* Reflections

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:25-27 NKJV

I'm always on the lookout for beautiful, scenic photographs because one of my friends really enjoys them. Recently, another friend sent me some terrific pictures via email. One photo was an incredibly majestic landscape that was perfectly reflected in the body of water in the foreground. Mountains with snow caps and grand pines, the brilliant blues of the sky and the matching hues in the lake. It was idyllic and serene, and so identical were the reality and the reflection, that it looked as though you could turn the picture upside down and see the same image. I thought how fortunate that the photographer was across the lake and able to take the shot. Had there been no water, the real thing itself would still be magnificent, but there would have been no reflection.

The other day, I was tinkering around the sink when a sparkle of light like glitter caught my eye. It was on my forearm and I thought, "Where did I pick up glitter?" knowing full well that I had not been around anything like that. As I brushed it off, I realized it was miniscule droplets of water reflecting the light above the sink. Immediately, God brought today's passage to my mind. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

When the sunlight shines on them, the mountains can cast shadow, but without water, there is no reflection. I can see signs of light on dry skin, but the sparkle of the light is only reflected through the water. Our lives as Christians are supposed to reflect Christ, but how can we do so if we are dry? How can Christ present us to Himself as a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, unless we are reflecting His perfection? Jesus is the living Water - He sanctifies us and cleanses us with the washing of water by the Word!

Just like we shower or bathe daily to be clean, we must daily be washed by the Word of God, not just on Sunday. The winds of adversity blow and dry up the water. If there is no water, there is no reflection. What will He see when He shines His light on us? Let's reflect on that.

Prayer:

Father,
           Birth in us a great desire to know Your Word. Grant us wisdom and understanding to rightly divide its Truth. Shine Your light on us, O God, and cut away what does not reflect You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* A Matter of Semantics

Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
James 5:14-16 NLT

Semantics, according to the Oxford dictionary, is the study of how meaning in language is created by the use and interrelationships of words, phrases, and sentences. For instance, do 'Say a prayer' and 'Pray a prayer' imply the same thing to you? Do you want someone to respond to your request with 'I'll say a prayer for you'  or 'I'll pray for you'?  Does one imply more fervor than the other? It may all be a matter of semantics - the implication of your words. Some people don't break it down to the letter of the language, while others do.

I'm not trying to provoke an argument over say vs. pray, but I am trying to provoke you to check your heart. Are we paying lip service - speaking Christianese - or do we believe the Word of God? Matthew 21:22 reads, And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. So - say vs. pray to receive and believe? It's a matter of semantics. What's your heart telling you?

Prayer:

Father,
          We choose to pray in faith - the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen - nothing waivering. We choose to stand on Your Word, believing that when we pray believing we shall have whatsoever we ask in Your Name. We know Your Word is true and Truth over what we see, no matter what it is. Cause our faith to grow, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Good vs. Evil +

Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good.

Romans 12:9 The Message

In all of life, we pit good against bad in one form or another. Good versus evil. Good guys - bad guys. We may root for an underdog, but if we do, it's because underneath, he's really the good guy! We never want the bad guy to win.

I can't seem to get away from Chapter 12 in the book of Romans. But then...it's all about being the good guy in life. Read on from our text:

Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody.

Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it."

Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness.

Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good. Romans 12:10-21 The Message.

Prayer:

Father,

          We wanna be the good guys! We want to win, too! Keep our hearts and minds close to You, so that we can win in You! Cause us to overcome evil by Your Goodness alive in us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* What to Wear

This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here.
Romans 13:11-12a NLT

Do you ever go through times when your perfectly good clothes no longer seem perfectly good? Especially when there's a special occasion involved. What was your favorite suit or shirt just last week is now totally unacceptable, but you can't seem to find another one that you like. And along that same line of thinking, isn't it funny how your whole attitude changes when you put on something you know looks good or feels good, depending on the occasion? Or the best case scenario - when it looks AND feels good? Ohhhh, that's the best! Especially if you DO have a special event you're planning to attend.

I love invitations that include instruction regarding the expected attire. Those are lifesavers. You know exactly what you should wear, even if you don't currently have it. And generally, those invitations arrive in plenty enough time to make provision for attending. Have you ever NOT gone to an event because you didn't have the right thing to wear? Oh, you could have gone, but you just didn't have the desire to invest the time or money it would take to get what you needed for it. Or you didn't remember until the last minute and then it was too late. Ever done that?

Well, this is your reminder. The biggest event of your life is looming large. The invitation has already been extended - and it's THE event of your lifetime! If you miss this, you miss it all! The only catch is that we don't know the exact day or hour, so you can't wait till the last minute to plan, because we don't know when the last minute is! You need to invest the time NOW to insure your attendance. You can only get in if you know the right person. And you can't just know OF Him, you really have to KNOW Him and He has to KNOW you. Have you RSVP'd? Do you have the right thing to wear? The instructions regarding attire are very clear. No exceptions. Isaiah 61:10 NLT, I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels.

How do we fit into the clothing He requires? Romans 13:12b-14 NLT, So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

Are you ready? What are you wearing? Do you know what to wear? Have you taken the time to put on Christ? Are you dressed yet? Do you know how to get there?

Prayer;

Father,
           Our self-righteousness, our selfish choices, our ways are as filthy rags before You and won't get us into the wedding feast of Heaven. Cleanse us, Father, from all unrighteousness. Put Your robe of righteousness on us, Lord, so we don't miss it. We want to be ready when You sound the call. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

An Encouraging Word +

And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

Luke 22:31-32 NKJV

I am often surprised that we (myself included) allow ourselves to be deluded into believing that since we are Christians, nothing is supposed to touch us. That we can be shocked and confused when something less than wonderful comes our way… or when we fall down… Let me encourage you in the Word because we are to encourage one another while it is called Today.

Proverbs 24:16a - The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.

Job 5:19 - From six troubles He will deliver you, Even in seven evil will not touch you.

Selections from Psalm 37:

²⁴ Though they stumble, they will never fall,
      for the Lord holds them by the hand.

 ²⁵ Once I was young, and now I am old.
      Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned
      or their children begging for bread.

 ³² The wicked wait in ambush for the godly,
      looking for an excuse to kill them.
 ³³ But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed
      or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.

 ³⁴ Put your hope in the Lord.
      Travel steadily along his path.
   He will honor you by giving you the land.

 ³⁹ The Lord rescues the godly;
      he is their fortress in times of trouble.
 ⁴⁰ The Lord helps them,
      rescuing them from the wicked.
   He saves them,
      and they find shelter in him.

Jesus said, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.

Prayer:

Father,

          I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray that they will be strong in the power of YOUR might – that they will lean on Your arms and not trust the strength of mere man. Let that same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead and now resides in every follower of Christ RISE UP and cause us to be the overcomers You intend for us to be! You’ve done Your part – the shed Blood of the Lamb. Give us Your strength to do what You have planned for us to do. I pray for everyone reading this, whether on the Promise list or forwarded by a friend, for a renewing and a reviving of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Pour in, Father. We need more of You. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

* Supply and Demand

[Jesus speaking] "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

Matthew 6:31-33

I'm going back to one of my landmarks to give God praise yet again, to testify to you who I know God to be, and to remind myself of what I know. 

I had a bill come in that was totally unexpected. I was not happy. I talked about it to several of my friends. You know, complaining, Oh Woe is me... Wah Wah! Call the Wah-mbulance... 

Then God talked to ME about it.

I don't mean physically came down and talked to me. I mean Scripture that I've read popped into my head or I was reminded by something I heard or read elsewhere. Till finally, I asked God to forgive me for not trusting Him in all things. I'm ashamed about how quickly I'd forgotten His provision for me. I slapped myself like a V-8 commercial and said aloud, "God, You are my Provider. You have always been and You always will be. I choose You. I don't know  how You will, but I know You and I know You will."

The next day, in going through some files at the office, I found an expense report that was six months old. It had no marking that it had been processed, so I called and asked about it. It had not been processed. It was a little less than one-third of the unexpected bill, but I thanked God for it. Unexpected provision. Then I got a check in the mail from the insurance company that had paid me disability while I was off work for those months. Two days prior to that, I'd gotten a letter stating that it had been 60 days since I returned to work and my case was officially closed. I thought the check was a mistake somehow. I called to let them know that I'd received another check. The agent informed me that in closing the case, they discovered they had underpaid me by this amount... the amount that, combined with the expense report, paid in full the unexpected bill.

...but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs... I'm not talking about prosperity or a Gimme God. He's not a good luck charm. He knows what we NEED. It's as true today as it was then.

What do you need? You need a Savior? You need peace? You need wisdom? You need healing? His Word promises that He will give us everything we need. Maybe it's not always the way we plan or think, but when we go to Him, when we trust Him, God supplies what we need for the demands on our lives. 

Prayer:

Father,

          You are all I need. Thank You for always being there for me in spite of myself. Help me to get me out of the way of what You want to do in my life. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

* Get the Picture

And the ones sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word; Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.

Mark 4:18-19, The Amplified Bible

A few years back, while standing at the railing of the sweetest little cottage by Galveston Bay, a Great White Egret flew in close and landed between the bottom of the steps and the water. I ran for my handy, dandy digital camera - the one I was so proud I remembered to bring - the one my daughter bought for me so I could take lots of pictures to share with her. (She inherited her love for the beach from the generations of women before her who have all found peace by the water, and she wanted pictures of my trip.) I was so excited - I had learned all about the camera - I actually read the book! I knew how to use it and I had THE perfectly, idyllic scene posed like an award-winning magazine photo shoot in front of me.

Click...nothing happened. Silly me - I forgot to turn it on. With a self-deprecating shake of the head, I turned it on and brought it to eye-level to capture this perfection and clicked again. Nothing happened. I clicked it twice more. Still nothing happened. I'd forgotten to charge the battery and I neglected to bring the power cord...I remembered right where I left it - meaning to pick it up - but in my hurry to get to where I was going, I ran out the door without it.

Our Christian walk can be just like that trip to the beach. We go through all the motions of getting everything ready and getting to the right place and bringing all the stuff we think we need. Power cords and chargers get put to the side - after all they are smaller and take up less space, we can throw them in last. Then we get busy with adding all the other stuff of life and the cares of this world, and we push God to the side. Lord, I'll pray tonight, okay? Just let me get this done today. Night comes and we're exhausted from the day. Lord, I'm so tired, we'll talk in the morning, alright? Morning breaks and we're still exhausted because we tossed and turned all night thinking about the day and all that needs to be done. We think if we can just get away for the weekend, then we will spend time with the Lord without all the distractions.

But what will happen when we come to the end of the road - to our eternity - and we find we forgot the One that makes it all come together? We forgot to spend the necessary time it takes to power up. Get the picture?

Prayer:

Father,

        Forgive us for thinking we can do even one thing without You. Forgive us our misappropriation of time and our skewed priorities. By Your grace and with Your guidance, help us to set our priorities in the proper order. Help us to see the big picture. You first and everything else after. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

* What Came Before?

^26d the son of Josek, the son of Joda…,  ^27b the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa…, ^28b the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam…,  ^30d the son of Jonam…, ³¹ the son of Melea, the son of Menna…,

(portions of Scripture from the New International Version – I’ll tell you where a little later)

My least favorite parts to read in the Bible are the begats… those Scriptures in the King James version, Adam begat Seth who begat Enos who begat Cainan who begat Mahalaleel, and more sons and daughters and so on and so on… A litany of names I cannot pronounce, although I know they all have a meaning and I know the lineage is important, too, but sometimes I wonder why I have to know all that…

Ancestry and heritage are all the rage right now, people want to know their lineage - maybe there's someone famous in their family line... or maybe not. However, they're all important! How important you ask? Well, I thought I would start in Luke 2, And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus… We all know that story and we think that’s where it all started, but it’s not. Ephesians 1:4 (NLT) reads, Even before he made the world, [emphasis mine] God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eye.

Before Genesis 1:1 In the beginning… God chose us before He made the world…  

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say, “I don’t even know why I’m here.” When asked if here meant the current location, almost unanimously, it was No, here at all. Born… Sad, too sad… I could go into lots of reasons why we are here and provide lots of Scripture as to the sanctity of life itself that God has given each of us, etc, but let me just say this…

If your great-great-great-great grandfather had died before he married your great-great-great-great grandmother, you wouldn’t be here. If any of the limbs of your family tree that came before you had been chopped down before re-seeding so to speak, there would be no you. Why is that important to know? Well, let me ask you this… Do you know any of the names in our Scripture reference for today? Do you recognize them? Joda - Addi -  Cosam? Do you know what they did? What set them apart for distinction?  They lived. That’s it. God’s plan – they were born and they lived, and I dare say they lived their lives to the fullest. I didn’t recognize any of the names in our list. They are from the third chapter of Luke. If you read the whole list, you’ll find names you do know… Jesse, David, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob… However, without the names in our text today - there wouldn't have been Jesse, David, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. All in the lineage of Jesus the Messiah.… 

You see, God had a plan even before He made the world… and you were in it. Are there any more questions as to why you're here?  

Prayer:

Father,

          You know the end from the beginning. You wrote our days in Your book. Forgive us for those times we question Your plan. Help us to fulfill the plan You have for our lives. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen