Surviving the Fire

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
Isaiah 48:10 NKJV

We've talked about it before - how we more earnestly seek God's presence and His comfort when our lives are being shipwrecked. Psalm 46:1 in the King James tells us, God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. The Good News Translations reads, God is our shelter and strength...

What are the first orders of business for survival following a shipwreck? Shelter and fire. So, we run to God for shelter, but we don't often want His fire. In the natural, we need fire for warmth, protection against the elements, to cook food, to purify water. In the spirit realm, we need His fire even more! And yet, we complain about the heat.

I remember years ago having a dream about being contained within a ring of fire and feeling trapped. I wanted out! In my heart, I cried out to God, "Why?!? Why am I trapped in here? Why won't You let me move?!?" And it was then I saw, outside the ring of fire, the enemy crouching, ready to destroy me. Wanting to kill me, but he couldn't get me because of the fire. It's amazing what a little God perspective will do for the furnace of affliction. So often we plead with God to deliver us from the very fire that was sent to free us from that which so easily besets us - to purify and to protect us.

John Piper writes ...there is no painless path to heaven. Why? Because Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." And it is no more possible to become pure painlessly than it is to be burned painlessly. Purity comes through the refining fire. And the fire has two forms: one is the fire of affliction and the other is the fire of intentional self-denial.

We need to embrace the fire of God so that we can be saved, sanctified and purified to live with Him for all eternity - to be partakers of His holiness.

Prayer:

Father,
           Give us clean hands and pure hearts. O God, may it be that the genuineness of our faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. And it's in His precious Name we pray. Amen!

Get a Grip

But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness.
Hebrews 12:10b NLT

According to the dictionary, discipline is both a noun and a verb, defined as: 'the practice of training people or to train someone to obey rules or a code of behavior' and 'the controlled behavior resulting from such training.'

I know there are those who are very passionate about what forms of discipline are or are not acceptable. My intent is not to upset anyone. I think, though, we can all agree that if training of any kind is to occur, be it athletic or raising children, it requires some sort of self-control and discipline. 

Discipline is tiresome. It's difficult to endure. It is not fun. Discipline can wear you out - literally. (Actually, that is a common colloquialism in the southern US. If a mother promises to "wear you out," someone's going to get a spanking.) The Word of God confirms that as we read on in verse 11, No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

When I read vvs. 12 & 13, I just keep thinking, "Get a grip..." So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong. In other words, embrace the training, endure the discipline, the end result will be worth it.

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for loving us enough to correct us so that we might share in Your holiness. Help us to endure the discipline and learn from it. We are looking forward to the peaceful harvest of right living. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Living in Peace

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14:17 NKJV

Peace, by the world's standards, can be dubious, questionable, suspect. Is it based on true reconciliation or is it a pretend peace - contingent upon who has the most power? 

And how do we have the true peace of God? By walking in His love. We are instructed how to do just that in Romans 12. A Scriptural Checklist, if you will:

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. 

Hate what is wrong. 

Hold tightly to what is good. 

Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 

Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 

Rejoice in our confident hope. 

Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 

When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. 

Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 

Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 

Live in harmony with each other. 

Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. 

And don’t think you know it all!Never pay back evil with more evil. 

Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.

Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. (vvs 9-18 NLT)

Prayer:

Father,

           We know that apart from You it is impossible for us to love or to truly live in peace. Anoint us with Your gift of reconciliation to be able to turn our hearts and the hearts of those You place in our path toward You. We want to walk in Your love and lasting peace. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Until Then

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
Revelation 21:4 NIV

Job 14:1 tells us, How frail is humanity! How short is life, how full of trouble! And some days, it's seems like that's all there is. Proverbs 13 acknowledges that Hope deferred makes the heart sick...

But our Promise for Today - no more death or mourning or crying or pain! Can we even imagine that?!? 

Stuart Hamblen wrote a great old hymn titled, Until Then, talking about life and the struggles we endure while on this earth. Great words of wisdom and encouragement, reminding us that "a heartache here is but a stepping stone..." and "this troubled world is not my final home."  And in the chorus, he wrote of what he would do until God called him home. 

"Until then, my heart will go on singing!
Until then, with joy I'll carry on until the day my eyes behold that City - Until the day God calls me home."

1st Thessalonians 4:16-17 NIV cheers us on toward that day with this faithful promise, For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.  Until then...

Prayer:

Father,
          Let us walk in the light of Your love, forgiving as You have forgiven us. Loving because You first loved us. Looking to the Christ - the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross. Help us to follow His example. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Simply

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.
Matthew 9:9 NLT

Simple verse. Seemingly simplistic in nature. 

Follow Me. 
Okay. 

Trust me, there was nothing simple about that at all. 

Tax collectors in Jesus' time had a reputation for cheating the people. They worked for the Romans, charging (and often over-charging) their own countrymen the taxes imposed by the Roman government. It was a lucrative business for the tax collector, and the Jews hated them. Matthew was a tax collector. So, when Jesus said, Follow Me, and Matthew did, Matthew immediately became unemployed.  

You'll notice, Matthew did not question Jesus. "Where are You going?" 
"What's my role in this?" 
"Who's funding this?" 
"Are we getting paid?" 
"Let me see if I can get the time off..."  

None of that. Jesus simply said and Matthew simply got up and did. 

Oh, that we would simply do the same...

Prayer:

Father,
         We pray as Jeremiah prayed, We know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. So correct us, Lord, but please be gentle. We want to follow Your steps. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Giving It

[Jesus speaking], “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?
Mark 8:34-35 NLT

Recently, I watched a couple shows where entertainers were being introduced and every time, without fail, the one doing the introduction would say, "Put your hands together and give it up for so-and-so." Then everyone would start clapping and whistling and yelling, or they would say, "Put your hands together and show some love" and the same pandemonium would break out. One could deduce from their actions that to give it up means to show some love.

That would certainly be true in some aspects of building relationships. Something that is detrimental to a relationship or your part of the relationship - such as a bad habit or lack of judgment - giving it up would be showing love. Let's be clear that I'm not talking about the unhealthy bargaining chip of "If you really love me, you would..." But rather, are we willing to give up something to show real love? Without violating Scripture? Can we do it without compromising our moral beliefs?

One example might be giving up cigarettes - the now non-smoker will live longer, you don't want to endanger the lives of those around you. You want to be healthier, live longer for those you love, etc., and so it would be giving it up to show love.

Are we willing to give it up (whatever ‘IT’is) for the truest love? Jesus did. He gave His life to show His love. Will we give Him ours to show Him love?

Prayer:

Father,
             Your Word tells us in Matthew 19:29 that everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for Your sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. And we might offer up our lives such as they are, but You sent Christ so that we could have life and have it more abundantly. Father, we want to give it up to show our love. Help us to do it according to Your will. We want to be ready to see You when You return. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

He Started It

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Philippians 1:6

Bill Watterson wrote, "God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now, I am so far behind that I will never die."  Somehow, I don't think God's promise to us of eternal life is based on us not finishing what we started. Can I get an Amen? 

Have you gotten sidetracked by life's complications? Do you believe that you're so far off track that you can never recover God's original purpose for your life?  Do you still believe His promise to you? Do you ever doubt that God will be able to finish what He started in you? Do you think you're too old now - no way to recover? That there's not enough left of your life for God to be able to work with? 

Then I've just got two words to say.

1. Abraham
2. Sarah

If you don't know their story, it's a good one. (Genesis chapter 15:1 - 18:15, chapter 21:1-6). He's one hundred years old, literally. She's 90. There's NO way! Neither one have anything to offer in the way of making babies. Sarah NEVER did and yet...  God, who began the good work within you...

He started it. And I am certain He'll continue it until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Prayer:

Father,
          You, Lord, are all we have, and You give us all we need; our future is in Your hands. How wonderful are Your gifts to us; how good they are! And so we are thankful and glad. You will show us the path that leads to life; Your presence fills us with joy and brings us pleasure forever. You are our God.Help us, O God, when we struggle to believe You will complete Your work in us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Pearls

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!
Matthew 13:45-46 NLT

I have always loved pearls. I think they are exquisite. I was in my twenties when my Aunt Amelia told me pearls were associated with sorrow and tears, and she was saddened to think pearls were my jewels of choice. Actually, that just made me love them more. I think the sorrow and tears thing has much to do with the way pearls are formed; something irritating to the oyster. We know the irritant in the life of the oyster is wrapped in layers of nacre, creating the pearl. 

It's been a long time since I gave serious consideration to pearls and gems, so I thought I'd better check my facts. According to Pearl International, 

     "These layers  [of nacre] are translucent, and reflect light in such a way that a real pearl appears to have an inner glow that is almost impossible to recreate with artificial methods.
     If they are perfectly uniform without any differences or imperfections, it’s very likely that they were manufactured. Real pearls are born in the sea, so they grow up getting rolled around by wind and waves, and as a result, they are never, never perfect.
     In nature, the longer a pearl remains within an oyster’s shell, the more likely it is to develop imperfections like dents and divots. As a result, pearls of a very large size can be extremely valuable."

It just reminds me of my walk with Christ in so many ways. First and foremost, HE is the pearl of great price to me. Everything else is worthless compared to Christ. And yet, HE gave everything HE had for me. How can you not love a God who considers you priceless? 

Philippians 3:7-9 The Message says it all, Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.

And He's a God who wraps us in layer upon layer of His protection so we might reflect His light in such a way that we have an inner glow. Not shiny and brassy, but glowing.

We're not perfect. We're not perfectly uniform. We're not all the same. But we are beautiful in His sight and we are extremely valuable to Him.

Prayer:

Father,
           I'm overwhelmed by You! Your love. Your mercy. Your grace. Your faithfulness. How could we possibly thank You enough for all You have done and all You are doing even now? In our finite way, we love You, Father. We want to love You more. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

There's a Reason

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.
Romans 5:3 NLT

How many times have we questioned God with why? Why this is happening - why that is happening - why something's ALWAYS happening... Is there a reason?!?

Does it ever make you doubt God? Is He listening? Does He care? Is He mad? Can't He see what's happening? That's the enemy of our souls trying to get us to blame God rather than trust Him with lies such as,
"If He really loved you, you wouldn't be going through all this."
"He's not listening to you - you've sinned way too much for Him to forgive you."
"Give it up. He doesn't care. If He did, this wouldn't have happened."
"God could have prevented it, but He doesn't really love you."

All lies! Lies, lies and more lies!

Are we in this walk for all of eternity? If so, we need to have some serious endurance. It's easy to be a Christian when life is good. It's another matter altogether when the circumstances of life change from good to bad. However, in the tough times, if we choose to trust God instead of blaming and/or doubting Him, we will develop the endurance we need to make it to the end.

Matthew 24:13 reads, But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. That's the reason!

Prayer:

Father,
            Thank You for Your Word - for its instruction and encouragement and for the answers to life! Help us to recognize its truths and embrace them. Give us strength for each day as You have promised. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Loss of Appetite

You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.
Matthew 5:6  The Message

If you feel a little off - not quite yourself. If you want to sleep more or chill out in front of the television or computer. If your energy and focus seem to be disappearing, and you have a loss of appetite - these are all indicators that something is definitely not right. You would probably make an appointment to see your physician. 

No, this is not WebMD, but it is going to be a symptom checker. 

It's the same thing in the spiritual realm of life. Are you feeling a little off in your walk with the Lord? Are you wanting to sleep more or chill out in front of the TV or computer? Have you lost your appetite for the Word of God? Are you doing without your daily serving of God's Word? ALL indicators that something is definitely not right. You need to schedule time with the Great Physician.

I love the way Bob Sorge writes the treatment plan to recover spiritually. "By drinking lots of water (the Holy Spirit), getting plenty of rest (ceasing from our own works), exercising ourselves (in the Word), avoiding junk foods (lousy replacements [TV,etc]), often our spiritual appetite can be restored."

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6 NKJV

Prayer:

Father,
           We pray as the psalmist prayed in Psalm 107, We give thanks to You for Your unfailing love and Your wonderful deeds for mankind, for You satisfy the thirsty and fill the hungry with good things. Let us always be hungry for You. Quench our thirst with more of You, O God. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Attentive Ears - His, Not Ours

[Jesus speaking] I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.
John 17:20 NLT

All who will ever believe... That's you and me. This Scripture should give us GREAT assurance that God listens. It's Jesus praying for us while He walked this earth. A couple thousand years ago. Long before any of our known relatives were alive... and yet, for all who will ever believe in me through their message.
John 17:20 NLT

That gives me great hope.

And in 1st Peter, we find this, For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
1st Peter 3:12 NIV

How many times have we prayed for something and not gotten the answer we wanted? Do we still pray or have we given up? I have to tell you that God is trustworthy. He has THE plan and He's working it all for our good.

Someone we can trust even when the answer isn't the one we wanted. God will still take care of it. You want this. You need this. Someone to talk to. Someone who will listen. Someone who will answer. Someone who loves you enough to say, "NO" when it's required.

Engage or re-engage. God is listening.

Prayer:

Father,
            Open our hearts to see You and hear instruction. Give us strength, sufficient to the task. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.

A Prayer for Strength

Praise the Lord! For he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.
The Lord gives his people strength.
Psalm 28:6-8a

Sometimes, I'm so physically tired, I can hardly stand it. That is a fact of life for me. BUT the TRUTH is The Lord gives his people strength. AND the joy of the Lord is my strength. AND the Lord IS my strength and my shield....

I want to write, but can't seem to put it together tonight. I do have this great prayer though, from Rebecca Barlow Jordan. (www.rebeccabarlowjordan.com). Thank You, Father, for always providing for us.

*****Lord, I’m weary. My energy is sagging, and my motivation is lagging. And I am so in need of you. I need your strength and your fresh touch to get back on track again. Your Word says the joy of the Lord is my strength. If that's true, then I need your joy to replace all the bone-tired parts of my mind, body, and soul.

The pressures of life sometimes push me into a corner, rendering me helpless to move forward. A hundred voices call my name, and I feel paralyzed at times to answer, not knowing where to turn. Lord, help me not to quit, to keep running the race faithfully, and to find strength in that safe, secret place of yours, under the shadow of the Almighty.

I need your strength to say no when I'm tempted to surrender to harmful things, or when selfishness clings to my clothes and won't let go. I need your strength to say yes, when cowardice and fear nudge me to deny the convictions of my heart. I need your strength to reach out in love to those both close to me and all around me. When don't I need your strength, God?

You are my rock, and I run to you today, believing that you will lift up my heavy arms, that you will fuel me for the tasks you've given me, and that your joy will completely consume the weakness of my life and make me strong again. I don't want to stay grounded, crippled by limitations and failed attempts. I'm tired of feeble efforts. Lord, I want to mount up with wings like an eagle and not just fly. I want to soar.*****

In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

Without Help

If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
John 14:15-18 NKJV

I honestly don't know how people do life without Christ. There are days life is great, but then there are those other days... The ones that turn into weeks. Months. Seasons. Sometimes really LOOOOOOOOOONNNNNGGGGGGGG seasons. Can you relate? It's too hard without Someone to walk with us. 

It's during those times especially that I am so thankful for my Paraclete. No, not parakeet. Paraclete - the Greek word meaning Counselor, Comforter, Encourager, Advocate, Helper. The same Helper Jesus prayed the Father would send to us. The Holy Spirit. The often ignored Third Part of the Holy Trinity. The One who is ALL those things to us. Counselor, Comforter, Encourager, Advocate, Helper, the Spirit of Truth providing guidance in every season of our lives. 

Never alone. Never abandoned. Never without help. Thank You, God.

Prayer:

Father,
         Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to abide with us forever. To guide us into all Truth, to testify to us of the hope we have in Christ Jesus. To bring to our remembrance all that You have taught us. Fine tune our hearts to hear and quickly respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Looking Out for Number One

Do not seek your own good, but the good of the other person.
1st Corinthians 10:24 NET Bible

Looking out for number one. Numero Uno. What about what I want? What about what I need? It's all about me. It doesn't have to be a sports event - everybody wants to be #1. We live in a day and age when people think that they are entitled to be whatever they want to be, no matter the cost to others.

But that's not what God thinks. With God, it's preferring one another in love. It's loving your neighbor as you would yourself, fulfilling the law through love.

We ARE to be looking out for Number One. But we're not it. They are...

Prayer:

Father,
            Give us Your eyes to see. Your heart to love. Your mercy and grace to embrace others as You have done with us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Love Letters

Well, this is my third visit coming up. Remember the Scripture that says, “A matter becomes clear after two or three witnesses give evidence”? On my second visit I warned that bunch that keeps sinning over and over in the same old ways that when I came back I wouldn’t go easy on them. Now, preparing for the third, I’m saying it again from a distance. If you haven’t changed your ways by the time I get there, look out. You who have been demanding proof that Christ speaks through me will get more than you bargained for. You’ll get the full force of Christ, don’t think you won’t. He was sheer weakness and humiliation when he was killed on the cross, but oh, he’s alive now—in the mighty power of God! We weren’t much to look at, either, when we were humiliated among you, but when we deal with you this next time, we’ll be alive in Christ, strengthened by God.
2nd Corinthians 13:1-4 The Message

Is this the side of Paul that we would want to deal with? I don't think so. Some might read that passage and not view this particular passage as part of a love letter. And yet, that's exactly what this is. Love at its deepest level. Love so deep that it cannot bear the thought of them being in danger. Love so strong that it cannot allow the sin to continue. Love so powerful that it will risk the loss in order to have Truth prevail.

I've written about it before - false peace. The facade created and worn to be socially acceptable. The Why-can't-we-all-just-get-along-kind-of-peace. It's.Not.Real. It won't last. Working to a place of peace is hard. Love may be living in harmony and peace, but sometimes you have to work hard at loving, too. 

Jesus did. He loved you to death... and back.

Prayer:

Father,
            We pray as Paul prayed in Ephesians 3, For this reason we kneel before You, the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. We pray that out of Your glorious riches You may strengthen us with power through Your Spirit in our inner being, so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith. And I pray that being rooted and established in love, we may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of You, O God. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

I Before E Except After C When Praying

Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.
When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
Matthew 21:18-22 NIV

Do you remember in music class the mnemonic devices to help you learn the grand staff? Treble clef for lines was Every Good Boy Does Fine - E G B D F and for spaces was FACE for F-A-C-E. People use mnemonics for all sorts of subjects.

The ones I'm most familiar with are for spelling. One of the most well-known is I before E except after C... except it doesn't always work. However, I have found that I Before E Except After C works extremely well when learning how to pray.

People are always looking for books on how to pray. Is there a formula? What makes it work? Why doesn't it work? Oftentimes, people get discouraged because they prayed for something and didn't get the answer they prayed for. The truth is sometimes we don't because the answer is no. Sometimes we're not seeing the overall picture or not seeing from God's perspective. Sometimes it's because the attitude in which we pray is "I'll believe it when I see it."  Bad attitude. This is where we need to incorporate I Before E Except After C when praying.

As our text for today points out, we must believe BEFORE we can expect to receive. That will help us to keep our priorities straight. Believe FIRST.

Prayer:

Father, 
          Forgive us for being out of order, Lord. Help us to grow our faith to believe when we pray so that we may receive what we pray for according to Your will. We pray as the father prayed in Mark 9, I do believe! Help my unbelief! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Quitting is Not an Option

[Jesus speaking] I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.
John 16:33 NLT

We can trust His truths. ALL of them. Coming to Christ is the easy part - it IS as simple as ABC. You have probably heard of the ABC's of Salvation. A - Admit that you are a sinner and need a Saviour. B - Believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died to pay for your sin and rose again on the third day to bring us into eternal life. C - Confess to someone your decision to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour of your life. Romans 10:9-10 reads, ...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

However, daily living for Him is a whole 'nother story. It is difficult, to say the least, but He told us it would be. We think we have it hard. We think it is difficult for us to choose to walk the Christian way - that the persecutions are too difficult. In countries other than America, we have seen that to be true. In America, no such thing.

Paul - one of the greatest men to ever walk the earth to preach the Good News of Jesus - suffered beyond words after he became a Christian. In 2nd Corinthians 11:23-29 NKJV, Paul tells us,

• From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.
• Three times I was beaten with rods; 
• once I was stoned; 
• three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;
• in journeys often, 
• in perils of waters, 
• in perils of robbers, 
• in perils of my own countrymen, 
• in perils of the Gentiles, 
• in perils in the city, 
• in perils in the wilderness, 
• in perils in the sea, 
• in perils among false brethren; 
• in weariness and toil, 
• in sleeplessness often, 
• in hunger and thirst, 
• in fastings often, 
• in cold and nakedness— 
• besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. 

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

The only thing that saved Paul from being crucified was the fact that he was a free-born citizen of Rome. They beheaded him instead. And yet in spite of the horrendous sufferings, quitting was not an option for Paul. It's not an option for us, either.

Prayer:

Father,
           Change our hearts, O God! Replace our focus on what's wrong and guide us to be grateful for the good in our lives, starting with our salvation. Thank You, Father. O for a thousand tongues to sing praises to my King... In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

By Request - Jesus and They

While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?" Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe." He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James.

Mark 5:35-37 NIV

Interesting things to note in this passage. Jairus had gotten to Jesus first – before the woman with the issue of blood. His matter was urgent – his daughter was dying. Jesus the Healer stopped to heal a woman of great focus – she was focused on one thing – the hem of His garment (actually the tzitzit of the tallit, more commonly known as the prayer shawl). This focus on Him produced in her great faith. Faith which is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for – the EVIDENCE of things not seen.  Twelve years and having already spent all her money hoping to be healed, she focused her faith on Him and was healed and made whole.

Scripture tells us while Jesus was still speaking to the woman, THEY said to the man who had walked in faith to find Jesus and bring Him back to heal his daughter, Your daughter is dead… don’t bother Jesus any more. That’s what THEY said.

What did Jesus do? He ignored what THEY said and spoke directly to Jairus. Don't be afraid; just believe.  And then notice, Jesus did NOT let everyone follow Him to the house. When He got there (vvs 38b-40) Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. What did He do? He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. THEY laughed at Him. So what did Jesus do? Read the next verse. He put them all out of the house. He was not going to tolerate unbelief and lack of faith – THEY-sayers don’t even have the right to see the miracle that faith wrought.

I’ve heard quite a few stories in the last week – situations that call for tough faith! Immoveable, unshakeable - the kind that requires our focus to be totally on Christ and not on what THEY are saying. The kind that requires us to look to Him and Him only and believe what HE says. Faith that requires a select few to stand with you, true followers of Jesus, who stand believing with you. Faith which has substance to it that can produce the evidence of things not yet seen.

I don’t care what the doctors say. I don’t care about the statistics that did not come from the Word of God. I don’t care if THEY laugh and roll their eyes. THEY laughed at Jesus, too – and THEY missed it! I don’t care what THEY say or do.  Romans 3:3-4a reads, For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. What did Jesus do?

Was He moved by what They said? Was He moved by what He saw with His physical eyes? If your faith isn’t quite that strong, will you be like the father in Mark 9:24 who instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” 

Prayer:

Father,

           You alone are the Truth in our lives. Cause our roots to go deep in You so we can stand through the storms of life and having done all, continue to stand on Your Word. We pray in the Name that is ABOVE everything that is named – above cancer, above MS, above leukemia, above MDS, above diabetes, above depression. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Bragging Rights

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 NLT

If anyone had bragging rights back in his day, it was Paul. We've talked about his résumé before. I love his writing in 2nd Corinthians! He has such a way of taking issues down to the most basic reality of Truth. There is only one God and we're not Him. It's true that if we compare ourselves to some people, we certainly might appear to be wonderful or even important. However, when we compare ourselves to a sinless, perfect God, what do we see? The Truth.

Everything we have - everything we are - apart from God? Filthy, just filthy. We have no bragging rights. And if God chooses to promote whatever talent or skill HE has given us, why then, we still don't have bragging rights because it's all God.

This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 9:23-24 NLT

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You that You have given us the understanding to be able to know You. We want to know You more. We recognize and acknowledge that You are Lord. You exercise kindness, justice and righteousness on earth. Guide us into all Your Truths. Help us to walk in Your statutes of kindness, justice and righteousness. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

No Dropping Out

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
2nd Corinthians 10:3-5 NLT

I intensely dislike confrontation. It's uncomfortable, plus people tend to build walls to defend themselves. I also don't like being perceived as the bad guy. However, let me share a show stopper with you. Absence of confrontation is NOT the same as living in peace.

I have learned that you have to care enough about someone or something in order to confront. And you have to do it in love! There's a huge difference between confronting the person and confronting in love. If we confront someone without praying first, the likelihood of winning them over is slim to none. More often than not, we may lose the friendship. So DON'T fight it with weapons of your own making.

Ephesians 6: (the Message) tells us exactly which weapons to use to help each other so we can all win through Christ. Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. Care enough to confront someone who has stepped off the path and lead them back on. By His mercy! By His grace... no dropping out.

Prayer:

Father, 

           thank You for Your Word and Your direction. Help us to walk the path You have cleared before us and to help those along the way who may be struggling to make it. Lord, we don't want any drop outs on our watch. In Jesus' Name we pray. AMEN

The Whole

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. 

Romans 12:6-9a NLT

Think about your circle of friends. Your core values - what makes you you - are probably very similar. You might even joke about them being your brothers from other mothers or sisters from different misters because you're a lot alike. However, unless you're a teacher or in the medical field, more than likely, you have different occupations. Your gifts and talents are different but may very well complement each other.

Are you ever envious of a friend's gifting or talent? You needn't be. God has given you your own. Leaders are not the same as teachers. Singers are usually not servers. Prophets are generally not great candidates for counseling or encouraging. They CAN be, but not usually. 

Don't be jealous, be thankful. What you may lack, your friend either has or can do. God gives us different gifts and models relationship so we'll know how it's done. It's together that we are the whole body of Christ. What do you bring to it? What is your part of the whole? Do you know?

Prayer:

Father,

          Open our eyes to see and recognize Your gifts and talents within our friends and within ourselves. Help us, O God, to use them to the best of You in us in order to further Your kingdom. THY kingdom come! THY will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Going Home +

For we know that when this tent we live in now is taken down—when we die and leave these bodies—we will have wonderful new bodies in heaven, homes that will be ours forevermore, made for us by God himself and not by human hands.

This is what God has prepared for us, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.
2nd Corinthians 5:1,5 TLB

I like to visit, but I gotta tell you, I love to be home. I'd rather be home than anywhere. And that's just here in Texas... which in my humble opinion is as close to Heaven as it gets anywhere here on Earth.

However, thinking about Heaven as our eternal home... Wonderful new bodies - that'll be heavenly! (Pun intended.) Homes that will be ours forevermore - I'd like that, too. No more packing / moving / unpacking... Designed by God Himself. Not even Chip and Joanna can compare. This is not a Fixer Upper - it's brand new! Move over, Ty, the only Extreme Makeover that's happening is what the Holy Spirit is doing on the inside of us! Galatians 5:22-23, The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Prerequisites to Heaven.

It is a serious transformation - from the inside out - but it's all part of the process of getting to go home. Verses 6-8 of our Promise today read, So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.

The last few weeks have seen the passing of multiple friends' loved ones. These are not easy times. Thankfully, all died with the confidence of life eternal with Jesus; their death the preamble to going home.

Prayer:

Father,
             Comfort as only You can in times like these. Thank You for the hope and confidence of eternal life with You. Be our Strength and our Light in these dark times. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Going Through

Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
Joshua 3:15-16 NIV

This crossing was different than when the Israelites crossed the Red Sea (Exodus 14). That time, Moses stretched out his hand and a strong east wind blew, parting the waters and blew all night, drying the ground. From their first step to the last step, they were on dry ground. I am in no way minimizing the step of faith it took to walk between two walls of water; I'm just highlighting that the parting had already taken place and the ground dried before they stepped in.

For this crossing, they were facing the full force of a river at flood stage. Have you ever seen one? As anyone who has ever lived near a river at flood stage will testify, the sheer volume and rushing power of the water can be terrifying. It is not something you would want to go near, let alone step into.

In our lives today, there are many parallels to this story. We might not be facing a literal flood, but many times, we face a flood of opposition. Trial and tribulations that are at flood stage. We pray and expect God to deliver us from them. We want Him to part that water and let us walk through on dry ground! However, His Word in Isaiah 43:2 promises us, When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. Do we believe God?

Do we know Him well enough to step into the raging water when He bids us, "Come"? Can we hear His voice? Do we believe His Word? Can we take the step of faith into the flood stage river bank? Verse 17 tells us, The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground. Will we, by faith, keep His covenant Word at the center of it all like the priests did, so that those in our care are able to go through, as well?

Prayer:

Father,
            As the waters rise, let our faith also rise. Let us take the step of faith at Your bidding to go through. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Seeing Forever

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 

2nd Corinthians 4:7 NLT

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.

But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 

2nd Corinthians 4:8-18 NLT

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for Your Word. Thank You that it is alive and powerful and able to wash us clean through You. Help us to always search out the eternal weight of things, to follow You and trust You in all things. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

The Three R's

For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
1st John 2:16-17 NLT

I've been reading, researching and reflecting (my three R's) on the subject of self-denial for the last several days. There is much to be said about it in Scripture. Matthew 16:24 NKJV reads, Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." The New Living translation reads thusly, If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way,... You will note that denying yourself and taking up your cross are two distinct actions.

I don't seem to be able to put the right words together to put my thoughts to paper. I may just need to let them stew a while longer, but meanwhile, I feel compelled to write about this. So, I will write the excerpt from Tyndale House Publishers about the Scripture which is our Promise for Today.

Some people think that worldliness is limited to external behavior - the people we associate with, the places we go, the activities we enjoy. [However,] worldliness is also internal because it begins in the heart and is characterized by three attitudes: (1) craving for physical pleasure - preoccupation with gratifying physical desires; (2) craving for everything we see - coveting and accumulating, bowing to the god of materialism; and (3) pride in our achievements and possessions - obsessions with one's status or importance. When the serpent tempted Eve, he tempted her in these areas (Genesis 3:6). Also, when the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness, these were his three areas of attack (Matthew 4:1-11).

By contrast, God values self-control, a spirit of generosity, and a commitment to humble service. It is possible to give the impression of avoiding worldly pleasures while still harboring worldly attitudes in one's own heart. It is also possible, like Jesus, to love sinners and spend time with them while maintaining a commitment to the values of God's kingdom. What values are most important to you? Do your actions reflect the world's values or God's?

Prayer:

Father,
           Show us our hearts. Reveal the thoughts and attitudes that don't reflect Christ. We pray as David prayed, Search us, O God, and know our hearts; test us and know our anxious thoughts. Point out anything in us that offends You, and lead us along the path of everlasting life. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen