them — perhaps people who are entrepreneurs and owners of their own businesses — promoting yourself is an important aspect of their business success.  There’s another aspect of self-promotion when it interferes with the primary goal of a larger program unrelated to a person’s personal enterprise but related to the plans and goals of God.  Enter God, whose agenda is bigger and more important than anyone’s personal goals.  God’s plan is to save humanity.  And God’s plan is clear — the means and the methods to accomplish God’s plan are to spread the means by which God has chosen to save humanity.  To promote oneself as integral to God’s plan of salvation essentially blocks the message and the means of salvation.  To promote God’s plan of salvation is to highlight the truth of God's process which is salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  Following God’s plan enables us to see the light of God’s plan in Jesus Christ.

• What truth about Christ are you dependent on that the world should be made aware of?
• How can you tell your story without making yourself the hero of Your belief and faith?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer
Loving God, humble me before You. Give me the courage to promote Jesus Christ and his grace as truth over any self-promotion I do to win Your or anyone else’s approval.

         There is much in history to refute the truth about who Jesus Christ was and what he did.  But historical records support the evidence that John the Baptist lived among the people of his time.  So, the question is, “Why are there so many arguments to refute the truth of Jesus Christ, but virtually none to refute the reality of John, the Baptist?”  This is an important question since one (John the Baptist) was unalterably linked to Jesus, John’s cousin, who was the anchorman for the salvation of the world.  No one questions the reality of Josephus who also talks about both John and Jesus, yet they question the truth about Jesus and his ministry.  Could it be that in all of their questions, there is a direct question about the reality of God, and the truth of who Jesus was within that relationship?  Are there hidden envies, jealousies, or resentments because Jesus didn’t market his unusual gifts and sell them to the world?

         We may never know the answer to all of the questions of the universe.  And yet the truth remains — 6  ... without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6).  And since that remains an undisputable truth, perhaps the same can be true of God’s only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ — we must first believe that he is both the truth and the proof of God’s reality for us all.

• Why do you think it’s so easy for people to accept a part of the truth without accepting the entire truth?
• Why does believing only what we want to believe make it more comfortable and convenient for us to craft our own truth, rather than accepting the whole truth?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Merciful God, give me both the faith and the grace to believe Your entire truth and not just the truths with which I am comfortable. Fill me with Your Spirit to know and believe the whole truth of Jesus Christ.

         The beginning of the Lenten season always calls us to a time of fasting — of denying ourselves certain creature comforts to give our attention to God and Christ and how we might more faithfully serve him.  But there is an approach to fasting that must be taken into consideration.  It’s not a personal thing — something we do for the sake of our being seen — of showing others that we are “down” with our religious rituals and traditions.  Fasting is an act of personal humility and not personal pride by which we seek the approval of God and not the approval of our friends and acquaintances.  That’s why James' letter said,

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  9 Lament and mourn and weep.  Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection.  10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:8-10)

It’s also why Jesus renounced fasting for the praises of others.  Fasting is a spiritual practice by which we — instead of choosing to fill our bodies, minds, and spirits with worldly necessities — we, instead, choose to fill ourselves with spiritual necessities which draw us closer to God.  And the rewards we get do not come from the acknowledgement of other people.  Our greatest benefit comes from our God who sees and understands the secret desires of our hearts to be filled with God’s Spirit, acknowledges our humility, and rewards us by becoming closer and more intimate in our relationship with Him.

• What will you be willing to fast from in order to become closer to God for the next 40 days of Lent?
• How will this fast enable you to gain a more intimate relationship with God?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Almighty God, empower me to humble myself during this season of Lent to fast spiritually for something that will draw us closer together.