You see once we accept Christ and are born again or if we are under the age of accountability our lives are eternally with Him. Therefore if one passes from this life our hope and belief is in the fact that we will see them again and in the grand scheme of time we will see them very soon. If we live for an eternity and the average lifespan is 76 or so years where do those years fit in the line of time, are they a dot, a speck, or even a microbe in time? The enemy loves to distort our thoughts and cause us to be angry with God by placing so much emphasis upon our earthly time, after all that was his intent with Adam and Eve. You see the only way Satan can turn people from the Lord is to get or keep them in an earthly mindset in regards to time and eternity. When my wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer and went to be with the Lord, my biggest fear became this; that my children would be mad at God. I am very happy to say that since their mother’s passing this has not been the case except on short occasions, (something we should all expect). However maintaining an eternal mindset has helped keep them focused on the big picture, the reality of the frailty of life on earth. Praise God that they understand His sovereignty and are willing to accept the path He has chosen for them and their loved ones. Others may would say, “If this is all there is why not live it up, after all you only have one life”. While I believe that we have three phases to our lives, our pre-Christ days, our earthly days in Christ, and our resurrected life, all different, yet all connected and all eternal. I don't want to sound calloused and hard toward those who hurt at the separation of a loved one for I too have suffered that pain the recent occasion of the passing of my wife of thirty-one years. The question however remains the same “Is He your Sovereign God do you trust that He is in control and knows what is best in all things?” I pray that you do, or soon will be able to.

Daily Prayer: Father I pray for those who have blamed You for the loss of loved ones, may we all learn to be daily grateful for the escape You have provided for all who choose to believe.

"Satan lays the traps; God provides the escape, which do you blame?"

Gene Burroughs Servant

Day 8

Day Eight
Matthew 2:13-15 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child and destroy Him.” And he rose and took the child and His mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord has spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I will call my Son.”

Can you imagine that your sitting in your home nestled in your chair reading a good book when all of a sudden there is a bright light and this glowing dude in white is standing in your living room! Then as if that were not enough he tells you to pack up your family and head off to a foreign land until the king dies because it's no longer safe for you and your family in your home? This family has had a rather rough start, they travel a long distance to meet the census requirement, then the baby comes and there's no where but a stable for Him to be born in, then just about the time they get settled this guys shows up and tells them to run for their life! If this all happens to the King of Kings in just His first two or so years of life what are we complaining about? Anyone who has ever said being a Christian was easy either had not been one for long, or was living in total denial, this life is hard and that is the truth! It was hard for Jesus and it will be hard for us and the sooner we get a grip on that and stop complaining the sooner we can get on with winning of some of these battles. The fact is the day we became a believer our lives were turned upside down, at confession we opened a floodgate of turmoil that directly causes conflict with every being of our soul. To proclaim the truth means to expose the untruth or lies and they do not desire to be exposed, the spiritual battle begins at that point and increases with every truth we proclaim, as it should. Is it easy, of course not, is it right, absolutely, is it worth it, yes eternally so, all these things being said how are we to survive? Let's go back to the passage at hand; the angel directed them first of all when and where to go, then he told them at what point to return, "At the death of the king". You will notice he didn't say how long that would be, nor did God kill the king, for whatever reason God wanted them to be in Egypt until He wanted them out of Egypt, (very similar by the way to the Jews in earlier history). The point truly is this, things are tough all over and when God is ready He will deliver us to safety, peace, and security, until then we obey and wait, for by doing so we remain under His covering and surrounded by His blessings, whatever they may look like.

Daily Prayer: Father as You know we are an impatient people, waiting is not our greatest of virtues, nor more than being satisfied with where we are is, therefore please be patient with us, speak clearly to us, and be gracious as we fail, in Jesus name I pray, Amen!

"The war rages on whether we choose to believe it or not"
Gene Burroughs Servant

Day 7

Day Seven

Matthew 2:7-12 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young child, and when you have found Him, bring word back to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star, which they had seen in the East, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come in to the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him; gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
In this section of scripture we see a very well defined picture of God's ability and desire to have His will and His will alone be done for His people. I strongly believe that while this portion of the word is referring to the protection of Jesus, our God will and has done the same for each and every one of us, His children as well. Here you have the enemy (in the form of Herod) plotting to stop the will of God by killing his rival the rightful heir to the throne. The enemy has formed a plan to locate this threat in the form of a child, he even uses the unsuspecting and innocent through manipulation to assist him by lying and deceiving them. Then he waits and watches while his best-laid plans are carried out all the while thinking he has been successful. However on the other side we have the Lord of hosts who has his own plan, and is well aware of His enemy's trickery and lies, hence He uses it for His good. God in His infinite wisdom leads the wise men to Jesus, has them bless His family with great gifts and earthly provision, and makes them aware of the trickery of Herod. You see first of all the scriptures must be fulfilled speaking of this event so God saw that they were, all the while not forgetting about the earthly and physical needs of this family. The Lord knew that soon this family would need to leave their land, He knew that in a foreign land Joseph as a stranger could have trouble providing for his family, trips are and even then were expensive this was not a wealthy family, there were deposits and rents to be paid, food to be purchased, and so on, again all things the Lord cared about. Hence He brought forth wise men bearing valuable gifts ones that could be used if needed to more than provide for this family while in exile. All of these things this family was not yet aware of, all they knew was that some Wise men dropped by and gave them gifts hoping to see and welcome the Messiah. The point here for us is the need to realize that God is in control, that He by His will does not allow the scheming of the enemy to affect in any way His plans for His people. And if you're worried about trusting Him or believing that He has great things in store for you, just look at His word. There is never a case (even Job) where the end result for those who were faithfully following Him was not in the very best of their interest. God always has been and always will be faithful even when it seems like the enemy has robbed us of every blessing we must remember this very fact, He our Lord will have the last word and His will, will be done in all our lives!
Daily Prayer: Father I pray that we would have the faith to believe, the strength to stand, and the ears to hear when faced with life's trials, in Jesus name I pray, amen.
"God's will is to help us not harm us, and all things work toward His will"
Gene Burroughs Servant

Day Six

Day Six

Matthew 2:3-6 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: “But you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah, For out of you shall come a ruler, Who will shepherd My people Israel.”
Herod's troubling would best be described here as one who is undone, or terrified, losing sleep from anxiety, Herod was a man filled with fear, why so you ask? Herod was a King who had been appointed by the Romans, in addition he was not of the line of David, and therefore he knew that he was sitting on a throne that was not rightfully his. Yet the power and the perks of being king were of far more value to Herod than human life, hence his command to kill the children. The allure of power and perks is a pit that one dare I say far too many men and women have fallen into over all of time and the results to our society and others around the world have been unbelievably devastating. Let's take a look at a few beginning with the first; the Bible tells us "that satan was the most beautiful of angels" yet his desire for power caused the first great fall, which has consequently led to all others. Next we have the fall of Adam and Eve and their desire to have the knowledge of good and evil or power, led them to disobey and fall, and we could go on and on we know the history. Yet we tend to overlook the modern day victims of the pit of power as I call it, our children, our marriages, our joy, our futures, and our eternal lives, the lust for power has ruined far too many. When I was in the corporate world, a man of great power I learned to despise it, you see I saw what it made me do, how it made me think. I recognize the influence of the power and I despised it with all that is within me. I made far too many decisions based upon the power rather than upon the Word or will of God. For me the best thing to do was walk away, hence I did. Some can handle the power many have been lulled into believing they can or are while in reality they have no control at all. Let me ask you a question if I may "are your decisions based upon the outcome you desire for your business or your ministry and what is best for the people God has placed to serve with you. Or are your decisions and actions driven by profit, pride, or numbers? (By the way the statement being a good steward is over used and over rated). If your honest answer is the second statement I dare say you have missed the mark and let me encourage you to get things back in order. God's order is always His people first including you please don't let it get overturned after all isn't doing His will His way a better path than the pit that waits for the unwary on the road to power?
Daily Prayer: Father I pray for all of us to keep watch and pray, that we might avoid the pit of power, that we might always remember that You are about Your people as we should be, In Jesus name I ask these things, Amen.
"The pit of power lies at the dead end of a bumpy road"
Gene Burroughs Servant

