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In Defense of Satan – He Said

Eddie — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:03:30 +0000

In Defense of Satan

But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you! - Jude 1:9

Listen to In Defense of Satan – He Said

“I have no special regard for Satan,” Mark Twain said. “But I can at least claim that I have no prejudice against him. It may even be that I lean a little his way, on account of his not having a fair show. All religions issue bibles against him, and say the most injurious things about him, but we never hear his side. Of course Satan has some kind of case, it goes without saying. It may be a poor one, but that is nothing. That can be said of any of us.”

***

Satan is deceitful; I’ll give you that. But is he the source of all our setbacks and sorrows? Does he spread cancer, crash computers, or cause strife within families and congregations? Or could it be we give him more credit than he is due?

This week I heard Satan blamed for a toothache, faulty software, rudeness, high gas prices, the poor housing market, snow, rain, heat, and rap music. Too often when problems arise in the midst of what we “know” to be God’s will, we blame Satan.

For example, the other day a friend counseled me: “Stand firm. Satan is trying to tick you off and make you say something you don’t mean.” Perhaps. Or maybe God is teaching me patience and training me to hold my tongue?

Here’s another: “Satan is trying to drive a wedge between us.” Maybe. Or else God is growing me in the area of forgiveness.

Another friend wrote to say: “Satan has attacked us in our physical lives.” He certainly did with Job. But we also know that God allows affliction to draw us to Him. Would it be wrong of God to allow us to scrape our knee so that we might crawl into His lap for comfort?

When the archangel Michael got into a tussle with Satan he kept his thoughts to himself. Perhaps Michael knew what we tend to forget; that Satan is God’s creation too. If those who stand in the presence of God dare not speak against the devil, who are we to blindly judge?

Maybe if we didn’t mention Satan’s name so often, others would view us as victors in Christ, not wimpy warriors struggling to lace up our boots.

Just a thought.

Step to the Side – She Said

Editor Cindy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:01:02 +0000

Words

Listen to Step to the Side – She Said

Joseph didn’t have a chance. There was no pleasing his associates in the firm. Their habit was to browbeat one another; throw insults and lies. What Joseph saw was a firm falling apart from partners who blamed everyone else for their mishaps.

“It’s all your fault. The company isn’t moving ahead because of you. You’re a detriment to the firm.”

Joseph felt sick. He knew he’d worked hard in the firm, studying, bringing cases before hard judges and winning them but when his associates accused him of being a detriment, he shook his head and walked away.

I’m a peacemaker (and not the one that wears black leather jackets). I’ve never handled conflict well and it’s me who falls in the rubble of those whose opinion weighs heavier. Oh, I state my opinion, make suggestions, but if I’m attacked from the opposition, I tend to walk away. There have been times I’ve felt anger boil beneath the surface as others have hurled insults and hurtful insinuations. My thoughts are, this isn’t my battle, it’s God’s. He knows if I’m right or wrong and in Him I find the protection I need to withstand the attacks.

Even Michael the archangel understood the battle was God’s. He could have let loose with lightening fast accusations against Satan and probably have been in the right, but he didn’t. He stepped to the side and said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

It’s hard for us to walk away from a fight. Our nature leads us to defend our honor regardless of whether we’re right or wrong. I walked away from the hardest battle in my life and chose to say nothing while others made their own decisions about the situation. Folks waited for me to retaliate, but I didn’t. It wasn’t my battle.

There’s something to be said about the archangel’s example in his war of words with Satan. He showed us that even though he may have had just cause, it was God’s place to rebuke.

Walking away from the battle I faced was the best decision I’ve ever made. Think about your battles and your words then step to the side and let God take control.

Read Cindy’s devotions

HE SAID, SHE SAID RADIO IS MOVING TO MONDAY NIGHT…Join us as we delve deeper into the meaning of God’s word and apply it to our own lives.

Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! along with Scott McCausey. And now you can catch them on He Said, She Said Radio. at their new time, MONDAY’S at 6 p.m. (Call in number, 646-929-0706 ).

Do you sense something vital missing from you relationship with your spouse, children, and God?

Try He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion. This compilation of 54 devotions includes scripture verses, space for journaling, individual prayers and words of wisdom from two of today’s funniest and insightful Christian authors. This heart-warming collection of stories will inspire you to reach for the true source of joy: a life lived for and through God. These deeply personal devotions offer biblical insights and spiritual truths from the perspective of one man and one woman.

Consecrated to Christ – He Said

Christian Devotions Editor — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:03:01 +0000

Consecrated to Christ

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. – Proverbs 22:6

Listen to Consecrated to Christ - He Said

Over two thousand years ago, a father chose the greatest scholar of his age to tutor his young son in liberal arts. The gifted instructor taught the boy in architecture, music, literature, politics, and natural sciences. A few years later, the boy, barely in his twenties, set out to conquer the world. He did. By the age of thirty, he had created one of the largest empires known to man, stretching from the Ionian Sea to the Himalayas. He was undefeated in battle and remains one of history’s most successful commanders. He died at the age of thrty-two, considered by many, a drunk and a womanizer.

Three centuries after the death of Alexander the Great, another father sent His Son out to conquer the world. He taught His boy to lead through serving, win through losing himself for others, and victory through loving his enemies. He, too, died near the age of thirty-two. Two thousand years later His army marches on.

Our role as parents is to observe our children with the eyes of objectivity, study their uniqueness, and guide them in the ways they will go when left in the center of God’s will. The Hebrew word “hanakh” means “to dedicate” or “to consecrate.” Once Christ dedicated His life to following the will of his Father, He could do nothing other than become our Lord and Savior.

If you find any measure of comfort and peace in Christ, know this: Sometime, somewhere, long before you became aware there was a God, an individual dedicated your life to God through prayer.

May we do the same each day for our children.

Prodigal? Me? – She Said

Editor Cindy — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:01:03 +0000

Teach Your Children

Prodigal? ME? – She Said

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

Listen to Prodigal? Me – She Said

“We’re all prodigals, aren’t we?”

The Sunday morning message blared from the television. I dropped a tissue into the trash. My head throbbed and my body ached from the flu and I wasn’t sure I could listen to this hell-fire and damnation preacher scream at me. Chills crawled up my arms as the country pastor slammed his hand on the pulpit. “It’s true. We are all prodigals.”

I covered my head with the pillow, wishing I could will the remote into my hand. I’m not a prodigal. Not by any means. I pray every day and try to be the person God wants me to be; honest, truthful, loving. No. I’m not a prodigal.

There might have been a time I wandered but never very far. Maybe I questioned, but not very hard. Things were…well…status quo. My love for Christ never faltered…it just wasn’t pressing.

I sat straight up in the bed.

“Oh my gosh. I was a prodigal.”

Sometimes our view of God becomes so skewed by the world we wander away, searching for anything that might fill the void in our lives; never seeing the loving God who waits.

I was raised in the church and though my love for Christ never died, I succumbed to the world for a time…searching. At thirty-six I sat teaching a young adult Sunday school class. “How active are you in Christ’s life?” I asked. Then it hit me. Not very, but He was certainly active in mine. I was a prodigal. That was the turning point in my Christian life. I grasped hold of what I’d been taught and crawled home.

Solomon understood we eventually return to what we are taught. It never really leaves us, we just shove it away for a time. His words were not only a warning but an encouragement to parents. Teach them and they will not turn from it. We have sons who, like me for a time, search to fill the void. They’ve been raised beneath the wing of Christ. They’re fine young men and though their love for Christ has not died…they wander. We pray daily they will remember and not turn from the love of Christ but become active in Him again.

Raise them up in the ways of Christ. A time will come when they wander and seek. Eventually what they’ve been taught will resurface. God will work in their prodigal hearts and they will become active in Him. My job? To pray without ceasing.

Read Cindy’s devotions

HE SAID, SHE SAID RADIO IS MOVING TO MONDAY NIGHT…Join us as we delve deeper into the meaning of God’s word and apply it to our own lives.

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He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion
by Cindy Sproles & Eddie Jones

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Transparent Holiness – He Said

Christian Devotions Editor — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:03:24 +0000

Transparent Holiness

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.- Proverbs 10:9

Listen to Transparent Holiness – He Said

A cigar smoker purchased several hundred expensive stogies and had them insured against fire. After he’d smoked them all, he filed a claim, pointing out that the cigars had gone up in flames. The company refused to pay and the man sued. A judge ruled that because the insurance company had agreed to insure the cigars against fire, it was legally responsible. The company paid the claim. Then, when the man accepted the money, the company had him arrested for arson.

The writer of Proverbs says the crooked will be found out. I know every little deceit I plan is discovered. When I was in middle school I stole some candy. Didn’t get out of the store before the cashier told me to empty my pockets. He gave me a choice: Call the police or call my parents. I broke down crying and he phoned Dad.

Ours is a transparent society. More than any time in history our sins are exposed before others. You might think getting caught would be a deterrent. Instead, we have grown numb to our outlandish acts of disobedience and lewdness. Like the man with the cigars, we seek to boldly bend the rules to our advantage.

But God calls us to a higher standard. One of holiness and honor.

Each morning I pray that God will allow me to see my wife with the eyes of Christ. To love her and others with the heart of God. I ask that He make me a man of encouragement, not criticism; one who speaks good news and hope, not bitterness. Left to my own desires I am a wretched man. With Christ I am a wrecked man under repair.

This year, this week, this day – resolve to walk in integrity. And pray that others will do the same.

100 Reasons for Integrity – She Said

Editor Cindy — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:01:39 +0000

One Hundred Reasons for Integrity – She Said

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. Proverbs 10:9 NIV

Listen to 100 Reasons for Integrity- She Said

It looked like a $1 bill under the seat in front of me. I slid my foot forward and snagged the bill pulling it toward my fingers. “Well, look at that. A $1.00…woah…$100 dollar bill.” Wow, I thought, this could reimburse part of my airfare.

It would have been nice but it wasn’t my money. I guessed man in front of me dropped it so Imotioned to flight attendant. “Is the man in the seat in front of me coming back?”

She glanced to the rear of the plane. “I think that’s him back there.”

I opened my fist and exposed the money. “I think he lost this.”

The flight attendant’s eyes widened. “I’ll ask.” She to walked to the man and immediately he began to pat his trousers and poke in his jacket pocket. Within minutes he stood next to me in the plane.

“The flight attendant said you found something that belonged to me.”

I grinned. “Can you identify the object?”

“I believe his name is Benjamin Franklin.” I slipped the $100 bill into his hand.

“Thank you so much. You could have kept that you know.”

“It wasn’t mine to keep.” He sat in the seat across the aisle and we chatted for most of the flight. Just before we deplaned, I gave him a business card. “Join the devotions. You’ll enjoy them.”

The writer of Proverbs penned a wealth of wisdom for us to glean. Some, simple common sense and others solid life standards. He reminded us integrity walks securely and dishonestly catches up. But the walk of integrity is not a hop, skip and a jump. It’s wrought with temptations that are sometimes much easier to grasp than not. I could have kept the money and never uttered a word but it was a matter of integrity. I had an idea who the money belonged to and keeping it was as good as stealing.

The man walked away and I sang Que sera sera then waved goodbye to an easy $100. I could have kept it and no one would have been the wiser. Months later a letter came to our ministry mail box. Inside, a business card and a check for $100 along with a sticky note . “100 reasons for integrity. Use as you see fit.”

It wasn’t hard to see the joy of walking in integrity. The reward far exceeded the $100 check. It carried with it the thrill of knowing God was pleased.

When you’re tempted to walk the crooked path, choose integrity. Your reward may not be 100 reasons for integrity but the joy and pleasure you bring to the Father is well worth the choice.

Read Cindy’s devotions

HE SAID, SHE SAID RADIO IS MOVING TO MONDAY NIGHT…Join us as we delve deeper into the meaning of God’s word and apply it to our own lives.

Do you sense something vital missing from you relationship with your spouse, children, and God?

He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion
by Cindy Sproles & Eddie Jones

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My Mama Nell – He Said

Christian Devotions Editor — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:02:26 +0000

Mama Nell's Family Tree

Honor your father and mother—which is the first commandment with a promise. Ephesians 6:2 (NIV)

Listen to My Mama Nell – He Said

I’ve waited all my life to tell Mom what I thought of her and now I can without fear of retribution – assuming of course she can’t curse me from the grave. Others have accused me of lacking a verbal filter, but I blame my bluntness on Mom. One thing about my mother . . . you always knew what she was thinking. Whether you wanted to know or not.

But my aim today isn’t to highlight Mom’s faults (and there were many – from her constant carping about how our church had grown too large (apparently100 members is the perfect size), to her criticisms of the pastors and their apparent lack of attention to the elderly and shut-ins). I count these as faults only in the sense that Mom often voiced her opinions in a gruff manner, sometimes leading individuals to do the exact opposite.

No, my goal today is to honor Mom and cash in on that promise in Ephesians 6:2. I want to live a long, long while here on earth because I know when I get to heaven Mom will ask me to pick up sticks, or weed the garden, or some other horrendous childhood chore. Here’s a story that highlights three of Mom’s more prominent qualities: to have community, to contribute, and to be in charge.

A year or so ago Mom was on her way to the hairdresser when another driver ran a stop sign and smashed into her Buick. Mom got out, inspected the damage, and exchanged insurance info. Then while the two women waited for the police to arrive, Mom popped the trunk and motioned the other driver to the rear of her LeSabre.

“My son’s a writer,” Mom announced, “and I’ve got some of his books. Do you want a copy?” I wasn’t there but, knowing Mom, the inflection in her voice and order of words was probably more like: “You do want a copy? Right?” I’m almost certain of this because the woman bought one copy of The Curse of Captain LaFoote (a YA / Tween novel) and a church recipe book. I bet the woman doesn’t even cook.

But that was Mom. Always hawking my books (contributing to the needs of others), talking about her friends in the J O Y group (Just Older Youths was her community), and making other people’s business her business (charging in uninvited).

This week I lost my biggest fan and best salesperson, but God gained a worthy assistant. I can’t imagine how He thinks He’ll remain in charge now.

The last thing Mom told me was, “I’m not as young as I used to be, Son. You need to think about your old mom once in a while and come see me.”

I will Mom. I promise.

On My Honor – She Said

Editor Cindy — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:01:09 +0000

On My Honor

Honor your father and mother—which is the first commandment with a promise. Ephesians 6:2 NIV

Listen to On My Honor- She Said

She slipped a paper under my arm and grinned. “Wanna buy some cookies?”

I lifted my hand and extended three fingers. “On my honor, I will try: to serve God and my country, to help people at all times, and to live by the Girl Scout Law.”

The little girl’s mouth flew open.

“What?” I said. “I graduated from the Girl Scouts. Of course I’ll buy cookies.” I wasn’t sure if she was more impressed I knew the Girl Scout Promise or that I’d bought cookies…either way I had her attention.

My mom was, bar none, the best Girl Scout leader ever. She taught us more than I could have ever imagined—from cooking, to emergency skills, to survival hiking. She was the ultimate in leadership.

The first thing Mom taught us as Brownie Scouts was the Girl Scout Promise. She didn’t just teach us the words or the habit of reciting it each week; Mom taught us what “On my honor” really means.

As a Girl Scout leader, Mom made sure every girl who wanted to go to church got to go. It was a common thing for her to pick up girls weekly and take them to our church. Mom taught us to honor our parents with our words and our actions. Kids respected her, admired her, and always found a place under her wing.

My mother is a master quilter and recently she completed a quilt she’d started over forty years ago—a troop quilt with the silhouettes of each girl she’d mentored through the years. As I stood admiring it, I realized what an honor it was to call her my mother, my friend, and my Girl Scout leader, and I wondered if I had honored her appropriately in my life.

Through her guidance, over seventy-five girls were impacted and to this day, many of them still ask about her, love her, and honor her with the example of values she taught them as children.

Paul instructed the Ephesians in the ways of a Christian home. He preached to everyone, “Honor your father and mother…it comes with a promise that your earthly life will be good.” How right he still is today.

I’m proud of my mother and even when I don’t agree with her, I honor her above all else because she is my mother and her love for me is immense, her guidance direct, and her ways godly. Because of her, I am who I am.

I smiled as the little Brownie Scout be-bopped away with the success of a cookie sale. My prayer for her is that her Girl Scout leader is the ultimate godly leader my mom is.

When I honor my mother, I honor Christ. So I offer you this challenge…On my honor, I will try…won’t you?

Read Cindy’s devotions

HE SAID, SHE SAID RADIO IS MOVING TO MONDAY NIGHT…Join us as we delve deeper into the meaning of God’s word and apply it to our own lives.

Do you sense something vital missing from you relationship with your spouse, children, and God?

He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion
by Cindy Sproles & Eddie Jones

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God Encounters: Innocence Lost – He Said

Christian Devotions Editor — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:03:59 +0000

Innocence Lost

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. – Matthew 2:16 (NIV)

Listen to God Encounters: Innocence Lost – He Said

At last Mary exhaled. No more angels appearing in the dead of night. No more heavenly hosts singing outside her home. Even the steady parade of shepherds dropping in to check on her boy had ceased. After nearly two years of interruptions, she was finally living a normal life–or what passed for normal with a toddler in the home.

But the serenity would not last. Weeks after the wise guys from the East bid her son farewell, she lay awake, listening to the screams of other mothers. Reaching to her side, she cradled her boy to her chest as thundering hooves raced down the dusty highway. Roman legions, she thought, descending on Bethlehem. She looked up and saw Joseph peeking past the tent flap. She waited for his nod and began gathering their few belongings. With the growing crescendo of cries ringing in her ears, Mary wept for the friends she loved, the mothers who wailed for her son’s innocent playmates.

But were they innocent? Are you?

The birth of Mary’s boy brought joy and hope to a conquered people. Years earlier, God’s people had demanded a king: a leader they could see, hear, and curse. God cautioned them to be content with Him alone: to seek His face and guidance. But they coveted the royalty of neighboring nations so God conceded to their wishes. “They have not rejected you,” He told the prophet Samuel, “but they have rejected me.”

Now, in the town of Bethlehem, God had returned. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords would call nations to account. This is the consequence of an encounter with God: the loss of our innocence. We think we are “good enough,” but we are delusional for the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

Before Christ, our sins were not counted against us; now we have no defense except one, the One who escaped the sword of Herod.

Romans tells us that all have sinned. There is none righteous, no not even one. Not even the baby boys of Bethlehem. This is the reality of an encounter with God.

For whom will you weep today?

Life isn’t Fair – She Said

Editor Cindy — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:01:24 +0000

Life isn't Fair

Listen to He Will See You Through – She Said

“What a rip!” My son wasted no time in forming judgment. “That’s not fair. Not fair at all.” And he was right.

We sat stunned as a national news story hit our local television newscast. Sixteen-year-old, Wes Leonard, of Fennville, Michigan died on the court after shooting the winning lay-up for his high school basketball team and sending them to the play-offs.

One moment there were cheers of joy and in an instant, silence…dead silence. The teen who’d rushed down the court, giving his all, now lay dead from an enlarged heart.

“How sad.” I said. “The kid was a hero and he never got the opportunity to bask in the moment. Why does life seem so unfair?”

After the Magi heeded their warning not to revisit Herod so they made the trek home via a different route. They had no idea the repercussion their decision would make. Their obedience led Herod into a rage that ultimately resulted in the death of hundreds of baby boys. Unsure which baby was the Christ, Herod condemned them all to death.

I’ve yet to fully understand why life is so unfair. It’s easy to blame God for the bad things that happen but is He really to blame? Dale Tackett, teacher and author of The Truth Project, says it best. “It’s a cosmic battle being fought on a daily basis.”

For every spiritual win scored, Satan strikes back and those who strive to do what is right and good, become collateral damage in the war. Perhaps this is why God never promised walking in the light would be easy. It’s not that the God of the Universe expects our obedience then punishes us for doing it…it’s that Lucifer lies in wait.

We may not understand the collateral damage of a spiritual or cosmic war, nor do we grasp the greater good of the will of God. Often all we see is the sadness left in the wake of obedience, success and honesty.

We each have numbered days. Do not waste them. Be a hero like Wes Leonard by doing your best in everything you do. Earthly rewards are awesome but eternal rewards by far outweigh the temporal. Life isn’t fair, but heaven is.

Read Cindy’s devotions

HE SAID, SHE SAID RADIO IS MOVING TO MONDAY NIGHT…Join us as we delve deeper into the meaning of God’s word and apply it to our own lives.

Do you sense something vital missing from you relationship with your spouse, children, and God?

He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion
by Cindy Sproles & Eddie Jones

Print version $9.95

Kindle eBook $2.99

NOOK eBook $2.99

Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!