Revelation 3:20 - "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends."
No matter how many times I may read the Bible, this passage never fails to warm my heart. Throughout the Bible, there are countless passages that speak of God's desire to be intimately close with us. But something about this one in particular lifts me up without fail every time.
I wonder why that is. Although this is part of a warning to the church in Laodicea about their shortcomings, it is for all of us. Even though it precedes a vivid description of the coming end times and all the suffering that mankind will experience, it remains a hopeful promise of love and intimacy that God has always desired of His chosen people.
I have caught myself, from time to time, wondering why in the world would God want this particular passage in this place of all parts of the Bible? I am certainly not questioning His judgment, just curious as to why He chose this spot specifically. I know I will never fully understand all the workings of God's mind and His plans while I'm still on this side of Heaven, but that doesn't mean I can't strive to learn as much as possible.
Then I remember back to something my favorite Apostle said. In 2 Peter 3 he tells us, "The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent" (verse 9). It's easy to believe that God is a procrastinator. We see all the tragedy going on around us, and we start to wonder, is He ever going to return and deliver us into His Kingdom? The answer is of course He is. But we have to be doing our part.
Jesus' commission to His disciples before He ascended to Heaven, was to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:20). The action verb there, was "make disciples", not necessarily "go". It is our job to reach anyone and everyone that we possibly can and share the Good News of our salvation through Jesus Christ. God doesn't want anyone else to wind up in Hell for eternity. Sadly, it will happen, and it will break His heart. But it is by their choice that it will happen.
The Great News, is that God doesn't want it to happen that way. He wants everyone to have an opportunity to repent and be saved so that He can come into their lives after they open the door to their hearts in response to His knocking, and share a meal as friends. God wants to hang out with us...how cool is that. I think it's awesome, because I know that I am not always good company, yet He wants to hang out with me anyway.
So before we start complaining about God being slow about things, remember first that His timing is always perfect. Remember also, that we have a responsibility to uphold our end of the deal and to share His message of salvation and eternal life with everyone we can.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for desiring and pursuing me all those years so that we could have an intimate love relationship together as not just Father-Son, but also as friends. I pray that I will uphold my end of things, and share Your amazing message of the love You have for every living soul, and that You want no one to spend eternity separated from You. I know I will never be perfect in my work for Your Kingdom while I am on earth, but Your love and grace lift me and sustain me during my stumbles. I pray for those that have not answered Your knock on the door to their heart. My prayer is that I may be used by You to reach as many people as possible with the Good News of Jesus Christ, and help bring more brothers and sisters home to You for eternity. Use me however You wish Lord. I will go where You lead. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Friday, August 29, 2014
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Not Too Busy
John 16:33 - I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.
Do you think God is busy? Like He has a lot on His plate every minute of every day? I would say He is. The awesome thing about Him (one of so many) is that He is not too busy for any one of us.
In Matthew's Gospel Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). Not just some of us are invited, but all of us are. He doesn't just promise us rest from most things, but all things. There were no caveats at the end of that statement.
Recently, during a message at church, the Pastor said to not be afraid to ask God for help when we are struggling with a sin. While that should be an obvious point, I caught myself reflecting on how I handle my own sins and shortcomings.
When I was first saved, over 16 years ago, it was while I was attempting to overcome my issues with addiction. I spent the next 10 or 11 years, trying to work out everything else on my own. And from time to time, I still do that. I catch myself thinking that "Jesus did the hard part when he willingly died on the cross so that I could be saved, so I'll figure out the rest." But that's not what God wants for me, or for any of us.
He wants us to come to Him regularly and to cast our problems at His feet. He wants us to bring those heavy burdens that are making us weary, and turn them over to Him. That's how He gives us the rest we need. The passage in Matthew doesn't say, "I'll help you with some things." This passage in John doesn't say, "I have overcome most of the things that cause problems in the world." Jesus overcame everything with His voluntary death on the cross so that we could have rest and peace.
It's easy for us to think that whatever we may be dealing with might be too trivial to bother God with. But since His job isn't open for hiring, and Heaven isn't looking for new management, why don't we let God decide what is too trivial. He has desired an intimate love relationship with us since the beginning of time (that's quite a while), so I would say that nothing is too trivial. He has taken care to count the hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7), and knows the stars by name (Psalm 147:4; Isaiah 40:26), so I'd say He's not too busy to listen to every single prayer we lift up to Him.
Jesus told us to ask for anything in His name, and He will do it (John 16:24). If we aren't asking, He won't act. He knows what's on our hearts, but we have to ask. He will not come where He isn't invited. The redeeming power of the cross didn't stop working when we accepted His sacrifice and invited Him into our hearts and lives. It is an ongoing, daily power that works in our lives to heal us. A great Pastor once told me that just because we are saved doesn't mean we are sinless, it means we sin less. We need that daily, ongoing healing power of the cross.
As I have proven to myself time and again, I'm not capable of overcome my issues by my own strength. I need Jesus to heal and restore me on a daily basis. We all need Jesus to heal and restore us on a daily basis. Fortunately, He's not too busy to listen and answer.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for carrying all my burdens and sins with You on the cross. Thank You for reminding me that You are not too busy to listen and heal me. I trust that You will give me the help I need to overcome any and all sins that are separating me from You because of Your desire to have an intimate love relationship with me. I pray for those that are struggling to overcome on their own. My prayer is that they will stop and ask for Your help. I pray they will remember that You are not too busy for them, and that You care about them more than they could ever fully know in this lifetime. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, Redeemer, and Healer. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Do you think God is busy? Like He has a lot on His plate every minute of every day? I would say He is. The awesome thing about Him (one of so many) is that He is not too busy for any one of us.
In Matthew's Gospel Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). Not just some of us are invited, but all of us are. He doesn't just promise us rest from most things, but all things. There were no caveats at the end of that statement.
Recently, during a message at church, the Pastor said to not be afraid to ask God for help when we are struggling with a sin. While that should be an obvious point, I caught myself reflecting on how I handle my own sins and shortcomings.
When I was first saved, over 16 years ago, it was while I was attempting to overcome my issues with addiction. I spent the next 10 or 11 years, trying to work out everything else on my own. And from time to time, I still do that. I catch myself thinking that "Jesus did the hard part when he willingly died on the cross so that I could be saved, so I'll figure out the rest." But that's not what God wants for me, or for any of us.
He wants us to come to Him regularly and to cast our problems at His feet. He wants us to bring those heavy burdens that are making us weary, and turn them over to Him. That's how He gives us the rest we need. The passage in Matthew doesn't say, "I'll help you with some things." This passage in John doesn't say, "I have overcome most of the things that cause problems in the world." Jesus overcame everything with His voluntary death on the cross so that we could have rest and peace.
It's easy for us to think that whatever we may be dealing with might be too trivial to bother God with. But since His job isn't open for hiring, and Heaven isn't looking for new management, why don't we let God decide what is too trivial. He has desired an intimate love relationship with us since the beginning of time (that's quite a while), so I would say that nothing is too trivial. He has taken care to count the hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7), and knows the stars by name (Psalm 147:4; Isaiah 40:26), so I'd say He's not too busy to listen to every single prayer we lift up to Him.
Jesus told us to ask for anything in His name, and He will do it (John 16:24). If we aren't asking, He won't act. He knows what's on our hearts, but we have to ask. He will not come where He isn't invited. The redeeming power of the cross didn't stop working when we accepted His sacrifice and invited Him into our hearts and lives. It is an ongoing, daily power that works in our lives to heal us. A great Pastor once told me that just because we are saved doesn't mean we are sinless, it means we sin less. We need that daily, ongoing healing power of the cross.
As I have proven to myself time and again, I'm not capable of overcome my issues by my own strength. I need Jesus to heal and restore me on a daily basis. We all need Jesus to heal and restore us on a daily basis. Fortunately, He's not too busy to listen and answer.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for carrying all my burdens and sins with You on the cross. Thank You for reminding me that You are not too busy to listen and heal me. I trust that You will give me the help I need to overcome any and all sins that are separating me from You because of Your desire to have an intimate love relationship with me. I pray for those that are struggling to overcome on their own. My prayer is that they will stop and ask for Your help. I pray they will remember that You are not too busy for them, and that You care about them more than they could ever fully know in this lifetime. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, Redeemer, and Healer. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Always Faithful
Jeremiah 50:20 - "In those days," says the Lord, "no sin will be found in Israel or in Judah, for I will forgive the remnant I preserve."
I love this. Despite Israel and Judah's terrible sins against God, and His righteous punishment of them, God has promised to forgive everything and restore them to their land that He promised so long before through Abraham.
If there is one thing to love about God (there is so much more, but I'm focusing on just one thing for now), it's His faithfulness to His chosen people. Despite our numerous shortcomings and sins through the centuries, He is always willing to forgive and forget.
The sins that Israel and Judah committed prior to their exile were really bad. They worshiped idols, and basically blew God off. That's about as personal as it can get. Yes, He punished them. He had to. But He forgave them and restored them. He never gave up on them or blew them off. He forgot their sins and never counted them against them again. Even though He sent them into exile, He was still with them and looking out for them, holding true to His promise to Joshua to always be with them wherever they went (Joshua 1:9). Who does that? A loving God that is always faithful, that's who.
But how does this apply to us? Well it applies to all God's children. Everyone who has called on the name of God to be saved and redeemed by believing and trusting in His Son Jesus Christ have become God's chosen people. Paul tells us in Romans that the power of God at work through the Good News of Jesus Christ is available for the Jews as well as the Gentiles (Romans 1:16).
God wants ALL of us to have a deeply personal and intimate love relationship with Him. And when we are committed to Him, He has promised to remove our sins from us as far as east is from west (Psalms 103:12). He promises not to just forgive, but also forget (Isaiah 43:25, Hebrews 8:12). He does this so that we can also move past our mistakes and shortcomings as He has, and focus on our new relationship with Him.
A lot of people say that they need to get their lives together before they can get saved. Nothing could be further from the truth. He doesn't require us to change before we come to Him. He wants us to come to Him so we can be changed (Romans 12:1-2). If we try to change ourselves before we come to Him, we would still be incomplete, and unsaved. We would still require the healing and forgiveness that only He can provide.
A big problem with trying to do things by our own strength (which will never last), is that we tend to get prideful. We start to believe, "I did this myself. I don't need God after all." As Jesus said, "I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent" (Luke 5:32). Pride is a dangerous impediment to our salvation. None of us are righteous on our own. Nor will we ever be (Romans 3:10). The Good News is that we don't need to be righteous to come to God on our knees in humble confession and repentance. We just need to come to Him, and He is always faithful to begin a work in us that will lead us into righteousness. A work that will be completed when we enter into His Kingdom forever (Philippians 1:6). Just come.
Abba Father, I thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for always being faithful to Your chosen people when we have done everything we could to run in the opposite direction from You. Your love and mercy are too great for words, especially any that could come from me. I pray for those that haven't come to You yet. Perhaps they believe they are too far gone, or they believe that they need to fix themselves before they can be presentable to You. My prayer is that they will stop trying to wash themselves, so they can be cleansed by the blood of Your Son Jesus that was shed for that purpose, to make all of us brand new. I pray that we all come to You every day on bended knee seeking Your forgiveness and for Your will to be done in our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ I ask this, Amen!
God Bless!!!
I love this. Despite Israel and Judah's terrible sins against God, and His righteous punishment of them, God has promised to forgive everything and restore them to their land that He promised so long before through Abraham.
If there is one thing to love about God (there is so much more, but I'm focusing on just one thing for now), it's His faithfulness to His chosen people. Despite our numerous shortcomings and sins through the centuries, He is always willing to forgive and forget.
The sins that Israel and Judah committed prior to their exile were really bad. They worshiped idols, and basically blew God off. That's about as personal as it can get. Yes, He punished them. He had to. But He forgave them and restored them. He never gave up on them or blew them off. He forgot their sins and never counted them against them again. Even though He sent them into exile, He was still with them and looking out for them, holding true to His promise to Joshua to always be with them wherever they went (Joshua 1:9). Who does that? A loving God that is always faithful, that's who.
But how does this apply to us? Well it applies to all God's children. Everyone who has called on the name of God to be saved and redeemed by believing and trusting in His Son Jesus Christ have become God's chosen people. Paul tells us in Romans that the power of God at work through the Good News of Jesus Christ is available for the Jews as well as the Gentiles (Romans 1:16).
God wants ALL of us to have a deeply personal and intimate love relationship with Him. And when we are committed to Him, He has promised to remove our sins from us as far as east is from west (Psalms 103:12). He promises not to just forgive, but also forget (Isaiah 43:25, Hebrews 8:12). He does this so that we can also move past our mistakes and shortcomings as He has, and focus on our new relationship with Him.
A lot of people say that they need to get their lives together before they can get saved. Nothing could be further from the truth. He doesn't require us to change before we come to Him. He wants us to come to Him so we can be changed (Romans 12:1-2). If we try to change ourselves before we come to Him, we would still be incomplete, and unsaved. We would still require the healing and forgiveness that only He can provide.
A big problem with trying to do things by our own strength (which will never last), is that we tend to get prideful. We start to believe, "I did this myself. I don't need God after all." As Jesus said, "I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent" (Luke 5:32). Pride is a dangerous impediment to our salvation. None of us are righteous on our own. Nor will we ever be (Romans 3:10). The Good News is that we don't need to be righteous to come to God on our knees in humble confession and repentance. We just need to come to Him, and He is always faithful to begin a work in us that will lead us into righteousness. A work that will be completed when we enter into His Kingdom forever (Philippians 1:6). Just come.
Abba Father, I thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for always being faithful to Your chosen people when we have done everything we could to run in the opposite direction from You. Your love and mercy are too great for words, especially any that could come from me. I pray for those that haven't come to You yet. Perhaps they believe they are too far gone, or they believe that they need to fix themselves before they can be presentable to You. My prayer is that they will stop trying to wash themselves, so they can be cleansed by the blood of Your Son Jesus that was shed for that purpose, to make all of us brand new. I pray that we all come to You every day on bended knee seeking Your forgiveness and for Your will to be done in our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ I ask this, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Monday, August 25, 2014
All We Can Do
Mark 14:8 - She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time.
As I came across this passage in a devotional today, what Jesus said here struck me as interesting. Like a lot of us, I have read it several times and I was always focused on the act, and how she chose to honor and anoint Jesus before His death. She gave up the most expensive bottle of perfume she had for Jesus' sake. But it wasn't the monetary value that was important, despite the disciples' complaints. It's never about the deed, but the heart behind it.
What Jesus says at the beginning of this verse is what piqued my attention today. He said, "She has done what she could." Jesus wasn't focused on the monetary value either, as evidenced by His rebuke of the disciples' complaining. This woman honored and anointed our Savior the best way she could think of. And that was more important than anything.
It reminded me of Jesus' words in the Gospel of John where He said, "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Jesus wasn't telling them (and us) to figure it out. He was telling us that He was the best (and only) way to sure and complete peace, because He had already overcome everything.
How often do we get anxious or feel defeated because we can't accomplish something? All Jesus asks of us is that we are all in for Him. I remember my dad once told me as a teenager that the world doesn't meet anyone half way. That if I wanted something, I had to go out and make it happen. This is true. The world doesn't meet anyone half way. But God gladly does.
That doesn't mean that we only have to give Him half our effort. He requires us to be all in for Him and His Kingdom. We are expected to be intentional in nurturing our part of the intimate love relationship that He desires to have with us. In Psalm 116:2 the Psalmist tells us, "Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!" When we go all in for God, and stop trying to rely on our own strength and provisions for everything, He meets us half way.
I believe that the reason some people walk away from their faith in God, is because they aren't truly all in. They fail to see that God doesn't just give us what we want. Sometimes the answer is no. But when it's a 'no', it's for a good reason. It's because He has something much better for us. We all tend to live under the assumption that we know what's best for us and we only want what is good for us. That's just simply not true. God knows best, and that will always be true.
It's easy for us to believe that we can give ourselves peace. We think that if I can just get over this bump in the road, I'll be okay. In a recent devotional I read Greg Laurie said, "It [peace] doesn't come from what we are, but from what He has done," and that if we want the peace of God, we first have to have peace with God. That is so true.
If we want that true and everlasting peace that we are always in search of, we have to relinquish control of our lives to the God who always knows best. When we are all in - heart, mind, and strength - He will bend down and meet us half way to listen and provide. That's really all we can do.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding me that I don't have all the answers and that You don't expect me to. All You expect is for me to do all I can. To be all in for You. I pray that I will daily remember to trust You fully - heart, mind, and strength - so that You will fulfill Your promise to bend down to listen and provide. I trust that this is the only way to have the true peace that You have promised. I pray for those that are struggling to come to this realization. My prayer is that they will see that You don't expect them to be perfect, You just expect them to be themselves so that You can mold and shape them into something so much better. I trust that You only want what is best for all of us, and I am willing to go where You will lead. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen!
God Bless!!!
As I came across this passage in a devotional today, what Jesus said here struck me as interesting. Like a lot of us, I have read it several times and I was always focused on the act, and how she chose to honor and anoint Jesus before His death. She gave up the most expensive bottle of perfume she had for Jesus' sake. But it wasn't the monetary value that was important, despite the disciples' complaints. It's never about the deed, but the heart behind it.
What Jesus says at the beginning of this verse is what piqued my attention today. He said, "She has done what she could." Jesus wasn't focused on the monetary value either, as evidenced by His rebuke of the disciples' complaining. This woman honored and anointed our Savior the best way she could think of. And that was more important than anything.
It reminded me of Jesus' words in the Gospel of John where He said, "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Jesus wasn't telling them (and us) to figure it out. He was telling us that He was the best (and only) way to sure and complete peace, because He had already overcome everything.
How often do we get anxious or feel defeated because we can't accomplish something? All Jesus asks of us is that we are all in for Him. I remember my dad once told me as a teenager that the world doesn't meet anyone half way. That if I wanted something, I had to go out and make it happen. This is true. The world doesn't meet anyone half way. But God gladly does.
That doesn't mean that we only have to give Him half our effort. He requires us to be all in for Him and His Kingdom. We are expected to be intentional in nurturing our part of the intimate love relationship that He desires to have with us. In Psalm 116:2 the Psalmist tells us, "Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!" When we go all in for God, and stop trying to rely on our own strength and provisions for everything, He meets us half way.
I believe that the reason some people walk away from their faith in God, is because they aren't truly all in. They fail to see that God doesn't just give us what we want. Sometimes the answer is no. But when it's a 'no', it's for a good reason. It's because He has something much better for us. We all tend to live under the assumption that we know what's best for us and we only want what is good for us. That's just simply not true. God knows best, and that will always be true.
It's easy for us to believe that we can give ourselves peace. We think that if I can just get over this bump in the road, I'll be okay. In a recent devotional I read Greg Laurie said, "It [peace] doesn't come from what we are, but from what He has done," and that if we want the peace of God, we first have to have peace with God. That is so true.
If we want that true and everlasting peace that we are always in search of, we have to relinquish control of our lives to the God who always knows best. When we are all in - heart, mind, and strength - He will bend down and meet us half way to listen and provide. That's really all we can do.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding me that I don't have all the answers and that You don't expect me to. All You expect is for me to do all I can. To be all in for You. I pray that I will daily remember to trust You fully - heart, mind, and strength - so that You will fulfill Your promise to bend down to listen and provide. I trust that this is the only way to have the true peace that You have promised. I pray for those that are struggling to come to this realization. My prayer is that they will see that You don't expect them to be perfect, You just expect them to be themselves so that You can mold and shape them into something so much better. I trust that You only want what is best for all of us, and I am willing to go where You will lead. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Friday, August 22, 2014
Personal Care
1 Kings 19:12-13 - And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
After being part of such a great event as he was, Elijah allowed himself to be overcome by human concerns and ran in fear of Jezebel after she threatened his life. If anyone should have understood the power of God at that time, it was Elijah. So why did this happen to him? Why did he allow mere mortals, pagans at that, frighten him the way they did? Although he was a prophet of God, he was still human.
In this story, we see just how much personal care God is willing to provide to those who are faithful to Him. God could have easily, and justifiably, punished Elijah for the way he reacted. But he didn't. He loved him too much.
What I like is how God asked Elijah the same question twice, first before He revealed Himself in the whisper, and after. He saw that Elijah was scared and hurting because of all he had done for the Lord, and all the people had responded that they wanted to kill him. He was no doubt very depressed. But God didn't get angry with him, He attended to him. He revealed Himself to Elijah to let him know that God was with him, and would not abandon him. God even went so far as to promise human help in his future endeavors to show Elijah that he wasn't going to be alone. (vv 15-18). He didn't send the human help because it was necessary for anything other than to give Elijah calm and peace.
Have you ever felt just drained after finishing a big project? Ever felt alone after a big event full of people? I sure have. I have had times, where I just felt physically and emotionally wiped out, and often times very alone. The great news is that we aren't alone. God is always there for us, and willing to show us the same personal care that He showed Elijah. No matter how far we may feel removed from God, we are never further away than a whispered prayer. As David said, "I can never escape from Your Spirit! I can never get away from Your presence!" (Psalm 139:7).
It may sound like a cliche, but it's true (how do you think a cliche becomes a cliche?). How do we respond? As the beloved Apostle John said, "This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another." (1 John 3:11). God wants us to love each other as He first loved us. He wants us to show the same personal care and attention to others that He gives to us. That's how we know and show others that we belong to Him - by our love. When we are given much, much is required (Luke 12:48). And we have been given A LOT.
There is no sin in being human. That's how we were made. If you are feeling disconnected from God, which can happen very easily, don't be afraid to take the issue to Him in prayer. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. When we approach Him in the right way - in humility and repentance - He is faithful to reveal Himself to you and give you the personal care and attention that He delights giving to His people. And He does it in different ways to everyone, as we saw in the passage earlier. Just because we are expecting Him in the fire or the earthquake, He is most often in the gentle whisper. The only question God won't answer, is the one that isn't asked. Even though He already knows what's on our hearts and minds, we still have to ask.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being You. Thank You for showing us all so much love and attention and personal care that we could never earn or deserve, but that You freely give out of love, compassion, mercy, and grace. I pray that when I do feel disconnected from You for whatever reason, that I will humbly seek You more, and that I will remember that it isn't how I fall, but where I land. I pray for those that feel alone, and feel as though they have been abandoned. My prayer is that You will reveal Yourself to them, and show them that they are loved by You and all Your people. I pray that I can be used by You to show love to those who need it. That I can be a beacon for Your light to shine through for whomever I encounter. In the Blessed name of Jesus I pray, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Thursday, August 21, 2014
A Better Response
1 John 2:4 - If someone claims, "I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.
Many people struggle with living up to God's standards and obeying His commandments. And when I say many, I meany pretty much everybody (Romans 3:10). Some people use the excuse of saying that God's standards are too high. Well duh...they're supposed to be.
God doesn't expect us to be perfect, because He knows that we can't be. But He does expect us to try. And when we fall short from time to time (which we will), we are to come to Him in humble repentance and let Jesus plead our case to Him (1 John 2:1).
With the recent problems going on in Ferguson, Missouri, tensions and tempers have been flaring pretty high, to say the least. Almost everyone has an opinion on the right way to handle everything. Last week, I was having a discussion with someone about it, and this person said that they understood why people were doing what they were doing (protesting, looting, etc.) because if it was their child that had been shot by the police, they would be all for it. I replied that fighting fire with fire solves absolutely nothing except to make the flames bigger. I said that there's nothing wrong with defending your home and family if looters and other deviants are coming down your street and on your lawn, but going out and looking for - and causing - trouble is the worst response possible.
The response to my comment was, and I quote, "God forgives everyone." I said, "God is willing to forgive everyone, but that doesn't mean that we can go around and continue to sin and expect God to forgive us just because He is willing." This person responded that she knew her Bible, and didn't need a Church lesson because we weren't in Church. This reminded me of Hebrews 10:26 - "Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins," which I was happy to mention.
So what's the point of all my rambling? There's a better response to all of this. It's called LOVE. Jesus tells us in Matthew 22 that there are two key commandments to follow. Love God first with all your heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself. He also said that all of God's law is based on these two commandments (vv. 37-40). So before we start to say that it's so hard to live up to God's standards and follow his commandments, remember that it all starts and ends with LOVE. To be honest (and it's sad for me to admit this), I don't think I could recite the original Ten Commandments (and I haven't seen the movie either...). Who's showing love to the young boy's family who died? Shouldn't that be our first thought, and the better response to this tragedy?
Dear Abba Father, thank You for showing us the way through everything. I pray that I can show love to everyone, because I know that love is where it all starts and ends. I pray for the family of the young boy who lost his life in this tragedy. Regardless of what the circumstances are surrounding his death, I wish no one would have to deal with this level of sadness. But I trust Your will and plan for us all. I pray for those police officers that are trying to keep the peace during this turbulent time. I pray for the strength and resolve that can come from only You, to keep the peace and protect those who need to be protected. I ask this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Many people struggle with living up to God's standards and obeying His commandments. And when I say many, I meany pretty much everybody (Romans 3:10). Some people use the excuse of saying that God's standards are too high. Well duh...they're supposed to be.
God doesn't expect us to be perfect, because He knows that we can't be. But He does expect us to try. And when we fall short from time to time (which we will), we are to come to Him in humble repentance and let Jesus plead our case to Him (1 John 2:1).
With the recent problems going on in Ferguson, Missouri, tensions and tempers have been flaring pretty high, to say the least. Almost everyone has an opinion on the right way to handle everything. Last week, I was having a discussion with someone about it, and this person said that they understood why people were doing what they were doing (protesting, looting, etc.) because if it was their child that had been shot by the police, they would be all for it. I replied that fighting fire with fire solves absolutely nothing except to make the flames bigger. I said that there's nothing wrong with defending your home and family if looters and other deviants are coming down your street and on your lawn, but going out and looking for - and causing - trouble is the worst response possible.
The response to my comment was, and I quote, "God forgives everyone." I said, "God is willing to forgive everyone, but that doesn't mean that we can go around and continue to sin and expect God to forgive us just because He is willing." This person responded that she knew her Bible, and didn't need a Church lesson because we weren't in Church. This reminded me of Hebrews 10:26 - "Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins," which I was happy to mention.
So what's the point of all my rambling? There's a better response to all of this. It's called LOVE. Jesus tells us in Matthew 22 that there are two key commandments to follow. Love God first with all your heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself. He also said that all of God's law is based on these two commandments (vv. 37-40). So before we start to say that it's so hard to live up to God's standards and follow his commandments, remember that it all starts and ends with LOVE. To be honest (and it's sad for me to admit this), I don't think I could recite the original Ten Commandments (and I haven't seen the movie either...). Who's showing love to the young boy's family who died? Shouldn't that be our first thought, and the better response to this tragedy?
Dear Abba Father, thank You for showing us the way through everything. I pray that I can show love to everyone, because I know that love is where it all starts and ends. I pray for the family of the young boy who lost his life in this tragedy. Regardless of what the circumstances are surrounding his death, I wish no one would have to deal with this level of sadness. But I trust Your will and plan for us all. I pray for those police officers that are trying to keep the peace during this turbulent time. I pray for the strength and resolve that can come from only You, to keep the peace and protect those who need to be protected. I ask this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Being Content
Philippians 1:23-24 - I'm torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I can continue to live.
Paul knew the secret to being content. By putting away his desire to be with Christ in Heaven, he was living for a higher purpose. He remained alive by the grace of God, so that more people would hear the Gospel and be saved.
Some might ask, "How is it bad that he wanted to be with Christ in Heaven?" Well it was a selfish desire. It would only serve his own needs. As he said, it would be far better for him. But it wouldn't have been better for the Kingdom of Heaven. The better thing for the Kingdom of Heaven, was staying alive and spreading the Gospel.
How many of us struggle with putting our own desires above the will of God? I know I sure have, and still do from time to time. The desires we have could be anything. Some struggle with the desires of lust and addiction. Some struggle with what seem as good-intentioned desires such as wanting to be married and have a family.
Now some may ask, "How is wanting to be married and have a family a selfish desire that should be lumped in with lust and addiction?! Isn't it God's will for us to be married?" Well, God's will is different for everyone. It may or may not be God's will for some people to be married. Paul talks about the issue in 1 Corinthians 7. He talks about how an unmarried man or woman can spend their time doing the Lord's work and thinking how to please Him, but married men and women have to also think about their earthly responsibilities. (vv. 32-34). In other words, it has the potential to make us unequally yoked, and we all know how God feels about that.
Now those of you who know me, know that I have been divorced twice. It would be easy for some to say, "Well you're just bitter or upset about it not working out for you." Nothing could be further from the truth. There is no room in my heart and in my life for bitterness and anger. While I haven't always been a Christian, or been in a relationship with Christ, over the years I have come to understand that God has been orchestrating His will in my life to put me exactly where He wants me, whether I understood it or not. In one of my favorite stories of the Bible, Mordecai tells Esther, "Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14).
I have often said that, unless God does a radical work in my heart and changes my mind, which He has done in the past and is certainly capable of doing again, I have no desire to be married again. Does that mean that it won't happen? Of course not. Do I miss the companionship that comes with dating or being married? I sure do. For now, God has me where I am for a reason, and if His reasons take a turn down a road I wasn't anticipating, I am content to give up my selfish desire to not be married. Until that happens, I will spend my time doing the Lord's work.
God has all of us EXACTLY where He wants, for EXACT reasons, that we don't necessarily understand and recognize. We will never be able to fully understand everything about God while we are still finite. Until then, we need to work at being content that we are where we are by the grace of God for a time such as this.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for Your comforting words. Thank You for reminding me to be content in all circumstances, and to quit trying to always figure them out. Thank You for showing me that it is far better to give up my selfish desires and to serve the Kingdom of Heaven. I pray for those that are struggling with their own desires, and putting them above Your will. My prayer is that they will break free of their bondage to these desires, and work to serve You first and foremost. And by doing so, they will be content knowing that they are serving a purpose greater than themselves. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Keeping It Simple
John 21:23 - So the rumor spread among the community of believers that this disciple wouldn't die. But that isn't what Jesus said at all. He only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?"
How often does the message of the Gospel get misunderstood, or misrepresented, because of false assumptions by the community of believers? Yes, Jesus often spoke in parables, but that was for a purpose. For those who were His committed followers, He kept it simple. But those listening that weren't as committed as they thought, or claimed to be, were confused and made false assumptions.
Speaking in parables was Jesus' way of weeding out those who were just casual believers. He said that those were listening to His teaching would understand more, and have an abundance of knowledge (Matthew 13:12).
Does God use parables when He speaks to us now? That's a great question. In a way I think He does. He will put people, and situations, in front of us now that are there for a reason. Typically to help guide us through a difficult time, and to help build up the strength of our faith for what He has planned for us. At the time, we often don't realize that it was God working in our lives unless, or until, we take the time to truly communicate with Him.
God is always at work around us. If we aren't seeking that deeply intimate and personal love relationship with Him, which is what He wants, we tend to not see it as His work. I think that's why a lot of people have issues with faith. They think, "I did this by my own strength and wisdom." But if it's not what God wants, it won't last. How many business fail every day? I would be willing to wager that most of those businesses were not built on a foundation with Christ in the center. That's not to say that businesses that are built on that foundation won't fail. But when they do, it is because God has something better for them. And when they believe that God is working in and through them, and they respond with confident faith in Him, He is willing and ready to bless them abundantly.
The community of believers that John referred to here, weren't being quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19). Because of that, they didn't understand. Jesus was keeping it simple so that those who were truly committed to Him would understand. We help ourselves when we listen more than we speak. After all, we have two ears and one mouth for a reason.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for giving us the instructions that we need to live a life that gives You honor, praise, and glory in all we do. We start that by being committed to a deep and intimate love relationship with You. When we have that, we understand You more, and have an abundance of knowledge that can be shared with others, and serves to bless them and us. I pray for those that are speaking more than they are listening, and aren't understanding because of it. My prayer is that they will slow down, and stop trying to assume they know what You are saying to them. I pray that they will gain more knowledge so they can stop assuming, and start knowing. Through You, all is possible. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
How often does the message of the Gospel get misunderstood, or misrepresented, because of false assumptions by the community of believers? Yes, Jesus often spoke in parables, but that was for a purpose. For those who were His committed followers, He kept it simple. But those listening that weren't as committed as they thought, or claimed to be, were confused and made false assumptions.
Speaking in parables was Jesus' way of weeding out those who were just casual believers. He said that those were listening to His teaching would understand more, and have an abundance of knowledge (Matthew 13:12).
Does God use parables when He speaks to us now? That's a great question. In a way I think He does. He will put people, and situations, in front of us now that are there for a reason. Typically to help guide us through a difficult time, and to help build up the strength of our faith for what He has planned for us. At the time, we often don't realize that it was God working in our lives unless, or until, we take the time to truly communicate with Him.
God is always at work around us. If we aren't seeking that deeply intimate and personal love relationship with Him, which is what He wants, we tend to not see it as His work. I think that's why a lot of people have issues with faith. They think, "I did this by my own strength and wisdom." But if it's not what God wants, it won't last. How many business fail every day? I would be willing to wager that most of those businesses were not built on a foundation with Christ in the center. That's not to say that businesses that are built on that foundation won't fail. But when they do, it is because God has something better for them. And when they believe that God is working in and through them, and they respond with confident faith in Him, He is willing and ready to bless them abundantly.
The community of believers that John referred to here, weren't being quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19). Because of that, they didn't understand. Jesus was keeping it simple so that those who were truly committed to Him would understand. We help ourselves when we listen more than we speak. After all, we have two ears and one mouth for a reason.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for giving us the instructions that we need to live a life that gives You honor, praise, and glory in all we do. We start that by being committed to a deep and intimate love relationship with You. When we have that, we understand You more, and have an abundance of knowledge that can be shared with others, and serves to bless them and us. I pray for those that are speaking more than they are listening, and aren't understanding because of it. My prayer is that they will slow down, and stop trying to assume they know what You are saying to them. I pray that they will gain more knowledge so they can stop assuming, and start knowing. Through You, all is possible. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Monday, August 18, 2014
A Whole Lotta Love
2 Samuel 9:3 - The king then asked him, "Is anyone still alive from Saul's family? If so, I want to show God's kindness to them."
How easy (some might say justified) would it have been for David to be bitter over what king Saul had put him through all those years? Isn't it a natural human reaction to be angry, upset, or bitter when people treat you badly?
There's a few problems with this "natural" reaction. In Galatians 6:17 Paul says, "From now on, don't let anyone trouble me with these things." I really liked how Chuck Swindoll talks about this in a devotional of his I recently read. He says, "Refuse to allow anyone (or anything) to gain mastery over you. That throne within you belongs only to the Lord Jesus Christ. Stop leasing it out!" Isn't that a shot between the eyes. When we allow bitterness or anger to run amok over our emotions, we are leasing out the throne of our heart to the enemy. Whatever price the enemy will pay to lease out that throne won't compare to the price that God paid to own it outright.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). I'm sure we're all familiar with this. But what he says a couple of verses later is what really sticks out to me. He says, "If you are only kind to your friends, how are you different from anyone else (v. 47)? We were called and chosen by God to be different from those who have failed/refused to answer His call. We were chosen to be set apart from God for His Kingdom and work. If we are just acting like everyone else, then we aren't heeding Paul's instructions to allow God to transform us into a new person by changing the way we think (Romans 12:2).
There are those that say, it's not that easy. Well...duh! Anything worth doing (especially the high calling we have from our Creator) is not going to be easy. NO ONE in the Bible said it would be easy, but just that it is worth it. Jesus Himself said that we would endure trouble in this life, but to take heart because He has overcome it all (John 16:33).
Others may say that it was easier for David because he was anointed by God to be the king of Israel, and he is often referred to as someone after God's heart. For starters, refer back to my last paragraph. NOTHING is easy. David may have been anointed, but so were we. We were anointed when Jesus died for us and we asked Him into our heart to be our Savior, and committed our lives to following and serving Him. Second of all, David was far from perfect. He was just as flawed as we all are. He faltered in his own faith in God when he ordered the census (2 Samuel 24, 1 Chronicles 21). David committed adultery with Bathsheba, who was the wife of a good friend and faithful soldier in his army (2 Samuel 11:1-5). How did David deal with this? He had his good friend and faithful soldier murdered (2 Samuel 11:14-27).
Well how on earth could this guy possibly be after God's heart?! Because when God sent Nathan the prophet to confront David about his sin, David confessed and repented of it. He was legitimately sorry that he broke God's heart by sinning against him. Because of this honest and earnest confession and repentance, God blessed David. He promised to have his son be the next king (Solomon) and build God's Temple. He also promised a king from David's line to be on the throne forever. That's quite a blessing.
But to get back on point, don't allow the bitterness and anger to control you. You end up giving control to an enemy that feeds off of our inability to control ourselves. Fighting fire with fire solves nothing, and only serves to make the flames bigger. Bob Goff said it well in his book Love Does. He said, "I learned that fully loving and fulling living are not only synonyms but the kind of life that Jesus invited us to be part of" (Ch. 2). Fully living requires us to love God, love people, and do stuff, as Mr. Goff so eloquently said in a message at my church once.
I say that in order to do this, we have to let go of the bitterness and anger that attempts to control our lives, and interrupt our worship and service of the God that saved us. These things only have as much control as we allow them to have. Similarly, so does love. Having lived both sides of this spectrum in my life, I find it so much more rewarding and fulfilling to have a whole lotta love in my heart than anger and bitterness. No, it's not easy, but NOTHING is. If you're not sure who you should show love to, start with everyone and go from there.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for rescuing me from the pit of my own despair. Thank You for releasing the grip that anger and bitterness had on my life because I gave it to them, and replacing it with love. I know I fall short, but I know that because of Your love and sacrifice, I am forgiven by Your amazing grace. I pray for those that are allowing these things to control them. They haven't allowed themselves to be transformed by Your power. My prayer is that they will finally let go and let You in. They will allow their spirit to be renewed by Your love, and show it to everyone they encounter. And by doing this, they will see just how great it and You really are. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen!
God Bless!!!
How easy (some might say justified) would it have been for David to be bitter over what king Saul had put him through all those years? Isn't it a natural human reaction to be angry, upset, or bitter when people treat you badly?
There's a few problems with this "natural" reaction. In Galatians 6:17 Paul says, "From now on, don't let anyone trouble me with these things." I really liked how Chuck Swindoll talks about this in a devotional of his I recently read. He says, "Refuse to allow anyone (or anything) to gain mastery over you. That throne within you belongs only to the Lord Jesus Christ. Stop leasing it out!" Isn't that a shot between the eyes. When we allow bitterness or anger to run amok over our emotions, we are leasing out the throne of our heart to the enemy. Whatever price the enemy will pay to lease out that throne won't compare to the price that God paid to own it outright.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). I'm sure we're all familiar with this. But what he says a couple of verses later is what really sticks out to me. He says, "If you are only kind to your friends, how are you different from anyone else (v. 47)? We were called and chosen by God to be different from those who have failed/refused to answer His call. We were chosen to be set apart from God for His Kingdom and work. If we are just acting like everyone else, then we aren't heeding Paul's instructions to allow God to transform us into a new person by changing the way we think (Romans 12:2).
There are those that say, it's not that easy. Well...duh! Anything worth doing (especially the high calling we have from our Creator) is not going to be easy. NO ONE in the Bible said it would be easy, but just that it is worth it. Jesus Himself said that we would endure trouble in this life, but to take heart because He has overcome it all (John 16:33).
Others may say that it was easier for David because he was anointed by God to be the king of Israel, and he is often referred to as someone after God's heart. For starters, refer back to my last paragraph. NOTHING is easy. David may have been anointed, but so were we. We were anointed when Jesus died for us and we asked Him into our heart to be our Savior, and committed our lives to following and serving Him. Second of all, David was far from perfect. He was just as flawed as we all are. He faltered in his own faith in God when he ordered the census (2 Samuel 24, 1 Chronicles 21). David committed adultery with Bathsheba, who was the wife of a good friend and faithful soldier in his army (2 Samuel 11:1-5). How did David deal with this? He had his good friend and faithful soldier murdered (2 Samuel 11:14-27).
Well how on earth could this guy possibly be after God's heart?! Because when God sent Nathan the prophet to confront David about his sin, David confessed and repented of it. He was legitimately sorry that he broke God's heart by sinning against him. Because of this honest and earnest confession and repentance, God blessed David. He promised to have his son be the next king (Solomon) and build God's Temple. He also promised a king from David's line to be on the throne forever. That's quite a blessing.
But to get back on point, don't allow the bitterness and anger to control you. You end up giving control to an enemy that feeds off of our inability to control ourselves. Fighting fire with fire solves nothing, and only serves to make the flames bigger. Bob Goff said it well in his book Love Does. He said, "I learned that fully loving and fulling living are not only synonyms but the kind of life that Jesus invited us to be part of" (Ch. 2). Fully living requires us to love God, love people, and do stuff, as Mr. Goff so eloquently said in a message at my church once.
I say that in order to do this, we have to let go of the bitterness and anger that attempts to control our lives, and interrupt our worship and service of the God that saved us. These things only have as much control as we allow them to have. Similarly, so does love. Having lived both sides of this spectrum in my life, I find it so much more rewarding and fulfilling to have a whole lotta love in my heart than anger and bitterness. No, it's not easy, but NOTHING is. If you're not sure who you should show love to, start with everyone and go from there.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for rescuing me from the pit of my own despair. Thank You for releasing the grip that anger and bitterness had on my life because I gave it to them, and replacing it with love. I know I fall short, but I know that because of Your love and sacrifice, I am forgiven by Your amazing grace. I pray for those that are allowing these things to control them. They haven't allowed themselves to be transformed by Your power. My prayer is that they will finally let go and let You in. They will allow their spirit to be renewed by Your love, and show it to everyone they encounter. And by doing this, they will see just how great it and You really are. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Friday, August 15, 2014
Wait...Every Day???
Psalm 96:2 - Sing to the Lord; praise His name. Each day proclaim the good news that He saves.
A lot of us struggle with the every day part of our intimate love relationship with God. Throughout the Bible, God uses marriage to describe the relationship between Him and His people, and for good reason.
When you are married to someone, don't you make time to be with them? To learn more about them on a deeper level than just a friendship? That's what God desires of His relationship with us. He wants us to go deeper with Him. He already knows everything about us. The Gospels of Luke and Matthew tell us that the hairs on our head are all numbered (Luke 12:7, Matthew 10:30). But a marriage requires reciprocation. And not the kind of reciprocation where we do out of obligation, but the kind that does because it wants to do.
In his fantastic book, Pursued, Jud Wilhite, makes the comparison between going to Church and marriage by saying, "You can be a Christian and never go to church, just like you can be married and never go home to be with your spouse. But in both cases, as someone said, your relationship with your significant other will suffer" (Ch. 11). You can have a relationship with someone (in this case God or your spouse) and not take the time to develop it and learn more about your significant other, but the relationship WILL suffer. As someone who's been divorced twice, I can certainly agree with this assessment.
The book of Hosea is a fantastic story about God's amazing love for us, and how much God really pursues that love relationship with us (the book Pursued is based off this book of the Bible). Throughout much of the early Old Testament, God is treated as if He is our Master. While He is (He did create us after all), that wasn't the sort of relationship He wanted to have with us. He has ALWAYS desired a close, intimate relationship with His cherished creation. In Hosea, God tells us, "When that day comes, says the Lord, you will call me 'my husband' instead of 'my master'" (Hosea 2:16).
In His attempts to get the hearts of His people in the right place, not only did He use Hosea and Gomer to demonstrate His love for us (a beautiful illustration), but He told His people, "I don't want you to think of Me as just some hard taskmaster. I want you to think of Me as your husband." Wouldn't you agree that a relationship with a husband (or wife) is more deeply intimate and personal than say a relationship with your boss at work (I would hope so, unless of course you work for your spouse, which is a whole other set of issues)?
But what's all this every day stuff? In Joshua 1:8, God tells us to meditate on His book of instruction day and night. Did God wake you up today? Did God carry you through the day? Did God bring you home safely? If you answered no to any of those questions, there are some other issues to deal with that this message probably won't cover. I remember a Pastor once used a great football analogy when talking about studying God's Word. He said before you play the game (in our case our daily life), don't you read the playbook beforehand so you know what to do? Makes sense to me. When the Quarterback (Jesus) is calling plays, don't you want to know what He means?
I won't lie and tell you that I jump out of bed and grab my Bible and start reading. For starters, I never jump, especially out of bed at Oh Dark Thirty. And I usually require one (sometimes 2 or 3) cups of coffee to wake up. But what about nighttime too? I don't know about you, but I tend to have a lot on my mind towards the end of the day. As much as I (and I'm sure most of us) like to decompress and clear our mind after a long day, there are usually a lot of thoughts running through our mind (that's how the sleep-aid business stays prosperous). I often find myself reflecting on how I did throughout the day. I will pray and ask if I did things the way God wanted me to. God speaks to everyone in different ways. For me, I hear Him speak to me through His Word more than any other way, which is a big reason why I spend so much time in it. When I'm praying and asking those questions, I find the answers in there.
So take the time to get to know God. Spend time with Him every day, so you know what He has planned for you (Jeremiah 29:11-13). God wants nothing more than to spend time with us because He loves us like a husband loves his wife. He has pursued us since He created us. It's up to us to make the relationship and the pursuit mutual. Every day.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for waking me up and for loving me unconditionally. Thank You for taking the time to know everything about me, and for pursuing me when I don't deserve it. I pray that as I go out into the world today, I will be a reflection of Your love to others and that they will see You through me. I pray that I stay connected to You at all times, Lord, and that I continue to pursue You every day and every night. I pray for those that haven't taken the time to work on their side of the intimate love relationship with You. My prayer is that they will realize that it takes two to make a relationship, and they will begin spending some time with You in prayer and in Your Word. Even if it's just for a few minutes today, we all have to start somewhere. I thank You for everything I am and everything You have blessed me with. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen!
God Bless!!!
A lot of us struggle with the every day part of our intimate love relationship with God. Throughout the Bible, God uses marriage to describe the relationship between Him and His people, and for good reason.
When you are married to someone, don't you make time to be with them? To learn more about them on a deeper level than just a friendship? That's what God desires of His relationship with us. He wants us to go deeper with Him. He already knows everything about us. The Gospels of Luke and Matthew tell us that the hairs on our head are all numbered (Luke 12:7, Matthew 10:30). But a marriage requires reciprocation. And not the kind of reciprocation where we do out of obligation, but the kind that does because it wants to do.
In his fantastic book, Pursued, Jud Wilhite, makes the comparison between going to Church and marriage by saying, "You can be a Christian and never go to church, just like you can be married and never go home to be with your spouse. But in both cases, as someone said, your relationship with your significant other will suffer" (Ch. 11). You can have a relationship with someone (in this case God or your spouse) and not take the time to develop it and learn more about your significant other, but the relationship WILL suffer. As someone who's been divorced twice, I can certainly agree with this assessment.
The book of Hosea is a fantastic story about God's amazing love for us, and how much God really pursues that love relationship with us (the book Pursued is based off this book of the Bible). Throughout much of the early Old Testament, God is treated as if He is our Master. While He is (He did create us after all), that wasn't the sort of relationship He wanted to have with us. He has ALWAYS desired a close, intimate relationship with His cherished creation. In Hosea, God tells us, "When that day comes, says the Lord, you will call me 'my husband' instead of 'my master'" (Hosea 2:16).
In His attempts to get the hearts of His people in the right place, not only did He use Hosea and Gomer to demonstrate His love for us (a beautiful illustration), but He told His people, "I don't want you to think of Me as just some hard taskmaster. I want you to think of Me as your husband." Wouldn't you agree that a relationship with a husband (or wife) is more deeply intimate and personal than say a relationship with your boss at work (I would hope so, unless of course you work for your spouse, which is a whole other set of issues)?
But what's all this every day stuff? In Joshua 1:8, God tells us to meditate on His book of instruction day and night. Did God wake you up today? Did God carry you through the day? Did God bring you home safely? If you answered no to any of those questions, there are some other issues to deal with that this message probably won't cover. I remember a Pastor once used a great football analogy when talking about studying God's Word. He said before you play the game (in our case our daily life), don't you read the playbook beforehand so you know what to do? Makes sense to me. When the Quarterback (Jesus) is calling plays, don't you want to know what He means?
I won't lie and tell you that I jump out of bed and grab my Bible and start reading. For starters, I never jump, especially out of bed at Oh Dark Thirty. And I usually require one (sometimes 2 or 3) cups of coffee to wake up. But what about nighttime too? I don't know about you, but I tend to have a lot on my mind towards the end of the day. As much as I (and I'm sure most of us) like to decompress and clear our mind after a long day, there are usually a lot of thoughts running through our mind (that's how the sleep-aid business stays prosperous). I often find myself reflecting on how I did throughout the day. I will pray and ask if I did things the way God wanted me to. God speaks to everyone in different ways. For me, I hear Him speak to me through His Word more than any other way, which is a big reason why I spend so much time in it. When I'm praying and asking those questions, I find the answers in there.
So take the time to get to know God. Spend time with Him every day, so you know what He has planned for you (Jeremiah 29:11-13). God wants nothing more than to spend time with us because He loves us like a husband loves his wife. He has pursued us since He created us. It's up to us to make the relationship and the pursuit mutual. Every day.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for waking me up and for loving me unconditionally. Thank You for taking the time to know everything about me, and for pursuing me when I don't deserve it. I pray that as I go out into the world today, I will be a reflection of Your love to others and that they will see You through me. I pray that I stay connected to You at all times, Lord, and that I continue to pursue You every day and every night. I pray for those that haven't taken the time to work on their side of the intimate love relationship with You. My prayer is that they will realize that it takes two to make a relationship, and they will begin spending some time with You in prayer and in Your Word. Even if it's just for a few minutes today, we all have to start somewhere. I thank You for everything I am and everything You have blessed me with. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
One Small Requirement
Psalm 145:14 - The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.
It's very easy for us to think that we've gone too far, or crossed a line that we can never cross back over from. Some of us believe that God couldn't possibly forgive us THIS time. The truth is He can and He will.
There is only one small requirement. We have to trust that He will. We have to believe that He will respond favorably to our prayers when we humbly submit our will to Him. I know what you're probably thinking: Wayne, you said one small requirement, but listed two. Well, they're really the same thing.
God has promised us eternity since the beginning of time, as long as we remain faithful to Him. Since we are all fallen human beings, He doesn't expect us to be perfect. He expects us to fall from time to time. Jesus told us that if we had the faith of a mustard seed, we could move mountains (Luke 17:6). That's really all it takes to believe that God can and will redeem and restore us - a little bit of faith.
Abraham sure wasn't perfect. He lied repeatedly to save his own skin. But when he was humble to God and showed Him the faith God required, God blessed Him immensely. Moses was a murderer. David is always a good example. He was anointed as a teenager and spent the next 10 or 15 years running for his life from King Saul. It would have been easy for him to reject God's plan that brought him heartache and grief for almost a decade and a half. But he didn't. He remained faithful (he did write this Psalm, after all), and God put him and his descendants on the throne for eternity. The great thing about David, was that even after God showed Himself faithful to David by protecting him all those years, David still messed up. Pretty badly at times. He was an adulterer and a murderer, but was repentant when confronted with his sins. Because of that mustard seed faith that David showed by repenting, he was restored in God's heart and was referred to by God as a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22).
All it takes is the smallest amount of faith for God to work. He only needs to get His foot in the door to change our hearts, but we have to let Him in. He will stand at the door and knock, but we have to open it. He can do wonders with broken people (Peter), or people who think they've gone too far (Paul). His power works best in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). As long as you still have breath in your lungs, you are not beyond redemption. You have not crossed the line that you cannot be brought back from. Trust God for your deliverance and redemption. The price paid for your life in God's eternal Kingdom was more than enough.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your free gift of salvation. I know I have believed in the past that I had gone too far, but I am blessed that You have shown me that I haven't. You have shown me countless times that I am loved with a love that is greater than anything I could possibly imagine. You demonstrated that love for all of us on the cross, and promise that our sins will be removed as far as east is from west. I pray for those that believe they have gone too far. My prayer is that they will take that step of faith towards You, and believe that You can and will heal and restore them. I pray that we will always remember that You love us unconditionally, and continue to trust in You by coming humbly before You in repentance. Your grace will always be sufficient. In the name of Jesus, Amen!
God Bless!!!
It's very easy for us to think that we've gone too far, or crossed a line that we can never cross back over from. Some of us believe that God couldn't possibly forgive us THIS time. The truth is He can and He will.
There is only one small requirement. We have to trust that He will. We have to believe that He will respond favorably to our prayers when we humbly submit our will to Him. I know what you're probably thinking: Wayne, you said one small requirement, but listed two. Well, they're really the same thing.
God has promised us eternity since the beginning of time, as long as we remain faithful to Him. Since we are all fallen human beings, He doesn't expect us to be perfect. He expects us to fall from time to time. Jesus told us that if we had the faith of a mustard seed, we could move mountains (Luke 17:6). That's really all it takes to believe that God can and will redeem and restore us - a little bit of faith.
Abraham sure wasn't perfect. He lied repeatedly to save his own skin. But when he was humble to God and showed Him the faith God required, God blessed Him immensely. Moses was a murderer. David is always a good example. He was anointed as a teenager and spent the next 10 or 15 years running for his life from King Saul. It would have been easy for him to reject God's plan that brought him heartache and grief for almost a decade and a half. But he didn't. He remained faithful (he did write this Psalm, after all), and God put him and his descendants on the throne for eternity. The great thing about David, was that even after God showed Himself faithful to David by protecting him all those years, David still messed up. Pretty badly at times. He was an adulterer and a murderer, but was repentant when confronted with his sins. Because of that mustard seed faith that David showed by repenting, he was restored in God's heart and was referred to by God as a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22).
All it takes is the smallest amount of faith for God to work. He only needs to get His foot in the door to change our hearts, but we have to let Him in. He will stand at the door and knock, but we have to open it. He can do wonders with broken people (Peter), or people who think they've gone too far (Paul). His power works best in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). As long as you still have breath in your lungs, you are not beyond redemption. You have not crossed the line that you cannot be brought back from. Trust God for your deliverance and redemption. The price paid for your life in God's eternal Kingdom was more than enough.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your free gift of salvation. I know I have believed in the past that I had gone too far, but I am blessed that You have shown me that I haven't. You have shown me countless times that I am loved with a love that is greater than anything I could possibly imagine. You demonstrated that love for all of us on the cross, and promise that our sins will be removed as far as east is from west. I pray for those that believe they have gone too far. My prayer is that they will take that step of faith towards You, and believe that You can and will heal and restore them. I pray that we will always remember that You love us unconditionally, and continue to trust in You by coming humbly before You in repentance. Your grace will always be sufficient. In the name of Jesus, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Running A Marathon
2 Timothy 4:7 - I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.
Life is like running a marathon. It takes A LOT of endurance and steadfast, dedicated training. Paul recognized this, and talked about it a couple of times (1 Corinthians 9, Galatians 2 and 5, Philippians 3). The difference between a marathon and life, is that we know when a marathon will end.
It's difficult to build up that patient endurance that life - and faith - requires. In the culture we live in today, we can have almost anything right away. Which I believe is a big reason that people walk away from their faith. Those of us who are Baseball fans (Go Cubs), will often hear Baseball players say, during the struggles of the early part of the season, that the game is a marathon and not a sprint. And that it's how you finish, not how you start. While these are time-worn cliches, they are true in Baseball and in faith (how do you think a cliche becomes a cliche?).
Recently, the world lost a much beloved man to suicide that was believed to be brought on by the severe depression that he was suffering from. Robin Williams was responsible for making so many of us laugh so hard we cried. It is hard to imagine that someone who was so funny could possibly be depressed. But the fact is, those who are laughing on the outside are often crying on the outside. They are struggling with the inner peace that we all seek, and can only truly be found in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
They say that suicide is a permanent solution to temporary problems. This is true. It's like taking a short cut during the marathon (something we've seen people do). If you're feeling like your problems are permanent, take them to the Lord. Never be afraid to reach out to someone and get the help you need to get back on track and running the race on the path God intended for you.
When I have battled my depression in the past, I never really found a way out of it, until I came to know Jesus Christ. Through this love relationship with my Creator, I have come to believe that no pain I experience will compare to the joy I experience when I reach the end of the race on God's terms, and not mine (Romans 8:18). As Paul said so well, "I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the Heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us" (Philippians 3:13). I don't know when that will come, as do none of us, but I am confident that Jesus Christ will give me (and all of us) the patient endurance we need, as we seek Him every day, to run this marathon
Heavenly Father, as we start on another leg of this marathon race You have set before us today, I thank You for giving us the patient endurance to make it through the day. I pray that through steadfast and dedicated time with You, we will remember that nothing in this world can bring us down unless we let it, as long as we hold on to our faith in Your promise. Today, I pray for the family of Robin Williams as they go through this time of profound sadness and grieving over the sudden loss of such a beloved man. My prayer is that they will seek You during this time for the comfort that only You can bring. I don't know where their hearts are, but You do, and I pray that they will be focused on You. I pray also for those that are struggling with depression and other problems that are bringing them down. My prayer is that today they will stop letting the enemy shout the lies into their minds, and let You whisper the truth of Your love into their hearts. My prayer is that they will seek the help they need to get themselves turned around and back on the path You have for them. In the precious, powerful, and holy name of Your Son Jesus Christ I pray this. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Life is like running a marathon. It takes A LOT of endurance and steadfast, dedicated training. Paul recognized this, and talked about it a couple of times (1 Corinthians 9, Galatians 2 and 5, Philippians 3). The difference between a marathon and life, is that we know when a marathon will end.
It's difficult to build up that patient endurance that life - and faith - requires. In the culture we live in today, we can have almost anything right away. Which I believe is a big reason that people walk away from their faith. Those of us who are Baseball fans (Go Cubs), will often hear Baseball players say, during the struggles of the early part of the season, that the game is a marathon and not a sprint. And that it's how you finish, not how you start. While these are time-worn cliches, they are true in Baseball and in faith (how do you think a cliche becomes a cliche?).
Recently, the world lost a much beloved man to suicide that was believed to be brought on by the severe depression that he was suffering from. Robin Williams was responsible for making so many of us laugh so hard we cried. It is hard to imagine that someone who was so funny could possibly be depressed. But the fact is, those who are laughing on the outside are often crying on the outside. They are struggling with the inner peace that we all seek, and can only truly be found in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
They say that suicide is a permanent solution to temporary problems. This is true. It's like taking a short cut during the marathon (something we've seen people do). If you're feeling like your problems are permanent, take them to the Lord. Never be afraid to reach out to someone and get the help you need to get back on track and running the race on the path God intended for you.
When I have battled my depression in the past, I never really found a way out of it, until I came to know Jesus Christ. Through this love relationship with my Creator, I have come to believe that no pain I experience will compare to the joy I experience when I reach the end of the race on God's terms, and not mine (Romans 8:18). As Paul said so well, "I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the Heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us" (Philippians 3:13). I don't know when that will come, as do none of us, but I am confident that Jesus Christ will give me (and all of us) the patient endurance we need, as we seek Him every day, to run this marathon
Heavenly Father, as we start on another leg of this marathon race You have set before us today, I thank You for giving us the patient endurance to make it through the day. I pray that through steadfast and dedicated time with You, we will remember that nothing in this world can bring us down unless we let it, as long as we hold on to our faith in Your promise. Today, I pray for the family of Robin Williams as they go through this time of profound sadness and grieving over the sudden loss of such a beloved man. My prayer is that they will seek You during this time for the comfort that only You can bring. I don't know where their hearts are, but You do, and I pray that they will be focused on You. I pray also for those that are struggling with depression and other problems that are bringing them down. My prayer is that today they will stop letting the enemy shout the lies into their minds, and let You whisper the truth of Your love into their hearts. My prayer is that they will seek the help they need to get themselves turned around and back on the path You have for them. In the precious, powerful, and holy name of Your Son Jesus Christ I pray this. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Monday, August 11, 2014
One Step of Faith
John 4:47 - When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.
When the government official heard that Jesus was in Galilee, he took a step of faith to travel there to ask Him to heal his son. It was quite a distance to travel (especially without a car), about 25 miles, and he could have easily said that it was too far to go, but he didn't. He took that first step of faith on the road from Capernaum to Galilee to ask Jesus to heal his son.
How often do we find ourselves saying, "If God would just show himself, I could believe."? It can be a difficult challenge to believe without seeing. After all, isn't that what our culture tells us? Doesn't the secular world view tell us to believe what we can see, feel, and touch?
When Thomas doubted, Jesus said, "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me" (John 20:29). I believe that would account for all of us. How much does God bless us when we take that first step of faith on our road of life? The answer is a lot.
When we take that first step of faith, something changes inside of us. As we take the time to develop that deep, intimate, personal, and loving relationship with our Lord and Savior, He transforms us more and more into His image. As Paul said, we are to let God transform us into new people by changing the way we think (Romans 12:2). A lot of people (myself certainly included) can get very impatient and frustrated when this process of transformation doesn't happen at the speed we expect it to. Doesn't our culture also tell us that we can have what we want, when we want it?
Paul also reminds of two other key things to remember in our walk with Christ. First he tells us not to copy the behaviors and customs of this world (Romans 12:1), and that we are also very much a work in progress that won't be completed until we are reunited with Jesus in Heaven (Philippians 1:6).
Sometimes it's a tall order to be patient with this work in progress, but as Jesus said, we are blessed when we take that one step of faith and believe without seeing.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for teaching me patience. I realize that I can be a slow learner when it comes to this, but I trust in Your infinite capability to do a good work in me that will not be completed until I have been reunited with You in Heaven. I pray for those that haven't been able to take that first step of faith. My prayer is that You will stir in their heart so that they will, and then they will see just how blessed they are by taking it. I pray that we will not allow themselves to be conformed to the behaviors and customs of this world, and will let You transform us into the new person You have always had planned for us all. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
When the government official heard that Jesus was in Galilee, he took a step of faith to travel there to ask Him to heal his son. It was quite a distance to travel (especially without a car), about 25 miles, and he could have easily said that it was too far to go, but he didn't. He took that first step of faith on the road from Capernaum to Galilee to ask Jesus to heal his son.
How often do we find ourselves saying, "If God would just show himself, I could believe."? It can be a difficult challenge to believe without seeing. After all, isn't that what our culture tells us? Doesn't the secular world view tell us to believe what we can see, feel, and touch?
When Thomas doubted, Jesus said, "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me" (John 20:29). I believe that would account for all of us. How much does God bless us when we take that first step of faith on our road of life? The answer is a lot.
When we take that first step of faith, something changes inside of us. As we take the time to develop that deep, intimate, personal, and loving relationship with our Lord and Savior, He transforms us more and more into His image. As Paul said, we are to let God transform us into new people by changing the way we think (Romans 12:2). A lot of people (myself certainly included) can get very impatient and frustrated when this process of transformation doesn't happen at the speed we expect it to. Doesn't our culture also tell us that we can have what we want, when we want it?
Paul also reminds of two other key things to remember in our walk with Christ. First he tells us not to copy the behaviors and customs of this world (Romans 12:1), and that we are also very much a work in progress that won't be completed until we are reunited with Jesus in Heaven (Philippians 1:6).
Sometimes it's a tall order to be patient with this work in progress, but as Jesus said, we are blessed when we take that one step of faith and believe without seeing.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for teaching me patience. I realize that I can be a slow learner when it comes to this, but I trust in Your infinite capability to do a good work in me that will not be completed until I have been reunited with You in Heaven. I pray for those that haven't been able to take that first step of faith. My prayer is that You will stir in their heart so that they will, and then they will see just how blessed they are by taking it. I pray that we will not allow themselves to be conformed to the behaviors and customs of this world, and will let You transform us into the new person You have always had planned for us all. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Friday, August 8, 2014
Trust
Psalm 20:7 - Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
It is so easy, ESPECIALLY in this time we live in, to trust in the things we have, that were made by human hands. Things we can see, touch, and feel. A lot of times we think, "Well I trust that this was made the right way." We figure that our cars were made solid, and that as long as we do some regular preventive maintenance, it will be just fine.
But how often does our car break down for no explainable reason? Anyone who has had to deal with car problems can verify that there is never a good time for it to happen. And when it does, we either spend a ton of money to fix it, or we buy a new one. And the cycle starts again.
I'm a bit of a gadget guy. I don't have the greatest grasp on technology, but I understand enough. I just love gadgets. They're like toys for me. I love getting new toys (don't we all). How much do I trust in my smart phone to do everything I need it to do? A LOT!
How much am I trusting in God to provide what I need for me? I could easily say more than I do in my smart phone, but that wouldn't be honest. During this time of job searching, how often have I said to myself, "I'll find something."?
It really hit me last night when I was with my Bible study group and we were going around making prayer requests. I heard myself asking them to pray that God would lead me where He wants me to be in my next job. Driving home afterward, it really hit me that I hadn't been involving God in my job search. At least not on the level that I should have been (that's the top/first level). Sure I had prayed to Him that I needed to find a job. But shouldn't I have been praying for Him to show me where to look? To provide wisdom and discernment during the search?
Am I focusing on God to the extent that I trust Him over any and every thing? Am I on that continuous cycle of trusting in things that will let me down regularly, or trusting in the God that promised to never abandon me and will always be there till the end of the age?
Dear Father, thank You so much for Your daily provisions. Thank You for putting this on my heart and reminding me that I haven't been focused on You as much as I need to be, and because of that, my trust in You has dipped. I pray for the wisdom and strength that comes from only You to trust in You completely. I pray for those that have the same trust issues. My prayer is that they will realize that their trust in You has been lacking, and they will seek You through prayer and repentance. I pray they will trust in You for their daily provisions, and not lose focus on the here and now with You. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
It is so easy, ESPECIALLY in this time we live in, to trust in the things we have, that were made by human hands. Things we can see, touch, and feel. A lot of times we think, "Well I trust that this was made the right way." We figure that our cars were made solid, and that as long as we do some regular preventive maintenance, it will be just fine.
But how often does our car break down for no explainable reason? Anyone who has had to deal with car problems can verify that there is never a good time for it to happen. And when it does, we either spend a ton of money to fix it, or we buy a new one. And the cycle starts again.
I'm a bit of a gadget guy. I don't have the greatest grasp on technology, but I understand enough. I just love gadgets. They're like toys for me. I love getting new toys (don't we all). How much do I trust in my smart phone to do everything I need it to do? A LOT!
How much am I trusting in God to provide what I need for me? I could easily say more than I do in my smart phone, but that wouldn't be honest. During this time of job searching, how often have I said to myself, "I'll find something."?
It really hit me last night when I was with my Bible study group and we were going around making prayer requests. I heard myself asking them to pray that God would lead me where He wants me to be in my next job. Driving home afterward, it really hit me that I hadn't been involving God in my job search. At least not on the level that I should have been (that's the top/first level). Sure I had prayed to Him that I needed to find a job. But shouldn't I have been praying for Him to show me where to look? To provide wisdom and discernment during the search?
Am I focusing on God to the extent that I trust Him over any and every thing? Am I on that continuous cycle of trusting in things that will let me down regularly, or trusting in the God that promised to never abandon me and will always be there till the end of the age?
Dear Father, thank You so much for Your daily provisions. Thank You for putting this on my heart and reminding me that I haven't been focused on You as much as I need to be, and because of that, my trust in You has dipped. I pray for the wisdom and strength that comes from only You to trust in You completely. I pray for those that have the same trust issues. My prayer is that they will realize that their trust in You has been lacking, and they will seek You through prayer and repentance. I pray they will trust in You for their daily provisions, and not lose focus on the here and now with You. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Now's Just Not a Good Time
2 Timothy 4:2 - Preach the Word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
How many opportunities are lost to share the Gospel with someone because we didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, or offend them. Maybe we didn't feel like it was the right time, and we didn't want to push them away?
That one time that we blew off the chance to share the message of Jesus could conceivably be the only, or perhaps last, chance that person may have to be saved. We cannot say, "Oh there'll be other times." Are you sure? That's something we say to justify in our heads our inaction. I don't want to sound like a Debbie Downer, but it's a reality. We NEVER know when or if our, or their, next chance will be.
When we say that now just isn't a good time, what does that mean? It's not like this is a space shuttle launch and the weather has to be perfect and cooperative. This is sharing the Good News of Christ and trying to reach someone for the Kingdom of God.
When Jesus gave His command to go and make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19), there are two things that didn't happen that tend to be easily overlooked. First, it wasn't a request. Second, He didn't say if/when you're feeling up to it.
The first time Jesus sent His disciples out, He told them not to take anything with them. No money, no extra clothes, nothing (Matthew 10:9-10). He wanted them to trust that God would provide for them during their journey. I think a lot of us tend to use the excuse that now's just not the right time, because we are afraid. We are hesitant to trust God to provide us with the right words (see Moses, Exodus 3:11-4:13). Moses tried to come up with every excuse under the sun, but I loved God's response in Exodus 4:12 - Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say."
Sometimes we are afraid of pushing friends or family away from us. That should never be a problem. If they were meant to be your friend, then they won't go anywhere (at least not permanently). If they reject what you have to tell them, THEY are the ones that have to explain their rejection to God when they stand before Him in judgment, not you.
Maybe we're afraid that someone will lash out at us, or maybe even get physically abusive. Remember the Psalmist's words in Psalm 118:6 - "The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?" And the reaffirmation of that promise in Hebrews 13:6.
So do I have any more excuses, or is this just not a good time for them too?
Dear Father, thank You for putting this on my heart today. I know that I have not been faithful in sharing Your Gospel message to those I encounter. I want that to change now! I want to be faithful to You and follow the instructions of Your Son Jesus Christ to go and make disciples. I will trust in Your promise to Moses that You will be with me when I speak and instruct me. I will trust in Your promise that You are for me, and I will have no fear. I want to be content as Paul was. I pray for those that have struggled with this as well. My prayer is that they will stop resisting You out of fear and insecurity, and answer Your call for all of Your people. My prayer is that we will remain faithful to You and fear nothing in this world. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen!
God Bless!!!
How many opportunities are lost to share the Gospel with someone because we didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, or offend them. Maybe we didn't feel like it was the right time, and we didn't want to push them away?
That one time that we blew off the chance to share the message of Jesus could conceivably be the only, or perhaps last, chance that person may have to be saved. We cannot say, "Oh there'll be other times." Are you sure? That's something we say to justify in our heads our inaction. I don't want to sound like a Debbie Downer, but it's a reality. We NEVER know when or if our, or their, next chance will be.
When we say that now just isn't a good time, what does that mean? It's not like this is a space shuttle launch and the weather has to be perfect and cooperative. This is sharing the Good News of Christ and trying to reach someone for the Kingdom of God.
When Jesus gave His command to go and make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19), there are two things that didn't happen that tend to be easily overlooked. First, it wasn't a request. Second, He didn't say if/when you're feeling up to it.
The first time Jesus sent His disciples out, He told them not to take anything with them. No money, no extra clothes, nothing (Matthew 10:9-10). He wanted them to trust that God would provide for them during their journey. I think a lot of us tend to use the excuse that now's just not the right time, because we are afraid. We are hesitant to trust God to provide us with the right words (see Moses, Exodus 3:11-4:13). Moses tried to come up with every excuse under the sun, but I loved God's response in Exodus 4:12 - Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say."
Sometimes we are afraid of pushing friends or family away from us. That should never be a problem. If they were meant to be your friend, then they won't go anywhere (at least not permanently). If they reject what you have to tell them, THEY are the ones that have to explain their rejection to God when they stand before Him in judgment, not you.
Maybe we're afraid that someone will lash out at us, or maybe even get physically abusive. Remember the Psalmist's words in Psalm 118:6 - "The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?" And the reaffirmation of that promise in Hebrews 13:6.
So do I have any more excuses, or is this just not a good time for them too?
Dear Father, thank You for putting this on my heart today. I know that I have not been faithful in sharing Your Gospel message to those I encounter. I want that to change now! I want to be faithful to You and follow the instructions of Your Son Jesus Christ to go and make disciples. I will trust in Your promise to Moses that You will be with me when I speak and instruct me. I will trust in Your promise that You are for me, and I will have no fear. I want to be content as Paul was. I pray for those that have struggled with this as well. My prayer is that they will stop resisting You out of fear and insecurity, and answer Your call for all of Your people. My prayer is that we will remain faithful to You and fear nothing in this world. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Prayer Requests
Luke 22:42 - Father, if You are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not mine.
How often do we pray, but don't ask God for anything? Probably not much (if ever). When a friend comes to us and says, "Can you pray with/for me that God will (fill in the blank)?" Do we say no? I would hope not.
I have heard some (not many, but some) people say that they won't ask God for something, because it is something they want, not something they need. I'm sorry, but that doesn't exactly make sense to me. I know I'm not a stupid person (and certainly not the smartest), but I just don't get that.
I think Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane here, is a good example of praying for something you want as long as you seek His will to be done. Jesus wasn't afraid to ask God for something. Jesus did ask that God's will be done in the situation, but He still wasn't afraid to ask for something first.
God knows our hearts. He knows what we need, and what we want. But if we don't ask for it, He's not going to give it to us. Just like when you give your kids a gift for their birthday or Christmas. If they say, "Well I wanted this." What would your response be (other than they should be grateful for anything)? "How was I supposed to know if you didn't ask? Was it on your list?" Of course God knows, but if we don't ask, He won't answer.
David prayed regularly for deliverance from His enemies. Did he need that? That could be debatable. He WANTED that, so that he would be able to serve God and experience more of what God had planned for him. Is that greedy? I don't think so. I watched a movie once where one of the characters asked another why they weren't pursuing their dreams. The one responded, "Well that was just something I wanted, not something I could have." To which the other said, "You don't dream right."
We can't be afraid to ask for something from God. As long as we are doing so with the understanding that we want His will to be done first and foremost, He will listen to our prayer requests.
Dear Father, thank You for reminding me to seek Your will above my own. I pray that when I come to You in prayer, I will seek Your will to be done above anything I may want done. I pray that I will seek Your will in any and everything I do, before I do it. Today I pray for those that are hesitant to ask You for something. Perhaps they are afraid that if they don't get it, it will cause them to be mad at You and possibly reject You. Father, please put a calm and a peace on their heart so that they will truly realize that sometimes the answer is "No," and that it is okay to hear "No." I pray that should this be the case, they will not turn away in anger towards You, but praise You in the hallway until You open the door You want them to go through. In the precious name of Jesus I pray, Amen!
God Bless!!!
How often do we pray, but don't ask God for anything? Probably not much (if ever). When a friend comes to us and says, "Can you pray with/for me that God will (fill in the blank)?" Do we say no? I would hope not.
I have heard some (not many, but some) people say that they won't ask God for something, because it is something they want, not something they need. I'm sorry, but that doesn't exactly make sense to me. I know I'm not a stupid person (and certainly not the smartest), but I just don't get that.
I think Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane here, is a good example of praying for something you want as long as you seek His will to be done. Jesus wasn't afraid to ask God for something. Jesus did ask that God's will be done in the situation, but He still wasn't afraid to ask for something first.
God knows our hearts. He knows what we need, and what we want. But if we don't ask for it, He's not going to give it to us. Just like when you give your kids a gift for their birthday or Christmas. If they say, "Well I wanted this." What would your response be (other than they should be grateful for anything)? "How was I supposed to know if you didn't ask? Was it on your list?" Of course God knows, but if we don't ask, He won't answer.
David prayed regularly for deliverance from His enemies. Did he need that? That could be debatable. He WANTED that, so that he would be able to serve God and experience more of what God had planned for him. Is that greedy? I don't think so. I watched a movie once where one of the characters asked another why they weren't pursuing their dreams. The one responded, "Well that was just something I wanted, not something I could have." To which the other said, "You don't dream right."
We can't be afraid to ask for something from God. As long as we are doing so with the understanding that we want His will to be done first and foremost, He will listen to our prayer requests.
Dear Father, thank You for reminding me to seek Your will above my own. I pray that when I come to You in prayer, I will seek Your will to be done above anything I may want done. I pray that I will seek Your will in any and everything I do, before I do it. Today I pray for those that are hesitant to ask You for something. Perhaps they are afraid that if they don't get it, it will cause them to be mad at You and possibly reject You. Father, please put a calm and a peace on their heart so that they will truly realize that sometimes the answer is "No," and that it is okay to hear "No." I pray that should this be the case, they will not turn away in anger towards You, but praise You in the hallway until You open the door You want them to go through. In the precious name of Jesus I pray, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Am I? Are You?
1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 - Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
I once read (and wrote) about this passage after reading about an exercise in better understanding God's true nature. The exercise suggested substituting "God" for the word "love" in this passage. And it was a good exercise too.
Most recently, I have been reading a book for a second time that I had previously read a couple of years ago. In his fantastic book, Crazy Love, Pastor Francis Chan offers a suggestion about a different kind of exercise when looking at this passage. He suggests substituting your own name for the word "love" in this passage. It was not meant to suggest that we should think of ourselves as equal to God, but to test to see if we are really loving people well. The way God wants us to.
In the book, Chan says, "God assesses our lives based on how we love" (Ch. 5, pg. 94). After describing this exercise, he points out, "By the end, don't you feel like a liar? If I am meant to represent what love is, then I often fail to love people well." Chan refers to this exercise as "Profoundly convicting," and boy is that the understatement of a lifetime.
When I started doing this exercise, I didn't make it past the first one before I knew that I fell far short of God's standard (patience is not my strong suit). Now don't get me wrong, I am not trying to elevate myself to a position of equality with God. That would be a ridiculous thing to say or try to do. But as Paul tells us in Philippians 2:5, "You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had." That attitude was bore out of His love for His people.
Do I have that attitude? As Chan tells us, "It [love] is not a label we can display when it is useful. It must be central to everything we do and are."
Is it?
Abba Father, forgive me. Forgive me for not loving You and Your people well. Forgive me for falling short of Your standard of love. I ask You to give me the attitude of Christ Jesus, so that I may love everyone well. I know I can never measure up completely. But through Your strength and grace, I will continue, as Paul said, to press on to reach the end of the race and receive the Heavenly prize for which You, through Your Son Jesus Christ, are calling me (Philippians 3:14). I pray for those that haven't been loving the way You have commanded and demonstrated for us to do. My prayer is that they will see that is all You want from us. That the two commands Jesus gave us, to love You and love others, are what it is all about. Thank You for allowing us to keep striving every day. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
I once read (and wrote) about this passage after reading about an exercise in better understanding God's true nature. The exercise suggested substituting "God" for the word "love" in this passage. And it was a good exercise too.
Most recently, I have been reading a book for a second time that I had previously read a couple of years ago. In his fantastic book, Crazy Love, Pastor Francis Chan offers a suggestion about a different kind of exercise when looking at this passage. He suggests substituting your own name for the word "love" in this passage. It was not meant to suggest that we should think of ourselves as equal to God, but to test to see if we are really loving people well. The way God wants us to.
In the book, Chan says, "God assesses our lives based on how we love" (Ch. 5, pg. 94). After describing this exercise, he points out, "By the end, don't you feel like a liar? If I am meant to represent what love is, then I often fail to love people well." Chan refers to this exercise as "Profoundly convicting," and boy is that the understatement of a lifetime.
When I started doing this exercise, I didn't make it past the first one before I knew that I fell far short of God's standard (patience is not my strong suit). Now don't get me wrong, I am not trying to elevate myself to a position of equality with God. That would be a ridiculous thing to say or try to do. But as Paul tells us in Philippians 2:5, "You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had." That attitude was bore out of His love for His people.
Do I have that attitude? As Chan tells us, "It [love] is not a label we can display when it is useful. It must be central to everything we do and are."
Is it?
Abba Father, forgive me. Forgive me for not loving You and Your people well. Forgive me for falling short of Your standard of love. I ask You to give me the attitude of Christ Jesus, so that I may love everyone well. I know I can never measure up completely. But through Your strength and grace, I will continue, as Paul said, to press on to reach the end of the race and receive the Heavenly prize for which You, through Your Son Jesus Christ, are calling me (Philippians 3:14). I pray for those that haven't been loving the way You have commanded and demonstrated for us to do. My prayer is that they will see that is all You want from us. That the two commands Jesus gave us, to love You and love others, are what it is all about. Thank You for allowing us to keep striving every day. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Monday, August 4, 2014
Into Hiding
Genesis 3:8 - When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.
It wasn't just sin we inherited from Adam and Eve, but also the desire to hide it from God and everyone else. As well as the desire to blame others for our shortcomings.
When we start to buy into the lie of the enemy, we believe that God will reach a point where He will stop forgiving us. But nothing could be further from the truth. We shouldn't try to put our sin into hiding, but openly and honestly confess it to God. Just as God told Cain that he would be accepted if he did what was right (Genesis 4:7), so will we.
So what is right? Well, not sinning would be the first place to start. Of course this is difficult, which is why God's grace is so amazing. He doesn't want us to sin, and it breaks His heart when we do. However, because of His amazing grace, when we confess those sins openly and honestly He will forgive us.
Some people believe that a little sin is okay as long as they eventually confess it. My question is, how do you know you have that time available to eventually confess it to God? We don't. We never know how much time we have. Paul also warned us that we can't keep sinning so that we can experience more of God's grace (Romans 6:1). When we accept God into our hearts and lives, our sinful selves were crucified with Christ, so that we would no longer be slaves to it (Romans 6:6).
This is tough to do. How often have I tried in vain to hide my sin and my self from God, in the hopes that He wouldn't find out about it? Way too many to count. I kept hiding because I believed the lie that He wouldn't forgive me anymore and I feared His judgment. Fortunately for me, I was introduced to the truth that I could never hide anything from Him. I am thankful that I serve a God that wants to forgive my sins so He can have a close and intimate relationship with me. He wants it so bad, He gave His only Son to die for my sin. Because of this sacrifice, I will not take my sin into hiding with me again.
Dear Abba Father, thank You! Thank You for showing me through Your Word and the great teaching I have received over the last few years, that You desire a close relationship with me more than I could ever fathom. Thank You for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ so that I would be able to pursue that relationship with You. I am forever grateful for the chances You have given me to be with You in eternity. I pray for those that have not confessed their sins to You, and asked for Your forgiveness. My prayer is that they will see that it is futile to hide from You, because You see everything. My prayer is that when they understand this, they will not wait until it is too late to lay them all out before You and receive Your free gift of eternal salvation. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
It wasn't just sin we inherited from Adam and Eve, but also the desire to hide it from God and everyone else. As well as the desire to blame others for our shortcomings.
When we start to buy into the lie of the enemy, we believe that God will reach a point where He will stop forgiving us. But nothing could be further from the truth. We shouldn't try to put our sin into hiding, but openly and honestly confess it to God. Just as God told Cain that he would be accepted if he did what was right (Genesis 4:7), so will we.
So what is right? Well, not sinning would be the first place to start. Of course this is difficult, which is why God's grace is so amazing. He doesn't want us to sin, and it breaks His heart when we do. However, because of His amazing grace, when we confess those sins openly and honestly He will forgive us.
Some people believe that a little sin is okay as long as they eventually confess it. My question is, how do you know you have that time available to eventually confess it to God? We don't. We never know how much time we have. Paul also warned us that we can't keep sinning so that we can experience more of God's grace (Romans 6:1). When we accept God into our hearts and lives, our sinful selves were crucified with Christ, so that we would no longer be slaves to it (Romans 6:6).
This is tough to do. How often have I tried in vain to hide my sin and my self from God, in the hopes that He wouldn't find out about it? Way too many to count. I kept hiding because I believed the lie that He wouldn't forgive me anymore and I feared His judgment. Fortunately for me, I was introduced to the truth that I could never hide anything from Him. I am thankful that I serve a God that wants to forgive my sins so He can have a close and intimate relationship with me. He wants it so bad, He gave His only Son to die for my sin. Because of this sacrifice, I will not take my sin into hiding with me again.
Dear Abba Father, thank You! Thank You for showing me through Your Word and the great teaching I have received over the last few years, that You desire a close relationship with me more than I could ever fathom. Thank You for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ so that I would be able to pursue that relationship with You. I am forever grateful for the chances You have given me to be with You in eternity. I pray for those that have not confessed their sins to You, and asked for Your forgiveness. My prayer is that they will see that it is futile to hide from You, because You see everything. My prayer is that when they understand this, they will not wait until it is too late to lay them all out before You and receive Your free gift of eternal salvation. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Friday, August 1, 2014
Inside Information
Psalm 62:7 - My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
David, despite his shortcomings from time to time, knew the score. He knew that every good thing came from God and God alone. Every victory over his enemies was because God had ordained it. He had been successful against his enemies, because God had made him unreachable.
David didn't necessarily have the inside information on God's plan for humanity that was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. But he knew where everything started (and ends). With God. We have the advantage of living in the times that we do, where we have a little more inside track than David did.
We've read the last chapter, and we know that God wins. When we surrender our hearts and lives to Him, obey His will and experience life with Him as He accomplishes His work through us, we win too. Jesus told us that He is the vine, and we are the branches, and that as long as we remain in Him (obedient to His will), He will remain in us, and we will bear much fruit (John 15:5). He also tells us in that same verse that apart from Him we can do nothing.
That was the inside information that David knew all those centuries before Jesus told us. David knew that he could accomplish nothing apart from God. We don't bear the fruit that Jesus promised for our glory. It isn't about us. We bear it for His glory, because without Him, there is no fruit.
Since we are finite creations, it is impossible for us to comprehend things from an eternal perspective. We simply aren't built that way. But if we keep our hearts and minds focused on being in God's will, and being His branches, he is faithful to reveal His plan for us little by little. As each day goes on, as we study Him in His Word and talk to Him through prayer, He gives a little more inside information of His detailed plan for us. And this plan is not some humdrum existence either. It is a great and mighty plan (Jeremiah 33:3). It is a plan for a future and hope (Jeremiah 29:11) that allows us to share in the glory of Jesus Christ for eternity!
Dear Abba Father, thank You for inviting me into Your Kingdom. I pray that I will remain in Your will, and obedient to Your calling for me every day, as You reveal Yourself to me more and more. I know I am not worthy because of my sinful ways, but Your unfailing love and amazing grace have made me worthy and righteous to be called Your child. I pray for those that don't experience You in the amazing way they can. In the amazing way You have planned for them. My prayer is that they will begin to trust You through obedience, and that through this obedience, they will experience life with You, and You will accomplish Your work through us all, Your children. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
David, despite his shortcomings from time to time, knew the score. He knew that every good thing came from God and God alone. Every victory over his enemies was because God had ordained it. He had been successful against his enemies, because God had made him unreachable.
David didn't necessarily have the inside information on God's plan for humanity that was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. But he knew where everything started (and ends). With God. We have the advantage of living in the times that we do, where we have a little more inside track than David did.
We've read the last chapter, and we know that God wins. When we surrender our hearts and lives to Him, obey His will and experience life with Him as He accomplishes His work through us, we win too. Jesus told us that He is the vine, and we are the branches, and that as long as we remain in Him (obedient to His will), He will remain in us, and we will bear much fruit (John 15:5). He also tells us in that same verse that apart from Him we can do nothing.
That was the inside information that David knew all those centuries before Jesus told us. David knew that he could accomplish nothing apart from God. We don't bear the fruit that Jesus promised for our glory. It isn't about us. We bear it for His glory, because without Him, there is no fruit.
Since we are finite creations, it is impossible for us to comprehend things from an eternal perspective. We simply aren't built that way. But if we keep our hearts and minds focused on being in God's will, and being His branches, he is faithful to reveal His plan for us little by little. As each day goes on, as we study Him in His Word and talk to Him through prayer, He gives a little more inside information of His detailed plan for us. And this plan is not some humdrum existence either. It is a great and mighty plan (Jeremiah 33:3). It is a plan for a future and hope (Jeremiah 29:11) that allows us to share in the glory of Jesus Christ for eternity!
Dear Abba Father, thank You for inviting me into Your Kingdom. I pray that I will remain in Your will, and obedient to Your calling for me every day, as You reveal Yourself to me more and more. I know I am not worthy because of my sinful ways, but Your unfailing love and amazing grace have made me worthy and righteous to be called Your child. I pray for those that don't experience You in the amazing way they can. In the amazing way You have planned for them. My prayer is that they will begin to trust You through obedience, and that through this obedience, they will experience life with You, and You will accomplish Your work through us all, Your children. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
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