The Forever Notebook: Daily Quiet Time Devotions for Christians, Book 3, July - September

July 2 - Is Your Church an Accepting Church?

July 3 - Meet the New You

July 4 - The Best is Yet to Come

July 5 - The Strong-Willed Child of God

July 6 - Walking the High Wire of Faith

July 7 - How God Protects Us from Satanic Attacks

July 8 - What You Can Do to Guard Against Satanic Attack

July 9 - 7 Ways Satan Attacks Believers

July 10 - The Key to Better Relationships

July 11 - How to Get Along with Others

July 12 - Working for the Higher Purpose

July 13 - The Christian Work Ethic

July 14 - Healing for a Broken Heart

July 15 - Spiritual Gifts for Dummies

July 16 - How God Works for Us Behind the Scenes

July 17 - You Can’t Fake Your Way Into Heaven

July 18 - What It Means to be a Temple of the Holy Spirit

July 19 - Dress for Success

July 20 - Heaven is Worth the Wait

July 21 - Incomparable Senior Care

July 22 - The Powerful Influence of Faith

July 23 - Child-Like Faith Explained and Why You Need It

July 24 - Proceed with Caution

July 25 - Things Best Left Unsaid

July 26 - Hope for Living

July 27 - Get Out of Your Rut and Get On with Your Life

July 28 - Don’t Burn Yourself Out in Christian Service

July 29 - The Best Thing You Can Do for Your Children

July 30 - The Greatest Book Ever Written

July 31 - Just a Little Talk with Jesus

August 1 - Love Means You Sometimes Have to Say You’re Sorry

August 2 - The Valuable Plank in Your Eye

August 3 - Why You Get It and Others Don’t

August 4 - Will We Know Our Loved Ones in Heaven?

August 5 - Battling Depression

August 6 - Make No Mistake, Jesus is God

August 7 - Peace in a Chaotic World

August 8 - Redeemed from the Empty Way of Life

August 9 - Stumblers for Christ

August 10 - Make Sure Your Roots are Showing

August 11 - Christ in You, The Hope of Glory

August 12 - The Power that Keeps You Saved

August 13 - When Faith Turns to Fear

August 14 - God Even Rescues Us from Ourselves

August 15 - Make Time to Serve the Lord

August 16 - When Running On Empty is a Good Thing

August 17 - The Extent of the Lord’s Forgiveness

August 18 - Freedom with Responsibility

August 19 - The Divine Vindicator

August 20 - Is Cursing a Sin?

August 21 - The Supreme Gift Giver

August 22 - Soulful Praise

August 23 - Unbalanced Christian Faith

August 24 - Faith Under Fire

August 25 - How to Handle the Thorn that Won’t Go Away

August 26 - What is God’s Will for Your Life?

August 27 - Victory in Jesus

August 28 - Heaven is a Choice

August 29 - God’s Remedy for Fatigue and Stress

August 30 - God Plays Favorites

August 31 - Your Face to Face Meeting with Jesus

September 1 - Your Labor for the Lord Matters

September 2 - A Roadblock Called Unforgiveness

September 3 - How to Treat Unbelievers

September 4 - Rejoicing in Hardship

September 5 - Off Death Row

September 6 - The Most Precious Words Ever Spoken

September 7 - Christian Service Burnout

September 8 - Don’t Let Me Be Lonely

September 9 - When You Need Answers

September 10 - Beware of Argumentative Christians

September 11 - Make Good Use of Your God-given Skills

September 12 - The Lamb’s Book of Life

September 13 - God’s Super Deluxe Bundle of Blessings

September 14 - How Husbands are to Love Their Wives

September 15 - Your Part in the Great Commission

September 16 - Good Works and Why They Matter

September 17 - Showboat Christians

September 18 - When Your Spirit is Willing but Your Flesh is Weak

September 19 - How to Please God Right Now

September 20 - Rest for Your Soul

September 21 - When You Fail to Do the Good You Know

September 22 - How to Resolve Conflict, Part 1

September 23 - How to Resolve Conflict, Part 2

September 24 - How to Resolve Conflict, Part 3

September 25 - When Your Attempt to Resolve Conflict Fails

September 26 - Rise Above Your Inadequacies

September 27 - God’s Word is Alive and Active

September 28 - What God Requires of You

September 29 - A Pure Heart and a Steadfast Spirit

September 30 - It’s Not Too Late for God to Heal Our Land

July 1

The Song in Your Heart

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him.

Psalm 40:3

A new song from God that results in praise. Those glorious times when He does something amazing. An answered prayer. A previously unseen solution to a problem or an unexpected blessing.

Many times I’ve gone to bed with a problem weighing heavily upon my mind. Next morning I was greeted by a fresh thought, a new perspective. The solution that eluded me was suddenly available. The Holy Spirit had opened my mind to new possibilities and renewed my hope. As a result, I was given a new song of praise to God.

Singing. Humming. Whistling. A natural reaction to joy, like a light turned on in your soul.

Okay. Some of us can’t carry a tune in a bucket, but music still resounds in our hearts and minds.

Have you considered where music comes from? Where did it originate? Even before a cave man hammered out a rhythmical beat on a rock with a stick, there was music.

No. God didn’t one day hear an amazing singer on earth and decide to add music to His heavenly plan. Music was created by God for our pleasure and expression. It helps us communicate our deepest feelings and is in its highest form when offering praise to God.

The first mention of music in the Bible is in the introductory book of Genesis. And throughout the Old Testament we see that music was integral to the worship of the Jews. But one of the most revealing clues to the origin of music occurs in the birth narrative of Jesus in Luke 2 when angels appeared to the shepherds.

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

In verse 15 of Luke 2, we’re told that the singing angels departed and returned to heaven. Later, in the book of the Revelation, the angels and inhabitants of heaven are depicted as singing in response to the wonder-working power of God. (Rev. 5:8-11, 13; 15:1-3) So when you get to heaven, there will be lots of music, and a continual song of joy in your heart.

Take a moment to consider the amazing spectacle represented in Revelation 5:11.

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.

Voices lifted in praise to God without the direction of a worship leader and arising naturally in response to His magnificence.

Yesterday, my wife and I drove to Birmingham, and along the way I referred to the beautiful day. Dark clouds had given way to sunshine and signs of the newness of spring were all about us. The grass was turning green, trees were budding, and flowers were blooming. And I commented, Only God could create something so marvelous. Words of joy in response to God’s handiwork. A new song in my heart.

We take for granted the commonplace and ordinary. Those things we see and experience every day become dull and mundane. Growing up in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, I never realized how incredibly beautiful it was. That is, until I returned. It was like I had somehow missed God’s glorious creation.

Don’t let familiarity blind you to the reality of God’s blessings. We keep a song in our hearts when we, to borrow an old saying, Stop and smell the roses. Take time to notice all that God has done.

You don’t have to wait for a miracle or an extraordinary answer to prayer for a song of praise to arise in your heart in response to God. Look around you. Take inventory of God’s blessings in your life. Consider the people He has given you to love. Enjoy the beauty of His creation. Think upon the promises He has given you through the work of Jesus, your Savior. Count your blessings.

And when that song of praise arises in your heart, you will have reason to share your joy with others, Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him. (Psalm 40:3b)

July 2

Is Your Church an Accepting Church?

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Romans 15:7

I saw an interview recently, in which a wealthy man had built a doomsday fortress and he was only inviting those who agreed with him politically to join him in the event of a cataclysmic event. The bottom line: he was only willing to accept those who thought like him.

Consider the experience of the early church as Jews and Gentiles embraced the faith and worshipped together. Just as in our world today, they came from backgrounds accustomed to excluding others who were racially, culturally, and politically different.

In Romans 15:7, the Apostle Paul calls for unity based on Christ’s acceptance of us. Just as Jesus brought us into union with God, we must be unified with one another. One faith. One God. One Lord and Savior.

God accepted us despite ourselves. We were rebellious, sinful, and at enmity with Him. He is divine. We are human. But He accepted us the way we were; cleansed us, created us anew, and gave to us freely from His riches and glory. Likewise, God wants us to accept one another, look passed our differences, and to the commonality we share in Christ. We are brothers and sisters, children of the King.

You are not more saved than me or anyone else in the faith. You are not more highly favored than anyone else in the faith. However, there are those in the church who act as if they are better than others.

To be clear, there is nothing wrong with people of like mind, talents, or interests fellowshipping with one another. But where we must draw the line is when those small groups become closed cliques who gossip, criticize, or ostracize other believers because they don’t live up to some non-Biblical standard.

One of the primary reasons people cite for preferring to attend a large church is because they can maintain their anonymity. They feel they can come and go without being judged. Many among them express negative experiences in small churches because they weren’t accepted, or because they were made to feel unwelcome.

In reality, Spiritual snobbery can be found wherever Christians gather. It is a problem faced by churches big and small, and a malady we should guard against.

Keep the goal of brotherly acceptance top of mind as revealed in our focus text: … in order to bring praise to God. We should strive to avoid behavior that hinders unified worship.

Following are ways we can make that happen:

(1) God’s church is not just about you and those you want to include in your circle of relationships. Paul opens Romans, Chapter 15, with this admonition: We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. We should consider the feelings and preferences of others.

In my early days as a pastor, it bugged me that Baptists preferred to sit in the back of the church. One Sunday morning, I decided to do something about it, and called for the congregation to move to the front of the room. Some complied. Some didn’t. And I fear some may have been offended to the point of never returning. I later adopted the position that having them there was more important than where they sat. It was more important to bear with their preferences than to please myself.

(2) Respect the desire of others for anonymity but do be warm and welcoming. Be an encourager. In verse 2 of Romans 15 we read, Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.

(3) Don't push people into things they don't want to do. Have you ever been guilted into a job or an activity in the church you regretted? Let the Holy Spirit do the arm twisting. Acceptance is not pulling or pushing believers to do our bidding. Acceptance is honoring NO without ostracizing the person who had declined our invitation.

It is easy to yield to the temptation of thinking of yourself more highly than others when you serve in the church and they don’t. Ultimately, that slippery slope can lead to non-acceptance. People on the front lines of Christian service are no more loved by God than those who shirk their duty. Pray for those who fail to serve, but never treat them like second class Christians.

(4) Do not participate in gossip sessions. Sunday School classes, prayer meetings, Bible studies, and miscellaneous church gatherings that contain gossip discussions do not honor God. Even that family meal after church can turn into a he said-she said fiasco. Sin hinders the work of the Spirit. Gossip is sin, so please don’t do it.

Remember, we sing To God be the Glory, and not To Me be the Glory. As far as it is up to you, do your part to promote an accepting Christian fellowship.

July 3

Meet the New You

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin —

Romans 6:6

Have you ever mastered something? For example: woodworking, oil painting, playing a musical instrument.

An advanced academic certification is called a Master’s Degree. Mastery indicates superior knowledge and skills; the ability to do what novices can’t.

Mastering a skill or professional discipline is a considerable accomplishment. If you have done that, congratulations. It didn’t come easily. You worked for it and deserve recognition.

But have you ever thought about the things that master you? As Christians, we call Jesus, Master, as we should.

Is He? Is Jesus really your Master? Positionally, for sure. But in practice that may be another matter.

The slave era was a reprehensible time in American history. The slaves had Masters, individuals who could treat their purchased subjects any way they pleased.

Slaves existed in New Testament times and some of the imagery used in Romans 6 was garnered from the unfair practices of the day. In verse 6, we’re told that as Christians we should no longer be slaves to sin. Later, at verse 14, Paul writes, For sin shall no longer be your master…

Paul’s argument begs an intriguing question. Is it possible to be a born-again believer, yet still a slave to sin?

Well, yes and no.

If sin has a hold on you, then it’s time for some soul searching. Paul’s directive in his second letter to the Corinthian church applies: Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves… (2 Co 13:5)

If you knowingly and willingly sin, and your conscience is not troubled because you are disobeying God, then Christ is not your Master, nor are you saved. Anyone is capable of a guilty conscience, both saved and unsaved. However, the unredeemed conscience is not seared with guilt for offending God. There’s no desire to change for Him.

As Christians we all sin, but when it happens the Holy Spirit convicts our hearts of unrighteousness and leads us to confession, repentance, and a concerted effort to depart from our sinful behavior.

Let’s go back to Paul’s imagery. Slave to sin. Mastered by sin. Is there an area of your life where Jesus is not the Master? Is there a sinful habitual act perhaps that has you in its grasp?

You wouldn’t be reading this if you didn’t want Christ to be your Master. No matter where you are in your walk with Him, you can be that new creation, the new self of righteousness and holiness that God intended. (Ephesians 4:24)

Since I was a child, I have fought the battle of the bulge. Many times I have lost weight, only to gain it back. Finally, I feel as though I have won that battle, having kept the weight off for more than two years. However, I still think of myself as fat. Sometimes, I’ll catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and see that I am not the person I used to be.

Paul wants us to see ourselves as who we are now and not that old sinner from the past. He says, For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with…

The old you is dead and gone. That’s not you anymore. You are new and improved, suitable for eternal life.

For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. Romans 6:14

Most often we think of grace as God giving us more than we deserve and think of it in terms of freedom from the penalty of sin. And it does mean that, but so much more. God has also given us everything we need for righteousness and godly living. We just have to appropriate that incredible aspect of His grace.

Isn’t it time, if you haven’t done so already, to meet the new you?

July 4

The Best is Yet to Come

1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:1-3

We’re given two directives in our focus text.

• Set your hearts on things above

• Set your minds on things above

Both points mean essentially the same thing. Think about that place where Christ is and don’t dwell on earthly things. Seems simple enough. But is that really what we think about? I submit that we are consumed with earthly matters and think little about things above. But why?

The primary reason is that life is one big distraction. Earning a living. Caring for a family. Jumping from problem to problem. The pursuit of earthly dreams.

Did Paul mean that things on earth don’t matter? Are we to live day to day with our heads in the clouds without giving thought to what’s happening in our world? Of course not. God wants us to view life with a heavenly perspective.

Imagine that you just won the grand prize for the big 4th of July celebration at your favorite department store. Your luxury one week cruise to the Bahamas departs one month from today. It will