Choosing Sides #RTTBROS #Nightlight

Choosing Sides #RTTBROS #Nightlight

"A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." James 1:8

You know, I heard an old story the other day that got me thinking. During the Civil War, there was this fellow who just couldn't decide which side to fight for. So he came up with what he thought was a brilliant solution, he put on a blue Union army jacket and gray Confederate army pants. Figured that way, he'd be accepted by both sides.

Well, you can probably guess how that worked out. Instead of being welcomed by everyone, he found himself getting shot at by both armies. Neither side could trust a man who wouldn't commit.

Now, that story might sound a bit far fetched, but it sure does paint a picture of how many of us try to live our spiritual lives. We want to follow Jesus, but we also want to keep one foot in the world. We show up on Sunday morning wearing our Christian jacket, but come Monday, we've got our worldly pants on, trying to fit in with the culture around us.

The thing is, God's not interested in our half-hearted attempts at fence-sitting. Jesus made it pretty clear: "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24).

I remember as a teen, when I was trying to have it both ways myself. I wanted the blessings of following God, but I also wanted to hold onto some habits and attitudes that I knew weren't pleasing to Him. Talk about being unstable in all my ways! I was that Civil War soldier, getting shot at from both directions, and wondering why life was so hard.

The prophet Elijah asked a question that still echoes today: "How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him" (1 Kings 18:21). That word "halt" means to limp along, hobbling between two choices. Ever tried to walk with one foot on the sidewalk and one in the gutter? That's what spiritual fence-sitting feels like.

Here's what I've learned, and I'm too soon old and too late smart on this one: when we try to serve both God and the world, we end up serving neither well. The peace, the joy, the purpose we're looking for, it only comes when we go all in with Jesus.

So today, which uniform are you wearing? Are you trying to mix and match, hoping nobody notices? Friend, it's time to choose a side. And let me tell you, God's side is the only one worth being on.

Let's pray: Father, forgive us for our double mindedness. Help us to choose You completely, not just on Sundays but every day. Give us the courage to wear Your uniform proudly, no matter who's watching. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#Faith #Commitment #ChristianLiving #DailyDevotion #AllIn #BiblicalWisdom #SpiritualGrowth #RTTBROS #Nightlight

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rubber duck debugging #RTTBROS #Nightlight

The Rubber Duck and the Real Counselor

"Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety." — Proverbs 11:14

There's this interesting practice in the computer programming world that caught my attention. Programmers keep rubber ducks on their desks, and not just for decoration. When they get stuck on a coding problem, they explain their code to that little yellow duck, line by line. They call it "rubber duck debugging."

Here's the amazing thing: just by talking through the problem out loud, even to an inanimate object, programmers often spot their own mistakes. The duck doesn't say a word, doesn't offer advice, just sits there with that painted smile. But somehow, the act of explaining helps clear the fog.

Now, that got me thinking. If talking to a rubber duck can help solve computer problems, how much more powerful is it when we bring our life problems to the living God?

You see, we all get stuck sometimes. Life throws us these complicated situations where we can't see our way through. Maybe it's a relationship that's gone sideways, a decision about a job, or just feeling lost in the daily grind. And here's where a lot of us make our mistake, we either keep it all bottled up inside, or worse, we find our own version of a rubber duck, something that listens but can't really help.

I knew a man who'd spend hours at the local bar, talking through his problems with whoever would listen. The bartender nodded, the beer bottles didn't judge, but come morning, his problems were still there, plus a headache. That's rubber duck debugging for life, talking to something that can't talk back with wisdom.

But God offers us something so much better. David knew this secret. He wrote, "I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons" (Psalm 16:7). See, David didn't just talk at God like a rubber duck. He received counsel back. Real wisdom, real guidance, real comfort.

And it doesn't stop there. God's given us His Word, which "is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). That's not a one-way conversation. When we read Scripture while praying about our problems, the Holy Spirit illuminates truth we need to hear.

Then there's the body of Christ, our fellow believers. James tells us, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed" (James 5:16). These aren't rubber ducks. These are brothers and sisters who can pray with us, share wisdom from their own walks, and sometimes tell us hard truths we need to hear.

I learned this the hard way, and I'm too soon old and too late smart on this one. For years, I tried to sort out my problems on my own, maybe throwing up a quick prayer here and there, but mostly just spinning my wheels. It wasn't until I learned to be transparent before God, to dig into His Word for specific guidance, and to humble myself enough to seek godly counsel that I started finding real solutions.

The programmer's rubber duck works because it forces him to slow down and articulate his problem. But we have access to the Creator of the universe, the Living Word, and a family of faith. Why settle for a one-way conversation when we can have genuine dialogue with divine wisdom?

Let's pray: Father, help us to bring our problems to You with transparency and faith. Thank You for Your Word that guides us and Your people who support us. Teach us to seek Your counsel above all else. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#RTTBROS #Nightlight #Prayer #ChristianCommunity #BiblicalWisdom #Faith #SpiritualGrowth #DailyDevotion

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The Egress #RTTBROS #nightlight

The Egress #RTTBROS #nightlight

The Way to the Egress

"And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words." — Colossians 2:4

You know, P.T. Barnum was quite the character. Back in 1842, he opened his American Museum in New York City, and folks just couldn't get enough of it. The place was so packed that new customers couldn't get in because nobody wanted to leave. So old Barnum, clever as he was, put up a big fancy sign that said, "This way to the Egress!" People rushed through that door, thinking they were about to see some exotic creature, maybe something like a cross between an eagle and an egret. But you know what? "Egress" is just a fancy word for "exit," and those poor folks found themselves standing in the back alley, looking foolish.

Now, before we get too judgmental about those museum goers, let me tell you, we all get fooled by fancy words sometimes. The Apostle Paul knew this was coming. That's why he warned the church at Colossae about being beguiled, or deceived, by enticing words.

So many people get taken in by one of these prosperity preachers. They'd send their last hundred dollars to this television ministry because the man promises them a "hundredfold return." The preacher uses all the right Bible verses, quotes them out of context, wraps them up in smooth talk, and these dear people think they'd found the way to financial breakthrough. Instead, like those museum visitors, they find themselves out in the cold.

The truth is, false teaching often comes dressed up in religious language. It sounds spiritual, it feels exciting, and it promises what our hearts desperately want to hear. But Paul says we need to be on guard against these enticing words that lead us away from the simple truth of the Gospel.

So how do we protect ourselves? Well, the same way you'd avoid Barnum's trick. You learn what "egress" means. You get familiar with the real thing so you can spot the counterfeit. That means staying grounded in God's Word, not just the parts that make us feel good, but the whole counsel of God.

When someone comes along with enticing words, promising easy answers to life's hard questions, remember old P.T. Barnum and his egress sign. Ask yourself: is this leading me closer to Jesus, or is it just leading me out the back door with an empty pocket and a red face?

The Gospel doesn't need to be dressed up in fancy words. Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and offers us eternal life through faith in Him. That's not complicated, but it's powerful. And it's free, no twenty-five cents required.

Let's pray: Father, give us discernment to recognize truth from error. Help us not to be swayed by smooth talk or fancy presentations, but to stay anchored in Your Word. Keep us from following signs that lead nowhere, and guide us always toward Jesus. In His name, Amen.

#RTTBROS #Nightlight #Faith #Discernment #ChristianLiving #BiblicalTruth #DailyDevotion #SpiritualGrowth

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GOD'S REP #RTTBROS #Nightlight

GOD'S REP #RTTBROS #Nightlight

"Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy." - Psalm 99:3 (KJV)

In the annals of Scripture, we find a common thread woven through the stories of David and Goliath, Daniel's refusal of the king's portion, and our Lord Jesus Christ cleansing the temple. This thread is the unwavering commitment to uphold God's holiness and reputation above all else.

Consider David, a young shepherd who faced the mighty Goliath. His motivation was not personal glory, but rather a zeal for the Lord's name. As we read in 1 Samuel 17:45, David declared, "I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied."

Similarly, Daniel, when presented with the king's rich fare, "purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank" (Daniel 1:8). His primary concern was not his own comfort or advancement, but maintaining his purity before God.

Lastly, we see our Saviour, Jesus Christ, cleansing the temple with righteous indignation. As recorded in Mark 11:17, He proclaimed, "Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves." His actions were not driven by personal gain, but by a fervent desire to preserve the sanctity of His Father's house.

These examples teach us a profound lesson in discipleship. As followers of Christ, our primary mission is to glorify God and uphold His reputation in all circumstances. This may often require us to set aside our own desires, comforts, and even our personal reputations for the sake of God's name.

In our daily walk, let us continually ask ourselves: Does this action, word, or decision bring glory to God? Are we more concerned with our own agenda or with advancing God's kingdom? By aligning our hearts with this divine priority, we can become more effective disciples, shining the light of Christ in a world that desperately needs it.

May we, like David, Daniel, and our Lord Jesus, be found faithful in upholding God's holy name, for as the Psalmist declares, "Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy" (Psalm 99:3).

 

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When God Holds What We Cannot

 When God Holds What We Cannot

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea." - Psalm 46:1-2 (KJV)

Sometimes the ground falls out from under us without warning. One moment we're standing on solid ground, and the next, everything we counted on suddenly feels uncertain. The mountains we thought were unmovable begin to shake. In those terrible moments when our hearts break in ways we didn't know they could, we discover something profound: God is not sometimes our refuge, not eventually our strength, but a very present help in trouble. Present. Right here. Right now.

I think of a young Scottish boy who worked in a Glasgow factory at age twelve. Each week he'd walk home through a deep, narrow gorge that howled with wind. The locals believed it was haunted. During daylight it was manageable, but one evening after a long shift, darkness was falling as he approached that terrifying valley. He stood frozen, not knowing what to do. Then he saw the head and shoulders of the greatest man he knew his father coming up out of that valley to walk him home. His father knew his son would be scared. That's the picture of God meeting us in our darkest valleys.

David knew this truth when he wrote, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4, KJV). Notice he doesn't say "if" - he says "though." The valley is certain in this broken world. But even in the darkest valley, we are not walking alone. "Thou art with me" changes everything. God doesn't meet us after we make it through. He meets us in the middle of it.

The older I get, the more I understand that apart from God's mercy and grace, none of us can stand before a holy God. I've been a pastor for over thirty years. I've sat with people in their best moments and their worst. Here's what I've learned: the ground at the foot of the cross is absolutely level. We all come the same way broken, needing mercy. And mercy is exactly what we find there.

Jeremiah wrote from the ruins of Jerusalem, "It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22-23, KJV). He penned these words not from a hilltop but from the dark valley of total devastation. Yet right in the middle of grief, he planted a flag: God's mercies are new every morning. Not because everything is okay, but because God's nature doesn't change even when our circumstances do.

When loneliness whispers that we're forgotten, when failure suggests we've exhausted God's patience, when circumstances scream that we've been abandoned, this ancient promise speaks louder: "My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him" (Psalm 89:28, KJV). The word "keep" means more than passive maintenance. It carries the sense of actively guarding, carefully preserving, faithfully watching over. Like a shepherd who counts his sheep each night, God actively tends His covenant promises.

The covenant stands fast not because of our grip on God, but because of His grip on us. I taught my little girls to roller skate when they were tiny. They didn't know how to keep their feet it was like watching the river dance. But I was holding their hands. Their grip on me was too weak to keep them standing, but my grip on them was strong enough to hold them up. That's the picture of God with us. Our walk with God doesn't depend on our grip on Him. It depends on His grip on us.

Paul declared, "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39, KJV). He said, "I am persuaded." I am convinced. Nothing not your worst day, not your darkest struggle, not your biggest failure, not even death itself can break God's grip on those He loves.

Sometimes we have to let go of hands we love so that God can take them. We don't release them into darkness - we release them into Light. We release them into stronger hands. Hands scarred by nails. Hands that reached down from heaven to earth to rescue us. Hands that will never, ever let go. The same hands that actively kept David, that raised Jesus from the dead, that uphold the universe by the word of His power - these same hands keep us. And what He keeps, no power in heaven or earth can snatch away.

Prayer:

Father, when the ground falls out from under us, remind us that You are our refuge and strength. When we walk through valleys we never expected, meet us there. When our grip weakens, hold us tighter. Thank You that Your mercies are new every morning, that Your grip is stronger than our failures, and that nothing can separate us from Your love. Help us trust what we cannot see and rest in hands that will never let go. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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Sheepdogs Spiritual Warfare and Navy Seals #Anxiety #God #Nightlight #RTTBROS #spiritualwarfare

 

  Sheepdogs and Spiritual Warfare #RTTBROS #Nightlight

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." — Ephesians 6:11-12

You know, I have a friend who was career military, a Navy SEAL to boot. He knows the guys like Dick Marcinko and Admiral McRaven and other heroes from that branch of special forces. He's one of the toughest men I've ever met in my life. 

The other night at church, I had to take my autistic son out of the service because he was becoming a little bit disruptive. I sat on a couch in the foyer and watched my friend do his diligence on the security team. He scanned the perimeter, checked the parking lot, actively watching everything that was going on to make certain that our people were secure and safe. 

After watching him for a while, I went up and put my hand on his shoulder and told him this: there are sheep, and there are wolves, and there are sheepdogs. Then I thanked him for being a sheepdog that protects us sheep from the wolves that would come to try to harm us.

As I've been thinking about that statement and his watch care over us, it reminded me that those of us who have been involved in spiritual warfare for a long time have a duty to provide protection for those who don't even understand that they're in a warfare. They represent the sheep, as it were.

It's our job as more mature believers to look out for pitfalls that may be in their way and spiritual attacks that are coming from the enemy of their souls. We need to have the sword of the Spirit engaged and ready to speak truth into their situations so that the lying deceiver won't gain any ground or foothold in their life.

Paul tells us in Ephesians that we're not fighting against people, we're fighting against spiritual forces of darkness. The new believer, the struggling saint, they might not even realize the battle that's raging around them. But we who have been in the trenches, we know. We've seen how the enemy works.

Just like my friend scanning that parking lot, looking for threats before they become problems, we need to be vigilant. We need to be engaged in warfare prayer, asking God to provide protection and provision and, most of all, His presence for them as they make their way through this sin-cursed world.

You see, being a spiritual sheepdog isn't about being better than anyone else. It's about using the experience and wisdom God has given us through our own battles to help protect those who are vulnerable. It's about standing guard in prayer, speaking truth in love, and being willing to step into the gap when the enemy attacks.

So let me ask you: are you a sheepdog? Are you watching over the flock with the same diligence my friend shows on that security team? Because the sheep need us. They need believers who will stand firm, who will pray without ceasing, who will speak truth when lies are whispered.

History is just His story, and in God's story, He's called us to watch over one another. Don't grow weary in that calling.

Let's pray: Father, make us faithful sheepdogs for Your flock. Give us eyes to see the spiritual battles around us and courage to stand in the gap for those who are vulnerable. Help us wield the sword of Your Spirit with wisdom and love. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#Faith #SpiritualWarfare #Prayer #ChristianLiving #DailyDevotion #Protection #BiblicalWisdom #SpiritualGrowth #RTTBROS #Nightlight

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Anxiety To Serenity #RTTBROS #Nightlight #God #Serenity #Anxiety

Anxiety To Serenity #RTTBROS #Nightlight

"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him." — Psalm 62:5

You know, I've been noticing something about our culture lately. We're all moving at breakneck speed, paddling furiously underneath while trying to look calm on top. Our phones never stop buzzing, our schedules never stop filling up, and somewhere along the way, we've convinced ourselves that being busy means being important.

But here's the thing, and I'm too soon old and too late smart on this one: we were never designed to run on empty.

There's an old story about a group of Western explorers trekking through Africa with local guides. After several days of hard travel, the guides suddenly sat down and refused to move. When the frustrated explorers demanded to know why, the guides explained, "We have traveled too fast. Now we must wait for our souls to catch up with our bodies."

That really hit me when I first heard it. How often are we so busy doing that we forget about being? We're so caught up in the anxiety of what needs to happen next that we miss what God wants to do right now.

The psalmist says, "My soul, wait thou only upon God." Not wait on God while scrolling through social media. Not wait on God while mentally running through tomorrow's to-do list. Wait only upon God. That word "only" is crucial, friends. It means undivided attention. It means solitude, silence, stillness.

Now, I know what you're thinking because I've thought it too: "I don't have time for that." But here's the beautiful paradox of the kingdom, when we carve out time to be still before God, we somehow find we have more margin for everything else. When we stop trying to manufacture our own peace through frantic activity and instead receive His peace through quiet waiting, anxiety loses its grip.

Jesus modeled this for us. Mark 1:35 tells us, "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." If the Son of God needed solitude with the Father, how much more do we?

The second part of that verse in Psalm 62 tells us why this matters: "for my expectation is from him." See, anxiety comes when our expectations are tied to circumstances, other people, or our own abilities. But when our expectation, our hope, our trust is anchored in God alone, we find a peace that doesn't make sense to the world around us.

Solitude isn't about escaping responsibility. It's about returning to the source of our strength so we can handle those responsibilities with grace instead of grinding our teeth through them. It's trading our anxiety for His serenity, our striving for His rest.

History is just His story, and sometimes we need to get quiet enough to hear Him tell it. We need to turn off the noise, step away from the chaos, and let our souls catch up with our bodies. Because it's in those quiet waters that God does His deepest work.

Let's pray: Father, teach us the spiritual discipline of solitude. Help us carve out time to wait only upon You, not with our phones in hand or our minds running ahead, but with undivided hearts. Replace our anxiety with Your serenity as we learn to anchor our expectations in You alone. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#Faith #Solitude #Peace #ChristianLiving #DailyDevotion #TrustGod #BiblicalWisdom #SpiritualGrowth #RTTBROS #Nightlight

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