Promise for Today - Kingdom Living

Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:10 NKJV

Right from here, let me assure you this is NOT a political statement. However, to properly reveal how I have been corrected, I have to provide a little American history background.

'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.' This sentence - from the Declaration of Independence - is one of the best-known sentences in the English language and has been called "the most potent and consequential words in American history," according to a book titled "American Creation". The Declaration justified the independence of the United States by listing grievances against the crown, asserting certain so-called “natural rights,” including the right of revolution.

People who are born and raised in the U.S. usually have a different view than most everyone else about the world and the way they think it should be. Unless one has traveled or lived outside of the continental United States, the prevailing mindset is we have our rights - certain 'unalienable Rights' – and that’s all there is to it. (And if you are blessed and highly favored of God enough so that you get to live in Texas – well, I’d say that statement alone is proof that there is a certain – shall we say – convinced attitude – of what rights are natural and unalienable…) And as Americans (whether Texan or not), if anything goes against our grain or “violates” our rights, we’re going to do something about it. (And right up to this point, I’m amen-ing and nodding approval and in 100% agreement with myself…)

However, a few years back, my very Texan, very American pastor poked a great gaping hole in my Texas/American attitude and made me look at myself in the Light of Truth. What am I FIRST– a Lover of Texas? An American? Or a Christian? Where do I pledge my allegiance and faith? By what rules do I live? Where is my heart?!?

Well, I’m a Christian Texas-loving American… However, the Word reads, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." As Christians, we’re no longer in a democracy; we’re in a kingdom. God’s kingdom. He rules… with HIS rules.

Prayer:

Father,
         Forgive me for every time I try to bend the rules to accommodate myself – to try to justify my own wants and my own desires. I want to follow You. I want to live the way You want me to live. Help me, Father. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - * The Danger of Criticism

Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.
Romans 14:1 NLT

Today’s Promise is taken directly from Romans 14:1-13 New Living Translation

For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him judge whether they are right or wrong. And with the Lord’s help, they will do what is right and will receive his approval.

In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him.

Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves.

If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.

So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say,

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.’”

Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
Prayer:

Father,
            Help us to see and love each other as You love us. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorite - * All of Them

All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and

all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. In the cloud and in the sea,

all of them were baptized as followers of Moses.

All of them ate the same spiritual food, and

all of them drank the same spiritual water.

For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ.

Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

1st Corinthians 10:1b-5 NLT

God declared a new beginning for all of them, whether they were born in the land or were strangers who chose to be a part of the assembly and follow the Lord; God made no distinction among them. It no longer mattered to Him. Here's all you have to do... (read Exodus 12).

And then He gave them the same instructions. All of them were given the same opportunity. And again, He made the point of expressing that it made no difference if they were born in the land or were strangers who chose to follow His ways. Follow Me and live. Not one of them could say, "Well, You gave him more than you gave me..."  Not one...

Did all of them follow Him? No, they did not. Will you?

You may say, Yeah, but that was back then and He provided their shelter and their food every day and they didn't have to earn a living and pay gas prices and... 

The great Equalizer is this, they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ.  The same Christ who instructed us in Matthew 28:20, Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world...

I ask again... Did all of them follow Him? No, they did not. The question is, Will you?

Prayer:

Father,

         Help us to examine our own lives - face to face with You. Cause the compass of our hearts to be totally fixed on You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Keeping Score

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

1st John 3:16a NIV

I've lived long enough to know and understand the rules of good sportsmanship, but I'll just tell you... I don't like to lose. When I play, I play to win. I don't go into a game to lose. (I won't cheat to win, even though I'm tempted... but don't worry, I AM an overcomer. LOL)

Worse than that, as much I dislike losing, I absolutely HATE it if someone lets me win. Where's the challenge in that? In my opinion, a win I didn't earn is a bigger loss than actually losing. [And all the conservative (albeit competitive) crowd just became pentecostals and shouted, Amen!] But the challenge in all of that is Christ. I can't earn my salvation and yet, that's the biggest win of all.

Have you ever found yourself keeping score on your life? I have. If you know me personally, you've heard me say something like, "I should get points for not smacking that person (when I really want to...)" "I should get points for not saying ___________(something smart alecky, I'm sure)." "I want points for not ripping their wagging tongue right outta their mouth and hanging them with it."   

In all reality, it's keeping score on the sin in my life. The more I keep score, the more I realize, it's a heart issue. And then I think, if Jesus laid down His life for us and that's how we know what love is (according to our text for today), then, in return, I should lay down my life for Him, right? After all, He died to save me. I can stop doing this or stop doing that. I can read my Bible, go to church, etc. Yeah, I can lay my life down for Him.  Sounds good...okay...but it's not Scriptural. We're instructed to lay it down for others... 

The entire verse of 1st John 3:16 reads, This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. Mark 12:28-31 reads, One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."  John 15:13 tells us, Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 

You wanna keep score? yeah...me, neither...

Prayer:

Father,

         Thank You for sending Your Son to die on the Cross for the remission of our sins. Help us to grow in love and when we are faced with those opportunities to love the unloveable, please help us to see them for what they are. An opportunity to show Your love through us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Do What? When?!?

     One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

     “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

     Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking!

John 5:5b-9a NLT

     When my kids were little, they liked to watch Sesame Street, and one of their favorite things - besides Mr. Snuffleupagus - was the segment with the song where they would pull 4 things together and the kids chose which 3 things belonged together and which one didn't. Do you remember that? (Please, God, don't let that song stay in my head the rest of the day...) Well, let's think along those lines this morning. Let's look for the common thread in our text for today and the following three passages. See what you come up with... 

1. Matthew 4:18-22 NLT

     One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him.

     A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.

2. Luke 5:18-25 NLT

     Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.” But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”
     Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
     And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. 

3. Luke 5:27-28 NLT

     Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.

There may be other things you see, but for me, it was first Jesus said and then... Instantly - at once - immediately...

In Matthew 4, when Jesus called James and John - the sons of thunder - they left the only job they'd ever done, their only source of income, their choice of vocation, their comfort zone (because it's what they knew) and they immediately followed Him, leaving the boat and their father behind. Matthew (Levi) himself did the same thing - left everything...

People will say, You can't do that. That's what they told the man who'd been lying by the pool of Bethesda for 38 years!  Continuing in our text for today,  John 5 - verse 9b through verse 11 - But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!”  But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”  

Those were the leaders who objected to what he was doing. Those who were the ones who had been in charge of making the rules in his life... You can't do that! What would you do?

If Jesus says it... What do you do? You obey. You don't think about it. You don't question it. You don't over-analyze it. You don't come up with all the reasons why it won't work, why you can't do it, why it won't happen for you. You make like Nike and just do it. 

Jesus came to save souls - our souls are our mind, our will and our emotions. If the head (the mind) says yes, make the body get up and follow (the will). The heart will have to go along, too (the emotions). 

That's called faith. Do what? Whatever He says. When? Instantly - at once - immediately...

Prayer:

Father,

       Let all that I am praise You, Lord; You forgive all my sins and heal all my diseases. May I never forget the good things You do for me. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

* What'd He Say?

[God speaking to Jacob while Jacob slept] What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.

Genesis 28:15 NLT

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? Listen, I received a command to bless; God has blessed, and I cannot reverse it! That's from Numbers 23:19-20 - one of my favorite stories. It's where God uses a donkey to talk to a prophet...(that's how I KNOW He can use me to talk to someone.) 

Has God ever spoken something to your heart? Has it come to pass? Are you faithfully following Him while you wait for it to be completed? Do you command your heart to be full of faith concerning what God has said...even though time has gone by and you haven't yet seen  it? Or have you given up on it, no longer believing because you think too much time has passed for it to happen? Shall I remind you of Abraham and Sarah?

If we don't know His Word, we'd better remedy that, because God hastens to perform His Word. THAT's what He does! Do you know what His Word says? What'd He say?

Prayer:

Father,

          The cares and trials of this world are NOT greater than You or Your Word. Forgive us for living faithlessly in the face of them. Please provide us with a new view - one based on faith in Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Our Reputation

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important…
Galatians 6:1-3 NLT

What’s our reputation say about us? Are we good at what we do? Are we accessible? Are we a team player or are we shooting for celebrity status? I just love how Paul cuts to the nuts and bolts of a matter, don’t you? It doesn’t matter how high up we go on the proverbial ladder, we are never to be farther above than what it takes to be able to extend our hand to help another believer.

That’s not to say that we are not supposed to continually “come up higher” – you certainly can’t get any higher than Christ Himself- and yet He was never so far that He couldn’t reach us. In fact, quite the opposite. He laid it all down so that He could reach us.

Philippians 2:1-8 tells us, Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

So… which reputation are we working on?

Prayer:

Father,
           Strengthen us to take the encouragement from belonging to Christ, the comfort from His love, the fellowship together in the Spirit and keep our hearts tender and compassionate. Lord, we want to follow You by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, and of one mind. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

What We Believe +

For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.

1st Corinthians 4:20 NLT

A question has been raised concerning living what we believe vs. living what we've learned. Are they the same? If not, does it matter which one we live? Good questions...

I've pondered on it now for awhile and here's what I think. I think we live our lives based on what we believe - about ourselves, about others, and about God, (no matter what it is)... For instance, if we believe we CAN do something - we're right, we can! By the same token, if we believe we CAN'T do something - we're right again, we can't...

However, we do learn a lot of things. You can teach a child that hot will burn. But generally, they will still reach for the hot. It is imperative that we are careful about what we learn and how we learn it, because we must be on guard about what we come to believe. 

You see, if we truly believe the Word of God, we will act accordingly. If we don't believe the Word of God, we will act accordingly.

Let's not just talk it. Let's walk it, and live what we believe, and believe so we may live - truly live.

Prayer:

Father,

         Quicken Your Word in our hearts and minds. It is living and powerful and rightly divides between soul and spirit. Father, give us wisdom to know what to believe, preferably without getting burned. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mHiTVuGaKM

To See Clearly+

satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

2nd Corinthians 4:4 NLT

All of us - at one time or another - have been blinded by the sun or a camera flash or have gotten something in our eyes that temporarily caused us to not be able to see. Soap or conditioner or suntan oil - something that made it so our eyes were not able to focus or clearly see what was in front of our face. Something that should NOT be there. 

We know it. There are warnings all over the containers - "Do not use near eyes" - and then they print what to do if we DO get it in our eyes. Why? For the reason that they know many of us will not use the necessary precaution, or we will become complacent and forget to use caution because we've done it hundreds of times before. The remedy is nearly always the same: "wash thoroughly with water; see a physician" or "cover eyes and seek proper attention."

I was reminded this week that satan's tricks are just like that. He'll appear as an angel of light (see 2nd Corinthians 11:14) and so try to dazzle us with things that appeal to our worldly desires, or the oil from his snake oil sales routine as he tries to sell us a false bill of goods will splash onto us and get in our eyes and we can be temporarily blinded. Why? Because we have ignored the warnings, or we have become complacent about using the proper precaution. However, the remedy is nearly always the same - wash thoroughly with water  - the water of the Word - (see Psalm 51:2) and see the Great Physician. Or cover our eyes - stop looking at the world and what it has to offer - and seek proper attention. And when we do, God allows us to recognize the wiles of the enemy for exactly what they are...once we see clearly.

Prayer:

Father,

         Thank You for washing our eyes so we can see...even if You have to use tears to do it. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Slave Phrases

Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ.

1st Corinthians 9:19  NLT

We've talked about first-time obedience and how we expect it from those around us. However, we don't give God first-time obedience. We call Him Master, Savior, Redeemer, Father, and yet sometimes, we don't do even His most basic instructions.

