A Reminder - What is He Seeing?

A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 24:45-51 NLT

Just a reminder, we are only as good an employee, a friend, a Christian, as we are when no one is looking to see what we are doing…

Don’t start cutting corners now. Don’t slack off. You may be tired, but in 2 Chronicles, we are told that the eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are FULLY committed to Him.

What is He seeing in our hearts?

Prayer:

Father,
            We want to be pleasing in Your sight. Strengthen our hearts, O God. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

A Reminder - Who Paid for This?

Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.

1st Corinthians 6:19-20 The Message

If we bought it and we paid for it and we have the scars to show for it, it's ours. We can do what we want with it. But the Truth of the matter is we didn't buy it, and we couldn't pay for it, and although we may have scars from the battles we've chosen to be part of IN our lives, our scars are not part or proof of the purchase price FOR our lives.

Only Christ did that. He bought it. He paid for it with His own blood, and He has the scars to show for it.

I love the way 1st Peter 1:18-20 reads in The Message: Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you.

Yes! God ALWAYS knew He was going to do this for you... and for me. It cost God plenty... and He paid in full.

Prayer:

Father,
          Open our eyes to see the great price that was paid for our redemption. Open our hearts to recognize and to know that apart from You, we have nothing and we are nothing. Help us walk in the fullness of life that You have provided us through Christ Your Son. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

A Reminder - Sometimes, Life Stinks

But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God!

1st Samuel 17:34-36 NLT

Before David ever killed the giant, he had to kill the lion and the bear. Think about that for a moment. He learned how to do that while isolated for long periods of time as he tended a lot of smelly sheep, but he used it as an opportunity to spend time with the Lord. We all want to be giant-killers, but are we willing to put up with the long, lonely, stinky parts of life and use them to get to really know who God is - or do we just want to whine and complain about how life stinks?

Prayer:

Father,
          Help us to clear our hearts and minds of the clutter of everyday stuff - just stuff - so we can focus on You and our relationship with You. When we can see clearly, Father, help us to walk in Your purpose for our lives. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Reminder - The Effects of Drought

He [God] causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Matthew 5:45b NIV

Everything is affected when there's no rain. Physically and spiritually, drought is costly in ways that some don't even recognize. Physically, there are all the obvious effects - crop failure causes produce prices to increase and the quality to decrease. And unless you're willing to have scrub brush and weed as your landscaping efforts, you have to water, so the utility bill increases. When the drought is so bad, the authorities issue a ban on watering non-essentials, then flowers and flowerbeds die and sometimes even the grass dies. Those who live in perpetually dry areas circumvent the lack of water by landscaping with rock.

And then there are the wildfires - and the firefighters who wage the battle in overwhelming odds - sometimes paying the ultimate price with their lives. Not to mention the cost of thousands of burned acres of trees and foliage which, in turn, affects the air quality; both in ash and the decreased ability to naturally clean the air.

Spiritually, how dry and thirsty are we? Are we being replenished and held together by the water of the Word? Are we actively seeking God so that He will rain down His righteousness on us and quench the thirsting of our souls? Or are we poster children for the drought? Are the blossoms of love and forgiveness in our lives being choked out by the weeds of bitterness we've allowed to take root? Do we think we can hide the gaping tears in our hearts by covering them with stones, giving the facade of being well-kept and attractive, when there's no life in them? We can't even safely walk on rocks, let alone run the race to which we've been called.

Are the fires in our lives from God or from the LACK of Him? How do we know the difference? You may think, "What difference does it make? Fire burns!" However, there is a BIG difference. Godly fire burns away the chaff - the dross in our lives - WITHOUT destroying what is good. Left unchecked, fires destroy completely... unless, of course, you are surrounded by water - the Living Water (John 4).

How dry and thirsty are you? I know where there is Living Water to be found.

Prayer:

Father,
           Your Son declared His Truth to us - “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” As we immerse ourselves in Your Word, Lord, cause our hearts and minds to be flooded with Your Truths. Make us to be the trees planted by the waters that are not moved by the spiritual and physical drought conditions around us. Let us produce Your fruit in our lives to feed those around us, drawing from Your well of living waters. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Reminder - No Random Acts

 Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

Micah 7:18-19 NIV

Probably the most well-known phrase for 'random' is "Random Act of Kindness". According to the Internet, there are some conflicts as to how it exactly started, but generally, it began as a way to encourage those in the world to be kind who normally wouldn't think to do something kind for someone else unless there was some kind of return or hope for return. As Christians, a Random Act of Kindness is oxymoronic, both by definition and by how we are called to live our lives.

As Christians, we are in this world, not of it (John 17). As Christians, we are residents in a city whose Builder and Maker is God (Hebrews 11). We are sojourners - in a place that is not home, defined as staying for a time that is longer than a vacation, but not permanent... As such, we are to be like Christ - who did what His Father did and who said what His Father said.  

There is nothing random about God. His way is the master plan, with built-in contingencies of forgiveness and mercy. His mercies are new every morning. Our text for today in The Message reads, ...mercy is your specialty. That's what you love most. The Amplified reads, He delights in mercy and loving-kindness.

"Delights" in them. If He does, shouldn't we?

We may not want to do acts of kindness for some people, but if we have a so-called reason for not doing an act of kindness, then obviously, we're judging... (and we all know what the Word says about judging others - Judge not, lest ye be judged, right?) If we require further inspiration, let's go to James 2:13 NLT,  There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you. There is nothing random about God.

Mercy triumphs over judgment. There is an identifiable pattern, a definite plan, system, and a Cross connection. Our lives as followers of Christ should not be a random act. 

Prayer:

Father,

         We pray according to Your Word, Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of You Lord. Joyful are those who obey Your laws and search for You with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in Your paths. You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

What Say You?

Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.
1 Timothy 4:16:16 NLT

This is what the Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament Copyright 2004 has to say about this verse: 

"The first thing that every Christian worker must watch is his or her own life—not only one's outward life but also one's inner thoughts and feelings. No matter how straight people may be in their doctrine or how effective they may be in their teaching, if there is a flaw in their inner or outer lives, it will ruin them. This is where many ministers have failed tragically. While watching over others, pastors must keep an eye on themselves.

...Paul is instructing Timothy to keep on doing the things he has been writing about. By so doing, he will save both himself and his hearers. For a soul-winner to save others and lose his or her own soul is an unmitigated tragedy. To save one's own soul and have one's hearers lost is no less tragic."

Prayer:

Father,

          Help us to keep a close watch on how we live and on our teaching of Your Word. Help us to stay true to what is right for the sake of our salvation and for the salvation of those who hear Your Gospel. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Too Wonderful

You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!
Psalm 139:5-6 NLT

When I think about all that has happened in the world in just these last four years, I am overwhelmed by the goodness of God and His hand of protection over my life.

Too often, we forget that in order to be Overcomers, we must face things that have to be overcome. When Christians face trials and temptations, too often we believe we are being punished when in Truth, those trials and temptations help to build our faith...

The disciples faced the same choices in the midst of trials that would cause us to choose - trust God or walk away. In the book of John when Jesus taught about His body and His blood, it is written, "many of his disciples turned away and deserted him." I pray that we always respond with heartfelt conviction as Peter did when given the choice, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that You are the Holy One of God.”

It is truly too wonderful when we search out His Scriptures and we live long enough to believe and know they are Truth and Life.

Prayer:

Father,
          Thank You for Your hand of provision and protection over our lives. Thank You for going before us to make the crooked path straight and for being our Righteous Rear Guard. There is no place where we are safer or more loved than in Your presence. Thank You for promising to be with us always, even unto the end of the age. Holy Spirit, give us the strength and wisdom to always hear and follow Your direction. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Where Would We Be?

In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:12-13 NLT

Think back over your life before Christ. What were you in to? Where were you headed? What was threatening to pull you under? Over and over, maybe with no hope of getting out of the circumstances you were in... Have you ever wondered where you would be if Jesus hadn't come into your life? I know I would be dead.

I think it's necessary to remember where we were so that we'll remember to give thanks for our deliverance, our salvation, our future and hope, according to His Word. And then remember all the things He has brought you through - and give Him praise. Thank Him again. He's worthy!

According to our Promise for Today, You [we] lived in this world without God and without hope. I know I did. It was awful. Indescribably awful. Maybe you're there now. Without God. Without hope in your life. I don't know anything worse than living in a state of hopelessness. 

The Good News is you don't have to stay there. There IS a way out. It's Jesus. He tells us in John 14:6, I am the way, the truth and the life! Ask Him to be Your Lord and Savior. 

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for all of our sin by dying on the Cross at Calvary. We believe He rose again on the third day, forever defeating the work of the devil in our lives. Thank You for having a plan for each of us and for promising to always be with us. Thank You for our future and our hope. We are so grateful! Thank You for letting us see where we would be without You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Oh, My Soul

 Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again--my Savior and my God!

Psalm 43:5 NLT

Two years after I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was in for a check-up when I was told I had an abnormal test and would have to have some tests redone. I don't remember anything the doctor said after that because I was already in dialogue with God, although I can't say it was a completely faith-filled conversation. I can only tell you that even in the middle of the fear attack, I knew my only hope was God and that the situation was a test of my faith, my trust in Him. 

When I got in my car to leave the oncologist's office, the first song on the radio was Oh My Soul, recorded by Casting Crowns, written by John Mark Hall and Bernie Herm. I love those moments when God hears the deepest cry of your heart and without speaking a word, the very next thing you hear you KNOW - without a doubt - that it's from Him and His peace flows into your situation. What a loving God we serve! 

This song ministered to me in ways I can't begin to explain, and I thought maybe you are in a place today where you need to hear it, too.  

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Oh My Soul  (click title to listen to the song on YouTube)

Oh, my soul
Oh, how you worry
Oh, how you're weary, from fearing you lost control
This was the one thing, you didn't see coming
And no one would blame you, though
If you cried in private
If you tried to hide it away, so no one knows
No one will see, if you stop believing

Chorus: 

Oh, my soul

You are not alone
There's a place where fear has to face the God you know
One more day, He will make a way
Let Him show you how you can lay this down
'Cause you're not alone

Here and now
You can be honest
I won't try to promise that someday it all works out
'Cause this is the valley
And even now, He is breathing on your dry bones
And there will be dancing
There will be beauty where beauty was ash and stone
This much I know

Chorus

I'm not strong enough, I can't take any more
(You can lay it down, you can lay it down)
And my shipwrecked faith will never get me to shore
(You can lay it down, you can lay it down)
Can He find me here?
Can He keep me from going under?

Chorus 

Oh, my soul, you're not alone

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Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You that You never leave us nor forsake us! Thank You for expressing Your love in immeasurable ways! You are an amazing God! Thank You for the unique ways You reach out to us and make Your presence known. Help us to always recognize and acknowledge You in the daily moments of life. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Think About It

Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.
John 13:34-35 The Message

Do you remember when you first turned your life over to Jesus and asked Him into your life? Do you remember how it felt? When was the last time you stopped and thought about that? Do you remember how you loved everyone and wanted them to have what you had found? Do you remember the compassion you felt for those who did not know Him? Do you remember how fervently you prayed? How you couldn't get enough of His Word? When you weren't reading your Bible, you were probably reading books written about the Bible or telling someone about it. Do you remember?

What's changed?

We fool ourselves into thinking that once a Christian becomes a little mature; it's only natural and right that they should calm down. Maybe it's the style of it - more wisdom instead of just zeal - but let's not confuse complacency for maturity and wisdom.

When did we stop telling people about Jesus?
When we got rejected a few times? Jesus was rejected.
When someone made fun of us? Jesus was mocked.
When we got hurt? Isaiah 53:3 reads Jesus was a man of sorrows.
When someone left us? Jesus was abandoned by all.
When someone we loved died?

Somehow, we think these things justify our actions. In the same way I loved you...

What does the Lord have to say about all that? Revelation 2:2-3, the Lord writing to the church at Ephesus - remember, we're in the book of Revelation here, “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting." Hmmm, sounds like good Christians, doesn't it? He goes on in verse 4. “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!" And then the kicker - verse 5 - "Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches."

So, I'll ask again. Do you remember when you first turned your life over to Jesus and asked Him into your life? Do you remember how it felt? When was the last time you stopped and thought about that? Do you remember how you loved everyone and wanted them to have what you had found? Do you remember the compassion you felt for those who did not know Him? Do you remember how fervently you prayed? How you couldn't get enough of His Word? When you weren't reading your Bible, you were telling someone about it or probably reading books written about the Bible.

Do you remember?

Prayer:

Father,
            Take us back to our first love. Forgive us for leaving it in the first place. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Who is Me?

 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.

John 10:3-5 NLT

How many times do you listen to a voicemail that starts out with, "Hey, it's me..." and you know immediately who "me" is. Some voices we know so well that they don't even have to say, "Hey, it's me"; we know who it is the minute they open their mouth. They are the voices of loved ones, cherished friends...  

Then there are the voices of favorite singer(s), a favorite DJ or speaker/preacher, favorite actor,  - voices that are easily recognizable because we hear them and listen to them. 

The latest ploy of telemarketers is to start the conversation with "Hey, it's me. I just wanted to call and tell you about..." like they know me... And based on, Hey, it's me,  you think you should know the voice and your brain starts searching for some familiar tone or voice inflection to figure out who this is, but then you realize it's not your friend after all. It's someone impersonating a friend. Deceptive.

So, whose voice are you listening to? The one pretending to be your friend, but really trying to deceive you - or the One whose voice is very distinctive - a still, small voice so familiar to our hearts that He should just be able to open His mouth to breathe and we'd know Him. He'd never have to say, Hey, it's Me.

Prayer:

Father,

         We want to know You more, to know You better, to be so intimate with the sound of Your voice that we shush any voice that tries to talk over You. Speak to us, Father - give us ears to hear You and only You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

A Reminder to Shut the Door

When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Matthew 6:5-6 NLT

A few years back, I attended a retreat and witnessed many illustrations of God's Word. One in particular drove home the necessity of finding time to be alone with God and taking the time to hear Him.

One woman, Pat, was called from the rows of women and then told, "I have a Word from the Lord for you." She was asked to come to the front and sit in a chair to await God's Word. Then other women stood near to represent her husband, 3 of her grandchildren and 2 of her friends. On cue, the representatives all started talking to Pat - not yelling or clamoring - just all talking, as did the speaker who had the word from the Lord. On cue, everyone stopped talking and the speaker asked, "Did you hear what God said?" Pat, of course, did not.

The speaker instructed, "Try harder to hear what God is saying to you. Concentrate." So, on cue, the representatives all started talking to Pat again - not yelling or clamoring - just all talking, as did the speaker who had the word from the Lord. On cue, everyone stopped talking and the speaker asked, "Did you hear what God said this time?" She wanted to. She believed she would, but of course she didn't.

And neither can we unless we get alone with God and wait to hear His voice. He's speaking. Are you listening? Can you hear Him from where you are? If not, shut the door.

Prayer:

Father,
          Your Word tells us to be still and know that You are God. Forgive us for all the times we thought You were silent. Help us to be ever mindful to be still so we can hear Your voice. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

That Time has Come

"For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths."
2 Timothy 4:3-4 NLT

Paul prophesied that the time would come when the world would reject truth. Isaiah prophesied the same thing about 700 years before Paul. "These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instruction. They say to the seers, 'See no more visions!' and to the prophets, 'Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!' " Isaiah 30: 9-11 NIV 

One has only to listen to the rhetoric being spewed in today's world to know that the time has come. 

Do not be discouraged! We who are believers possess the irrefutable Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16 NKJV.

Do not be discouraged! The darker the night, the brighter the Light shines. Strike a match in the darkest of nights and you will see its light. We must let His Light and Love shine through us into the darkness so those who are lost and without Christ can see to find their way to Him. Light ALWAYS overcomes darkness. 

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for Truth which never changes to fit societal norms. You are always the same - yesterday, today and forever - according to Your Word. We are forever grateful for Your faithfulness. Let Your Light shine through us. Give us Your right words to say at Your right time to make the most impact to change a soul's eternal destination. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

An Extra Measure

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV

Have you ever tried to define your faith? For instance, when people say, "Keep the faith" or "I have faith in you", how does that compare to the gift of faith God has given each of us? The world wants to believe in something, so often they'll take that gift of faith and put it in their own "golden calf" - be it intelligence, medicine, science, themselves... 

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 11:6 NLT, ...it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. He gives us faith to believe in HIM! That measure of faith saves us by grace when placed in Jesus and what He's done for us. 

Have you ever known someone who was healed before they received salvation - before they believed? By the mercy and grace of God, it has happened. The best opportunity is that they'll come to salvation because of their healing. Not always, but it has happened.

However, I keep thinking about 3 instances in the King James Bible that read, thy faith hath made thee whole.  Mark 10:52 when blind Bartimaeus wouldn't give up in calling out to Jesus even though the crowd was trying to hush him. Then in Matthew 9:21-22, the woman with the issue of blood for 12 years, had faith that she would be made whole if she could just touch the tzitzit of Christ's prayer shawl. Even though to be in public without declaring herself to be unclean could have landed her in jail, and yet she pushed through the crowd. I see these as extra measures of growing their faith.

The one that most strikes me, though, is the story found in Luke 17 about the ten lepers. Leprosy is awful. Parts of the extremities can rot off the body. Starting in verse 12. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. When one of the men realized the leprosy was gone, he came back and fell face down at His feet to praise the Lord. Jesus asked, "Weren't there ten men and only one has come back to glorify God?" Jesus told the man to get up and go, that his faith had made him whole. I believe that Jesus not only healed him, but because he came back, He restored whatever the man might have lost to leprosy - he was made whole again. All of his parts. The extra measure. 

Is our faith pleasing God?

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for gifting us with a measure of faith! Show us how to best use it to serve others and to please You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen 

There's Good News and Bad News and Great News

...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...
Romans 3:23 NKJV

He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.
Psalm 103:3 NLT

People usually want the bad news first, hoping the good news will make it all better. So it will in this case, too. The bad news is no matter how good we've tried to live in life, we're all sinners and don't measure up to God. That's not a big shock to anyone who has asked Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. It may be disconcerting to anyone who has lived life their way thinking they were good enough... Truth is, we're not.

The Good News is Jesus forgives ALL our sins. As The Message reads, He forgives your sins— every one. This may be difficult for some to wrap their head around but when Jesus was crucified on the Cross at Calvary, it was for ALL the sins of ALL mankind for ALL time. 

Yes, when we first ask Jesus to come into our lives all our past sins are forgiven. The Great News is it doesn't stop there. It is written (Lamentations 3) that because of His great love, we are not consumed. His mercies never end and they are new every morning. I don't have to list our transgressions, we know them very well, and satan takes every opportunity to remind us of all of them. EVERY time we don't measure up to His standards, He forgives our sins — every one.

Prayer:

Father,
Let all that we are praise You, Lord; with our whole heart, we will praise Your holy Name. Let all that we are praise You, Lord; may we never forget the good things You do for us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

THANKFUL - I'm Finally Back Online!

I missed being here! Hurricane Beryl happened and we were out of pocket until this evening.

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Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

Notice it doesn't say FOR all circumstances. However, I can be thankful IN the circumstance. I'll tell you, I'm not thankful for hurricanes or tornadoes or the effects of them. Lost power in Texas in July can make me very grateful that I'm going to Heaven and not hell. I can be thankful IN the circumstance and praise God for His hand of protection on my family and friends. I can be thankful for people I met in the circumstance.

The same breath that I can use to complain or grumble should instead be used to praise the One who spared my life. Should be used to thank the One Who gave His life so that we as Christ followers can live with Him in eternity.

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for Your Master Plan. We rarely understand the whys and the wherefores, but we are thankful for the spiritual insight You give us in the storms of life. Help us to live our lives according to the written Word in Philippians 2, that we would continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, for it is You who works in us to will and to act in order to fulfill Your good purpose. That we would do everything without grumbling or arguing, so we may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” We want to shine among them like stars in the sky as we hold firmly to Your Word of life. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

The Task at Hand

[Jesus] replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven?"
Acts 1:7-11a NLT

We have been deceptively lulled into complacency. We go to work, we eat, we sleep, a little screen time, pay bills, go to church. We may even serve in some capacity, but when was the last time we told someone about Jesus and His Good News?  When was the last time God's light shone so bright within us that people wanted what we have? Matthew 24:14 NKJV reads, [Jesus speaking], And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

What was the last thing He spoke to us while on this planet? And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 

Are we about doing the task at hand or are we standing around staring into Heaven?

Prayer:

Father,

           Please forgive us for not being about Your business. You certainly are about ours - always - and we are SO grateful! Breathe new life and energy into our spirits, set us free from the deception of complacency so we may fulfill The Great Commission as You commanded. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

For a Time

However, he [Yeshua] made a practice of withdrawing to remote places in order to pray.
Luke 5:16 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

Today, I had a fully illustrated sermonette of this Scripture. I chose to go to the office today to catch up on a task that required concentrated time alone - without interruption. Without distractions. Without noise. Without others... A task I have tried to complete in full for 59 days. I haven't been lazy about it. I've just been busy. 

Twice in the last few months, we've packed and unpacked our entire office for a complete remodel. There was much that went into that. Just to give you the gist, we'd been in the building for 15 years. You can accumulate a lot of stuff... But the day-to-day still needed to be done, etc, and on it goes. 

However, today being Saturday of a holiday weekend, no one else was in the office. I went with the express purpose of completing this task that has been such a stressor, always needing to be done. And it was in the quietness of the afternoon that I realized why Jesus withdrew to remote places to pray. Without interruption. Without distractions. Without noise. Without others...  for a time.

Isaiah 30:15 ESV, reads, For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling,  Isaiah 55:6-7 NKJV, Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. 

Prayer:

Father,

          O, that we would heed all of Your Word! Oftentimes, we are unwilling to be in quietness and trust; please forgive us. We recognize it is only in our time alone with You that our strength is renewed. Only when we purposely put away the distractions - the cares of this world, are we able to find peace and clarity of thought. Help us, Holy Spirit, to stay focused on God's Truths, so we can quickly recognize deceptive distractions. Change our hearts to want more of You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Serve with Gladness

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100:1-5 NKJV

When we stop to think of all the Lord has done for us... Taking our every sin upon Himself. Going to the Cross in our place. Freely paying the price - His death - to redeem us and to purchase our redemption. We have to ask ourselves, Is there any other way to serve the Lord God than with gladness and gratitude?

Prayer:

Father, 

            Thank You for all that we are empowered to do in Your Name and for Your kingdom, and it's all because of You. Keep us ever mindful of that. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Praying with Perseverance

Day 10 of 10 sharing The Christian's Armor devotional by Alistair Begg. Today's devotional is titled Praying with Perseverance.
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Keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:18

Almost every Christian finds prayer hard at some time (or most of the time). Why is that?

