God's Retirement Plan +

"You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both."Matthew 6:24 The Message

I listened to the man pour out how "awful" his life is because he feels he's reduced to living paycheck to paycheck. He never worried before about money in the bank because he always had it, but then he made some very bad life choices and has had to pay... literally. He's more concerned about how he's going to retire than how he lives his daily life right now. He's consumed with it to the point of obsessing, but come to find out, he has enough in his 401k to retire now and pay his bills - even though he's 16 years away from being eligible to retire. And he supposes he could sell some shares so he could pay cash for what he wants to buy now. However, he won't have what he had. He has spent his whole life working FOR retirement.

I wish we could see that life is so much more than working toward being old enough to retire. It's about living for the Lord in the here and now - in the present - and what we do to help those who God has placed around us. My colleague says he doesn't need to hear about God and yet, he keeps coming back... knowing I'm going to point him back toward the Lord.

If he could/would just read on from our text for today, starting at verse 25 NKJV, Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

I pray that at some point, he will come to a place of understanding; that if God is his Source, he doesn't have to worry about the future. Since we spend our life working and we DO need a retirement plan, wouldn't it be wise to have the best one? Especially when the One who created the Plan has invested His life's blood into it and has the return results to prove it.

Prayer:

Father,           

We pray that Your Holy Spirit would continue to prepare the hearts of men to receive the seeds of Truth that You allow us to sow. Let us sow only good seed. Send others to water, Father, as we stand believing for You to give the increase for the harvest. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

A Vessel for Use +

Who do you think you are to talk back to God like that? Can an object that was made say to its maker, “Why did you make me like this?” A potter has the right to do whatever he wants with his clay. He can make something for a special occasion or something for everyday use from the same lump of clay. If God wants to demonstrate his anger and reveal his power, he can do it. But can’t he be extremely patient with people who are objects of his anger because they are headed for destruction? Can’t God also reveal the riches of his glory to people who are objects of his mercy and who he had already prepared for glory? This is what God did for us whom he called—whether we are Jews or not.

Romans 9:20-24 (GOD’S WORD Translation)

I'll be honest with you - I have messed up more times in my life than what I believe to be the "maximum amount allowed by law..." I know that I am only alive today because of the mercy and grace of my Father God. I certainly put myself in enough situations that if I think about them now, I can only humbly ask God's forgiveness and boldly acknowledge His loving intervention in not letting me die in my sin. 

There were many times that I SO deserved whatever came my way as a result of my actions, that I didn't even begin to think, let alone ask, "Why me?" I knew why... 

And then I came crawling back to the Cross...so many perfect song lines run through my head when I think about that time.

...You weren't there the night Jesus found me! You did not feel what I felt when He wrapped His love all around me! You don't know the cost of the oil...you don't know the cost of my grace...

...He picked me up and turned me around and He placed my feet on solid ground...

...If it wasn't for the Lord, where would I be? My life was nothing until He set me free! What a change He made in my life - no more compromising the wrong for the right. He made the difference...

Then some well-meaning but very misguided person told me everything would be great from that point on. My troubles were over... they lied. Do I still have tough times? Yes, sometimes I do, some very tough times. Sometimes, I know why. Sometimes, I don't have a clue. Here's what I DO know. God is with me every step of the way. Christ promised never to leave me or forsake me. I'm not alone in the tough times. He is the potter and to borrow a line from Barbara Johnson, God uses cracked pots...

Scripture tells us in 1st Corinthians 3 that some plant, some water, but God gives the increase. God pours into my spirit and because I am broken before Him, what He pours into me, can pour out to those around me, and He will give the increase.

Prayer:

Father,

        I would much rather be able to pour out for others what You have given me, than to hoard and hold it all for myself. Lord, we bless You and acknowledge You in all our ways. Direct our paths where we will provide the best for Your glory. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

From My Heart *

Hear my cry, O God;

Attend to my prayer.

From the end of the earth I will cry to You,

When my heart is overwhelmed;

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For You have been a shelter for me,

A strong tower from the enemy.

I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;

I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah

For You, O God, have heard my vows;

You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.

Psalm 61:1-5 NKJV

An Everlasting Sign *

Isaiah 55: 1

“Is anyone thirsty?
    Come and drink—
    even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk—
    it’s all free!
2 Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?
    Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.
    You will enjoy the finest food.

3 “Come to me with your ears wide open.
    Listen, and you will find life.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you.
    I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.
4 See how I used him to display my power among the peoples.
    I made him a leader among the nations.
5 You also will command nations you do not know,
    and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey,
because I, the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.”

6 Seek the Lord while you can find him.
    Call on him now while he is near.
7 Let the wicked change their ways
    and banish the very thought of doing wrong.
Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.
    Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
    “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so my ways are higher than your ways
    and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

10 “The rain and snow come down from the heavens
    and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
    producing seed for the farmer
    and bread for the hungry.
11 It is the same with my word.
    I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
    and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
12 You will live in joy and peace.
    The mountains and hills will burst into song,
    and the trees of the field will clap their hands!
13 Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow.
    Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up.
These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name;
    they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”

Thank You, Father, for Your Word.

* Do You Remember?

But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.

Psalm 77:11-12 NLT

Do you know God? How do you KNOW Him? Do you remember when you first met Jesus...or when you came back to Him? Do you remember where you were - who was with you? What's your story? When I pause to remember, it opens a floodgate of times - too numerous to count  - when God brought me through. 

In a meeting I attended a few years back, we were asked to choose from one of the four following sentences and share a part of our history with God.

1. Describe a time when God rescued you from something or someone (even if it was you!)

2. Describe a time when God was your Provider.

3. Describe a time when you experienced God's love in a way that changed your life forever.

4. Describe how God healed you in some way (physically, emotionally or spiritually).

Do you remember? Does anyone else know? Psalm 107:8, Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Prayer:

Father,

         Please shine Your light of Truth on our lives. Help those who don't yet easily see Your hand in all things to clearly see - and recognize You - as they remember. And give them the boldness to share it. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Making Plans

How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”
James 4:14-15 NLT

I remember several years back, a very dear friend of mine was coming to visit for a weekend, so I laid out a plan. Things I wanted to accomplish before she arrived. My course of action started as planned for Friday afternoon and into Saturday morning, but it soon blossomed into one of those “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” moments…

Are you familiar with those? Obviously, the reference is from the children’s book of the same name, but basically, the premise is that giving a mouse a cookie when he asks for one is never all there is to it. You can give him the cookie, but then he’ll want or need a glass of milk and a napkin and on it goes from there. It is quite entertaining as a child’s book, but not so much fun when it happens in real life. It can wreak havoc with your plans.

I put a loveseat in one of the rooms of my house and I loved it, but then the room seemed to be out of balance and some of the other furniture needed to move to fix it...So I had to take ALL of my books off the bookshelving. (Do you know how many books you can stack on 30 feet of shelving?) In moving the books, I realized that a couple had fallen behind the shelf and on their way down put a rip in the window covering and as I went to repair that, I realized it was beyond repair and needed to be replaced before I could reset the shelves and the books... That was not in my plan.

I had planned pretty much every minute of that Saturday, including breaks and a visit to Linda, my dear friend, who at that time was battling cancer. I was moving right along with my plans Saturday morning when Linda's husband called and I headed to their house. I'd been believing for a miracle - that was my plan - and I realized when I arrived that I needed to re-think my plans. I waited with Linda and her husband until the medical van came to transport her to the hospice hospital.

By Sunday night, I was back on task and on schedule. On Monday, during lunch, I planned my evening and what I would accomplish on my planned list, when God intervened and I found myself heading to the other side of Houston after work to go visit with Linda at the hospital. Ever multi-tasking, I figured I'd get a visit in with my brother while I was on that side of town. So I planned to stay about an hour with Linda, then meet my brother, and head home from there, but then I heard myself repeating aloud to Linda's family what the Holy Spirit was whispering to me, "I'll be back after I see my brother."  Mentally, I was calculating the time left in the evening that I might continue with MY plans...when figuratively speaking, I got hit between the eyes with our Scripture reference for today.

And bless His holy Name, I actually listened. In the eternal weight of life, it will never matter if my bookshelves needed to be moved 8 inches one way or the other, because I find absolutely NO Scripture basis or precedence for it. However, I have not yet found the end of the list of Scriptures which command that I love as He loves, that a friend loves at all times, that I treat others as I would want to be treated with lovingkindnesses, that what is within my power to give is to be given willingly, cheerfully, lovingly... 

Plans, shmlans...How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What we ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Then and only then, will we have the opportunity to follow His plan for us to be His hand extended.

If you're making plans, make a plan to submit them for approval to the Master Planner. He'll find any mistakes and correct them before the errors are set in stone.

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for being such a kind and Holy God and Father. Thank You for Your peace and Your miraculous love. Please alter our plans as You see fit as we submit them to You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* God's Give and Take

"Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.”  In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

Job 1:21-22 NKJV

We have heard it said that life is all about the give and take. I'm inclined to agree with that. While we may think that being given something all the time may sound like living a blessed life, it's wrong. Have you ever been in a relationship where it was all one-sided? If it's you doing all the giving - time, energy, etc - it gets old pretty quick. By the same token, if you're on the receiving end all the time without the opportunity to give back, that doesn't work either. It is give AND take. That's what makes a relationship.

We've all heard numerous sermons about being a blessing to others. However, there is the danger of becoming the Bless ME generation - believing the teaching that propagates the untruth that God is there just to bless us. How many people do you know who have fallen away from following the Lord because something bad happened or they didn't get what they wanted and they believed God should have, would have, could have done something? Therein lies the danger. We accuse God of wronging us when we don't get what we want.

We were / are created for worship. We are to worship God. We are to bless Him. And while it IS true that God will bless us, Hebrews 11:6 assures us He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. It also says that without faith it is impossible to please God and that those who come to God must believe that He IS. Does God withhold from us? Yes, He does. Does He withhold from us just to be mean or just because He can? No, absolutely not! He is our Father - a true Father. One who is all about caring for His children, loving us, raising us up to be the best that we can be...and that means training AND discipline. That's REAL love. That's TRUE love.

Scripture tells us He delights in us. It is His good pleasure to give us the kingdom (Luke 12:32). According to His good pleasure, He laid out the plan for our salvation so we could be adopted by Him (Ephesians 1:5), revealing to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself (Ephesians 1:9).

God gives us freedom (Psalm 146:7). He gives us wisdom (Proverbs 2:6). The Lord gives rest from our sorrow and from our fear and from our hard bondages... and even though that Scripture (Isaiah 14:3) is in reference to the fall of the Babylonian king, the Word also tells us in Acts 10:34-35, that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.

God so loved the world that He GAVE His Son to die on the Cross for OUR sins (John 3:16). Behold the Lamb of God who TAKES away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Let us learn the lesson from Job. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.

Prayer:

Father,

          You are holy and You are righteous and You are God and we are not. We acknowledge Your lordship and submit ourselves to You. We give our lives to You and ask that You take away everything in our heart that does not please You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Never Give Up

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
Luke 18:1 NLT

Do you know the song This is the Stuff, sung by Francesca Battistelli? It starts with these words - I lost my keys in the great unknown, and call me please, 'cause I can't find my phone. This is the stuff that drives me crazy. This is the stuff that's getting to me lately. Who knew all these years that the story of my life was a hit record waiting to happen?

As I’ve gotten older, it’s only gotten worse. I can lose something I had in my hand 10 seconds ago when I never left the room! I haven’t figured out that one yet… It seems I definitely lose more things than I can find. One of my favorite quotes of all time is this; Those who are organized and keep a clean desk will never know the joy of finding something they thought they’d lost forever.

That being said, I have to tell you - All kidding aside - I have searched and searched – in multiple versions, translations and volumes and I have NEVER found one – NOT ONE Scripture that tells me to give up when I’m praying and believing according to God’s Word. Not one. Nor will you…

And I want to tell you – it is ABSOLUTELY God’s will to heal. If it wasn’t, Jesus wouldn’t have taken the stripes on His back for our healing. So it’s very simple. Pray BELIEVING - as Jesus instructs us, as recorded in Matthew 21. And keep believing!

Never give up. Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 NKJV

Prayer:

Father,
          According to Your Word in Psalm 119, verse 114, You are my refuge and my shield; Your Word is my source of hope. In You, I put my trust. I choose to believe Your Truth over anything and anybody. Let Your light of Truth shine, Father. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

* Taking Time to NOT Worry

“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 NLT

I heard a discussion about how to deal with worry. One suggestion “from the experts” (not sure the background of the experts) was to set aside a specific time to worry. Basically, make an appointment with yourself to only worry during the allotted time frame. I can’t even begin to tell you how diametrically opposed that is to the Word of God!

One question was, “Why is it wrong to worry? I just can’t help it.”  Baloney… Check out our Scripture reference for today. Jesus speaking, Don’t worry about these things…  Hebrews 11:6 tells us without faith it is impossible to please God. We can’t pick and choose which Scriptures we like – which ones we will obey.  2^nd Timothy 3:16-17 tells us, All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. How can we be prepared to do EVERY good work if we are worried?

Choosing to worry instead of submitting it all to the Lord is an accusation against God. Worry says, I don’t trust You, God. (That’s ugly, isn’t it?)

Let’s check history. 

Since the beginning of time, has God ever abdicated His throne? Has there ever been an earth-shattering event that has knocked HIM for a loop? 

Any war that did that? Recession? Inflation? Unemployment rate? Epidemic? Pandemic? Earthquake?  Hurricane? Tsunami? 

Anything? 

Has there been anything ever that has shaken who HE is? 

Changed HIM and/or HIS ability to be Father God? 

Caused God Himself to throw out any part of His Word as no longer relative?

Absolutely, unequivocally, indisputably, a resounding NO!

So if you want to set aside a time, let me suggest that it be a time to stop and consider the wonderful miracles of God. A time to seek His Kingdom above all else. A time to thank Him for all He has done for you thus far. Take the time to NOT worry…

Prayer:

Father,

          Forgive us for doubting You and Your love and Your ability to care for us and the things that concern us. Father, according to Your Word in 1^st Peter 5, today we choose to take the time to cast all our cares on You because You care for us. Help our unbelief, Father. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

No Distractions +

Tell everyone to sit down, Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted. So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.

When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting! When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.

John 6:10-15 NLT

I take notes. I take them at work and I take them at church and I write them at home because I'm easily distracted and it helps me on two levels. It forces me to be fully in the moment and also helps me to remember even when I see, Oh, shiny!!  But they only work if I know where they are and keep them in front of my face.

Jesus is not easily distracted. In Truth - He has never been distracted. Our text for today is just one more example of that. You see, Jesus is - and has always been - the King of kings. As Christians, we know that. Yet when faced with the prospect of the people forcing Him into kingship, Jesus slipped away. Why? Because the motives were wrong and their hearts were, too. Jesus didn't come as the prospect - He came because we the people were/are His purpose. His assignment on Earth, from the very beginning, was always about the Cross, not about the crown. And He never lost sight of that.

If we are to live like Jesus, we must stay focused. We must live a life of love and sacrifice for others. In looking over some notes tonight, I found these gems.

The effectiveness of life comes through the Cross.

The Cross is neither convenient, nor conventional.

Sacrifice is intentional and often, painful. If we schedule sacrifices for our convenience, it's not sacrifice.

We have to stay on track. If an opportunity comes our way, but it does not fit into the objective or purpose of our lives, it's not of God.

Recognize those areas where you are easily deceived or distracted.

Know your weaknesses, but even more than that - know HIS strength!

Stay focused through His Word.

Prayer:

Father,

          According to Your Word, Your grace is all we need. Your power works best in weakness. So now we are glad to boast about our weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through us. Father, work in us to accomplish Your will for our lives. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Developing an Attitude of Gratitude

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1st Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJV

It's been said that it takes 21 days to form a good habit. However, lots of things are said - that doesn't necessarily make them true - but let's find out for ourselves, shall we?

The U.S. celebrates Thanksgiving this month - the fourth Thursday of November. Thirty days in this month... Do you have 30 reasons to give thanks to God? Will you share them with others?

I'll start...

Father,
         Thank You for sending Your perfect Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross to pay the debt for my sin. Thank You that in Him I have the promise and hope of eternity with You. Father, please give me a grateful heart. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen