July 9

Posted on July 9, 2019 by Tony Casson

Today is…

the ideal day to remind ourselves that it is not polite to point.

“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”  Romans 2:1 NIV

“Oh, no!” we say. “Not me! I don’t do that!”

Perhaps we don’t do exactly what we point out that another is doing, but humans have an uncanny ability to excuse any behavior, as long as it is their own. When it comes to other people, however, our tolerance doesn’t stretch to anywhere near the same distance. Of course, as Christians we should all know that, regardless of another persons sins, it is not our place to judge.

For some reason, we need to be reminded time and time again that judgment is reserved for God, and while we are to condemn sin, we are clearly prohibited from judging or condemning the sinner.

It is important to remember that there is a world of difference between pointing a finger at someone and caring enough about another human being to point out potentially harmful or sinful actions or behavior that they may be engaged in. At the same time, we must take care that our motives for pointing something out are a result of sincere concern for another human being. Any other reason is self-serving and a sin in itself.

We are frequently able to identify another person’s misgivings simply because we engage in the same, or similar, activity. This happens quite often and we should be extremely careful.

As Paul wrote, “So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?” (Romans 2:3 NIV).

Of course, the reason that any of this occurs in the first place is due to the fact that we have an unfortunate tendency to look for the negatives in each other. In many ways, pointing out another person’s flaws and failings is our only way of making ourselves feel better about us.

We should all develop the confidence that Paul exhibited in other people.

“I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct other people.” (Romans 15:14 NIV).

Looking for the goodness in people will help us to serve God better. When following His example, it shows that we are learning the lessons He is trying to teach. After all, God sees us all in the same way: we are all His children and we all make mistakes, but we all have His unconditional love.

We can do no better than to look at each other the same way God looks at us.

Those of us who have raised children have likely told them on at least one occasion that it is not polite to point. It is something we should all bear in mind next time we have the urge to do it ourselves.

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July 8

Posted on July 8, 2019 by Tony Casson

Today is…

the perfect day to reflect on the burdens of Jesus Christ.

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB

We all know what the burden of our sin feels like.

No matter how much we try to ignore our sins, they can place an almost palpable weight on us that affects how we act, and who we are. Left unchecked, the burden of our sin can become so heavy that it crushes us – if not physically, certainly spiritually. Many times, we become so burdened with our own sin that we simply do not know how to get out from under it.

God, knowing what the burdens of sin can do, gave us His only Son to help us. Jesus was the only person ever to walk this earth who did not sin and yet His purpose in coming here was to take our burdens from us, and allow us to become reconciled to God. Those of us who know how oppressive the burden of sin can be cannot begin to imagine what it must be like to willingly accept that burden from each and every person on earth.

Christ takes our burdens and gives us His.

When we give our burdens of sin to Jesus, He gives us a “burden” of love, healing and peace. He gives us the path to forgiveness, mercy, grace, salvation, and eternal life with God.

But He assures us that ours is the better part of the bargain.

“For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30 KJV).

The “yoke” is a tool utilized by oxen to accomplish hard work. The yoke that Jesus would have us carry, in exchange for what we are giving Him, indicates that we cannot expect that our lives will be free of responsibility or work. It does mean that we are working together with Christ instead of trying to do things on our own. It means that we are working in a spiritually productive manner and striving to live purposeful, meaningful lives of service to God. It means whatever weight our burdens have is nothing compared to what we gave Jesus, and with our closeness to God the burden we do have is carried with joy and thanks.

Before we know it, our smiles are broader, our steps are livelier, and our ability to deal with the obstacles that do come our way becomes easier, and with all of this comes a surprising eagerness and an ability to then reach out to those around us.

“Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2 NLT).

When we get rid of the negative burdens of sin and accept the burdens of being a responsible Christian, our lives can only change for the better.

Think about what you are asking Christ to take from you, and then thank Him for taking it, and then thank Him for the ‘burden’ He gives you.

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July 7

Posted on July 7, 2019 by Tony Casson

Today is…

a good day to ignore what people say.

“The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.”  Proverbs 15:14 KJV

Someone defined insanity as “Doing the same things and expecting to get different results.” Unfortunately, this is exactly what many of us do.

When we make our decision to follow Christ, we must change.

Once we are convinced we want to accept Christ as our Savior and seek forgiveness for our sins, we must then set about getting rid of old thoughts, habits, and situations that do not reflect the way we want to live the rest of our lives. Most of our lives are influenced by the information we absorb and expose ourselves to. If we surround ourselves with people who gossip, tear others down, or criticize and demean other people, we must put an end to it.

We must stop listening and learn to ignore people when they have nothing to offer but foolishness.

We must map out a course for ourselves that includes instruction from the Word of God. We must make use of the time we once wasted in foolish idleness to seek knowledge not only in the Word of God, but other useful knowledge that can be used to help those around us. Find a church where you feel comfortable and welcome and try to become involved in the many different ways in which that particular church tries to reach out to those in the community.

It is important to remember that becoming better, more responsible people is not something we do or work on for God. It is a very important part of what we do for ourselves. The inner satisfaction and the resultant feeling of worth and sense of belonging to something bigger than ourselves is our goal.

It is what God wants us to see, but it needs to be the way we want to live.

It all hinges upon changing all of the information that flows into us through the people we listen to, the things we read, and what we see. All of these things can be controlled to a great degree so that we are soon doing different things and obtaining results beyond anything we ever thought possible.

Old habits, old dogs and new tricks.

God is aware of every obstacle we can put in our way. When we recognize the importance of other people, and we ask God daily for His help and His direction, we can overcome old habits and those of us who are old dogs can learn new tricks.

But we first must learn to know when to ignore what people say.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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July 6

Posted on July 6, 2019 by Tony Casson

Today is…

a superb day to help God find favor with you.

“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”  Genesis 6:8 NASB

The story of Noah should not only serve as a lesson to us all, it should serve as an inspiration.

Of all the people on earth, God found favor with Noah. So much so that He chose Noah and his family as the ones selected to give the world a second chance. Noah was not perfect, but he lived his life in a manner that pleased the Lord. Even though he was surrounded by people who worshiped idols, committed acts of violence, and indulged in sexual sin, Noah still managed to be a righteous man who walked in faith with God and sought to do the right thing.

We should always ask ourselves, “What can I do to find favor in the eyes of God today?”

Is it really so difficult to do? It is possible that it is not as easy as we may think, but it may not be as complicated as we sometimes make it. Of course, another question to ask is, “Do I really want it?”

God’s favor does not automatically mean life is going to be a beautiful, smooth, trouble free existence.

Noah was charged with building a huge ship, rounding up thousands of living creatures, residing in that animal-filled environment for over a year, then having him, his family, and all the living creatures that remained on earth deposited on a strange mountain.

Not easy going for one who had found favor with God!

And what about Mary? God found favor with her as well.

“The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.’” (Luke 1:30 NASB).

God’s favor caused her to have to explain to the man she was to marry that she was pregnant. Not only that, but she had to try to make him comprehend how this could have happened at all since there was no man involved. Once Joseph was convinced that she had been chosen to give birth to the one who would save the world, together they had to endure the looks, comments, and attitudes of the people in their community.

So if God’s favor is not going to lay down a smooth super highway to heaven, why in the world would we want to live our lives in a manner that actively seeks it?

Simply because that is what God wants us to do.

He tells us to obey Him and, “Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man.” (Proverbs 3:3-4 NASB).

Look for ways today, and every day, to help God find favor with you. If you go out of your way to please God, everyone around you will notice.

And that can’t be all bad.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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July 5

Posted on July 5, 2019 by Tony Casson

Today is…

a great day to fan the flames of faith.

“So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.”  Acts 16:5 NASB

There are over one billion Christians in the world today.

By any standards that is a huge number of people. It has taken a long time to get to the point that we are now, and it has not always been an easy journey. Many people have gone before us with untold thousands giving their lives making their way through unknown territory. While the flames of faith burn brightly around the world today, it takes the commitment of each and every one of us to continually fan those flames, to keep them burning brightly, and to help them spread.

In 1846, a group of pioneers set out to California from Illinois. The distance they traveled can now be covered in a car in a matter of days, regardless of the weather, the time of day, or the time of year. What would become known as the “Donner Party” fought for months to arrive at a point where there was one obstacle to overcome before arriving in the place that held all of their hopes, and dreams.

After their long journey, the eighty-seven members of George Donner’s party were delayed almost a month by an ill-advised “short cut” that resulted in them being caught high in the mountains in a raging blizzard. They were only a few miles short of the path that would give them access to the final leg of their journey. But it would take them over five months and cost 47 of the 87 members of the group their lives before the last portion of the journey ended. Today one can travel through what is now known as “Donner Pass” in a manner of minutes by car or truck over the highway that closely follows the route of those pioneers.

There are still individuals “blazing trails” in the wilderness as they fan the flames of faith by spreading the word of God in remote places of the world that are not unlike the rugged, untamed country faced by the Donner party. These men and women are determined to bring the word of God to as many individuals as they possibly can and work tirelessly in less-than-ideal conditions to follow the same instructions that Jesus gave to His disciples before ascending into heaven: “And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15 KJV).

We do not all have to run off to remote corners of the world to fan the flames of faith, but if that is your calling, people are certainly needed to join the ranks of those who do so. If it is not possible, one only need look around. No matter where one may look, lost souls are waiting to hear some really Good News.

Today is the day to give it to them and in doing so, you can help fan the flames of faith.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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July 4

Posted on July 4, 2019 by Tony Casson

Today is…

a glorious day to enjoy freedom.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”  2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV

It would probably be difficult to find somebody who enjoys being in prison.

To have our movements restricted; to be deprived of the ability to go where we wish, when we wish; to be surrounded by negativity and the ever-present possibility of danger; to be frightened and alone – thoughts of those things make us shudder and be thankful that we are not in that situation.

And yet, in a way, many people are in that situation, or worse, and haven’t figured it out yet.

When people live without Jesus Christ in their lives, they occupy a “spiritual prison.” They are chained by their sins, and kept prisoner by their sinful words, thoughts and actions. Before Christ died on the cross, we were all slaves to sin and were held prisoner by it.

But now, by accepting Christ and following His light, we can enjoy freedom, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” (Romans 8:2 NASB).

Many people have not accepted the Truth that is Jesus Christ, and are still held prisoner. We must all work to reveal the truth to those who are not aware so that they, too, can enjoy the freedom that Jesus offers to everyone.

Some of us, even knowing the truth, still voluntarily live our daily lives in a spiritual prison. Held there by the darkness of our sins, we forget that with Christ in our hearts, the shackles that bind us just fall away. Allowing ourselves to be filled with the Holy Spirit frees us from a self-imposed ‘jail cell’ that limits our ability to love others and live in a world inhabited by honesty, truth and sincerity.

We rob ourselves of happiness and we deny it to those closest to us.

Freeing ourselves from self-inflicted bondage should be something each of us desires more than anything else, for it is only when we are absent of a chained spirit that we are truly free to do the things that God expects from us.

If you are feeling a little closed in, it might be because you are allowing your sins to deny you your freedom. Ask Jesus to come into you and help you to change that.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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July 3

Posted on July 3, 2019 by Tony Casson

In spite of the thorn in my side…..

“Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” 2 Corinthians 12:7b NIV

The old man’s medicine cabinet

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 NIV

I remember when my medicine cabinet contained not much other than toothpaste, shaving cream, and deodorant. Most of that is still in the cabinet in the bathroom. This one actually hangs in my bedroom, and the vast majority of what you see is related to my allergies.

There are inhalers and eye-drops, nasal sprays, almost every allergy medicine known to man, creams to combat the Rosacea that seems to have blossomed as a result, tablets to get rid of mucus – well, you get the idea.

My thorn.

A BIG thorn.

A thorn that has grown so big as to require a second round of steroids to combat the wheezing and congestion that has been wreaking havoc on my body since early March. This second round is nearly triple the dose of the first round and, as a result, I have a touch of insomnia, which is why I am sitting here writing this during what normally would be my last couple of hours of sleep.

A thorn that has grown so big that the rest of the medicine sits on top of the cabinet you see and wouldn’t fit in the picture.

A thorn that has grown so big that riding my bicycle up the hill from work at Central Union Mission is an arduous, panting, wheezing affair when I can muster the courage and the strength to ride the bike rather than drive or take the bus.

A thorn that has grown so big as to cause me to need to use an inhaler after the simple act of climbing up the ladder to my loft bed.

But I am not complaining.

Yes, I know. It sounds like complaining, but it’s really not. You see, although I would rather be totally free from the thorn of my allergies, God has placed me where I am to do what He has called me to do. I could be allergy free in Southern California, where my daughter lives, or in Bend Oregon, where my Son lives, but I am in Washington, DC which, as it turns out, is the worst possible place for my allergies.

But the best possible place to serve the Lord, so I am not complaining.

Rather,

I am grateful for every wheezing breath I take, for I was lost but have found my way again.

I am joyful for each new day that is a gift from God and brings with it new opportunities to serve Him and glorify His name.

I am humbled by the constant stream of hard working, hard serving Christian men and women working to help the neediest of God’s children every day.

I am thankful for each and every individual whose life God allows me to touch in some small way.

And it is with a grateful, joyful, humble, thankful heart I bring you today’s devotion:

Today is…

an excellent day to take nutritional advice from Jesus.

“But He said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.”  John 4:32 KJV

When the disciples returned from the village with food, they tried to get Jesus to eat, which is when He gave them the above response. The disciples were confused and they asked Him if someone had given Him food while they were gone.

“Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work.” (John 4:34 KJV).

Of course Jesus was talking about spiritual nourishment, but the point that He was trying to make was that this type of nourishment is more important than physical nourishment, for what good is a well-fed body if the Spirit is starving to death?

Jesus was trying to teach that not only does our spiritual nourishment come from the Word of God, it also comes from doing the work of God. For Christ, the work was to develop a following of individuals who would teach the world about the gift of salvation that was given to us all when Christ completed His work and gave His life on the cross.

Each one of us is charged with continuing God’s work while we live.

In order to do God’s work we need nourishment, so for our spiritual sustenance we have not only the Word of God, but the work itself. Telling others about the promises that will be theirs when they, too, accept Jesus Christ as their Savior will nourish us by filling us even more full of the Spirit of God. It also reveals to others how they can begin to become spiritually nourished as well.

Before Jesus was betrayed and arrested, He prayed for Himself: “I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began.” (John 17:4-5 NIV).

Jesus also prayed for His disciples, but before completing His mission, He prayed for all of us: “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in Me through their message.” (John 17:20 NLT).

Jesus obtained spiritual nourishment through the Word of God and completing the work of God. He encourages us, through the disciples to obtain the same nourishment for ourselves.

There are numerous sources of advice how to properly nourish our bodies, but there is only one source of advice on how to obtain spiritual nourishment. That source is Christ, and we would do well to follow His advice.

And having done so, we will find ourselves anxiously awaiting dessert!

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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July 2

Posted on July 2, 2019 by Tony Casson

Today is…

the day to accept the perfection of other peoples imperfections.

“For by that one offering He forever made perfect those who are being made holy.”  Hebrews 10:14 NLT

Life on this earth could more accurately be described as a pilgrimage.

When Christ died on the cross and was then resurrected, we were all made perfect in God’s sight. That does not mean we do not have work to do as we continue our daily pilgrimage through life on our way to the everlasting life that awaits us with God.

And while we were made perfect in God’s sight, we may not always appear that way to each other.

In fact, from a human perspective, none of us is perfect, but because we are perfect in God’s sight, we have an obligation to accept the perfection of each other’s imperfections.

Around the world, every product that we eat, drink, wear, or otherwise use in our daily lives, is perpetually in various states of completion or production. For every loaf of bread on a super market shelf there is wheat which has begun to push its way out of the soil. There is also wheat that is ready to harvest, wheat that has been turned into grain, grain that has been milled into flour, and flour that is waiting to be baked for more bread for the super market shelf.

Let’s consider for a moment that the loaf of bread represents perfection. While a single stalk of wheat is not perfect, it is in the process of becoming so, and while a cup of flour may not be perfect, it is to the baker who sees the finished loaf of bread.

So it is with humans.

We are in various stages of perfection. As we become more holy, we get closer to the finished person, and that is how God sees us no matter what stage of development we are in.

We sometimes look at other people and question their hearts, their commitment to God, and their attitude about Heaven. We are critical because it is easy to be that way, and we focus on what we perceive to be other people’s imperfections. We do not see things the way God does, and we never will be able to, but we all need to understand and accept the fact that God sees us all the same way.

All human beings are at different stages in their pilgrimage to the perfection that God already sees. If we can help others on their pilgrimage, it is incumbent upon us to do so.

At the very least, we need to accept the perfection of other people’s imperfections and they need to accept ours.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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July 1

Posted on July 1, 2019 by Tony Casson

Today is…

a perfect day to do the right thing for the right reasons.

“I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you.”  Isaiah 57:12 NIV

It is important to remember that salvation is the most valuable gift that God gives us.

It is just as important to always remember that it is just that – a gift. We cannot purchase it by doing good works, nor can we buy it by giving money to charity. Salvation is a gift from God.

As Paul wrote his letter to the Church of Ephesus, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God…” (Ephesians 2:8 NASB).

It is not only the wealthy who try to buy the salvation we all desire. People of all incomes are guilty of thinking it is what we do that gains favor with God. The mistaken belief is that we can live our lives in whatever manner we so choose and make up for it by giving anonymously to our church, or writing a check to the local food bank.

What we do it is less important than WHY we do it.

It may be possible to fool those around us into believing that our generosity is motivated by concern for others that is borne out of our love of Jesus Christ and our acceptance of Him as our Lord and Savior. It may be possible to live a lifetime of going thru the motions of being a good Christian and believing in the Word of God.

We can say all the right things and go thru all the right motions, but it all comes down to this: we can fool everyone, perhaps even ourselves, but we cannot fool God.

If we are trying to make up for sexual promiscuity, greed, selfish anger, adultery, vulgar language, and improper thoughts by buying a bag of groceries to donate to the local food bank, we really need to stop and take a long, hard look at what we are doing.

Of course, if we have accepted Christ and we are earnest in the pursuit of the truth, we will become better people. As we feel better about who we are, and we start to feel that inner glow that comes from a relationship with the Lord, we will begin to think differently about the people around us. Salvation that is ours simply for believing will cause us to want to look constantly for ways to serve God by helping other people.

Then, and only then, will we be doing the right things for the right reason.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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June 30

Posted on June 30, 2019 by Tony Casson

Today is…

a fine day for listening only to God.

“But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.”  Psalm 1:2 NLT

Having a close relationship with God will have a profound impact on our lives.

The way we think; the way we view things; our feelings towards those around us: All of these things change in beautiful ways when we become closer to Him. We “listen” to God by reading the Holy Bible and searching it for the wisdom and instruction it holds. Then, as we read His Word we need to meditate on how it all relates to us. Thinking about everything we read will help us to determine how we are to apply its wisdom to our daily lives.

The more time we spend thinking about God and “listening” to His Word, the more we will understand how much we want to change. We also “listen” to the written Word of God by opening our hearts as well as our minds. God’s laws are not complicated, nor are they unreasonable. They do, however, require adjustments in our attitudes, thoughts, and actions. We may find that we have to reject certain things that we enjoyed doing, but if that is the case God will help us find other pursuits to replace those things. Those new pursuits will have value to our fellow man, as well as to our loved ones and to ourselves.

In many instances, the more “successful” we become, the less we feel we need to rely on God. Quite the reverse is true, for it is then that we need to rely on Him to show us how to use our success for the benefit of others.

One needs only to look around to see that many, many so-called “successful” people do not listen to what God tries to tell them. The evidence is in the ostentatious lifestyles and the vulgar displays of wasted wealth that are paraded before our eyes daily. No human being needs a 50,000 square foot home in which to live comfortably – and many people have more than one.

Yet so many of God’s children have no roof over their heads at all.

God has nothing against people enjoying their success. Indeed, the abilities and talents they possess which enable them to become wealthy in the first place came from God. He just wants us to listen to Him, and as Paul instructed Timothy in how to deal with the rich, “Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.” (1 Timothy 6:18 NLT).

Rich or poor, or somewhere in between, God has instructions and wisdom for us, and some rules to live by. We would all do well to listen to what He has to say, today and everyday.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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