Patiently

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.
James 1:12a NLT

I cannot tell you how many times I've read or listened to the book of James. I know the part about enduring testing and temptation. I never even doubted that we would have them because Jesus said we would (John 16:33). However, tonight the adverb leaps out as though it is alive with a mind all its own - patiently - bringing with it total conviction and surrender.

Confession. I cannot say that "patiently" is my standard mode of operation. There's a certain situation that seemingly is adversely affecting a project that I thought was completed. When it first came to light, I was disheartened, then angry, then defeated, and finally, weeks later, I have chosen to humble myself before the Lord, asking forgiveness and for His guidance to teach me how to patiently endure.

The great news is that when we do patiently endure, the rest of that verse reads, Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. Since we are to encourage one another, let me remind you as I remind myself. We are made to be overcomers by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, but we can't be an overcomer if there's never anything to overcome.

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for Your never-ending Grace and Mercy. Thank You for Your Word to correct and strengthen us in our journey with You. Great is Your faithfulness toward us. Help us remember to give thanks IN all things, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

If He Wills...

And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.”
James 4:13-15 The Message

Where were you when the world shut down for CoVID? My brain was in vacation mode. I was one day away from vacation with my sister... which didn't happen. Even though it had been planned. Even though it had been paid for. Even though we both had arranged for time off from work. It didn't happen. Why? Because at that time, we didn't know the first thing about tomorrow... And we still don't. None of us do. And not just because of CoVID...

One of my favorite old songs is one written by Ira Stanphill. The chorus lyrics are "Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand; but I know Who holds tomorrow, and I know Who holds my hand." And that's where we need to be in our walk - holding to the Master's hand, following His lead... and ONLY His lead. Remember, He not only knows the way, He IS the Way. The Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Thankfully, today, we are still alive. Another one of my friends is not. What will we do? Let's embrace the Truth of God's Word and make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.”  And if He wills, then let's do it.

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for each and every day You give us. Help us to stay focused on Your footsteps in front of us so we can follow You. Keep our ears tuned to hear Your voice. Help us to embrace Your total Truths. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Called by Name

This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!
Genesis 17:4-6 NLT

That famous promise God gave Abraham—that he and his children would possess the earth—was not given because of something Abraham did or would do. It was based on God's decision to put everything together for him, which Abraham then entered when he believed. If those who get what God gives them only get it by doing everything they are told to do and filling out all the right forms properly signed, that eliminates personal trust completely and turns the promise into an ironclad contract! That's not a holy promise; that's a business deal. A contract drawn up by a hard-nosed lawyer and with plenty of fine print only makes sure that you will never be able to collect. But if there is no contract in the first place, simply a promise—and God's promise at that—you can't break it.

This is why the fulfillment of God's promise depends entirely on trusting God and His way, and then simply embracing Him and what He does. God's promise arrives as a pure gift. That's the only way everyone can be sure to get in on it, those who keep the religious traditions and those who have never heard of them. For Abraham is father of us all. He is not our racial father—that's reading the story backward. He is our faith father.

We call Abraham "father" not because he got God's attention by living like a saint, but because God made something out of Abraham when he was a nobody. Isn't that what we've always read in Scripture, God saying to Abraham, "I set you up as father of many peoples"? Abraham was first named "father" and then became a father because he dared to trust God to do what only God could do: raise the dead to life, with a word make something out of nothing. When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn't do but on what God said he would do. And so he was made father of a multitude of peoples. God himself said to him, "You're going to have a big family, Abraham!"

Abraham didn't focus on his own impotence and say, "It's hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child." Nor did he survey Sarah's decades of infertility and give up. He didn't tiptoe around God's promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said. That's why it is said, "Abraham was declared fit before God by trusting God to set him right." But it's not just Abraham; it's also us! The same thing gets said about us when we embrace and believe the One who brought Jesus to life when the conditions were equally hopeless. The sacrificed Jesus made us fit for God, set us right with God. Romans 4:13-25 The Message

What's in a name? When God changed Abram's name to Abraham, everyone who called him Abraham proclaimed him "father of a great multitude." The key is that Abraham BELIEVED it when God first spoke it and God counted it to him as righteousness.

What's in a name? Romans 4:12 tells us this about the Name of Jesus, Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Philippians 2:9-11 declares, Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

In Revelation 3:11-13, we are promised, All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.

The story is, "The devil knows our name but calls us by our sin. God knows our sin, but calls us by our name." Which would you rather be called? Which would you rather respond to? More importantly, which will you believe? Because what you believe determines how you live your life.

Prayer:

Father,
            Thank You for providing the only sure-fire way to get to You. Thank You that in the Holy Name of Jesus, there is change for all of us. Let Your light and the same resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead, so shine in us that we have a calling card to the world. Help us to believe as Abraham believed. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

In the Right Place at the Right Time

Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before Pharaoh.
Genesis 41:14 NLT

What does the plan for your life look like? Has it gone anything like YOU expected it to go? How often have you questioned the Lord (which means 'Supreme Authority') and what He is doing or has allowed to be done? Have you ever demanded of God, "Where are You?!?" and/or "Why am I here?!?"

Well, a reminder then. Jacob's son, Joseph, was the second most powerful man in all of Egypt. Second only to Pharoah himself. How'd he get there? RECAP: He was a pampered Hebrew boy, favorite son, wrongfully sold into slavery, wound up in Egypt, and through no fault of his own, thrown into prison... 13 years and counting. (We talked of his story about a month ago.)

Here's the important point today. If Joseph hadn't been in that prison, Pharaoh would never have found him. The Egyptians HATED the Israelis. Joseph would never have been found in the palace in authority. The remnant of Israel (70 people) would have died out instead of becoming over a million strong.

Joseph was in the right place at the right time because God got him to where he needed to be to accomplish his part in the Master Plan using ways we never would have chosen. It didn't look right. It didn't feel right. However, it was definitely the right place. Wouldn't you agree?

Are you on a similar path? God is still God. He'll do it for you. Trust Him!

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for Your Word! Thank You for transcending truths that stand the test of time. Help us to quickly and always be grateful for the place where You put us. Make our hearts faithful to trust You and give You praise. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Wondering

[Jesus speaking] I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.

John 15:1-3

As I clipped and trimmed and shaped and removed sucker growth, I thought about God being our gardener. I wondered at His patience when we resist His tending. I wondered at His ability to see past all the unruly growth to get to the heart of who we are and then to create a clean heart in us. I wondered at His great love to remove the suckers from our lives, so that we may be pure and exhibit true, healthy growth.

And I wonder if He kicks back when the work is done, knowing He's done right by us - and for us - and waits for us to bloom exactly as He planned in the spot where He has planted us or transplanted us. And then I wonder how long He'll have to wait...

Prayer:

Father,
            Cultivate our hearts. Don't let them become stony and hard through inactivity or misuse. Regenerate and wash us with Your Word as You have promised. We want to be and do what You have planned for us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Benefit Package

Bless the Lord, O my soul;And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
Psalm 103:1-2 NKJV

During the course of dinner, the conversation turned to gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit and the difference between them.

Fruit is what we reap from seed that is sown and nurtured by walking in the Spirit, not fulfilling the lusts of our own flesh. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us, But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Gifts are not fruit. They are... well, gifts. At that moment, my friend made a statement that was profound in its simplicity. "Gifts are always a benefit." Selah

And that's exactly how Scripture defines gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1st Corinthians 14. They are beneficial to the whole church when used accordingly. What if we don't use them for the whole church? Oh, they're still gifts, still useable, but they are of the most benefit when used to edify and strengthen ALL.

What are some of the other benefits from our text today? Continuing in verse 3 - 5:

3 Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Verse 8
The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

And these are just a few... when we choose to follow Him, we get the full benefits package.

Prayer:

Father,
            I will bless Your Name at all times. My praise for You shall continually be in my mouth. I cannot thank You enough, nor praise You enough for all You have done for me. Let all that is within me bless Your Holy Name. Crown my life with Your love, O God. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

To Communicate

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Ephesians 4:29 KJV

Have you ever had a conversation or discussion with someone of a much different opinion than yours? You wonder, what’s the use in even trying to persuade them. And while in some situations it is true that it really doesn't matter all that much; what do you do when it IS a matter of life or death in the eternal weight of it?

First, I would encourage you, according to God’s instruction, don’t get argumentative. Communication breaks down when we get up in arms. As we continue in our text for today, verses 31 and 32 read: Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Remember, you may have been just as hard-headed at some point in your life. I know I was. Verse 15a reads, we will speak the truth in love…

Secondly, if the conversation starts to escalate, step back. Breathe. Matthew 12:36-37 warns us that we will give an account on judgment day for every idle word we speak. Verse 37 states, The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you. (That’s scary…) Don’t let your passion override your peace.

Carefully choose your words. 2nd Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT) tells us: All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work. Remember - the only words that have the power to change anything come from the Word of God or those words prayed according to the will of God. Put the Word(s) to good use. 

Prayer:

Father, 

            We know according to Your Word that Wisdom is the principal thing and therefore, we are to get Wisdom. You also admonish us, that in all of our getting, we are to get understanding. Give us understanding, Father, in how to reach those around us with Your Truth and Your love. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen