* Who Said What?

Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.
Luke 4:31-32 NLT

I used to try to attend at least one conference or seminar per year to aid in my personal or professional growth. There isn't one that I can say changed my life forever, but I did learn a lot of little things along the way. I don't even remember the name of one presenter or the title of one conference. However, there was one I attended that stayed in my mind for a different reason. 

I was so excited because a friend was going to attend with me - someone I held in high esteem because of her intelligence and wisdom. And it was one of the better seminars with regard to first-class style and presentation. When the speaker was introduced, his stage presence was palpable and understanding the rudiments of public speaking, within minutes he had connected to his audience with a few personal laugh-inducing anecdotes to break the ice. For me, it was downhill from there.

Once he got into his subject, he was a walking anthem of He Said, She Said. He could have been the catalog for Wheel of Fortune, full of famous (and not so famous) quotes and phrases. All.morning.long. 

He regaled us with a complete inventory of facts he had memorized from books, volumes 1 through 50. She says this and he says that and this one says the other, and the other agrees with that one. There was not one illustration of personal application for any of it. I was not impressed.

For years, I have used two questions to define events of daily life. What was the best thing about it? What was the worst? My friend knew this and during the lunch break asked what was the best thing so far. My answer was, "The bacon at breakfast..." It was clearly not the answer she expected. 

When I expressed my opinion of the speaker and his method, she patiently explained that it was how one learned, by reading the works of others who had gone before, rather like reading the Bible. She found the speaker to be quite knowledgeable. She said it lent credence to his job as a motivational speaker that he knew so many facts and quotes from other speakers on the subject. She was sure he had been laying the foundation of knowledge during the morning session and that after lunch, he would begin the practical application. At that point, I felt truly ignorant. So with renewed resolve to learn, I followed my friend back to the seminar.

The afternoon was worse. His sources by that time could have been his second cousin twice removed from his mother's brother's wife for all I know, but not one practical application. He did not speak with authority of what he knew. Being southern, we could not walk out in the middle of his litany, but by the mid-afternoon break, even my friend was ready to leave, so we did.

I have nothing against famous quotes or people who have written extensively about certain subjects. Quite the contrary! I love learning, and I collect quotes, but what good is it; what purpose does it serve unless there is some practical application? 

Christ spoke with authority. It was obvious that He knew what He was talking about. When He said He spoke only what His Father spoke, He had lived it. He was the Word. He IS the Word.

When we speak of Christ or speak His Word, do we know that we know it or is it just something someone else said? You may not remember one famous name or quote, but that which you KNOW - that which has changed your life - can't be taken from you. No matter who says what...

Prayer:

Father, 
        According to Your Word in Psalm 119:37, Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through Your Word. Keep me from vain sayings and useless knowledge. Let my life not be a trivial pursuit. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

* A Stumble is Not the End

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.
Psalm 37:23-25 NLT

I saw a post on social media that read, "Never let a stumble in the road be the end of the journey." and it made me think about people I've known who have stumbled and stayed there. Not to mention the times I've stumbled and not wanted to get back up...

Listen! The road CAN be very long. The path WILL twist and turn. There WILL be rocks and potholes and sometimes, debris in the way, left by the storms of life. Maybe some days, it seems so much easier to set up camp on this side of the giant mudslide or the tree across the road. Don't do it! Don't!

If our goal is heaven and we're not there yet, then we must keep moving forward! God has promised to go before us to make the crooked path straight. He has promised to direct our steps. He said He will hold us by the hand. Jesus said in John 16:33, I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. 

We slip, trip and stumble. Proverbs 24:16 declares, The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. So get up!  It's not the end of the journey! We're not there yet! Get up! Follow His footsteps!

Prayer:

Father,

           Forgive us for wanting to quit when the going is hard. Prod us! Provoke us to good works! Keep Your Word ever alive in our hearts so that we draw our strength only from You. You ARE our Strength when we are weak and humble ourselves before You. Help us, O God! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Out with the Trash

     When John realized that a lot of Pharisees and Sadducees were showing up for a baptismal experience because it was becoming the popular thing to do, he exploded: "Brood of snakes! What do you think you're doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to make any difference? It's your life that must change, not your skin! And don't think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as father. Being a descendant of Abraham is neither here nor there. Descendants of Abraham are a dime a dozen. What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it's deadwood, it goes on the fire.
    "I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in this drama—compared to him I'm a mere stagehand—will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He's going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He'll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned."
Matthew 3:7-12 The Message

I really don't like housework, but I also don't want to die of embarrassment. So, I make myself pick up, put away, sweep, and take out the trash. Some of which takes a lot of time. None of which is fun. All of which is necessary to accomplish the goal (not dying of embarrassment when someone comes to the door). Nothing will light a fire under most of us quicker than knowing someone might come by.

The Holy Spirit is here on a daily basis. He's not doing a white glove test. He's making house calls to help us prepare and be ready for when Jesus comes back. The Holy Spirit will change us from the inside out - some of which takes a lot of time! None of which is fun. All of which is necessary to accomplish the goal. Will we let Him in?

Christ's return should be the thing that lights the quickest fire in our hearts to get this old house in order. He's going to clean house—make a clean sweep of our lives. He'll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned. 

Prayer:

Father,
           Help us to see the necessity of having the Holy Spirit clean house and put us in right order for Your return. Light the fire within us again, O God. Cause our hearts to burn with holy fervor for everything true found only in You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Then You Will

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

If you've been a follower of Jesus Christ for very long, you are familiar with this passage - or at least part of it. We're very good about encouraging others not to worry because God provides peace that far surpasses the angst and full realm of our circumstances, and exceeds our ability to comprehend its' dominion. King James' reads, peace that passeth all understanding. And truly, it does.

However, we can't just grab that part out of the Scripture. It's not a stand-alone verse. God's peace is the result of following the instructions given for how to handle troublesome situations.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need
And thank Him for all He has done

THEN YOU WILL experience God's peace...

Worry is not trusting God. It's fear, which is opposite to faith. According to Hebrews 11:6, Without faith, it's impossible to please God.

What does God's Word have to say about the situation? Look it up. Research it. There are ample Bible tools online. We can even Google©, "What does the Bible say about _______?" That way, we can tell God what we need - according to what His Word says we need - with regard to the situation.

And thank Him for all He has done! To begin with, He gave us life! He has redeemed, restored, and resurrected us from our death-inducing sinful life!

THEN we will experience God's peace - the peace that will guard our hearts and minds as we live in Christ Jesus.

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for all You have done for us. Thank You that by Your grace and mercy, we are still drawing breath and have another opportunity to serve You. Thank You that Your mercies are new every morning and great is Your faithfulness! You are the Lord our God. Teach us. Cause Your Word to come alive in us so that we experience Your peace and fulfill Your purpose for our lives. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Run Home

The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. 

Psalm 27:4-5 NLT

I remember as a child - whenever I was afraid or in trouble - I just wanted to go home. It was not always the safest place, but it was still where I ran. Now, I run to the Lord. There I know I am always safe, always protected, and always, eternally loved.

This Psalm is so eloquent. When I'm in a battle, this is where I run. I believe you will find what you need from Him.

The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.

The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music.

Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”

Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper.
Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation! Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.

Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me.

Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I’ve never done; with every breath they threaten me with violence. Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.

Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Prayer:

Father,
            I am confident that I will see Your goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Testify

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:15-16 NKJV

Have you ever been called to be a character witness for someone? You're brought to a court of law, sworn in and then you proceed to tell what you know firsthand, as it applies to the person in question and the situation. You cannot be a character witness on hearsay. You cannot testify based on he-said-she-said or what you heard from someone else. It has to be personal knowledge. You must have learned it yourself during the time you spent with the person - good times and the bad. You know because you've been there with them, or they've been with you. You are able to testify for them and your testimony is entered into the court documents.

They were in the Caesarea Philippi region when Jesus asked His disciples what people had to say about who He was. They told Him some thought He was John the Baptist, some Elijah, or Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets. Jesus asked what they thought - His disciples - as the ones who walked with Him, the ones who knew Him on a daily basis, they KNEW who He was. They witnessed the miracles not only to the multitudes but in their own personal lives. They were eyewitnesses to the details and the deity of His life and they were able to say unequivocally, "You are the Christ."

Ten of the remaining eleven disciples who walked with Jesus were martyred for their testimonies. And they weren't the only ones. In ancient Rome, Christians were crucified, given over to the lions, beheaded, and burned alive on stakes to light the gardens of Nero. Yet, they held on to their testimonies right to their deaths. So far, that hasn't happened to Christians in the United States, but intense persecution IS happening to Christian brothers and sisters in other countries around the world and we must pray for them.

We are overcomers - victorious - by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, according to Revelation 12:11. Jesus the Christ died on the Cross at Calvary for our salvation - so the Blood of the Lamb part is already done. It's the word of our testimony that completes the act of overcoming.

You cannot testify to what you don't know. You would NEVER give a testimony that may cost your life or your freedom, based on hearsay. Do you know Him well enough to testify? To overcome? We're not talking about what your Mama says about Him or even what your grandmother said. Nor what the Sunday School teacher or the preacher told you. Who do YOU say that He is? What is He to your life? Will you - can you testify?

Prayer:

Father,
            We want to know You more - in every fiber of our being. We want to testify about Who and what we know. Give us the courage of Your convicting power. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Divide and Decide

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Hebrews 4:12 NLT

In the Encarta English dictionary, there are 12 different definitions for soul. In Christianity, the soul is generally defined as the part of you which is your mind, your will and your emotions. You know - the parts that can get us in trouble.

We've talked about knowing the difference between fact and Truth. Our soul includes our feelings. Sometimes what we feel is not the Truth. So, are feelings bad? No. God gave those to us as gifts. There's lots of life that would be absolutely worthless and no fun at all without feelings or emotions. Should feelings control our lives? Should we ascribe to the world's philosophy of If it feels good, do it? Not according to the Word of God...and only YOU can determine if God's Word is YOUR standard.

Our soulish part always makes excuses for us. It's easy to be carnal - thinking only of our feelings and our bodies. So often we hear people make the excuse for their actions, Well, that's just how I am. God understands... Or how about this one? That's just the way God made me... Oh, puh-leeeezzzzz...

God sent His Son to die on a cross for all that - for our sins. He created the plan of salvation. He provided every aspect to ensure victory. It's not His will that anyone should die without Him...but it IS our choice. He came to save our souls from destruction.

The Bible tells us in Psalm 107, Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. What part of us got redeemed? Only our Spirit? Only our body? Christ died to save us... We are spirit, soul and body. It was a package deal. Christ paid the FULL price for us. It wasn't a K-Mart blue light or Wal-Mart red light special - Salvation has never been offered at a reduced rate because Jesus didn't skimp on anything. He gave His ALL. What will YOU give for it?

It's like learning the difference between want and need. We need to recognize and discern what is the driving force behind our desires - soul or Spirit. We want a lot of things, but what do we need? Air, water, food, shelter. Isn't it interesting that God describes Himself as all those things? It's in the Word - let it divide and decide your actions.

Prayer:

Father
           According to Your Word in verse 13 of today's text, nothing in all creation is hidden from You. Everything is naked and exposed before Your eyes, and You are the One to whom we are accountable. Shine Your light of Truth on our lives so we may rightly divide soul from Spirit. Let all we think and our subsequent actions be pleasing in Your sight. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen