Friends' Favorites - Thinking of You

Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered.
Psalm 40:5 NKJV

It's been a crazy few weeks and that's a fact. To someone on the outside looking in, just looking at the facts, it might seem as though God is not listening to a word we are praying... but I know that's not Truth. There are too many verses of Scripture that confirm He hears our cry. God may not answer the way I would want Him to answer, but I'm okay with that. He tells us outright in Isaiah 55 that His ways and thoughts are FAR ABOVE our ways and thoughts. The evidence of His love can never be bigger or more visible than Golgotha's hill, but His love flows freely from there. We are never so far from Him that we are out of His sight or off His radar. 

Do we know what the end results are going to actually be for the things we face at this time? No, we don't. We could look at all the facts and make an educated guess, but let's not get lost in facts. Let's seek His Truth. Believe in miracles. We know what the Word of God says. If we don't see the answers we want to see, we can rest assured that God has a better plan because He told us so. 

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you," says the Lord, "thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Either way, He's thinking of you...

Prayer:

Father,
          I'm truly thankful Your thoughts are so far above our thoughts and that our ways are not Your ways - for Your way is always good and always motivated by love. Calvary - Your greatest act of love - when viewed merely by the facts seems more cruel than anyone can endure. Help us to always see and CHOOSE Your Truth over the facts of life. According to Your Word, in 1st Samuel 12, we will be sure to fear and reverence You, Lord, and faithfully serve You and think of all the wonderful things You have done for us. In Jesus' Name and by the power of His precious blood. Amen

Friends' Favorites - Good All Over Again

My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.

1^st Peter 5:12b&c NLT

Letter writing is fast becoming a lost art. We live in the frenetic world of e-mail, texting and instant messages. Instantaneous communication in the briefest form. Why, even verbal communication has been greatly affected. 

When I get home, the first thing I do is go to the mailbox to see what’s come in. First priority is ALWAYS anything addressed by hand... which doesn't happen often, but it’s always the first thing I look for. Anything else is just stuff. 

A few years back, my sister had been going through old boxes at her house. In one, she found a letter addressed to my eldest brother, Ron, while he was in boot camp (I won’t tell you how long ago) and since I was stopping back by there on my way home from Missouri, I took it to him.  It turns out it was a letter from one of my other brothers who was 15 years old at the time of the writing. Ron had been gone 3 weeks and Joe had written him multiple pages, front and back, and it was a real treat to watch Ron read it and share the news as we marveled at the length of the letter written all those years ago. It was sweet and the love was tangible.

I thought about it a lot while driving back home on that trip. I have letters that I've kept for years and it made me want to pull them out and read them again, knowing they would be good all over again. They mean that much to me because the writer went ‘the extra mile’ to take the time to sit and write. Every time I think about it, it makes me want to sit down and write a letter to someone.

I was reminded of all the letters in the Bible written to the different churches. Think about this - they TRULY went the extra mile because they didn't have a pony express or the post office, either. I know they didn't have cyberspace and airwaves to send their missives, so they had to write it out, but I’m SO glad they did! Aren't you?

Doesn't it make you want to pull out the Word and read the letters yet another time? You know they'll be good all over again.

Prayer:

Father,

         Thank You for Your written Word. Give us a fresh anointing to understand it and to share it with those in need of a good word. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorite - Miracle In the Making

Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.
1st Peter 4:12-13 The Message

There are times when life is hard. It seems like trouble comes at us from every side. Sometimes, life feels like an illustrated sermon for 2nd Corinthians 4:8-9, We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed... but it feels like we're getting mighty close to it.

Ever been there? How many times have we prayed for a miracle?

Let me explain something to you. Miracles don't happen for normal. Miracles are required for extraordinary circumstances - extreme needs - seemingly hopeless cases. Have you ever thought about that? Commonplace, ordinary, every day normal doesn't require miraculous intervention... well... for SOME of you, it might, but not normally. Pun intended.

The point is - count it ALL joy. No troubles in your life - praise God! Big troubles - praise God - you're in the breeding ground for a miracle in the making.

Prayer:

Father,
           Help us to see You are always in our business. You orchestrate our lives and the many steps we can take if we keep our focus on You and follow where You lead. Give us clear direction, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - Camping Standards

And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: "Everyone of the children of Israel shall camp by his own standard, beside the emblems of his father’s house; they shall camp some distance from the tabernacle of meeting. 

Numbers 2:1-2 NKJV

In this passage, the Lord is clear about how He wants His people lined up. Each tribe to camp by its own standard - the banner that represents their lineage - the emblems of the father's house. You could tell by a glance who was supposed to be where and with whom.

It is a code of sorts that has carried down through the ages. Family crests, clan tartans, country flags, state flags, school flags, military regiment flags. You get the picture. Many of them are recognizable without definition. Whether it's honored or hated, everyone in the world knows the American flag. As children growing up in American schools, we pledged allegiance and lined up by the flag and all that it represents. 

I used to go camping as a Girl Scout. The only two things I liked about camping were singing around the campfire and making s'mores. Each group had a flag with a certain color and shape.  Invariably, the group I was in would wind up being the last tent. The one closest to the woods, far from the meeting house and all the campground lights. Ours would be the one the night critters - skunks and raccoons - would sometimes get in. I always wanted to pledge my allegiance to a different flag... one that was closer to the meeting house and the lights and the Leader.

In Isaiah 59:19b, the prophet proclaims, When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.  Do we know the Father's standard? Will we make our camp beside it? When He lifts it up, will we know where to run? What is our standard? Pun intended.

Prayer:

Father,

         We want to make our dwelling place in Your camp and our allegiance only to You. We place ourselves under the protection of Your standard, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorite - Mercy

Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. 

Matthew 5:7

Has there ever been a time in your life when you received mercy instead of what you knew you deserved? Were you humbled by it? Did you have a hard time understanding the motive behind it? Were you grateful? At this age and stage in my life, I'm still surprised by the number of people (of all ages) who cry for justice and want nothing to do with mercy...unless the tables are turned on them. Then it's a different story.

I don't know about you, but I am a person who needs MUCH mercy. Our Scripture reference for today is very plain about how to obtain it. I must BE merciful. There are times when being merciful is as second nature to me as breathing. Thank God. But I also have to admit, there are times when I'd just as soon declare, "Off with their heads!" and then help execute sentence! But just as I raise my arm to make the declaration, I catch half a picture in my mind of Jesus with His arm extended, and in that hesitation, there is enough time for me to see the whole picture - both arms extended - nailed to the Cross. 

Death was the price justice demanded for MY sins, my mistakes, my bad choices. The Cross of Calvary where justice was served - Jesus in my place on that Cross was and is mercy beyond definition. At the Cross, where justice met mercy, and love won.

Prayer:

Father,
            Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face. We look to you for protection. We will hide beneath the shadow of Your wings until the danger passes by. We cry out to You, O God Most High, to fulfill Your purpose for us. In Jesus' Name we pray.  Amen

Friends' Favorites - Strength to Fight

Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, that you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.
1st Timothy 6:12-14 NLT

The following lines are excerpts from Pastor Alan Neel's sermon...

• There will always be a fight. We are not fighting flesh and blood; we are contending for our faith.
• There is no "Golden Acres Retirement Center" here on Earth.
• THERE IS NO CONVENIENT CHRISTIANITY.
• We better learn how to fight.
• Discernment
• Discipline
• 1st Timothy 4:7 "Train yourself..."
• If you don't establish the right habits, by default you'll continually reinforce the bad habits.
• Quote by Dr. Gary Brothers, "Don't cause yourself more trouble than the trouble causes you."
• Determination
• We'd better learn how to win.

We are not moving to a place of rest here on Earth. That doesn't happen here. Here - we need to fight!

Fight for our faith!
Fight for our children's faith!
Fight for our grandchildren's faith!

Like the Apostle Paul commanded, "Fight the good fight for the true faith."

The Finish Line is in sight! We can't slack off - we must win!

Prayer:

Father,
           Today I pray as Scotty Smith prayed - for strength to do the next right thing, according to Your Word in Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through him who strengthens me...this verse has been underlined in my Bible, pasted on my refrigerator...But today I need it to be an active force in my life. Free me from the temptations of an “approval suck”. I don’t want to become aloof and callous, but neither do I want to be oversensitive to what people think...

I need strength to deal with destructive choices of friends. Marriages, health, the hearts of children, and Your glory are on the line. I need strength, Jesus, to get involved where frankly, I’d rather not. It would be much easier just to “pray from afar” than to run after prodigals, confront foolishness, and face anger. Strengthen me so that I will not wimp out. You pursued me, and You pursue me still. Likewise, be a persistent lover through me in these messy situations.

I need strength to seek You with fresh passion and delight; earnestness and anticipation. I never like it when I find it easier to watch TV than to meditate on the Scriptures. It’s not a good sign when exercising my body for vanity comes easier than exercising my heart for godliness. Renew my heart’s affection, adoration, and allegiance to You; for You alone are worthy of everything I am and have.

In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorite - Hey, It's 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 a favorite DJ or speaker/preacher, favorite actor, favorite singer(s) - all voices that are easily recognizable. 

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