I wonder why Christians don’t read God’s Word daily. To answer that question I went to an expert on the subject and that is Me. For many years I’d get up, go to church, teach and preach and never have a consistent Quiet Time. By the grace of God, He used me anyway!

Praise God, I no longer do that! I haven’t missed having my QT in over 2 years and 7 months. Back to the question as to why Christians don’t have their Quiet Time? Laziness, They Get Busy, or They Don’t Give A Fat Rat!

I truly believe why most Christians don’t have Quiet Times is because God’s Word shows them who they are and what they are. You see, we want to be padded on the back and told that we’re good boys and girls. God’s Word shows us the kind of rascals we really are, and we don’t want nothin to do with that.

You must understand like I did. God can’t help us or change us until we realize what we are and confess it. Then He can take a lump of clay and mold it and make it into what He wants it to be! If ya wanna be like Jesus ya gotta spend time with Him!

Philippians 3:14, Paul said, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

The problem with most Christians today is that too few are even trying to win anything. We must recognize that salvation is a free gift offered by God, but we also need to realize that we must get on the race course in order to receive a reward when we get to heaven.

Remember, your reward in heaven is determined by what you are doing down here on earth for Him!

Matthew 20:20, Then came to Him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping Him, and desiring a certain thing of Him.

It’s true, this family came to worship Jesus, but they came worshipping with a selfish motive. They didn’t come worshipping Him because of who He was, they came worshipping Him because they wanted something.

Matthew 20:21, And He said unto her. What do you want? She said unto Him, “Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in your kingdom.

Let’s not get down on this lady to much. Isn’t this the reason we go to God and worship Him at times? Sometimes the Lord never hears from us until we get our tails tied in a knot and then we go to Him for help! The Lord is worthy to be praised at all times, not just when we need Him!

Matthew 20:18-19, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed  unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn Him to death, and shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify Him: and the third day He shall rise again.

Our Lord couldn’t spell it out any plainer than this. This is the 4th time He’s told His disciples what’s going to happen to Him and they still don’t get it!

Let’s think about the significance of what He’s said. Jesus went their deliberately to die for me and you! That was God’s plan from  the beginning and this Is Something To Think About!  Today, I deliberately plan to serve Him! How about you?

Grab your Bible and read Matthew 20:1-16!

God is not going to reward you for the amount of work you have done. He will reward you according to your faithfulness to the job which He’s called you to do!

Matthew 19:16-17 says, And, behold one came and said unto Him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And He said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

The rich young ruler was willing to admit that Jesus was a good man like so many people do in this day and time but that will not get a person into heaven.

Jesus asked him a question, “Why do you call me good? There is none good but one, that is, God!” Even Jesus, the Son of God directed everything back to the Father.  We need to understand that what we have, the health, the wealth, the talents, our kids all come  from above. Today, instead of bragging about what you’ve accomplished, let’s take time to brag on the one who created us and all things. Let’s brag on God!

This week I’ve been at First Baptist Church in Beaver, Oklahoma holding revival services. Our Lord did some wonderful things while I was there. God used the people at FBC to bless me physically, mentally and spiritually. I know they are folk who have their problems like everyone else, but I truly believe they love our Lord!

By weeks end they were picking on me liked I’d been a member there for years. Not many people think there’s much to be offered out in the Panhandle but that’s not true, there’s First Baptist in Beaver, Oklahoma!

Seventy two people walked the aisle making some type of decision for Jesus and I do believe over ten of those were professions of faith! If this doesn’t light your shucks, you’re woods all wet!

I don’t know how many of you who read this will be from FBC in Beaver, but I want to thank you for the love you showed me during the week I was with you. Continue to love each other in the Lord as God uses you to reach your community for Him. Be blessed!

Ephesians 4:32 says, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

Because God has forgiven us, we are to forgive each other. If God forgave our sins in the same way we forgive others, none of us would be forgiven. But after we have become children o God, because we have been forgiven, we are to forgive!

Matthew 18:2 says, “And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them.” What does this verse tell us as adults? It tells us that the little child came to the Lord without hesitation!

Last night during the revival at First Baptist Church in Beaver, Oklahoma 15 to 16 children walked the aisle. Some came getting right with the Lord and others came asking Jesus to save them. That’s the happy part of the story, the sad part is, not one adult moved!

Adults have been making decisions in church all week long and they refuse to make their decision public. A few have come but that’s it! The problem could be fear, pride, disobedience or hesitation! I do know this, most of the time when the Lord tells me to do something and I don’t, it’s because I hesitation. I think about it, instead of acting on it immediately!

Hesitation is a lack of faith which leads to disobedience. The little child in Matthew 18 verse 2 didn’t hesitate he simply obeyed!

In the Old Testament there’s a story about a man named Jonah. Jonah knew the Lord and the Lord wanted to use him. One day the Word of the Lord came to Jonah. The Lord said, “Jonah, I want you to go to Nineveh and tell the people there about me!”

Jonah heard and listened but he didn’t obey and because of his disobedience he got himself and others in a lot of hot water! Sometimes we men are like Jonah and you women are Jonettes!

God speaks to us through His Word. We hear, we listen but we don’t obey. I do this all the time. I guess you could say I’m a repeat offender! The good news is, God loves repeat offenders and He’s always willing to forgive and forget! Let’s hear God, listen to God and obey!