One of the reasons why we’re tempted to give up on prayer is that we don’t always receive an immediate response from God. In a world that so highly exalts instant gratification, this is a real difficulty. It’s the same issue as in trying to maintain a proper exercise regimen or diet: we want to see results now, today. If our new approach does not quickly show its benefits, most of us are unlikely to persevere.

Our tendency to lack endurance is one reason that Jesus told the parable about the persistent widow, who was relentless in seeking out justice from the judge. Luke makes the editorial comment that Jesus was encouraging his listeners to understand that they “ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). In other words, Jesus wants us to pray—and then to keep on praying.

When Paul tells us to “keep alert” and to pray “with all perseverance,” he is echoing Jesus’ words to His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before He died: “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). Paul spoke similarly to the Ephesian elders, telling them to “be alert” (Acts 20:31). In a world embroiled in a cosmic spiritual battle, the stakes are too high to give up on prayer.

As we keep coming to God with prayer and supplication, we will all have to learn to be content with trusting that God will answer us in His good timing, and we will all need to remember that Satan would love to persuade us that prayer makes no difference and that God does not listen or act. You may not see an answer to a desperate prayer on this side of eternity. Sometimes persistence may appear to be met with silence. But in due time, God will show you that “the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promises” (2 Peter 3:9). He answers all your prayers exactly when He knows it is right to and in precisely the manner that is always best for you. God is always doing far more than we can ask or even imagine. Sometimes we can glimpse some of His purposes, but sometimes we are asked to live by faith, not by sight.

Are there people or situations that you have given up praying for because you have had no clear and positive response? Remember, you have not had such a response yet. One day, you will see what God was doing in directing matters differently than how you would have chosen. Until that day, you can persevere in prayer, because it is what He commands and because He has promised to work for the good of His people. Why not begin today to pray with perseverance for something you have quit speaking to God about?

QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Prayer of All Kinds - Alistair Begg

Promise for Today - Day 9 of 10 sharing The Christian's Armor devotional by Alistair Begg. Today's devotional is titled, Prayer of All Kinds

… Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
Ephesians 6:18

Prayer should never become a routine experience any more than it should be a rare occurrence. There is never a circumstance in which we are not called to pray. Scripture shows us that sometimes we cry out to God from the darkness (for instance, Psalm 88); at other times we pour out to God our joyful praise over the resplendent majesty of Christ (for instance, Revelation 5:12-14)—and oftentimes we find ourselves somewhere in between.

In Ephesians 6:18, Paul encourages us to come to God (as the NIV puts it) “with all kinds of prayers and requests.” We do not always need to say everything, but it is wise not always to say the same thing. So, what might it look like in practice to speak to our Father about “all kinds” of things? The acronym ACTS serves as a simple and useful memory aid for remembering different kinds of prayer:

A — Adoration: We can come to God and just revel in His greatness. “Magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!” (Psalm 34:3). There are an infinite number of reasons to praise God, not only or primarily for what He has done but also for who He is. God is perfect in every way, and so God is worthy of our adoration.

C — Confession: We should recognize in prayer that, as Martin Luther said, repentance is not something that should only be triggered by particular instances of sin but rather should be a daily experience: “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent,’ he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”[1] “I am a man [or woman] of unclean lips,” we might confess with Isaiah, “and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). God is worthy of our honest confession.

T — Thanksgiving: The real test for our hearts is what we say and pray when there doesn’t appear to be much to be thankful for. Paul exhorts us, “Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, emphasis added)—including those we would never have chosen. We are not called to thank Him for all things, but we are to remember that there are always reasons to thank Him, even in the hardest of times.

S — Supplication: It is right to express our needs to our heavenly Father, from whom “every good gift and every perfect gift” comes (James 1:17) and who knows exactly what His children need (Matthew 6:8). We ask, seek, and knock (7:7)—sometimes for big things, sometimes for small ones. Whatever we ask for, God is worthy of our supplication.

Scripture encourages us and guides us to pray in all manner of ways. And when, among all these options, we can’t seem to find the right words, we have no cause for despair. Whatever kinds of prayers and requests we can muster—or can’t—the Spirit of our Lord Jesus always “intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26). God is eager to hear you. So pray! 

QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT

 How is God calling me to think differently?

 How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Our Greatest Motivation to Pray - Alistair Begg

Promise for Today - Day 8 of 10 sharing The Christian's Armor devotional by Alistair Begg. Today's devotional is titled, Our Greatest Motivation to Pray

… Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
Ephesians 6:18

The Bible is replete with commands like this, urging us to pray without pause. This might sound like an overwhelming expectation, and we may wonder whether we could ever meet it, or even desire to. But perhaps if we see our need more clearly, we will be motivated to pray more consistently.

Our need for prayer becomes most obvious when we understand that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself believed in the absolute necessity of prayer. At the beginning of Mark’s Gospel, we have this account of Jesus: “Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed” (Mark 1:35). Even for the Son of God, prayer was important enough business to attend to early and not to allow the demands of the day to intrude upon.

Jesus knew that “he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed” (Matthew 16:21). Even so, in the Garden of Gethsemane we overhear Him praying for the cup of God’s wrath to pass from Him if it is His Father’s will (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42). The Son of God clearly knew that He needed to go before His Father. The writer to the Hebrews summarizes it perfectly for us: “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence” (Hebrews 5:7).

Surely it cannot be that prayer was a necessity for Jesus and yet is simply optional for us. If anything, it must be the very reverse! If the Son of God Himself needed to spend time concentrated on prayer to His Father, then how much more does the one who follows after Christ! Prayer is simply too great a privilege for any Christian to ignore and too great a necessity for any of us to neglect. So, ask His Spirit to show you the wonder of prayer and to help you enter into it. When you recognize that there is no end to God’s capacity to help or His willingness to do so, and that there is no moment in which you do not need His help, you will find yourself “praying at all times.”

 QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

The Mystery of Prayer = Alistair Begg

Promise for Today - Day 7 of 10 sharing The Christian's Armor devotional by Alistair Begg. Today's devotional is titled, The Mystery of Prayer.
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Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
Ephesians 6:18

If God has already determined what He is going to do, why bother to pray? What possible difference can prayer make? Can we change God’s mind in our prayers? Nearly all of us will have voiced or at least given thought to questions like these. We think like finite creatures, and we naturally project our own perception of reality onto God. Even the Bible regularly personifies God in human categories. But though the Bible itself sometimes portrays God in ways that represent Him with human characteristics—as if He were changeable, for instance (1 Samuel 15:10-11, 35)—the full testimony of Scripture causes us to conclude that God does not change His mind.

James puts it plainly for us: in God “there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17). And the Old Testament agrees with the New: “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19). When it appears that God changes His mind, then, it is in actual fact circumstances or human behavior that has changed, and God is responding differently than He had done but still entirely consistently with His character. So, if God never changes His mind and yet He repeatedly calls His people to pray, then we are led to this conclusion: in His sovereignty, God has ordained both the ends and the means to those ends, and we will not reach God’s intended ends without His foreordained means. (If that sounds like a mystery, that’s because it is!)

Think of God’s eternal ends as found in Revelation 7:9-10: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” Now, is God simply going to bring that innumerable company before His throne, irrespective of anything anyone says or does? No! Otherwise, why would Jesus have said to His followers, “Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:38)? In God’s plans, the prayers of His people are the means by which He raises up servants who herald His word. And men and women receiving the word of God from those heralds (Romans 10:17) are the God-appointed means for fulfilling His purpose from all eternity: to have a people that are His very own.

Ultimately, how the sovereign God uses the prayers of His people in His plans remains a mystery. We won’t have all the answers to all our questions about prayer, at least not for now. And that’s okay because we can be confident that God ordains means such as prayer for His eternal purposes. And knowing that is enough to bring us to our knees so that we might enjoy the privilege of knowing in all eternity that our prayers were used as part of His sovereign purposes to save His people.

QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT

 
How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?