I truly believe the Bible is the Divinely-inspired Word of God. I believe that every word was intentionally included. Every story, every parable - I DON'T believe that God put fillers in there - it's all there for a reason and a purpose... just like us. I may love parts of it more than other parts, I may even have parts I don't like at all, but that doesn't make them any less true.

I never realized how many times the slave phrases reference us - you and me - Believers and followers of Christ. Sons and daughters of the Most High God. Joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Slaves of God. Servants of Christ Jesus.

Okay, don't look at me in that tone of voice... the same man who instructed us to follow him as he followed Christ, also wrote this in Philippians 1:1, This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. And in Titus 1:1, This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives.

James wrote the same in James 1:1, This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. As did Peter in 2nd Peter 1:1, This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ... And so did Jude in Jude 1:1, This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.

Slaves generally don't punch a time clock or get off at a certain time. However, I find myself trying to hoard my time at work - hating to be interrupted - and yet the nature of my job is to BE interrupted so I can help others. I only had an hour or so I could call my own...literal translation - an hour or so when it was all about ME and what I wanted to do without having to take anyone else into consideration. True definition - selfish. I really hate that. I don't want to be selfish - I don't like to even think of myself as being selfish, but the truth is I surely am... and that is definitely NOT being like Jesus who was totally selfLESS and humbled Himself unto death for me and for you.

When did I start thinking that I could take time off because I am tired of not doing what I want? Think of your loved ones who have not received Christ as their Savior or who are making bad decisions - ones that will pull them away from Christ. If you knew today was their last day on earth, or that Jesus was coming back tonight to take His bride, would you wanna watch that movie again - the one you've seen 6 times already or would you pray for all you are worth?  When we get tired, as we do and we will, we only need to go to our Master... In Matthew 11, Jesus said, Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Slaves don't generally get a day off. Work for the night is coming...

Prayer:

Father,

           Remove everything that keeps us from fulfilling Your purpose and plan in our lives. Help us to better see our place and part in Your scheme of things. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Taking Into Consideration +

Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the LORD Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.

Deuteronomy 4:39 NKJV

How many times have we come through a tough time and at the end of it made the remark, "Well, all things considered, I think we came out ahead of the situation." Sometimes we're "ahead" just by being alive. But I have been wondering lately about all the things that we take into consideration and whether or not we take into consideration MORE than what needs to be considered.

Generally, people try to gather the facts regarding a situation before making a decision about it, no matter if it’s a simple purchase or a life-changing event. Just think about how many search engines you can name. However, as I’m fond of pointing out, facts and Truth are not the same and because of that principle, there is a HUGE difference between knowledge and wisdom. For those who may not have considered the difference, let me give you my spin on it. Knowledge would be equivalent to the facts of a situation. Wisdom is the Truth about it.  

I remember the story of Baby Ashley who was born in 2009. An ultrasound before Ashley’s birth confirmed that she had NO kidneys. The hospital prepared the family for the worst – and the compassionate ministry of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep was called in to take special photographs for the family to have after she was gone. Those are the facts – the knowledge of the situation. 

When Ashley was born, she was immediately hooked up to life support, etc, to give the family a "little" time. But Joanne (the photographer) had the wisdom to call for prayer. The request went out world-wide through prayer chains. The hospital scheduled the day that they would disconnect life support…then one of the NICU nurses caring for Ashley, in the course of keeping the baby clean, noticed the diaper was wet. Well, basic anatomy will tell you that a baby can’t produce what will wet the diaper without a kidney. They did another ultrasound and found a kidney…

Instead of disconnecting life support for the end of Ashley’s life, it was disconnected so she could go home and grow up with her parents. All of our advanced medical and technical knowledge told them, “No, I'm sorry. Your baby will die.” Wisdom chose Truth. A God who is our Healer. God, our Creator. Maker of Heaven and Earth. Psalm 8: 3-4, When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?

When you face seemingly impossible odds – when all the facts point to bad – what does Wisdom founded in Scripture tell you? I’m not talking about name it-claim it, confess it-possess it, blab it-grab it. I’m asking directly - What does Wisdom founded in Scripture dictate?  

1^st Samuel 24:12 reads, Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.

Abraham had a promise of a son. But he understood the knowledge about being 100 years old – his wife was 90. And how that even in her so-called best years, she could not conceive… but Scripture tells us in Romans 4:19-21, And not being weak in faith, he [Abraham] did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

Some things should not be taken into consideration. When all things are considered, what will you include?

Prayer:

Father,

According to Your Word, the wisdom of Your Truth that we find in Hebrews 10:23-25, Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for You who promised are faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as we see the Day approaching. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

* Worse Than Not Knowing

Baffled by what I hear, undone by what I see. Absolutely stunned, horror-stricken, I had hoped for a relaxed evening, but it has turned into a nightmare.

Isaiah 21:3b-4 The Message

Isaiah asked God to let him see what was going to happen. Isaiah thought that in knowing, he could prophesy to the people and give hope. But when God granted Isaiah's request, the prophet was overwhelmed. I have lived as a Christian long enough that when I read this Scripture, I found myself praising God that sometimes the answer is 'No."

Looking back over my life, I can truly give thanks and worship a Holy God who lovingly refused to show me some things ahead of time. I wouldn't have been able to stand it had I known some of it ahead of time. It would have caused me to run in the opposite direction, but when thrust in the midst of it, I turned to the only One I could trust. And having lived through it, bearing the fruit of what satan meant for evil, God turned for my good, I am able to see and praise God for His guiding hand on me during those times. Would I have chosen it? No. Absolutely not, but on this side of it, I am eternally grateful for the lessons learned, the wisdom gained, and for the capacity to love to be enlarged.

Now, when I think back on all the times I begged God to show me what He was doing; what was going to happen, and He would not,  I'm so thankful He's God and I'm not, and He chose not to. What a loving Father, a protective, caring, loving Father. You see, there are things worse than not knowing. I don't have to know it all as long as I know the One does.

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for revealing those things that need to be revealed. Thank You, Father, for every heads-up You provide.  And we pray, Father, as the psalmist prayed, Hear my cry, O God: Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You. When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me. A strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Lord, keep us on a need-to-know basis as defined by You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Who You Gonna Call? +

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 1:1-2 NKJV

The transmission broke on my friend's daughter's car. The daughter is grown, but she called her dad to get his opinion about a price quote she'd received. He then asked a couple of us if we knew of any mechanics who were trustworthy and would stand behind their work. I gave him the name of the mechanic my son uses, and the other guy gave him information for the mechanic who maintains the company trucks. Bill called both to get an estimate and both gave him the same price. Three different mechanics - two who specialize in car repair; one who was referred by a friend of a friend who knew of him. The truth is that the original quote by the friend of a friend, etc, was outrageous - close to twice what the going rate would and should be at a reputable shop. Two who knew the truth of what it would take to fix the problem and who would stand behind the work with a written warranty. One who acted like he knew, but it sure was gonna cost a lot more in the long run, and with no guarantee. Hmmm...

As Christians, we frequently have things that are in need of repair and we'd like to have a guarantee that they'll be repaired properly and continue to function - hearts, relationships, body parts. Who are you going to go to when that happens? The one who acts like he knows what he's doing? Or the One who actually knows - has proven experience backed up in writing (the Word of God)?

You know, he's a good guy - works hard, has a sense of humor.

Yeah, but does he know the Lord? Does he study the Word of God?

Oh, I don't know about all that, but he's a good guy. He works hard...

We wouldn't go to a podiatrist if we needed a cardiovascular surgeon. So, why would we go to a non-believer for advice about life and love? Choose the wrong one and it will cost a lot more in the long run...

Prayer:

Father,

          Forgive us for wanting the quick fix or the one that most lines up with our comfort zone. Please continue to strategically place Godly people in our lives to keep us on the path You have illuminated with Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

How Much? +

And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ.

1st Corinthians 7:22 NLT

Susannah is a very poor African woman about my age. I saw a video clip about her. An evangelist held a week-long revival in her village and every evening at the end of the service, the people would bring their offering to the front of the meeting place and lay it on a table. They brought fruit and vegetables, some of it equal to their day's wage. They brought small animals, chickens, etc, but no one had money. They were giving what they had in order to keep the ministry of evangelism going strong. 

Susannah had nothing to give. She was destitute. Her husband and children had died and she was alone...until she heard the Word of God preached  - the Gospel of Jesus. It literally transformed her and did an immediate work in her heart. She came to service every night and desperately wanted to give something, but she had nothing. The last night of the revival, she came in with the biggest smile and clutching something in her hand. When it came time to bring the offering, Susannah walked quietly but confidently to the front of the church and laid a silver coin on the table. The evangelist knew she had received salvation at the beginning of the week, but also knew she had nothing. He was concerned that she had stolen the coin in her desperation to give.

After service, the evangelist pulled her aside and asked her point blank where she had gotten the coin. She began to explain. God had made such an incredible change in her heart and her mind - freed her from the awful depression and loneliness - made her alive again. She wanted everyone to hear the message of Christ and knew she HAD to do her part in making sure that more would hear. She asked him, how could she receive such newness of life and not do everything within her power to make sure that others heard (keeping in mind that she is not a young woman). That day, Susannah had gone to see the plantation owner and sold the only thing she had left - the rest of her life - to work the fields of the plantation, so she could bring an offering to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 1st John 3:16 NLT, We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. The video ended with her working the plantation field, and as the camera zoomed out, there seemed to be no end to those fields.

How much have we received from Christ? How much will we give so that others may live?

Prayer:

Father,

          Change our hearts, Father. Change our attitudes. Let Your desires become ours. May we see, hear and hasten to do Your will. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Uncomfortably Complacent

I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.  Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
Revelation 2:2-4 NKJV

According to Scripture, God has loved us since before the foundations of the Earth. I have not loved Him that long. I loved Him when I was a child, but when I got old enough to think I could make my own decisions, I chose (at that time) to walk after the ways of the world. For over a decade, I was on a one-way street with no speed limits, heading straight for hell. "Do not pass Go. Do not collect two-hundred dollars."

It was when I was at my personal worst that God stepped into my path and offered me a way out...my Prince had come to save me and I couldn't get enough of Him! I was at church every time the doors were open and sometimes, even when they weren't. I just wanted to be there. I took notes every service and studied them and studied them and studied them some more because I wanted to know all I could about this God of the universe, Creator of Heaven and Earth, who loved ME enough to die for me - to pay the price for MY sins - to spare me the punishment for the evil choices I made.

That was a long time ago. Lately, it's almost been like some of the old married couples you've seen. They're comfortable in their relationship, but they're not "crazy in love" like they were when they were kids. She no longer hangs on his every word. He's not her "first love" anymore. Nowadays, he gets put on the back burner if one of the grandchildren or one of the ladies in her group needs something. She takes for granted that he's always going to be there.

There is a huge difference between comfortable and complacent. I've grown comfortable in my relationship with the Lord. I actually believe beyond the shadow of a doubt that He loves me - and that's good - but the truth is in the last few months, I had grown complacent in my relationship with Him. Oh, I wasn't out running around or getting drunk or doing stuff like that - but neither was I running to be with Him or drinking from the water of Life or listening for His voice. And I could feel the nudges... You don't spend time with Me. Come talk to Me. Don't push Me away. Don't ignore Me. I tried to make myself believe it was all okay because I wasn't running around or doing all those other things and I was at church and paid my tithes, and gave offerings, etc... but I forgot one VERY important thing.

This relationship has NEVER been about what I'VE done for Him.

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for loving me more than enough to confront me and make me uncomfortable in my complacency. Forgive me, Lover of my soul, for putting anything alive or electronic ahead of You in my life. It is ONLY in You that I live and move and have my being. Let my only comfort be in You. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

* A Letter

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2nd Corinthians 3:5-6 NKJV

I have a hard time reading contracts. All the legalese drives me to distraction. To me, it's a perfect illustration of our text for today regarding the letter kills. I'm sure glad I don't do it on a full-time basis. I'm not saying contracts aren't important - they are for many reasons - but sometimes contracts or more precisely, contract disputes kill a "guaranteed" project. The client has the work they need done, and you are qualified and trained to do that work, and they want you to do the work, and you want to do their work. Sounds like a perfect solution, right? Unless you can't agree on the contract terms - all the what-ifs and contingencies, etc.

The legal eagles on both sides will argue the letter of the law, the literal letter - an S or not an S - sometimes to the death. But once in a while, there's a champion who can come in and breathe life back into the contract, based on the compatibility of needs with the ability to meet those needs - the spirit of it, if you will - and the champion convinces the two parts to drop the letter of the law (or at least provide a little grace for it.)

What's in one letter that would make that much difference? Well, I'll show you just a few sample pairings.

Change - Chance;   Aspiring - Aspirin:   Wise - Vise;  

And if you leave a letter out, it can be devastating.

Life - Lie;

And satan is banking on it; his lies are subtle. he knows the Word well enough to mess with it. Do you know it well enough to counter his lies with the life that's in the Word? Here, take a letter.

Prayer:

Father,
          Teach us to walk in Your Spirit so that we don't fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Help us to know when to fight to the death of something and when to pray for life to be breathed back in it. But Father, may it always be Your breath that brings it to life, and not our own. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Mutual Trust

I couldn't be more sure of my ground—the One I've trusted in can take care of what he's trusted me to do right to the end.

2nd Timothy 1:12b The Message

If you have been following Christ for more than 6 months, more than likely you have heard someone refer to or quote Jeremiah 29:11 numerous times. It's one of those Scriptures everybody likes to quote. For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord... What a great Scripture! We love to confess it and hang on to it. It gives us great hope. Fills us full of victorious thoughts. God continues...They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Oh, we LOVE that one, don't we? God's gonna get us out of whatever it is that has forestalled or come against us.

But do we know the story behind it? Do we have any idea why God is saying that to them? Let me give you the summary. Israel was taken captive and they wanted to be free. God told them to settle in, build houses, plant gardens, be fruitful and multiply. He told them to pray and WORK for the peace and prosperity of their captive city. Then basically told them they'd be there 70 years... THEN He said, I know the plans I have for you...

Would you believe God had a plan if He told you that you'd be in your particular trial 70 years? Wow! We don't even want to hear it if we have to wait 7 hours or 7 days, let alone 70 years. I'm not saying God's going to leave you in the middle of whatever-it-is for 70 years. I'm just saying, God DOES have a plan, even when we don't know it. And He is trustworthy. How much will you trust Him? With your life?

Prayer:

Father,

          You are everything we need for our everyday life and for all Eternity. Open up that Truth and make it come alive to us, Father. Let our true security be in You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

The Power of One +

Ephesians 4:1-6 Paul speaking...

New Living Translation

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.

New International Version

 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

New King James Version

 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

The Message Bible

 In light of all this, here's what I want you to do. While I'm locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.

You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.

Okay, so this Promise is a little different. I don't normally put 4 versions of the same text, but I believe this bears repeating. Paul is speaking to Christian believers in Ephesus. He is not talking to the unchurched or non-believers. He is talking to the Body of Christ - those who have asked Jesus into their hearts to change their lives. 

Do we get it?

One body
One Spirit
One hope
One Lord
One faith
One baptism
One God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.

Let's face it - the ONLY way we could all come together is through the Power of One.

Prayer:

Father,
            Let us embrace Your call to be patient with each other, to make every effort to keep ourselves united in Your Spirit and to bind ourselves together with Your peace. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen