“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” James 1:19-21

There’s an old fable about a Cherokee Indian elder who was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said to them, “A fight is going on inside you. It is a terrible fight between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight going on inside of you is inside every other person, too.”

The children thought about it for a minute, and then one child asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee elder replied simply, “The one you feed.”

A Rabbi expressed it this way: “The two wolves symbolize the Evil Inclination (Yetzer Hora) and the Good Inclination (Yetzer Hatov). The former thrives on bodily appetites, while the latter thrives on Torah, prayer, and good deeds. Eventually, one swallows the other.”

Paul talked about in his letter to the Galatians, telling them to live by the Spirit, and not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. He said the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.

In case the Galatians didn’t know how to identify these traits, Paul spelled them out: sexual immorality, impurity debauchery, idolatry witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. And then he went on to enumerate the fruits of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Reading this causes me to take inventory of my inner self. Clearly, I can see the two wolves within me. Clearly they are in competition. Clearly, on my own I have not the ability to triumph good over evil from within. But the wonderful part of the story is that through the Spirit of Christ, I can overcome all things and I can be the kind of person God uniquely created me to be. I can be all things through Christ who strengthens me.

So, I encourage you to do as I did. Take an inner inventory. Decide who you want to be and who God wants you to be. And, above all else, make sure each day that you take time to feed the right wolf.

Question: Which wolf are you feeding today?

About the Author: John Grant

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20

When I took a marketing course in college, I studied organizational charts and I always thought that the CEO was the head banana in pecking order of the organizational pyramid. I mean, the one who hires, fires and inspires, the one where, you know, the buck stops on his desk. But, when I recently made a trip to the local office supply chain store, I met a new kind of CEO.

As I was walking up and down the various aisles amidst numerous varieties of electronic gadgetry, the CEO approached me, introducing himself as David and asked if  he could “enhance my shopping experience.” I told him that my visit was not a major social event and all I needed was a new fax machine, I glanced at his name tag and realized that he was my CEO or “Customer Experience Officer.”

It was his assignment to make sure that my visit to the store was a memorable one. He began by giving me a verbal virtual store tour. I guess he thought he could convince me to restock my office with everything from paper clips to all the new electronic gadgetry he was so eager to show me, until I either filled it up or maxed out the limit on my credit card, whichever should first occur. I patiently listened to his speel, though all I wanted to do is dash in, find a cheap fax machine and dash out.

I really had other, more exciting things to do elsewhere on this Saturday evening, but I must say that I was impressed with this guy. He loved his job, knew his products and wanted his employer to succeed by motivating me to buy more than I went shopping for. He believed in his job and he believed in himself.

Life is like that. God placed us here to enhance the lives of others. Often people want to dash in, grab an insignificant slice of the pie of life and hit the road before they can comprehend all the blessings God has made available to them.

As Christians, it is our responsibility to be a “customer experience officer” for others. Like the man in the store, God wants me to reach out to others and love doing it. He wants us to love him, love others and love what we do. He wants us to know the Gospel He calls us to spread and He wants us to motivate others to find in life not only what they weren’t looking for , but that which they did not know even existed.

He wants us to be bold and yet gentle at the same time. He wants us to share in love not in condemnation. He wants to enhance our life experience and wants us to lead others to fulfilling lives.

Are you prepared? Are you willing to spread the Gospel throughout all the land?

Are you wiling to be someone’s “life experience officer?”

Reach out to others and remember that love is not until you give it away.

Questions: What kind of experience do people have as they come in contact with you? Where can you specifically give love away today?

About the Author: John Grant

“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.” Acts 10:44

Over the years, I have toured many industrial facilities, always having an interest in how things are made, packaged and delivered to the customer. It has also been a good place to ask for votes at election time and I have shaken many hands on assembly lines and lines formed to change shifts.

So, when I was invited to tour a book bindery recently in Bogotá, Columbia it didn’t appear to be that exciting of an engagement, but when I walked through the doors and onto the assembly floor, my perspective suddenly changed. You see, this was no ordinary book bindery. It was a Bible bindery, where pre-printed blocks of printed paper are bound into a variety of covers and bindings, for shipment in several languages to a number of countries in the world.

As I stared at the rows of cardboard boxes, I was told that on that floor, ready to be shipped, were a little less than a quarter of a million Bible, in different sized, different bindings and in different languages, but all containing the same message of God’s redemptive love that runs like a scarlet thread all the way from Genesis to Revelation. I wasn’t looking at a book inventory, I was looking at God’s message to the world, all neatly packed in a well sealed, weather protected box destined for shipment to many people in many lands.

As I looked at the hundreds of boxes, I could only visualize the ultimate recipient of each one and what impact it would make on one life. I thought about how each Bible would get placed in the hands of the ultimate recipient and how someone would tell them and help them to grow in a more dynamic, personal and Intimate relationship with Him so that they could become more like Him.

There is nothing more important in the world than knowing Jesus Christ and we know Him through his Word. It is powerful, it is divine, it is life changing … and it has to be communicated. That’s our calling as followers of Christ, spread the Word. But how many of us keep the Word of God tightly wrapped up in a box, failing to share the greatest message in all the world to someone even as close as our next door neighbor?

Looking at those boxes touched my heart. I thought of all who had never had a Bible and had never heard the Word of God or had even an opportunity to appropriate His saving grace. I asked myself how often I take my faith for granted, keep it to myself and fail to share with others before it is too late.

Recently I came upon the scene of a bad automobile accident, right after it happened. People were running from every direction to help as they could, pulling bandages, or whatever they had from the trunks of their car to do what they could until the paramedics arrived. It was a tragic, yet beautiful sight to see people doing everything they could to help people they didn’t even know.

Yet, when we see someone lost without the security of God’s assurance and plan for salvation, how often do we drop what we are doing and run to help before it is too late? I am ashamed to say that all too often, I don’t respond they way I should. How about you? Can we both make a commitment to share God’s Word and make sure Jesus doesn’t stay trapped in the delivery box?

Question: Do you care if those around you hear about Jesus?

About the Author: John Grant

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”” John 14:6

Have you ever stood in a book store and surveyed the number of books that have a number of ways to do most anything? There’s everything from 8 Minute Workouts to 8 Mindful Steps to Happiness to 7 Principles for Making a Marriage and 7 Days to Whiter Teeth. Remember Steven Covey’s Steven Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People? He put the words “proactive” and “synergize” on the map.

A recent edition of U.S. News featured on the front cover “50 Ways to Improve Your Life in 2006.” The inclusive list covered everything from flossing your teeth to enjoying a massage to joining a singing group. It seems that everybody writes or reads books that boil anything down to less than ten precise steps to accomplish any goal.

We live in a scientific and technological culture where people believe that every problem can be solved by applied techniques (six steps to a better whatever). How much has this way of viewing life shaped you?

Christian bookstores are not immune this way of thinking. Notice how much it looks like the self-help section of your local secular bookstore. Whether it’s a better marriage or a stronger prayer life, there are numerous books that offer it in six or seven easy steps.

Pastors run to church growth conferences to hear the latest “formula,” in however many steps the speaker may think it takes to grow their church. It all seems so right, so logical so reasonable. The sell books like 5 Good Minutes to Change Your Spiritual life and 100 Morning Practices to Help You Stay Calm and Focused All Day Long.

As Christians, we often think there is some magic formula out there to dramatically change us and make all of our problems go away overnight. Well, it isn’t quite that easy. A lot of self help, spiritual and otherwise are on the shelves of local book stores. Some contain sound advice and some are marginal, if not outright incorrect. Be careful what you load into your brain and be sure you know the core values of the author and don’t believe that a few steps practiced and applied in your life can remake you.

There is only one way and it is a one step process. Jesus said:, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). I suggest that if you really want to change your life this year, commit yourself to follow Him and read His Word every day.

In a world that tells us to conform, Jesus tells us to transform and to present ourselves as a living sacrifice.

So, for us all, may this be the year of transformation, the year of presentation, the year we surrender all we have to the one who holds the keys to joy, peace and contentment. The path to that goal is daily Bible reading, committed worship, not just in church, but in all we do. May this year be the year we renew our pledge to love God more, to seek His face and His plan for our lives more clearly and to draw close to His Word each and every day.

Right now is our most exciting time ever. Last year is history. Next year lies in the future, but this is the only time we will ever have to live right now. So let’s live it to the fullest, changing our lives and changing the lives of others.

Question: What is a goal that you have for the future, and how can your goal be used to honor God?

About this Author: John Grant

Please open your Bible and read John 3:1-21.

“O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain.” Psalm 30:7

“In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.” Psalm 95:4

The Appalachian mountains begin in Virginia and extend southward all the way into the northern part of Georgia. Called the Blue Ridge because of their often blue hazy color, they have a certain quiet and serene beauty. No part of the range is more beautiful or impressive than the Black Mountain area in Western North Carolina. There are more than eighty peaks above five thousand feet and nineteen above six thousand.

