Day 210 "Go ahead and give the foolish your oil if you like; I'll keep mine, thank you."

Day 210 Matthew 25:1-13 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” A while back there was a very common theme of conversation started among the people I was ministering and visiting with: "a call to holiness." It seems that no matter who begins the conversation regarding what God is doing in their lives or what He is leading them to focus on, it keeps coming back to living in a manner that is worthy of the calling, worthy of His sacrifice, and being willing to proclaim that message in love without fear. Somehow, many in the church in America (by that I mean believers and their leaders) seem to have bought into the lie that we are not to offend people with our message and that we are to be overwhelmingly gentile and gracious when dealing with everyone, even those who profess to believe yet act as if they are of the world. The statement "judge not lest ye be judged" has completely negated all other passages that tell us that when our brother has sinned against us, we are to hold him accountable (Matthew 18:15). I'm not for one second saying we are to be legalistic or spend our lives seeking out the imperfections of others; however, I am saying that when people are obviously choosing to live a life of sin while professing to be believers, we should not stand idly by nor pacify and make excuses for them. What does this have to do with the preceding passage you ask? Jesus said, “Now five of them were wise and five were foolish.” He also tells us that the wise did not give their oil to the foolish lest none of them would be ready for the bridegroom. You see, many of today's leaders would say that even though the five were foolish and knew better, you should give them some of your oil, but that is not what our savior said. Yes, it is a story, a parable, yet Jesus is the one that used the word foolish, not me, and it is here to teach us. You see, when people are aware of what is coming, and when they have the tools they need to be prepared and choose not to prepare, choose not to obey, choose to be lazy and slothful and giving into the desires of their flesh, we are not responsible. Did you catch that? If we are giving people the direction they need and showing them the way and providing opportunities for them to be discipled, and they choose not to be ready, we do not need to feel guilty or adjust what we do in order to make up for their choices nor do we need to apologize for the truth of the Word. This is not our Word, it is His; He inspired it, and His spirit is in it. How dare we change it or apologize for what it says–could that not in some ways be heresy? Yes, maybe that sounds a little strong yet there are those who have done just that. Let me give you a quick example. There are a group of men who are the so-called leaders of the "emergent church movement" who have said they believe that when Christ returns He will return to restore peace and communion between all men and animals with God, yet nowhere does the Bible say this or many of the other things they speak as truth; however, the Christian church is standing idly by and even singing the praises of these men. Look it up for yourself. I will tell my brother in love when he has gone astray, and I will never apologize for God or His word no more than He did. It is time for us to stand in love and to stand for the truth rather than patting our brothers and sisters on the back, all the while allowing them to be deceived and led astray for fear of offending them. Daily Prayer: Father, I pray for the ability to balance between loving your people into the kingdom and loving them out of deception. Show me when to be firm and when to be soft, and show me Your ways I pray, Oh Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Go ahead and give the foolish your oil if you like; I'll keep mine, thank you." Gene Burroughs, Pastor

day 209 "Hypocrites will always be exposed for who they are; God will not be mocked."

Day 209 Matthew 24:45-51 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” I have heard it said that "ignorance is bliss" and, in actuality, this may be one of those cases where this statement could actually be true. You see, God has much more mercy on those who do not know the truth than He does on those who know the truth yet purpose to ignore or disobey it. Quite often, when Jesus says that there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, He is doing so at the same time; He is warning against being hypocritical and the punishment that awaits those who are. One thing that is for certain, our God will not be mocked. He is God and He will have His day, especially by those who openly profess Him as Lord. Over the years, I have witnessed many a man who has openly professed their position and belief in Christ only to watch as their so-called hidden sin becomes exposed and they are reduced to utter humility. So why is it that the Lord of all creation takes such great offense to those who speak one way openly and act another in private? Why not leave them to their own demise? Surely there are more important things for Him to take care of, right? While, yes, there are many other things for God to tend to, He does take hypocrisy seriously and for good reason. By the way, God is not limited on what He can accomplish or limited in the number of tasks He can perform. Anyhow, back to the point, those who practice hypocrisy are literally mocking God; they assume that they can get away with their secret behavior as if God wouldn't know. They minimize the power of God in their minds; they reduce Him to a human type form as if they somehow have control over how much or what He can do. By doing so, they influence others to develop the same mindset; they are people under the influence of a prideful and rebellious spirit, not much unlike the same spirit that caused satan to leave heaven and attempt to place himself above God. I realize this may sound harsh and even offensive to some; however, let me take this a little further. What is the number one argument of pre-believers? More often than not, the thing we hear most from pre-believers is that Christians are hypocrites. We say we are honorable and to be trusted, and yet we are all too often swayed by greed, lust, or other sin just as quickly or quicker than the pre-believers. This behavior and reputation has long left a bitter taste in the mouths of those seeking an excuse to discount the power of our God by exposing the weakness of our flesh. In their minds, if we cannot contain our flesh after our so-called conversion, then we are simply liars, mocking our God who doesn't even have the power to stop us. Sound harsh? It is. Do I believe this to be true? In most cases, I would say, absolutely and unfortunately, yes. So what do we do about all of this you ask? First of all, we heed the warning, we avoid double talk, we live a life that glorifies God, and we never try to convince people of how strong a Christian we are. We simply live a life worthy of His praise and let our actions speak as to who we are in Him. Secondly, we help others who have fallen into this trap, those who have been deceived into believing the lie; we show our brothers the better way; and, if that doesn't work, we confront them in love (Matthew18). And when pre-believers use hypocrites as their excuse, we remind them that Christians are not perfect; we are, however, forgiven. Daily Prayer: Father, please help me to not be deceived into a hypocritical lifestyle. Teach me, Lord, how to lead the deceived to redemption and the lost to the savior. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Hypocrites will always be exposed for who they are; God will not be mocked." Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 208 "Sometimes obedience is not but obedience at all but rather the end of disobedience."

Day 208 Matthew 24:42-44 “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” One of the fonder, yet stranger, memories of my childhood was attending a funeral where my Mom had been asked to sing. While it seems, in my mind, that this was a very regular occurrence, the truth is it may have only happened once, but either way, there was a distinct impression or two left burning in my mind. The one funeral I remember very well was for an elderly woman who I may or may not have known, but either way it didn't matter; her death put into motion a plan for my life–in my mind the perfect plan. You see, she was very old and had died in a hospital, so, in my mind, she knew her death was coming, and since at that time I had never experienced anyone who was not elderly dying, I assumed that this is just how it was–you get old, go to the hospital, and die. Well, that makes this whole living thing very easy for a child like me. You see, all you need to do is live your life however you want, have all kinds of fun, then when you go to the hospital to die, you ask God to forgive you and you go to heaven. What a great plan! Okay, so I can hear you laughing now but not at me, rather with me, because I know that many of you have thought the same way at one time or another. If only life were that simple. Yet even though we laugh at the thought of living life in that manner, there are many so-called mature adults out there who are living a life very similar to the one I described, some intentionally, some not so intentionally, yet both with the same outcome. Tomorrow, for many, has become the day that the sinful behavior will end: tomorrow I'll quit using drugs, tomorrow I'll end the affair, tomorrow I'll stop being rebellious toward my boss, tomorrow I'll stop looking at porn, tomorrow I'll stop doing that thing that God has been convicting me of for so long. One problem among many with that thinking is we do not have the guarantee of tomorrow. Some would say, "But all of the prophecy has not been fulfilled, Jesus won't return yet." Can I tell you something? My dad fell over dead at 50 in mid sentence of a conversation with his wife; he was with the Lord before his body hit the ground! Again I ask, "Do we have the guarantee of tomorrow or even our next breath?" The answer, of course, is a resounding ‘No!’ Obedience to what God has called you to do anytime after that call is simply the end of disobedience–did you catch that? If God tells me to end a particular behavior or practice and I delay at all, I am not obeying Him when I quit, I am simply ending my disobedience. Ouch! By the way, don't think this isn't hitting home with me either. I'm just sharing with you the conviction that God has shown me this morning–no perfection here. Daily Prayer: Father, I pray that you would help me to live every moment of every day as if I were a breath away from being face to face with You. Show me Your ways, Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Sometimes obedience is not but obedience at all but rather the end of disobedience." Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 207 "The flesh can never be satisfied; it will always hunger for more even unto death."

Day 207 Matthew 24:37-41 “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.” The death of all flesh. This is how Genesis Chapters 6 and 7 describe the great flood in the days of Noah, wow, the death of all flesh. I don't know that I have ever thought about the coming of the Lord in such a way yet, truly, this is what the return of Jesus will accomplish. No longer will mankind be bound or influenced by our flesh. In the blinking of an eye, all temptation, evil, and boundaries will be gone; every physical influence we are subjected to destroyed, wow! You see, the people of the time of Noah had completely given themselves over to their fleshly desires and influences. We read that fallen angels had actually left their heavenly place and inhabited human bodies to partake in the lusts of the flesh. The Bible tells us again in Genesis 6 and 7 that violence prevailed as well; the people were so violent they were out of control. Their desires, fears, and wants had completely taken over all of their actions, again the result of giving in to the flesh. I, for one, understand, to a certain degree, this battle that rages on between the flesh and the spirit. While I cannot speak for anyone else, the truth is the moment I let down my guard I'm in trouble. Now mind you, I don't run off into a perverted state of sinful activities; however, I am convinced, if I were to completely let go, there is no telling where my flesh would lead me. When Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12 that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, he is correct in that the battle is a spiritual one; however, let us not forget that the daily battle we fight truly is against our own flesh, which has been influenced by demonic spirits seeking to cause our failure and fall. I remember as a child growing up, television commercials were about 1 minute every 15 minutes. They were neither offensive nor explicit; they were, however, as always very suggestive. Today, it seems that there is more commercial time than air time, and every commercial is directly targeted at our flesh; they seek to enhance our fleshly desire to be satisfied by their product. The ad agencies know that if they can get our flesh to desire a product, most of us will give in to that desire, and their product will be consumed in one way or another. However, it is rare that we see a commercial targeting our spiritual desires. The many cults that call themselves churches don't even target the spiritual needs. No, they target family values; why? because it works. People are genuinely seeking to satisfy the desires of their flesh with seemingly reckless abandon today. They are on a slippery slope headed for sure destruction for the flesh can never truly be satisfied–it will always seek more pleasure. Therefore, we must continue to fight even the harder to protect ourselves and our loved ones from giving in to those desires. Our lives must be lived to satisfy our spirit for, after all, one will live on and soon the other will die, one way or another! Daily Prayer: Father, please give us the strength to stand against our fleshly desires, and may our desire to grow in the strength of our spirit overwhelm the temptations of this world. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "The flesh can never be satisfied; it will always hunger for more even unto death." Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 206 "If my heart is with Him, my eyes will be on heaven, and His love will flow through me."

Day 206 Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Over my quickly growing lifetime, I, as many of you, have heard of numerous cults or groups of people who have predicted the day and hour of the return of Christ. Some have sold all of their earthly possessions and gathered on mountaintops waiting for the glorious return. Others have sold all of their belongings and moved to communes where they yet wait upon the return and, yes, some have even committed mass suicides believing that they had need to do so. I heard of one group that actually went to a mountaintop at sunrise to wait for the Lord. Besides all of the other reasons that this is foolish, I have a question, "Why would God come to the USA at sunrise? If Jerusalem is His chosen city, and He is returning at sunrise, wouldn't that be a different time here, like around 11 hours, give or take?" Generally speaking, there are a number of common factors with these cults and movements; the first being a leader. Someone had to come up with the plan to deceive others for their own gain or possibly, in some cases, they actually believed their wacked-out plan. Secondly, there were people willing to believe the lie and follow someone who espoused a new form of hope, tranquility, or eternal bliss. Thirdly, it seems that they needed to disconnect from all of their earthly goods, generally to sell them and give the money to their humble leader for safekeeping or proper use after they were all gone. Then we throw in the need for some twisted ideas about sex, procreation, or whatever else the leader has dreamed up and, yes, now we have it, the great one with all of the answers has arrived. But, what about the local respected pastor who has never asked any of these things from folks nor does he now; he simply states that, for whatever reason, God has given him the time and the hour of His return. Is he wrong as well? The answer, of course, would be yes, if for no other reason than the fact that Jesus said ‘no man knows the hour.’ Simply stated, that is exactly what it means, no one knows! When anyone begins to contradict the Word of God in such a blatant manner, red lights should begin flashing and alarm bells should be going off, no matter who they are. Yes, there are signs, and, yes, we should be ready, and, yes, it could be today; however, when someone defines the day or the hour, they have crossed a line. So, what do we do when people have crossed the line? First, we pray for them and then we confront them when we can, first with another believer and then, if need be, we take them before the elders; however, we do not sit idly by and watch while people are led astray or deceived. After all, haven't there been enough people led astray by wackos speaking in the name of our God while we, as the church, sit by and watch, doing nothing to stop them? Call me a rebel, call me judgmental, or whatever you like, but I, for one, am truly tired of people using my savior’s name to fulfill their own agenda, all the while furthering the fear of Christianity. We have the truth on our side, we have direction from the Lord, and we are called to make a difference. Why not rise up and speak the truth in love? Ezekiel 33:1-6 is a great passage for every believer to read. As a matter of fact, here it is. Read it for yourselves, and then ask God what you're to do when people are obviously being led astray. Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’” Daily Prayer: Father, I pray for wisdom and strength to do all I can for Your kingdom here on earth. I pray for the words to speak and the heart of love to speak them through that You may be glorified and that I might be used by You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "If my heart is with Him, my eyes will be on heaven, and His love will flow through me." Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 205 “Joy or fear is coming for all; have you told them what you know?”

Day 205 Matthew 24:32-35 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” In Redding, California, where we live, there are very distinct seasons. While the climate here can be at times very unpredictable, the seasons are amazingly predictable. For example, sometime in May our temperatures will reach 100 plus; that is when you know the rains have by and large ended. From this point on, you can plan your outdoor events and be more than reasonably sure that, other than an occasional shower, the storms are over for at least 3 months. In October, generally on or near Halloween, our first major storm will hit. In December, there will be rain, and within the first 2 weeks of January, we will have a week or more of sunshine. When the geese head for the north, we can prepare our ground for planting, and when the deer disappear, summer is days away. These are signs of the times. I can also remember as a child growing up in Eureka, California: a coastal town where my family and I spent a great deal of time on the ocean. At that time, the weather recording data and instant information was not available to the average man, so we learned to look at other signs for our information. When you are on a giant ocean in a small boat, you truly must be watchful for certain signs in order to avoid utter destruction. For example, the fog bank: when you saw the fog coming, you would watch the speed with which it approached; if it came in quickly, it was being pushed by a wind. The speed of the fog movement would tell you approximately how big the waves would be that were coming your way. If you were not paying attention, you could find yourself too far out to sea to find the shelter of the harbor; hence, risking possible capsizing. On a clear day, you would listen to the ring of the various bells positioned in the sea; as the rhythm changed, you knew the sea was changing, and you reacted accordingly. These were the signs of danger. All around us there are signs showing us the dangers we face now, the dangers we may soon face, and the signs of the times. These signs are there for our protection; they are there to help us get through life with the least amount of turmoil and trouble, and they are our help. Jesus is telling us in this passage that we, too, must watch for the signs of His coming; that while we are not to be fearful, we are to be ready and watchful. Why, you ask? The answer, if for no other reason, is because He says to, and, in addition, that we might be ready–our spiritual bags packed so to speak. In verse 34, Jesus tells us that the generation that sees the signs He has been speaking of in Chapter 24 will see the return of Christ. Now, I don't know about you, but I see much of that taking place all around us as we speak. Does that mean I stop what I'm doing and stand with my suitcase waiting for Jesus to rescue me? Of course not, but it does mean I do all I can to be prepared to go: I spend time in my word, I test the teachings I hear and read, and most of all, I share what I see, hear, and read with those who are unaware. Let's say you're standing on a corner waiting for the crosswalk light to change, traffic is whizzing by, everyone in a hurry, when, suddenly, a blind person walks up next to you and, unaware of the danger, steps off the curb and proceeds to step into the path of sure destruction. Would you attempt to warn him or would you ignore it and watch him be hurt or possibly killed for fear of offending? Why, of course you would do everything you could, including risking your own life, to stop him, wouldn't you? No, there really isn't a difference between the blind man in the story and the person you have yet to tell of Christ–the outcome truly will be the same. You see the signs and you know what they are pointing to–wouldn't it be a good idea to tell someone? Daily Prayer: Father, I pray that You will give us the strength and fortitude to share our faith and to reveal to others the signs of the times. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. “Joy or fear is coming for all; have you told them what you know?” Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 204 "Daddy's coming home soon, are you ready?"

Day 204 Matthew 24:27-31 “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” While we, as believers, see this as a great and glorious time (as we should), for nonbelievers this will be a time of great fear, distress, and dread, as it should be. It is helpful to remember that most likely at this time in history the world would have been under the hand of the enemy and the leadership of the antichrist. Lawlessness would prevail, morality will be despised, and people have been left to their own vices; generally speaking, anything goes and is accepted during this time. However, Daddy is coming home, and someone will be punished for their disobedience. I grew up in a time where spankings and physical forms of punishment were still very much the accepted form of discipline; it was not uncommon for the belt to find its way to my backside. However, the emotional pain of punishment always far outweighed the physical pain of punishment. You see, I always knew when I had done something that would lead to punishment; after all, I knew the rules, and just as well, I knew that when I broke them, I would be punished. The worst struggle came when I broke a big rule or a rule I had never broken before, because then I was never sure how severe the punishment would be. Therefore, I ran scenarios in my mind: I would think of the worst possible form of punishment and then work my way back toward a lesser form, all the while being tormented in my mind. You see, I knew dad was coming home, and I knew I would be punished, but when I heard him come through the front door and saw his face, that’s when my heart truly sank, and fear pulsated through every being of my soul. You would think that the emotional and physical pain of such an event would keep me from intentionally falling short, yet it never did; the joy of the flesh always outweighed the fear of the punishment. In these times that Jesus is speaking of people will be in a very similar place. The joy of their flesh will be overpowering any fear of judgment until that very day of the return of the Son, who carries with Him the punishment of the Father. At that very moment, all mankind will let out a fearful sigh, for then they will know–Daddy's home–and He's not very happy. My dad used to tell me it always hurt him more than it hurt me; I often wondered, "Well, if it hurts so badly, why spank me?" Now I know, for I, too, am a dad. Our failures hurt our Father because He knows what's best. He knows that the result of our choice could have eternal consequences; He knows that we don't understand. However, it is only because of our rebelliousness and our wrong choices that we will all continue to suffer, some for an eternity. I truly don't believe that God is anxiously anticipating sending Jesus back; I rather choose to believe that he is waiting and wanting every one of His children to turn from their evil ways; all the while knowing they won't. Think about it, what joy is there for a merciful, loving God to send the people He created and loves to eternal suffering? Yet He will, and not by any choice of His own. Daddy's coming home, are we ready? Daily Prayer: Father, I never want to fear Your return as I did that of my own earthly father, yet many should. Teach me, Lord, how to communicate with Your children Your love, Your grace, and Your mercy, as well as Your impending judgment, that many may know You! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Daddy's coming home soon, are you ready?" Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 203 "Everything that looks like God is not God, yet He never changes–He is forever the same."

Day 203 Matthew 24:23-26 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.” My Christian heritage has deep roots in the Pentecostal movement of the Sixties, as my grandparents were both ordained pastors in the denomination. Attending their church was a rather exciting experience; you could always count on the fact that it would be very emotional. You really never knew how things were going to go; there could be dancing, crying, people speaking in tongues, miracles, and some things that were, well, just beyond explanation. Yes, I believe with all my heart that God was there and the people were, for the most part, being influenced by the Spirit of God. I believe that their reaction was more than partly due to the human fleshly body being encompassed by the power of a Holy God. The night I personally met the Lord I had come to watch the show, so to speak; however, I had not planned on participating, yet He had other plans. The Lord drew me forward, filled me with His Spirit, and I joyfully accepted Him as my Lord and Savior, all the while never doubting that He was there and that this experience was genuine. I share this brief glimpse into my past for the purpose of making it very clear that I believe with all my heart that the gifts of the Spirit are for all of us and that the Spirit of God fills all believers. In addition, I believe that everyone who believes has their own way of approaching and celebrating the Spirit of God in their lives, some more expressive than others and none less important or significant than the other; each complete in its own way. What does this have to do with the preceding passage, you ask? There are many out there who seem to be looking for the next great move of God; their focus seems to be on seeing in order to believe. There is not, nor has there ever been, a shortage of opportunities for people to be led astray by the next great movement or man of God moving in the gifts. This is not to say that all revivals are demonic or false, yet they should never be the primary focus of any believer. When believers are constantly looking for affirmation and emotionalism in order to validate their relationship with, or the existence of, a Holy God, they run the risk of forever being left wanting. Addiction to God can be a very healthy thing; however, addiction to being supercharged by emotions is not a healthy act for believers. People who are truly seeking God will find Him, fellowship with Him, and have peace with Him. They don't look to conjure Him up; they simply enjoy His presence–it's all about a healthy balance. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the falling upon a believer of the Holy Spirit is not wrong, in my opinion; however, again, in my opinion, chasing after the next great move of God is a very dangerous lifestyle. The greatness, power, or joy of God should never be weighed against how one feels–how we feel has nothing to do with God's power or faithfulness. If the elect can be deceived by false teachers, then all of us should truly be very careful about what we believe, who we follow, and how we react to things. God is faithful, just, and true to His word, so be watchful and careful to test every opinion, movement, and teachers’ words against the written Word, and when they match, we can participate; when they don't, we don't. Sound good? Daily Prayer: Father, we desire to be in the closest and most intimate worship possible with You at all times. Show us how, Lord, and keep us from deception, we pray. In Jesus’ name, Amen. "Everything that looks like God is not God, yet He never changes–He is forever the same." Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 202 "It's how we finish that is remembered most."

Day 202 Matthew 24:15-22 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” Now would be a good time for us to be reminded that Jesus’ message is being directed to the Jews (while He is speaking words we should all remember about events to watch for). You see, at the fulfillment of this passage, the Jewish people will have rebuilt the temple and reinstituted the offering of sacrifices for their sins. Up until now, the world will largely have left them alone and allowed them to continue their tradition, all the while planning a great deception. You see, it appears that a world leader will somehow befriend the Jewish people and allow them to make sacrifices to their God for a short time. Soon, however, he sets himself up as their god by placing an image of himself in their temple seeking that they would worship him (Daniel 9:27, 12:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:4, and Revelation 13:14-15). This is what is called the "abomination of desolation." The warning that follows is one that should be taken very seriously by all who believe, for when this happens (if we are here and able), a great conflict will break out. No longer will the people be deceived as to the sincerity of this world leader; we will know his plans. The urgency with which Jesus speaks cannot be mistaken no more than the severity of the times; this will be a very difficult time for the Jewish people for they will be forced to make a choice. Jesus describes this as a time more difficult than any other that has been seen upon the earth; a time where flesh would not be saved if God did not intervene and shorten the days. I cannot even imagine how difficult it would be to be alive at such a time. So what do we do, you ask? We pray. We pray for wisdom, understanding, patience, knowledge, and the peace of Jerusalem. We pray for the will of the Lord and for our brothers and sisters in Israel. Nothing can be done to prevent these events, nor would we desire to, no more than we would desire to delay them. Now is the time to build up our resolve, to become strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Now is the time to prepare. Remember, there are few people ever praised or remembered for how they ran the race; people are known simply by how they finish. Therefore, finish well by being prepared every day! Daily Prayer: Father, may You teach us daily how to prepare for the future we face. May You, Lord, draw us closer to You, for without You, we will never make it to the end. Help us to finish well. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "It's how we finish that is remembered most." Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 201 "Better to be humble and happy than to be right and bitter."

Day 201 Matthew 24:9-14 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” When reading this passage, there are six words in particular that stand out to me: "…love of many will grow cold." What is it that causes people to grow cold in their love? Having worked with many hundreds of people through many hundreds of issues, I would say that the biggest challenge facing people today is allowing themselves to grow cold to love or allowing their heart to become hard. I consider myself to be a somewhat patient man; it is actually very difficult for someone to upset me enough to confront them. For those who have been confronted by me in anger, they would surely disagree; however, the statement remains to be true. Yes, it does take time, but what is the trigger? You see, I don't generally confront people in anger until my love for them, because of my lack of fellowship with God, has grown cold. How does this happen, you ask? Our hearts generally grow cold when we have become selfish enough to think that everything revolves around us, that we and our needs are the most important things to be satisfied. You see, once we decide this, we suddenly have very little compassion or patience with those who challenge us or don't agree with us about the importance of our needs. In far too many marriages the heart has grown cold because of neglect, lack of intimacy, unresolved issues, or, yes, even unfaithfulness. We as human beings have an innate ability to throw up a preventive shield when we have made up our mind that someone intends to harm or betray us. Even in cases where we have hurt others, we often make up our mind that there is either no way they can, or should, forgive us for what we have done to them. Look again at verse 10: "And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another." Because of offenses, many will become so angry with people that they will betray them–all in the name of vengeance. Yes, this passage, in particular, is speaking of the end times; however, does it not apply to us today? How often have we, out of hurt or selfishness, broken off relationships and harmed others and sometimes even forgotten why? Human nature is, in fact, to hurt others who have hurt you, yet God's nature is to have compassion on those who hate Him. It is love beyond all reason; love that never grows cold. It is love without bounds. To us, it makes little sense at times yet, to God, it is the only sensible thing. The end times will be tough enough without all of us hating each other and growing cold. Maybe today would be a good day to start warming up to those we have angered or that have angered us. By the way, the message will be preached, the gospel will be heard, all will be judged, and the end will come. Wouldn't it be better to enjoy the trip along the way a little more by letting go of those old grudges and not replacing them with new ones? Daily Prayer: Father, help me to a fence between men and death rather than an offense that could send them to their death. I pray for the strength to forgive and the humility to be able to ask forgiveness. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Better to be humble and happy than to be right and bitter." Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 200 "Circumstances should never control a believer, for the outcome is up to Him."

Day 200 Matthew 24:6-8 “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” The beginning of sorrows, wow, what a way to start! If you didn't know the end, you might think that this was a rather harsh beginning, yet the beginning really does pale in comparison to the end. If we open a paper, read the news on the Web, or catch a glimpse of world news, what do we learn? There are nations coming against nations; there is famine in various parts of the world; new diseases that have no cure are being discovered. And every few months, we hear of another nation or community being destroyed by earthquakes. I can hear the Lord now as people line up with excuses, claiming they had no notice. He might say something like this, ‘Did you not hear, did you not read? I warned you.’ Jesus, before His crucifixion, was wasting no time–He was giving important and timeless instruction that people needed to hear then and they need to hear even more so now. As we move into the upcoming passages, we will be hearing the very plan that God has for this world. We are now being told what signs to look for, and soon we will be told how we are to react. If, by chance, you read this passage and feel as I do, that we truly could be witnessing the events described here by Christ as the signs of His return, you will want to pay very close attention to the direction He gives us in the following passages. So how do we respond today to what we have just read? We pray, we remain steadfast in the midst of opposition, we fight the enemy on our terms, we avoid sin and temptation, we take great joy and comfort in our position with Christ, and we share all of this with those we meet. The role of a believer in trying times is to live a life that reinforces the belief–our God is a God of peace; therefore, we live in peace. He is a God of love; therefore, we live a life of love. He is a God of grace and mercy; therefore, we are gracious and merciful, and so on. There is no place for fear in the life of a believer: fear is to faith as David was to Goliath. There is no place for doubt in the life of a believer, for doubt is a lack of understanding and belief of promises. There is no place for war against our brothers in these times, for we "wrestle not against flesh and blood;" therefore, our battle must be in the heavenlies, fought and won on our knees. There is no place for judgment, for there is only one judge, and He has yet to return. My friends, I implore you, today, don't fall into the trap of the enemy, don't justify your actions or beliefs by the circumstances around you, but rather stand firm on the foundation of the Word and the promises made for those who believe and, by our love, they will know our God! Daily Prayer: Father, there is much fear and frustration around us today; much being fueled by our doubts and lack of faith. Give us the strength, Lord, to be overcomers, to be witnesses to this world by the way we react to the trials we face, and may we do so with grace. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Circumstances should never control a believer, for the outcome is up to Him." Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 199 "What I know should dictate who I am, not my surroundings."

Day 199 Matthew 24:3-5 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” I am somewhat surprised at the first response of Jesus when asked what would be the signs of His coming; however, it does make perfect sense. Jesus’ response is, first of all, a warning; a warning to be watchful and wary for false teachers and false Christs. One thing for certain is that if Jesus says something will happen, then, most assuredly, it will, and He is saying that many will come in His name claiming to be Christ, wow! I have seen and heard of a few, but not really many. Are there more to come, possibly so, but what does that have to do with us? The fact is that there are, have been, and will be more who will claim to be the one, the Christ, the Messiah, and, yes, they will deceive many, and they will do so by being impersonators. They will attempt to look, sound, and in every way appear to be the Messiah, yet only those who truly know Christ will be able to tell them apart. I'm sure that many of you have heard how they teach bank tellers and others who handle money to spot counterfeits; they teach them every detail of the original. You see, if you know every detail of the genuine article, you don't really need to study a counterfeit–it will reveal itself to you on its own, and it will appear as a fake. A while back, I had an amazing talk with my daughters about education and religion. They were, of course, very concerned about our religious freedoms and what types of things they will be taught as they, in the next few years, enter the public school arena. As we were driving down the road, there was a large building painted three colors: the top was a pinkish color, the bottom a yellow, and in the middle was a white band. I asked them, "What color is the middle band?" and they, of course, laughed at me and said something like, "Duh, it's white, dad." "Are you sure it's white?" I replied. Their answer, "Dad, do you need new glasses, it's white!" "My point exactly, girls." You see, the middle band is white. My daughters know that, and no matter how long I try to convince them it's another color, they know the truth, it's white. Yes, they may get tired of arguing and verbally agree it's another color, but in their mind they will always know the truth. As I shared this with them, I reminded them that it is their responsibility to study and know the truth. They must understand the Word and be familiar with the Savior who came, Jesus Christ, for by doing so, no other argument can ever change their mind. Believe it or not, they loved our little exercise and left the car feeling more confident and less afraid of the future. Why? Because they have the answer, and they are confident in it. Are you confident that you could spot a counterfeit? If not, you might want to spend a little more time with the original. He's pretty great to be with. Daily Prayer: Father, we do desire to know You more and to understand Your ways and to walk in them. Teach us every day more about You, I pray, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen. "What I know should dictate who I am, not my surroundings." Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 198 "Heavenly plans are not based on earthly conditions for they are all the will of God."

Day 198 Matthew 24:1-2 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Seven years ago, my first true glimpse of Jerusalem could not have been far from where this very conversation took place, and the view is quite amazing. As you gaze upon the old city of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, you are literally looking at history unfolding before your eyes. The first thing you notice (not by choice) is the dome of the rock mosque built upon the temple mount (of course not there at the time of Matthew's writing), its roof a polished gold so bright that it causes you to reach for sunglasses as it glistens in the sun. Below it, the east gate, where Jesus will, upon His return, enter the city, now walled shut in order to prevent His fulfillment of prophecy. In front of the wall there lays a non-Jewish cemetery placed there purposely, again, to prevent Christ from returning; after all, a Jew would be unclean if they entered such a place. To the right is another gate, scarred by the residue of bomb blasts and bullet holes, all signs of the ongoing battle for control and access to this Holy city. Today, as we view the city, we see the modern day additions and the signs of futile attempts of men to prevent the fulfillment of the very prophesy Jesus is now speaking. How foolish their efforts, and for what end, to insure their own death and destruction? Mankind will go through great effort to dispel a truth, yet they will not exert even the slightest amount of energy to verify it as such. For ages people have worked harder at attempting to prevent the truth from happening than they have at discovering what the truth truly is, again how futile! I have spent my life seeking the truth, and now studying it, and I can find no other explanation than the very fact that what we read in the Word of God is amazingly accurate. It is true! Yet, as I think back to the day I sat on this very spot, I cannot help but be heartbroken as I think of all the dead and buried souls that will never spend eternity with God because of their foolish pride or lack of desire to know the truth. The largest graveyard in the world lies on the side of the Mount of Olives facing the old city of Jerusalem, and it is filled with such people's remains. Am I angry? Yes; at them, no; at the enemy, yes I am. The great deceiver is running rampant convincing the world that Christ is not real. I was watching a video of Oprah Winfrey stating that she did not believe Jesus is the only way, and yet millions will continue to watch her. The next morning on national news, an anchorman asked a panel of experts if the Catholics in America at large were going to vote for morality or economics, and the answer was soundly and without doubt economics. No wonder America is in trouble. Jesus sat on this mountain of Olivet and proclaimed that He would return and not one stone of the temple would remain upon another, yet fools will attempt to block His re-entry with those very stones, graves, and other man-made obstacles. I guess one question would be this; what man-made thing could ever be powerful enough to stop the will of God? If you say nothing, you're actually a little wrong. You see, it is the will of God that all men would be saved, yet if the will of a man is to disobey, then God will allow it; however, nothing will prevent His prophecies from being fulfilled. Therefore, while a man may effectively remove Himself from the blessings of God, he can never prevent them from coming to another. In addition, while He may remove himself from God and assist others in doing so, he can never remove himself from the judgment of God. Scary thought, eh? Daily Prayer: Father, I surely do not know what is going on in the heavenlies, but I do know what You said You would do, and I pray Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen. "Heavenly plans are not based on earthly conditions for they are all the will of God." Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 197 "Trust in God takes action."

Day 197 Matthew 23:37-39 “Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” Growing up and living on a farm, there are a number of things you learn rather quickly: never get between a sow and her piglets, and never reach your hand under a hen with chicks. Well, the latter may be a little overdramatized, unless you're like me. I hate being pecked by a chicken; there is just something about it! But, seriously, as I read this passage, I can't help but smile when I think of how amazing it is that a hen can place so many chicks under her wings, and you will never know they are there. She hovers over them so tightly that nothing can get to them unless it gets past her; she is the force field between them and any danger. We live in an area where there are many hawks, and hawks love chicks, but when that hen clucks in her certain way, the chicks crawl under her wings, and they are as safe as safe can be. The only time the chicks are in trouble is when they ignore the call to danger or stay out just a little too long–that’s when their enemy gets them. This passage shows us a very passionate and loving side of our savior, as He desires to be the protection and covering for His people–all they need do is accept His offer. This passage also makes clear the point of our free will, for Jesus did not say that He gathered His people but rather that He wanted to, yet they refused, in other words, they made the choice. There are many times in my life where I really wanted God to choose for me; however, if He always did, I would soon become resentful, lazy, and unappreciative. Therefore, I must stay alert and do my best to make the right choices, the first of which is to love him. Another point in this passage is the great grace, mercy, and patience that He has for us all–they murdered men of God, they were about to murder Him, they rejected the savior, and yet He promises to return and rescue them in spite of their choices. The bummer for me is that even today we have all of this knowledge of our God, His goodness, faithfulness, and mercy, yet there are many who are still angry with Him, all for no reason. You see, there really is no good reason for being mad at God. He offers a better way, gives us every opportunity to be blessed, and so much more, yet for whatever the reason, many of us are angry with Him. Why? Because things haven't gone the way we think they should, or maybe we’re not as pretty as we would like to be, or possibly we don't understand why a loved one has gone on? To carry anger toward God means that we think we know better than He. How can that possibly be? Have we even the slightest ability to understand eternity, boundless space and timeless travel, peace beyond all measure, and love without end? Of course not. We cannot even begin to imagine these things, and yet there is so much more. Therefore, our anger, frustration, or dissolution with God has no foundation for we cannot relate; however, I can relate to this, he wants to protect us just as a mother chick protects her young. Now that is cool! Daily Prayer: Father, thank You that You desire to protect me from the effects of the world. Help me, Lord, to hear Your voice that I might run to You at the first sound of trouble. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Trust in God takes action." Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 196 "The only fear we need have of hell is ending up there."

Day 196 Matthew 23:33-36 “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” The words Jesus is speaking in Matthew 23:33-36 are just as pertinent today as they were at the time of His speaking them in the temple. Things really have changed very little since then. The burning question being, "How can you escape the condemnation of hell?" When I was a young child growing up in the Pentecostal Church of God, I became scared to death of going to hell. I didn't know a whole lot about Jesus, but I did know a lot about hell. Things like eternal fire, gnashing of teeth, wailing, and so on–that stuff is scary–that fear kept me from intentionally missing the mark. However, later in life I got enlightened, and it was no longer about hell, it became all about love, grace, and mercy. As I began to focus and be taught more about the love of Jesus, the grace of the Father, and the mercy that Christ's death provided me, the less concerned I became about hell. As a matter of fact, I was no longer worried about it at all. Why should I be? Jesus gave me the way out and, therefore, like many others, I began to abuse the gift of grace. It suddenly became far too easy to ask forgiveness than it did to ask for permission; easier to do things and repent than to wait upon the Lord for direction; easier to ask forgiveness for doing what my flesh wanted, reaping the reward of it; and then avoiding the punishment by repenting at first light. You see, it wasn't until I fell in love with the Lord that I felt the pain of sin; no longer did I care about hell or grace or even mercy. Oh sure, I am thankful for them, but none of that is any longer the point. The only point now is that I love Jesus, and He is my ticket out of hell. When did we get all caught up in not wanting to talk about hell anyhow? Was it the free-love movement of the '60s, the drug-infested bash of the '70s, or maybe the who-cares movement of the '80s? No matter when it was, it happened, and it shouldn't have. If the same message could be spoken to the people of today that Jesus spoke in Jerusalem, why aren't we? I know it's not politically correct; I know people don't want to hear it; yes, I know some won't listen; and, yes, even some will think we’re crazy, just like they did with Jesus. Let's face it, the fear of hell has saved many a man from spending eternity in its grasp, and a message of endless grace to be received by willful disobedience could allow hell to tighten its grasp on many as well, so which is better? The truth spoken in love can never go wrong. After all, if it worked for Jesus, it just might work for us; the only fear we need have of hell is ending up there. By the way, where are you in all of this, hopefully, not feeling too warm? Daily Prayer: Father God, help me not to become so familiar with Your grace and mercy that I forget about Your judgment and truth. Draw me closer, Lord, and teach me truth I pray. In Jesus’ name I ask, Amen. "The only fear we need have of hell is ending up there." Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 195 "Is that the truth you see or is it simply your truth?"

Day 195 Matthew 23:29-32 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt.” If hindsight is 20/20, then you would think that these religious leaders would be able to see that Jesus is the Christ, correct? However, hindsight is only 20/20 if you are paying attention to the past; otherwise, it will more often than not repeat itself. In actuality, we all tend to see things differently. Yes, we may be equally passionate about what we see; however, if what we see differs, one of us must be wrong. There is a video on the Internet showing people playing basketball, and you are given specific instructions before watching it. If you are like most people, you will simply see people playing basketball. However, when the same video is played in slow motion, a person in a bear suit slowly dances across the floor, and even though you know something is going on, at first glance, you will not see it. So, which video is correct, the one that you see the bear dancing in or the one you don't? Of course, the obvious answer is that the bear was there whether you saw it or not; the truth is, there is a bear in the video. For many of us, it is very easy to be somewhat judgmental against the Pharisees and scribes; after all, how could they miss the fact that Jesus was the Messiah? All the proof they needed was right in front of them. Were they not looking for it, were they divinely blinded, or were they so convinced that they were correct that, subconsciously, their minds prevented them from seeing the obvious? Truly, we don't know. We can, however, assume by Jesus’ dialog with them that they had purposed in their hearts to do what they wanted to do regardless of the facts–their minds had been made up. The result of this intentional decision for them, by the way, is the spending of eternity in Hell–probably not worth being right in their own mind. However, all of this does cause one to wonder (does it not?) about our own motivation at times. We truly must ask ourselves if we are allowing ourselves to be blinded, led astray, or somehow avoiding the truth in our own lives at times. The human mind is such a complicated and intriguing thing; even though unable to understand or comprehend itself, it is perfectly capable of manipulation to the point of absolute belief of an obvious untruth. There are simply too many things we do not understand to be able to understand them; therefore, we need help, we need boundaries, and we need the Word. Yes, I have said it again and I will many more times in my lifetime–we truly cannot trust ourselves or anyone else when it comes to absolutes. The only thing I can and will put my absolute trust in is the Word of God–it is and must be our cornerstone. Therefore, we probably should spend more time reading the Word than we do talking or thinking about it. After all, did I really see what I saw or is it just my memory? Daily Prayer: Father, we truly are a complicated people: a people whom You have made, a people who see many things the way we desire to see them rather than in the truth of what they are. Please remove the veil from our eyes in order that we may see and hear Your desire for us and our lives. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Is that the truth you see or is it simply your truth?" Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 194 “Is He Lord of my life or does my life lord over me?”

Day 194 Matthew 23:27-28 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Many of us have often heard this statement: “If it sounds too good to be true, it is.” Well, in the case of the people Jesus is speaking to, that is true. You see, many of the religious leaders of Jesus’ time had become men of high moral judgment for everyone but themselves; they saw themselves somewhat above everyone else, particularly the gentiles. They would act as though they were pure and holy yet, on the inside, they were hypocrites who apparently sinned often, with no repentance. I am so thankful that we, today, have the privilege and honor of having Jesus as our mediator and savior. Even though we face a plethora of challenges, He has paid the price. What can we learn from these men of whom Jesus speaks you ask? While there are many lessons, I have chosen one I deem of utmost importance–making Jesus the Lord of your life. You see, many will call on His name yet, to some, He will say upon His return: “Depart from Me, I never knew you,” not exactly the words we will desire to hear from Christ at His return. But those who have made Him Lord of their life will have no fear of hearing such painful and condemning words. I suggest they will hear something more like: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” Right now you may be asking “How do I know that I have made Him Lord of my life?” Maybe this will help. When a farmer has an orchard with good mature trees, and for whatever reason decides to change the type of fruit he produces, he has one of two options. One, he can go through the expense of tearing out all of the old trees, preparing the ground, and re-planting new seedlings. This process is very expensive and, as you can imagine, is quite time consuming. After all, once you have re-planted, you must now wait for the roots to take hold, the tree to grow, and, yes, in most cases, it will eventually re-pay you for your investment. However, there is another option. A farmer can remove the top of the tree from below the lowest limb and graft or attach the seedling of the fruit he has chosen to grow. Now the seedling will benefit from all of the nutrients of the existing stump and deep root system. Hence, the cost, effort, and destruction are greatly diminished, while the end result is a healthier and more quickly producing crop. You see, if we choose to make Jesus the Lord of our life now, we are instantly grafted into the kingdom; we will produce much more fruit than those who choose the way of death and destruction, followed by re-planting and care. Those who are grafted still must endure pain and change, but they are directly connected to the source of all good things, Jesus! Those who are not may or may not survive, but either way, they have chosen a much more difficult way. I pray today that each one who reads this will purpose in their hearts to be grafted to their savior, connected directly to Him, the source of all good things; the one who preserves, provides, shelters, and redeems. Are you grafted in? Is Jesus Lord of your life? Daily Prayer: Father, I pray that I will always keep You as the Lord of my life, never choosing my own way, but rather submitting to Your will. I surrender to Your Lordship today. In Jesus’ name, Amen. “Is He Lord of my life or does my life lord over me?” Gene Burroughs, Servant/Pastor

Day 193 "Godly people don't need polish; they already glow because of Him in them."

Day 193 Matthew 23:25-26 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.” When I was much younger and immature in the Lord, I was always so thankful for the Sunday and Wednesday services. Mind you, not in any great spiritual sense, but much more in the selfish sense. You see, it was then that I could truly block out the world, worship God, and sincerely seek and find forgiveness for everything I had done against His will for the past few days. It was as if the only time I was strong enough to make the right choices was when I was in fellowship with other believers. On my own, the choices I made were not always the right ones. While I believe that this is probably a common practice for many, I will say that while, yes, God's grace abounds, I would not recommend this lifestyle. Those who practice such a relationship with God will never achieve their best with Him. They will be in constant turmoil, never secure in any one place, and always wanting more and never feeling satisfied. In this passage, Jesus is speaking to people who do not wrestle with the lifestyle but rather knowingly and purposefully do all they can to look good on the outside and neglect the inside. They come to church when they can, they dress in their entire splendor, on occasion they may even help out (usually in high profile circumstances), but rarely do they feel the sting of sin. They have become too calloused and complacent; they are, in fact, numb to pain that sin causes and have never enjoyed true communion with God enough to know when sin has severed that communion. People like this are truly more of a burden than a blessing for because of their perfect appearing lifestyle, they cause others to desire it. Others that may truly be more committed to a Godly relationship with their creator and those who are new believers may misunderstand and be led into thinking that this is what a walk with God is supposed to look like. It’s very polished on the outside and looks good, when, in fact, a Holy relationship with God is one of humility; one of commitment to service, truth, and intimacy that does not allow for the polished look of perfection. After all, wasn't the place of sacrifice in the temple a rather messy and stinky place to be? Who has time to look perfect? Isn't it all we can do to stay in fellowship and communion with God, and is there anything more important than that? Daily Prayer: Father, I pray for those who have been deceived into thinking more about how their walk looks than how they can draw closer to You. Help us, Father, not to fall for such deception. May we all just be real in our relationship with you and with one another. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Godly people don't need polish; they already glow because of Him in them." Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 192 "No additional gift of man will pay the price to enter heaven–it's already been done."

Day 192 Matthew 23:23-24 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!” If the leaders of the time were focusing on the paying of tithes, what would be wrong with that? We could use a few more people focusing on tithes, couldn't we? The danger here was not the paying of the tithes; it was the heart behind it. Think about it, the paying of tithes was a very public gesture, or rather it could be, if you so desired. The leaders wanted to be seen as great, generous, and righteous leaders; they wanted the oohs and ahhs of the people, and they wanted to be seen as powerful and great men. However, in doing so, they completely forgot about the most important thing, the people. The people’s needs were not the focus; the focus was not on maintaining a right relationship with God but rather on obeying (at least openly) the commands of the leaders and the Mosaic Law. It's like the guy who goes to church every time the doors are open, he pays his tithe, he sings the hymns, and he can even quote to you the books of the Bible. However, he is a harsh taskmaster, has no compassion, and is a terrible husband and father; there is little evidence of love within him. If you ask him, he would say, "Hey, I go to church, and I give a lot of money; I'm a “strong” Christian." Yet if you ask those who know him, they might say, "Well, he goes to church but that’s about all!" For him (in his mind), there is no issue; after all, he is being obedient and doing just what he was told to do; however, he has no clue of why Christ came and no clue as to why God has provided a way for him to be in fellowship. He has his fire insurance but it's not worth the paper it's written on, all because he doesn't understand the heart of God. I know a person who has no interest in going to church or believing in God, nor does she want anything to do with grace and mercy. She is bitter, angry, and headstrong, and every time you ask her about heaven, she says, "I'm getting in and no one is going to stop me." Some people just don't get it–works will not get us into heaven–"it is by grace that we are saved" and nothing else matters. How about you? Are you looking for a back door, trying to earn you way in, or are you confident in Christ and the need for a savior? Daily Prayer: Father, I pray that if I have become hardened as to the need for grace and mercy or if I have, in any way, neglected the need for salvation, You would forgive me. My desire, God, is to please You and serve You well all my days. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "No additional gift of man will pay the price to enter heaven–it's already been done." Gene Burroughs, Pastor

day 191 "The world is never satisfied, even after your death."

Day 191 Matthew 23:16-22 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.” Gosh, do I love this stuff! I don't really understand how anyone could ever call the Word of God boring or impossible to understand. I mean, this is just good stuff! Oh, I already said that, didn't I? Having been both in business for myself and employed in the corporate world for two decades prior to my role as a pastor, this passage makes perfect sense to me. You see, for most people who work in the world, the purpose of employment is to maintain a lifestyle. The lifestyle you desire can always be attained with hard work (especially in the United States) as it is directly related to the effort one is willing to exert. Again, by the world’s standards, if you desire to have a lavish lifestyle, it will require long hours, hard work, many self-sacrifices, and in some cases, even moral sacrifices. The worldly standard is that money rules–a person’s income is directly related to the income of the employer; therefore, in most cases, the goal is always to increase revenue. When the goal is to increase revenue, generally speaking, the revenue will increase; however, it truly cannot if everyone is focusing on revenue only. The wise Godly businessman will always remind his people that revenue is required and expected; however, never at the expense of morality or others. When I took over as the general manager of a rather large company, I instilled a new way of thinking to all of my employees. Our motto became: "Never lie, cheat, steal, or deceive, nor do business with people who do." In three years, our profits increased over 200 percent, and all of our five outside sales people made the top ten for the chain. Yet even with such great increases and high achievements, it was never enough; the company always wanted more. Why? Because of greed. I was actually told that I was not hired to save people but to make the owner money, and even though we had succeeded in doing so, the morality was always an issue. When gold is in rule, greed will be the driving force–it is a monster that is never full and always hungry for more. The leaders of Jesus’ time (at least the ones He is addressing) have obviously placed more emphasis on the gold and luxury than they have on the purpose of their being. These people were religious leaders; their true purpose was to instruct the people in the Word and to maintain order and sanctification for the people by leading in biblical principles. Instead, they have become corrupt. They have allowed the gold and the wealth to become that which they seek, and by corrupt means they have placed the emphasis on such and are, hence, corrupting the people as well. You see, they were more concerned about the quality of what people were bringing to the temple as an offering than they were the purpose of the offering or sacrifice. This passage should excite us for many reasons, one of which is that we do not serve a god of greed; we serve a God of love, a God who desires to bless us, to keep us from harm, and a God who seeks to make us holy as He is holy, even at His own expense. How about you? Are you serving God or god? We need not ever sacrifice our morality for wealth; after all, God is the giver of good gifts, and He can surely handle your bank account. Don't sell out, and if you have, earn back your right place with God through repentance. Daily Prayer: Father, I pray that You would give me the strength to resist the temptations of this world in order that I might walk closer with You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "The world is never satisfied, even after your death." Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 190 "Political correctness will do much too much to fuel the fires of destruction."

Day 190 Matthew 23:15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” I read this passage immediately following a night and consequent morning of wrestling with some things in my mind regarding end-times churches and subsequently asking God to clarify them for me. At present time (of these passages), Jesus is warning the religious leaders about spreading a message that is not the truth; however, this message yields such great power and prestige to these leaders that they covet the power more than the truth. In this particular passage, they are being warned of the consequences of this movement and that people will spend eternity separated from God for believing and following these leaders! There are many movements taking place in the church at large today that, unfortunately, may have similar consequences, and I, for one, cannot sit by and watch people being led astray in hopes that they might someday see the light. The Lord is constantly reminding me that we do not have the guarantee of tomorrow and that we are to be ready for His return just as we are ready for a thief to come in the night. Therefore, if I believe and obey that which Jesus said was the second greatest commandment and I "love my neighbor as myself," how can I sit by and watch people being led like lambs to the slaughter? Back to the point of this passage, leaders will both knowingly and unknowingly lead people astray; therefore, we must all search the Word for the truth and ask the Holy Spirit for direction. The church of today must have a solid foundation, and that foundation must be in the sovereignty of the Word. When we begin to water down the Word, and when we desire to be politically correct rather than honest in love, we begin a gradual, often fatal, slide further and further from the truth and ultimately salvation. The danger is truly to strive for political correctness. Think about it, our entire salvation, the gospel message, is founded upon the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ our savior and nothing else, and He, above all, was not politically correct. When He was confronted by anyone seeking truth or seeking to disclaim the truth, He answered with the Word. Why? Because it is the foundation of Christianity! When we begin to water down the Word with our beliefs or when we try to make it more palatable to unbelievers, we are treading on dangerous ground. Let me give you a great example. Today, in America, the gay movement has reached the forefront of many conversations; the gays want their rights, and they want to have the church say that God says it's OK. Therefore, some churches and movements, in the name of reaching out to the gays, have watered down the Word; they insert sweet and kind words and do all they can to make homosexuals feel that it is OK to practice what they believe and that God loves them. Let me be the first to say that, yes, God loves homosexual people and so do I. They are my fallen brothers and sisters; however, I do not agree with their lifestyle, and I won't support it. Why? Because, according to the truth, their lifestyle will separate them for eternity from God. How do I know this, you ask? Read these passages and see what answer you come up with: Leviticus 20:13, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Leviticus 18:22, and Romans 1:26-27. Am I to say to a brother or sister who is heading down a road to death and destruction, "Oh, it's OK, that’s not what God meant; he loves you," while the truth is I have misinterpreted the Word to you and by doing so may very well cause you to be eternally separated from God? If I truly love and care about you, I will come to you in love, share the truth in love, and walk you through your restoration in love, but I warn you, I may not be so-called politically correct while doing so. How about you? Is political correctness or acceptance by others more important or somehow causing you not to share "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God"? Daily Prayer: Father, please give us the wisdom and understanding to seek the truth regarding all things and a desire and hunger for your word. In Jesus’ name, Amen. "Political correctness will do much too much to fuel the fires of destruction." Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 189 "Pride and humility can never co-habitate–one must go."

Day 189 Matthew 23:14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. One thing I have learned over the years, as I am sure many of you have, is that those who protest or practice almost religiously various actions are generally ones who have failed in that area themselves, and in many cases, are continuing to fail. Like the old saying, "There's nothing worse for a smoker than to be around an ex-smoker." Once we have victory over particular habits or sins, our tendency is to become a crusader against such things. However, this is not what Jesus is talking about here. He is speaking of those who truly fit the description of hypocrite–they put on airs in public and in private practice the very actions they protest against. The scribes and Pharisees wore large prayer boxes made of leather on their forehead or hand called phylacteries (mentioned in Matthew 23:5) during the morning and evening prayer times. The reason theirs were large was because they wanted to give the impression that they were more spiritual than others; in their pride they had decided bigger boxes meant greater stature. However, these men of so-called great spiritual stature were not practicing the greatest of all commandments, "Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind," but were rather, in fact, storing up treasures for themselves at the expense of others, in particular, the widows. They were putting on spiritual airs in order to cover up the deceit and wickedness in their hearts, all for their own personal earthly gain. Jesus begins this passage with the word "Woe" and, in this particular dialog with the people, He mentions it eight times; therefore, we should pay particular attention to the word and the phrase that follows it, correct? The word "woe" is used to express deep regret, grief, distress, and ruinous trouble; therefore, when Jesus says "woe," it means look out, you are headed for deep regret, grief, distress, and ruinous trouble, if you continue on this path. Woe! I think that might be enough to make me stop, how about you? Jesus is telling the people don't do this; don’t put on a show for people to see in order to cover your tracks. If you’re an addict who desires to remain an addict, be an addict; if you’re a liar and desire to remain a liar, be a liar; and so on, but do not speak and act one way in public in order to cover your private actions or lifestyle. I believe that God will have more patience with those who admit who they are than He will those who are trying to cover their tracks, don't you? The truth of the matter is when we purpose in our hearts to deceive others for our own gain, we are now responsible for the actions of those we deceive. When the truth comes out, as it will, we will be under the greater judgment. When Ted Haggard fell and his sin came to light, there were most likely some who strayed from the Lord as a result of his failure. However, had he come forward, confessed his sin, and asked forgiveness before being caught, I firmly believe grace would have abounded and possibly more people would have come to Christ as a result. Why, you ask? Because, if a man of God can admit that he, too, is struggling with sin, then the common sin-burdened man can now suddenly realize that he is not alone in his battle, and fear of being the only one in sin has kept many from admitting their failures. However, in this case, the opposite would actually be more the case, because of his hypocrisy, he fed the lie of the enemy that all Christians are just a bunch of hypocrites. Yes, we leaders have a greater responsibility; however, with that comes greater opportunity. It really is all about how we approach it and how much pride we have. Daily Prayer: Father, I pray that each of us would be willing and strong enough to swallow our pride and be real with you and everyone we meet. Teach us, Lord, and show us Your ways. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Pride and humility can never co-habitate–one must go." Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 188 "There is only one way to the Father and all others lead away from Him."

Day 188 Matthew 23:13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” The times we are in today are, in my opinion, very similar in a spiritual sense to the time of which we are now reading. Jesus was preparing the way for His resurrection and, today, the Holy Spirit is being directed to prepare the way for Christ's return; hence, we see a great number of similarities. The leaders of the time had denied Jesus as the Messiah, and by doing so, they were keeping many from believing likewise–shutting the door for others to believe the truth. Today, we have many leaders worldwide who have likewise risen up, proclaiming to have found a better or different way. We hear many teaching that there is no heaven or hell or that there are other ways to salvation and even that Jesus was not born of a virgin, and so on. Unfortunately, there are many in the world that enjoy the tickling of the ear; they enjoy the thought that they can actually dictate the truth by simply believing it to be so and, yes, many are being led astray. Our tendency is to believe that there must be more, that to seek deeper for God will lead to greater gifts or treasures or miracles, or whatever else tickles our fancy, and, yes, a deeper relationship with God does lead to a greater understanding, but of what? If, indeed, the greatest of all commandments is to “Love the Lord your God with all you heart, all your soul, and all your mind,” it would seem that a greater understanding of God would, in fact, lead to a deeper and greater love of Him. It would also make sense that a greater love of God would lead to a greater love of His Word. Did not Jesus himself face every adversary directly out of the Word? Did not Jesus, the symbol of the greatest of all love, in fact live His life directly bound on all sides with the Word of God? Therefore, when people speak of having a new or greater understanding of God and twist the very word of that God, red flags should be going up everywhere and, if not, why not? There are some best-selling books in Christian bookstores all across America today that directly contradict the Word of God, yet Christians are flocking to them while they should be standing up against them. There are, in fact, in this world today many who openly profess Jesus yet are just as guilty as the scribes and Pharisees of Christ's time of leading people astray. In fact, I would say they are more guilty, for they have read the end of the book, and they have the Holy Spirit to direct them, and even then they are led and lead others astray. I'll leave names out of this in order that you may seek it out for yourselves; however, I will say this much, read the books and compare them to the Word. If they contradict in any way, I would suggest throwing them out and spread the message of the great deception taking place in our culture today. I can honestly say that I, for one, am very concerned, and I believe that the Lord has called every leader and believer to expose those things that contradict His Word for what they are: deception and lies of the enemy that will lead many down the path of destruction. Daily Prayer: Father, I pray for wisdom and understanding and boldness and strength in order that we might expose the lies of the enemy for what they truly are. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "There is only one way to the Father and all others lead away from Him." Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 187 "If I must look down to see you, then I have placed myself above you."

Day 187 Matthew 23:1-12 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” This very well could be the message Jesus gave that caused the Pharisees to become bold enough to accuse Christ, for I truly believe that this is one of the most powerful messages He gave while in Jerusalem. These spiritual leaders had let their power corrupt them, they had stepped over the line, and their actions had become the opposite of their words. Jesus was giving those who would hear this (including us) a message that would remain timeless until His return. Yes, these men were the keepers of the law; however, they were not the law. They spoke one thing and did another; they were first-class hypocrites, and they were far from humility. When men of God seek the best place, seek the glory, seek to be served rather than to serve, they are walking on very thin ice; they are heading down a dangerous road that could lead to destruction. In recent years, we have seen much evidence of so-called great leaders of the faith fall long and hard largely due to their lack of humility and desire to be lifted up. I will confess to you that this is, in my opinion, the very toughest battle that we leaders face, and I would admit to you that I fight this battle myself on a daily basis. I thank God for the many friends I have who have committed with me to keep me from such failure by reminding me of who I am in Christ, a fallen, forgiven man. One of the greatest examples of this desire to be lifted up became very obvious to me a few years ago while working the relief effort in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. All over the area where we traveled in the midst of great devastation were the largest billboards I have ever seen. Many were illuminated and very colorful, and it was very obvious that great care and (ongoing) expense had gone into these roadside signs. Most of these billboards had one thing in common, the picture of the pastor and possibly his wife in their entire splendor. The signs were obviously made with the intent of getting people to come to see this great person. Oh yes, some of them mentioned Jesus, but I cannot remember seeing a sign that proclaimed Him as the head or made Him the point of honor–that place was obviously reserved for the pastor. And, oh yes, I realize that this may be cultural and, yes, I may be offending some people, but if I am, you might want to once again read this passage–for it is the Holy Spirit who is offending you, not me. Anytime we, as leaders, place ourselves in a position of splendor or a position of high honor, anytime we become the focus of the flock rather than Christ, we are on dangerous ground. I realize that there are those who will place pastors in such a position; however, I also realize that we, as the leaders, are to thwart such efforts when they interfere with peoples understanding of God's role and the Holy Spirit-led direction for us believers. Pastors are shepherds. Our role is to tend to the flock, to see that their spiritual needs are met, to feed them, care for them, protect them from the attacks of the enemy, and so on, not to be served by them. I pray that, as leaders, none of you have allowed yourselves to fall into such a trap, and as followers, may we never elevate our leaders to a wrongful standing as well. Keeping the balance is difficult I will admit; however, balance we must! Daily Prayer: Father, I pray for humility as I serve You. May I never place myself above those whom I serve. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "If I must look down to see you, then I have placed myself above you." Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 186 “Wise men fear Him, but the truly wise are not afraid of Him.”

Day 186 Matthew 22:41-46 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David.” He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying:‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”’? If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore. Jesus has determined that now is the time to silence His accusers. At least for now, He has answered their questions. He has played their games and, since finding truth was not their goal or objective, He turns things around. You see, they were OK trying to trip up the man Jesus; however, they knew they could never win a theological discussion with Him, especially when He is now referring to the Son of David as a God–this was more than they could or wanted to handle. You see, when Jesus asked them this question in verse 44, He was quoting Psalm 110:1, and the word “Lord” here means Adonay, a word used only to describe God. For example, in Job 28:28, God is speaking to Job and his cohorts and says the following: “And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.’” In order for the Pharisees to win this discussion, they would need to either deny the Word of God as true or openly say that Jesus was a liar and not the Messiah, which is exactly what they will later do. However, let's go back and look at this from a different perspective. There are two ways in which Jesus was viewed. By one group of people, He was viewed as a God in the form of a man, sent by God to set men free, a deity. By the other group of people, He was seen as a man–a rabble-rouser–a politically charged person who was seeking His own gain; someone who was uncomfortable with the status quo. In the first group, the believers held Him in high regard and respected Him for who He was. They did not treat Him as a man but rather as their Messiah. I would say in many ways they feared Him. I mean, wouldn't you, if you saw Him do the things He did and say the things He said? Therefore, according to Job 28:28 (and other various passages), they were acting in wisdom. However, those who viewed Him as a man did not fear Him, they loathed Him. They became familiar with Him; therefore, they lacked in wisdom, did they not? Now, can I muddy up the waters a little? I'm not saying that the disciples and the followers of Christ were afraid of Him; however, I would say they feared Him–big difference. I believe we are to reverently fear the power of God, and we are to understand that our God is one who will do as He pleases, when He pleases, and his judgment will fall upon those whom He chooses to judge; therefore, in His presence we will rightfully maintain respect. While we may and should know God, we must always remember that He is God, and familiarity can often lead to failure or sin on our part. Again, look at Job 28:28–while fear leads to wisdom, wisdom leads to departing from evil, which is understanding. You see, if we view God as a deity and fear His power, we understand that evil is not for us. The point I am trying to make is this: if we are familiar with God because we are often in His presence seeking His forgiveness, mercy, and grace, maybe we had better get a little more fear of Him in our hearts, for if we do fear Him, our tendency is to flee evil. I truly believe that there are many people in this world who are being wrongly influenced to have too comfortable of a relationship with God; they are being encouraged to bathe in His grace rather than bask in the glory of His presence. One is very self-serving, and the other, while it serves us well, serves the Lord much better, for He desires to be in fellowship with us. I believe our God wants more than a superficial relationship; after all, He does desire to spend eternity with us, does He not? Now, that’s cool. I don't understand why, but I'm sure glad He does! I pray that we would all be familiar with God, not just his grace and mercy, but familiar with all His attributes. How about you? Do you know Him well? The good news is His grace and mercy provides the way for all of us to know Him better. Daily Prayer: Father, I thank You that you are a God of mercy and grace and that You love me in spite of my failures and shortcomings. Give me the ability to have a healthy fear of You that I might depart and flee from the evil of this world. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. “Wise men fear Him, but the truly wise are not afraid of Him.” Gene Burroughs, Pastor

Day 185 "Loving God fulfills all law."

Day 185 Matthew 22:34-40 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Having silenced His accusers in every other way, they now bring out the heavy hitter, the lawyer, one who is well-versed and educated in the law of the prophets–the basis of their religious beliefs (and ours, I might add). Surely, now they would be able to trip Him up. You see, they were seeking an answer which they could use against Jesus. They desired to trip Him up with the law of the Word yet, once again, He spoke with the Spirit of the Word. In a battle between the Spirit of the Word and the law of the Word, the Spirit will always win, for mankind has always failed to uphold the law. Why, you ask? Because the Spirit of the law is the backbone of the law; the Spirit of the law can exist without the law; however, the law cannot survive on its own. Let me explain. The law of the prophets, which began with the Ten Commandments, was put in place to guide the people of God. They couldn't keep the law so the law expanded to cover more areas; when those boundaries were breached, again, the law was forced to be expanded and so on and so on. Just look at our own government. We are continually adding new laws to keep people in line and to punish those who have missed the mark, and as long as people continue to attempt not to break the law, they will indeed do so; hence, requiring more laws. However, the Spirit of the law is very simple, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" and "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." If mankind were to love God in the way we are told to do so, then consequently there would be no need for the law. If we love God to the degree we should, we would, indeed, love our neighbor. We would fulfill every law ever written because we would never desire to do anything to harm anyone else and, after all, by harming others, we are, indeed, harming God. Our cheating, lying, complaining, and envy of others are, in fact, acts against God more so than they are acts against those individuals; we are His creation, created in his image and loved by Him. Yes, this is a very simple solution in theory to all of the problems of the world. In these earthly tents, filled with earthly desires and under the influence of a demonic realm, it is nearly impossible to live such a life; however, that does not excuse us from constantly attempting to do so. Thank God for his grace and mercy, for I would much rather face the grace of a merciful God than the wrath of man backed by the law. Any doubts, look at what they did to Jesus. Yes, we truly are people who are under the law of the land; however, we have nothing to fear if we will but strive to fulfill the Spirit of the commandments that Jesus has mentioned here–to love our God! Daily Prayer: Father, for all time, after the fall, mankind has struggled with maintaining our place with You. Help me, Lord, to love You with all my heart, my soul, and my mind that I might be a light to a lost and hurting world. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Loving God fulfills all law." Gene Burroughs, Pastor