Author Archives: lrbartel

Sep 02 2017
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Devos

Wise advice… Listen to your parent’s instruction and warnings!

anne frank - advice of parentsJust sitting here reflecting after reading some great advice – a reminder actually – from Proverbs 6:20-35. Thinking about the great advice my dad and mom, Ewalt and Vera Bartel, gave me as a young man… advice about a lot of different subjects, all grounded in reverence for the Lord, and anchored to the clear teaching of God’s word. I’m much older now, but looking back on what they told me, it has stood me in good stead for the challenges and temptations I’ve faced! If you’ve had parents who gave you godly instruction, you are blessed indeed! And if you didn’t have biological parents who instructed you, but had adoptive parents who did it – or even “spiritual parents” who mentored and taught you, praise the Lord! My advice today? Recall, reflect on, and relish some of that instruction! It will bring back sweet memories, engender deep appreciation, and probably help you in something you’re facing right now!

Here’s how the writer of Proverbs expressed it:

“My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching! Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life.” (Proverbs 6:20–23 ESV)

Oh, and then what follows is some great advice and guidance (and warning) about moral purity… teaching that I would say, is pretty important in our culture today.

Aug 31 2017
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Devos

Motives matter! Am I seeking Jesus for what He can provide or for Himself – Who He is?

A good meal

Motives matter! It’s so easy to fall prey to seeking Jesus for what we can get from Him – our personal benefit, rather than Him personally. It happened that way when Jesus walked the earth… I read about it this morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord”…

Jesus had just fed a multitude (5,000 men plus women and children) with five barley loaves and a two fish. Everyone had enjoyed a good meal. After feeding the multitude, the disciples gathered up much more than they had started with (twelve baskets of leftovers)! What a miracle! (Read about it in John 6:1-15)6

Free food! How good is that! This guy provides free food! He does miracles of provision! If He can do that – what else can he do for us? Think about it!

So they followed him across the sea of Galilee (from Tiberias) to Capernaum. The Bible says, “When then found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ And Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate you fill of the loaves! Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life!’” (From John 6:25-27)

Their motives for seeking Him – for following Him – were what Jesus could do for them, rather than seeking Him for who He was! They wanted more miracles of provision, rather than Himself! He told them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst!” … He told them, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven! If anyone eats of this bread, He will live forever! … Whoever feeds on Me, he also will live because of me… Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever!” (From John 6:35-59)

So as I read about this marvelous miracle of divine provision and the teaching of Jesus that followed it, I found myself asking… Am I seeking Jesus for what Jesus can do for me – His miraculous provision of my needs and desires – or am I following Him and seeking Him for Himself; who He is, “The bread of life?” Like I said – motives matter! I want my motives to be pure! If I do that, I think my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ will take care of the rest! And I believe I’ll never “hunger and thirst” again… at the very deepest level of my life!

Aug 29 2017
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Devos

In the Christian race… gotta watch your step!

trail runner fallingI’m a runner… been doing it for a lot of years… just LOVE trail running! But I’ve taken my share of spills and gotten up with skinned knees, scraped hands, bruised elbows and blood running down my leg (and just a little embarrassment) … fortunately I’ve never broken a bone. Believe me, I know the meaning of “watch your step!”
 
What caused my spills? A crack in the sidewalk, the root of a tree exposed on the trail, a distraction somewhere along the way, and just a week ago a loud motorcycle that caught my attention instead what was on the trail… Anyone that is a runner knows what I’m talking about.
 
I think Apostle Paul may have had some “spiritual spills” in mind when he urged fellow Christians, “Look carefully then how you walk!” (Ephesians 5:15) In other words in your journey, whether you’re “walking by faith” or “running the race with patience” – “Watch your step!”
 
I was remind of the importance of this during my Bible reading this morning during “Coffee with the Lord” when I read these words…
 
“Hear, my son, and accept my words… I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness! When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble… Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil! Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on! … But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble… Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil!” (From Proverbs 4:10-27)
 
Oh, and if you stumble and fall? Get back up, dust yourself off (confessing your sin), and continue to “run the race with patience looking to Jesus!” (Hebrews 12:1-2)
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