Today our church hosted a guest evangelist who told us how Jesus came to cleanse and deliver us. Part of the deal involves a checkup, much like a doctor gives a patient. The doctor can't just look at a patient and tell if anything's wrong. He checks the vital signs and orders tests, then determines if anything points to a problem.

Is anything in your life pointing to a spiritual problem today? Do you enjoy the things you should enjoy? Do you enjoy time in the Word? Do you even have time in the Word? Is there joy in your church giving, or is it something you wish would go away? Do you groan when Sunday morning rolls around, or do you find yourself wishing you were with your brothers and sisters in the Lord long about Monday lunchtime?

There's some things we should dislike too. When someone at work uses a profanity does it make you uncomfortable? Surely you're not guilty of that yourself, are you? When you scan the newspaper and see the adds for the trashy movies do you wish they weren't there, or do they capture your interest? Surely you'd never go to one, would you? Spending God's money on such a thing. Surely not.

One great test he recommended: If you find yourself trying to figure out how to incorporate sinful or borderline activities into what's an otherwise fine Christian life, that's a danger sign. Example: There's a party going on, and you know it would be displeasing to the Lord if you went. Do you catch yourself trying to figure out an excuse to go? "I'll use it as a chance to witness." Right. The person in this example doesn't hate what they need to hate.

The good news is that even though certain signs in a patient indicate trouble, there is a cure, and His Name is Jesus.

-- Anonymous, March 17, 2002

Answers

Good Morning, Bro. Rob There may not be a lot of responses to your series of devotions right now. A great leader of the AME Church, Bishop Donald George Kenneth Ming has just been called Home to Glory. He was my Bishop (First Episcopal District) and as the tributes and condolences are posted on this board show, 168 as of today, he was loved and many are paying attention to his moving on. He will be funeralized tomorrow in Jamaica, NY. A Man of God has been received by God, I am sure, with a "Well done, My good and faithful Servant"

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2002