"Are You Watching?"

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” -Matthew 24:42 (NIV)

Are you a “watcher”? Do you watch for specific things? We all are pretty much “watchers” when it comes down to it. We watch for things like: the new movie coming out, those Sunday ads, something we ordered through the mail, etc. We tend to watch for those things that are most important to us. My wife (who this devotion was inspired by), watches for a lot of things… especially around back-to-school time. She watches for fliers informing her of “the tax-free weekend”. She watches for notes, letters, emails, etc. coming home from teachers. She watches for the bus coming to pick our two boys up for school. She watches for the bus coming to drop them off at our house after school. She watches and watches. Then one day, in the midst of all this “watching”…Jesus spoke to her. This is what he said:

“Valerie…you’re watching for a lot of things. But what I want to know is…are you watching for ME?

She told me about this shortly afterwards. She told me what Jesus had said to her. And then she said: “Wow….I never really thought about that! I’m watching for a lot of things, but I haven’t really been watching for what was most important: Jesus!” When she told me that, I felt really convicted! I had to ask myself: “I also watch for a lot of things coming up: anniversaries (especially mine), birthdays, holidays, the next season of my favorite TV show, etc. But…am I watching for Him? Am I watching for what’s most important? Am I watching for The King of Kings and The Lord of Lords?” Are You?

The word “watch” (according to "Biblegateway.com") is mentioned over eighty-seven times in the Bible (“Genesis” to “Revelation”). If God, His Son Jesus, and His followers found it necessary to give the warning to “watch” that many times…it must be because they felt it was very important. And if it was important to them, then it ought to be important to us. Don’t you think so? I do. Let’s all try to get into the habit of watching. Not just for the little things in life, but also the big things. In fact…the BIGGEST thing: The Second Coming of Christ! Because He is!

"A House Of Hope And Healing"

“For this is what the LORD says: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.'”
- Isaiah 56:1, 7b (NIV)

There is a Church located in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, known as “The World Revival Church”. I love the sound of that: ”World Revival”. This world could use a revival! The church came out of a revival that was originally being held in Smithton, Missouri and was known as “The Smithton Revival”. This church has a small building next to it (and is run by the church) known as “The House of Hope and Healing”. This is a place where people can come at all hours to be ministered to, and receive prayer for, whatever it is that they are struggling with in their life. It could be physical, emotional, spiritual, you name it. It is a really nice place and the people there are real prayer warriors. I know about this place as a supervisor of mine attends this church, and has even volunteered from time to time there. It got me to thinking though: “What if people can’t get to ‘the House of Hope and Healing’ because they’re physically unable, or live in another state, or due to other circumstances? What then?” I felt the need to open up my Bible and turn to the book of “Isaiah”. There (according to the prophet Isaiah) the Lord says His house will be called: “a house of prayer”. What that scripture verse says to me is this: “any and every church can be ‘a house of hope and healing’…providing that they don’t just proclaim to believe in God and Jesus, and what they both say in the Bible…but actually do!” There is actually a church located in Grandview, Missouri that has those very words: “house of prayer” in its name. It is “The International House of Prayer”, or “IHOP” as referred to fondly by its members and people who have visited there.

There are a few other organizations that have the words “hope” and “house” in their name. Two that specifically come to mind are: “Hope House”, an organization that provides comprehensive services and shelter to victims of domestic violence. And the other one is “The House of Hope”, a non-denominational, not-for-profit organization established to minister to troubled teenagers, across the country and internationally. But neither one of them includes the words: “Healing” in their name. Only “The World Revival Church” has a “house” set up specifically for prayer and has the word “Healing” in its name, and that’s “The House of Hope and Healing”.

In writing about these various churches and organizations who all seem to have the words: “House”, “Prayer”, “Hope” and/or “Healing” in their names, it occurred to me that there is a spiritual equation at work here. It goes like this: A “House” (home) that has “Prayer” in it, will have “Hope” in it. A “House” that has “Hope” in it will have “Healing” in it. “House” plus “Prayer” plus “Hope” equals “Healing”.

Let us all strive to make our “house” (or home), one of “prayer”, “hope”…and “healing”.

"Satan: "He Always Attends"

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

- John 10:10 (NIV)



A few weeks ago on a Sunday night, I was praying with my nine year-old son Matthew before bed time. The Sunday before that, we had not gone to our own church due to the fact that we had been vacationing in Colorado. Evidently this was on Matthew’s mind because he said to me: “Dad, you know how we missed church last Sunday?” I nodded, knowing what he meant. We did go to church, just not our own. He went on: “Well that nasty Satan…he never misses church! Only he’s not there to learn about God! He’s there to try to keep me from learning about God! He says things to me like: ‘Matthew, don’t listen to what Pastor ______ is saying. You just make sure you’re the first one to get into the game room after this thing is over so that you’ll have more time to play the “Wii”!’ ”.

Matthew is actually pretty smart for a boy his age. He is also biblically correct in my opinion. I replied to him: “you’re right Matthew. Satan does attend church…every church…every Sunday…as long as they’re preaching the true word of God.” Matthew was right. That “nasty Satan”…He never misses. We come to worship and learn about God. Satan comes to try to distract us from doing that. Jesus came (to earth), that we might have life and have it to the full (John 10:10). Satan (the thief) comes to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10). He comes to kill the hope we have in us through Christ Jesus. He comes to steal the time we have to spend with God, and replace it with time spent on other activities. They may be activities that are fun, and maybe even harmless, but have no eternal value. And his ultimate goal for coming is to try and destroy our soul. Let us not allow Satan to do that! Let us stay close to God and His Son Jesus.

We may have to miss church (the building) on Sundays from time-to-time for various reasons, but we can still have “church” (the Lord)…every day! We just have to try and learn as much as we can about God. We have to listen to what THE pastor (God) is saying. And we have to make sure that we’re the first one to get into “the Holy Place”…when our “thing” is over.

"Daddy... You're Rich!"

“Yes, God's riches are very great, and his wisdom and knowledge have no end! No one can explain the things God decides or understand his ways.”
- Romans 11:32 (NCV)

This last Fourth of July, I took my two boys, Matthew and Jonathan to a fireworks display that was being held at an area high school. We got there about 6:30 p.m. and the fireworks were not supposed to start until about 9:30 p.m. While we were sitting there waiting and listening to the band play, the boys just happened to look around and see that there was a concession stand nearby. The boys being bored, with nothing to do, immediately started asking me if we could get something. I said to them: “Why not? Sure, let’s go”. We went up to the counter, made our selections, got what we asked for, and as I was paying the bill, I heard Jonathan say to me: “Daddy…you’re rich!” I just smiled, not really thinking about just how much truth there was in what he was saying.

We went back to our seats, and as we were sitting there eating our snacks, Jonathan looked over at what I had bought and suddenly decided that my item looked better. With Jonathan, the other person’s selection always looks better. He asked me if he could have one too. I figured it didn’t cost that much and so I bought him one. I handed it to him, and after doing so, he repeated the words: Daddy…you’re rich!”

After I got home that night and was lying in bed, I kept repeating the words to myself that Jonathan had said to me: “Daddy, you’re rich”. I realized that Jonathan was right. I was rich. I may not have the best vehicle or the biggest house or the best paying job. But I do have an awesome wife, two wonderful boys, a van that runs (most of the time), and I work for a Christian publishing company whose main objective is getting the written word of the Lord in to the hands of those who desperately need it.

I remember a while back reading a story (I can’t remember all the details) about a man who was very rich but very godly, and was about to die. He was sitting with his lawyer writing up his will, and was dividing up all his wealth among his three children. None of them knew the Lord, or even wanted anything to do with God. They didn’t have Jesus in their lives. His lawyer commented on the fact that the man’s children would be very wealthy upon his passing. The man nodded and said: “That’s true. But you know…I can give them everything I have… but if they don’t have Jesus in their life, they don’t have anything!”

The man was right. All the riches in the world don’t amount to anything in light of eternity. We can’t take them with us when we die and pass from this life into the next. Jesus speaking in the book of Mark was right when he posed the question: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36)

We may have nothing of value in our lives according to the world’s standards. But if we have Jesus in our life, by God’s standard we have the most valuable possession of all! And His standard is the only one that counts! I love praying to God, my Heavenly Father, and saying the words to Him: “Daddy…you’re rich!!!”