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February 5

Thursday, February 5th, 2026

ENVY & JEALOUSY = 2 hideous monsters

The OT portion of my Bible reading this morning was from Psalm 73 & 74. I might as well have stopped at 73:1-3. All the rest is a blur because my heart and mind checked out after reading verses 1-3. Here they are:

“Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure. But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.” 

You might be wondering what got me so “worked up.” It was the words “I envied the proud.” My mind then pursued envy, and its kissing cousin, jealousy. They are often confused as the same thing, but are they? Here’s how the dictionary put it: “Envy is the longing to possess something someone else has, while jealousy is the fear of losing something you possess.” Another way to put it is “Envy is wanting what someone else has; jealousy is the fear of losing what you have.” 

I’m not sure I see it that way. In my mind (and that has been questionable at times 🙂 ), I see envy as wishing I had something, while jealousy is wanting something so badly I act…irrationally, of course. Am I correct is saying the envy is a wish and jealousy a want?  Not always is envy wrong IMHO. For example, I have always wanted to be able to sing. My brother, Rob, has a fantastic voice. I have always envied that, but certainly not to the point of wanting to harm or doing something stupid.  But jealousy can drive someone to doing something irrational, like hurting someone to dismantle the voice, or to blunt its influence. 

I may be wrong in my assessment but the writer of the psalm knew it was destructive. His envy did not lead him to do dumb things, only have wrong thoughts. The tragedy is that both envy and jealousy can destroy us. They both can lead us to unnatural thoughts and in some cases, irrational and damaging actions. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT ON THIS WITH YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE DIFFERENCE.

But in either case, dump envy and jealousy from your character. 

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February 4

Wednesday, February 4th, 2026

PRIDE VS. HUMILITY

So I began a new project yesterday during my morning Encounter Time. It is called The Humility Project for Men by Edward T. Welch. It is a 42 Day look at humility-first, toward God; second, toward others. It only makes sense that the first couple of lessons would establish what pride is.  Included in each lesson is space for responses. Here are some of mine from today:

There is a good pride. Pride in a job well-done, for example. Pride in playing well in a game. There is nothing wrong in feeling good, of taking pride in what you have accomplished. 

But the wrong kind of pride has bigger aspirations. Pride wants to “make a name” for himself. To put it another way: to see my name in lights. Pride wants to be a little above, a little better, a little more recognition, a few more pats-on-the-back than the other guy. False pride always compares, always judges, always thinks I am better than someone (everyone) else. Pride competes, not for the thrill of being involved or victory, but for the name recognition, or the award that says, “Hey! Look at me!” When pride is present, everyone else is second. 

When King Nebuchadnezzar (herein called Neb) thought was all that and more, God humbled him. For 7 years he lived and looked like an animal. When the time was up and Neb was restored to kingship and sanity, he said this: “Now I, Neb, praise and glorify and honor the king of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and…(wait for it)…he is able to humble the proud.” (Dan. 4:37 NLT). Proverbs 16:5 says, “The Lord detests the proud; they will surely be punished.” (NLT)

We often hear it said, “Pride goes before the fall.” So the way I see it is that I must ask myself a question: Do I want to be on my face before God in humility OR do I want to be there because I’ve done a face plant because I tripped on my pride? 

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February 3

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026

We are enamored with the last days. I did not know, until recently, there was such a thing as the Doomsday Clock. According to the Doomsday Clock it is 85 seconds to midnight, with midnight meaning Armageddon. Since 1947 the Doomsday Clock has been used to tell us how close we are to man-made destruction. There are a number of reasons given as to why that is believed, none of which are important to this devotion.  If you want to read more about this I would suggest this blog by Dr. James Emery White.

In my reading this morning from Mark 13, the disciples are impressed by the magnificence of the Temple..and they express it to Jesus. They had to be stunned when Jesus said that there would come a day when the Temple would be destroyed, when not one stone would left on top of another. Imagine the shock to their system! (BTW: it did happen in A.D. 70 when Titus sacked Jerusalem).

But there was a greater truth Jesus was getting to. Jesus is pretty pointed and graphic about what to expect. I won’t bore you with the details. I encourage you to read Mark 13 on your own. I will say this though: Jesus is blunt about people who would come in His name and claim to be Him. There will be those who will set dates. Cults have come out of that mess. Still today we have “prophets” claiming to predict when Jesus will return. You may get tired of my using this word if you have read my blog very long: they are hucksters. False prophets who are from the pit of hell and smell like smoke.

Truth is (and please hear this well), they are frauds. How do I know? I echo Jesus’ words in verse 32: “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.” I figure if Jesus didn’t know, how could I? I mean, did He not have an inside track? Say it with me: No. way. they. can. know. Run from them as far away as you can and as fast as you can.

What I can say is that each day I wake up brings me one step closer to heaven. Jesus’ words in verse 33 stand tall: “And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!”

Stay alert! Best advice ever. 

 

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February 2

Monday, February 2nd, 2026

Today is Groundhog Day. I certainly hope we don’t replay some days we have had recently! I’ve had enough of 12″ of snow and -7 degree weather. Good thing I don’t believe in old wives’ tales and groundhogs predicting (or is that guessing?) the weather. 🙂

Now on to more serious things: I’ve been thinking about faith vs. presumption. A classic example is found in Exodus 14. The people of Israel found themselves backed up against the Red Sea with the Egyptians coming hard. Despair and blame ruled the day as they shot daggers of accusation at Moses. Moses stood his ground and said, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” (13-14 NLT)

Most of us probably know the story. Moses raised his staff. The people walked across on dry ground. (That was faith). The Egyptians planned to do the same and charged head long into the Red Sea and dry ground. (That was presumption). They are swallowed up never to be seen again just as Moses said. 

Faith vs presumption. We often presume God owes us something. We hear it in the name it-claim it hucksters. God owed us N.O.T.H.I.N.G. He offers grace to all and those who want it accept it. But He’s not obligated. Worse is when we presume God will act a certain way just because we “say it.” There’s an old saying: “God said it; I believe it; that settles it.” NO. NO. NO. More accurate is “God said it; that settles it; therefore, I believe it.” What God does is not determined by whether I believe Him or not. His Word is true whether I believe it or not. His ways are right whether I believe it or not. His might and power are evident whether I believe it or not. 

How much better it is to trust and obey. 

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Seven #4

Friday, January 30th, 2026

We have all seen different pictures of Jesus. Down through the years I can remember Salman’s head of Christ, which is perhaps the first picture close to identifying Him as a Middle Eastern man, although somewhat sanitized. We have seen Him in pictures as standing with His back to us knocking on the door. We have seen Him in various perspectives as a shepherd: looking for sheep; standing with a shepherd’s hook; carrying a sheep; even having one draped over His shoulders. I’ve seen Him depicted as reaching over a cliff to rescue a sheep stuck on a ledge. We like the pictures of Jesus as a shepherd. They are “happy” and “safe.”

In 1981 the Christian band, Daniel Amos, wrote a song called The Hound of Heaven. It found its inspiration from a poem written by Francis Thompson, which depicted Jesus pursuing us like a hound. The words to the chorus were: “You can’t run, you can’t hide from the Hound of Heaven/You’re free to choose, can you refuse the Seeker of Souls?” The song emphasized the empty pursuits we often find ourselves in, while the poem emphasized a man running from God in order to maintain the pleasure of his life and God pursuing him. Here is the link to the song (Lyrics included) https://youtu.be/v38F6-N8mrg?si=4IVlJYtJiibLDlHL

My sermon Sunday is entitled The Watcher and will on “I AM the Good Shepherd.” After last week’s snow event and this week’s frigid temps (it was -7 Wednesday morning) I’m hoping for a heat wave! 🙂 Please join us in person at 9 and 10:45 or via live stream at the same times. Please join us online at YouTube (Owen Valley Christian Fellowship) or on our Facebook page (Owen Valley Christian Fellowship-Spencer, IN).

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January 29

Thursday, January 29th, 2026

I usually post what I feel God taught me that morning. But this morning I’m going to follow up on my weekend post about The Guardian. The “I AM” statement of Jesus saying, “I AM the gate/door to the sheepfold.” The miracle I used was found in John 4:46-54 where Jairus, the synagogue official, came to Jesus pleading for Jesus to heal his little girl. If you know the miracle, Jesus told him to go and his daughter would be healed. I made the following somewhat random points to close out with:

1. Prayer is difficult when we know that God can heal, but He sometimes doesn’t this side of heaven. Our thinking goes something like this: “If God can heal, why doesn’t He, especially when we pray in faith believing?” My answer: I haven’t got a clue! The old cliche’ “God is good all the time; all the time God is good” maddens me. I don’t see someone wasting away from cancer as God being good. But I will continue trusting that He knows best. 

2. If a miracle does happen, that miracle is to point to Him and encourage us to trust Him. A miracle isn’t done for the “WOW” factor…regardless of the so-called hucksters who use fake stuff to fleece people. You may disagree with me (and you are free to do that), but I don’t believe in faith healers. I believe in faith healing, but not faith healers. Big difference. Maybe a better way to say it is that I believe in faith healing, but fake healers. 

3. If I truly believe that Jesus is the Gate/Door and He protects and leads me, then how can I not see that in tough times as well as good? As I slowly watched my mom slip into unconsciousness and then take her last breath, I was sad…for me. But she was now enjoying being in the presence of the Savior she loved, as well as being reunited with  her mom and dad. It was a win/win situation. 

Pain is not easy to go through. Prolonged pain is sheer agony. But I’d like to suggest this thought: Listen for the Shepherd’s voice. Those who know the Word the best hear His voice the clearest. 

{Note: I’m having a medical procedure done today. I would appreciate your prayers} 

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January 28

Wednesday, January 28th, 2026

INNER PURITY VS OUTER PURITY

Those opposites ran through my head this morning as I read Mark 7. The context is Jesus being confronted by the Pharisees because His disciples could not/did not keep the cleanliness laws. Like Jesus was want to do, He turned the tables on them. Not by arguing cleanliness laws-although He did respond to that-but by turning the discussion away from outer purity to inward purity. 

Oh, but first He got in His dig by quoting the prophet Isaiah to them about hypocrisy, about having all the rituals in line but the heart out of tune. “These people honor me with their lips, their hearts are far from me” is the way Isaiah put it. Jesus goes on to say, “You ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.” (v.8)

But He doesn’t stop or ease up, because He goes on to talk about inner purity. “It’s from the heart,” He says, “where a man’s true character is revealed.” A person can have it all together outwardly, but inside is where it counts. “Evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness” all come from within. (20-23)

This speaks volumes to me, to the church, to the culture. We may appear to have it all together outwardly, but inwardly I/we are a train wreck. I/we can have the outward show (church attendance, giving, carrying a Bible, raising our hands, etc) down pat, but our heart is a mess. We are seeing this more and more today. People who are outwardly righteous caught up in porn, addictions of various kinds, gambling, deception, greed, and other “hidden” sins. In Mt. 23 Jesus talked about the Pharisees having a clean outside cup but cruddy on the inside. 

If I am going to have an impact on my world, my “circle,” I need to be the same on the inside and outside. No more playing religious games with pretend characters.  

“Father, help me to be real.” 

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January 27

Tuesday, January 27th, 2026

Whose voice will you listen to?

That’s the question I asked myself when I read Genesis 16 this morning and the story of Abram and Sarai. Promised a son years before, Sarai was still childless. For the most part Abram’s faith had not wavered. 

Until now. The Scripture is explicit in verse 1: “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar.” If you are reading this for the first time your ears ought to perk up. Something is about to happen with the word “but.” It does. Sarai makes the point about God’s promise of a child and then…”Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” Not a good suggestion, Sarai!!

Now, we can’t put all the blame on Sarai. Abram could have said, “Nope. That is not God’s plan.” Instead, the end of the verse says, “And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal.” (NLT)  The ESV puts it another way: “Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.” Hagar gets pregnant. Ishmael, who will become the father of the Arab nation, is born. A few years later, Sarai gets pregnant and has Isaac, who will become the father of the Jewish nation. And well…we all know how that has turned out. 

Nothing good-NOTHING GOOD-comes out of listening to the voice of man over the voice of God. The voice of man clamors for attention and against the voice of God. “Do this.” “Do that.” “Choose this.” “Choose that.” “Did God really say?” We are constantly inundated with the voice of man suggesting we rebel against or negate the voice of God. 

As we can see with Abram and Sarai, nothing good happens. The voice of God says, “Choose today whom you will serve.” I want to hear God’s voice loud and clear (not audibly), but in my heart and mind so clearly there is no doubt.

And you?

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January 26

Monday, January 26th, 2026

A demon-possessed man. A woman who bled for years. A dead little girl. 

All from the same amazing chapter in Mark-chapter 5. They also tell us something different about Jesus. But first, a recap:

  • A demon-possessed man who was so uncontrollable that he broke the chains they used to bind him. 
  • A woman who had bled for years. Bled dry (pun intended) financially by doctors; unclean for visits to the Temple; an outcast among her own people. 
  • The daughter of Jairus, the synagogue ruler, who was dying as her father hunts Jesus down and begs for healing. 

Each miracle, each act of Jesus, teaches us something different about Him. 

  • His power over evil.
  • His power over sickness.
  • His power over death. 

When evil seems to be winning; it won’t. When sickness seem to be so overwhelming; it isn’t. When death seems to have won; it hasn’t. 

We live with the reality of all 3 of those. Evil seems to win or be winning. Sickness seems to be rampant, ravaging all. Death is an ever-constant reality-expected or unexpected. But we serve a Savior who can and has set us free from the chains that bind us; who can heal in a moment’s notice (if He so chooses to do so); and who has defeated death and gives eternal life, the ultimate victory. 

WHAT A MIGHTY SAVIOR!

Note: In case you are wondering: the snow came. My last check (and I have not looked this morning) was 10-12″. I hope to dig out today and resume normalcy (whatever that is 🙂 ) tomorrow. 

 

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Seven #3

Friday, January 23rd, 2026

Following Tami’s (our oldest daughter) graduation from Terre Haute North High School in 1993, our family took a two-week trip out west. Being a baseball family we saw the Rockies play in Denver and then made our way to stay with some friends near Seattle, where we watched the Mariners play. We stopped on the way home at Dyersville, Iowa, the home of Field of Dreams. We also stopped at other tourist places along the way, one of them being Custer’s Memorial. We all got out and as I stood at the memorial I looked to my right and saw a sign. It said not to get off the path because there were rattlesnakes. That was all my family needed to read as they headed back to the car. It wasn’t too much later that I did the same. 

Warning signs are good, on a hike or in life. It is easy for us to look around and see beauty and goodness and be completely unaware that there is danger hiding. When Jesus says, “I am the door/gate,” He is telling us not only who He is, but He is also warning us about dangers around us. I’ve just given away this Sunday’s “I Am.” 🙂 The miracle I am using to further illustrate the truth is from John 4:46-54.  I will use this blog to post some thoughts about the miracle next week. 

They say we are going to have a winter weather event starting Saturday. The weather guessers predict anywhere from 2-10 inches of snow. I’m hoping, of course, they are wrong and that we can meet in person. However, if they guess right and we do get the snow, we will cancel in person services and just do live stream. Please join us online at YouTube (Owen Valley Christian Fellowship) or on our Facebook page (Owen Valley Christian Fellowship-Spencer, IN). Feel free to comment or ask questions. We will start at 10:00 with one service only. If you happen to check us out, please let us know you were there. If you have any questions, check out our website for email addresses. 

Personally, I hope the weather guessers are wrong. 🙂

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