Day 5

Day Five


Matthew 2:1-2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
This passage has been made famous by the nativity scenes, plays, and stories that have been told all over the world in regards to Christ's birth traditionally celebrated as Christmas. Now would be a good time for me to make it clear that it is not my desire to crush anyone's perception or understanding of the birth of Christ, however I may unfortunately be the first to tell you that our traditions have truly inaccurately depicted these events. The truth is that the wise men or Majai, which means in loose terms astrologers arrived when Jesus was a bout two years old, and He had long since moved out of the manger. It is also more likely than not that what the Majai had seen was not a star that continued to remain in the sky but rather a comet, or some other terrestrial event that was a sign which they had long since been waiting for, possibly even generations. You see for generations before the birth of the Messiah had been foretold, we see prophecy upon prophecy (Zech 9:9 for example) that foretell these events. Wouldn't it make since that if the Lord were providing signs through men that He would also have foretold this to the Majai, after all where would God have His chalkboard? The Majai came because of what had been foretold, they came to worship the King, and can you imagine how surprised they were when they realized that no one else had recognized the fulfillment of prophecy? I would imagine that they expected to see great fanfare and celebration, after all the deliverer had come, people should be rejoicing and excited about their future, but know they were not, they were rather continuing on as if noting had changed. How could they be excited about a King born in a manger, running around in diapers living in a common home with common parents? But you see they didn't know the truth, they had not heard the prophecies or read the scrolls, they only knew what they were told and far too many had no desire to seek out the truth. Much like the story we have all been told and the pictures seared in our mind from what we have seen and believed in regards to the wise men we simply accept things for what they appear to be. After all why would anyone lie? Now mind you I am not wanting to make a big deal about the story of the wise men, however I do challenge each and every reader of this passage and these writings, are you looking at the signs, are you seeing the fulfillment of prophecy, are you preparing the way for your King in your heart and in your mind, or will you like many of the people of Jesus time be caught not knowing, not recognizing, not participating in the joyous celebration of His return?
Daily Prayer: Father I pray that we would not miss the signs of the fulfillment of prophecy, may we be found ready and waiting at the return of our Savior Jesus Christ your Son it is in His name we pray these things, Amen.
"He will return soon for He said He would do you see the signs?"
Gene Burroughs Servant

Day Five

Day Four

Matthew 1:24-25 Then Joseph being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took him to his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.

Oh how may times have I been told by the Lord to do some particular thing in a particular way and not been 100% obedient? Far too many I have no doubt. I tell many stories of miraculous events that have happened in my life simply because I obeyed a command that often made little sense. You see when we in our humanness do something that makes absolutely no sense, but sensible things happen as a result we are greatly moved. One time the Lord told me to cross a street and walk up a particular sidewalk, no knowing why or questioning I did as He commanded. As I approached the sidewalk a man began yelling at me and hit me full force with his fist, I felt nothing! As I stood there in utter shock the man cried out “what are you some sort of preacher!” I answered still in shock and might I add no pain, “why yes sir I am”. The man immediately went to his knees and professed Jesus as Lord as he confessed to every imaginable sin. Now I ask you, did it make sense for me to cross the street, be struck, and feel absolutely nothing? Of course not, and while my macho side would like to say it was because of my superior strength and stamina. However the reality is God did a miraculous work, I was simply the puppet. The question remains however, “how many times have we missed out on such miraculous events either out of disobedience, fear, guilt, shame, or some other completely unjustifiable excuse? I believe that Joseph’s obedience was key to why God chose him; He knew that Joseph would obey even when it didn’t make since. I would like to ask you today to believe that Jesus can use you, if you have been saved one hour or a hundred years, He can and will use you for His glory. He is looking for willing servants, those who care not what man thinks, those who are foolish enough to do things others say should not or could not be done. Why you ask? Because if man can accomplish something, then man is able to explain it away, but when God moves you never know what is going to happen and isn’t that miraculous?

Daily Prayer: Lord may we always be more willing to obey and answer than we are to hide and wonder, may we no longer make excuses but rather make memories of the miraculous things you have done, in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

“When what God asks begins to make human sense God can become might small”

Gene Burroughs Servant

WHo is this Jesus day 3

Day Three

Matthew 1: 22- 23
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
In Isaiah 7:14 the people are told that God will give them a sign in order that they may know that the one born would be the "Son of God" this child would be born of a virgin and "His name shall be Immanuel". Now here's the thing, there are no documented or recorded occurrences other than that of Mary where a virgin has given birth to a child named Immanuel. This very fact alone should be enough to cause some to wonder," could it be that this Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah"? Yet most did not wonder, nor did they care, they went about their daily duties completely missing out on the greatest blessing ever presented to mankind. Every day each and every one of us are faced with incredible and often unseen opportunities to experience the blessings, and glory of our God, yet more often than not we are to busy or too preoccupied to even know it. We go about our daily routine caught in the rut of existence never looking up to see what is going on around us. In recent days there have been a number of people I am fellowshipping with who have purposed to seek the Lord ever more diligently in their daily existence. Rather than doing things the way they always have they are instead asking the Lord what He would have them do, and wow is it having an impact. One brother wanted a Magnolia tree for his yard, yet rather than just making the purchase he asked the Lord what He would have him do, that night the neighbor gave him a Magnolia tree with no prompting or knowledge of the desire. Another sister at the prompting and with the assistance of her younger siblings took a Bible and the leftovers usually left in the fridge to die a slow death and went in search of someone who had need. That evening her and they were able to bless a woman who had been asking the Lord for a Bible. All they did was stop as they drove by because they felt prompted to do so by the Lord. Later they were able to bless a street couple with a home cooked meal, and yes you guessed it that was exactly what they were in need of. Another brother washed a young mans windshield simply because the Lord led him to and in the process he shared the love of God by his actions as well as by his later words of encouragement. You see sometimes we just need to ask the Lord what He would have us do rather than assuming that we need do things the way we always have, you never know He may just have something He wants to say, like there's a messiah coming, anyone care?

Daily Prayer: Father may we always be ready to here Your voice, may we wait upon You and obey your promptings in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

"Old and mundane or fresh and new either one will get us there but only has clean ears"

Gene Burroughs Servant

Day Two

Day Two

Matthew 1:18-21
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph son of David do not be afraid take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived within her is from the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people form their sins."
Joseph and Mary at the time being spoken of are in the one year betrothal period prior to living together and consummating their marriage, Mary is living at home with her parents and Joseph more than likely is preparing their future home. Upon hearing of Mary's pregnancy the natural and lawful course of action would be for Joseph to publicly announce Mary's unfaithfulness, which would more than likely lead to her death by stoning according to Mosaic Law. Yet on his own, prior to the angelic visitation Joseph displays his true character by purposing to keep Mary's condition silent, an action that displays Joseph's deep love and affection for Mary. It is possible that Joseph was considering a quiet divorce from Mary; however this was of course not to be so as an angel appeared to explain the need for this union to take place. Ever since the writing of this story there have been countless efforts to extol the virtues and qualities of Mary, she was obviously a very special woman to be chosen by God to bear His child, but what about Joseph? Here is a man who by all worldly accounts has been shamed by his bride. Mary by worldly accounts has been unfaithful or at the very least surrendered herself to Joseph, both of which are culturally shameful acts on her part, yet he remains by her side. The fact is that Joseph by his actions has shown himself to be a Godly, faithful, and compassionate man one determined by God to be worthy of rearing and providing for His Son. Little is said of Joseph in the Bible and over the years many have speculated about the character of this man, however by his actions he has shown himself to be a man of God a man willing to be publicly humiliated for the sake of mankind. I would suggest that Joseph is a man many of us would do well to emulate and I look forward to the day when I can shake his hand, or whatever it is we will do in heaven. To be a person of few words, faithful, humble, and unassuming is an admirable goal for each and every one of us, I don't know about you but as for me I could stand to be a little more like this man.

Daily Prayer: Father I do ask that You would help me to be short on words, long on thought, and capable of trusting You in all things, and I ask for these attributes in Jesus name, Amen.

"It is better to be unknown than to be known for unfruitful works"

Gene Burroughs Servant

Food for Thought

Today we began our one year walk through the book of Matthew, a challenge for each of us to become disciplined in reading the word, praying, and spending just a few moments with our God; feeding our Spirit! The reality is whether people read this devotional or whether they are disciplined enough to feed themselves in other ways, the key is daily feeding. It seems rather ironic to me that as my fleshly body becomes hungry I feel the pangs in my stomach, if I wait long enough soon there will be growling followed by discomfort. My desire to eat and feed my flesh cannot be ignored, I have no other option, if I don't eat I will eventually die. There any number of reasons people consume food, we eat to satisfy our emotions, to occupy our mind, to help us get through boredom, we eat socially, sometimes we eat just because its there, not even needing it for sustenance. Feeding our flesh is a habit that all too many of us have become overly familiar with.
Lately I have been studying the definition of evil, it's cause, and effects, something we would all do well to understand a little more. However in a nutshell evil is best defined as, "the absence of God". If our Spirit is the abiding place of the Holy Spirit then evil cannot be present in us, or can it? If spirit is not fed it like our bodies will soon shrivel up and become atrophied. As I ponder this I think about John 1 where we are told that Jesus is "the Word of God." He (the Word of God) is the literal food upon which our spirits must feed in order to be sustained. Truly we do have more control over evil than we have realized, you see we determine the degree to which our spirit is aligned with God's Holy Spirit. We are free-willed beings, that He has made as such, and it is that will which keeps us from, or draws us to Him. What would happen if believers suddenly stopped waiting for their weekly gorging and began to eat healthy, small bites more often, accompanied by a good old fashioned Sunday meal, like the one at Grandmas house? What if we ate of the Spirit when we were bored, needing emotional satisfaction, or for the same reasons that we feed our flesh? Hmmmm now there is some food for thought.
Gene Burroughs Servant

Day One 8/5/11 "WHo is this Jesus"

Day One

Matthew 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham. Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. Judah begot Perez, and Zarah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nashon, and Nashon begot Salmon. Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon begot Reheboam, Reheboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah. Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon. And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, Matthan begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
Reading this passage I am struck with the significance of why the Lord has led me to write a devotional about Jesus from the book of Matthew as opposed to one of the other gospels. The primary purpose of this devotional is for each and every reader to come to a greater understanding of his or her savior, Jesus Christ. Matthew makes it clear in His first sentence that this book is truly about one person, Jesus Christ. Jesus the Son of God is truly the best example that any believer could ever follow, He was God yet man, tempted as we are, flesh as we are, and yet victorious as we can be because of and through Him. When we look at the genealogy of Jesus we may wonder why it really matters who He was descended from, yet to the fulfillment of prophesy and viability of which He is it means everything. If Jesus had not descended from the line of David and back to Abraham it would be impossible for anyone to believe and verify that He was the Messiah. All through the Old Testament there are prophetic utterances which state that the Messiah must come from the line of David (Is 9:1-7 11-15, 2 Samuel 7:12-13 are just two examples) and David from the line of Abraham, both fulfillment's of promises made by God to each of these men. Had Jesus not been traced back through this genealogical line it would have been reason enough not to believe He was who He said He was, after all God cannot lie. Yet since this is true we begin therefore with the factual and provable understanding that Jesus meets the genealogical qualifications to be the Son of God, the Messiah. Growing up I was often mistaken for a person of Hispanic descent, I had the dark skin, the short build, and I could even fake a pretty good accent, however no matter what people thought or how I pretended to be of one race the truth is that because of my heritage I am more American Indian than any other race, and in fact I have no known Hispanic heritage. Therefore I can never be Hispanic, Asian, English, Inuit, or anything other than what I am no matter how hard I may try. Jesus was of the house of David that fact is now history and no one can change it no matter how hard they may try!

Daily Prayer: Father I pray that each one of us would be able to accept our heritage and be proud of who we are, after all You did choose our race, and You cannot make mistakes, in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

"To be joyful in who we are is to be grateful to God for who He made us to be"

Gene Burroughs Servant