Promise for Today - No Argument There

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.

Mark 5:18-20 NLT

Have you noticed that more and more people like to argue - and sometimes over the least inconsequential matter? Only now they call it sharing... Some like to argue just for the sake of arguing. I'm half-Italian; we can argue loud and long over just about anything.

People will argue about the virgin birth, where the wise men first saw Jesus, walking on water, healing, belly buttons, for crying out loud. However, there is one thing people can't possibly argue about and that is your testimony of what God did for you. In the simple telling of how you got saved, there is no room for argument.

Take a minute and allow yourselves to remember the details of how and when you got saved. You don't need to get into a great theological discussion or debate. Go ahead. Think about it. Rehearse it... Pray for divine appointments, then go tell it. They can't argue with your testimony.

Prayer:

Father,
Awaken within us a burning desire to spread the Good News to this lost and dying world. Fan the flame within us so that no one within the sound of our voice spends eternity in hell. Bring peace and confidence - a holy boldness, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Promise for Today - Remembering to Rebuild the Landmarks

But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.
Deuteronomy 4:9 NLT

My Pastor taught about it today - I am struck by the importance of passing down to the generations what God has done. I am reminded of how precious memories become when memories of someone are all we have left. We tell ourselves we'll never forget, but we do.

We rarely build physical landmarks to remind us of what God did "in that place on that day." But the older I get, the more I think about who will tell the stories of what God has done for us. It's important for our children to know. It's more important for our grandchildren to know. It's most important that we remember and give God the honor and praise that's due to Him!

I have begun to ask the Holy Spirit to bring all things to my remembrance so that I may testify of God's faithfulness to me, to my children and grandchildren. I want to write them down and put them in a binder for easy access to all the generations of my family. I want my heavenly Father to get His proper due and I want the generations to know of His wondrous works in the history of their lives. We must remember the times...

Prayer:

Father,
          We pray Your Word* - Take us by the hand. Lead us down the path of Your Truths. Mark the milestones of Your mercy and love, God, and rebuild the ancient landmarks in our lives. Let Your Name and faithfulness be glorified in our generations. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

*Psalm 25:6 The Message

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

Help Us to Remember

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Hebrews 10:16-17 KJV

I think I have reached the limit of my personal gigabyte storage capacity. No, not on my laptop, although that's close. I'm talking mental, personal storage capacity. I want to remember, but for some reason, I do not. It can be a good thing. Most times, I don't remember to be angry or to hold an offense. More often than not, though, it isn't a good thing. If I don't write it down, I forget. And if I forget where I wrote it down, or what I named it when I saved it, it's worse than the proverbial needle in a haystack when trying to find it. And there are things I don't want to forget - like birthdays, checking on a friend who's sick or who has lost a loved one...

There are other things, I MUST not forget. Did you ever watch the movie, Passion of the Christ? I make myself watch it now and then, so I remember. No, I don't forget Christ went to the Cross. I can't forget that He died for my sin, to cleanse me from ALL unrighteousness. Yes, I still know He took the stripes on His back for my healing. Watching it turns my stomach when I see how evil mankind can be, but I want to remember how easily I could have been part of that crowd. 

However, I find I MUST be reminded one more time of a love SO great I cannot comprehend it! We can so easily get caught up in the petty cares of this world that we become complacent and lose our passion and compassion. We're irked by little things and lose patience quickly with people God has put within our sphere of influence to love and point the way to Him. Some things we may think we have the right to be upset about, but Scripture tells us Christ cried out from the Cross, Father, forgive them...

He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. Isaiah 53:3-6 NLT

Remind us again, Lord.

Prayer:

Father,
           The covenant You have made is to put Your law in our hearts, and to write them in our minds. Your Word declares You are working in us, giving us both the desire and the power to do what pleases You. Please don't stop. Remind us, O Lord, to love as You have loved. To live obediently even unto death. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

By Request - How Quickly We Forget

 So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.

Deuteronomy 11:18-19 NLT

The past week has been one of remembering for me. Labor Day - originally proclaimed to celebrate the legalization of labor unions and the labor movement. My father - he'd have turned 103 this week. And tomorrow: 9-11. Twenty-one years have passed since America united as a country against the evil atrocities perpetrated against our nation, but how quickly we forget.

We remember those who gave their lives trying to save those who had come under attack. We remember those who spent days and weeks and months trying to dig out from under it all. We remember those who have taken a stand against terrorism and have fought and are fighting for our freedoms. All day tomorrow, there will be conversations that begin with, "I remember what I was doing when I heard..." "I remember I couldn't believe..."

We remember facts, but we don't remember the truths that came from it. What I mean is that when the shock wore off, we were no longer divided across party lines, or state lines, or skin color lines. We were Americans who stood arm in arm and waved our flags, and sang our anthem, and burned candles, and filled all the churches for two whole weeks following 9-11. Oh, the flag waving and anthem singing and burning candles lasted a while longer, but by the third Sunday following 9-11-01, most churches were back to their usual Sunday congregation. And twenty-one years later, we're up in arms against each other instead of arm-in-arm with one another. How quickly we forget.

The same thing happened when Jesus took the bread as recorded in Luke 22:19, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave unto them, saying, This is My body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me. And then later, His body was broken for our sins. We remember the facts, but do we remember the Truth? The atrocities against Him - against God's love personified? Do we remember what it cost Him? He laid His life down for our freedom. He died to save us and to free us from the rubble of our lives.

So many don't remember from twenty-one years ago - is it any wonder that 2,000 years later they've forgotten Christ? We MUST remember...

Prayer:

Father,
          Keep the cost of the Cross ever before us, O Lord. Forgive us for taking it lightly, as just a matter of fact. Bind us together by Your love. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

I Remember...

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.
1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT

For the last few weeks, I have been remembering moments in time of my mother and my two brothers, of babies who have gone to Heaven without ever having drawn one breath here on Earth, of beloved friends who died from diseases that ravaged their bodies but could not destroy their souls. I remember marvelous moments of joy and laughter, as well as those of heartbreak and grief. And I remember God's comfort through it all.

I remember as children, my siblings and I cleared the table, washed and dried dishes, and swept the kitchen floor, as our mother played hymns on the piano, encouraging us to sing rather than squabble over who was doing what task. I remember that some nights, we touched Heaven with the harmony of those old songs. It was palpable. At that time, I didn't know it was the presence of God inhabiting the praises of His children, but I knew I could feel something deep inside my soul. 

As a young teen, I ran from God and it wasn't until my mid-twenties - desperate for my broken heart to be healed and longing for the peace that they wrote about in the Bible - that I returned to the God who promised that and so much more. And I returned to the music that soothed my soul.

I remember sitting by our mother's bed, singing to her, and years later, by my oldest brother's bedside, holding his hand and singing softly to him in the middle of the night, as his spirit hovered between life and death, and I witnessed the peace of God's presence soothe as only He can. I remember...

And on those days that seem darker because the light that was their lives is no longer around me, I remember these words from 1st Thessalonians. And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 

So encourage each other with these words.

Prayer:

Father, 

           Thank You for remembering us and our frailty as humans. Thank You for providing everything we need to thrive in this life You have given us. Thank You that we have hope and our hope is in You. You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. You do not change. You are straight and true. Your Word does not fail. Strengthen us, Father, so that we may help others and encourage each other with Your Words. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Remember That?

The whole Israelite community complained against Moses and Aaron in the desert. The Israelites said to them, “Oh, how we wish that the Lord had just put us to death while we were still in the land of Egypt. There we could sit by the pots cooking meat and eat our fill of bread. Instead, you’ve brought us out into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death.”
Exodus 16:2-3 CEB (Common English Bible)

From year to year, I tend to forget just how good Genesis and Exodus are - how dramatic the stories - how simply human the great patriarchs were. I don't read them all the time but In the beginning... is where the reading plan starts in a new year and they are a great reminder.

And reminders are obviously a necessary part of living. In our Promise for Today, the Israelites were wistfully pining for Egypt, There we could sit by the pots cooking meat and eat our fill of bread. Yeah, near the same pots where you had to boil straw and mud to make bricks? Remember that?

Why is it when times get tough that we go into selective memory mode? Why do we blame God for letting it all happen? How do we forget walking across the dry sea bed with great walls of water on either side and then doubt God is looking out for us? How do you daily see the cloud by day and the fire by night and wonder where God is?

Flash forward to our most recent tribulation. Are we whining and crying, 'Why me?' or 'Where are You?' Or are we remembering that God delivered us and got us through every trial and trouble we've ever faced? Oh, we may have had some consequences, but remember that we're still here with another chance, another day to fulfill His purpose and plan for our lives.

Through the years, I have learned that the Bible overflows with countless examples of God's immeasurable love, mercy, and grace. Yes, the Bible certainly does, but so do our own lives. Remember that?

Prayer:

Father,
            Praying Your Word, we give thanks to You, Lord, for You are good; Your love endures forever. We remember when we cried out to You in our trouble, and You delivered us from our distress. Thank You for Your unfailing love and Your wonderful deeds for mankind. You send Your Word to heal. You lift the needy out of their affliction. We pray for wisdom, Father, to be able to see Your hand in everything that touches our lives. Help us to ponder the loving deeds of You and give You glory as we remember that. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

The Three R's

Then Solomon and all Israel celebrated the Festival of Shelters in the presence of the Lord our God.
1st Kings 8:65 NLT

I came across a verse in 1st Kings 6:7, that reads, The stones used in the construction of the Temple were finished at the quarry, so there was no sound of hammer, ax, or any other iron tool at the building site.  While thinking about the significance of that, I also read our text for today, in chapter 8, verse 65. I don’t remember ever hearing about the Festival of Shelters. But they celebrated it at the end of the dedication of the Temple... the one they built with no sound of tools at the site.

The Festival of Shelters is an ancient Hebrew festival that calls us to remember, resist and rejoice. We remember that we are all homeless wanderers in a land that is not our own. We resist the powers of pride and greed that create wealth for a few and poverty for many. And we rejoice that God has given us a harvest that provides more than enough for an abundant life. 

The Festival commemorates God’s instructions to Moses and the Hebrews: “You shall live in shelters seven days: all citizens of the land shall live in shelters…” (Leviticus 23:42). The Festival calls all of God’s people, especially those who live in good houses and celebrate plentiful harvests, to not forget the God who rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt and who fully provided for His people in the wilderness, despite their rebellion. 

As we remember where we’ve come from, let us resist the temptation to be self-seeking and self-serving, and rejoice that God – in His infinite mercy – has made a way for us where there was no way. 

Prayer:

Father,
           Just as we applied ourselves to learn The Three R’s at school, let us more so abide by these: Remembering Your goodness toward us, resisting pride and self-sufficiency, and rejoicing that You go before us and make the crooked way straight, loving us and teaching us to be true followers of You. Help us to successfully finish the race You have called us to run. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

No More

And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.
Hebrews 8:12 NLT

I've read it before. I'm sure you have, too. But I have to tell you that EVERY time I read these words, I am both humbled and blown away... Can we even grasp the reality of forgiveness - to know that God will never again remember any of our sins?!? Or begin to fathom the depths of His love in choosing to do so?

EVERY sin. Gone. Remembered no more. Selah

Prayer:

Father,
           We pray as Paul prayed, when we think of all this, we fall to our knees and pray to You, the Creator of everything in Heaven and on Earth. We pray that from Your glorious, unlimited resources You will empower us with inner strength through Your Spirit. We pray that Christ will make His home in our hearts as we trust in Him; that our roots will grow down into Your love and keep us strong. Father, give us the power to understand, as all Your people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep Your love is. May we experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then we will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from You. Now all glory to You, Father, who is able, through Your mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

How Quickly We Forget

So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.
Deuteronomy 11:18-19 NLT

The past week has been one of remembering for me. Labor Day - originally proclaimed to celebrate the legalization of labor unions and the labor movement. Dad - he'd have turned 99 this week. And tomorrow: 9-11. Seventeen years have passed since America united as a country against the evil atrocities perpetrated against our nation, but how quickly we forget.

We remember those who gave their lives trying to save those who had come under attack. We remember those who spent days and weeks and months trying to dig out from under it all. We remember those who have taken a stand against terrorism and have fought and are fighting for our freedoms. All day tomorrow, there will be conversations that begin with, "I remember what I was doing when I heard..." "I remember I couldn't believe..."

We remember facts, but we don't remember the truths that came of it. What I mean is that when the shock wore off, we were no longer divided across party lines, or state lines, or skin color lines. We were Americans who stood arm in arm and waved our flags, and sang our anthem, and burned candles, and filled all the churches for two whole weeks following 9-11. Oh, the flag waving and anthem singing and burning candles lasted a while longer, but by the third Sunday following 9-11-01, most churches were back to their usual Sunday congregation. And seventeen years later, we're up in arms against each other instead of arm-in-arm with one another. How quickly we forget.

The same happened when Jesus took the bread as recorded in Luke 22:19, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave unto them, saying, This is My body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me. And then later, His body was broken for our sins. We remember the facts, but do we remember the Truth? The atrocities against Him - against God's love personified? Do we remember what it cost Him? He laid His life down for our freedom. He died to save us and to free us from the rubble of our lives.

So many don't remember from seventeen years ago - is it any wonder that 2,000 years later they've forgotten Christ? We MUST remember...

Prayer:

Father,
          Keep the cost of the Cross ever before us, O Lord. Forgive us for taking it lightly, as just a matter of fact. Bind us together by Your love. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Do You Remember?

But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.

Psalm 77:11-12 NLT

Do you know God? How do you KNOW Him? Do you remember when you first met Jesus...or when you came back to Him? Do you remember where you were - who was with you? What's your story? When I pause to remember, it opens a floodgate of times - too numerous to count  - when God brought me through. 

In a meeting I attended a few years back, we were asked to choose from one of the four following sentences and share a part of our history with God.

1. Describe a time when God rescued you from something or someone (even if it was you!)

2. Describe a time when God was your Provider.

3. Describe a time when you experienced God's love in a way that changed your life forever.

4. Describe how God healed you in some way (physically, emotionally or spiritually).

Do you remember? Does anyone else know? Psalm 107:8, Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Prayer:

Father,

         Please shine Your light of Truth on our lives. Help those who don't yet easily see Your hand in all things to clearly see - and recognize You - as they remember. And give them the boldness to share it. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen