[Jesus speaking] I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again.
John 14:27-28a NLT
I have to tell you about was this one HUGE gumball machine I saw at the mall. It was one of those new ones - an action gumball machine. No more do you have the put-the-coin-in-twist-the-knob-gumball-drops-out kind of machine. No, now it goes through loops and hoops and entertains you before it ever gets to the dispenser. And by the way, it's not a penny or a nickel, it's a quarter - for one gumball! - but even that wasn't what caught my eye.
The machine advertised "Peace of Mind" for a quarter. Yes, you read that correctly. Peace of mind... Just drop your quarter in, twist the knob, and watch the gumball / jawbreaker / whatever it was, come jumping through the hoops and loops and deliver peace of mind straight into your waiting fingers. In my mind, I just kept hearing Rod Roddy boom out, "This, too, can be yours if the Price is Right!"
I was struck to the very core of my being by the deception of all satan's lies being boiled down to a gumball machine. To think that peace can be obtained by purchasing anything that feeds your senses is a lie. That's counterfeit like every other lie satan sells and marketing has built an entire economy on it. We want it cheaper and faster and we'll swap it all if we can have it now. We don't want to make the commitment for excellence or to wait for those things worth waiting for. And the world wants to sell it to you - for a quarter from a gumball machine at the mall. This, too, can be yours if the Price is Right!
Jesus said, I am leaving you with A GIFT - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give... Jesus paid the price - the highest price - and then He gave it to us as a gift. satan wants you to sell your soul. What price will you pay?
Prayer:
Father,
Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still! We want Your peace, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Friday, November 29, 2019
Friends' Favorites - Building on Hope
You lived in this world without God and without hope.
Ephesians 2:12c NLT
I have talked with many people lately who have no hope. Many of them ARE without God, so their lack of hope - while very sad to me - is not surprising. There's an old saying that states, "No God - No peace. Know God - Know peace." The Truth is, if you have no hope, you definitely have no peace. And that happens when we are separated from God - without Christ as our Advocate.
The passage from which our text is taken explains it...
1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 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.
11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 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. 13 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.
Hope is so much more than wishing. We've talked about it before. There's a foundation for our hope. A sure foundation. A tried (and true) stone. A precious cornerstone, according to Isaiah 28:16. In the New Living Translation, it reads, Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken."
“Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken."
Wishing vanishes into thin air. There's no action to it. Hope - when based on the sure foundation of Christ and His Word - is something we can build on. It's solid. Hope in Christ.
Prayer:
Father,
Because You are at our right hand we shall not be moved. Therefore our hearts are glad, and our glory rejoices; our flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave our soul in Sheol. And for this, we give You all praise and honor and glory due only to You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Friends' Favorites - Feeding Time
A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit. A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash. For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.
Proverbs 15:13-15 NLT
If you want to get people talking, ask them what tradition makes it Thanksgiving for them. Even if they don't have fond memories of childhood gatherings, they usually DO have fond wishes of what they thought should be part of it. And I've never seen it fail that once that conversation starts, it usually progresses into the weirdest recipe ever used to serve turkey leftovers, with everyone in agreement that by the third day, they're done with turkey. They don't want to look at another piece of turkey, let alone eat it again.
I know lots of people who will not eat leftovers - ever - no matter what it is. They're a one-time only eater. As a general rule of thumb, I don't mind leftovers. In fact, some things taste better the next day - pot roast, chili, meatloaf sandwiches - but, I don't want a daily diet of leftovers and I don't know anyone who does. Do you?
And yet, many people eat leftovers every day. You know them. They're the ones who can't, or won't, trust God because they're still chewing on leftover disappointments. Still picking their teeth with sticks and stones from the past. They can't hear the kind words that are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body (Proverbs 16:24) because they're still full from yesterday's generous helpings of bitterness that they're trying to digest. By the same token, many can't take in the goodness of God because they've filled up on garbage.
What are you hungry for? Will you be wise or foolish in your choices? Do you want something fresh from Heaven or something that's been laying around for years? It's feeding time. What will you feed on today?
Prayer:
Father,
Your Word declares that You sent Your Son to set at liberty those who are held captive. It declares that we are new creations in Christ Jesus. Open our eyes and our hearts to understand and embrace the TRUTH of Your Word over the experiences of our lives. We want more of You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Proverbs 15:13-15 NLT
If you want to get people talking, ask them what tradition makes it Thanksgiving for them. Even if they don't have fond memories of childhood gatherings, they usually DO have fond wishes of what they thought should be part of it. And I've never seen it fail that once that conversation starts, it usually progresses into the weirdest recipe ever used to serve turkey leftovers, with everyone in agreement that by the third day, they're done with turkey. They don't want to look at another piece of turkey, let alone eat it again.
I know lots of people who will not eat leftovers - ever - no matter what it is. They're a one-time only eater. As a general rule of thumb, I don't mind leftovers. In fact, some things taste better the next day - pot roast, chili, meatloaf sandwiches - but, I don't want a daily diet of leftovers and I don't know anyone who does. Do you?
And yet, many people eat leftovers every day. You know them. They're the ones who can't, or won't, trust God because they're still chewing on leftover disappointments. Still picking their teeth with sticks and stones from the past. They can't hear the kind words that are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body (Proverbs 16:24) because they're still full from yesterday's generous helpings of bitterness that they're trying to digest. By the same token, many can't take in the goodness of God because they've filled up on garbage.
What are you hungry for? Will you be wise or foolish in your choices? Do you want something fresh from Heaven or something that's been laying around for years? It's feeding time. What will you feed on today?
Prayer:
Father,
Your Word declares that You sent Your Son to set at liberty those who are held captive. It declares that we are new creations in Christ Jesus. Open our eyes and our hearts to understand and embrace the TRUTH of Your Word over the experiences of our lives. We want more of You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Friends' Favorites - Faithful Love
Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
Hebrews 13:4-6 NLT
So many stories of love gone awry. There are WAY too many stories of unfaithful love in the headlines, and none of them sadder than when it involves someone who is supposed to be a Christian. Let’s just be very clear about this. It was NEVER – and HAS never – and WILL NEVER be in God’s plan for us to be unfaithful because HE is not unfaithful, nor can He be… and we are to be like Him.
Oh, we hear all the excuses…”There are too many temptations out there.” “I couldn’t help myself.” “It’s not my fault…” You can go to work or school and NOT have to be the most popular person. And, if you know the temptations are “out there,” then don’t GO “out there.” You CAN help yourself when you CHOOSE to follow God. One of the fruits of His Holy Spirit is self-control… And I don’t need Webster’s, Oxford’s or Funk & Wagnall’s to tell me that self-control means to control myself. I’m not even going to address “It’s not my fault…” Yes, it is.
What does it mean to be faithful? What does it take to be faithful? If we don’t know the answer to either of those, how can we be faithful? Either way - by whatever means we take - it’s only through God and striving to be like Him. His Word says we are to be like Him.
1st Corinthians 1:9 NKJV, God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1st Thessalonians 5: 23-24 NKJV, Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
2nd Thessalonians 3:2-3 NKJV, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.
And while learning the process and in all things, Psalm 107:1 NLT instructs us to Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
Prayer:
Father,
Establish our hearts in You so that our whole spirit, soul, and body may be preserved blameless at the coming of Jesus Christ. You are faithful, Father, who also will do it. Cause us to be faithful to You and to the ones You have placed in our lives. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen
Hebrews 13:4-6 NLT
So many stories of love gone awry. There are WAY too many stories of unfaithful love in the headlines, and none of them sadder than when it involves someone who is supposed to be a Christian. Let’s just be very clear about this. It was NEVER – and HAS never – and WILL NEVER be in God’s plan for us to be unfaithful because HE is not unfaithful, nor can He be… and we are to be like Him.
Oh, we hear all the excuses…”There are too many temptations out there.” “I couldn’t help myself.” “It’s not my fault…” You can go to work or school and NOT have to be the most popular person. And, if you know the temptations are “out there,” then don’t GO “out there.” You CAN help yourself when you CHOOSE to follow God. One of the fruits of His Holy Spirit is self-control… And I don’t need Webster’s, Oxford’s or Funk & Wagnall’s to tell me that self-control means to control myself. I’m not even going to address “It’s not my fault…” Yes, it is.
What does it mean to be faithful? What does it take to be faithful? If we don’t know the answer to either of those, how can we be faithful? Either way - by whatever means we take - it’s only through God and striving to be like Him. His Word says we are to be like Him.
1st Corinthians 1:9 NKJV, God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1st Thessalonians 5: 23-24 NKJV, Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
2nd Thessalonians 3:2-3 NKJV, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.
And while learning the process and in all things, Psalm 107:1 NLT instructs us to Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
Prayer:
Father,
Establish our hearts in You so that our whole spirit, soul, and body may be preserved blameless at the coming of Jesus Christ. You are faithful, Father, who also will do it. Cause us to be faithful to You and to the ones You have placed in our lives. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen
Monday, November 25, 2019
Friends' Favorites - The Majority Rules
So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He sent out twelve men, all tribal leaders of Israel, from their camp in the wilderness of Paran.
But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!”
But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”
This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak!"
But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!”
But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”
Numbers 13:3, 27-28, 30-33 NLT
If you've been a Christian for very long, you are more than likely very familiar with this story about the exodus from Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea and the trek toward the Promised Land. Twelve men went and upon their return, ten basically said, "No way. No how." And only two - Caleb and Joshua - stood before the assembly and did the B.C. version of Bob the Builder - "Yes, we can!" Well, actually the KJV reads, "We are well able..." But the report was 10 - 2. Ten against, two for. Majority rule...And the report of the 10 swayed the crowd and all assembled there wanted to turn back.
Of the projected 2.5 MILLION people Moses led out of Egypt, only two - Moses and Aaron - fell on their faces before the congregation. When a relative or important leader died, or if there was a great calamity, it was customary for the Hebrews to tear their garments. Rending their clothes is the term used to describe this Hebrew custom which indicated DEEP sorrow. And two - Caleb and Joshua - rent their clothes and pleaded with the people to not rebel. How did they respond to Joshua and Caleb? Of the projected 2.5 million people, approximately 2,499,995 wanted to stone the two of them to death...(and get rid of Moses and Aaron). Would you take those odds? 2,499,995 to four (five, if you count Miriam). Sounds like a majority, doesn't it? That is until God showed up. And then there was a new majority...
You can read the rest of the story beginning in Numbers 14.
The point I want to make is this, if God has told you to do it, it doesn't matter what you see - how big the obstacles are between you and the goal - how many people tell you you can't do it. If God is in it - and it's just you and God - He IS the majority... and the Majority rules.
You can read the rest of the story beginning in Numbers 14.
The point I want to make is this, if God has told you to do it, it doesn't matter what you see - how big the obstacles are between you and the goal - how many people tell you you can't do it. If God is in it - and it's just you and God - He IS the majority... and the Majority rules.
Prayer:
Father,
In You, we are WELL able. Deliver us from the Grasshopper complex. BLIND us to the can't and shan't and find us in Your will fulfilled. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Friends' Favorites - What Do I Know?
[The Lord speaking] Why, when I came, was there no man? Why, when I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver?
Isaiah 50:2 NKJV
I thought I had a pretty good grasp of how big God is - you know, the Creator of the Universe, speaking the worlds into existence, the whole nine yards... until I realized that if I really had a grasp on who God is, and what He is, and how He is large and in charge, then I would just say, "Yes, Lord" and be done with it (whatever it may be) on Earth as it is in Heaven. Instant follower. Instant obedience. Instantly compliant. Instant servant's heart...but I don't...and I think I may be safe in saying that I'm not the only one who doesn't. I'm not making excuses for me nor am I casting dispersion on anyone else...this is just a reality check to put ME back in proper perspective.
As I listen once again to the song, "What Do I Know of Holy?" by Addison Road, I am struck by the Truth of the lyrics. And as the words wash over my soul, I humble my heart before the greatness of our God. It is in humility that wisdom comes. Proverbs 11:2 reads, Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. What do I know unless the Lord teaches me?
Prayer:
Father,
According to Your Word, in Ephesians 3, Now all glory to You, who is able, through Your mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to You in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
Friday, November 22, 2019
Friends' Favorites - Retirement Plans
"You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both."
Matthew 6:24 The Message
Matthew 6:24 The Message
I listened to the man pour out how awful he thinks his life is because he feels he's reduced to living paycheck to paycheck. He never worried before about money in the bank because he always had it, but then he made some very bad life choices and has had to pay... literally. He's more concerned about how he's going to retire than how he lives his daily life right now. He's consumed with it to the point of obsessing, but come to find out, he has enough in his 401k to retire now and pay his bills - even though he's 16 years away from being eligible to retire. And he supposes he could sell some shares so he could pay cash for what he wants to buy now. However, he won't have what he had. He has spent his whole life working FOR retirement.
I wish we could see that life is so much more than working toward being old enough to retire. It's about living for the Lord in the here and now - in the present - and what we do to help those who God has placed around us. My colleague says he doesn't need to hear about God and yet, he keeps coming back... knowing I'm going to point him back toward the Lord.
If he could/would just read on from our text for today, starting at verse 25 NKJV, Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
I pray that at some point, he will come to a place of understanding; that if God is his Source, he doesn't have to worry about the future. Since we spend our life working and we DO need a retirement plan, wouldn't it be wise to have the best one? Especially when the One who created the Plan has invested His life's blood into it and has the return results to prove it.
Prayer:
Father,
We pray that Your Holy Spirit would continue to prepare the hearts of men to receive the seeds of Truth that You allow us to sow. Let us sow only good seed. Send others to water, Father, as we stand believing for You to give the increase for the harvest. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Friends' Favorites - A Change of Scenery
Then the word of the LORD came to him, [Elijah] saying, “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”
So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
1st Kings 17:2-7 NKJV
Elijah was many things, but one thing he was not was politically correct. At the Lord's command, Elijah delivered the message to Ahab that there would be a drought and that there would be neither dew nor rain until he said so. And then immediately, God said, "Get outta town, son." (Texas vernacular).
If you walk with the Lord, you know that God has changed your path. First and foremost, He changed the direction of where you are heading for eternity. That's a biggie... and have you noticed, He doesn't stop there? He's either changed your employment or super-charged your passion in life - probably both - and that usually brings a change of scenery. I'll bet you've moved a time or two. Yes?
Has He ever taken you someplace - so totally NOT in your plans or scheme of life - and made provision beyond what you expected? And when you get there, you wind up so completely amazed at His working in your life and the blessings that overtake you! You just KNOW the only way you're going to leave that place is if you die or Jesus comes back... but then the brook dries up (see the last sentence of our text.) And there you have a choice. What do you do?
I'd like to share an excerpt from a book titled Lead Vertically, written by Craig Johnson. The message of it is profound. The following excerpt is "Who is in Charge of Your Change?"
Change can mask itself to look like a problem, when in reality it is the answer in disguise. We can't always see that the thing that might be holding us back is the very thing we have been holding on to the tightest. Change will force you to step onto the playing field when you have been comfortable in the stands. You always have a choice: you either run from change or you respond to it. You can either be afraid or affirming; passive or powerful. It all depends on whether you are handling the change or God is handling the change. Have you ever experienced more change than you could bear? It's overwhelming...but it's not over!
I encourage you to allow God to be in charge of your change. The change of scenery will do you good.
Prayer:
Father,
Give us the courage to step out as Elijah did and do what You tell us to do, say what You tell us to say, and go where You direct our path. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
1st Kings 17:2-7 NKJV
Elijah was many things, but one thing he was not was politically correct. At the Lord's command, Elijah delivered the message to Ahab that there would be a drought and that there would be neither dew nor rain until he said so. And then immediately, God said, "Get outta town, son." (Texas vernacular).
If you walk with the Lord, you know that God has changed your path. First and foremost, He changed the direction of where you are heading for eternity. That's a biggie... and have you noticed, He doesn't stop there? He's either changed your employment or super-charged your passion in life - probably both - and that usually brings a change of scenery. I'll bet you've moved a time or two. Yes?
Has He ever taken you someplace - so totally NOT in your plans or scheme of life - and made provision beyond what you expected? And when you get there, you wind up so completely amazed at His working in your life and the blessings that overtake you! You just KNOW the only way you're going to leave that place is if you die or Jesus comes back... but then the brook dries up (see the last sentence of our text.) And there you have a choice. What do you do?
I'd like to share an excerpt from a book titled Lead Vertically, written by Craig Johnson. The message of it is profound. The following excerpt is "Who is in Charge of Your Change?"
Change can mask itself to look like a problem, when in reality it is the answer in disguise. We can't always see that the thing that might be holding us back is the very thing we have been holding on to the tightest. Change will force you to step onto the playing field when you have been comfortable in the stands. You always have a choice: you either run from change or you respond to it. You can either be afraid or affirming; passive or powerful. It all depends on whether you are handling the change or God is handling the change. Have you ever experienced more change than you could bear? It's overwhelming...but it's not over!
I encourage you to allow God to be in charge of your change. The change of scenery will do you good.
Prayer:
Father,
Give us the courage to step out as Elijah did and do what You tell us to do, say what You tell us to say, and go where You direct our path. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Monday, November 18, 2019
Friends' Favorites - Under the Influence
What I want to talk about now is the various ways God’s Spirit gets worked into our lives. This is complex and often misunderstood, but I want you to be informed and knowledgeable. Remember how you were when you didn’t know God, led from one phony god to another, never knowing what you were doing, just doing it because everybody else did it? It’s different in this life. God wants us to use our intelligence, to seek to understand as well as we can. For instance, by using your heads, you know perfectly well that the Spirit of God would never prompt anyone to say “Jesus be damned!” Nor would anyone be inclined to say “Jesus is Master!” without the insight of the Holy Spirit.
1st Corinthians 12:1-3 The Message
I saw a billboard for the anti-drug campaign, "Be Under Your Own Influence." I thought it was new, but it's actually more than a decade old and considered to be quite successful in its' appeal to teens who are trying to establish their identity in the world.
I'm glad it's indicating success as an anti-drug campaign - I really am - but I can't help thinking how my life operates when I am under my own influence...
The other day, I heard my adult daughter in another part of the house exclaim in exasperation, "Oh, forevermore!!" It made me laugh because I knew exactly where that expression came from. When I worked in St. Louis, I had the privilege of working with Shelia Moran who became a lifelong friend of the heart. "Oh, forevermore!" was and still is Shelia's way of expressing disbelief at the absurd, idiotic and asinine in life's adventures. In our more than a decade of friendship, I, too, now use that same expression. It's a great illustration of the impact we have on those in our sphere of influence.
So WHAT are we allowing to influence our lives? WHO are we allowing to influence us? WHERE and HOW are we spending our time... and WHY? Whether we recognize it or not, we have a sphere of influence - our families, our friends, our co-workers. Whatever influences us will definitely and directly influence them. It's our responsibility to be under the proper influence.
Prayer:
Father,
Open our eyes to see where the changes need to be made in our lives so that we are influencing this world to see You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
1st Corinthians 12:1-3 The Message
I saw a billboard for the anti-drug campaign, "Be Under Your Own Influence." I thought it was new, but it's actually more than a decade old and considered to be quite successful in its' appeal to teens who are trying to establish their identity in the world.
I'm glad it's indicating success as an anti-drug campaign - I really am - but I can't help thinking how my life operates when I am under my own influence...
The other day, I heard my adult daughter in another part of the house exclaim in exasperation, "Oh, forevermore!!" It made me laugh because I knew exactly where that expression came from. When I worked in St. Louis, I had the privilege of working with Shelia Moran who became a lifelong friend of the heart. "Oh, forevermore!" was and still is Shelia's way of expressing disbelief at the absurd, idiotic and asinine in life's adventures. In our more than a decade of friendship, I, too, now use that same expression. It's a great illustration of the impact we have on those in our sphere of influence.
So WHAT are we allowing to influence our lives? WHO are we allowing to influence us? WHERE and HOW are we spending our time... and WHY? Whether we recognize it or not, we have a sphere of influence - our families, our friends, our co-workers. Whatever influences us will definitely and directly influence them. It's our responsibility to be under the proper influence.
Prayer:
Father,
Open our eyes to see where the changes need to be made in our lives so that we are influencing this world to see You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Friends' Favorites - Just Because We Can
You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial. Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.
1st Corinthians 10:23-24 NLT
The Talleys used to sing a song titled, The Only Word for Grace. The lyrics to the first verse are, Red can't explain the beauty of a rose. White can't tell the magic in the air when it snows. Marvelous can't half convey the grace of the King. The only word for grace is amazing.
Grace. Unmerited favor. That which makes all things lawful. Isn't God's grace absolutely amazing? However, as our text for today so eloquently states, just because we can do something, doesn't mean we should. As Christians - those who profess to follow Christ - it is no longer an option to live only for ourselves with no thought for how it will affect others. And the way we live our lives DOES affect others, whether or not we are intentional about our actions.
Christ led by example. He could have called ten thousand angels to free Himself from the whole process leading up to, and including, the cross at Calvary. He had the authority and the power and the freedom to do that. It would have been much easier on Jesus personally if He had. He would never have had to endure the beatings and the humiliation and the torture. He wouldn't have had to suffer being brutally murdered... It was an option, a choice He could have made. Instead, He chose the Father's will over His own.
He chose to lay down His life to pay the debt for our sins, so we could have eternal life with the Father. He knew it was going to be more pain than you and I can imagine. He knew He would be murdered. He chose to make a way for our salvation knowing full well that there were, and are, many who would reject Him and the provision He made. Did that stop Him? No. Does it make His incredible gift any less valuable because there are those who reject Him? No.
We are to pattern our lives after His. Everything Jesus did while on this earth was about our Father first and then for others. Should we do less just because we can?
Prayer:
Father,
Bring Godly conviction and true repentance to our lives. By Your Grace, let us live our lives according to Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
1st Corinthians 10:23-24 NLT
The Talleys used to sing a song titled, The Only Word for Grace. The lyrics to the first verse are, Red can't explain the beauty of a rose. White can't tell the magic in the air when it snows. Marvelous can't half convey the grace of the King. The only word for grace is amazing.
Grace. Unmerited favor. That which makes all things lawful. Isn't God's grace absolutely amazing? However, as our text for today so eloquently states, just because we can do something, doesn't mean we should. As Christians - those who profess to follow Christ - it is no longer an option to live only for ourselves with no thought for how it will affect others. And the way we live our lives DOES affect others, whether or not we are intentional about our actions.
Christ led by example. He could have called ten thousand angels to free Himself from the whole process leading up to, and including, the cross at Calvary. He had the authority and the power and the freedom to do that. It would have been much easier on Jesus personally if He had. He would never have had to endure the beatings and the humiliation and the torture. He wouldn't have had to suffer being brutally murdered... It was an option, a choice He could have made. Instead, He chose the Father's will over His own.
He chose to lay down His life to pay the debt for our sins, so we could have eternal life with the Father. He knew it was going to be more pain than you and I can imagine. He knew He would be murdered. He chose to make a way for our salvation knowing full well that there were, and are, many who would reject Him and the provision He made. Did that stop Him? No. Does it make His incredible gift any less valuable because there are those who reject Him? No.
We are to pattern our lives after His. Everything Jesus did while on this earth was about our Father first and then for others. Should we do less just because we can?
Prayer:
Father,
Bring Godly conviction and true repentance to our lives. By Your Grace, let us live our lives according to Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Friday, November 15, 2019
Friends' Favorites - By Invitation
Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don't see things the way you do. And don't jump all over them every time they do or say something you don't agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently. For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ's table, wouldn't it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn't eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God's welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.
Romans 14:1-4 The Message Bible
Have you ever been in a Round Table discussion wondering what in the world the person across from you was doing in that meeting? There were no discernible analogous interests or skills and yet, they were there...by invitation. Did it make you question why you were there?
Have you ever been seated at an ambassador's table or another dignitary's table? Were you properly prepared with regard to particular protocol? What, if anything, did you have to offer? What value did you bring to the matters at hand? Did they even consider discussing anything other than trivial matters, yet still tried to draw a response from you? Did you feel out of place?
In the business world today, potential employers want to know what you bring to the table. What is it you offer that is considered value-added to their company? In order to mesh with the potential new boss, you must try to assess who they are and what they're about and just what exactly it is that they're looking for. Many times, the answers are accessible via the Internet before you arrive for your meeting. However, you must be careful in your research. It may appear that they're looking for a certain type of skillset, when in all actuality they have quite enough of that one and are looking for someone with a totally different perspective or plan of action.
The common denominator is that you were invited to all three. Just like you are invited to the Lord's table. Are you concerned about protocol or what you will bring? Not to worry. God's Holy Spirit will guide you and God Himself has given you all you need. He offers you His robe of righteousness for proper attire. Yes, He has prepared it for you in the presence of your enemies (Psalm 23). Don't worry about who is at the table. Keep your eyes on the Host!
Please - Won't you be seated?
Prayer:
Father,
Help us to focus only on answering Your invitation when You call. Let us be instant to respond. Build our faith and trust in You, O God, that You have us exactly where You want us to be - no matter what it looks like or who is sitting there. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Romans 14:1-4 The Message Bible
Have you ever been in a Round Table discussion wondering what in the world the person across from you was doing in that meeting? There were no discernible analogous interests or skills and yet, they were there...by invitation. Did it make you question why you were there?
Have you ever been seated at an ambassador's table or another dignitary's table? Were you properly prepared with regard to particular protocol? What, if anything, did you have to offer? What value did you bring to the matters at hand? Did they even consider discussing anything other than trivial matters, yet still tried to draw a response from you? Did you feel out of place?
In the business world today, potential employers want to know what you bring to the table. What is it you offer that is considered value-added to their company? In order to mesh with the potential new boss, you must try to assess who they are and what they're about and just what exactly it is that they're looking for. Many times, the answers are accessible via the Internet before you arrive for your meeting. However, you must be careful in your research. It may appear that they're looking for a certain type of skillset, when in all actuality they have quite enough of that one and are looking for someone with a totally different perspective or plan of action.
The common denominator is that you were invited to all three. Just like you are invited to the Lord's table. Are you concerned about protocol or what you will bring? Not to worry. God's Holy Spirit will guide you and God Himself has given you all you need. He offers you His robe of righteousness for proper attire. Yes, He has prepared it for you in the presence of your enemies (Psalm 23). Don't worry about who is at the table. Keep your eyes on the Host!
Please - Won't you be seated?
Prayer:
Father,
Help us to focus only on answering Your invitation when You call. Let us be instant to respond. Build our faith and trust in You, O God, that You have us exactly where You want us to be - no matter what it looks like or who is sitting there. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Friends' Favorites - Power and Strength
When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-20 NLT
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-20 NLT
Thunderstorms. You either love them or hate them. They are fascinating to observe, but potentially horrific in property damage. Be that as it may, no matter how large the storm nor how fierce, eventually they blow themselves out and lose their power and strength.
We're rather like that. We start running with an idea or a mission we believe God has given us, but we try to get things accomplished using our own power and strength, then eventually have to acknowledge that we cannot sustain the level of power and strength required... especially if it has to do with changing something about ourselves or our lives.
The good news is that God never asks us to do anything without Him! He provides the power and the strength, the wisdom, the knowledge, the wherewithal - whatever is needed to accomplish everything He asks of us! And He alone can sustain the power and strength within us. As our Promise for Today clearly states, Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Prayer:
Father,
Thank You for the power and strength You give us to carry out Your purpose and plan for us. Help us to stay focused on Your will for our lives. Keep us ever mindful that it is in You and You alone that we can accomplish anything worthwhile. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Friends' Favorites - Make Every Effort
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2nd Peter 1:5-11 NIV
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2nd Peter 1:5-11 NIV
God is NOT a god of half-measures. Jesus didn't go halfway to the Cross. He wasn't half crucified. He wasn't half-raised from the dead. There are no half-measures of grace or mercy. And we are called to be like Him.
I was a little surprised by the number of Scriptures that encourage us to make every effort. Just to offer a few...
Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Luke 13:24 NIVI was a little surprised by the number of Scriptures that encourage us to make every effort. Just to offer a few...
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Romans 14:19 NIV
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
Hebrews 4:11 NIV
Hebrews 4:11 NIV
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Hebrews 12:14 NIV
Hebrews 12:14 NIV
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 2nd Peter 3:14 NIV
God doesn't hand out half-measures and He does not want half-measures from us, either. What does Jesus say is the first and greatest commandment? (Matthew 22) Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment...So let's use all of our heart, our soul and our mind and make every effort to do exactly that.
Prayer:
Father,
Help us to focus all our efforts on loving You and becoming like You. Help us, God. We can only do this through You; with Your power. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Friends' Favorites - Ready for...
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
2nd Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
These two verses give us direction for our lives. With accepting Christ as our given, what more would we need than to know what is true in order to realize what is wrong, and then to provide the answer for correction? Aren't we here to do the work of the Father?
Where's your Bible? What does it look like? Is it pristine and in good condition? Are all the pages perfect and unmarred? Or perish the thought, is it dust-covered? A coffee table adornment? Or has it been in the battles of life with you? Is it the sword you fight with? Is it tear-stained? Perhaps a few coffee stains, too? Some pictures, maybe, and some notes - both in the margins and on separate note pages. Tried. Tested. True.
Just because we'd rather not fight doesn't mean the enemy of our souls will lay down. We're in a battle every day. Are you properly equipped?
Prayer:
Father,
Anoint us afresh with renewed hunger for Your Word. Teach us how to wield it as a master swordsman. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
2nd Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
These two verses give us direction for our lives. With accepting Christ as our given, what more would we need than to know what is true in order to realize what is wrong, and then to provide the answer for correction? Aren't we here to do the work of the Father?
Where's your Bible? What does it look like? Is it pristine and in good condition? Are all the pages perfect and unmarred? Or perish the thought, is it dust-covered? A coffee table adornment? Or has it been in the battles of life with you? Is it the sword you fight with? Is it tear-stained? Perhaps a few coffee stains, too? Some pictures, maybe, and some notes - both in the margins and on separate note pages. Tried. Tested. True.
Just because we'd rather not fight doesn't mean the enemy of our souls will lay down. We're in a battle every day. Are you properly equipped?
Prayer:
Father,
Anoint us afresh with renewed hunger for Your Word. Teach us how to wield it as a master swordsman. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Monday, November 11, 2019
A Different Twist on Veterans Day
No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Philippians 3:13-14 NLT
I did not write this, my sister - our youngest sibling - wrote it, and she asked me to share it. It's dark, as memories of war usually are, but there's a light at the end of the darkness... the Light of the world.
*******************************************************************************
I’ve been thinking a lot about Veterans Day today, seeing
many posts on social media to thank veterans for their service, lots of flags,
pics of them together. It’s wonderful
that so many people care enough about the men and women who serve and who have
served our great country for our freedom.
Let’s talk about the forgotten veterans, the ones who were
spat on in the 70’s, drafted into a war they did not ask to fight, who saw
their buddies killed, the ones who had to make a choice to be killed or kill the
one younger than they who was holding a machine gun pointed back at them. The ones who came
back… but were never the same. I didn’t see any posts about them. I didn’t see any posts about the ones
suffering from PTSD or the ones living on the street. They served, too, but I didn’t see anyone
mention them today. How I wish they would have cared enough to think about them,
too. They served. They left their families, too. Please, God, let them not
stay forgotten.
Let’s talk about the ones like my dad, the POWs tortured in
enemy camps. My father was a POW for 19
months during WWII in a Japanese prison camp on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. He never came back the same, either. As the child of a former POW, you live their
nightmares with them… He can’t sleep and you can’t sleep, either, through his screams because
of the memories that haunt him when he closes his eyes. Then there would be those times he couldn’t
sleep at all and would stay up for 3 or 4 nights in a row and no one could
rest. There could be much more said
about his torment but that would not be the point of this story.
You might think that as a child I would have felt proud of
my dad, for his service, for making it home, and for being a hero, but I didn’t. I wanted him to be like everyone else’s dad,
but he wasn’t. He never would be, but as a child, you don’t understand that. You
just keep hoping he’ll change. He would get himself in trouble with law enforcement, and get into physical fights because he had to prove that no one would ever get the best of him again. He couldn’t hold down a job. I only knew my dad to work 2 jobs when I was growing up, 2 weeks at a tile store and 1 night at a 7-11 and it was robbed that same night.
Between the summer of my 6th & 7th
year of school, my dad decided he couldn’t deal with the responsibilities of
married life and children, so he left. I
didn’t even cry when he left. So much of our lives were in turmoil caused by
him that I was actually glad to see him go. He came back into our lives about 3 years later - a
different man - but still not one I could trust to be a “daddy”.
As he aged,
his moods were much more erratic and there came a time when my brother and I
had to commit him to a VA psychiatric hospital because he had hit his wife and
knocked her down. There seemed to be
nothing worse to me at that time than to have to visit my father there and hear
him make threats to kill me for making that decision. Thankfully, after 4 months of treatment, they
found a regimen of meds that kept him at an even keel, and he lived out his
life without any more violent episodes. I grew to accept him for who he was
until he passed away at the age of 80.
I didn’t cry when I got the call that he had passed; I just
felt a huge emptiness, the kind that makes you sick to your stomach. I knew he was no longer being tormented in
his mind, and I was very thankful for that. I thanked God for it as I was
sitting in the VA chapel for his service.
I was fine until they played Taps, and then I felt the hot tears
flowing down my face because of “that war” that stripped me of a father,
stripped my mother of a good husband who should have loved her unconditionally, who should have provided for her and made her feel safe.
He just wasn’t able to do that because of all he had been through…
In this past year, God has done a healing in me about my
father. I don’t know if it’s because I’m older and wiser or that God finally
broke down the walls that have surrounded me regarding all my hidden feelings
about my dad….all those things we’re not supposed to talk about. God has shown me that my father did the best he could with all that he had going on in his mind. Honestly, when you stop and think about it, the fact that he could function for
as long as he did is absolutely miraculous. I look forward to seeing him in
Heaven, complete and whole, and I can’t wait to hug him and thank him for being
my dad and to tell him I love him and that I am proud of his service to our
country. He is safe now; his mind is at
peace.
God made a way for
this miraculous, healing change in me. My prayer is that you will reach out to
Him and let Him help you through your life struggles, as only He can.
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Friends' Favorites - All Natural
I need to emphasize, friends, that our natural, earthy lives don’t in themselves lead us by their very nature into the kingdom of God. Their very “nature” is to die, so how could they “naturally” end up in the Life kingdom?
1st Corinthians 15:50 The Message
Organic. All-natural. These are the leading buzz words in the retail world today. Previously, they were used only to define food. Now we have organic shampoos and all-natural soaps. Go figure.
For the last 40-plus years, we have been encouraged to live free, to 'do it if it feels good' because we were 'born to be wild.' When the consequences of those actions started to catch up with us, then it was changed to the all-natural, organic theme. What I'm about to say may be a little "too Texan" for some of you - Not everything that is all natural and organic is a good choice. I remind you that dung is all natural and definitely organic...
As far as born to be wild? Left to grow wild, kudzu vines would swallow Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, and their neighboring states. Left to their own devices to do whatever feels good, children would never bathe or sleep or eat nutritionally healthful food. You get it. The point I'm trying to make is that without disciplines in our lives, none of us would accomplish anything worthwhile.
Athletes train. They discipline themselves. It's hard. They might grumble about the schedule, or missing out on some other things, but they like to win. Would they win without the training? Without the discipline? No, they wouldn't. Do they always like the rigor of discipline? No, they do not.
No one does. Hebrews 12:10b-11 tells us, But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 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. Discipline and training bring peace...while au naturale can equal chaos.
But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. (Jude 1:17-19 NIV). Look around... This Scripture alone should convince us of the time we live in.
Galatians 5 clearly defines the differences between living our own lives and being disciplined by the Holy Spirit. So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants... When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. So much for 'if it feels good, do it...'
It goes on to say, But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
2nd Corinthians 3:17 declares, For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Let us be disciplined, trained, led by the Holy Spirit so we may truly live free.
Prayer:
Father,
Help us to see the Truth of Your Word, Your Will and Your Way. Help us to align our hearts and our lives with Your discipline. Teach us, Father, to be truly free by embracing Your disciplines. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
1st Corinthians 15:50 The Message
Organic. All-natural. These are the leading buzz words in the retail world today. Previously, they were used only to define food. Now we have organic shampoos and all-natural soaps. Go figure.
For the last 40-plus years, we have been encouraged to live free, to 'do it if it feels good' because we were 'born to be wild.' When the consequences of those actions started to catch up with us, then it was changed to the all-natural, organic theme. What I'm about to say may be a little "too Texan" for some of you - Not everything that is all natural and organic is a good choice. I remind you that dung is all natural and definitely organic...
As far as born to be wild? Left to grow wild, kudzu vines would swallow Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, and their neighboring states. Left to their own devices to do whatever feels good, children would never bathe or sleep or eat nutritionally healthful food. You get it. The point I'm trying to make is that without disciplines in our lives, none of us would accomplish anything worthwhile.
Athletes train. They discipline themselves. It's hard. They might grumble about the schedule, or missing out on some other things, but they like to win. Would they win without the training? Without the discipline? No, they wouldn't. Do they always like the rigor of discipline? No, they do not.
No one does. Hebrews 12:10b-11 tells us, But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 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. Discipline and training bring peace...while au naturale can equal chaos.
But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. (Jude 1:17-19 NIV). Look around... This Scripture alone should convince us of the time we live in.
Galatians 5 clearly defines the differences between living our own lives and being disciplined by the Holy Spirit. So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants... When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. So much for 'if it feels good, do it...'
It goes on to say, But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
2nd Corinthians 3:17 declares, For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Let us be disciplined, trained, led by the Holy Spirit so we may truly live free.
Prayer:
Father,
Help us to see the Truth of Your Word, Your Will and Your Way. Help us to align our hearts and our lives with Your discipline. Teach us, Father, to be truly free by embracing Your disciplines. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Friends' Favorites - The Abraham Generation
Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.
*Ephesians 3:19-21 NLT
Psalm 71:18
There is a common misconception that as we age, we lose our value. We may not be able to move as we did in our younger days, or lift as much, or remember as quickly, but I can assure you this: If you get two or three seasoned followers of Christ in the same room praying, they will touch heaven on your behalf.
There is a common misconception that as we age, we lose our value. We may not be able to move as we did in our younger days, or lift as much, or remember as quickly, but I can assure you this: If you get two or three seasoned followers of Christ in the same room praying, they will touch heaven on your behalf.
I have known three women - all of them prayer warriors - who died from Alzheimer's. They lost their memories. Those precious, loving women couldn't recognize their own children, but they did NOT forget their God! They knew Him and prayed powerfully until the end of their lives on Earth. They were a living testimony of Romans 8:38-39 - NOTHING separated them from God's love!
That is why I was SO pleased to see the honor bestowed by a church body on its' older generation. I was privileged to attend a ground-breaking ceremony for an older church to begin a new building. It is a congregation of generations in a small town. During the ceremony at the construction site, I was impressed with the way they lovingly gave honor to whom honor was due.
While the whole of the congregation walked out to the construction site, the seniors were helped into golf carts for a smooth ride to the front side of the site. They were then assisted the few feet to the pastor's side as he honored them for having carried the church on their knees in prayer. He titled them, "The Abraham Generation" and explained to the younger folk about the blessing of generations, and how the new church would not be a reality without the prayers of the saints that stood before them. He acknowledged and reinforced why it so important for the older generation to teach and for the younger generations to listen and learn. It was incredibly beautiful and holy as the Abraham Generation pointed it all back to God! I know God will continue to mightily bless the young pastor and his congregation.
If you are blessed with knowing members of the Abraham Generation, thank God for them, and also pray for them. Treat them with respect. If you have to slow down for them, do it honorably. It will be time well spent.
Prayer:
Father,
We pray Your Word* - May we experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. May we be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to You, God, who is able, through Your mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to You in the church and in Christ Jesus through ALL generations forever and ever! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
*Ephesians 3:19-21 NLT
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Friends' Favorites - Who is That In the Mirror?
But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
2nd Corinthians 3:16-18 NLT
We've all seen our image reflected in one way or the other. A mirror, a window, a waxed car surface. Have you ever seen your image reflected by a carnival mirror? The ones that make you tall and skinny or short and fat? There have been some pretty strange reflections, don't you think? Even in a good mirror, your reflection is still the opposite of you.
Life is like that - it can take who we are and twist and turn and warp our image, giving us and others a false reflection of who we are. It is only in the Lord that there is Truth. Only in Him is the Truth revealed. Only in Him do we reflect His true image. Glorious!!
Prayer:
Father,
Help us to not be sucked into the deceits of the world's reflection with all its sparkling glitz and glimmer. Lord, we want only to reflect You and Your truly glorious image. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Friends' Favorites - Working and Working and Working Some More
God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.
Philippians 2:13 NLT
I find great hope in this verse.
Increasingly, I find I have more of a desire to do what will please God, and I am encouraged to know that He is at work in me to give me the power to do it. At work in me to provide the discipline to override my flesh that just wants to be a couch potato after a long week. At work in me to accomplish and complete those God ideas pulling at my heart and the tasks that are calling my name.
In John 9:4, Jesus tells us, We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.
I know I'm playing catch up from the moments and hours I have wasted in this life. When that night comes, I want to be able to say that I have finished what God assigned to me. I do not want to stand before Almighty God and not be finished. That's why it gives me such great hope to know that God is working in us... working and working and working some more.
Prayer:
Father,
We want to do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize us. Help us to live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Most of all, Father, we want to finish our assignment and fulfill Your purpose for our lives. Thank You for providing such great hope by working in us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Philippians 2:13 NLT
I find great hope in this verse.
Increasingly, I find I have more of a desire to do what will please God, and I am encouraged to know that He is at work in me to give me the power to do it. At work in me to provide the discipline to override my flesh that just wants to be a couch potato after a long week. At work in me to accomplish and complete those God ideas pulling at my heart and the tasks that are calling my name.
In John 9:4, Jesus tells us, We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.
I know I'm playing catch up from the moments and hours I have wasted in this life. When that night comes, I want to be able to say that I have finished what God assigned to me. I do not want to stand before Almighty God and not be finished. That's why it gives me such great hope to know that God is working in us... working and working and working some more.
Prayer:
Father,
We want to do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize us. Help us to live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Most of all, Father, we want to finish our assignment and fulfill Your purpose for our lives. Thank You for providing such great hope by working in us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Friends' Favorites - Can You Relate
Quick, God, I need your helping hand! The last decent person just went down, All the friends I depended on gone. Everyone talks in lie language; Lies slide off their oily lips. They doubletalk with forked tongues. Slice their lips off their faces! Pull the braggart tongues from their mouths! I'm tired of hearing, "We can talk anyone into anything! Our lips manage the world." Into the hovels of the poor, Into the dark streets where the homeless groan, God speaks: "I've had enough; I'm on my way to heal the ache in the heart of the wretched."
God's words are pure words, Pure silver words refined seven times in the fires of his word-kiln, Pure on earth as well as in heaven. God, keep us safe from their lies, From the wicked who stalk us with lies, From the wicked who collect honors for their wonderful lies.
God's words are pure words, Pure silver words refined seven times in the fires of his word-kiln, Pure on earth as well as in heaven. God, keep us safe from their lies, From the wicked who stalk us with lies, From the wicked who collect honors for their wonderful lies.
Psalm 12 The Message
If I didn't know better, I'd think King David had been listening to talk radio and the politicians of his day. Slice their lips off their faces! Pull the braggart tongues from their mouths! Boy, howdy - I can relate to that feeling! I don't want to offend anyone, but I have to admit, there are many times throughout the Psalms that I can relate to the general theme of "Kill 'em all - let God sort 'em out."
However, just when I've worked myself into a self-righteous lather, in my heart of hearts I hear, "His mercy endures forever" and "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy" and I read how God built the mercy seat for us in the holiest because of His great love for us...
However, just when I've worked myself into a self-righteous lather, in my heart of hearts I hear, "His mercy endures forever" and "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy" and I read how God built the mercy seat for us in the holiest because of His great love for us...
And it's then that I want to relate to David in a whole new Light. I related to him in his sin and flesh nature, but I want to be just like him in his role (as the Lord Himself described) as a man after God's own heart. Can you relate?
Prayer:
Father,
I pray Your Word in Psalm 5, But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple. Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight before my face. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Monday, November 4, 2019
Friends' Favorites - No, I Can't
When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
Mark 2:17 NLT
Moses did it. Gideon did, too. Let's not forget Peter. How many people do you know (maybe yourself included) who tell God 'No, I can't' when He asks them to do a specific task and all because they are all too familiar with their own shortcomings? And some will even go one step farther and list all their limitations in an effort to convince God... as if He doesn't already know! Ha!
One of Alan Neel's great quotes is - "Christ doesn't call us because of what we've been, but because of what He's called us to be."
I've said it before and I'll say it again, and in all reality, will probably keep on saying it - If there was never going to be a need for forgiveness, the crucifixion of Jesus would never have taken place. This inexpressible gift of mercy is there to move us past our sin. We are the ones distracted by our shortcomings and sin. God isn't. He has a purpose for our lives beyond our sin.
In 2nd Thessalonians, Chapter 1, Paul, Silas and Timothy write, So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.
What will you choose today - fear or your faith?
Prayer:
Father,
Shine the light of Your Truth on us every time we open our mouths to say, "I can't." It is true that in and of ourselves, we can't, but YOU can - through us - if we'll walk in the measure of faith that You have given us. Your Word declares, This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ. Help us to take the leap of faith, relying totally on You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Mark 2:17 NLT
Moses did it. Gideon did, too. Let's not forget Peter. How many people do you know (maybe yourself included) who tell God 'No, I can't' when He asks them to do a specific task and all because they are all too familiar with their own shortcomings? And some will even go one step farther and list all their limitations in an effort to convince God... as if He doesn't already know! Ha!
One of Alan Neel's great quotes is - "Christ doesn't call us because of what we've been, but because of what He's called us to be."
I've said it before and I'll say it again, and in all reality, will probably keep on saying it - If there was never going to be a need for forgiveness, the crucifixion of Jesus would never have taken place. This inexpressible gift of mercy is there to move us past our sin. We are the ones distracted by our shortcomings and sin. God isn't. He has a purpose for our lives beyond our sin.
In 2nd Thessalonians, Chapter 1, Paul, Silas and Timothy write, So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.
What will you choose today - fear or your faith?
Prayer:
Father,
Shine the light of Your Truth on us every time we open our mouths to say, "I can't." It is true that in and of ourselves, we can't, but YOU can - through us - if we'll walk in the measure of faith that You have given us. Your Word declares, This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ. Help us to take the leap of faith, relying totally on You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Friends' Favorites - Reaching Out
Like a cool drink of water when you're worn out and weary is a letter from a long-lost friend.
Proverbs 25:25 The Message
Have you ever been dry in your journey with the Lord? Have you ever been parched from the heat of the battle? Or worn out from wielding your sword and weary from holding up your shield of faith? So busy fighting off the onslaught of the enemy that you couldn't even look to see if anyone was fighting with you? And half afraid to look in case there wasn't anyone there?
If so, then you know what it's like when you call out and hear a friend's voice answer. It IS like a cool drink of water; refreshing, strengthening, renewing, solidifying your place in the fight. Providing hope that enables you to stand when you've done all you can to stand, pushing you toward the Father, for the battle is His and the victory is ours!
So whether you're the caller or the callee - reach out! Someone needs to know you're there.
Prayer:
Father,
Cause us to be ever mindful of those around us who are fighting every day, spiritually, physically, emotionally. Let us see with Your heart of compassion so we may call out to them...just like You call to us. Let our words be words of hope, just as Yours are to us...Come all ye who are heavy laden and I will give you rest... Help us to not be weary in well-doing. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Friday, November 1, 2019
Friends' Favorites - Entrusted to Our Care
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.
Psalm 24:1 NLT
If everything belongs to God, that makes us His stewards. Merriam-Webster defines stewardship as the conducting, supervising, or managing of something; especially: the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care.
Have you ever truly thought about it? What are the greatest matters entrusted to your care? The people within your sphere of influence? Family, friends, co-workers? People who serve you in some capacity on a regular basis? What else? What about the talent He's given us?
The most obvious to me personally are my children and my grandchildren. Have I always managed carefully and responsibly? I shudder to think of the mistakes I've made.
Deuteronomy 6: 6-7 instructs us to ...commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. It doesn't say when it's convenient, or when your favorite show is over, or only on Sunday.
Everything looks different through the perspective of "It's all God's" and with the question of what we have done with it.
Prayer:
Father,
Give us an eternal, Kingdom perspective, along with the knowledge and wisdom to manage carefully and responsibly everything You have entrusted to our care. Teach us so we may better understand that You require a return on everything You have given us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Psalm 24:1 NLT
If everything belongs to God, that makes us His stewards. Merriam-Webster defines stewardship as the conducting, supervising, or managing of something; especially: the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care.
Have you ever truly thought about it? What are the greatest matters entrusted to your care? The people within your sphere of influence? Family, friends, co-workers? People who serve you in some capacity on a regular basis? What else? What about the talent He's given us?
The most obvious to me personally are my children and my grandchildren. Have I always managed carefully and responsibly? I shudder to think of the mistakes I've made.
Deuteronomy 6: 6-7 instructs us to ...commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. It doesn't say when it's convenient, or when your favorite show is over, or only on Sunday.
Everything looks different through the perspective of "It's all God's" and with the question of what we have done with it.
Prayer:
Father,
Give us an eternal, Kingdom perspective, along with the knowledge and wisdom to manage carefully and responsibly everything You have entrusted to our care. Teach us so we may better understand that You require a return on everything You have given us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
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