Day 151 "Children are always watching and listening, may we be examples worthy of their following."

Day 151 Matthew 18:6-7 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” This passage came up at a very appropriate time for me, as my first wife and I had just spent four days as the teachers at a camp designed for children fourth through sixth grade. We started this particular camp about 18 years ago because we saw so many of the young people of this age group dealing with big-people issues and felt the call to use a camp setting to allow the kids to get away, have some fun, and be equipped by the Word to help them deal with day-to-day issues. Since we had been gone for the past four years, it was refreshing, as well as a blessing, to be asked to return; it was also a stark reminder of where we, as a world, are headed. The children of our world are dealing with issues that they are simply too young, immature, and ill-equipped to deal with–issues caused by sin and disobedience. Jesus is warning us not to cause these little ones to sin, not to cause our children to question the love or existence of God or to turn their back on Him because of the things they are exposed to or situations they are placed in. For example, these are some of the questions we hear on a constant and growing basis: "If my parents don't love me enough to stay together, how can God love me?", "If God is my Father and He loves me like my father, I don't want anything to do with Him.", "Why does God let my mom or dad use drugs?", "Why does God let bad things happen?" and finally, "Everyone tells me how ugly or stupid I am, so why did God make me this way if He loves me?" These are just a few of the types of questions children are asking all over the world today, and my question is, Why? Why is it that when people get caught up in sin, they have to drag the children in with them. Why can't we at least give a child a childhood? Of course I know the answer, and it generates even more anger and, yes, even hatred for sin and the father of sin, satan. However, satan is not an excuse for people to hide behind, as many have made him. He is nothing more than a fallen angel who has been allowed for a time the opportunity to refine mankind, simply because mankind has asked for him in defiance of God. This passage should, quite frankly, scare the sin right out of any adult who is in any way causing harm to children, even in what some would say is in a small way, for if we cause a child to sin, we have caused grave consequences for ourselves. I have described some rather harsh sins; however, let me bring it to a level we can all relate to. Colossians 3:21: "Fathers do not provoke your children to anger, lest they be discouraged." Is anger a sin? It can be. Have you provoked your child to the point of anger, to the point of sinful rage? Just a reminder from the Word we can all use. Daily Prayer: Father, I ask forgiveness for any time I have ever caused anyone to sin, especially a child, and I ask you, Lord, to give me the wisdom and understanding to avoid ever doing so again. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Children are always watching and listening, may we be examples worthy of their following." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 150 "Some people think they are smarter than God; however, they are too ignorant to know it."

Day 150 Matthew 18:1-5 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.” While it appears in this message that Jesus is sharing is about small children, I would tend to think it actually has more to do with us being like little children. Our tendency as adults is to continue as we age to complicate our world, our beliefs, and, consequently, our actions. No longer do we simplistically approach the world around us as we did when we were children, but rather we often, I believe, become too educated or intellectual to even understand or believe in the simplicity of God. As a result, the life-changing attributes of being a sold out believer tend to get caught up and lost in the practicality of it all, thus greatly reducing our effectiveness for the kingdom. The real danger, according to this passage, is when we cause others who maintain that childlike faith to become more like us and cause offenses, all in the name of higher learning, greater understanding, or for any other reason. Jesus is telling His disciples that they, too, need to stop worrying about how they can attain a greater gift or place with God and get back to a childlike faith–one that believes simply because that is the thing to do. I, for one, am so tired of hearing people say "You need to grow up," not necessarily to me (however they do). Why do we need to grow up? Oh yes, I understand taking responsibility but we’re not talking about in the physical sense–I am speaking of the spiritual sense. Why is it that to have simplistic faith is looked upon as an undesirable thing? My theory is that people with simplistic childlike faith tend to make others around them uncomfortable or even intimidated; after all, if they make it look easy, it somewhat negates our higher learning, does it not? When my children and grandchildren began to walk, I never once caught myself chastising them for doing it wrong–they were doing the best they could. They were trying with all of their might to learn how to walk and, yes, they all learned and now walk quite well. However, now that they have learned to walk, is it time for me to show them everything wrong with their stride or do I allow them to be confident in their walk? After all, it is theirs, is it not? The same could be said for us believers. If someone has childlike faith, allow them to walk in it. If you do enjoy it and if someone has stolen it from you, take it back–it's yours, and Jesus wants you to walk in it. Daily Prayer: Father, help me to remember the simplicity of Your message. May I never become too wise to allow Your Spirit to direct me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Some people think they are smarter than God; however, they are too ignorant to know it." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 149 "Offense equals a fence between you and Your creator’s blessings."

Day 149 Matthew 17:24-27 When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?” He said, “Yes.” And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.” Ever since I read this passage a few days ago, the Lord has been keeping a particular section of it on my heart, one of those burning, sort of nagging feelings that won't go away. I know it well enough to know that it's Him, my Lord, wanting to teach me more. After waiting upon Him and listening for His voice, He has revealed to me a life-changing (for me) section of this passage that I cannot let go unnoticed. I pray it influences you as it has me, so here goes. Jesus, in His dialog with Peter, makes its rather clear that He and Peter are not required to pay the tax when He said, "Then the sons are free"; however, He does not stop there, as I am now doing as well. Just for a moment, let’s put things in perspective. Jesus and Simon Peter have been asked by people who are soon to be a part of Christ's rejection, beating, and crucifixion to pay a tax that they are not required paying. These people do not believe Jesus is the Messiah; they are set against Him and desire to destroy Him. Yet, nevertheless, they are a part of God's chosen people, the keepers of the faith to this point; they have served God well up until now–and now they have denied Him once again. Yet this is truly not the most amazing point. The most amazing point is what Jesus says and does next: "Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you." In order not to be an offense to those who will soon betray and have denied Him, He performs a miracle! Did you catch that? Jesus, in order not to offend these people who He knew would betray, beat, and crucify Him, performed a miracle. Did He need to? We don't know, but we do know He performed a miracle in order not to offend and, yes, I'm driving home the point. Why? Could it possibly be that if we, by our actions, are intentionally or unintentionally being an offense, yes, even to our enemies, God will not do miracles or that we will, in some way, prevent the will of God to be fulfilled in our lives? Think about it. Have we by our self-serving, self-righteous, and ‘I deserve because I'm right’ attitudes somehow prevented the complete and uninhibited move of the Holy Spirit in our lives and consequently in our ministries and service to Him? I, for one, am convicted and ashamed of the times that I have said things like "it's their problem, not mine" or because I have been right and know it, I have been an offense in my arrogance. Ouch! We have no right as believers to be offensive, in control of, or in any other way placing ourselves above anyone. We have the right and are required to do one thing for our fellow man, Serve! My friend Troy once told me this: "There are two positions in the Kingdom: one is master the other is servant; Master is taken." Oh, how true that is! If Jesus will do miracles to keep from offending His accusers, how can He allow us to experience the miraculous if we are choosing to offend by whatever means? More good news–He loved them enough to perform another miracle–His death and resurrection; complete forgiveness upon confession of who He truly was. How many of those He chose not to offend will be in heaven? How many will I not see because I have offended? Ouch again! Here's another one: how many of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ have I offended or harmed and consequently caused their ministry to not flow in the fullness of God? Yes, it goes on, as it should. Healing is painful, yes, but it sure is better than an open wound! Daily Prayer: Father, I humbly seek Your forgiveness for the times that I have been the offender, especially for those times when I have done so in order to serve myself. Reveal to me my weaknesses, I pray, and lead me to a greater understanding that I may walk in the fullness of You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Offense equals a fence between you and Your creator’s blessings." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 148 "Whatever is required of me by God will forever pale in comparison to what He required of Jesus."

Day 148 Matthew 17:24-27 When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?” He said, “Yes.” And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.” Every person who has ever believed that God has told them not to pay taxes needs to read this passage and pray for understanding, for this example, given once again by Jesus, is one of how we, as Christians, are to live. A few points are worthy to note here. First of all, Jesus allows Peter to acknowledge that these who are seeking payment are the very same people who are and will be persecuting them. Secondly, we pay the taxes in order that we might not be an offense to those who have been given authority to tax us. And the final point is that God will provide for the taxes–he placed money in the mouth of a fish; however, Peter did have to work for it. Being people of free will, we are often all too quick to lash out and protest things that we have no biblical or God-given right to protest, yet we do it in the name of the one who has told us not to protest. As we are currently going through another very tough political season in our Nation, I am quite frankly, once again, appalled at the behavior of many so-called Christians and, in particular, certain pastors–for example, the Church where President Obama was attending before being elected. When I hear that pastor use the name of Jesus to spread his message, which is, in fact, contrary to what Christ teaches us, it is appalling! Jesus did not tell us to fight against the government, each other, or anyone else in the flesh. He told us to turn the other cheek, to be respectful, and to submit to those in authority. Messages such as we have been hearing in the media cause us to be divisive, bitter, angry, and are in no way a proper example of how Christians should behave or live. By the way, this man is not the only pastor who is carrying on in such a way; there are plenty of others, many of which some would argue are not contrary to the Word, but please TEST US ALL against the Word. Jesus instructs us: "Pray for those in authority over you," something most of us struggle with at one time or another. A more typical response would be to lash out at those in authority in anger or out of frustration complain and pass judgment; hence, rather than praying for them we pray against them. The truth of this passage that Christ has laid before us is really rather simple: pay your taxes and dues to those over you, trust that God will provide for those taxes, and be a blessing to those who are in authority over you. Yes, it sounds easy to do; however, it can be hard, so lean on the Lord and let Him be your strength. And, please, do not make this political by saying I am against Obama for using his pastor as an example. It just so happens that this pastor has put himself out there and truly is an example of how we pastors are not to act. Daily Prayer: Father, may I never again complain about what is required of me to be an example for You on this earth. My sacrifice is nothing compared to that of Jesus, and for my past complaints, I seek Your forgiveness and restoration, Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Whatever is required of me by God will forever pale in comparison to what He required of Jesus." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 147 "Not everyone will be rejoicing on the day of Christ's return, lets do all we can to help."

Day 147 Matthew 17:22-23 Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful. Influenced by what they had seen Jesus do and say and in love with the man they had come to know on a personal basis, the disciples naturally did not want to see Jesus die. Were they sorrowful for His upcoming suffering or the fact that He would be leaving them soon? Were they simply unable to grasp the concept of resurrection or all of the above? After all, the concept of Him being raised on the third day seems so unbelievable that, well maybe, they just couldn't comprehend the power of it. These guys had to be so in awe of everything Jesus had done and was doing. I'm sure it was very difficult to imagine, understand, or even believe in the idea of Christ being resurrected: a fact substantiated later on in the book of Matthew. However, can you imagine the excitement taking place in the heavenlies? For those whom the plan had been revealed, they understood the significance of the temporary suffering of Christ for the eternal redemption of man. They had to be excited that Jesus was about to firmly and forever establish His rule and His reign over all demonic realms, powers, and principalities, in particular, satan himself! For those who had an eternal perspective, this was to be the most pivotal of points for all time regarding mankind! You may say, well, what about the return of Christ to earth? And, yes, while that, too, will be a day in which all believers will rejoice to a certain degree, not all of mankind will be blessed by that event. For many, Christ's return will be a day of great sorrow, judgment, and pain; all of which will never end. His resurrection, however, is a day in which all men receive a hope that cannot be taken away–that of redemption and eternal life with Christ! I, for one, must confess that I have not celebrated this day with the zeal it deserves. I have been so excited about His, I believe, soon return that I have allowed His resurrection to be somewhat downplayed in my life, and today I realize the selfishness of such actions. You see, I am confident in my salvation and resurrection because of what has been done by Christ; however, I must remember the pain that some will feel upon His return and allow this to keep me focused on who and how I should be serving my Lord. How about you? Daily Prayer: Father, I confess to you that it is much easier to focus on Your return and what it means for me than it is to focus on what it will mean to those who don't know You. Teach me, Lord, to stay focused on what the future means to them that I might serve You by serving the lost. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Not everyone will be rejoicing on the day of Christ's return, lets do all we can to help." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 146 "We are at war, and denying it will change everything, but not for the good."

Day 146 Matthew 17:19-21 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” Our tour guide, while we were in Israel, was a member of one of the first families of Jewish people who returned to Israel in 1948 as believers and followers of Christ. As you can imagine, he was a very intelligent man. His understanding of Jewish culture and the Hebrew language added more depth to his understanding of scriptures than any person I have ever met; after all, here is someone who is literally living it out. As we were traveling, he shared this same passage with us one day and offered a very unique perspective and understanding to it. You see, when Jesus says "…you will say to this mountain…" to the Jewish people He is saying "when you say to this spiritual power." When you understand this passage, it suddenly makes much more sense and, for myself at least, becomes more personal. The mountains we are attempting to move by faith with prayer and fasting are not in the physical or geographical sense, but rather in the spiritual sense. Therefore, if we have the faith of a mustard seed and understand who we are battling, we enter the battle prepared, which, in some cases, is through prayer and fasting. On many of my street ministry trips, the Lord has called me to fast and pray. I have learned that it is better to obey and suffer a small amount of physical discomfort rather than to disobey and see others suffer spiritually. On more than one occasion after fasting and praying, I have had encounters with many who were demonically possessed. The intensity with which they approach you is not something you would ever desire or, I believe, understand in the flesh. They often know who you are, why you are there, and they fear you; however, not enough to avoid testing you or attacking those you lead. The only thing more foolish than facing powers of darkness unprepared is to not believe that they exist and that they are out to destroy each and every person on this planet. They are not passive and playful; they are aggressive and desperate with one agenda, to deceive and destroy! Please do not allow yourself to become someone who only believes or reads the fun stuff in the Word. Jesus was very serious in His approach to this demonic presence; He even rebuked the disciples and believers surrounding Him at the time. He gave a very stern warning with clear instruction; I say we take heed. Daily Prayer: Father, I pray for the seriousness of spiritual warfare to be ever prominent in our minds. Help us, Lord, to be mindful of our enemy and prepared to meet our foes. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "We are at war, and denying it will change everything, but not for the good." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 145 "Reality must include faith; otherwise, it is ours and not His."

Day 145 Matthew 17:9-13 Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.” And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist. The coming of Elijah was prophesied as the fore coming of Jesus; therefore, in the eyes of the Jewish believers, Christ could not come for Elijah has yet to come. However, what they were looking for was Elijah in the flesh, not Elijah in the spirit. Jesus is telling His disciples that Elijah has returned as John the Baptist; therefore, everything was in place for Christ to return–prophecy had to now be fulfilled. Why did they miss it? Because it didn't look like what they had expected, because Jesus had not come riding in on a white horse to destroy the rulers and take His rightful place. Therefore, since this Jesus had not done these things, He could not be the Messiah. Oh, how foolish they were, and because, once again, God did not do things the way they expected Him to, they could not believe Him. Just who do we think we are when we say things like "Oh, God would never do anything like that" or "God will bless whatever we do, we’re His children." I don't know about you, but I don't know the mind of God. Oh, I know that He is merciful, and kind, and gracious, and judgmental, and jealous–shall I go on? I'm not trying to paint God as a vengeful, evil God who seeks to destroy us, no more than I would paint Him as being pandering and passive. He does things His way, and His Word will always serve as a lamppost. Had the religious leaders realized this and checked things against the Word, they would have never crucified Christ, for they would have realized who He was. We, too, can miss the things of God, His blessings, His reproach, His love, His direction, and so much more when we adopt an attitude toward Him that is unhealthy or unrealistic. "Following God is not a choice; in reality, once you experience Him, you can't live any other way." (Bret Carnalli.) I couldn't agree more, how about you? Daily Prayer: Father, keep me, I pray, from falling into the pit of deception. I don't want the enemy to deceive me. Please keep me focused in Your reality. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Reality must include faith; otherwise, it is ours and not His." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 144 "His power will always overwhelm our flesh."

Day 144 Matthew 17:1-8 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. There are so many points that can be made in this passage that I struggle with choosing just one; however, one does stand out above all others to me, so here it goes. When the glory of God shows up you cannot help but react, you cannot help but submit, and you cannot avoid being overwhelmed at His glory. The presence of God makes things happen! I must confess that I am struggling at this writing with the way we Christians have minimized the power and awesomeness of God; somehow we have made Him harmless, mushy, and overly gentle, when the opposite is the actual truth. For one thing, any man in the presence of God is truly unable to control himself. The power contained in the creator causes the human fleshly body to react in ways that we may never understand; after all, He is Holy and we are not. Remember that this encounter the disciples had with God is being tempered by the presence of Jesus. Without His covering, I believe they would not have been able to even be here. So many times I have heard people make fun of others for how they react in the presence of God. Why would anyone do that? If you have ever experienced the true power of being in the presence of the Lord, two things are sure to be true: you will never fake it, and you will never make fun of people caught up in His glory. God is not a genie in a bottle we can call upon at our whim nor is He like a puppy dog, panting and waiting just to be called upon. He is a Holy God, filled with power beyond our comprehension and capable of creating universes and stars without effort, yet many of us mock Him by our actions, thoughts, and words. Following God is not a game, and Jesus is not a lifesaver. Choosing to follow God comes with a long list of requirements, one of which is believing who Jesus is and appreciating the magnitude of what He did. Abusing Christ and minimizing His sacrifice is not something I would recommend–this is serious stuff. Are you taking it serious enough? You'll need to answer that one for yourself. Daily Prayer: Father, I know I have not taken you serious enough; I have underestimated Your power and prevented its blessings by my lack of faith. Please forgive me, Lord, and teach me to understand, I pray. In Jesus’ name I ask these things. Amen. "His power will always overwhelm our flesh." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 143 "The joys and toys of heaven cannot be compared to the ones of earth."

Day 143 Matthew 16:27-28 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” There is coming a day when each one of us will stand before our Savior and be rewarded for what we have accomplished in this life. Have you ever wondered what that day will be like? Will there be joy or shoulda, coulda, woulda coming from your mouth? I don't ask in order that I may judge; I simply ask to challenge. I ask because the day is coming, and we should all seek to be rewarded well. After all, if we have been denying the world’s joys and toys, shouldn't we be pursuing and excited about receiving heaven’s joys and toys? I can remember as a small child growing up in Eureka, California. Christmas was a big deal for our families. At the time, my parents and most of my aunts and uncles were all married to their first spouses, so all of us cousins would gather with our parents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles, and, of course, we couldn't wait to see what great presents we were going to receive. The greatest anticipation was in not knowing what was in the wrapped box. We knew it would be good because, after all, our parents and family members had purchased them for us, and they never gave us gifts that were bad. Truly, the only question on our minds was just how good is each one going to be? I want to have that same joy and excitement in my heart for the day Jesus returns. I know He loves me, and I know that he is going to give me useful treasures that will last for an eternity. Wow! I can't wait, how about you? Daily Prayer: Father, may I live each day in eager anticipation for the return of Jesus. Help me, Lord, to stay focused and seek You first every day, then maybe I can remember that You have great gifts for me every day! In Jesus’ name I ask these things. Amen. "The joys and toys of heaven cannot be compared to the ones of earth." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 142 "Souls are priceless–paid for by the blood–don't fall for a deal."

Day 142 Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Jesus pretty much sums up the path of life for each and every person who has existed or will exist upon this planet. Will they follow God or sell out? I would imagine that a great number of people who read this passage tend to feel that they could never have the strength or abilities to take up their cross and follow Christ, after all, that is a very big task is it not? I mean, if you take this in the literal sense, you could easily assume that you will need to walk away from your family and friends, live off of what others give, sleep wherever you land, be homeless, and let everyone who disagrees with you treat you however they like, while you smile lovingly at them and turn the other cheek. After all, isn't that what Jesus did? Let us not forget that Jesus came to establish the new covenant, and the disciples and early believers were to re-enforce the power of Christ by suffering tremendously. However, it was necessary; the religious strongholds needed to be broken and the new covenant of grace and mercy by the sacrifice of Jesus firmly established. There was truly a timely purpose to the sufferings of the early disciples, one which has since ended. Yes, we, too, can suffer persecution for our beliefs; however, they pale in comparison to those of the early believers. Our sufferings of today are more in the sense, I believe, of self-control and discipline; that of not allowing the temptations of the world to control our actions and beliefs. Our goal is truly to pursue the righteousness of God, a relationship with our creator, and share the joy and freedom of that relationship with others to strengthen the family of God. However, many have sold out. They have allowed the things of this world to overcome them. For some, money has become the controlling factor in their lives; for others, sports, or alcohol, or drugs, or relationships, or careers, or whatever this world can throw at them to prevent them from putting God first in their lives. As Christians in the United States in the twenty-first century, we, with rare exception, have no idea what it means to be truly persecuted or to suffer for our beliefs, yet we often act as if we do. After all, if it wasn't for Church, we could go to the lake Sunday or go hunting or take a trip. I challenge you, as I do myself, to take a hard look at your life. Have you sold out to the world? What's your price? Daily Prayer: Father, if I in any way have sold out to the world, would You reveal to me the changes I need to make that I might be first sold out to You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Souls are priceless–paid for by the blood–don't fall for a deal." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 141 “Everyone benefits from Christ's death and resurrection, only satan benefits when it is forgotten."

Day 141 Matthew 16:21-23 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” Peter's failure should serve as a great reminder of how quickly we can lose sight of things. One minute he seems to be the only one in the room on track with Jesus, and in the next moment he couldn't be further off track. The boundaries of the human mind, while they should be ever so evident to each of us, are all too often forgotten. Our tendencies are to think more along the lines of how brilliant the human mind is when, in reality, it is no bigger than the box God designed to hold it. The mission of Jesus, His purpose on this earth and in the heavenlies, was to become the ultimate sacrifice for mankind and then to defeat death by His resurrection, all of which would make little sense to mankind–a scene we see played out in this passage. Yet Christ, Himself, knew that without this selfless act of willful obedience, mankind had no hope. The severity and seriousness of this is evident in His response to Peter. After all, who is the only one who would benefit from Jesus rejecting the cross? If you said satan, you are, of course, correct. He is the only one of this world and the one we cannot see who would benefit from Christ denying His rightful place upon the cross, and Jesus knew it. Some would ask, "Why was Jesus so harsh?" The answer: "Because there was and is nothing more serious than the eternal destiny of mankind!” Serious issues require a serious response; this was no time to pander or worry about hurting feelings, it was time to bring to reality what lay ahead, and Jesus did just that. The same challenge could be faced by each one of us today. Is there anything we will face today that is more important than the eternal destiny of mankind? The answer, of course, is no; however, the most petty and meaningless issues of our world can and will prevent us from doing what truly is the most important, especially if we don't plan and pray to fulfill that which God has called us to do. Daily Prayer: Father, I ask that today and every day You would help me to have an eternal perspective, to not get caught up in the trivial nature of the things I face, and keep focused upon the seriousness of salvation and eternity. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. “Everyone benefits from Christ's death and resurrection, only satan benefits when it is forgotten." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 140 "The battle I can't see is the most important one I fight."

Day 140 Matthew 16:18-20 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. A number of years ago when I was managing the Lumber Supply Company, I had a habit, of course, of sharing the Lord and the gospel of Jesus with anyone who would lend an ear. I can remember a particular conversation with one of my department managers (who professed to be Catholic) when he told me that the problem with us Christians was that all we wanted to talk about was Jesus. I think my response was something like, "And what else would we talk about?" As is spoken in this passage, the very rock, the very foundation upon which we stand, is Jesus the Christ–His life, His sacrifice, and His resurrection and the fact that He is the Son of God sent for our redemption by His blood–and truly nothing else. After all, without Him, we have no hope. The Jewish people would be the ones who have it right, and the gentiles would have no right to have fellowship with God, for that door would never have been opened. I can't speak for anyone else, but as for me, Jesus is my hope for glory, my redeemer, and my salvation so, yes, I will speak of Him often and passionately. Therefore, when Jesus is speaking of building the Church upon the rock, I am one who assumes that He is referring to Himself as that rock, not Peter. First of all, I can't understand why God would build His Church upon a man, and secondly, I refer back to chapter 16 where Peter describes Jesus as "…Christ, the Son of the living God." Next, Jesus tells Peter that “the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." What did Jesus do when He descended to Hades after His death? He opened its gates for all who believe in order that we would not be bound by death. So, while the writing may seem a little confusing, I truly believe the point is being made that Jesus is the foundation of the Christian Church. Later on in the passage we see where Jesus says that He gives us the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and "whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." I believe it is helpful for all of us to be reminded daily that we are at war, that there are principalities, powers, and rulers in dark places who seek to destroy us, our families, and our ministries (Ephesians 6:10-20). Far too many believers are like the ostrich who sticks his head in the sand: if they don't see it, they need not to react to it. However, by not reacting and acknowledging that there is a battle taking place, are we not submitting to our enemies influence on our lives? I'm not a devil chaser; however, I do not like him, and I do not want him influencing my life in any way (even though he sometimes does). Therefore, I will take every opportunity to expose him for who he is and what he is up to and ask that the Lord of my life thwart those plans. Is your head in the sand? have you ignored the battle? and on what rock are your feet planted? Sometimes it's good to be reminded, is it not? Daily Prayer: Father, I thank You for reminding me often of who I am in You, and that without Jesus I have no hope. Bless You, Lord, for Your faithfulness, and lead me, Lord, in the way of understanding. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "The battle I can't see is the most important one I fight." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 139 "In order to be forgiven we must first be remorseful."

Day 139 Matthew 16:13-17 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” The disciples have finally become familiar with who Jesus is. Not long ago, had He asked the same question, no doubt the answer from His disciples would have more closely mirrored that of the people. By being close to Christ, they realized that He was much more than a prophet, for no prophet before Him had ever testified to being the Son of Man nor the Messiah and then backed it up with miracles and signs and wonders such as these. But who do you say that He is: your savior? your redeemer? your crutch? your life ring? or maybe your excuse? The question is, of course, not meant to be accusatory, but rather, I pray, thought provoking. You see, I feel like many of us have gotten too far used to having Jesus to fall back on, while, yes, He is a God of mercy and grace, he does require change as well. Far too often I hear statements like this: "It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to ask for permission" or "Oh, that’s just the way so and so is; it's no big deal." These can be very dangerous statements. You see, if we approach our Savior with such complacency and lack of remorse, how can we be assured of His forgiveness? After all, in order to be forgiven, don't we need to be sorry? If we water down the seriousness of our sin, are we not watering down the blood that cleanses us and minimizing the sacrifice that Jesus made? Sin is a serious matter, and we should treat it as such. Maybe we would do well to live every day as if we didn't have a Savior, as if works was our only way to salvation. Before you call me a heretic, hear me out. I am not suggesting that we should truly live by works; however, an attitude that reflects such would cause us to be more careful would it not? After all, everything I work for has greater value to me than the things that are given freely; there is something about earning it that makes it more sincere. I pray that none of you adopt a lifestyle of works, for you would be contradicting the Word of God. Ephesians 2:7-10 tells us we cannot work our way to salvation; however, we must have faith to believe in order to receive. I also pray that none of us ever become complacent about sin and transgression and that we always remain aware of the cost of our forgiveness and the price that was paid by our Savior. Daily Prayer: Father, may it be so. May we never discount the sacrifice Jesus has made for our sins nor the love You have shown by our free redemption by His blood. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "In order to be forgiven we must first be remorseful." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 138 "A little leaven has kept many from heaven."

Day 138 Matthew 16:5-12 Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.” But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Before my first wife Dawn (now residing in heaven), and I were married, I ran around with two different groups of guys: one was a pretty bad bunch of bikers and drug dealers, the others were good-old-boy cowboys that liked to drink hard. Neither group was very good for a guy like me because I was a follower seeking a place to fit in and be accepted. However, I knew all of it was wrong; I just wasn't confident enough to say no. Therefore, whichever group of guys called first, I would hang out with them and, of course, participate in whatever they were doing as long as any pain or hurt was limited to me and no one else. A little less than a year after our marriage, Dawn and I both realized that I needed to be away from these folks (especially the bikers) in order to not participate with them. Their influence was very strong, and they were even becoming violent as I retreated from their grip. Therefore, we rented a home in a very private, secluded neighborhood, changed our phone number, and I stayed away from all of the old hangouts, and the strategy worked. You see, the only way I could be strong enough to not partake of the leaven of my so-called friends was to completely distance myself from their influence. My wife helped me and encouraged me to do so. Why? because she loved me; the bikers, however, hated her for it. Why? because they wanted to control me. Jesus is warning the disciples very much in the same way to be watchful of the leaven of the world, for it wants to control you. The world will do everything it can to get its hooks in you, to grab hold of you and never let go, and sometimes we need to take drastic measures to break that hold, for it is a hold that will lead unto death. A few years ago, a young man in our Church was killed when he passed out from drinking too much and was hit by a car as he lay in the road. He had made a commitment to Christ and was trying very hard to follow God, yet when his friends called, he couldn't say no, after all, one of his buddies was getting married. And now he is no longer with us. As we ministered to his friends, we heard many of them blaming God and not the world, but as we had been reminding them, God did not cause him to drink, the influence of the world did, and that is what led to his death. The consequences of leaven have long been underrated especially for believers; we say we’re not hurting anyone but ourselves; however, the reality is we are hurting everyone we have ever met or ever will meet. It's always bigger than what we can see, is it not? Daily Prayer: Father, help us to see the bigger picture, to understand that everything we do affects far more people than we realize. Show us the leaven in our lives God, and give us the strength to avoid it. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "A little leaven has kept many from heaven." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 137 “Signs always lead to something; the question is, ‘What signs do we follow?’”

Day 137 Matthew 16:1-4 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed. This passage has caused me to do some deep reflecting this morning. I ask myself this question, "Am I seeking signs?" or am I content with just knowing? For quite some time I have been asking God for a sign to show me that where I am and what I am doing is what He wants for me, my family, and the ministry. Yet the signs have been few and far between, and without a sign one can lose hope, drive, and ambition. However, I want to assure you that this is not the case with me or the ministry. The Lord has been very faithful to remind me daily, and again today, to look to Him and not the signs and, as a result, I am confident and resolved to do exactly what He has spoken, even when I don't see a sign. It is easy for people to get so caught up in seeking signs and wonders that they don't see God–just the signs–and when the focus is solely on the signs, it becomes very easy to be swayed. You see, God is not a puppet waiting for us to call upon Him so He can perform for us that we might believe. He is rather a God who is true and faithful to those who believe and trust in Him. Believing should never be about seeing, it should always be about belief, and that is what Jesus is telling the Pharisees here in this passage. A skeptic will always be a skeptic. Even when Jesus rose from the grave after three days, there were still those who searched for a way to explain His missing body, and they still are today. Why? Because they have purposed in their hearts not to believe even what they see, only what seems right to believe. When all we do is chase signs and wonders, we chase people or gatherings, not God. Then, when we don't see the signs, we feel lost and wonder where God is. When the revivals were taking place in Brownsville, Florida, and Toronto, Canada, I truly struggled with the fact that people were running around looking for miracles and signs. Why the struggle, you ask? Because most of those people who I knew that sought those signs are today not even following the Lord. Yes, things are happening and, yes, it appears to be good; however, if your relationship with God is in order, why would you fly to Florida to see God move? As a side note, let us not forget the enemy is a great imitator, and we are told "even the elect will be deceived." After all, if it is the same God, working through the same Holy Spirit that dwells in you, why would you need to go somewhere to see Him? Don't get me wrong, I do believe that everyone has different gifts that are manifested in various ways and, yes, I believe in all of the gifts. However, unless the Holy Spirit directs you to go somewhere to receive a particular gift, why would you go? Before you go, I would also ask another question of you, "Are you putting the same effort into your own relationship with God that you are putting into seeing or participating in someone else's?" Could it be that the gift hidden within you is not being released because of your searching out the gifts of others? Please hear me well; I am an evangelist, a man who has been a part of God's healing, deliverance, and conversion of many people. I'm not discounting signs and wonders; I am, however, saying they should not be what you seek. Seek the giver, not the gift. Daily Prayer: Father, You are an amazing God, capable of far more than we could ever imagine. Show us Your ways, Oh God; show us your will for each of us I pray. In Jesus’ name I ask, Amen. “Signs always lead to something; the question is, ‘What signs do we follow?’” Pastor Gene Burroughs

136 "Reality is measured by the fruit you produce, not the perception you create."

Day 136 Matthew 15:32-39 Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?” Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.” So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala. Jesus has been ministering with four thousand men, plus women and children for three days. He has been healing the sick, the lame, and so much more; everyone surely must be tired. If you have ever been camping (in a tent, not the Taj Mahal on wheels) for three days, you understand how little fun it can be, especially when you're not prepared as these folks were. However, as unprepared and tired as they were, they were even more desperate–desperate for a touch from the Master–so much so that they persevered and hung in there. I wonder how many walked away and how many got tired of waiting in line and just gave up, going back home to what was comfortable to them? Or how many never really entered in; maybe they heard about it, came out and looked at what was going on, but wouldn't make the effort to press in. The odds are, people being people, surely there were both–those who left and those who didn't join in–and all of them have one thing in common, they missed out! Their unbelief, fear, pride, or just plain laziness keeping them from having all this life has to offer, and so much more. More than ever, my heart is aching for these people, the ones who just can't, or won't for whatever reason, seek to find the truth. The season of this writing has been one of the most difficult in my life when it comes to seeing people come to Christ. We have had more opportunities, prayed harder, clung on to Christ, and persevered to be more in the Word than ever before, yet seen so many just walk away or not enter in. Times are truly changing. People are losing hope, not just in themselves but in their country, their future, their family, their values, their Church and, yes, even in their God, but why? Can it be that the leaders in our country have failed so badly at leading morally that the hope in morality is gone? Has the separation of the classes become so evident, the gap so wide, and the numbers so large that financial security seems an impossible goal? Is it that the lies being spewed out by the media on a momentary basis have finally taken the toll or could it be that we have become so technologically advanced that we have become people who have no understanding of intimacy? Maybe we have just become complacent, able to be satisfied where we are, and so caught up in instant comfort that eternal decisions are something we can't or won't think about just yet. The truth is, I don't know. Maybe it's some or all of the above or something entirely different, but one thing that is certain, times and people are changing and, in many ways, not for the better. For those who persevered with Jesus, there was physical healing, spiritual satisfaction, eternal blessing and, in the end, even physical satisfaction; today the end result remains the same, the hope of glory. Somehow we must continue to be diligent and work all the harder to spread the message of Jesus Christ to one person at a time, no matter what it takes. These are desperate times, and they require desperate measures, the first of which must be for each of us to live lives worthy of Him who called us, for if we are fakes, our religion, faith, and our savior appear to be no less the same. Daily Prayer: Father, I confess to You my shortcomings and failures. Help me Lord to be the very best testimony for You that I can possibly be. Strengthen me, I pray, and use me for Your glory. In Jesus’ name I ask these things. Amen. "Reality is measured by the fruit you produce, not the perception you create." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 135 "God doesn't need our help to make Him look good, He can do that all by himself."

Day 135 Matthew 15:29-31 Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. It appears that the people Jesus was ministering to here were primarily the Gentiles rather than Jews; therefore, He was, again, by His actions, showing that He truly had come for all people. If Jesus was indeed purposely ministering to the Gentiles, the message is very clear–that He is, of course, aware of His coming betrayal. This is no surprise; however, the question could be raised as to why would He go through so much trouble when He already knew what the outcome would be? Why not just cut to the chase, turn away from the Jewish hierarchy, and minister to anyone and everyone, thus bypassing the frustration of dealing with the Jewish leaders? Why allow them to humiliate and scourge You when there were much easier ways to allow Your blood to be shed? The answer, in my opinion, is very profound and of amazing importance to all mankind–to fulfill the scriptures. If Jesus, in any way, did not fulfill the prophecy of old, He would completely invalidate the Word of God, thus rendering it as just another old book. But He didn't, He fulfilled every prophecy! By doing so, He not only validated the writings of the past in the Bible, He also validated the writings and prophecies of what were yet to come. Because of His obedience and the faithfulness of God in every way, we should have unshakable confidence that what the Lord has promised in His Word will come to fruition, both the good and the bad. I for one stand firmly convicted by the Word of God, fully convinced that it is inspired and true, and I am able to do so because of this faithfulness of which I speak. This conviction creates within me a boldness that allows me to live my life according to those promises and predictions, especially those yet to come. I know, by the testimony of what God has done according to His Word, that He has provided both you and me with payment in full for our sins. We know that "no one comes to the Father except through Jesus." We know that He defeated death, and we know that He will be returning soon–we know this because of the signs His Word tells us to be watching for. You see, we don't need to guess, ad lib, or conjure up catchy ideas and phrases to share with folks about our faith; we don't even need to be eloquent or bold people–we are able to simply show them the truth and allow it to minister to them. We can't take any credit nor receive any blame: we didn't make it, we just repeat it, and this really does seem too easy. All because Jesus did exactly what was prophesied of Him hundreds of years prior to His birth and for so many other promises which God has faithfully fulfilled. Daily Prayer: Father, I want to personally thank You for being so faithful in every way. You truly have blessed Your people, and I pray that we would walk accordingly–bold and convicted by Your truths. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "God doesn't need our help to make Him look good, He can do that all by himself." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 134 "True believers don't need convincing, they will do their own."

Day 134 Matthew 15:21-28 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. Every moment of Jesus’ time on earth had great purpose, the first of which was to bring the messianic message to God's chosen people, the Jews. It was only after their rejection of that message and Christ Himself that the door was opened for the Gentiles to have that same privilege and access. The questions of why are probably best left for the Lord, for all we men can do is offer opinions based upon what we have read or heard, which truly is all theory and conjecture. What we do see here is Jesus is very clear about His purpose and mission, yet again, He is not without compassion for all mankind, and He is obviously moved by the faith of people. This woman made it very clear that she understood that the Jews were the first to have access to Christ; however, she also made it clear that there was more than enough of Jesus to go around. In addition, she understood that just a little Jesus is all anyone needs to be delivered from bondage. She knew and understood better than the Jewish leaders who Jesus was, His purpose, and His power, and she was bold enough to seek Him out. As an evangelist, I have learned many lessons; some the hard way. One of the most freeing and enabling lessons comes from this passage, and maybe it can help you, as well. All too often we do everything we can to shove Jesus down the throats of everyone we meet, and while exposing people to the truth is definitely our role, choking people on Jesus is not. When people are ready for Jesus they are ready because they have been prepared and understand or because they are in a place where hearing the good news is giving them hope they have never had–the key here being that they are ready and they are making a purposeful choice. Like I have heard many times before, "If you need to talk someone into receiving Jesus, someone else may be able to talk them out of it." This is not to say that arguing the case for the gospel is wrong, but rather to say that once the truth has been shared, the receiver of that truth must choose to accept or deny. We should never force or drive people into confessing to believe something that they truly do not. If we do, what good have we done? The only person who is satisfied by such actions is the one who is seeking another notch on his belt, another nonbeliever converted, another pat on the back; I don't think God is impressed with such actions. Yes, He is blessed by faithful people who understand their place and His power, people who are passionate for God and not afraid to share the truth with everyone they meet, but most of all, He desires relationship with every one of us. Daily Prayer: Father, may we always be willing and faithful to share the good news of Jesus Christ and never forget that He is the only hope for all mankind. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "True believers don't need convincing, they will do their own." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 133 "We will always seek to break the law, yet the love has set us captives free."

Day 133 Matthew 15:15-20 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.” So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.” The law has been fulfilled, hallelujah! Can you imagine attempting to live by the law in today's western society? Unfortunately, far too many Church leaders still are attempting to have their flocks live by the law. I truly do not understand why anyone would choose to become legalistic and attempt living by the law when Christ Himself has come to show us a better way. While in Israel, I was taken back by many things pertaining to the law; however, one in particular stands out in my mind. By the way, let me take a moment to remind you that the Jewish people are free from the law as well; however, most of them have chosen not to believe that the Messiah has come and, therefore, they still practice the law. Anyhow, I was standing near the Wailing Wall watching as these faithful men and women prayed earnestly and with such great discipline that it was actually quite humbling to see their conviction. I had noticed that before approaching the wall, they would walk over to a basin and wash their hands, and after some investigation, I was told that this was, of course, an act of sanctification. Intrigued, I began to pay particular attention to this process; I wanted to understand all that I could about this culture, about these chosen people of God. I must say that what I saw was very hard for me to understand. Most of the men were prolific smokers and, as they approached the basin, they would extinguish their cigarettes, often in the water which, by the way, was terribly filthy, as was the basin. They would then stick their hands rather quickly into the water and head toward the wall to pray. Needless to say, this entire process was very confusing to me, and while I would never want to judge these men, let me just say I didn't then, nor do I now, get it. How can one believe that the traditional act of sprinkling your hands in literally filthy water will make a holy God hear your prayers better than the act of submitting to receiving and accepting that Jesus is the Messiah? I find this no harder to understand than some of the other traditional or legalistic things that we have adopted in many of our houses of worship as rules and conditions to worshipping God. This is what can happen when the law is the rule; the heart takes over and the meaning of and heart behind the law is completely lost–men are inherently controlled by their hearts. The law will not save people nor draw them closer to God, only the savior and His gifts of grace and mercy will bring men to a right relationship with God, and that is pretty much it. As Jesus said, the heart is wicked, and when people say things like “I feel this” or “I think that,” they are treading on rocky ground. I know, I've been there, and the fall will often leave us and those around us bruised and hurting. Let us all remember to trust not our hearts but rather the Word. While we are prone to failure, it cannot fail, and in this we should find great comfort. Daily Prayer: Father, please forgive me for those times I have trusted my heart and failed to hear your Word. I pray also Lord that You would forgive me for my judgmental ways and teach me to walk in love. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "We will always seek to break the law, yet the love has set us captives free." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 132 "Let the blind lead the blind and seek not to be so yourself in the Spirit."

Day 132 Matthew 15:12-14 Then His disciples came to Him and said, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, they will both fall into a ditch." One evening, we were watching a program about Patrick Henry Hughes: a very young and accomplished musician. Throughout the program, it became very obvious that he was affecting everyone he came in contact with in a most amazing way. People were humbled by his demeanor and love, as well as his amazing talents. He played the piano with amazing ability and sang with a voice that was obviously inspired by the Spirit of God that dwells within him. You see, this young man was born without sight and physically disabled to the point of being unable to walk or fully extend his arms, yet he praised God for giving him all of his abilities. One of the many things that caught my eye about him was that I never saw him attempt to lead anyone; he knows his limitations and is completely at peace in staying within them. He is comfortable having others assist him, and, yes, even though he does not want to burden his family and friends, he knows that this, as well, is a part of who he is. It appears that he is not attempting to prove anything to anyone nor has he purposed to be anything other than who he is in Christ. What does Patrick Henry Hughes have to do with this passage, you ask? First of all, He knows he is blind, and as a result, he knows his limitations. I see the Pharisees as people who knew they were blind but wouldn't admit it. They were so proud that they could never allow someone else to lead them; after all, they may have lost their power had they done so. Rather than admit their limitations and failures, they would rather lead others into the same fate that they themselves would face. Secondly, he is a man who obviously loves God and is willing to accept and be satisfied with whatever God gives him. By their actions, the Pharisees appear not to love God but rather they use Him for their own gain; they twist His law for their benefit and attempt in every way to use God for their personal advantage. What we see here are two types of people that exist even today in our world: those who love and trust God, and those who abuse God for their own power and gain. The first are willing and able to simply follow others, stay out of the limelight, and be used as God sees fit. The latter seek the lead, they seek the limelight, and their goal is to, again, use God for personal gain. In these days that lie ahead, we, as sheep, must be watchful and wary, for as we are told in Matthew 24:24, even the elect will be deceived. There are many charismatic people in this world who seek personal glory and monetary gain at the expense of others and, yes, they will lead those who are willingly blind into a ditch. Check leaders’ statements against the Word, verify their hearts through the Word, and be wary of those who seek only your money. God is not mocked, but men are deceived. Jesus has given us, as He did the people of His time on earth, many warnings and signs to look for–all we need do is keep our eyes open and focused upon Him. Daily Prayer: Father, please help me to see the imitations, the fakes, and the deceivers, for my desire, Lord, is to follow You and You alone. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Let the blind lead the blind and seek not to be so yourself in the Spirit." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 131 "We are not lifted up by those we tear down; we simply reveal how foolish we are ourselves."

Day 131 Matthew 15:10-11 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand: "Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." The word defile means to contaminate, make unclean, or to make impure. Jesus is making a point of comparing the defiling that the Jews avoid by obeying the laws of God and the defilement of a man from his own heart. It is relevant to remember that the Jewish people are still, even to this day, under the law. Everything they do in relationship to religion is dictated by the law, yet the condition of the heart does not matter–as long as you fulfill the law, you are sanctified. While in Jerusalem a few years ago, we were able to witness the Jewish observance of Shabbat, or Sabbath. From sundown on Friday night until sundown on Saturday they perform no tasks of work, just as the law states. Therefore, many of the families rent hotels and banquet facilities to prevent themselves from falling short of fulfilling the law by working in any way. As we entered an elevator in which there were some Jewish children, I, of course, pushed the button for the appropriate floor, yet the elevator, after what seemed like an eternity, closed and proceeded to the very next floor, which, by the way, was up rather than down as I had pushed. I'm sure my frustration was obvious as I repeatedly pushed the buttons again, when all of a sudden the children in the elevator, who, by the way, had been running all over the hotel playing rather loudly since arriving, began yelling “Shabbat, Shabbat!” Needless to say, I was a little taken back at the fact that small children would ever yell so loudly and rudely at a complete stranger. I, of course, ignored them and they, of course, yelled more as we left the elevator. Was I blessed by this encounter? Of course not, no more than the man who had a woman yell at him and slap his hand for the same infraction. All of us were confused and, yes, offended to say the least. Were we rude, unassuming Americans? Maybe to them, but to me, the elevator worked fine an hour ago, so now it must be broken, right? The law was never intended to become a tool that was used to beat people with, no more than it was there to redeem the hearts of men. The law was a guideline given by God to set His people on a proper course. If these children or this woman had been filled with compassion, there would not have been anger or reproach in their voices–there would have been love and understanding. I don't presume to know their hearts; however, I heard their hearts by their words. Be it fear of God or frustration with whomever or whatever, how you feel and who you are will come through in the words and the way in which you speak. People who spend their time and focus on being or expecting others to be perfect will be frustrated and angry. Why? Because it is impossible to do so, and if that is the focus, failure and frustration are both imminent and evident in their communication. It is far more feasible to be people who try in every way to follow God's law and upon failure realize our imperfections and seek redemption from the only one who can redeem, Christ Jesus our Lord. Let us be guarded over the words we speak. May we seek to uplift and encourage others rather than beat down and discourage them. After all, tearing others down does not lift us up! Daily Prayer: Father, I confess to You today that I am imperfect, that I have missed the mark, and I ask forgiveness Lord for doing so. Please help me not to expect others to be more perfect than I and to extend to them the same grace I see from You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "We are not lifted up by those we tear down; we simply reveal how foolish we are ourselves." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 130 "Political correctness and hypocrisy are dangerous bedfellows."

Day 130 Matthew 15:1-9 Then the scribes and the Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread." He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God"–'then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, and in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.'" We don't seem to hear much talk about hypocrites these days; the word has become one of those that has been taken off the list so to speak. The truth is, in today's society, it would not be considered politically correct; after all, you might offend someone by calling them a hypocrite, right? I wonder, do you think Jesus was politically correct? No one who has ever walked this earth has made a bigger sacrifice or shown more love and compassion for the people than Jesus, and, no, He was not politically correct. By the way, the only disciple who was politically correct was Judas, and we all know about him, the rest gave their lives for the Word and the gospel. We have somehow confused the words judgment and love in today's society, much like the Pharisees and scribes of Jesus’ time. We have become so concerned with maintaining a lifestyle that we have forgotten the commandments. Could it be that our society has been teaching men's beliefs and traditions as commandments? If so, we, too, are in a very dangerous place. You see, we know that Jesus came to set the captives free; however, that does not come without a fight, without action, or without consequence or confrontation; yet today, we seem to want to avoid all of these. If someone has gone astray, is it judgment or love if you correct them and point them in the right direction? The answer is, I believe, rather simple: if you confront them the first time in love, then it is so; if, in love, with brothers, then it is so; if, in love, with the elders, then it is so; and if you remove them from fellowship in love, then it is so; or, if in anger, then the opposite would be true. Again, look at our example in Christ and, no, He was not politically correct; yes, He approached people in love; and, yes, they killed and tortured Him, but He never apologized for loving the people enough to be completely honest with them. Political correctness is, I believe, nothing short of hypocrisy. If you are living in sin and the Word is clear on that point, then why do I look the other way? Is it fear of retribution, offense, or your wrath? If so, then I really don't love you enough to confront you in love, do I? Since when do Christians need to apologize for the Word of God that provides all we need to be redeemed and live for eternity in peace? While I'm not sure I know the answer, I do believe that we, as a group, become more complacent and passive every day, more politically correct and biblically wrong! (2 Timothy 1:3-7.) Are you confusing love and judgment? If you’re not sure, seek the Lord and look into His Word, but do not be fooled by your heart or your feelings–they are both deceitful and wicked and are never to be trusted when they go against the Word. Daily Prayer: Father, in these days we are so easily confused. Would You grant us, Lord, the clarity of mind and ability to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit that we might walk in love and not judgment, yet as those who represent You and Your kingdom well. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Political correctness and hypocrisy are dangerous bedfellows." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 129 "Sometimes what we see is all we need to know, however, it doesn't hurt to ask."

Day 129 Matthew 14:34-36 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well. You may recall the story of the woman with the issue of blood who was healed upon touching the hem of Jesus’ garment. It is rather interesting to note that she, too, was from this same region. Could it possibly be that because of this woman and her act of extreme faith that these people have come as well, recognizing Jesus as a healer? It seems to me noteworthy to mention, as well, that they sought only to touch the hem of His garment. Was this an act of equal faith or rather people responding to what they had seen before? Personally, I would assume that these people were simply responding to what they had seen and heard. After all, they didn't ask Jesus what to do or how to approach Him, they simply asked or begged if they could touch the hem of His garment, and He allowed it and blessed it by healing the sick. Maybe the point here is not in the how but rather in the if, meaning that if people will approach Jesus by faith, they will be healed, rather than if people approach Jesus in a particular way, they will be healed. Which, by the way, if this is true (and I believe it is), it completely invalidates the concept used by various Churches and cults that a person of a particular anointing is the only one who can lead you to Jesus, which is, again I say, very unscriptural! On one occasion while preaching in Junction City, Kansas, I felt led by the Holy Spirit to somewhat apologize to the crowd for the Churches by and large judging people based upon their appearances, financial status, or social standing. After the service a middle-aged mother approached me and thanked me, for she had been ostracized by the Church for wearing jeans. She was actually told that if she wore jeans, not only could she not come to Church but, in addition, she would not be allowed to be a part of the Church. I don't know how you folks stand on this, but as for me, I will never stand before God and be judged for denying someone fellowship or salvation based upon clothing or appearances, and prayerfully, neither will any of you. As I meditate upon what I read in the Word, there seems to be more emphasis on women overdressing and adorning than there is on women wearing pants, which, by the way, had nothing to do with people coming to Christ. Jesus met these people on the beach and healed them because of their faith; they had seen this action produce results and they mimicked it. He didn't rebuke them or chastise them, He simply blessed them. Maybe we shouldn't get hung up on the little things either, you think? Daily Prayer: Father, I pray for Your wisdom and understanding as we search Your Word and desire to be closer to You and more effective for the Kingdom. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Sometimes what we see is all we need to know, however, it doesn't hurt to ask." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 128 "Doing the impossible is easy with God but only when our eyes are fixed upon Him."

Day 128 Matthew 14:25-33 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt? And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” I don't know about anyone else, but speaking for myself, I can so relate to Peter in this situation. We have a great time with God, see His miraculous provision (remember He had just fed the 5,000 plus), and as soon as a storm comes we forget that He is in control and lose faith. Every year around the holidays many ministries face a very similar situation. They have seen God's provision, they have seen His miraculous deeds, yet they are now planning for next year, and the funds are all to often not there. Therefore, often in the flesh they often begin to look at the storm rather than the savior, and the next thing you know their spirits begin to sink. Yet how foolish is that? Oh yes, I believe foolish is a very appropriate word for us in ministry in this situation only because we have seen so many miraculous moves in the area of provision from God. But what about you? Are you looking at the storm or the savior? When we focus on our savior, we see that He will never leave nor forsake us. We are reminded that we are more important than the sparrows, which He provides for, and we know by His sacrifice that there is nothing more favored by God than His people. So, why is it so easy for us to take our eyes off of Him? Could it be as simple as the fact that we see in the flesh, however, what we believe is in the Spirit, and what we yearn for is to see the things of the Spirit manifested in the flesh in order that we might be encouraged or believe? "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony." (Hebrews 11:1-2.) Our testimony truly is based upon how well we are able to do things in the flesh based upon the leading of the Spirit, while not taking our eyes off of the only one who can accomplish His great works in us! In other words, confounding the world by walking on water or being a part of things that make no earthly sense–I'm up for that, are you? Are you ready and willing to live a life that makes no sense to the world and gives glory to your God? Before you answer, let me say this: it will be hard, it will be somewhat painless, yes, it will force you to walk in faith, and yet it is worth ever step! Daily Prayer: Father, I ask that You would help me to have the faith to be obedient to You and walk as one who trusts in You for all things and believing that You truly are able to be my all in all. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Doing the impossible is easy with God but only when our eyes are fixed upon Him." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 127 "Prayer encourages us as believers and foils the plans of the enemy."

Day 127 Matthew 14:22-24 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. We leaders are so good at planning prayer before a service or an event. We know that before we do anything God needs to go before us and pave the way, and additionally, we recognize the importance of staying in His perfect will. However, we rarely think to pray after an event that the Lord has used us in; after all, where is the need for that, if it was done right? Jesus sets for us a great example of our need to seal the deal with God; our need to remember that we ought to always seek His will. Jesus went off to pray alone, and in doing so, we know that one thing He realized was that His men were now in a storm. Do you think God told Him or did He just know? Either way, it was the quiet time of seeking God that brought Him to a place of understanding that there was a need. We, too, must come to a place of prayer following the action of serving God. After all, is that not the time that the enemy would love to come and discount our act of obedience in our hearts? Think about it, we’re tired, physically and mentally drained, and the enemy comes along to tell us everything that we did wrong or he hits us with all of these worldly circumstances in order to discount what God has done. A while back, I spent two days in Junction City, Kansas, with some of the most amazing servants I have ever met. They put together an amazing organization of local Churches that serve God by serving each other and their community. An intense amount of effort and resources had been poured into the event, not to mention days of clean up that followed. That night, we had a great community worship service with Aaron Schust where they estimated 2,000 to 2,500 people came. We shared the gospel, prayed, and had a great time; it was truly an amazing event. I called home afterward and my wife reluctantly shared with me a series of challenges being faced by some folks in our Church and some very serious challenges being faced by my extended family. What a comfort it was for me to read this passage following the news from home, for the enemy would love to discount the work, take the focus off the joy, cause doubt and concern for future events, and in general do everything he could to steal our joy. But guess what? Our God is much wiser and omnipotent–He sees the plans of satan, and I imagine that He takes great joy in foiling them. Daily Prayer: Father, help us not to get caught off guard by the challenges we face in the world after we see Your miraculous hand at work. May the joy of serving You always outweigh the trials of this world. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Prayer encourages us as believers and foils the plans of the enemy." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 126 "Being filled is far more than eating a meal."

Day 126 Matthew 14:15-21 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.” But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17 And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” 18 He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. This amazing and often-repeated story of the feeding of the 5,000 men, plus the women and children, stands as a great reminder for all of us today of the fulfillment we can find in Jesus. A number of years ago, I was watching a documentary on the life of Jesus; it was, of course, one of those that sought to provide a worldly and well-rounded view of all that Jesus did. I remember being frustrated as I watched them do everything they could to figure out how and why, in human terms, this miracle was able to take place. Most of the views they proposed I cannot remember, and the rest made absolutely no sense because, after all, they approached it from the view of trying to shrink the things of God in order that they would fit in the mind of man. The thought I was left with, however, was very fulfilling; I realized at that time what the power of this passage was for me and my life, which was that Jesus is truly all any of us need to be fulfilled. You will notice that Jesus said in verse 18 bring them, meaning the people to Him. We know He meant the people because in the prior verse the disciples said, "We have here only five loaves and two fish." And in verse 19 it says, "Then He (Jesus) commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass." He could have just as easily said to the disciples, “Have everyone sit down where they are and feed them,” or, yes, He could have sent them to town or home; after all, the day was done; they were going home soon anyhow. But no, He chose to have the people gather around Him once more and to be fed not just in the spirit but now in the flesh before sending them out to face the world. Why? Because Jesus is all we truly need to be sustained in every way in this world! Far too much emphasis is being placed upon the worldly why’s and how's, and not enough emphasis is being placed on the who? which is, Christ is our sustenance. He is our all in all. Once again I will say it: every day we face the world without spending time in the Word, being filled in the spirit, we will be defeated, downtrodden, left wanting, and hungry, yet when we seek the Lord before facing the world, the opposite will be true. Yes, we will have trials. Yes, it will be difficult. However, if we are filled in the spirit, we will always be able to overcome and see the purpose of those challenges we face, even though it may take time. Learn to allow Jesus to be your all in all, take the time to sit at His feet and be filled, and you, too, will be satisfied and able to face the world. Daily Prayer: Father, help me to take the time to hear from You before I face the world. Fill me, I pray, in every way with Your strength that I may be all You desire of me today. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Being filled is far more than eating a meal." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 125 "Emotions are often the physical manifestation of spiritual happening–let go."

Day 125 Matthew 14:13-14 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. If I ever hear another person say we need to keep emotions out of ministry, I may possibly scream or at least cry. Jesus Himself is the very heir of compassion, and compassion is expressed by emotion. In this passage, Jesus is obviously moved by Herod's actions, the death of John, and by the pain and hunger of the people. Even though He had retreated to be alone, once he saw the people, He reacted to His emotions by using His power to heal. If Jesus is moved by His emotions, then why are we not allowed freedom to do so? The truth is the Bible does not instruct us to be mindless, unemotional beings. In fact, the truth would, in my opinion, be that we are to show our emotions. After all, if love is the greatest of gifts, do we not express our love through emotions? Yes, I agree that we need to temper our emotions with prayer and the leading of the Holy Spirit; however, to avoid or to suppress them when expressing our joy in the Lord is somewhat counterproductive. When God answers prayer, people get excited (as they should), and excited people are contagious–they cause others to want what they have. Isn't that the great commission? Following God is fun, exciting, and, yes, emotional, so why fight it? Give in and have some fun; who knows, you might even see a miracle or two! Daily Prayer: Father, help us to balance our emotions with prayer and the leading of Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. "Emotions are often the physical manifestation of spiritual happening–let go." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 124 "Consider the influence and consequence before you make the promise."

Day 124 Matthew 14:1-12 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.” For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. Because John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod. Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter.” And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her. So he sent and had John beheaded in prison. And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus. Herod was a man who made a promise at a time when he was being wrongly influenced. You see, Herod was under the influence of sin at the time. Nevertheless, Herod knew that once an oath had been made it could not be reversed, even if it were a mistake. More often than I care to admit I, too, have made promises while under the influence. Be it pride, fear, or lack of prayer followed by waiting, we have all made promises that don't look so good in hindsight. However, a promise made should be a promise kept (assuming you didn't promise to kill or harm someone). Once I began to walk in true integrity, it became apparent to me that every word that proceeds from my mouth should be fulfilled; therefore, I am to be even more careful and thoughtful about what I say. Yet when you have kept the tough promises, the ones that cost you, it is only then that you truly understand the importance and effect of every word. However, if you are one who discounts promises made in error, I challenge you today to "let your yes be yes," and walk in true integrity, especially if it costs you! Daily Prayer: Father, may we never discount our words and our promises. Teach us to wait upon You before we open ourselves to outside influences. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. "Consider the influence and consequence before you make the promise." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 123 "Look with your heart; you'll be amazed at what you will see."

Day 123 Matthew 13:54-58 And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Josas, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things? So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house." Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. I often wonder how many blessings we miss out on because we neglect either the message or the messenger due to familiarity. Unfortunately, I would suspect that it happens far more often than we would care to admit. Jesus had gone from a child growing up and playing in the streets of Nazareth to becoming a man speaking in the synagogue with authority and power of the written Word of God, the Holy Scriptures. Suddenly, He was able to heal the sick, cast out demons, and perform miraculous things that had never before been seen by men. What changed in Him? Why the sudden ability to do these things? May I share my theory with you? When the Lord called me to the position of Executive Pastor at Little Country Church, I suddenly, and without explanation, had a change in my heart toward the people of the Church. The first Sunday I sat with Pastor Bryan on stage, I suddenly saw people for who they were; their pain became my own, their fears were suddenly my fears, and their wants I saw. For the first time, I understood what it meant to Shepherd the Flock–the Lord had placed the mantle of a Shepherd upon me–and I experienced what it meant to be anointed for a particular work. However, to my family, my friends, and to that same flock, I was still just Pastor Gene, the guy who had been led by the Lord from one position to another and now, after 23 years, as the Executive Pastor. However, for me it was so much more–the discernment became stronger. Along with the other gifts that God gives us, this mantle was one of great power and responsibility, yet only Pastor Bryan and I understood its existence. It could not be explained and never completely understood by those who had never borne it, yet for those who had, life would never be the same. It truly was a burden to carry for, you see, I had a much deeper understanding yet, again, those who knew me didn't know; therefore, it was at times very painful, for walking fully in my gifts was not accepted. Even now, the use of the gifts God has given me is far easier to exercise when I am with people who don't know my history, as I am sure it is with you. Is it because they have not gotten a chance to see our shortcomings? Possibly so; however, it could just as easily be that they are not yet tainted by the trappings of the flesh; that they are willing to believe that God can use us. Maybe they are just gullible enough to believe that God is capable of using anyone or anything when He wants to get His point across. He can even use a mule! I would challenge you to take another look around, forget what you do know about people, and see that which you do not know. Ask the Lord if you are selling Him and or someone else short because you have a history or because you know them, and then open your eyes and watch God truly do the miraculous. Remember, if you're not open to believing the unbelievable, you won't ever have need to, because God will find someone who does. Daily Prayer: Father, help us to overlook that which we believe to be true about people. Give us fresh eyes and ears in order that we might understand you more. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Look with your heart; you'll be amazed at what you will see." Pastor Gene Burroughs

Day 122 "Obedience leads to prophetic, while disobedience leads to the pathetic."

Day 122 Matthew 13:51-53 Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all those things?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old." Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. If you haven't figured it out yet, I love to tell stories (nonfictional) to emphasize some of the things I have seen God do according to His promises and His Word. When I read this passage, I'm reminded of the times I would sit and listen to my grandparents speak of times of old: the trials they faced as children, the work ethics instilled from them at an early age, the appreciation for everything as a result of the great depression; then how they met and the trials of marriage, how they found Christ, the challenges of raising their children, and for one set of grandparents, how they knew God had called them to ministry. My grandparents who were pastors spoke great wisdom into both my wife and me regarding serving God and the challenges that arise when you serve people, how to stay committed and focused on God, the importance of rest, and most of all, they shared their mistakes. They were humble enough and loved us enough to admit their imperfections and then talk about the results of those failures. The many, yet not enough, hours I spent with my grandparents listening to them sharing the treasures of old can never be reproduced or replaced as they were invaluable. If only I had realized that more when they were still with us. Sometimes I will sit and read from my grandmother’s old Bible or her sermon notes and even some songs and poems she wrote, and I am amazed at how timeless the things of God are. Even though she wrote most of them 40-plus years ago, they are relevant for today. I could take them out, share them as my own, and they would be just as fresh and filling as they were when she wrote them. Why? Because the things of God are timeless; they are just as relevant today as they were when Christ walked the earth. The lessons that Moses, David, and all of the Old Testament prophets learned and shared are just as relevant now as they were then, for He is the same God. He is ". . . the same yesterday, today, and forever." We need not attempt to improve on what God has done but rather be obedient to what He asks and what He has instructed. We need to understand the treasure of the Word, listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and remember the testimony of the saints. These things will work together to transform us, lead us, and strengthen us; all we need to do is listen and obey. Since I can't listen to my grandparents and their wisdom any longer, maybe I'll try not to make a similar mistake with God. Daily Prayer: Father, help me to keep my ears open and my mind set upon the things of You, for Your treasures are too valuable to overlook. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Obedience leads to prophetic, while disobedience leads to the pathetic." Pastor Gene Burroughs