Acts 8: 26 - As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, "Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza."
In the last 12 hours, I have come across this passage 3 times in 3 different messages. I figured God's trying to get my attention and tell me something. But what exactly?
Over the last few weeks, I've been tossing the idea around in my head (a dangerous place to be for sure) and praying about ending this blog. I have been writing it for almost 3 years, and it has been a lot of fun. What started out as a way for me to connect deeper with God during my quiet times, by blogging what I write in my journals, has wound up being something else entirely unexpected.
When I came across this passage again this morning, I started to think about how Philip may have felt about his instructions from the angel of the Lord here. While we aren't told that he complained about it, I'm sure there was a fair amount of confusion. He had just been in Samaria and led so many people to faith in Jesus by preaching the Good News and now he was being called to go on a long trip by himself down a desert road. It doesn't sound like his situation was improving much.
When he's down where he's supposed to be, he comes across this Ethiopian government official. One guy. After he had just led a ton of people to the Lord. I'm sure he was probably scratching his head pretty good, but he still didn't complain or question. He just obeyed.
I don't have any illusions about anything that I may have done during the last 3 years. I know there are some that have enjoyed reading my blog, and others that I am sure could care less. It's never been about how many I may have reached or what I had to say. It's been about reaching out, and these have always been His words, not mine.
From time to time I would get a message from someone that said they really enjoyed what I wrote that particular day, or they really connected with what I was sharing. You have no idea how much that means to me. Words could not express the joy I receive from hearing things like that. I always tell people that if ONE person gets something out of it, then it was worth every minute I spend every day on it.
Lately, I have felt God calling me to something else. I don't know yet what that is, but I trust that He will show me. When I was praying over what to write this morning, I felt God speaking to me and telling me that what I had been feeling about ending things here on this blog are indeed what He is asking me to do. I have no choice but to be obedient.
I'm sure that from time to time I will probably do some more writing here. I'll follow wherever God leads my heart.
Until that time comes, I want to thank each and every one of you who have read and encouraged me over the last 3 years. Your words of wisdom and encouragement have meant so much to me. While I have never sought the praise of man, as we all should avoid, it always feels good to receive support, love, and encouragement from those who care. Know that you will ALL remain in my heart and in my prayers forever.
Dear Abba Father, thank You so much for the opportunities You have provided me over the last few years to share Your Word and what You put on my heart. I don't know what You have in store for me next, but I'm sure it will be awesome, because I know that You will be in it. If the last 3 years are any indication, I'm sure it will be something I could never expect, and will be much more awesome than I could ever imagine. I lift up those who have come alongside me in this journey Father, and ask that You remain with them. I pray for Your loving comfort and protection today and every day, as they seek to draw closer to You. In the powerful name of Your Son Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Friday, November 21, 2014
Thursday, November 20, 2014
No "I" In Team
Nehemiah 2:17 - But now I said to them, "You know very well what trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!"
I came across this passage in a devotional recently, and it pointed out how Nehemiah used the words "we" when he talked about the trouble, and "us" when he talked about the work that needed to be done. The problems that the people were facing were not his doing. He had been in exile. But he didn't go back to just supervise and bark orders at them. He went there to be a part of the solution.
It's easy to sit there and say, "Well it was his home, and it was God's holy city, so he should have gone there for exactly that," and I would be inclined to agree with you. But more importantly, Nehemiah knew how to lead. He understood that the people didn't need someone to come home and dress them down and give them grief over everything that had happened. They needed some direction and guidance, and someone to show that they actually cared about what was going on. And Nehemiah provided exactly that.
He also showed them that they weren't alone in their problems. That their problems had now also become his problem.
I don't know about you, but I never cared for the saying, "There's no "I" in team." Having played sports when I was younger, I never needed to be reminded that the team was all in it together, and that we all won or lost as a unit. There were some that needed that reminder, but those who were only in it for themselves eventually got noticed, and never lasted. I remember a funny commercial that was making fun of some sports cliche's and had someone interviewing an athlete. When the athlete was obviously only interested in highlighting his achievements on the field, the reporter said, "There's no "I" in team." To which the athlete replied, "Yeah, and there ain't no "we" either."
As a Christian, what does fellowship mean to you? Does it mean just hanging out with fellow believers, and talking about something you read in the Bible? Sure that's a part of it, but it is so much more.
In the book of Acts, we read about the beginning of the Church. It says, "All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's supper), and to prayer" (Acts 2:42). It goes on to say in verses 45 and 46 how they sold their property and possessions and shared with those in need, and that they shared meals with great joy and generosity and praised God and enjoyed the goodwill of the people.
These people did life together. That's what fellowship is all about. It isn't just about sharing money or possessions with our brothers and sisters, or just about sharing Scripture we read, but about sharing life and sharing our burdens with each other. If we are spending time in fellowship with a fellow believer and they are sharing their heart with us about a particular tough situation they are dealing with our response shouldn't be, "Man, it sure sucks to be you."
It's not easy to develop compassion and empathy for others. It's something that I have definitely struggled with over the years. I have been guilty so many times of telling someone that I would pray for them, for whatever situation they had going on, and then forgot all about it. Compassion and empathy cannot be faked. People can always tell when you're full of beans.
There's a worship song that I particularly like that says, "Break my heart for what breaks Yours." One of the things that I believe breaks God's heart is apathy - a lack of interest or concern for things that others find moving. When we don't care what happens to our brothers and sisters, I believe that we are telling God that we are more concerned with ourselves. That's not what we have been called to be.
Jesus told us, "Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" (Matthew 23:12). Caring about someone else's well being, and putting them ahead of ourselves is humbling ourselves to serve our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Taking someone's burdens into our hearts and praying for them takes that mysterious "I" out of team, and puts the "We" in there. Like anything, compassion has to be developed. That's part of the beauty of God's work in us. He is happy to work in us when we let Him in and let Him change us to be the people we should be, united for one purpose - to glorify God.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for humbling me and teaching me about compassion. Thank You for continuing Your work in me, so that I can be a humble servant to You and Your children. I pray that I will remain committed to learning about You and Your ways, and putting what I learn into practice so that I can be a doer of Your word, and not just a hearer. I pray for those that have struggled with this as I have. My prayer is that they will be filled with Your love and that You will break their heart for what breaks Yours. I pray that we all share in each other's joys as well as each other's grief, and that we will carry each other's burdens in our hearts so that we can lift each other up and be a blessing to each other. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!
God Bless!!!
I came across this passage in a devotional recently, and it pointed out how Nehemiah used the words "we" when he talked about the trouble, and "us" when he talked about the work that needed to be done. The problems that the people were facing were not his doing. He had been in exile. But he didn't go back to just supervise and bark orders at them. He went there to be a part of the solution.
It's easy to sit there and say, "Well it was his home, and it was God's holy city, so he should have gone there for exactly that," and I would be inclined to agree with you. But more importantly, Nehemiah knew how to lead. He understood that the people didn't need someone to come home and dress them down and give them grief over everything that had happened. They needed some direction and guidance, and someone to show that they actually cared about what was going on. And Nehemiah provided exactly that.
He also showed them that they weren't alone in their problems. That their problems had now also become his problem.
I don't know about you, but I never cared for the saying, "There's no "I" in team." Having played sports when I was younger, I never needed to be reminded that the team was all in it together, and that we all won or lost as a unit. There were some that needed that reminder, but those who were only in it for themselves eventually got noticed, and never lasted. I remember a funny commercial that was making fun of some sports cliche's and had someone interviewing an athlete. When the athlete was obviously only interested in highlighting his achievements on the field, the reporter said, "There's no "I" in team." To which the athlete replied, "Yeah, and there ain't no "we" either."
As a Christian, what does fellowship mean to you? Does it mean just hanging out with fellow believers, and talking about something you read in the Bible? Sure that's a part of it, but it is so much more.
In the book of Acts, we read about the beginning of the Church. It says, "All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's supper), and to prayer" (Acts 2:42). It goes on to say in verses 45 and 46 how they sold their property and possessions and shared with those in need, and that they shared meals with great joy and generosity and praised God and enjoyed the goodwill of the people.
These people did life together. That's what fellowship is all about. It isn't just about sharing money or possessions with our brothers and sisters, or just about sharing Scripture we read, but about sharing life and sharing our burdens with each other. If we are spending time in fellowship with a fellow believer and they are sharing their heart with us about a particular tough situation they are dealing with our response shouldn't be, "Man, it sure sucks to be you."
It's not easy to develop compassion and empathy for others. It's something that I have definitely struggled with over the years. I have been guilty so many times of telling someone that I would pray for them, for whatever situation they had going on, and then forgot all about it. Compassion and empathy cannot be faked. People can always tell when you're full of beans.
There's a worship song that I particularly like that says, "Break my heart for what breaks Yours." One of the things that I believe breaks God's heart is apathy - a lack of interest or concern for things that others find moving. When we don't care what happens to our brothers and sisters, I believe that we are telling God that we are more concerned with ourselves. That's not what we have been called to be.
Jesus told us, "Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" (Matthew 23:12). Caring about someone else's well being, and putting them ahead of ourselves is humbling ourselves to serve our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Taking someone's burdens into our hearts and praying for them takes that mysterious "I" out of team, and puts the "We" in there. Like anything, compassion has to be developed. That's part of the beauty of God's work in us. He is happy to work in us when we let Him in and let Him change us to be the people we should be, united for one purpose - to glorify God.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for humbling me and teaching me about compassion. Thank You for continuing Your work in me, so that I can be a humble servant to You and Your children. I pray that I will remain committed to learning about You and Your ways, and putting what I learn into practice so that I can be a doer of Your word, and not just a hearer. I pray for those that have struggled with this as I have. My prayer is that they will be filled with Your love and that You will break their heart for what breaks Yours. I pray that we all share in each other's joys as well as each other's grief, and that we will carry each other's burdens in our hearts so that we can lift each other up and be a blessing to each other. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Trying To Fit In
Numbers 14:24 - But my servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it.
How much of our lives do we spend trying to fit in? Just going along to get along, right? A majority of our teenage years (if not all of them) are dedicated to this purpose. Come to think of it, so are many of our adult years as well. But what's the purpose? To make ourselves pleasing to the people of the world?
The Bible is full of stories of those who were filled with a different purpose. A different sort of spirit. Caleb and Joshua were two special spirits. Because of their faith in God, He allowed them to enter into the Promised Land when all the others of their generation fell short.
Paul reminded Timothy of the sort of spirit we were called to have as followers of Jesus Christ. He said, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7). It's the same Spirit that leads us, and allows us to be called children of God (Romans 8:14). God never called us to try to blend into the scenery. We have always been called to be bold in our faith, and in our obedience to Him.
That Spirit of power that we have been given, is the same Spirit that Peter used to heal the crippled beggar in front of the Temple (Acts 3:1-6).
The Spirit of love that we have been given is the same one that Jesus spoke of in the Gospel of John when He said, "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13).
The Spirit of self-discipline that we have been given, is the same one that Paul talked about in his first letter to Timothy. He said, "But have nothing to do with worldly fables fir only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness" (1 Timothy 4:7).
Because of God's power, love, and discipline, we are all children of the Most High. We all have an eternal calling for God's Kingdom. Trying to fit in this world can sometimes feel like putting a round peg in a square hole. It just doesn't quite fit. But that's okay. God didn't call us to fit in with this world. He told us to be salt and light to it. As Paul said so well, "Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant" (Galatians 1:10).
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the power of Your Spirit that You have given us through Your Son, Jesus Christ. I pray that we all realize and recommit our lives to being Christ's servant. I pray we all will accept His free gift of salvation and redemption, and strive for the Heavenly prize that we are all being called for by You through Christ Jesus. I pray that we won't keep trying to fit in and win the approval of men, but of You. I pray that we will all be salt and light to a fallen world until we are home with You in Your eternal Kingdom. In the powerful name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen!
God Bless!!!
How much of our lives do we spend trying to fit in? Just going along to get along, right? A majority of our teenage years (if not all of them) are dedicated to this purpose. Come to think of it, so are many of our adult years as well. But what's the purpose? To make ourselves pleasing to the people of the world?
The Bible is full of stories of those who were filled with a different purpose. A different sort of spirit. Caleb and Joshua were two special spirits. Because of their faith in God, He allowed them to enter into the Promised Land when all the others of their generation fell short.
Paul reminded Timothy of the sort of spirit we were called to have as followers of Jesus Christ. He said, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7). It's the same Spirit that leads us, and allows us to be called children of God (Romans 8:14). God never called us to try to blend into the scenery. We have always been called to be bold in our faith, and in our obedience to Him.
That Spirit of power that we have been given, is the same Spirit that Peter used to heal the crippled beggar in front of the Temple (Acts 3:1-6).
The Spirit of love that we have been given is the same one that Jesus spoke of in the Gospel of John when He said, "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13).
The Spirit of self-discipline that we have been given, is the same one that Paul talked about in his first letter to Timothy. He said, "But have nothing to do with worldly fables fir only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness" (1 Timothy 4:7).
Because of God's power, love, and discipline, we are all children of the Most High. We all have an eternal calling for God's Kingdom. Trying to fit in this world can sometimes feel like putting a round peg in a square hole. It just doesn't quite fit. But that's okay. God didn't call us to fit in with this world. He told us to be salt and light to it. As Paul said so well, "Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant" (Galatians 1:10).
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the power of Your Spirit that You have given us through Your Son, Jesus Christ. I pray that we all realize and recommit our lives to being Christ's servant. I pray we all will accept His free gift of salvation and redemption, and strive for the Heavenly prize that we are all being called for by You through Christ Jesus. I pray that we won't keep trying to fit in and win the approval of men, but of You. I pray that we will all be salt and light to a fallen world until we are home with You in Your eternal Kingdom. In the powerful name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Finding Our Worth
2 Corinthians 11:20 - You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of you, and slaps you in the face.
How often do we allow people to tear us down? How many times do we justify their actions (as if it's our responsibility to do so) by making excuses for them? We see it a lot in domestic violence cases, but it happens in everyday life to everyone.
I had a friend that had certain interests that we didn't share. In his mind, it made me less of a man if I wasn't into these "manly" things like hunting and fishing and going out every Friday and Saturday night to drink. He believed that being different meant being less. And he let me know it too. For a long time I put up with it, but as I drew closer to Christ during that time, I came to understand my real worth a little bit better.
My worth wasn't founded in what the world deemed appropriate. I've never been fishing or hunting in my life, and have no interest to do so. But how does that make me less of a person? The truth is, it doesn't.
I was deemed important and worthy by my Lord and Savior. He determined that long before I was even born. Before I was formed in my mother's womb, He knew me and set me apart (Jeremiah 1:5). And as though it wasn't enough for Him to tell me how much He loved me, He took it upon Himself to show me when He went to the cross to die for me. Wow...
Whenever I have struggled to find and know my worth, all I have to do is to remember that He died for me, so that He could show me just how much I meant to Him. That's what I call finding your worth. It is impossible for me to deny how much He loves me. I could never justify telling myself that God must not love me.
Jud Wilhite, in his fantastic book Pursued said, "Basically what you are saying when you say God cant forgive you is, 'God, you are going to have to pay a higher price for me'" (Pg. 102). There is no higher price that could have been paid for God to demonstrate how much He loves us, and how valuable we are to Him.
I remember during a study once, we were in the book of Genesis and discussing Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22). One of the questions asked by our group leader, was whether we thought we would be willing to sacrifice one of our kids if God commanded it. I don't have kids, but I still thought about it, and said I don't think I could. I believe that would have been too high a price to pay.
Let's be honest, here. It is asking an awful lot isn't it? To require a sacrifice of that magnitude in order to save and redeem a very large group of people that may or may not love you back. God didn't hesitate to show us how much we are worth to Him. We just have to believe it.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the sacrifice You gave to redeem and save me from a life and eternity apart from You. I could never repay what You have done for me; none of us could. I am grateful that You don't want repayment - just love. Thank You for showing me that my value and worth are found in the blood of Jesus Christ. I pray for those that don't know their worth. Those that are allowing others to tear them down regularly because they don't understand that they do indeed have value that is infinitely greater than anything this world can put a price on. My prayer is that they will take just a minute to look inside their heart and feel You speaking to them in Your still soft voice. I pray they will respond to the prompting of Your Holy Spirit and accept Your free gift that You have offered to all of us, and live the life of high value that You have always had planned for them. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!
God Bless!!!
How often do we allow people to tear us down? How many times do we justify their actions (as if it's our responsibility to do so) by making excuses for them? We see it a lot in domestic violence cases, but it happens in everyday life to everyone.
I had a friend that had certain interests that we didn't share. In his mind, it made me less of a man if I wasn't into these "manly" things like hunting and fishing and going out every Friday and Saturday night to drink. He believed that being different meant being less. And he let me know it too. For a long time I put up with it, but as I drew closer to Christ during that time, I came to understand my real worth a little bit better.
My worth wasn't founded in what the world deemed appropriate. I've never been fishing or hunting in my life, and have no interest to do so. But how does that make me less of a person? The truth is, it doesn't.
I was deemed important and worthy by my Lord and Savior. He determined that long before I was even born. Before I was formed in my mother's womb, He knew me and set me apart (Jeremiah 1:5). And as though it wasn't enough for Him to tell me how much He loved me, He took it upon Himself to show me when He went to the cross to die for me. Wow...
Whenever I have struggled to find and know my worth, all I have to do is to remember that He died for me, so that He could show me just how much I meant to Him. That's what I call finding your worth. It is impossible for me to deny how much He loves me. I could never justify telling myself that God must not love me.
Jud Wilhite, in his fantastic book Pursued said, "Basically what you are saying when you say God cant forgive you is, 'God, you are going to have to pay a higher price for me'" (Pg. 102). There is no higher price that could have been paid for God to demonstrate how much He loves us, and how valuable we are to Him.
I remember during a study once, we were in the book of Genesis and discussing Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22). One of the questions asked by our group leader, was whether we thought we would be willing to sacrifice one of our kids if God commanded it. I don't have kids, but I still thought about it, and said I don't think I could. I believe that would have been too high a price to pay.
Let's be honest, here. It is asking an awful lot isn't it? To require a sacrifice of that magnitude in order to save and redeem a very large group of people that may or may not love you back. God didn't hesitate to show us how much we are worth to Him. We just have to believe it.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the sacrifice You gave to redeem and save me from a life and eternity apart from You. I could never repay what You have done for me; none of us could. I am grateful that You don't want repayment - just love. Thank You for showing me that my value and worth are found in the blood of Jesus Christ. I pray for those that don't know their worth. Those that are allowing others to tear them down regularly because they don't understand that they do indeed have value that is infinitely greater than anything this world can put a price on. My prayer is that they will take just a minute to look inside their heart and feel You speaking to them in Your still soft voice. I pray they will respond to the prompting of Your Holy Spirit and accept Your free gift that You have offered to all of us, and live the life of high value that You have always had planned for them. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Monday, November 17, 2014
Even Better
2 Corinthians 3:9 - If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God!
For many years, before I actually had a relationship with Christ, I had a good life. At least that's what I believed. I had been saved, but I never took the time to draw closer to God in an intimate way. But life was good! I mean, isn't that what mattered after all? Isn't that what Jesus wanted for me, to have a good life? I figured since I believed and had accepted Christ, and I was a relatively good person, there was no need to do anything different. Fortunately, I came to find out just how wrong I was.
I have encountered many people over the last few years that had the same mode of thinking that I did for so long. It's hard to see it sometimes, because it reminds me of how misguided (by my own thinking) that I was. The enemy is always happy with this train of thought, because it keeps us away from having that intimate relationship with our Lord and Savior, and has the potential to lead us down the dark paths of destruction instead of through the narrow gate into Heaven.
Coming across this passage the other day reminded me of how much better everything really is with Jesus in my life. Some would say, "Well Wayne, you've been divorced twice and you're unemployed right now, how is that better?" Yes I have been, and yes I am. It's better, because I know God is working in me so that He can work through me. He is refining me like gold in the fire, and I am content to let the Potter mold the clay.
Paul's words in his letter to the Philippians have taken on special meaning to me over the last 2 1/2 years of being single again, and the last 4 months of unemployment. I have learned how to be content with whatever I have (Philippians 4:11), because what I have is from God. He has provided me with whatever I have needed. I may not have realized it at the time over the years, but that's one great thing about hindsight - it's 20/20.
This whole section of 2 Corinthians 3, from verse 7 through 18, is just awesome. I love how Paul is constantly reminding them how much better things are under the new covenant between God and the rest of the world. The beauty of it will be fully realized when we reach Heaven, but until then, all we need to do is trust in God. Sometimes it sounds a lot easier said than done, but it's more than worth it.
When things are going good, is when we really need to be mindful of our relationship with our Messiah. I was watching a movie recently (I know, surprise right...), and in it a woman said that sometimes the devil won't attack us and will allow us to live free of problems so that we won't see the need for God in our lives. That just makes sense to me. I spent all those years living a lie perpetrated by the enemy that I didn't need God because life was going so smoothly. Fortunately, God orchestrated events to expose that lie to me, so I would draw closer to Him.