As I looked out today over the ridge and saw peaks too many to count, it looked as if God himself had used the palm of his hand to create ridges and undulations on the terrain and then used a giant brush to add touches of blue, gray and green. How can anyone look at something like that and not believe in a creating God? The Psalms cry out that the “Mountain peaks belong to Him.”

Mt. Mitchell is the tallest at 6684 feet above sea level. Today, Beverley and I drove as far as we could and then hiked the rest of the way, finally climbing to the observation deck where it seemed like we could see forever. Next to the observation tower is the grave of Elijah Mitchell, for whom the mountain is named.

Educated at Yale, Mitchell became a professor at America’s first state university, The University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill. When not in the classroom, he was in the field conducting studies in physical geography, particularly the measuring of mountains. At the time, Grandfather Mountain was assumed to be the highest point in the region, but previous trips to the area had persuaded Mitchell that the Black Mountains were higher.

Through the use of barometric pressure readings and mathematical formulas, Mitchell figured the highest elevation of the range to be 6,476 feet, higher than that of Grandfather Mountain. Subsequent visits to the Black Mountains in 1838 and 1844 led Dr. Mitchell to calculate the height of the peak at 6,672 feet — amazingly, only a mere 12 feet in error according to modern calculations. Dr. Mitchell challenged conventional wisdom and proved it wrong.

But, Mitchell was more than a geography professor. He was also an ordained Presbyterian minister who preached the Gospel all over North Carolina. When I visited the small museum near the summit, I was attracted to a tract that had been among his possessions printed by the National Tract Society in 1855, entitled “How Can I Be Saved?”

It reminded me of another inquisitive person from long ago, when a man named Nicodemus asked what he could do to be saved. At that time, conventional wisdom among the chosen people believed that salvation came through good works and abeyance of the law, but Jesus came to challenge conventional wisdom and to provide a better way.

I would like to have heard a message preached by Dr. Mitchell as he waived the little tract I saw displayed in the case and told people how important it was to be saved. It was important then and it is important today, a hundred and fifty years later.

Some things never change.

Yepper, being in the mountains really is a spiritual experience.

Question: How would you answer Nicodemus if he asked you what it means to be “born again”?

About this Author: John Grant

“He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish.” (Proverbs 11:28, NIV)

It was 150 years ago this year when Charles Dickens wrote his literary great, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. It depicts the plight of the French proletariat under the brutal oppression of the French aristocracy in the years leading up to the revolution, and the corresponding savage brutality demonstrated by the revolutionaries toward the former aristocrats in the early years of the revolution.

The opening lines are: “ It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Now 150 years later, these words speak to our land, our time, our society. No, we are not necessarily going through the same kind of revolution, but nonetheless, we are in a cultural, spiritual and financial revolution that is touching all of us, worldwide.

In many ways, it is the best of times. We live longer, eat better and enjoy pleasures of life unknown to our ancestors even a couple of generations ago. But in many ways, it is also the worst of times. We are morally slipping away from traditional Judeo-Christian ethics and are losing touch with traditional cultural values. Spiritual values have an influence on less people than ever. And, publically, corporately and personally, we have overextended ourselves and are in a collective financial mess. Somehow, I believe that the moral, spiritual and financial declines are inextricably intertwined.

Here in America, we are experiencing the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression and there are no signs of it letting up anytime soon. People, even those with employment, are caught in a financial squeeze since they have presumed on the future, borrowed to live beyond their means and bought things to impress people they didn’t even like. And, statistics show that Christians, notwithstanding biblical teachings on the management of money, are no less immune to the current financial squeeze than non-Christians.

I recently participated in a retreat on Christian financial concepts and I was particularly touched by it. Perhaps the most meaningful time was when we were asked to take ten minutes of silence to hear what God was saying to us about finances, money and stewardship.

I wrote it down exactly as it came to me and it is giving me some new guidelines for material management in my life. I couldn’t wait to get home to share it with my bride and we talked about each point for a long time. We have made our share of bad financial decisions and are paying the consequences, but with biblical handles to work our way to financial freedom, we are moving in the right direction.

Here is what I wrote down in that exercise of ten minutes of listening to God:

•         eliminate materialism in our life
•         totally trust God to meet our needs
•         simplify our lifestyle
•         get totally out of debt
•         don’t dwell on past financial mistakes and losses
•         don’t fear our financial future…. Trust God
•         be thankful for what we have
•         be accountable to my wife and she to me in mutually agreeing on all financial decisions
•         live within our means
•         focus on God, not on money, things and security
•         use the time i would otherwise worry about money and finances to focus in and on God’s word
•         use the Bible as the best guideline for financial management and pray together asking God’s guidance before making any major financial decision.

Each of these are requiring some adjustments in our lives, some more than others, but we look forward to the spiritual growth that will come from it. We are claiming Proverbs 3:9-10: “Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first fruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”

So, in the tough economic times. if you want true financial freedom, the Bible is the manual and God is the manager. Seek them both and you shall be free.

Questions: Are you living beyond your means and bought things to impress people that you don’t even like? What adjustments in your lifestyle will you need to make in order for spiritual growth to take place in your life?

About the Author John Grant

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, We Know God’s Truth Through Jesus Christ, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog

“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message” (Acts 10:44).

Over the years, I have toured many industrial facilities, always having an interest in how things are made, packaged and delivered to the customer. It has also been a good place to ask for votes at election time and I have shaken many hands on assembly lines and lines formed to change shifts.

So, when I was invited to tour a book bindery recently in Bogotá, Columbia it didn’t appear to be that exciting of an engagement, but when I walked through the doors and onto the assembly floor, my perspective suddenly changed. You see, this was no ordinary book bindery. It was a Bible bindery, where pre-printed blocks of printed paper are bound into a variety of covers and bindings, for shipment in several languages to a number of countries in the world.

As I stared at the rows of cardboard boxes, I was told that on that floor, ready to be shipped, were a little less than a quarter of a million Bible, in different sized, different bindings and in different languages, but all containing the same message of God’s redemptive love that runs like a scarlet thread all the way from Genesis to Revelation. I wasn’t looking at a book inventory, I was looking at God’s message to the world, all neatly packed in a well sealed, weather protected box destined for shipment to many people in many lands.

As I looked at the hundreds of boxes, I could only visualize the ultimate recipient of each one and what impact it would make on one life. I thought about how each Bible would get placed in the hands of the ultimate recipient and how someone would tell them and help them to grow in a more dynamic, personal and intimate relationship with Him so that they could become more like Him.

There is nothing more important in the world than knowing Jesus Christ and we know Him through his Word. It is powerful, it is divine, it is life changing….  and it has to be communicated. That’s our calling as followers of Christ, spread the Word. But how many of us keep the Word of God tightly wrapped up in a box, failing to share the greatest message in all the world to someone even as close as our next door neighbor?

Looking at those boxes touched my heart. I thought of all who had never had a Bible and had never heard the Word of God or had even an opportunity to appropriate His saving grace. I asked myself how often I take my faith for granted, keep it to myself and fail to share with others before it is too late.

Recently I came upon the scene of a bad automobile accident, right after it happened. People were running from every direction to help as they could, pulling bandages, or whatever they had from the trunks of their car to do what they could until the paramedics arrived. It was a tragic, yet beautiful sight to see people doing everything they could to help people they didn’t even know.

Yet, when we see someone lost without the security of God’s assurance and plan for salvation, how often do we drop what we are doing and run to help before it is too late? I am ashamed to say that all too often, I don’t respond they way I should. How about you? Can we both make a commitment to share God’s Word and make sure Jesus doesn’t stay trapped in the delivery box?

Questions: Do you care if those around you hear about Jesus?  How do you respond when you see someone in need? What steps could you take to become more aware of the needs around you?

About the Author John Grant

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Patience and Trust, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog

The last minute of a basketball game can seem like an eternity, as each team calls time outs to make last second adjustments. Everyone knows that the end of the game is near and sometimes that one last second play is the difference between winning and losing.

Life is like that, only we usually don’t have a time certain clock, but we know that this game of life will end someday and the question is what last adjustments would we make if we knew that our mortal end was near.

Our church has been working through an “all church book.” It has been preached from the pulpit, studied in Bible fellowship classes and hopefully been read by every member of the church. The title is One Month to Live.

Recently, as I was on day 24, I took it with me to read while waiting for my annual stress test. Needless to say, a book with a title like that in a cardiologist’s waiting room can get more than a casual glance or comment. Maybe people were thinking that I was worse off than I looked.

When I went into the exam room and placed the book on a table, the young lady prepping me said, “I thought you were in here for a routine test.” I explained the book and used it to share the Gospel with her.

But, what if you had just thirty days to live, what would you do different? How would your priorities change? Reading this book gave me a lot to think about and more importantly gave me scripture that paints a roadmap of how we as Christians should live our lives, not just in the last days, but throughout life’s journey.

We should live passionately, completely, humbly and boldly. Death is a universal experience of life. As a lawyer, I have had many clients come into my office to write a will and say, “if I die,” to which I respond that it’s not “if” but when. Everyone dies, but not everyone really lives, at least not in the way God created us to live.

The Bible tells us to live our lives in such a way that when the final months or days appear over the horizon, we would have no adjustments to make, but just continue living the way we have been all along. If there is something in your life that does not reflect a Biblical lifestyle? Change now and don’t wait until the game is almost over.   ( a thought on life from John Grant )

Questions: Is there is something in your life that does not reflect a Biblical lifestyle? What will be your first step to make a change?

About the Author John Grant

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Stay Near to God, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog

God doesn’t desire more of our time sometimes; he desires more of our attention all the time.

Ever feel frustrated because you hear messages about getting closer to God and you definitely desire this for yourself, but you are inundated with so much to do already that this only makes you feel guilty because you are too busy for God? I think we all feel this at one time or another.

Some of you may need to carve some time out of your busy schedule for more specific time to be with God, but that isn’t necessarily the only answer to this question. Look at the following Scriptures:

“I have set the Lord always before me.” Psalm 16:8
“My eyes are ever on the Lord.” Psalm 25:15
“I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.” Psalm 34:1

Reading these words makes you wonder if these are the words of a monk who had nothing else to do but devote himself to God. Actually, they are the words of David, king of Israel, a great ruler and warrior. How did he manage to run a nation and keep his eyes on the Lord at all times? The only conclusion is that he did this while he did everything else. It’s a continual awareness of God that we are talking about here, not necessarily more time devoted to spiritual pursuits.

I once saw a sign that read: “Your god is what you pay attention to.” You see, I believe you can pay attention to God while you are doing everything else. It’s all about doing everything for God and seeing God in everything we do. It’s about bringing God into the boardroom, the exercise room, the living room, and the bedroom. Now of course he’s already in all these places but we’re talking about being aware of his being there at all times. That’s what it means to set the Lord always before us.

Worship is a frame of mind that always has God in the picture. We don’t need church, or Bible study, or devotions to remind us about the Lord if we’re already aware of him all the time.

These opportunities then become more precious to us because we can devote all our attention to that which we have been aware of all along.

Question: What distractions prevent you from paying attention to God?

About this Author: John Grant

Faster than a speeding bullet…..more powerful than a locomotive….. able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Yes, it’s Superman – strange visitor from another planet who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Superman – who can change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel with his bare hands. He was a fictional character, but one we watched with interest.

Today, we may not have a real Superman, but the speed of communication and transport never ceases to amaze me. A couple of weeks ago, late on a Wednesday afternoon, I ordered a gift for my bride… one that had to be engraved. Little did I know that it had to come from China. Later that evening, I got an e-mail telling me that it had been engraved, packaged and sent from a city in China that I had never heard of. I continued to get updates as to its location, and by early Friday morning, little more than thirty six hours after ordering it, a delivery man walked into my office and placed the package on my desk.

As proof of how rapidly mobile our world is, just look at how fast the Swine Flu spread. Within hours it had spread to dozens of countries around the world and to about half of the states in the USA.

So maybe the spread of the Gospel to all nations is not as difficult as one might have thought a few years ago. We think nothing of sending e-mails to foreign countries and getting an answer back in a matter of minutes.

Literally, when John Wesley said “The world is my parish,” few could understand how someone could have world influence and ministry. But look at today, many evangelists have their messages translated into multiple languages and their regular messages are heard around the world.

No cultural, linguistic or geographical barrier is an excuse for depriving anyone from hearing the Word of God. Matthew 28, otherwise known as The Great Commission takes on new meaning and gives Christians a new responsibility. There is no excuse to not carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

Take a mission trip and within a few hours you are with people hungry for truth. When you take such a trip you can change people’s lives, beginning with yours. Do your part to carry out the Great Commission, and consider carrying personally on a mission trip. When you do, you will never be the same again.
(a thought on life from John Grant )

Questions: Have you ever taken a short term mission trip?

About the Author John Grant

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Spiritual Gifts for Serving God, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog