Will Davis Jr.'s Blog, page 21

What Are You Waiting For?

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. James 5:7

We tend to have many things we look forward to. Things that inspire and motivate us and give us reason to bear through the drudgery of our daily lives.

You know…things like retirement or graduation or a wedding or your first child or grandchild or that promotion or an Earth, Wind and Fire reunion tour or the complete removal of the tax system…those kinds of things.

And there is, I suppose, nothing wrong with them on the earthly level.

But in this verse, James reminds us of where our hope should ultimately be and for what we should patiently wait—the return of the Lord Jesus.

James writes in the context of suffering and trials. He tells his readers to stand firm in their suffering, as the day of the Lord’s return is near. And whether it happens tomorrow or a thousand years from now, the real possibility of Jesus’ return at any moment should help us stay strong when things are tough.

Remember…when Jesus returns, justice will come with him. Wrongs will be made right. Evil will be silenced and vanquished. For the Christian, there is no better or more important day.

So what are you waiting for? Be like that patient farmer. Look to the heavens and know that the day is coming when the rain—and the REIGN—will come.

Oh God, help us to patiently and eagerly anticipate Jesus’ return. And Lord, hasten the day. In Jesus’ name . . .

The post What Are You Waiting For? appeared first on Will Davis Jr.

The Power of Unlikely Gratitude

“Lesson 1–Don’t disobey God or you might get vomited.

Lesson 2–If you do get vomited, give thanks for it.”

Curious? Click to image to learn about the power of gratitude.

 

The post The Power of Unlikely Gratitude appeared first on Will Davis Jr.

Don’t Take it Personally

 

The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me. Luke 10:16

Jesus repeatedly warned his disciples that their proximity to him would not win them any popularity contests. With such heartwarming statements as:

If they reject me, they’ll reject you.

If they hate me, they’ll hate you.

And one of my personal favorites: If they kill me, they’ll kill you.

Jesus made it very clear that following him would be no bed of roses. In fact, if we are carrying our water as disciples we can be assured that we will be on the receiving end of the world’s hatred.

So he told his followers, don’t take it personally. Huh? Easier said than done.

But remember, this is the Jesus who prayed for the soldiers as they drove nails in his hands. And he is our role model.

If you find yourself being called intolerant because your view of morality is a little different from the current trends of culture, or if you are accused of being narrow-minded because you believe that Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God, or if you are constantly accused of being stupid and foolish because you happen to believe in ultimate truth, don’t take it personally.

Those in this world who have yet to see the value of Jesus will not see the value of Jesus in you, either. But remember, those who oppose you and the Christ in you are not your enemies. Jesus didn’t hate them, and neither can we.

Pray for them. Love them. Be compassionate toward them. And take joy in the reality that you are enough of a disciple to draw the world’s ire.

Holy God, help us not to take it personally when people oppose us. Give us the same compassion that your Son showed toward them. In Jesus’ name . . .

The post Don’t Take it Personally appeared first on Will Davis Jr.

Real Gods Don’t Need Defending

 

For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. Deuteronomy 10:17

There has been a lot of blood and ink spilled in the name of religion in recent weeks. And religiously motivated violence is nothing new…it has been (tragically) making more headlines lately.

Pick any section of the globe and you can find violence being committed in the name of a god; and more specifically, in the defense of a god.

It seems that many religious adherents around the world don’t think that their respective god or gods can handle themselves in a fight, defend their reputations or prove their worth when challenged. It appears that many are so insecure or threatened by the open criticism or rejection of their gods that they feel it incumbent upon themselves to sue, silence or slaughter those who would dare speak against them.

Is that really necessary? Is Allah incapable of defending himself? Can Jehovah not turn his enemies into frogs if he so desires? Isn’t the Jesus who claimed to rise from the dead strong enough to vanquish those who oppose Him?

And if they can’t, are they really worthy of being called “god?”

Let’s be clear about this, any God worth his salt doesn’t need his people to defend him, and by “God” I mean Jesus Christ. He even claimed during his arrest that He could call on a thousand angels to protect Him if he desired.

A God who is able to create the universe, part the seas, feed the multitudes and raise the dead is not in need of a hit squad to do his work. He is quite capable of fending for himself.

If your version of god needs you to defend him, then either he is no god at all, or you have a very inflated opinion of yourself.

Think about it.

 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,  “Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!”  He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. Psalm 2:2-4

 

 

 

 

 

The post Real Gods Don’t Need Defending appeared first on Will Davis Jr.

Go and Do the Same

 

 And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.” Luke 10:37

Jesus made this statement at the end of his famous parable of the Good Samaritan. The unlikely hero of Jesus’ story was not the religious leader who had the same ethnicity as the wounded man, but rather the ordinary guy who, at least by cultural standards, should have viewed the wounded man as his enemy.

The hero was not the guy who was in a hurry to get to worship, but rather the man who stopped to help a complete stranger who was in need.

Jesus’ point: Your religion isn’t worth anything if it does not result in showing love and kindness to those that culture gives you permission to pass over.

Christianity offers no such pass. Disciples of Jesus are called to love and serve the very same people that Jesus did…and the last time I checked that includes everyone.

Today, you are going to have the opportunity to be a neighbor to someone—the homeless guy on the corner, the single mom next door, the shut-in around the corner, the lonely and obnoxious girl at your office, the kid on your child’s soccer team who doesn’t have a dad.

Jesus says that our faith is no good if it doesn’t lead us to love, pray for and help these people.

It’s what we get to do. It’s what Jesus did. Go and do the same.

Father, help us to see and serve our neighbors as you commanded. In Jesus’ name . . . .

 

 

 

 

The post Go and Do the Same appeared first on Will Davis Jr.

Are You a Good Tipper?

 

Last week I wrote a Dear Sons article on the topic of Tipping. We posted it on Davis Letters. I thought you might enjoy it. (Click the image to read the full article.)

 

 

The post Are You a Good Tipper? appeared first on Will Davis Jr.

Advantage Lambs

 

Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Luke 10:3

I imagine that when Jesus uttered these words, it was met with a round of nervous laughter followed by a collective, “Wait, what?”

His disciples understood the rules in an agrarian culture and were very familiar with the relationship between wolves and lambs. Specifically, the former ate the latter.

Perhaps they thought Jesus had misspoken. Perhaps they thought he was trying to be funny. Or, perhaps they thought he was subtly letting them know that they would have a rough time on their mission.

However, that was not the case. When we read the end of the story, we see that the disciples came back giddy with excitement. Not only had they survived their mission, but even the demons had been subject to them.

So what was Jesus saying? Simply, that a lamb’s best and only defense is its shepherd. And in the case of Jesus’ followers, the Shepherd is more than we need.

Today, as you walk in this world as a Christian, you walk as a lamb among wolves. Compared to the wickedness of the satanic system that controls the world, you indeed walk as a vulnerable and innocent little lamb.

But you have nothing to fear. Your Shepherd is right there with you. He will protect you, provide for you and lead you throughout the day.

And at the end of each day you, too, can giggle with excitement, not just because the demons are subject to you, but also because many of the wolves around you keep asking how to become lambs. Yea God!

Holy Father, thank you for being our strong Shepherd. Use as today as your innocent Lambs. In Jesus’ name . . . .

 

 

 

The post Advantage Lambs appeared first on Will Davis Jr.

This Weekend @ ACF

 

Greetings friends, sorry its been too long since I’ve written. But . . . . I’m baaaack!!!!

This is a special weekend for us at all ACF communities as we launch our ACF Lake Travis Community. Chris Tapken, along with his lovely bride Kelly and their two boys, have taken on the assignment of leading this new congregation. Will you please be praying for this new ACF community? They’re already having huge impact in the Lake Travis area. To find out more about ACFLT, contact chris@acfellowship.org.
Speaking of ACF communities, ACF Round Rock held its first exploratory meeting last weekend. It was a great event led by Pastor Jake Thomen. If you’d like to know more about ACFRR, contact jake@acfellowship.org.
Coming the weekend of Feb 7/8, The Kingdom. I’ll begin a new teaching series on Jesus’ teachings on the Kingdom of God in John’s Gospel. This will be a very intriguing and thought-provoking series for believers and non-believers. Invite your friends.
Four-Points Community Pastor Search. We’re moving along quite nicely in our search to replace the legendary Steve Shaver as the ACF Four-Points pastor. We’re reviewing excellent candidates from all over the country. Will you please pray for our search?
Finally, Susie and I have created a new resource for the next generation of Christ-followers. It’s filled with all kinds of practical teaching on many of the topics facing younger believers. Check it out at davisletters.com .

I’ll see you this weekend! Blessings, Will

 

The post This Weekend @ ACF appeared first on Will Davis Jr.

Welcome to Davis Letters

 

My wife Susie and I are happy to introduce you to Davis Letters, a resource for the next generation of husbands, wives, parents, leaders, ministers and Jesus-followers. Davis Letters grew out of countless conversations Susie and I have had with our children, their spouses and their friends.

We’ve talked about topics like dating, marriage, money, job interviews, big God dreams, faith, dealing with parents, being parents, fear, discouragement, prayer, good manners, conflict, sex and just about everything else young people are thinking about today.

We’ve had so many conversations about these things that we decided to start putting our thoughts into writing. Davis Letters is the result.

Each month we’ll offer new letters to young men, women and ministry leaders. We’ll offer book suggestions and a brief video teaching from Susie and me, along with Bible study questions, and various other features each month.

I hope you will take time to look over the web site and share it with those you think it will help. We promise to keep it updated with fresh, helpful and relevant information.

To sign up to receive Davis Letters, CLICK HERE and scroll down to the Subscribe section.

 

 

The post Welcome to Davis Letters appeared first on Will Davis Jr.

A New Resource from Will and Susie Davis

 

*******Stay tuned for an exciting announcement about a new resource from Will and Susie Davis!!!!! It’s free and we promise it will be very practical and helpful, especially for those in their 20s and 30s.*****

The post A New Resource from Will and Susie Davis appeared first on Will Davis Jr.