I have been blessed more than words could ever say. Instead of punishing me like I deserved because I chose to believe a lie instead of His truth, all He did was point me in the right direction. A direction that led me closer to Him that made it easier for Him to protect me. A direction that led me to seek refuge in the shelter of the Most High, and find rest in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1). As good as I thought everything was without the intrusion of Jesus Christ, life really is even better with His direction and guidance in every aspect of my life. That's what I call a blessing.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for blessing me in ways that words could not even do justice to describe. I have never deserved Your mercy and grace and love, but You have given them to me freely, and in abundance. I am eternally grateful for all that You are, and all that You do. I pray for those that are not in a relationship with You. My prayer is that You will expose the lies they have been following, and they will come to have an intimate and loving relationship with You. I pray that we all will lean on each other, as we seek to be closer to You. In the precious and Holy name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!
God Bless!!!
For many years, before I actually had a relationship with Christ, I had a good life. At least that's what I believed. I had been saved, but I never took the time to draw closer to God in an intimate way. But life was good! I mean, isn't that what mattered after all? Isn't that what Jesus wanted for me, to have a good life? I figured since I believed and had accepted Christ, and I was a relatively good person, there was no need to do anything different. Fortunately, I came to find out just how wrong I was.
I have encountered many people over the last few years that had the same mode of thinking that I did for so long. It's hard to see it sometimes, because it reminds me of how misguided (by my own thinking) that I was. The enemy is always happy with this train of thought, because it keeps us away from having that intimate relationship with our Lord and Savior, and has the potential to lead us down the dark paths of destruction instead of through the narrow gate into Heaven.
Coming across this passage the other day reminded me of how much better everything really is with Jesus in my life. Some would say, "Well Wayne, you've been divorced twice and you're unemployed right now, how is that better?" Yes I have been, and yes I am. It's better, because I know God is working in me so that He can work through me. He is refining me like gold in the fire, and I am content to let the Potter mold the clay.
Paul's words in his letter to the Philippians have taken on special meaning to me over the last 2 1/2 years of being single again, and the last 4 months of unemployment. I have learned how to be content with whatever I have (Philippians 4:11), because what I have is from God. He has provided me with whatever I have needed. I may not have realized it at the time over the years, but that's one great thing about hindsight - it's 20/20.
This whole section of 2 Corinthians 3, from verse 7 through 18, is just awesome. I love how Paul is constantly reminding them how much better things are under the new covenant between God and the rest of the world. The beauty of it will be fully realized when we reach Heaven, but until then, all we need to do is trust in God. Sometimes it sounds a lot easier said than done, but it's more than worth it.
When things are going good, is when we really need to be mindful of our relationship with our Messiah. I was watching a movie recently (I know, surprise right...), and in it a woman said that sometimes the devil won't attack us and will allow us to live free of problems so that we won't see the need for God in our lives. That just makes sense to me. I spent all those years living a lie perpetrated by the enemy that I didn't need God because life was going so smoothly. Fortunately, God orchestrated events to expose that lie to me, so I would draw closer to Him.
I have been blessed more than words could ever say. Instead of punishing me like I deserved because I chose to believe a lie instead of His truth, all He did was point me in the right direction. A direction that led me closer to Him that made it easier for Him to protect me. A direction that led me to seek refuge in the shelter of the Most High, and find rest in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1). As good as I thought everything was without the intrusion of Jesus Christ, life really is even better with His direction and guidance in every aspect of my life. That's what I call a blessing.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for blessing me in ways that words could not even do justice to describe. I have never deserved Your mercy and grace and love, but You have given them to me freely, and in abundance. I am eternally grateful for all that You are, and all that You do. I pray for those that are not in a relationship with You. My prayer is that You will expose the lies they have been following, and they will come to have an intimate and loving relationship with You. I pray that we all will lean on each other, as we seek to be closer to You. In the precious and Holy name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Friday, November 14, 2014
Just In Time
1 Corinthians 15:8 - Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw Him.
Ever take one of those quizzes on social media where you have to answer some questions and then it tells you what decade or time period you were supposed to be born in? How about if you ever just feel like you were born at the wrong time? Like maybe life would have been easier if you were raised in a different decade, perhaps 20 or 30 years earlier? I used to think about that a lot when I was younger. Probably because I always got along better with those who were older than me.
I can imagine Paul's thoughts here. Someone who believed that he was unworthy to be redeemed and saved by Christ because of his previous actions towards the other Christians, felt like he was born at the wrong time. I can't imagine someone else writing those great letters he wrote that make up most of the New Testament in the Bible. Of course, God could have used anyone, but He wanted Paul. And for that I am grateful. Over the last few years, Paul has quickly become my favorite writer of all time.
Reading this passage today reminded me of Queen Esther. After living her early life being raised by her cousin following the death of her parents, she suddenly found herself on the short list of those being considered to be the next Queen. Not too bad for a former orphan, not to mention a Jew in a country where they were not liked none too much. After she became Queen, the plot against the Jews is discovered and her cousin who had raised her as his own daughter asked for her help. She hemmed and hawed a bit before he put it to her rather succinctly. I loved Mordecai's words when he said, "Don't think for a moment that because you're in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this" (Esther 4:13-14).
Reading that reminds me that I am exactly where I am in the span of human existence for a purpose. We all are. God has us exactly where He wants us for a reason. And it's not just limited to our being alive. It's our jobs, our families, our churches. We are exactly where we are, because that is exactly where God wanted us to be.
If He had wanted any one of us to be born at a different time, including Saul of Tarsus, isn't He beyond capable of that? He is the Creator of everything, I think He could easily manage having us born at a different time.
When I think of it in that perspective, I am grateful that I have been born when I was. I may not be crazy about the prospect of turning 40 in a few months, but I am grateful for what I have been blessed to experience in my time in this world. While it would have been cool to experience some different time periods throughout history, I am grateful for the things we have that make life a little easier than they had it 'back in the day'.
It could be that I'm part of a spoiled generation that doesn't know what it's like to wash their clothes by hand, or has always had television as part of every day life. Perhaps that's true. We've been spoiled by a loving Father that wanted us right where we are, exactly now, for a time such as this.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for spoiling me. Thank You for putting me exactly where You want me, and exactly when You wanted me. I pray that I am obedient to Your call to go wherever I am needed to serve Your Kingdom while I am here. We have all been blessed to be where we are by Your gracious hand, and I pray that I will not complain about things being the way they are, because I know that any and all pain and suffering now is nothing compared to the glory You have in store for us. Thank You for thinking about me long before the world began, and having a great and perfect plan for me back then. In the name of Jesus Christ I thank You and praise You. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Ever take one of those quizzes on social media where you have to answer some questions and then it tells you what decade or time period you were supposed to be born in? How about if you ever just feel like you were born at the wrong time? Like maybe life would have been easier if you were raised in a different decade, perhaps 20 or 30 years earlier? I used to think about that a lot when I was younger. Probably because I always got along better with those who were older than me.
I can imagine Paul's thoughts here. Someone who believed that he was unworthy to be redeemed and saved by Christ because of his previous actions towards the other Christians, felt like he was born at the wrong time. I can't imagine someone else writing those great letters he wrote that make up most of the New Testament in the Bible. Of course, God could have used anyone, but He wanted Paul. And for that I am grateful. Over the last few years, Paul has quickly become my favorite writer of all time.
Reading this passage today reminded me of Queen Esther. After living her early life being raised by her cousin following the death of her parents, she suddenly found herself on the short list of those being considered to be the next Queen. Not too bad for a former orphan, not to mention a Jew in a country where they were not liked none too much. After she became Queen, the plot against the Jews is discovered and her cousin who had raised her as his own daughter asked for her help. She hemmed and hawed a bit before he put it to her rather succinctly. I loved Mordecai's words when he said, "Don't think for a moment that because you're in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this" (Esther 4:13-14).
Reading that reminds me that I am exactly where I am in the span of human existence for a purpose. We all are. God has us exactly where He wants us for a reason. And it's not just limited to our being alive. It's our jobs, our families, our churches. We are exactly where we are, because that is exactly where God wanted us to be.
If He had wanted any one of us to be born at a different time, including Saul of Tarsus, isn't He beyond capable of that? He is the Creator of everything, I think He could easily manage having us born at a different time.
When I think of it in that perspective, I am grateful that I have been born when I was. I may not be crazy about the prospect of turning 40 in a few months, but I am grateful for what I have been blessed to experience in my time in this world. While it would have been cool to experience some different time periods throughout history, I am grateful for the things we have that make life a little easier than they had it 'back in the day'.
It could be that I'm part of a spoiled generation that doesn't know what it's like to wash their clothes by hand, or has always had television as part of every day life. Perhaps that's true. We've been spoiled by a loving Father that wanted us right where we are, exactly now, for a time such as this.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for spoiling me. Thank You for putting me exactly where You want me, and exactly when You wanted me. I pray that I am obedient to Your call to go wherever I am needed to serve Your Kingdom while I am here. We have all been blessed to be where we are by Your gracious hand, and I pray that I will not complain about things being the way they are, because I know that any and all pain and suffering now is nothing compared to the glory You have in store for us. Thank You for thinking about me long before the world began, and having a great and perfect plan for me back then. In the name of Jesus Christ I thank You and praise You. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Thursday, November 13, 2014
The Blame Game
James 1:13 - And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and He never temps anyone else.
Last night at church, I heard an amazing (and convicting) message about temptation, and how quick we all are to blame others for our mistakes and shortcomings. The Pastor pointed out that often one of the biggest recipients of our blame, is God.
He also talked about the difference between a trial and a temptation. God does allow trials, and He does so to strengthen and refine us. But the temptations come from within. They are our response to the trial. The temptation is to let our sin nature control our response.
It is often said, and I truly believe this, that we cannot control our circumstances (trials), but we can control our responses to them (temptations). The response we often choose comes from our sin nature that we as humans have inherited. When we go through a tough season, things can seem to snowball. The snowball effect happens when things get worse because we are responding incorrectly.
I could choose to be mad at God for any number of things that have happened to me in my life. But they aren't His fault. They are a product of poor choices I have made. The Pastor told a story of a woman that had gotten a couple of DUI's, and blamed God for them. He asked her if she loaned her kid her car, and he got in an accident because he had been drinking, would it be her fault. She said of course it wouldn't. He said, then why is it God's fault that you made the wrong choices to get behind the wheel after you had been drinking? Like I said...convicting.
Our tendency to play the blame game isn't something new that has come about because of the advances of technology either. It comes from our sinful nature that we inherited from Adam and Eve. Remember when God asked Adam if he had done what he was told not to do, he immediately blamed Eve, and blamed God for giving him the woman. When God confronted Eve, she immediately blamed the serpent (Genesis 3:11-13). There sure was a lot of finger pointing going on. They chose to play the blame game instead of accepting responsibility for their actions.
The good news is that the solution is found in the problem. Instead of blaming everyone and everything that comes to mind, we must accept responsibility for our actions. While we don't control our circumstances, neither does anyone else. God is the One who has absolute control, so instead of blaming our neighbors, coworkers, or complete strangers for things we've done, we have an obligation to accept responsibility for the choices we make that guided our actions in response to the trials we have been faced with.
I am so glad that I heard that message last night, because I know that I have been known to play the blame game from time to time. While I'm not as bad as I used to be about it, I could still definitely improve on it. If I want to be the person that God wants me to be, I have to remember that I have the choice to be that person or not. I have proven to myself that choosing to be outside the will of God has led me down some dark paths in my past. God has proven to me that when I have chosen to operate within His will, He has, and will continue to, rain down amazing blessings. I like that choice better.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for showing me where I am coming up short. I am so grateful for the amazing teaching You have given me through Your Word and through those You have appointed to teach it. The blessings You have bestowed, far outweigh all of the dark paths I have ventured down because of my poor choices. I pray for anyone that is making the wrong choices, and blaming You or anyone else for the consequences. My prayer is that Your Holy Spirit will convict them to see that they have no one to blame for their poor choices but themselves. I pray they will stop choosing to be apart from You, and will accept Your forgiveness and redemption. I pray that we all choose wisely when the trials come, so that we will not give into the temptation to sin. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Last night at church, I heard an amazing (and convicting) message about temptation, and how quick we all are to blame others for our mistakes and shortcomings. The Pastor pointed out that often one of the biggest recipients of our blame, is God.
He also talked about the difference between a trial and a temptation. God does allow trials, and He does so to strengthen and refine us. But the temptations come from within. They are our response to the trial. The temptation is to let our sin nature control our response.
It is often said, and I truly believe this, that we cannot control our circumstances (trials), but we can control our responses to them (temptations). The response we often choose comes from our sin nature that we as humans have inherited. When we go through a tough season, things can seem to snowball. The snowball effect happens when things get worse because we are responding incorrectly.
I could choose to be mad at God for any number of things that have happened to me in my life. But they aren't His fault. They are a product of poor choices I have made. The Pastor told a story of a woman that had gotten a couple of DUI's, and blamed God for them. He asked her if she loaned her kid her car, and he got in an accident because he had been drinking, would it be her fault. She said of course it wouldn't. He said, then why is it God's fault that you made the wrong choices to get behind the wheel after you had been drinking? Like I said...convicting.
Our tendency to play the blame game isn't something new that has come about because of the advances of technology either. It comes from our sinful nature that we inherited from Adam and Eve. Remember when God asked Adam if he had done what he was told not to do, he immediately blamed Eve, and blamed God for giving him the woman. When God confronted Eve, she immediately blamed the serpent (Genesis 3:11-13). There sure was a lot of finger pointing going on. They chose to play the blame game instead of accepting responsibility for their actions.
The good news is that the solution is found in the problem. Instead of blaming everyone and everything that comes to mind, we must accept responsibility for our actions. While we don't control our circumstances, neither does anyone else. God is the One who has absolute control, so instead of blaming our neighbors, coworkers, or complete strangers for things we've done, we have an obligation to accept responsibility for the choices we make that guided our actions in response to the trials we have been faced with.
I am so glad that I heard that message last night, because I know that I have been known to play the blame game from time to time. While I'm not as bad as I used to be about it, I could still definitely improve on it. If I want to be the person that God wants me to be, I have to remember that I have the choice to be that person or not. I have proven to myself that choosing to be outside the will of God has led me down some dark paths in my past. God has proven to me that when I have chosen to operate within His will, He has, and will continue to, rain down amazing blessings. I like that choice better.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for showing me where I am coming up short. I am so grateful for the amazing teaching You have given me through Your Word and through those You have appointed to teach it. The blessings You have bestowed, far outweigh all of the dark paths I have ventured down because of my poor choices. I pray for anyone that is making the wrong choices, and blaming You or anyone else for the consequences. My prayer is that Your Holy Spirit will convict them to see that they have no one to blame for their poor choices but themselves. I pray they will stop choosing to be apart from You, and will accept Your forgiveness and redemption. I pray that we all choose wisely when the trials come, so that we will not give into the temptation to sin. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Because He Said So
Philippians 3:13 - No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.
If anyone would have a great desire to forget about his past, it was the Apostle Paul. After all he had done to persecute Christ's followers, I could certainly understand if he believed himself to be unworthy of God's love and forgiveness. The beauty of it all is that he was still considered worthy because God said so. And so are all of we.
God tells us more than once in the Bible that He will forget about our sins and never think about them again (Isaiah 43:25; Hebrews 8:12). All we have to do is confess them to Him.
I can't speak for you, but I have done some pretty bad things in my day. I would imagine that a lot of us have, and what I have done is not worse or better than anything you may have done. This isn't a competition to see who the bigger degenerate was before they came to Christ. I just know that I was a pretty big one.
Recently, during a conversation with a friend, I was asked about my past drug abuse and about being sober. My friend asked if I knew the date of my sobriety, and I said yes. Then she asked if I had a celebration every year. That kind of caught me by surprise. My answer was no. I said, I am not afraid of what I've done in my past, but I don't want to celebrate it either. I believe that by celebrating, it would cause me to live in it. I said, I don't want to live in it, just learn from it.
And that's what I've been trying to do by the grace of God for the last (almost) 16 years - learn from my mistakes. I may not have realized it at the time, but it was by the grace of God that I got sober, and nothing else. The only thing I want to celebrate, is the victory I have achieved through Christ. I have made it to this point in my life, and my sobriety, because He has given me the power to do so (Philippians 4:13). I have been spared an eternal life of misery because He loves and forgives in the way that He does. He has made me worthy of salvation, because He said so.
The only thing I want to focus on remembering every day, is the perfect law that sets me free and that if I do what it says and don't forget what I heard, then God will bless me for doing it (James 1:25). I know that I will never be perfect on this side of Heaven, and I have made my peace with that; because I know and trust the One who is working on me every day to make me more like Him, and that I will be perfected on the day I meet Him to begin our eternity together. The more I think about that, the more joy I receive.
I believe that's what God wants for all of us. He wants us not to live in the past, but learn from it. I believe He wants us to live in the moment of the work He is doing in and through us, and focus on what lies ahead - eternal life seated with Him in God's Kingdom.
Whatever you may be holding on to that is preventing you from finding the joy in a life full of God's redeeming work in you, I urge you to give it over to Him. From a human perspective, it is going to be impossible to completely forget about it. That's not what we are supposed to do. That's God's area of expertise (one of many). But don't let it control you anymore. Learn from it, and focus on the great and mighty things that God has for you when you are surrendered to His love. Focus on His patience, kindness, justice, mercy, and grace. Learn from your mistakes, so that you can be a beacon of God's light to those that are dealing with similar issues. Accept His unfailing love and forgiveness into your heart, because that's what He wants for you more than anything. He wants you to experience the future and hope He has in store for the ones who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
Don't be afraid to reach out for people to help you along the way. It's easy to say, "I'm not the type to ask for help." That's pride. That's from the enemy. The devil feeds off our fear and pride. Don't give him a leg to stand on, but cut him off at the kneecaps. It's not easy to think differently, particularly when we have done it a certain way for so long. That's why God doesn't expect us to be perfect, but works every day in our lives to perfect us. Take the first step today, and reach out to the One that loves you more than anyone or anything else ever could.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for loving me. Thank You for showing me the way when I didn't think there was any other way. Thank You for teaching me daily to let go of the control my past has on me, and focusing on Your perfect love and plans for me. I pray for those that haven't let go yet. My prayer is that Your Holy Spirit will do a work in their heart so great that they will finally let it all go, and turn it all over to You to be healed. Words could never express how grateful I am for Your perfect love and forgiveness that You have shown me through the years. If I can be a beacon of Your light to someone who is struggling as I have, I am Your humble and obedient servant. In the perfect and precious name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!
God Bless!!!
If anyone would have a great desire to forget about his past, it was the Apostle Paul. After all he had done to persecute Christ's followers, I could certainly understand if he believed himself to be unworthy of God's love and forgiveness. The beauty of it all is that he was still considered worthy because God said so. And so are all of we.
God tells us more than once in the Bible that He will forget about our sins and never think about them again (Isaiah 43:25; Hebrews 8:12). All we have to do is confess them to Him.
I can't speak for you, but I have done some pretty bad things in my day. I would imagine that a lot of us have, and what I have done is not worse or better than anything you may have done. This isn't a competition to see who the bigger degenerate was before they came to Christ. I just know that I was a pretty big one.
Recently, during a conversation with a friend, I was asked about my past drug abuse and about being sober. My friend asked if I knew the date of my sobriety, and I said yes. Then she asked if I had a celebration every year. That kind of caught me by surprise. My answer was no. I said, I am not afraid of what I've done in my past, but I don't want to celebrate it either. I believe that by celebrating, it would cause me to live in it. I said, I don't want to live in it, just learn from it.
And that's what I've been trying to do by the grace of God for the last (almost) 16 years - learn from my mistakes. I may not have realized it at the time, but it was by the grace of God that I got sober, and nothing else. The only thing I want to celebrate, is the victory I have achieved through Christ. I have made it to this point in my life, and my sobriety, because He has given me the power to do so (Philippians 4:13). I have been spared an eternal life of misery because He loves and forgives in the way that He does. He has made me worthy of salvation, because He said so.
The only thing I want to focus on remembering every day, is the perfect law that sets me free and that if I do what it says and don't forget what I heard, then God will bless me for doing it (James 1:25). I know that I will never be perfect on this side of Heaven, and I have made my peace with that; because I know and trust the One who is working on me every day to make me more like Him, and that I will be perfected on the day I meet Him to begin our eternity together. The more I think about that, the more joy I receive.
I believe that's what God wants for all of us. He wants us not to live in the past, but learn from it. I believe He wants us to live in the moment of the work He is doing in and through us, and focus on what lies ahead - eternal life seated with Him in God's Kingdom.
Whatever you may be holding on to that is preventing you from finding the joy in a life full of God's redeeming work in you, I urge you to give it over to Him. From a human perspective, it is going to be impossible to completely forget about it. That's not what we are supposed to do. That's God's area of expertise (one of many). But don't let it control you anymore. Learn from it, and focus on the great and mighty things that God has for you when you are surrendered to His love. Focus on His patience, kindness, justice, mercy, and grace. Learn from your mistakes, so that you can be a beacon of God's light to those that are dealing with similar issues. Accept His unfailing love and forgiveness into your heart, because that's what He wants for you more than anything. He wants you to experience the future and hope He has in store for the ones who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
Don't be afraid to reach out for people to help you along the way. It's easy to say, "I'm not the type to ask for help." That's pride. That's from the enemy. The devil feeds off our fear and pride. Don't give him a leg to stand on, but cut him off at the kneecaps. It's not easy to think differently, particularly when we have done it a certain way for so long. That's why God doesn't expect us to be perfect, but works every day in our lives to perfect us. Take the first step today, and reach out to the One that loves you more than anyone or anything else ever could.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for loving me. Thank You for showing me the way when I didn't think there was any other way. Thank You for teaching me daily to let go of the control my past has on me, and focusing on Your perfect love and plans for me. I pray for those that haven't let go yet. My prayer is that Your Holy Spirit will do a work in their heart so great that they will finally let it all go, and turn it all over to You to be healed. Words could never express how grateful I am for Your perfect love and forgiveness that You have shown me through the years. If I can be a beacon of Your light to someone who is struggling as I have, I am Your humble and obedient servant. In the perfect and precious name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Some Heavy Stuff
Ephesians 6:11 - Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
I remember the first time I had to put on my full gear in the Army. Man, that was some seriously heavy stuff. I only weighed about 160 lbs. (if that), and the kevlar vest and helmet probably added about another 20, thought it felt like 50. I remember thinking, "How could I ever effectively fight while wearing this?" It was cumbersome to say the least.
Over the last few years, as I have drawn closer to Christ in my relationship with Him, I have come to trust that His armor is not quite as cumbersome. Jesus told us, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). His yoke is easy to bear and the burden He gives us is light (Matthew 11:30).
That doesn't mean that our lives given in service to Christ and His Kingdom is less important - far from it. It means that He has already done the heavy lifting. He has done the grunt work, as we used to refer to it in the Army. He did it all when He went to the cross for us, and He is only asking us to carry on His work. Yes, we will endure some suffering and persecution, but since He gave His life so that we could be free, don't you think what we are being expected to pay is a much smaller price?
The armor that Paul talks about in Ephesians 6 covers us from head to toe. Just like the salvation and redemption that Jesus promises covers every sin. I remember the "armor" that the Army issued to us covered our heads and torso. Take a shot in the leg, and you can still go on, right? That's debatable, but that's the Army's way of thinking.
When I think of those who are serving in the Armed Forces, all I can do is pray for them. I pray that they are putting on the full armor of God, so that everything will be protected. While their enemies try to exploit every weak spot in the military armor, I trust that those who have the full armor of God on have no weak spots in it. They say that all armor has a weakness in it. Not God's armor. When we fully trust in God's protection, nothing a man can do to us could ever bring us away from that. They may take our lives trying, but as Paul said, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).
On this day dedicated to honoring and remember those who have fought and died for us to have the freedoms we enjoy as humans (such as our freedom to worship), keep in mind just how much those who gave the ultimate sacrifice loved those they were protecting. Jesus said it best when He said, "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13). Those currently serving, those who have served, and those who have died, did so because they loved us enough to do so. Honor that today. Honor the One who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our redemption and salvation.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for showing us how much we are loved by sacrificing Your Son on the cross. I pray that we all will remember to honor You for everything You have done for us and all that You continue to do for us. I pray for those that are serving this country in the Armed Forces. My prayer is one of gratitude and thanksgiving for their willingness to lay down their lives for their fellow countrymen - their friends. I ask for Your protection over them, as they perform a job every day that many could/would not do. I pray they have Your full armor on as they go to face an enemy of the flesh that may try to take their lives, but could never take the freedom You have given them by the power of the Holy Spirit and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Thank You for blessing this country with such brave men and women. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!
God Bless!!!
I remember the first time I had to put on my full gear in the Army. Man, that was some seriously heavy stuff. I only weighed about 160 lbs. (if that), and the kevlar vest and helmet probably added about another 20, thought it felt like 50. I remember thinking, "How could I ever effectively fight while wearing this?" It was cumbersome to say the least.
Over the last few years, as I have drawn closer to Christ in my relationship with Him, I have come to trust that His armor is not quite as cumbersome. Jesus told us, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). His yoke is easy to bear and the burden He gives us is light (Matthew 11:30).
That doesn't mean that our lives given in service to Christ and His Kingdom is less important - far from it. It means that He has already done the heavy lifting. He has done the grunt work, as we used to refer to it in the Army. He did it all when He went to the cross for us, and He is only asking us to carry on His work. Yes, we will endure some suffering and persecution, but since He gave His life so that we could be free, don't you think what we are being expected to pay is a much smaller price?
The armor that Paul talks about in Ephesians 6 covers us from head to toe. Just like the salvation and redemption that Jesus promises covers every sin. I remember the "armor" that the Army issued to us covered our heads and torso. Take a shot in the leg, and you can still go on, right? That's debatable, but that's the Army's way of thinking.
When I think of those who are serving in the Armed Forces, all I can do is pray for them. I pray that they are putting on the full armor of God, so that everything will be protected. While their enemies try to exploit every weak spot in the military armor, I trust that those who have the full armor of God on have no weak spots in it. They say that all armor has a weakness in it. Not God's armor. When we fully trust in God's protection, nothing a man can do to us could ever bring us away from that. They may take our lives trying, but as Paul said, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).
On this day dedicated to honoring and remember those who have fought and died for us to have the freedoms we enjoy as humans (such as our freedom to worship), keep in mind just how much those who gave the ultimate sacrifice loved those they were protecting. Jesus said it best when He said, "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13). Those currently serving, those who have served, and those who have died, did so because they loved us enough to do so. Honor that today. Honor the One who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our redemption and salvation.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for showing us how much we are loved by sacrificing Your Son on the cross. I pray that we all will remember to honor You for everything You have done for us and all that You continue to do for us. I pray for those that are serving this country in the Armed Forces. My prayer is one of gratitude and thanksgiving for their willingness to lay down their lives for their fellow countrymen - their friends. I ask for Your protection over them, as they perform a job every day that many could/would not do. I pray they have Your full armor on as they go to face an enemy of the flesh that may try to take their lives, but could never take the freedom You have given them by the power of the Holy Spirit and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Thank You for blessing this country with such brave men and women. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Monday, November 10, 2014
Quite The Looker
Song of Solomon 4:7 - You are altogether beautiful, my darling, beautiful in every way.
I came across this passage in a devotional recently, and the writer pointed out that many scholars believe this song is actually a metaphor for Christ's love for His people. Looking at it from that perspective made sense to me.
I'm sure we are all familiar with the passage in John's Gospel account that because God loved the world so much, He sent His only Son to die so that we could have eternal life with Him when we believed (John 3:16). God didn't do this because He had to do it. He doesn't have to do anything. He did it because He wanted to.
Since the fall of Adam and Eve, the Bible's main story is all about God trying to restore His people. He could have easily just wiped the slate clean after Adam and Eve and started over. He could have done that with Noah as well. Although Noah was the only one found blameless at the time that God brought the flood (Genesis 6:9), He could have easily just said, "Nope! I'm done with them all!" But He didn't, because He was too in love with His creation. That's not pride, that's devotion.
The question that I have always wanted to know the answer to is, "What did/does God see in us to make Him want to stick around and keep trying to rescue us?" The answer is easy. I don't know. And I believe that I won't know while I'm still on this side of Heaven. And I'm fine with that.
I am learning more every day, to let go and let God do His work, because He knows much better than I do about His plans. It's not my place to question what He is doing, or where He is taking me. We are all operating on a need to know basis. He will reveal what He needs me to know when He determines that I need to know it.
Paul told us that God's plans are good, pleasing, and perfect (Romans 12:2). Some have a hard time taking that at face value. However, if you take some time to draw closer to God through His Word, you will see that from the first word to the last word, God is constantly giving us multiple chances to be made right in His eyes. He always provides paths back to Him. But we have to follow those paths willingly, because He won't force us to do anything we don't want to do.
Joshua has always been one of my favorite people in the Old Testament. He was a great military leader, but needed some encouragement to lead the whole of God's people. He obviously wasn't perfect, and he recognized that. He didn't try to hide it. He sought God for his guidance and encouragement, and God gave it to him (Joshua 1). But Joshua was also very plain speaking. When talking to the Israelites, he held nothing back telling them to choose who they were going to serve, because he had already made up his mind (Joshua 24:15). I love that. He just told them 'You need to figure it out!' He wasn't going to choose for them, because he knew they had to choose for themselves. That's what we all have to do.
This passage from Song of Solomon answers a lot of the 'Why' questions. Why would God keep trying? Why would God send His Son to die to redeem us? What does God see in me? He tells us here that He thinks we are altogether beautiful in every way. That may be hard to accept for some, particularly if someone is dealing with self-esteem issues, but that doesn't make it any less true. But don't take my word for it. I'm just rambling. These are His words, not mine. Take the time to learn about it for yourself. Spend some time connecting with Him through His Word and through prayer. You will find what you need to know for now. The rest will be revealed at a later date.
Dear Abba Father, thank You. Thank You for seeing in me what I never could see in myself. I trust in Your perfect plan for me and my life, and I will try not to ask too many questions that are above my pay grade. I thank You for Your patience and Your unfailing love that that keeps You around no matter how hard I, or any of us, try to make it for You. I pray for those that don't know You, and don't understand the answers to the 'Why' questions. My prayer is that they will make their choice now to serve the One that loved them from the beginning before they were even formed in the womb. I pray they will seek out the One that looked over all He created in the beginning and said that it was very good. I pray we all take the time to learn about You through Your Word and in prayer every day. I pray we all find the answers we need for now, and will trust You with the rest as You are ready to reveal it. I pray this all in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen!
God Bless!!!
I came across this passage in a devotional recently, and the writer pointed out that many scholars believe this song is actually a metaphor for Christ's love for His people. Looking at it from that perspective made sense to me.
I'm sure we are all familiar with the passage in John's Gospel account that because God loved the world so much, He sent His only Son to die so that we could have eternal life with Him when we believed (John 3:16). God didn't do this because He had to do it. He doesn't have to do anything. He did it because He wanted to.
Since the fall of Adam and Eve, the Bible's main story is all about God trying to restore His people. He could have easily just wiped the slate clean after Adam and Eve and started over. He could have done that with Noah as well. Although Noah was the only one found blameless at the time that God brought the flood (Genesis 6:9), He could have easily just said, "Nope! I'm done with them all!" But He didn't, because He was too in love with His creation. That's not pride, that's devotion.
The question that I have always wanted to know the answer to is, "What did/does God see in us to make Him want to stick around and keep trying to rescue us?" The answer is easy. I don't know. And I believe that I won't know while I'm still on this side of Heaven. And I'm fine with that.
I am learning more every day, to let go and let God do His work, because He knows much better than I do about His plans. It's not my place to question what He is doing, or where He is taking me. We are all operating on a need to know basis. He will reveal what He needs me to know when He determines that I need to know it.
Paul told us that God's plans are good, pleasing, and perfect (Romans 12:2). Some have a hard time taking that at face value. However, if you take some time to draw closer to God through His Word, you will see that from the first word to the last word, God is constantly giving us multiple chances to be made right in His eyes. He always provides paths back to Him. But we have to follow those paths willingly, because He won't force us to do anything we don't want to do.
Joshua has always been one of my favorite people in the Old Testament. He was a great military leader, but needed some encouragement to lead the whole of God's people. He obviously wasn't perfect, and he recognized that. He didn't try to hide it. He sought God for his guidance and encouragement, and God gave it to him (Joshua 1). But Joshua was also very plain speaking. When talking to the Israelites, he held nothing back telling them to choose who they were going to serve, because he had already made up his mind (Joshua 24:15). I love that. He just told them 'You need to figure it out!' He wasn't going to choose for them, because he knew they had to choose for themselves. That's what we all have to do.
This passage from Song of Solomon answers a lot of the 'Why' questions. Why would God keep trying? Why would God send His Son to die to redeem us? What does God see in me? He tells us here that He thinks we are altogether beautiful in every way. That may be hard to accept for some, particularly if someone is dealing with self-esteem issues, but that doesn't make it any less true. But don't take my word for it. I'm just rambling. These are His words, not mine. Take the time to learn about it for yourself. Spend some time connecting with Him through His Word and through prayer. You will find what you need to know for now. The rest will be revealed at a later date.
Dear Abba Father, thank You. Thank You for seeing in me what I never could see in myself. I trust in Your perfect plan for me and my life, and I will try not to ask too many questions that are above my pay grade. I thank You for Your patience and Your unfailing love that that keeps You around no matter how hard I, or any of us, try to make it for You. I pray for those that don't know You, and don't understand the answers to the 'Why' questions. My prayer is that they will make their choice now to serve the One that loved them from the beginning before they were even formed in the womb. I pray they will seek out the One that looked over all He created in the beginning and said that it was very good. I pray we all take the time to learn about You through Your Word and in prayer every day. I pray we all find the answers we need for now, and will trust You with the rest as You are ready to reveal it. I pray this all in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Friday, November 7, 2014
Did I Just Say That?
Psalm 141:3 - Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips.
If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything. That would probably qualify as the unofficial "Mom Translation" of this verse. If I had a nickel for every time my mom said this to me as a kid, I'd be up there with Bill Gates on the Forbes list.
The real question is, did I take heed of this after hearing it from mom on an almost daily basis? Probably not so much. It's not her fault. I'm just hard-headed, and like to speak my mind (and if she reads this, I got it from Dad!). However, speaking your mind doesn't mean being a douchebag about it (I have qualified for this before). There's a fine line between saying what you have to say to defend yourself from being taken advantage of, and douchebaggery (I don't think that's a real word).
The Apostle Paul told us to speak the truth in love so that we may grow more and more like Christ in every way (Ephesians 4:15). Man that can be a tough one sometimes given the state of the world these days. Just driving on a Southern California freeway for a half hour is enough to make someone forget that Jesus is sitting next to them.
Speaking of Jesus, He had some pretty good words about what comes out of our mouths. He said, "A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart" (Luke 6:45). Did I mention the Southern California freeways?
David understood this long before Jesus spoke the words to the rest of us. In this prayer in Psalm 141, right after he asked God to take control of his lips and words, He asked God not to let him drift toward evil or take part in acts of wickedness (verse 4). He knew, despite his close and intimate relationship with his Creator and Lord, that his heart could turn quickly towards evil if he didn't have help guarding it.
That's what I tend to struggle with quite a bit (I did mention the freeways, right?). I remember watching a movie where a woman was real upset with someone and just about every other word out of her mouth was of the four letter variety. When someone said something to her about it with the words, "You can't say that, you're saved," her response was to look around and say, "No one from my church is here."
Is that who we are aiming to please? Is that whose opinions we are seeking the approval of? (Did I really just end a sentence with a preposition?!) How often do people say negative, or down right mean things to us, and we respond in kind? It's easy for us to try to justify it by saying we were out of cheeks to turn (Matthew 5:39). That can be somewhat understandable, but as a Pastor once said, ask yourself if you would say it if Jesus was standing right there with you - because He is.
I once heard someone say that they struggled with this when they drove too (he must have been on the same freeways). He said that he had been trying to get in the habit of praying for the ones that upset him, instead of using sign language to communicate his opinion of them. That was some good advice. That is someone who is attempting to do their part of the work in progress.
Yes, God is the One that began the good work within us, and will continue His work unit it is finished on the day when Christ returns (Philippians 1:6), but we still have to do our part.
When I catch myself trying to respond in kind to those who would try to get me to drift toward evil or take part in acts of wickedness, I need to remember to pray like David did for God to take control of what I say, and guard my lips. And, more importantly, guard my heart. Instead of me asking myself after the fact if I really just said that, I need to be proactive in asking God to intervene in my heart.
Dear Lord God thank You for showing me this today. I know my heart can turn quickly on a dime when I'm not being proactive in controlling it. I realize that my words can hurt someone, and I don't want that. Please take control of my heart and lips, Lord, and don't let me say things that aren't said with love. I pray for those who have this same struggle, Father, and ask for You to work in their hearts so that they will turn from these habits, and develop new habits that include seeking You first and foremost in everything. Thank You for Your loving mercy and grace that I don't deserve, but You give freely and abundantly anyway. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!
God Bless!!!
If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything. That would probably qualify as the unofficial "Mom Translation" of this verse. If I had a nickel for every time my mom said this to me as a kid, I'd be up there with Bill Gates on the Forbes list.
The real question is, did I take heed of this after hearing it from mom on an almost daily basis? Probably not so much. It's not her fault. I'm just hard-headed, and like to speak my mind (and if she reads this, I got it from Dad!). However, speaking your mind doesn't mean being a douchebag about it (I have qualified for this before). There's a fine line between saying what you have to say to defend yourself from being taken advantage of, and douchebaggery (I don't think that's a real word).
The Apostle Paul told us to speak the truth in love so that we may grow more and more like Christ in every way (Ephesians 4:15). Man that can be a tough one sometimes given the state of the world these days. Just driving on a Southern California freeway for a half hour is enough to make someone forget that Jesus is sitting next to them.
Speaking of Jesus, He had some pretty good words about what comes out of our mouths. He said, "A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart" (Luke 6:45). Did I mention the Southern California freeways?
David understood this long before Jesus spoke the words to the rest of us. In this prayer in Psalm 141, right after he asked God to take control of his lips and words, He asked God not to let him drift toward evil or take part in acts of wickedness (verse 4). He knew, despite his close and intimate relationship with his Creator and Lord, that his heart could turn quickly towards evil if he didn't have help guarding it.
That's what I tend to struggle with quite a bit (I did mention the freeways, right?). I remember watching a movie where a woman was real upset with someone and just about every other word out of her mouth was of the four letter variety. When someone said something to her about it with the words, "You can't say that, you're saved," her response was to look around and say, "No one from my church is here."
Is that who we are aiming to please? Is that whose opinions we are seeking the approval of? (Did I really just end a sentence with a preposition?!) How often do people say negative, or down right mean things to us, and we respond in kind? It's easy for us to try to justify it by saying we were out of cheeks to turn (Matthew 5:39). That can be somewhat understandable, but as a Pastor once said, ask yourself if you would say it if Jesus was standing right there with you - because He is.
I once heard someone say that they struggled with this when they drove too (he must have been on the same freeways). He said that he had been trying to get in the habit of praying for the ones that upset him, instead of using sign language to communicate his opinion of them. That was some good advice. That is someone who is attempting to do their part of the work in progress.
Yes, God is the One that began the good work within us, and will continue His work unit it is finished on the day when Christ returns (Philippians 1:6), but we still have to do our part.
When I catch myself trying to respond in kind to those who would try to get me to drift toward evil or take part in acts of wickedness, I need to remember to pray like David did for God to take control of what I say, and guard my lips. And, more importantly, guard my heart. Instead of me asking myself after the fact if I really just said that, I need to be proactive in asking God to intervene in my heart.
Dear Lord God thank You for showing me this today. I know my heart can turn quickly on a dime when I'm not being proactive in controlling it. I realize that my words can hurt someone, and I don't want that. Please take control of my heart and lips, Lord, and don't let me say things that aren't said with love. I pray for those who have this same struggle, Father, and ask for You to work in their hearts so that they will turn from these habits, and develop new habits that include seeking You first and foremost in everything. Thank You for Your loving mercy and grace that I don't deserve, but You give freely and abundantly anyway. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Pardon The Dust
1 Samuel 16:7 - But the Lord said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
How many times do we look at someone or something and say, "That's not gonna work." or "That doesn't look right."? No matter how many times we repeat the old cliche, "Don't judge a book by its cover," we still do it. Frequently...
How much do we miss out on because of those dusty old book covers? When we can't get past the dust covering someone, we pass them by and rarely give them a second thought.
How much do we compare someone else's dust to ours? How often do we catch ourselves saying, "Well at least I'm not as bad as him."? There's no shame in admitting that we do that. In fact it's better that we do confess it. But how do we correct our train of thought?
The Apostle Paul certainly had a way with words. One of the most gifted writers the world has ever known said this: "Oh don't worry; we wouldn't dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!" (2 Corinthians 10:12). Wait, did Paul just called me ignorant???
Yes, I do it to. I catch myself comparing myself to others quite a bit. Probably more so these last few months since I've been out of work. I have caught myself more times than I care to admit saying things like, "If only I had a job then so and so would..." or "If I had a job, then I could get a better car and then so and so would..."
I have to force myself to remember that God is more interested in my heart than anything else. For someone that spends as much time reading the Bible as I do, I would think that I wouldn't struggle with things like this. This whole being human thing kinda sucks sometimes.
The more often I read these passages, though, the more I realize that God kinda likes the dust. I can pray and ask him to pardon the dust, but He always replies, "No worries, I'm still gonna brush you off and make you clean." He doesn't mind bending down to listen to my prayers as long as I'm giving Him what really matters - my heart.
Learning about and discerning what is on someone's heart should be applicable in every situation in our lives. Especially when it comes to relationships. I'm a guy, which by definition means I like to look at beautiful women (if you say you don't, you're just lying). That doesn't mean I lust after all of them, although admittedly there has been plenty of that in my life. The point is I have encountered less women with a great heart for God and people than I have encountered that made me want to stick my finger in a light socket after 5 minutes of conversation. And I am quite sure I have probably driven more women to want to stick their fingers in a light socket too...
Yes, we are all made in God's image (Genesis 1:27), and God doesn't make mistakes. Whenever someone quotes the made in God's image verse to me, I often catch myself thinking, "If God looks like me, I just feel sorry for the guy." But then I remember that God loved me and my heart enough to sacrifice His only Son so that I could spend eternity with Him. He didn't allow the fact that I'm not the most extraordinary conversationalist dissuade Him from doing this. He did it because He loved my heart. While it wasn't always seeking His Kingdom and righteousness, He knew what it was capable of, and He decided it was worth it. Sometimes that's just mind blowing to me. But that's also a big part of the beauty of God. No matter how close we draw to Him, no matter how much we read the same passages in the Bible, He still blows our mind. I get a kick out of it, and I'm sure He gets a kick out of doing it too.
Dear Lord God, thank You. Thank You for blowing my mind and reminding me that my heart is what matters most. I pray that I keep it focused on You, and not the things of this world that You find detestable. I pray for those that think they're not good enough, and they need to have more in order to make people happy. Lord, my prayer is that they will remember that pleasing people should never be their priority, just loving them is. I pray that they will stop worrying about their dusty book covers, and focus on the content of their pages. I pray we all draw closer to You every day and You continue to blow our minds with Your amazing and unfailing love. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!
God Bless!!!
How many times do we look at someone or something and say, "That's not gonna work." or "That doesn't look right."? No matter how many times we repeat the old cliche, "Don't judge a book by its cover," we still do it. Frequently...
How much do we miss out on because of those dusty old book covers? When we can't get past the dust covering someone, we pass them by and rarely give them a second thought.
How much do we compare someone else's dust to ours? How often do we catch ourselves saying, "Well at least I'm not as bad as him."? There's no shame in admitting that we do that. In fact it's better that we do confess it. But how do we correct our train of thought?
The Apostle Paul certainly had a way with words. One of the most gifted writers the world has ever known said this: "Oh don't worry; we wouldn't dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!" (2 Corinthians 10:12). Wait, did Paul just called me ignorant???
Yes, I do it to. I catch myself comparing myself to others quite a bit. Probably more so these last few months since I've been out of work. I have caught myself more times than I care to admit saying things like, "If only I had a job then so and so would..." or "If I had a job, then I could get a better car and then so and so would..."
I have to force myself to remember that God is more interested in my heart than anything else. For someone that spends as much time reading the Bible as I do, I would think that I wouldn't struggle with things like this. This whole being human thing kinda sucks sometimes.
The more often I read these passages, though, the more I realize that God kinda likes the dust. I can pray and ask him to pardon the dust, but He always replies, "No worries, I'm still gonna brush you off and make you clean." He doesn't mind bending down to listen to my prayers as long as I'm giving Him what really matters - my heart.
Learning about and discerning what is on someone's heart should be applicable in every situation in our lives. Especially when it comes to relationships. I'm a guy, which by definition means I like to look at beautiful women (if you say you don't, you're just lying). That doesn't mean I lust after all of them, although admittedly there has been plenty of that in my life. The point is I have encountered less women with a great heart for God and people than I have encountered that made me want to stick my finger in a light socket after 5 minutes of conversation. And I am quite sure I have probably driven more women to want to stick their fingers in a light socket too...
Yes, we are all made in God's image (Genesis 1:27), and God doesn't make mistakes. Whenever someone quotes the made in God's image verse to me, I often catch myself thinking, "If God looks like me, I just feel sorry for the guy." But then I remember that God loved me and my heart enough to sacrifice His only Son so that I could spend eternity with Him. He didn't allow the fact that I'm not the most extraordinary conversationalist dissuade Him from doing this. He did it because He loved my heart. While it wasn't always seeking His Kingdom and righteousness, He knew what it was capable of, and He decided it was worth it. Sometimes that's just mind blowing to me. But that's also a big part of the beauty of God. No matter how close we draw to Him, no matter how much we read the same passages in the Bible, He still blows our mind. I get a kick out of it, and I'm sure He gets a kick out of doing it too.
Dear Lord God, thank You. Thank You for blowing my mind and reminding me that my heart is what matters most. I pray that I keep it focused on You, and not the things of this world that You find detestable. I pray for those that think they're not good enough, and they need to have more in order to make people happy. Lord, my prayer is that they will remember that pleasing people should never be their priority, just loving them is. I pray that they will stop worrying about their dusty book covers, and focus on the content of their pages. I pray we all draw closer to You every day and You continue to blow our minds with Your amazing and unfailing love. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Yes, Them Too
1 Timothy 2:2 - Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.
Now that the elections are over and the votes tallied, we have people in power that need our prayers. Regardless of how we feel about anyone's politics, we should still be praying for them. Actually, I would suggest that especially if we don't agree with their politics, we should be praying for them.
But why? Why should we be praying for the one's who were victorious despite our objections or the votes cast against them?
Paul gives us a great reason that we all should take notice of. He says, "This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth" (1 Timothy 2:3-4). Peter also echoed part of this when he said that God wanted that no one should perish (2 Peter 3:9).
Well I didn't vote for them, so I don't have to listen to them. And I didn't vote for them, so I don't have to recognize their authority. Try taking that one to court when you refuse to pay your taxes, and see how far it gets you. More importantly, try taking that one to God. Paul also told us, "Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God" (Romans 13:1).
It's difficult to pray for those we don't agree with, let alone those we don't like. But I do believe that Paul included the word everyone in that verse from Romans, and those words wouldn't be in the Bible unless God wanted them there.
Some people treat politics as a battle. I'm sure we've heard the term "battleground states" when discussing how important votes of a certain state are in swinging elections one way or the other. So looking at it from that point of view, people treat those of differing political views and opinions as their enemies. Understandable. A little extreme, but I can understand the thinking. I guess that means since they are our enemies, we don't have to pray for them right? I mean after all, when they get in power, they are just going to make life harder for us since we're enemies, right? Not so fast.
Jesus was pretty clear in His Sermon on the Mount that we should love our enemies and pray for those that persecute us (Matthew 5:44). This would also qualify as the everyone that Paul talked about in Romans 13.
So instead of spending the next few weeks (or even 2 years until the next election) complaining and moaning about who won or lost, or where the country may be headed now, how about we do something radical and make a commitment to pray for those who are in charge of our nation instead? I'm no Theology scholar, but I'm pretty sure that praying is much productive than complaining. Sure, we can complain a bit to God in our prayers if we want to get it off our chest. He doesn't mind. But let's pray for those that are going to be deciding the direction of our country for the next couple of years. Pray that they will seek God's guidance for their decisions. Pray they will surprise us, and follow God's calling on them instead of the calling of the special interest groups that funded their campaigns (sorry, had to get that one in there).
God doesn't mind a little griping from us, as long as we also remember to follow His instructions and pray for those who need it regardless of their political affiliation. Yes...even them too...
Dear Heavenly Father, I lift up those who are in authority in government to You, Lord, and ask for Your guiding hand over them as they prepare to take on the great responsibility they have been given. I pray that they will hear Your call on them in their heart, and be obedient to You. I pray for the wisdom and discernment they need to make the right decisions for all those who are affected by them. I pray that we all, as a nation, will come together and pray for our new and re-elected leaders regardless of whether or not we agree with them Father. I know that this may seem like a lofty prayer Lord, but I truly believe that all things are possible with You, and You are more than capable of uniting everyone under Your banner. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Now that the elections are over and the votes tallied, we have people in power that need our prayers. Regardless of how we feel about anyone's politics, we should still be praying for them. Actually, I would suggest that especially if we don't agree with their politics, we should be praying for them.
But why? Why should we be praying for the one's who were victorious despite our objections or the votes cast against them?
Paul gives us a great reason that we all should take notice of. He says, "This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth" (1 Timothy 2:3-4). Peter also echoed part of this when he said that God wanted that no one should perish (2 Peter 3:9).
Well I didn't vote for them, so I don't have to listen to them. And I didn't vote for them, so I don't have to recognize their authority. Try taking that one to court when you refuse to pay your taxes, and see how far it gets you. More importantly, try taking that one to God. Paul also told us, "Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God" (Romans 13:1).
It's difficult to pray for those we don't agree with, let alone those we don't like. But I do believe that Paul included the word everyone in that verse from Romans, and those words wouldn't be in the Bible unless God wanted them there.
Some people treat politics as a battle. I'm sure we've heard the term "battleground states" when discussing how important votes of a certain state are in swinging elections one way or the other. So looking at it from that point of view, people treat those of differing political views and opinions as their enemies. Understandable. A little extreme, but I can understand the thinking. I guess that means since they are our enemies, we don't have to pray for them right? I mean after all, when they get in power, they are just going to make life harder for us since we're enemies, right? Not so fast.
Jesus was pretty clear in His Sermon on the Mount that we should love our enemies and pray for those that persecute us (Matthew 5:44). This would also qualify as the everyone that Paul talked about in Romans 13.
So instead of spending the next few weeks (or even 2 years until the next election) complaining and moaning about who won or lost, or where the country may be headed now, how about we do something radical and make a commitment to pray for those who are in charge of our nation instead? I'm no Theology scholar, but I'm pretty sure that praying is much productive than complaining. Sure, we can complain a bit to God in our prayers if we want to get it off our chest. He doesn't mind. But let's pray for those that are going to be deciding the direction of our country for the next couple of years. Pray that they will seek God's guidance for their decisions. Pray they will surprise us, and follow God's calling on them instead of the calling of the special interest groups that funded their campaigns (sorry, had to get that one in there).
God doesn't mind a little griping from us, as long as we also remember to follow His instructions and pray for those who need it regardless of their political affiliation. Yes...even them too...
Dear Heavenly Father, I lift up those who are in authority in government to You, Lord, and ask for Your guiding hand over them as they prepare to take on the great responsibility they have been given. I pray that they will hear Your call on them in their heart, and be obedient to You. I pray for the wisdom and discernment they need to make the right decisions for all those who are affected by them. I pray that we all, as a nation, will come together and pray for our new and re-elected leaders regardless of whether or not we agree with them Father. I know that this may seem like a lofty prayer Lord, but I truly believe that all things are possible with You, and You are more than capable of uniting everyone under Your banner. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Coming Soon? Man I Hope So...
Revelation 22:20 - He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, "Yes I am coming soon!" Amen! Come, Lord Jesus.
Wouldn't it just be awesome if that "coming soon" happened right now? I mean, wouldn't it be great if the Rapture happened and we could begin our eternity with Jesus?
On a day like today - election day - I find myself reflecting on the state of our nation and our world. I don't want to spark a political debate here, but it's all in pretty bad shape isn't it? This is certainly not the country I was born in, nor is it the country I want to die in. But I digress...
Given the state of affairs of this world, why wouldn't we be praying for Jesus to come soon? Given the fact that there are roughly 2 billion Christians in the world right now, and who knows how many in Heaven already, I'd say we would have some pretty good company in Heaven when we get there. But that 2 billion is the problem.
If there are 2 billion people that identify themselves as Christians, that means there are 5 billion that don't. This could be for various reasons, but the reasons don't matter. I'm not a big math guy, but 5 billion is a lot! Could we reach all 5 billion for Christ? Given the technology of the time we live in, why not? Does that mean that all will be saved? Probably not, but that's not for us to decide.
But just because they won't all give their lives to the Lord and be saved, does that mean we should just stop trying? Does that mean that we are just fed up with the way things are, so we throw up our hands and pray without ceasing that Jesus would come now? Who are we to say to God, "Look, I've tried, but I'm done trying. You can take us all now." It doesn't work that way. He doesn't work on our timeline.
It can be frustrating (to put it mildly) to see things progressing in the world the way they are. But that shouldn't stop us from Jesus' Great Commission to go and make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19). We can't stop and give up, just because we get frustrated with how things are going.
What if God had gotten fed up with the way the world was and just said, "You know what I'm done with these people," and decided to end us all? Think He could do that? Of course He could. But He won't. He loves His beautiful creation too much.
When we get frustrated because it seems like it is taking too long for Jesus to come, I pray we can take comfort in the words of the Apostle Peter, "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" (2 Peter 3:9).
He is patiently waiting for us to reach out to every last one of those 5 billion people that are "holding out" for their various reasons. God was - and still is - patient with us to come to Him and accept His free gift of salvation. Who are we to decide when His patience runs out? We aren't qualified for that, so let's let Him decide when He will come.
Dear Lord God, thank You for Your patience. Thank You for giving us all the opportunity to accept Your free gift of salvation that You have offered by Your amazing grace. I thank You for Your infinite patience with me throughout the years Lord. I pray for those that don't know You yet. There are a lot of them out there, and I pray for every last one of them. I want nothing more than to have 5 billion more brothers and sisters. Whether or not that will happen is not up to me, but You, and I pray that if I can be a part of leading any of them to You, I will be obedient to Your call. I pray that You will use me any way You want for me to be of service to Your people and Your Kingdom. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Wouldn't it just be awesome if that "coming soon" happened right now? I mean, wouldn't it be great if the Rapture happened and we could begin our eternity with Jesus?
On a day like today - election day - I find myself reflecting on the state of our nation and our world. I don't want to spark a political debate here, but it's all in pretty bad shape isn't it? This is certainly not the country I was born in, nor is it the country I want to die in. But I digress...
Given the state of affairs of this world, why wouldn't we be praying for Jesus to come soon? Given the fact that there are roughly 2 billion Christians in the world right now, and who knows how many in Heaven already, I'd say we would have some pretty good company in Heaven when we get there. But that 2 billion is the problem.
If there are 2 billion people that identify themselves as Christians, that means there are 5 billion that don't. This could be for various reasons, but the reasons don't matter. I'm not a big math guy, but 5 billion is a lot! Could we reach all 5 billion for Christ? Given the technology of the time we live in, why not? Does that mean that all will be saved? Probably not, but that's not for us to decide.
But just because they won't all give their lives to the Lord and be saved, does that mean we should just stop trying? Does that mean that we are just fed up with the way things are, so we throw up our hands and pray without ceasing that Jesus would come now? Who are we to say to God, "Look, I've tried, but I'm done trying. You can take us all now." It doesn't work that way. He doesn't work on our timeline.
It can be frustrating (to put it mildly) to see things progressing in the world the way they are. But that shouldn't stop us from Jesus' Great Commission to go and make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19). We can't stop and give up, just because we get frustrated with how things are going.
What if God had gotten fed up with the way the world was and just said, "You know what I'm done with these people," and decided to end us all? Think He could do that? Of course He could. But He won't. He loves His beautiful creation too much.
When we get frustrated because it seems like it is taking too long for Jesus to come, I pray we can take comfort in the words of the Apostle Peter, "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" (2 Peter 3:9).
He is patiently waiting for us to reach out to every last one of those 5 billion people that are "holding out" for their various reasons. God was - and still is - patient with us to come to Him and accept His free gift of salvation. Who are we to decide when His patience runs out? We aren't qualified for that, so let's let Him decide when He will come.
Dear Lord God, thank You for Your patience. Thank You for giving us all the opportunity to accept Your free gift of salvation that You have offered by Your amazing grace. I thank You for Your infinite patience with me throughout the years Lord. I pray for those that don't know You yet. There are a lot of them out there, and I pray for every last one of them. I want nothing more than to have 5 billion more brothers and sisters. Whether or not that will happen is not up to me, but You, and I pray that if I can be a part of leading any of them to You, I will be obedient to Your call. I pray that You will use me any way You want for me to be of service to Your people and Your Kingdom. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Monday, November 3, 2014
Stepping Out In Front To Lead
1 Chronicles 21:17 - And David said to God, "I am the one who called for the census! I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep - what have they done? O Lord my God, let Your anger fall against me and my family, but do not destroy Your people."
David is such an awesome example of leadership, as we have all learned. But why? What makes him so special (other than that whole being anointed by God thing)? He was the runt of the litter, so to speak, of Jesse, However, we are told that David was a man after God's heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). But how did he do that exactly?
David demonstrated regularly that he was willing to step out in front and lead. When Goliath was instilling fear into the hearts of Saul's warriors, this runt stepped out from the pack and showed them that this giant's words against God were unacceptable, and that all they needed to do was trust God to lead them and deliver them to victory. I mean he used a slingshot and a rock for crying out loud to bring down a 9-foot giant. If that isn't God delivering him, then I don't know what would be.
In this passage here, David has sinned badly against God. While that's certainly not a good thing (to say the least), when he realized his mistake, he stepped out in front of it and confessed it to God (1 Chron. 21:7). While Joab tried to warn him, it took God confronting David by way of punishing Israel for David to see where he messed up.
How often do we hide behind our sin and try to blame any and every one else for our shortcomings? While we are told that Satan provoked David that still doesn't give David any excuse for doing what he did. We cannot control our circumstances. David could not control Satan's provocation to take pride in his victory over the Philistines and call for the census. What we can control is our response to our circumstances. The thing about free will is that it works both ways. We have the free will to choose to follow God, and at the same time we have the free will to choose to not give in to the attacks of the enemy. Neither of these choices is easy, but we still control our choice.
God doesn't expect us to be perfect and always make the right choices. If He did, David wouldn't have lived much beyond this incident. He wouldn't have been called a man after God's heart. He would have been known as another failed King of Israel. But the fact that David knew that God's desire is for us to be honest with Him, and forthright about our sins and transgressions, made him a man after God's heart. That's how we all become people after God's heart.
David's relationship with God was based on his love for God and his fear of God as well. While he could have easily tried to hide in the shadows, or blend in with the crowd and cover his face to avoid being seen, he realized that he could never hide what he had done from God. How did he know that? Because of intimate relationship with God. He knew the best way to please God was to step out in front to lead God's people the way God wanted him to. How easy would it have been for David to hide behind Satan and let him take the blame for everything? The excuse of "He started it!" doesn't work on the playground, and it sure wouldn't work with God either. Satan did start it, but David did the right thing and stepped out in front to end it.
Dear Lord God, thank You for the amazing example of leadership that You have given us in Your servant David. I pray that we all can take something from the story of his life and apply it to our own, so that we may be shown to be a people after Your heart. I pray for those that don't really understand what it means to lead from the front. My prayer is that they will see David's godly example of leadership, and turn their hearts towards You and do right by Your people that You have placed in their charge here in this world. I pray we all take the mantle of responsibility that You have given us seriously, and that we will lead from the front. And when we make mistakes, I pray that we will be honest in our confession and repentance of them, so that we may continue on the path of righteousness that You have placed us all on. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!
God Bless!!!
David is such an awesome example of leadership, as we have all learned. But why? What makes him so special (other than that whole being anointed by God thing)? He was the runt of the litter, so to speak, of Jesse, However, we are told that David was a man after God's heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). But how did he do that exactly?
David demonstrated regularly that he was willing to step out in front and lead. When Goliath was instilling fear into the hearts of Saul's warriors, this runt stepped out from the pack and showed them that this giant's words against God were unacceptable, and that all they needed to do was trust God to lead them and deliver them to victory. I mean he used a slingshot and a rock for crying out loud to bring down a 9-foot giant. If that isn't God delivering him, then I don't know what would be.
In this passage here, David has sinned badly against God. While that's certainly not a good thing (to say the least), when he realized his mistake, he stepped out in front of it and confessed it to God (1 Chron. 21:7). While Joab tried to warn him, it took God confronting David by way of punishing Israel for David to see where he messed up.
How often do we hide behind our sin and try to blame any and every one else for our shortcomings? While we are told that Satan provoked David that still doesn't give David any excuse for doing what he did. We cannot control our circumstances. David could not control Satan's provocation to take pride in his victory over the Philistines and call for the census. What we can control is our response to our circumstances. The thing about free will is that it works both ways. We have the free will to choose to follow God, and at the same time we have the free will to choose to not give in to the attacks of the enemy. Neither of these choices is easy, but we still control our choice.
God doesn't expect us to be perfect and always make the right choices. If He did, David wouldn't have lived much beyond this incident. He wouldn't have been called a man after God's heart. He would have been known as another failed King of Israel. But the fact that David knew that God's desire is for us to be honest with Him, and forthright about our sins and transgressions, made him a man after God's heart. That's how we all become people after God's heart.
David's relationship with God was based on his love for God and his fear of God as well. While he could have easily tried to hide in the shadows, or blend in with the crowd and cover his face to avoid being seen, he realized that he could never hide what he had done from God. How did he know that? Because of intimate relationship with God. He knew the best way to please God was to step out in front to lead God's people the way God wanted him to. How easy would it have been for David to hide behind Satan and let him take the blame for everything? The excuse of "He started it!" doesn't work on the playground, and it sure wouldn't work with God either. Satan did start it, but David did the right thing and stepped out in front to end it.
Dear Lord God, thank You for the amazing example of leadership that You have given us in Your servant David. I pray that we all can take something from the story of his life and apply it to our own, so that we may be shown to be a people after Your heart. I pray for those that don't really understand what it means to lead from the front. My prayer is that they will see David's godly example of leadership, and turn their hearts towards You and do right by Your people that You have placed in their charge here in this world. I pray we all take the mantle of responsibility that You have given us seriously, and that we will lead from the front. And when we make mistakes, I pray that we will be honest in our confession and repentance of them, so that we may continue on the path of righteousness that You have placed us all on. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!
God Bless!!!
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