Who Is It? +

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”

John 14:6-7 NLT

When my first born was a toddler, we lived in an apartment, and I remember one morning, very early, running downstairs to do a load of laundry while she was still asleep. The only problem was, I forgot to grab my keys and cell phones hadn't been invented yet. I was locked out with my sleeping toddler inside by herself. And just the night before, I had worked and worked with her about never opening the door. So there I stood ringing the door bell to wake her, only to have her stand on the other side of the door and ask me in her 2-year-old voice, "Who is it?" and then tell me, "No open door, Mommy." Finally, a neighbor heard what was going on and called the superintendent.

Do we know who Jesus is? Do we recognize His voice? Will we open the door of our hearts to Him?

Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

“If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

Prayer:

Father,

          Reveal Yourself to us. Come - build Yourself in our hearts. We want to accomplish what You have planned for us, according to Your Word. May we always know Your voice and answer. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* In Spite of the Storm

Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
Mark 13:31 NLT

I was on my way from a meeting this evening; the sun was behind me shining brightly into the mass of storm clouds ahead of me. I knew conditions were right for a rainbow...and I was not disappointed. I thanked God for it as I watched it appear, not only for its beauty, but for the covenant - for His Word that stands the test of time. And in that moment, the Holy Spirit pierced my heart with understanding and hope...

As I mentioned, the sun was fully shining behind me, but the storm clouds ahead were daunting. The kind you watch for signs of a tornado. I don't like those, and I had the fleeting thought, 'Why head for the storm when you could turn around and ride into the sunset?' and it was in that moment that the rainbow appeared and I felt peace.

You see, I've been riding the edge of a storm in my life. The winds have been howling, the thunderous clamor of life's circumstances overwhelming at times, and it feels like I'm headed straight into it with no hope to avert. I've been so concerned with trying to find a way to get around the storm that I'd completely lost sight of the ability to go through it with my God who has promised to never leave me, to never forsake me. 

Storms come and go. Battles wax and wane, but the same God who proclaimed, Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away, also promised in Matthew 28:20, Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Storms and all.

Prayer:

Father, 
         Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for Your promises. Thank You for loving us beyond our comprehension, and thank You for being a God who is with us always. Strengthen our hearts, O God, in Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

  

Without Him +

It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.

Psalm 127:2 NLT

All day long, I have listened to people tell me how tired they are. All day long, I have been tired. It's exhausting... We're out of whack. What are our priorities? Why are we not rested? Are we trying to do life under our own steam?

If so, then we're not resting in the Lord. We're not following His lead. We're not letting Him do the building. We want to be in control. We tell God, "I got this." And we move on without Him.

Mylon LeFevre wrote a song titled, "Without Him." He was only 17 when he wrote it, but it's a standard that holds true today, and almost 50 years later, people are still singing it with great passion. 

Without Him, I could do nothing. Without Him I'd surely fail;
 Without Him, I would be drifting like a ship without a sail.

Without Him I would be dying. Without Him I'd be enslaved;
Without Him, life would be hopeless. But with Jesus, thank God, I'm saved.

Jesus, O Jesus, do you know Him today?
Please don't turn Him away, oh Jesus, my Jesus.
Without Him, how lost I would be.

Verse 1 of Psalm 127 reads, Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good." I don't know about you, but I work too hard for it to be wasted. And the Truth is, it's hopeless without Him.

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You that You have promised never to leave us or forsake us. Lord, we recognize that it's only by Your grace and mercy and provision that we can do anything at all. Forgive us and correct us when we think otherwise. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

It's In the Book +

And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:11-14 NLT

I remember a few years back, several of my co-workers made it a point to ask me if I was going to be at work on the following Monday. After about the third one, I finally asked if they knew something I didn't know. It was then they told me about the nutcase who predicted the exact day and time the world would end - over the weekend. 

They razzed me pretty good about not knowing what was going on in the news. I told them I didn't bother to get my news from the world. I know about what’s going on in the world today by reading the Book. I told them I don’t know exactly when Jesus is coming, because even JESUS doesn't know when He’s coming back - but they could best believe it would NOT be on the day or the hour a man predicts – their Saturday night plans were safe…unless of course, God decided to send Jesus on Friday… which begged the question THEN where would they be?

Our text continues in verse 23, Jesus speaking…

²³ “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. ²⁴For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. ²⁵ See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.

 ²⁶ “So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it! ²⁷ For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. ²⁸ Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.

 ²⁹ “Immediately after the anguish of those days,

   the sun will be darkened,
      the moon will give no light,
   the stars will fall from the sky,
      and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

 ³⁰ And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹ And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.

 ³² “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. ³³ In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. ³⁴ I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. ³⁵ Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

 ³⁶ “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.” (emphasis mine)

It’s in the Book. Read it. Believe it. Know what’s going on in the world around you.

Prayer:

Father,

            Guard our hearts and minds to know Your Truth. Let us not be deceived by worldly fears and predictions. Let the light of Your Truth shine brightly as the world grows darker. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

What's the Use? +

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Ephesians 4:29 KJV

Have you ever had a conversation or discussion with someone of a much different opinion than yours? You wonder, what’s the use in even trying to persuade them. And while in some situations it is true that it really doesn't matter all that much; what do you do when it IS a matter of life or death in the eternal weight of it?

First, I would encourage you, according to God’s instruction, don’t get argumentative. As we continue in our text for today, verses 31 and 32 read: Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Remember, you may have been just as hard-headed at some point in your life. I know I was. Verse 15a reads, we will speak the truth in love…

Secondly, if the conversation starts to escalate, step back. Breathe. Don’t let your passion override your peace. Matthew 12:36-37 warns us that we will give an account on judgment day for every idle word we speak. Verse 37 states, The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you. That’s scary…

And remember, the only words that have the power to change anything come from the Word of God or those words prayed according to the will of God. 2nd Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT) 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. That’s one use. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. That’s another use. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.  Yup, that’s the use.

Prayer:

Father,

           We know according to Your Word that Wisdom is the principal thing and therefore, we are to get Wisdom. You also admonish us, that in all of our getting, we are to get understanding. Give us understanding, Father, in how to reach those around us with Your Truth and Your love. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

* Do You Know...?

We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life.

1st John 1:1 NLT

A friend mentioned she was in line with someone who knew me, but my friend couldn't remember her name. She used to go to church with me - well, that's several hundred or several thousand that I know of, depending in which state we went to church together. She and her husband are singers - I know lots of couples who sing. That narrowed it a little, but I still had more names than I knew what to do with. Then my friend mentioned the other lady worked at a bank - definitely a shorter list, but I still knew about a handful of names who qualified. She recently had a baby. We have a winner! I knew exactly who it was then. 

The lady and her husband are actually friends first with my son and daughter-in-love, and I met her through them while I still lived in Missouri. She has a great laugh and a slightly warped sense of humor (takes one to know one). Prior to the birth of their beautiful daughter, she managed a branch of a well-known bank, and really stepped up to the plate for me during a time when I hadn't been in town very long and I was trying to get a check cashed. 

It's kinda funny. We know OF lots of people, including very famous people. We know OF Abraham Lincoln, but we don't know him. We know OF well-known personalities such as Albert Einstein, Dr. Michael DeBakey, Christiaan Barnard, but we don't know them. However, we act like we do because we know something about them....but it's not the same as knowing them. 

We know the people who have been in life with us and been there for us. We know what motivates them to do the things they do, why they act a certain way. We know their hearts, not just their dos and don'ts.

Do you know Jesus? I don't mean do you know OF Him, I mean, do you KNOW Him? Has He been along side of you in the trenches of your life? Do you laugh together? Do you remember good times? Does He have your back in the tough times? Do you look back and remember when you were first getting acquainted? Do you sing going down the road together? Do you talk together every day? Do you know His heart? Do you want to?

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for loving us and for sending Your Son so we could know You in all Your glory. As we get closer to You, reveal Yourself to us even more. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Relevance *

They shoot from the shadows at those whose hearts are right. The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?

Psalm 11:2b-3 NLT

It's been one of those days where it seems as though every prophet of doom and naysayer of what's wrong with the world today have all beaten a path to my door. I can only reply with what I KNOW to be Truth - no matter what the facts are. God's Word is my answer. It is always relevant!

Psalm 11, I trust in the Lord for protection. So why do you say to me, “Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety! The wicked are stringing their bows and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings. They shoot from the shadows at those whose hearts are right. The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?” 
But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth. The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked. He hates those who love violence. He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked, punishing them with scorching winds. For the righteous Lord loves justice. The virtuous will see his face.

Prayer:

Father, 

           We  pray according to Your Word, when I am afraid,

    I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?  What can mere mortals do to me? We want to see Your face! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

In That Day *

One day He's coming - oh glorious day!!

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 

He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.  He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment. 

In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all. The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra.Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm. 

Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord.

In that day the heir to David’s throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, and the land where he lives will be a glorious place. 

In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to bring back the remnant of his people— those who remain in Assyria and northern Egypt; in southern Egypt, Ethiopia, and Elam; in Babylonia, Hamath, and all the distant coastlands. He will raise a flag among the nations and assemble the exiles of Israel. He will gather the scattered people of Judah from the ends of the earth.
Isaiah 11:1-12

Prayer:

Father,

          When the impossible is possible - it's only through You. And You are the same yesterday, today and forever according to Your Word. We are so looking forward to walking with You in that day. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

__________ - I A N *

In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 2:12-13 NLT

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:4-5 NLT

Without Christ, not only can I not DO anything, I am nothing. When I first came back to Christ a long time ago (longer than I care to admit, but it almost qualifies for Once upon a time…)  someone taught me an illustration using the title Christian. He said, We who follow Christ are called Christian. However, if you remove Christ from Christian, all you have left are the letters I A N - an acronym for I Am Nothing…because without Christ, I am nothing. I have found that to be an eternal Truth.

If you are an active follower of Jesus Christ, do you remember the days BEFORE Him? Maybe you weren’t so bad. Maybe you were a “good” person but just didn’t have Christ as the Savior of your life. Me? I was an unholy terror. More often than not, I wish I and everyone who knew me then could have a partial lobotomy to remove the memories of the garbage details of my life. I had my own personal version of Monopoly’s Go to Jail card, only mine read – Go to hell. Go directly to hell. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200… and I was heading there fast and furiously, and I was good at it.

You might ask yourself where I’m going with this, or why I’m bringing it up. After all, it’s all forgiven through Christ and He promises to never remember it. Well, it's because of a book we read a few years back. The author shared a glimpse into her life that perfectly depicted what I know about my life, and I want to share it with you.

She wrote, Every time I’m getting ready to open God’s Word and teach from it, I’m in complete disbelief. Why He didn’t relegate me to the proverbial shelf long ago, I’ll never know. Like Jonah, in so many moments of rebellion, I’ve chosen a lifestyle out of sync with God’s will for me. Yet for some odd reason He lets me partner with Him.

I handle this position with care. I’m too shocked to do otherwise.

Aren’t you? Is there something that God has allowed in your life, some type of beauty-for-ashes miracle He has allowed, the sight of which causes you to simply stand back, mouth agape in wonder, and stare?

How can we not take time to relish the wonder of God’s mercy? Today is our chance to celebrate the mystery of divine second chances.

Scripture tells us that whatever we go through and He brings us out of, is all redeemed to accomplish His purpose for our lives. Any grace, any Truth, any redemptive word of wisdom, any tidbit of comfort or mercy that you receive from this Promise for Today is all because of Jesus Christ – the Author and Finisher of my faith and yours. Today, I am publicly reaffirming that Truth to you. You see, without Christ, I Am Nothing.

Prayer:

Father,

           Your Word tells us in Ephesians 2:10 that we are Your masterpiece. You created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things You planned for us long ago. Thank You, Father, for not throwing us away, for not leaving us in our sin. Keep us on the path forward to accomplish those things You have planned for us. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Something to Do +

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.  

Ephesians 5:15-17 NLT

We come to Christ for salvation, knowing we are sinners and unable to fix ourselves - knowing He is the only One who can save us, and after we receive our salvation from Him (remember, it's a gift), we try to spend the rest of our lives doing things to earn it or prove that we're good enough to have earned it. 

We're not. Scripture is very clear about that. Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT reads, God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 

There is a plan behind all of it and we need to understand that God didn't just save us so we could get to heaven. There IS something for us to do - but it's according to HIS plan. If we continue on to verse 10, it explains, For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Sometimes, we get sidetracked and don't even realize it. However, if we're serious about following God, He will reveal it to us.

I remember having a dream once where I was at some social event with a lot of different people and I kept finding myself in circumstances that seemed okay to start with, but after I was there for a little bit, I would realize the conversations were full of veiled innuendos, things that I knew in my heart were not Godly, even though there was nothing blatant about it. Underlying the whole scenario was a sense of being in a life-threatening position, although I couldn't actually see anything that appeared life-threatening. And after being there for a while, I grabbed a handful of some snack without even thinking about it, but at the first bite, it was beyond awful, and I was horrified. I immediately spit it out and kept wiping my tongue with the napkin. Finally, I headed to the restroom to brush my teeth to try to rid myself of the taste, only to have someone follow me in - someone who had no business being in there - and when someone else knocked on the door looking for the person who followed me in, my response was to ask why they thought that person would be in there... 

I was appalled both at the situation and at my response - and I immediately woke up. When I did, it was with pieces of the chorus to the song, Undo, running around in my head. I can't do this myself. You're the only One who can undo what I've become... You see, we get caught up in the things of this life and don't realize they're absolutely life-threatening to our life in Christ. Oh, on the surface, they're not bad. We're not out getting drunk or having clandestine affairs, etc, but we do things without thinking - thoughtlessly (like taking the handful of snack in the dream). They steal our time. We spend it in trivial pursuit... because it's something to do... 

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.  

Prayer:

Father,

        In the words of the song, Lord - Turn us around, pick us up, undo what we've become. Bring us back to the place of forgiveness and grace. We need You, need Your help. We can't do this ourselves. You're the only One who can undo what we've become... In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-oZbBS_OhM

Sink No Further *

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior…

Isaiah 43:1b-3a NKJV

My friend had her house leveled. The house was built on top of piers and those piers have sunk as far as they can, down to the solid rock foundation. They will sink no further. It turns out that my friend has hoped and prayed that her house was built on piers, so that was incredibly good news!!

And her good news is a direct result of THE Good News. When she told me this story, it hit me as such a picture of the goodness and mercy of the Lord. The last few years, she has been building her life on the sure foundation of Jesus Christ. Matthew 7:24-25 reads, Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.

The storms of life come. That’s just the way it is. In our text for today, God doesn’t say IF you pass through the waters, or IF you walk through the fire. The Scripture states WHEN you do. And WHEN we do, He WILL be with us… Christ our Rock, our sure foundation, so we’ll sink no further.

Prayer:

Father,

         Your Word is as solid as it gets. Help us to hear and comprehend and then to stand on it. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

* What's It Worth

What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them.

Luke 12:6 NLT

It's crazy how society determines the worth and value of people and things. According to The Business of Sports, written by Kenneth Rosner, In 2008 and 2009, average salaries across these leagues were $5.585 million in the NBA, $3.26 million in MLB, $1.9 million in the NHL, and $1.9 million in the NFL.  The median salary of a K-12 school teacher just starting out is less than $35k, and a teacher with 20 or more years of experience earns around $60k. Of course that depends on the state and district in which they work.  Police officers and sheriffs earn approximately the same median annual salary as teachers, again depending on where they live and work.

We use all kinds of phrases to express values. Solid gold, going platinum, dime a dozen, ain't worth a plugged nickel, about as useless as a screen door in a submarine. We use all sorts of standards - the gold standard. The price of oil per barrel - but they all fluctuate. There's no solid worth. No constant. No measure by which to set everything else's value.

We blow off things that are a dime a dozen. They're common. Cheap, plentiful, no supply demand for them. No real value added, no matter what... or who. We wouldn't give a plugged nickel for a couple of sparrows and yet our Scripture reference for today tells us that God Himself does not forget a single one of them. And if He does not forget one single sparrow, then how do you suppose He feels about you?

What are you worth to Him? The life of His ONLY begotten Son. Have you got a standard that can measure that?

Prayer:

Father,

         Train our eyes to see Your people and their value as You see them - worth it all. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

What's Your View? +

At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.

2nd Corinthians 5:16b-18 NLT

Let me start with telling you that I used to drive an honest-to-goodness, genuine, bonafide, redneck clunker... one that kind souls had poured money in to make sure it kept running and was road-worthy. And when I drove to work or to the store, I used to park in the back or on the side - away from the new cars and the lights - because my car always looked worse sitting between two nice cars. Don't get me wrong - I was grateful it ran. In fact, I'm sure owning that car improved my prayer life, but I was embarrassed to the point that I wanted to nominate my own car for the show where they take the clunkers and fix them up. 

If you drive a nice car and can't remember when you didn't, I give you permission to go ahead and laugh. If you currently drive an honest-to-goodness, genuine, bonafide, redneck clunker, thank God that it's still driveable and praise Him for every day you're not left stranded or broken down on the side of the road.

(A side note here. Between the clunker and the car I now drive - dear, dear friends blessed me with a beautiful Taurus [which unfortunately, I totalled shortly thereafter] and before the swelling had gone down from that wreck, two more beautiful friends gifted me with a great van. Yes, blessed and gifted...)

One night, backing out of a front row parking space, I caught a view of my current car in the glass storefront and whispered, "Thank You, God..."  Seven years, two hurricanes and a few dings later and I still see where God has brought me from. Now, hang on... just for the moment, I'm not talking about EXACTLY how far God has brought me, or even about ALL that He's brought me out of, there's not enough time or room here for that, but this particular evening, God reminded me of a moment that happened just a couple weeks after I purchased this car. A teaching moment. 

We were interviewing candidates for a position where I worked, and one night, we took a man and his wife to dinner. We had a good visit, a great meal, and when it came time to leave, I walked out with the group and got in my car, in plain sight of everyone else. Doesn't sound like a big deal, does it? But see, to me, it was, because I remembered when...  That night, I called my sister and said to her, "Do you know how good it felt to be able to come out with everyone else and get in my car and not be embarrassed?"  I was thinking of Christ and my life merely from a human point of view... Oh.my.word! The good news is, God did not leave me in that pathetic state of mindlessness toward Christ and all that He had and has done for me.

Immediately, God reminded me of where He TRULY had brought me from...and it had nothing to do with a car or with me being honest-to-goodness or genuine. However, I guarantee I was a bonafide, sin-sick clunker of a woman who didn't have the good sense to be ashamed of my sin until He opened my eyes so I got a view of myself from His holy perspective. Oh, praise God for His mercy and His GREAT grace!! Driving a nice car will not get me to Heaven or have any effect on my eternity one way or the other (unless there's a pride issue.)  I can stand with my head up only because HE is the lifter of my head. Because HE has washed my sins away. Because I am loved so much that He sent His Son to die in my place...

Whether I'm looking in a storefront window or glancing in the rear view mirror - It's a great view from where I'm standing... here at the foot of the Cross...

Prayer:

Father,
         Like the old song says, if they could see where You brought me from, they would know why I love You so. It's our desire to live like You, for You. Keep our vision clear so we can find our way home in You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?=1u1kKoGbKpU&feature=related

Snake-bit +

Let all that I am praise the Lord.
Psalm 104:1 NLT
 
One of the guys in our office had a bad week. It didn’t seem to matter what he touched, it went awry. There was no getting around it. He referred to it as being “snake bit;” in other words, his life had been poisoned. It was like listening to a country song. Chuckling with him at his lament and without being serious, I made a sign of a cross in front of him and told him it was fixed… 
 
I missed it. It was an opportunity to point him toward the Lord and instead, I went for the laugh. My heart convicted me, but I’d already missed the moment. ‘Please, God,’ I prayed silently, ‘Give me another opportunity with him. I’ll do better.’ 
 
The next morning, as he walked by my desk on the way to his office, he remarked, “It didn’t work.” 
 
“What didn’t work?”
 
He imitated the sign of a cross and kept walking. Following him into his office, he said, “Your prayer doesn’t work.” Hmmmm, there it was - my ‘nother opportunity. I confessed to him that I’d only been joking the day before and I was sorry for it. I also told him that I’d asked God for another opportunity to pray with him about his “snake-bit” condition. He kind of chuckled about that, but then I looked him in the eye and said, “I really would like to pray for God to intervene for you and change this situation, if that’s okay.” So he sat down and I put my hand on his shoulder, and asked God to have mercy and turn around the series of misfortunate events in his life. I also asked God to prove to my co-worker that He cared for the details of his life and ended with the promise that we would be careful to give Him the praise for a good report, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
 
The next morning, as he walked by my desk on the way to his office, he remarked, “It worked.” He was amazed and was quite animated in his tale of no more snake bite - like what happens when you play the country song backward - everything was good. 

Throughout the day as others stopped by looking for the next chapter of his snake-bit adventure, he was at first, a little reticent to acknowledge God’s hand in the turn-around of his situation. So I reminded him that when we prayed, I had told God we would give Him the praise. When he started to make dissenting noises, I shrugged my shoulder and replied, “No problem. I’ll just let God know He’s not obliged to ward off any more snake bite since you don’t want to give Him the credit.”  For the rest of the day, he was a living epistle for 1st Chronicles 16:9, Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. 
 
Prayer:
 
Father,
          You are so good to us. Let us ever be mindful of Your love toward us so that we always give You the praise. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

* Make It Happen

You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.

Galatians 6:7b-8 NLT

All over Facebook, people are posting pictures of their gardens - both vegetables and flowers. They're showing the fruit of their labor. All the planning and preparing, starting the seeds, working the soil. Planning the layout. It has paid off. They are making it happen.

When I plant cucumber seeds, I expect I will get cucumbers. If I plant sugar snap peas, I expect to get sugar snap peas. Likewise with tomatoes or corn. God created seed to produce after its own kind. I can't plant watermelon and expect to get grapes. I can't expect to harvest lemons from a fig tree. Sounds pretty crazy doesn't it? And yet...

Why is it that we can sow doubt and discord and expect to harvest faith and peace? How do we go about throwing seeds of corruptible behavior all week long and expect to reap holiness and righteousness? Do we watch reality TV all week and then expect God to give us all our answers during the commercial break?

Sometimes we get tired, but further on in this chapter, Paul writes, "So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up."  Keep planning and planting. Make it happen.

Prayer:

Father,

          You alone are God and worthy of all praise. Thank You for the principles You have set before us that never fail. Continue to work the furrowed fields of our hearts so that we can reap a good harvest from Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

* No Excuse

But God's angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse.

Romans 1:18-20 NLT

 I was born this way - what's your excuse? 

You'd better have a good excuse...

Weellllll, excuuuuuuuuuuuuussse me! 

I don't remember who it was that said there aren't enough crutches for the over-abundance of lame excuses, but he spoke the truth. I wonder how many people will stand before God and try to offer excuses. What we need to know is that when that day comes, God will not be looking at anyone else in our little sphere of reality. He'll be looking at only one person - the one in front of Him - and judging the life work of that person as to whether or not Jesus is their Lord and Savior.

Ignorance of the law will not excuse you from the consequences of breaking the law. Not knowing is no excuse - on Earth or in Heaven. Jesus tells us in John 15:22, They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin.

Do we have an interest in knowing Jesus or are we committed to knowing Him? Art Turock, famed business speaker and corporate leadership motivator, has this to say about it, "There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results."

God is committed to us. So much so that He sent His only Son to die a brutal death on the Cross at Calvary for the remission of our sins. We have NO excuse...

Prayer:

Father,

          Forgive us for trying to excuse or justify any behavior that is opposed to Your Will and Word. Change our hearts and minds, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* How to Marvel

At about the same time, the disciples came to Jesus asking, "Who gets the highest rank in God's kingdom?"

For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, "I'm telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you're not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God's kingdom.
Matthew 18:1-4 The Message

I remember when my firstborn was a toddler.  I got such a kick out of seeing the world anew through her eyes. It was like discovering it again for the first time. All the excitement and wonder! I think it's why I like kids so much - they truly know how to marvel about things in life! I think we tend to lose that as we grow older and become "responsible" adults. We don't truly recognize marvelous once we lose the newness of life in the name of growing up. We forget how to marvel...

The same can happen in our Christian walk. And if we do forget, then how do we sing at the top of our lungs, "Oh, how marvelous! How wonderful and my song shall ever be! How marvelous! How wonderful is thy Savior's love for me!" 

I like being around baby Christians for just that reason. How exciting it is to see them! Hungry-for-the-Truth-marveling-at-His-Grace-in-awe-and-wonder-of-God's-mercy-and-grace-and-goodness-and-faithfulness brand new creations in Christ!  It's like discovering it again for the first time. All the excitement and wonder... How marvelous! Do you remember how?

Prayer:

Father,
         Open our hearts and minds to receive Your glory and Your grace. Cause us to marvel at the works of Your hands! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen