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Universal Ministry of God, Lillington, NC (2026)

09/05/2021

Return, faithless people. I will cure you of backsliding. - Jeremiah 3:22

07/17/2021

Thought of the day:

No matter how lost I feel, God will always find me.

I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands. — Psalm 119:176 (NIV)

10/16/2020

Farmers are scared to death of locusts. A single swarm can cover over 100 square miles and might contain hundreds of millions of ravenous insects that can totally strip land of plant life. The most recent major infestation was in 1915 near Jerusalem—a place where it’s difficult to grow food in the best of circumstances. When an enormous swarm of locusts swept through, it caused a major famine, devastated the population and left a wasteland void of all hope.

Lie 7: Your marriage is hopeless.

Right before marriage blooms into what it’s supposed to be, most (if not all) of us come right to the edge of hopelessness. I know. I was there. My wife and I felt bitter anger towards each other, so much that we wished we could be done. Had we not burned the bridge of divorce, it might have been a legitimate option on our list.

In the Batman sequel, “The Dark Night,” Harvey Dent said, “The night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming.” Let me say the same thing. If you feel that you are at the end of your marriage, if you’ve gone the way of your flesh, or if you look across the table at night saying, “I don’t even like you anymore,” you’re right on the doorstep of what God has for you. Don’t give up now. Reach for the promises of God.

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. (Isaiah 26:3)

I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten. (Joel 2:25)

It’s a beautiful image! If your marriage is like that utter wasteland, God says, “You see that devastation? I will restore everything that is lost. I will bring it back to life—new life in Me.”

God, in the midst of these troubles, I trust in You and You alone. Heal my heart and give me hope for my relationship. I fix my hope on You, focus my mind on You, and depend on You to live through me so that I can walk in Your Spirit today. Amen.

10/15/2020

God created marriage to strip away our flesh and make us more like Jesus. If we bail on marriage to get away from this pain, however, we actually cause more of it.

Lie 6: The kids will be better if we divorce.

Several studies have proven the devastating effects divorce has on children. There is a negative impact on their emotions, behavior patterns, compliance with rules, and self-image, to name a few. The truth is the kids will be worse off if you divorce. Instead of seeing a couple give up on each other, it is far better that children see parents who:

Focus on Christ — Kids need to see how Christ is conforming their parents to Himself.
Seek outside help — Kids need to know that it’s okay not to know all the answers. They need to see parents seeking out and confiding in others.
Crucify their flesh — Kids need to see adults look to others with compassion.
Break old patterns — Kids need a role model that removes their bad habits and focuses on Jesus.
Forgive forever — Kids need to see parents who forgive and are willing to work on past hurts.
Trust in Christ — Kids need to learn that Christ is the only one who always provides and always supports us.
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up … A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

Kids need to live in a home where both parents work through the hardship of marriage together, exemplifying that while marriage is hard, it’s so very worth the commitment!

God, for the good of my kids and everyone around me, I place myself in Your hands. Show me how I can be a better spiritual leader to them by walking in Your Spirit today. Amen.

10/14/2020

Winning a war takes devoted commitment to a cause. When an army burns a bridge behind them on their way to a battle, they are cutting off their only possibility of retreat, fully committing to fight for victory, even to the point of death. Today, it’s time to burn down a bridge that some people keep as an out in their marriage.

Lie 5: Divorce is an option.

What happened to “till death do we part?” Entertaining this idea puts a cap on the commitment you’re willing to give to your spouse and will allow other distractions to take away concentration from your relationship. If that little idea’s in the back of your mind, it’s killing your marriage, guaranteed.

Now, there are allowances in Scripture for divorce in extreme circumstances…

Matthew 5:32: Jesus said, “Except for sexual immorality.” He made an exception for people whose spouses were acting out sexually. In some of those cases, you can move forward with divorce.
1 Corinthians 7:12-14: If you become a believer and your spouse is a non-believer, remains a non-believer and they leave you, divorce is allowed.
Just remember: An exception, by definition, is exceptional for extreme cases. It’s normal for marriage to get tough—even so tough that you don’t think you can handle it anymore. But your two options are not “stay in this miserable marriage” or “get divorced.” Your two options are: 1) disengage, be unhappy, numb, and live separate lives under the same roof, or 2) actively engross yourself in whatever is necessary to bring life to your marriage by letting Christ handle what you can’t handle anymore.

Holy Spirit, You are the great Counselor and by Your counsel, I burn my bridges. I’m all in until death do we part. Jesus, I no longer live, but You live in me. I fully surrender to Your leadership. Father, the battle belongs to You. I rest in You and trust in You to bring us to a point of victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil. Amen.

10/13/2020

People who feel they have strong marriages are 140% more likely to be in a healthy small group than those who are struggling with their marriage. That’s a fact. Those who are connected with others tend to be stronger than those of us who are in isolation. But when things get rough in relationships, do you go with the truth or the lie?

Lie 4: You two can handle this on your own. Satan’s strategy is to divide and conquer. He wants you to think that you’re the only ones going through this stuff (Ha!). He wants you to feel more embarrassed than you feel motivated to get help. He wants you to avoid the people who speak truth and love into your life. He wants you to disobey one of the foundational principles in Scripture:

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:23-25)

You need that. I need that. We need that. It’s a lie to think otherwise. It’s called loving biblical community.

What’s going on in your key relationships? What’s up in your marriage? Are you trying to handle it on your own? If you want to go it alone, I suppose you can try, but why? Maybe it’s time to flush some pride and ego and get connected like God designed it?

God, I accept that I am not an island. I need You. I need what You provide through others when things are tough. I confess my prideful, independent flesh patterns. Make me willing to accept Your grace, wisdom, and support through others. Show me whom You want me to connect with today. Amen.

10/11/2020

Christian colleges can be like meat markets. Church single groups can be the same. Sometimes I wonder if the singles in those classes are into God or into the look of the person next to them. Are they following the Holy Spirit or their hormones? Sure, there is a natural attraction to get married, but the desire can also be part of a deep emotional deception that lures people out of trust and contentment in Christ.

Lie number 2: You can’t be happy unless you’re married.

Think you have to be married to be whole and happy? Get this: Paul spends the whole chapter of 1 Corinthians 7 convincing people not to get married.

Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” … I wish that all men were as I am [Paul was single]. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried … I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife—and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord. (1 Corinthians 7:1, 7-8, 32-35)

Do you believe you can’t be happy unless you’re married? The truth is this: Singleness is either a gift to cherish or a season to enjoy.

The loneliest people I know are not single adults. The loneliest people are people I know trapped in a bad marriage. Marriage is not the happiness pill a lot of people think it is. If you want to be happy in marriage, remember that true joy and fulfillment are found only in Christ. Period.

God, Your Word says, “in Your presence there is fullness of joy.” I lay claim to that truth right here, right now, no matter what my circumstances might be. Turn my heart towards You, as my source of true fulfillment—filling me until I’m full—in “need” of nothing else. Amen.

10/10/2020

A few years back, the Pew Poll reported that 44% of Americans under 30 believe marriage is heading for extinction, but 95% of Americans want to get married someday. That’s interesting, isn’t it? They know there’s something dynamic and special about this relationship, but our culture keeps saying, “Marriage was great for your grandparents, but it’s unnecessary today.” Time magazine ran a cover that simply asked, “Who needs marriage?” How would you answer?

Lie 1: Marriage is an archaic institution irrelevant for enlightened modern people. Many believe this lie, the rest of us need to ask ourselves if marriage is worth it.

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)

This is the way God always intended it: One man, one woman coming together, becoming one, enjoying oneness in Christ. It’s God’s original plan, and it’s meant to last. He’s never rescinded it. Marriage is simply one of God’s great ideas.

I’ve done dozens of weddings over the years, and I start them all the same way: “Marriage is:

A holy estate instituted by God.
Commanded for all who enter it lawfully and in true affection.
Consecrated by Christ’s presence at the marriage feast in Cana of Galilee.
Set forth as signifying the mystical union between Christ and the Church.
Ordained for the consecration of union between man and woman so that natural instincts directed aright they might live in purity and honor.
Ordained for the increase of mankind and that children might be brought up in the fear and the nurture of the Lord.
Ordained for companionship, health, and comfort.
Ordained for the welfare of human society which can be strong and happy only where the marriage bond is held highly in honor.”
Satan lies. The truth is that marriage is divine, timeless, and significant. Marriage is part of God’s eternal purpose… and it will be until death we do part.

God, when I begin to doubt the validity of marriage, convict me of Your purpose in marriage for my good and Your glory. Amen.

10/08/2020

Hopefully we’ve put some meat on the skeleton of “A great marriage comes from two people walking in the Spirit, loving one another.” Now I’m going to ask you to take another step.

First, take the list of “flesh flavors” and go away and pray. Say, “Lord Jesus, by Your Spirit, reveal the filth of my flesh. I want to hate it. I want to nail it to the cross.”

Performance flesh
Religious flesh
Superior flesh
Comfort flesh
Victim flesh
Caretaker flesh
Pleaser flesh
Indulgent flesh
Hostile flesh
Then get together with your spouse and have a conversation like this: “Here’s what the Holy Spirit revealed to me about my flesh.” Tell them what He’s told you, asking for forgiveness where necessary. The key words here are “my flesh,” not “your flesh.”

When Libby and I did this I said, “You know what, I’ve got some ‘pleaser flesh’ and some ‘passive flesh.’” And she said, “Yeah, yeah, I see that.” Your spouse will be a wonderful confirmation of what the Holy Spirit is saying to you! We prayed about it and then were able to begin walking together in the Spirit, following the Spirit’s promptings in new ways.

That might be a radical step for you to take, but I pray that you will take it in faith.

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)

The Spirit is in you. Take some time and then get in step with what He is doing.

Spirit, thank You for being a constant presence in my life. Give me the faith to take practical, even radical, action to keep in step with You so that You can love my spouse and others through me in a way that might lead to great relationships. Amen.

10/07/2020

Recognizing the flesh is easy when it has negative expressions. It’s easy to see the junk when “performance flesh” burns us out, when “superior flesh” lashes out, or when “caretaker flesh” perpetuates destructive relationships.

But sometimes the flesh manifests itself in ways that seem positive. Is it wrong to want to please people? Is it wrong to want to perform well? The answer has more to do with the why than the what.

One of my own flesh patterns is the “pleaser flesh;” I do things for others so they will like me. Back before Libby and I figured out this whole “crucify the flesh” thing, I would sense that she was upset with me, and would try to please her to earn her acceptance by cleaning the kitchen. She’d see it clean and become angry.

Disappointed, I’d say, “How could you be mad at me? I just cleaned the whole kitchen!” But one time she said, “I don’t know why I’m mad, it just feels yucky.” Why did my attempt to please her feel yucky? Because I was cleaning the kitchen to manipulate her, to get her to like me, to control our relationship.

I learned a lot about my flesh from that experience, but I could have just as easily learned it first from the Word and saved us a lot of pain!

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)

Is there anything wrong with cleaning the kitchen? Of course not… if you are walking in the Spirit. You may get a completely different reaction for the same action. Why? Because in the Spirit I’m serving her to love her; in the flesh I’m serving her to get something. Do you see the difference? It doesn’t guarantee that your actions in the Spirit will have the desired effect, but at least it could. Flesh stinks even when doing “good things,” and your spouse can sniff it a mile away.

Father, I want to crucify my flesh. If I am doing things for the wrong reasons, change my heart so they would be done without my personal agenda. Amen.

10/06/2020

True Christianity is pretty crazy stuff. Its ways are so backwards from the things we have learned—so much so, that we might overlook the principles that can free us from the way things work in the world. That’s true when it comes to issues of death and life, because Scripture says that life only comes through death.

Galatians 2:20 says, “For I was crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”

That key passage is echoed by numerous others. They all talk about who we are in our spirit, about the transformation that Christ brought about by His co-crucifixion with us and His raising again to new life so we can be born again. But what about the flesh?

Because the best marriages are two people walking in the Spirit, loving one another; and the flesh tries to get in the way of that. How do we overcome the flesh?

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:24)

What does it mean to “crucify the flesh?” Well, this is not the same crucifixion that Paul describes in Galatians and Romans 6. Crucifying the flesh is different.

One commentator puts it this way, “The basic demand of Christian discipleship is that we take up our cross daily and follow Christ.” As long as we are here on earth, we’re never going to be done with the flesh. It’s always going to be part of our life, but letting it control us is always optional. When we are “in the flesh,” we can respond “in the Spirit:”

Recognize our flesh and see it for what it is.
See its effects, and hate them.
Accept that God’s Spirit in us is greater than the flesh.
Declare that the flesh has no more power over us.
Turn towards the love and will of God to take its place.
Father, reveal one aspect of my flesh we can deal with right now. Let me affix it to the cross until that day I see You face to face. Amen.

Universal Ministry of God

09/05/2021

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10/16/2020

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10/14/2020

10/13/2020

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