Thursday, December 27, 2018
John Chapter 1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and through the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ( John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, " This is the one I spoke about when I said, ' He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'") Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. Now this was John's testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, " I am not the Messiah." They asked him, " Then who are you? Are you Elijiah?" He said, " I am not. " " Are you the Prophet? " He answered, " No. " Finally they said, " Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, " I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ' Make straight the way for the Lord.' " Now the Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, " Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet? " " I baptize with water," John replied, " but among you stands one you do not know. He whose sandals I am not worthy to untie." This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, " Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ' A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." Then John gave testimony: " I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ' The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who wil baptize with the Holy Spirit. I have seen and I testify that this is God's Chosen One. The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, " Look, the Lamb of God!" When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, " What do you want?" They said, " Rabbi" ( which means teacher"), Where are you staying?" " Come," he replied, " and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying. and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, " We have found the Messiah" ( that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, " You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" ( which, when translated, is Peter). The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Phillip, he said to him, " Follow me." Phillip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Phillip found Nathaniel and told him, " We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." " Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathaniel asked. " Come and see," said Phillip. When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching he said of him, " Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit." " How do you know me?" Nathaniel asked. Jesus answered, " I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Phillip called you." Then Nathaniel declared, " Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel." Jesus said, " You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that." He then added, " Very truly I tell you, you will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
Monday, February 19, 2018
Talk, Talk, Talk, Talk
Your Words:
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.
Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and itself set on fire by hell.
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man,but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.
Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Scriptures:
James 3:3-12
Defining Moments:
You didn't mean to say it. It just slipped out. Everybody knows how it feels when gossip engine is in full swing, when the camaraderie of shared complaints and put downs makes you say things you promised yourself not to-little tidbits you'd been told in confidence, jokes and jabs you toss out for public enjoyment though you'd never speak them right to someone's face. We all understand.
But knowing that we all understand doesn't make it right. And working harder to bite your lip next time only provides temporary relief. Jesus said that " out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" ( Matthew 12:34)- that if we want our words ( or our silence) to be pure and pleasing, we must change our attitudes to match.
So....want to withstand the urge to sling the next insult? Then try loving the person who irritates you. Want to never make another idle remark at another person's expense? Then pray for God to help you want the best for your grouchy neighbor. Kind words come from clean hearts.
Next Up:
Being new to something like the Christian life can make you feel outclassed by those who do it well. But we're not racing eachother. We're racing ourselves.
Quote:
" Let your words be few, lest you say with your tongue what you will afterward repent with your heart." -George MacDonald
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.
Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and itself set on fire by hell.
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man,but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.
Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Scriptures:
James 3:3-12
Defining Moments:
You didn't mean to say it. It just slipped out. Everybody knows how it feels when gossip engine is in full swing, when the camaraderie of shared complaints and put downs makes you say things you promised yourself not to-little tidbits you'd been told in confidence, jokes and jabs you toss out for public enjoyment though you'd never speak them right to someone's face. We all understand.
But knowing that we all understand doesn't make it right. And working harder to bite your lip next time only provides temporary relief. Jesus said that " out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" ( Matthew 12:34)- that if we want our words ( or our silence) to be pure and pleasing, we must change our attitudes to match.
So....want to withstand the urge to sling the next insult? Then try loving the person who irritates you. Want to never make another idle remark at another person's expense? Then pray for God to help you want the best for your grouchy neighbor. Kind words come from clean hearts.
Next Up:
Being new to something like the Christian life can make you feel outclassed by those who do it well. But we're not racing eachother. We're racing ourselves.
Quote:
" Let your words be few, lest you say with your tongue what you will afterward repent with your heart." -George MacDonald
Good Habits
So let us go on to grow-up teaching. Let us not go back over the beginning lessons we learned about Christ. ( Hebrews 6:1)
I like the story of the little boy who fell out of bed. When his Mom asked him what happened, he answered, " I don't know. I guess I stayed too close to where I got in."
Easy to do the same with our faith. It's tempting just to stay where we got in and never move.
Pick a time in the not-too-distant past. A year or two ago. Now ask yourself a few questions. How does your prayer life today compare with then? How about your giving? Have both the amount and the joy increased? What about your church loyalty? Can you tell you've grown? And Bible study? Are you learning to learn?....
Don't make the mistake of the little boy. Don't stay too close to where you got in. It's risky resting on the edge.
I like the story of the little boy who fell out of bed. When his Mom asked him what happened, he answered, " I don't know. I guess I stayed too close to where I got in."
Easy to do the same with our faith. It's tempting just to stay where we got in and never move.
Pick a time in the not-too-distant past. A year or two ago. Now ask yourself a few questions. How does your prayer life today compare with then? How about your giving? Have both the amount and the joy increased? What about your church loyalty? Can you tell you've grown? And Bible study? Are you learning to learn?....
Don't make the mistake of the little boy. Don't stay too close to where you got in. It's risky resting on the edge.
YOU ARE FEELING WEIGHED DOWN
You Are Feeling Weighed Down by a plethora of problems, both big and small. They seem to require more and more of your attention, but you must not give in to those demands. When the difficulties in your life feel as if they're closing in on you, break free by spending quality time with Me. You need to remember who I am in all My Power and Glory. Your problems will pale when you view them in the Light of My Presence. You can learn to be joyful in Me, your Savior, even in the midst of adverse circumstances. Rely on Me, your Strength; I make your feet like the feet of a deer, enabling you to go on the heights.
Exodus 3:14; Habakkuk 3:17-19
Exodus 3:14; Habakkuk 3:17-19
Not Eough?
On the way home from church, my daughter sat in the backseat enjoying Goldfish crackers as my other children implored her to share. Trying to redirect the conversation, I asked the hoarder of snacks, " What did you do in class today?" She said they made a basket of bread and fish because a child gave Jesus five loaves and two fish that Jesus used to feed more than 5,000 people.
" That was very kind of the little boy to share. DO you think maybe God is asking you to share your fish" I asked. " No, Momma," she replied.
I tried to encourage her not to keep all the crackers to herself. She was unconvinced. " There is not enough for everyone!"
Sharing is hard. It is easier to hold onto what we see in front of us. Perhaps we do the calculation and reason there is simply not enough for everyone. And the assumption is that if I gave, I will be left wanting.
Paul reminds us that all we have comes from God, who wants to enrich us " in every way so that {we} can be generous." The math of heaven isn't a calculation of scarcity but of abundance. We can share joyfully because God promises to care for us even as we are generous to others.
Father, You take good care of me. Help me to think of others today and to share Your goodness with them.
When we believe that God is good, we can learn to open our hands to others.
" That was very kind of the little boy to share. DO you think maybe God is asking you to share your fish" I asked. " No, Momma," she replied.
I tried to encourage her not to keep all the crackers to herself. She was unconvinced. " There is not enough for everyone!"
Sharing is hard. It is easier to hold onto what we see in front of us. Perhaps we do the calculation and reason there is simply not enough for everyone. And the assumption is that if I gave, I will be left wanting.
Paul reminds us that all we have comes from God, who wants to enrich us " in every way so that {we} can be generous." The math of heaven isn't a calculation of scarcity but of abundance. We can share joyfully because God promises to care for us even as we are generous to others.
Father, You take good care of me. Help me to think of others today and to share Your goodness with them.
When we believe that God is good, we can learn to open our hands to others.
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Critic's Corner
Other people's perceptions:
Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. " Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened."
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander....
If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or theif or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?....
So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
Scripture:
1 Peter 3:13-16; 4:14-17, 19
Defining Moments:
May as well be on the lookout for a couple of thieves who like to prey on new Christians who are serious about being Christlike.
One is the old friend who liked you better the way you were, back when you were a lot more open to having a good time and going to church didn't interfere with every weekend.
The other one is the Christian who's seen your kind come along before and liked you better when you were still a prayer request. Now you're a ball of fire who's just crazy enough to take what you read in the Bible at face value, who thinks there's nothing God can't do through people who pray and churches who love each other. Your enthusiasm threatens them. They're supposed to be the ones helping you.
So if you haven't already, you're sure to start feeling the heat from those who want you wither more like the world or more like the status quo. Just keep believing that what the Bible says is true, and keep loving them the way you'd want them to love you.
Next Up:
One of the biggest enemies in your fight for Christian victory is a foe so small, you could easily overlook it. But it's so close to your heart that it's hard to give up.
Quote:
" Conformity is a jooy thief, but fixing our eyes on Jesus is a joyful, life-giving exercise." -Ed Young
Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. " Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened."
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander....
If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or theif or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?....
So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
Scripture:
1 Peter 3:13-16; 4:14-17, 19
Defining Moments:
May as well be on the lookout for a couple of thieves who like to prey on new Christians who are serious about being Christlike.
One is the old friend who liked you better the way you were, back when you were a lot more open to having a good time and going to church didn't interfere with every weekend.
The other one is the Christian who's seen your kind come along before and liked you better when you were still a prayer request. Now you're a ball of fire who's just crazy enough to take what you read in the Bible at face value, who thinks there's nothing God can't do through people who pray and churches who love each other. Your enthusiasm threatens them. They're supposed to be the ones helping you.
So if you haven't already, you're sure to start feeling the heat from those who want you wither more like the world or more like the status quo. Just keep believing that what the Bible says is true, and keep loving them the way you'd want them to love you.
Next Up:
One of the biggest enemies in your fight for Christian victory is a foe so small, you could easily overlook it. But it's so close to your heart that it's hard to give up.
Quote:
" Conformity is a jooy thief, but fixing our eyes on Jesus is a joyful, life-giving exercise." -Ed Young
The Heart Of Jesus
The Son does whatever the Father does. ( John 5:19)
The crowning attribute of Christ was this: his heart was spiritual. His thoughts reflected his intimate relationship with the Father. " I am in the Father and the Father is in me," he stated ( John 14:11).....
Jesus took his instructions from God. It was his habit to go to worship ( Luke 4:16). It was his practice to memorize Scripture ( Luke 4:4). Luke says Jesus " often slipped away to be alone so he could pray" ( Luke 5:16). His times of prayer guided him. He once returned from prayer and announced it was time to move to another city ( Mark 1:38). Another time of prayer resulted in the selection of the disciples ( Luke 6:12-13). Jesus was led by an unseen hand....
The heart of Jesus was spiritual.
The crowning attribute of Christ was this: his heart was spiritual. His thoughts reflected his intimate relationship with the Father. " I am in the Father and the Father is in me," he stated ( John 14:11).....
Jesus took his instructions from God. It was his habit to go to worship ( Luke 4:16). It was his practice to memorize Scripture ( Luke 4:4). Luke says Jesus " often slipped away to be alone so he could pray" ( Luke 5:16). His times of prayer guided him. He once returned from prayer and announced it was time to move to another city ( Mark 1:38). Another time of prayer resulted in the selection of the disciples ( Luke 6:12-13). Jesus was led by an unseen hand....
The heart of Jesus was spiritual.
Come To Me
Come To ME with all your weaknesses: physical, emotional, and spiritual. Rest in the comfort of My Presence, remembering that nothing is impossible with Me.
Pry your mind away from your problems so you can focus your attention on Me. Recall that I am able to do immeasurably more than all you ask or imagine. Instead of trying to direct Me to do this and that, seek to attune yourself to what I am already doing.
When anxiety attempts to wedge its way into your thoughts, remind yourself that I am your Shepherd. The bottom line is that I am taking care of you; therefore, you needn't be afraid of anything. Rather than trying to maintain control over your life, abandon yourself to My will. Though this may feel frightening-even dangerous-the safest place to be is in My will.
Luke 1:37; Ephesians 3:20-21; Psalm 23:1-4
Pry your mind away from your problems so you can focus your attention on Me. Recall that I am able to do immeasurably more than all you ask or imagine. Instead of trying to direct Me to do this and that, seek to attune yourself to what I am already doing.
When anxiety attempts to wedge its way into your thoughts, remind yourself that I am your Shepherd. The bottom line is that I am taking care of you; therefore, you needn't be afraid of anything. Rather than trying to maintain control over your life, abandon yourself to My will. Though this may feel frightening-even dangerous-the safest place to be is in My will.
Luke 1:37; Ephesians 3:20-21; Psalm 23:1-4
Following Where He Leads
AS a child, I looked forward to our church's Sunday evening services. They were exciting. Sunday night often meant we got to hear from missionaries and other guest speakers. Their messages inspired me because of their willingness to leave family and friends-and at times, homes, possessions, and careers-to go off to strange, unfamiliar, and sometimes dangerous places to serve God.
Like those missionaries, Elijah left many things behind to follow God. Before God called him into service through Elijah, we don't know much about Elisha-except that he was a farmer. When the prophet Elijah met him in a field where he was plowing, he threw his cloak over Elisha's shoulders ( the symbol of his role as prophet) and called him to follow. With only a request to kiss his mother and father goodbye, Elisha immediately sacraficed his oxen, burned his lowing equipment, said good-bye to his parents-and followed Elijah.
Though not many of us are called to leave family and friends behind to serve God as fulltime missionaries, God wants all of us to follow Him and to " live as a believer in what ever situation the Lord has assigned to (us), just as God has called (us)." As I've often experienced, serving God can be thrilling and challenging no matter where we are even if we never leave home.
Dear Lord, equip us to be Your missionaries wherever You have placed us-near or far, at home or abroad.
God will show us how to serve Him wherever we are.
Like those missionaries, Elijah left many things behind to follow God. Before God called him into service through Elijah, we don't know much about Elisha-except that he was a farmer. When the prophet Elijah met him in a field where he was plowing, he threw his cloak over Elisha's shoulders ( the symbol of his role as prophet) and called him to follow. With only a request to kiss his mother and father goodbye, Elisha immediately sacraficed his oxen, burned his lowing equipment, said good-bye to his parents-and followed Elijah.
Though not many of us are called to leave family and friends behind to serve God as fulltime missionaries, God wants all of us to follow Him and to " live as a believer in what ever situation the Lord has assigned to (us), just as God has called (us)." As I've often experienced, serving God can be thrilling and challenging no matter where we are even if we never leave home.
Dear Lord, equip us to be Your missionaries wherever You have placed us-near or far, at home or abroad.
God will show us how to serve Him wherever we are.
Monday, February 12, 2018
It's All Behind You
Overcoming Past Guilt:
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in CHrist Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit....
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry " Abba, Father...."
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for all of us-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-more than that, who was raised to lif-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Scriptures:
Romans 8:1-4,15,31-34
Defining Moments:
If you only knew how clean your record was. If you could only believe how much the Father loves you.
If you could finally understand that when you gave your heart to Jesus, you " clothed yourself with Christ", so that when God looks at you now, He doesn't see that junk you used to wear, but the pure, shining garments of Christ's everlasting righteousness.
He sees you for who you really are. A full-fledged child of the loving God. Oh, you've still got some wrinkles to iron out. And as you stay open to the Spirit's conviction through the Bible, through sermons, through the words of a true friend, you'll be drawn to new repentance.
You'll want to be like Christ no matter what it costs. But guilt gives itself away by beating you down, accusing you of hypocrisy when God says you're worthy of heaven. Turn the guilt of your past into a testimony of God's power. And walk away with your head in the clouds.
Next Up:
When your faith is young and exhuberance spills over easily into life, some people won't be crazy about who you're becoming. You'd be crazy to listen to them.
Quote:
" Through true guilt, the Holy Spirit seeks to draw us closer to God. Through false, incriminating guilt, Satan seeks to separate us from God." -Jim Henry
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in CHrist Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit....
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry " Abba, Father...."
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for all of us-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-more than that, who was raised to lif-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Scriptures:
Romans 8:1-4,15,31-34
Defining Moments:
If you only knew how clean your record was. If you could only believe how much the Father loves you.
If you could finally understand that when you gave your heart to Jesus, you " clothed yourself with Christ", so that when God looks at you now, He doesn't see that junk you used to wear, but the pure, shining garments of Christ's everlasting righteousness.
He sees you for who you really are. A full-fledged child of the loving God. Oh, you've still got some wrinkles to iron out. And as you stay open to the Spirit's conviction through the Bible, through sermons, through the words of a true friend, you'll be drawn to new repentance.
You'll want to be like Christ no matter what it costs. But guilt gives itself away by beating you down, accusing you of hypocrisy when God says you're worthy of heaven. Turn the guilt of your past into a testimony of God's power. And walk away with your head in the clouds.
Next Up:
When your faith is young and exhuberance spills over easily into life, some people won't be crazy about who you're becoming. You'd be crazy to listen to them.
Quote:
" Through true guilt, the Holy Spirit seeks to draw us closer to God. Through false, incriminating guilt, Satan seeks to separate us from God." -Jim Henry
See What God Has Done!
The heavens tell the glory of God. ( Psalm 19:1)
How vital that we pray, armed with the knowledge that God is in heaven. Pray with any lesser conviction and your prayers are timid, shallow, and hollow. But spend some time walking in the workshop of the heavens, seeing what God has done, and watch how your prayers are energized.....
Behold the sun! Every square yard of the sun is constantly emitting 130,000 horse power, or the equivalent of 450 eight-cylinder automobile engines. And yet our sun, as powerful as it is, is but one minor star in the 100 billion orbs which make up our Milky Way Galax. Hold a dime in your fingers and extend it arm's length toward the sky, allowing it to eclipse your vision, and you will block out fifteen million stars from your view....By showing us the heavens, Jesus is showing us his Father's workshop....He taps us on the shoulder and says, " Your Father can handle that for you."
How vital that we pray, armed with the knowledge that God is in heaven. Pray with any lesser conviction and your prayers are timid, shallow, and hollow. But spend some time walking in the workshop of the heavens, seeing what God has done, and watch how your prayers are energized.....
Behold the sun! Every square yard of the sun is constantly emitting 130,000 horse power, or the equivalent of 450 eight-cylinder automobile engines. And yet our sun, as powerful as it is, is but one minor star in the 100 billion orbs which make up our Milky Way Galax. Hold a dime in your fingers and extend it arm's length toward the sky, allowing it to eclipse your vision, and you will block out fifteen million stars from your view....By showing us the heavens, Jesus is showing us his Father's workshop....He taps us on the shoulder and says, " Your Father can handle that for you."
I AM EVER SO NEAR YOU
I am ever so near you, hovering over your shoulder, reading every thought. People think that thoughts are fleeting and worthless, but yours are precious to Me. I smile when you think lovingly of Me. My Spirit, who lives within you, helps you to think My thoughts. As your thinking goes, so goes your entire being.
Let Me be your positive Focus. When you look to Me, knowing Me as God with you, you experience Joy. This is according to My ancient design, when I first crafted man. Modern man seeks his positive focus elsewhere: in sports, sensations, acquiring new possessions. Advertising capitalizes on the longing of people for a positive focus in their lives. I planted that longing in human souls, knowing that only I could fully satisfy it. Delight yourself in Me; let Me become the Desire of your heart.
Matthew 1:23; Psalm 37:4
Let Me be your positive Focus. When you look to Me, knowing Me as God with you, you experience Joy. This is according to My ancient design, when I first crafted man. Modern man seeks his positive focus elsewhere: in sports, sensations, acquiring new possessions. Advertising capitalizes on the longing of people for a positive focus in their lives. I planted that longing in human souls, knowing that only I could fully satisfy it. Delight yourself in Me; let Me become the Desire of your heart.
Matthew 1:23; Psalm 37:4
Trust Me
After graduation from college, I had a low-paying job. Money was tight, and sometimes I didn't even have enough money for my next meal. I learned to trust God for my daily provision.
It reminded me of the prophet Elijah's experience. During his prophetic ministry, he learned to trust God to meet his daily needs. Shortly after Elijah pronounced God's judgment of a drought in Israel, God sent him to a deserted place, Kerith Ravine, where He used the ravens to bring Elijah his daily meals and refresh him with water from the brook.
But a drought occurred. The brook shrank to a tiny stream, and slowly became a mere trickle. It was only when the brook had dried up that God said: " Go at once to Zarephath....I have directed a widow there to supply you with food." Zarephath was in Phoenicia, whose inhabitants were enemies of the Israelites. Would anyone offer Elijah shelter? And would a poor widow have food to share?
Most of us would rather God provided in abundance long before our resources were depleted rather than just enough for each day. But our loving Father whispers, Trust Me. Just as He used ravens and a widow to provide for Elijah, nothing is impossible for Him. We can count on His love and power to meet our daily needs.
Faithful Father, we thank You for knowing exactly what we need before we even ask. Help us to trust You for our daily needs.
God supplies all our needs-one day at a time.
It reminded me of the prophet Elijah's experience. During his prophetic ministry, he learned to trust God to meet his daily needs. Shortly after Elijah pronounced God's judgment of a drought in Israel, God sent him to a deserted place, Kerith Ravine, where He used the ravens to bring Elijah his daily meals and refresh him with water from the brook.
But a drought occurred. The brook shrank to a tiny stream, and slowly became a mere trickle. It was only when the brook had dried up that God said: " Go at once to Zarephath....I have directed a widow there to supply you with food." Zarephath was in Phoenicia, whose inhabitants were enemies of the Israelites. Would anyone offer Elijah shelter? And would a poor widow have food to share?
Most of us would rather God provided in abundance long before our resources were depleted rather than just enough for each day. But our loving Father whispers, Trust Me. Just as He used ravens and a widow to provide for Elijah, nothing is impossible for Him. We can count on His love and power to meet our daily needs.
Faithful Father, we thank You for knowing exactly what we need before we even ask. Help us to trust You for our daily needs.
God supplies all our needs-one day at a time.
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Sucker Punches
Temptation:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything....
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those love him.
When tempted, no one should say, " God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives to death.
Don't be deceived, my dear brothers....
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Scripture:
James 1:2-4, 12-16;
1 Corinthians 10:12-13
Defining Moments:
Satan didn't sleep through your salvation experience. Your sudden departure from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light sent off warning flares in his security division. He set a strategic plan in motion to make sure your faith gets lost on its way to your lifestyle.
So never underestimate the depths of his deceit. He knows a lot about you, for sure. But we know a few things about him.
For one, we know that God has limited the reach of Satan's temptations. The devil may hold the night stick, but God holds the leash. And God can even turn those schemes to your advantage, using them to toughen muscles in your character and open your eyes to place where you're trusting self instead of trusting God.
Remember, too, that temptation isn't sin. It just feels like it. And nowhere in the whole process are you forced to comply--even if you're not quick enough to douse the first flicker of Satan's finesse.
He can quicken your own desire. But he can't make you do anything. Don't believe a word he says.
Next Up:
BUt no matter how hard you try, even though you know God's forgiven you, you still carry the guilt of things you've done in the past. Where does that go to die?
Quote:
" The devil knows that if he can get our minds to dwell on certain sins, then it will be just a matter of time before those sins are acted out." -Greg Laurrie
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything....
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those love him.
When tempted, no one should say, " God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives to death.
Don't be deceived, my dear brothers....
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Scripture:
James 1:2-4, 12-16;
1 Corinthians 10:12-13
Defining Moments:
Satan didn't sleep through your salvation experience. Your sudden departure from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light sent off warning flares in his security division. He set a strategic plan in motion to make sure your faith gets lost on its way to your lifestyle.
So never underestimate the depths of his deceit. He knows a lot about you, for sure. But we know a few things about him.
For one, we know that God has limited the reach of Satan's temptations. The devil may hold the night stick, but God holds the leash. And God can even turn those schemes to your advantage, using them to toughen muscles in your character and open your eyes to place where you're trusting self instead of trusting God.
Remember, too, that temptation isn't sin. It just feels like it. And nowhere in the whole process are you forced to comply--even if you're not quick enough to douse the first flicker of Satan's finesse.
He can quicken your own desire. But he can't make you do anything. Don't believe a word he says.
Next Up:
BUt no matter how hard you try, even though you know God's forgiven you, you still carry the guilt of things you've done in the past. Where does that go to die?
Quote:
" The devil knows that if he can get our minds to dwell on certain sins, then it will be just a matter of time before those sins are acted out." -Greg Laurrie
God Always Gives Grace
God can do all things. ( Mark 10:27)
Our questions betray our lack of understanding:
How can God be everywhere at one time? ( Who says God is bound by a body?)
How can God hear all the prayers which come to him? ( Perhaps his ears are different from yours.)
How can God be the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? ( Could it be that heaven has a different set of physics than earth?)
If people down here won't forgive me, how much more am I guilty before a holy God? ( Oh, just the opposite. God is always able to give grace when we humans can't-he invented it.)
Our questions betray our lack of understanding:
How can God be everywhere at one time? ( Who says God is bound by a body?)
How can God hear all the prayers which come to him? ( Perhaps his ears are different from yours.)
How can God be the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? ( Could it be that heaven has a different set of physics than earth?)
If people down here won't forgive me, how much more am I guilty before a holy God? ( Oh, just the opposite. God is always able to give grace when we humans can't-he invented it.)
Come To Me And Rest
Come To Me And Rest. I am all around you, to bless and restore. Breathe Me in with each breath. The way just ahead of you is very steep. Slow down and cling tightly to My hand. I am teaching you a difficult lesson, learned only by hardship.
Lift up empty hands of faith to receive My prescious Presence. Light, Life, Joy, and Peace flow freely through this gift. When your focus turns away from Me, you grasp for other things. You drop the glowing gift of My Presence as you reach for lifeless ashes. Return to Me; regain My Presence.
Matthew 11:28-29; 1 Timothy 2:8
Lift up empty hands of faith to receive My prescious Presence. Light, Life, Joy, and Peace flow freely through this gift. When your focus turns away from Me, you grasp for other things. You drop the glowing gift of My Presence as you reach for lifeless ashes. Return to Me; regain My Presence.
Matthew 11:28-29; 1 Timothy 2:8
Praising Through Problems
" It's cancer," I wanted to be strong when Mom said those words to me. But I burst into tears. You never want to hear those words even one time. But this was Mom's third bout with cancer. After a routine mammogram and biopsy, Mom learned that she had a malignant tumor under her arm. Though Mom was the one with bad news, she had to comfort me. Her response was eye-opening for me: " I know God is always good to me. He's always faithful." Even as she faced a difficult surgery, followed up by radiation treatments, Mom was assured of God's presence and faithfulness.
How like Job. Job lost his children, his wealth, and his health. But after hearing the news, Job 1:20 tells us " he fell to the ground in worship." When advised to curse God, he said, " Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" What a radical initial response. Though Job later complained, ultimately he accepted that God had never changed. Job knew that God was still with him and that He still cared.
For most of us, praise is not our first response to difficulties. Sometimes, the pain of our circumstances is so overwhelming, we lash out in fear or anger. But watching Mom's response reminded me that God is still present, still good. He will help us through hard times.
Lord, prepare me for the times when we praise is most difficult to utter.
Even at our lowest point, we can lift our eyes to the Lord.
How like Job. Job lost his children, his wealth, and his health. But after hearing the news, Job 1:20 tells us " he fell to the ground in worship." When advised to curse God, he said, " Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" What a radical initial response. Though Job later complained, ultimately he accepted that God had never changed. Job knew that God was still with him and that He still cared.
For most of us, praise is not our first response to difficulties. Sometimes, the pain of our circumstances is so overwhelming, we lash out in fear or anger. But watching Mom's response reminded me that God is still present, still good. He will help us through hard times.
Lord, prepare me for the times when we praise is most difficult to utter.
Even at our lowest point, we can lift our eyes to the Lord.
Saturday, February 3, 2018
His Attitude
No one wants to be around a person with a bad attitude. Life is hard enough without listening to someone constantly complaining in your ear. I know a man who is in the habit of being angry and miserable that it is his first reaction to everything even good news. When great things happen, he finds something to be upset about. Unfortunately, this was modeled to him as a child, so it was probably a learned response. Perhaps no one ever showed him how to enjoy life. But allowing the past to control today is still a choice he makes. Because of that, not only will he never be happy, but neither will those around him. We don't want to be that kind of person, nor do we want to live with one.
Without naming names, let me assure you that I am an expert when it comes to praying about it instead. It has paid off, but I'm still perfecting this mode of operation. Every time I prayed for a spirit of joy to arise in this person's heart, I saw visible changes and my reaction was better as well. An angry, dour, unforgiving, negative person can get that way for various reasons. He stays that way because of a stubborn will that refuses to receive God's love. The Bible says we have a choice as to what we will allow into our heart ( Psalm 101:4), and whether we will harden it to the love of God or not ( Proverbs 28:14). We choose our attitude. We choose to receive the love of the Lord. We permit an attitude of thankfulness to rise in us.
If your husband allows himself to wallow in a consistently bad attitude, it will make a good marriage miserable, and a shaky marriage intolerable. A habit of responding negatively will adversely affect every aspect of his life. Of course you can't rule over your husband's will, but you can pray that his will lines up with God's. Pray that his heart becomes pure, because the Bible promises a person who has a pure heart will see God ( Matthew 5:8) and have a cheerful countenance ( Proverbs 15:13). ( Who doesn't wish her husband could see God and have a cheerful countenance?) Pray for his heart to be filled with praise, thanksgiving, love, and joy, because " a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things" ( Matthew 12:35). Even if there are no major changes immediately, he is certain to be softened by your prayers. And that, at least, can give you a better attitude while you wait for his to improve.
Prayer:
Lord, fill ( husband's name) with Your love and peace today. May there be a calmness, serenity, and a sense of well-being established in him because his life is God-controlled, rather than flesh-controlled. Enable him to walk in his house with a clean and perfect heart before You ( Psalm 101:2). Shine the light of Your Spirit upon him with Your love.
I pray that he will be kind and patient, not selfish or easily provoked. Enable him to bear all things ( 1 Corinthians 13:7). Release him from anger, unrest, anxiety, concerns, inner turmoil, strife, and pressure. ( Proverbs 15:13), but enjoy the continual feast of a merry heart ( Proverbs 15:15). Give him a spirit of joy and keep him from growing into a grumpy old man. Help him to be anxious for nothing, but give thanks in all things so he can know the peace that passes all understanding. May he come to the point of saying, " I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content" ( Philippians 4:11). I say to ( husband's name) this day " The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace" ( Numbers 6:24-26).
Power Tools:
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. ( Philippians 4:6,7)
Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. ( Ezekiel 18:31)
Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls. ( Proverbs 25:28)
Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understanding all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ( 1 Corinthians 13:2)
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. ( Psalm 100:4)
Without naming names, let me assure you that I am an expert when it comes to praying about it instead. It has paid off, but I'm still perfecting this mode of operation. Every time I prayed for a spirit of joy to arise in this person's heart, I saw visible changes and my reaction was better as well. An angry, dour, unforgiving, negative person can get that way for various reasons. He stays that way because of a stubborn will that refuses to receive God's love. The Bible says we have a choice as to what we will allow into our heart ( Psalm 101:4), and whether we will harden it to the love of God or not ( Proverbs 28:14). We choose our attitude. We choose to receive the love of the Lord. We permit an attitude of thankfulness to rise in us.
If your husband allows himself to wallow in a consistently bad attitude, it will make a good marriage miserable, and a shaky marriage intolerable. A habit of responding negatively will adversely affect every aspect of his life. Of course you can't rule over your husband's will, but you can pray that his will lines up with God's. Pray that his heart becomes pure, because the Bible promises a person who has a pure heart will see God ( Matthew 5:8) and have a cheerful countenance ( Proverbs 15:13). ( Who doesn't wish her husband could see God and have a cheerful countenance?) Pray for his heart to be filled with praise, thanksgiving, love, and joy, because " a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things" ( Matthew 12:35). Even if there are no major changes immediately, he is certain to be softened by your prayers. And that, at least, can give you a better attitude while you wait for his to improve.
Prayer:
Lord, fill ( husband's name) with Your love and peace today. May there be a calmness, serenity, and a sense of well-being established in him because his life is God-controlled, rather than flesh-controlled. Enable him to walk in his house with a clean and perfect heart before You ( Psalm 101:2). Shine the light of Your Spirit upon him with Your love.
I pray that he will be kind and patient, not selfish or easily provoked. Enable him to bear all things ( 1 Corinthians 13:7). Release him from anger, unrest, anxiety, concerns, inner turmoil, strife, and pressure. ( Proverbs 15:13), but enjoy the continual feast of a merry heart ( Proverbs 15:15). Give him a spirit of joy and keep him from growing into a grumpy old man. Help him to be anxious for nothing, but give thanks in all things so he can know the peace that passes all understanding. May he come to the point of saying, " I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content" ( Philippians 4:11). I say to ( husband's name) this day " The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace" ( Numbers 6:24-26).
Power Tools:
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. ( Philippians 4:6,7)
Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. ( Ezekiel 18:31)
Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls. ( Proverbs 25:28)
Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understanding all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ( 1 Corinthians 13:2)
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. ( Psalm 100:4)
Familiar Places
Bad Habits:
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives to God.
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. FOr sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace....
You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
Scriptures: Romans 6:6-14,18
Defining Moments:
Every time you've turned to an old familiar, forbidden place for relief or revenge, every time you've reacted without thinking or given in when you should have toughed it out, you've unwittingly widened the entrance ramp onto the easy street of compromise. You've made it that much easier to come back for a return trip next time the urge strikes and to keep your car in the straight and narrow.
That's what habits are-really wide, open highways you can drive with your eyes closed. Roads you've traveled so many times that you anticipate every bend, every bump. But you know that you have no business being out there. And if you just had the strength, you'd whip that car around right now and head back where it's safe.
So do it, because now your no has the power of God behind it. And every time you lean hard into His side for the strength to resist, you close another entrance ramp. You shut down another access road. You play dead to the call of the highway. You win over habitual sin.
Next Up:
Taking on tough customers like these with power of prayer and the truth of God's Word will get you ready to tackle any temptation-even when it slips in unnoticed.
Quote:
" Being free from sin not only means I can be strong in Him to stop doing wrong. It also means in Him I have the ability to do what's right." -Stuart Briscoe
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives to God.
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. FOr sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace....
You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
Scriptures: Romans 6:6-14,18
Defining Moments:
Every time you've turned to an old familiar, forbidden place for relief or revenge, every time you've reacted without thinking or given in when you should have toughed it out, you've unwittingly widened the entrance ramp onto the easy street of compromise. You've made it that much easier to come back for a return trip next time the urge strikes and to keep your car in the straight and narrow.
That's what habits are-really wide, open highways you can drive with your eyes closed. Roads you've traveled so many times that you anticipate every bend, every bump. But you know that you have no business being out there. And if you just had the strength, you'd whip that car around right now and head back where it's safe.
So do it, because now your no has the power of God behind it. And every time you lean hard into His side for the strength to resist, you close another entrance ramp. You shut down another access road. You play dead to the call of the highway. You win over habitual sin.
Next Up:
Taking on tough customers like these with power of prayer and the truth of God's Word will get you ready to tackle any temptation-even when it slips in unnoticed.
Quote:
" Being free from sin not only means I can be strong in Him to stop doing wrong. It also means in Him I have the ability to do what's right." -Stuart Briscoe
Your Day Is Coming
Hold on to what you have, that no one will take your crown. ( Revelation 3:11)
Some of you have never won a prize in your life. Oh, maybe you were quatermaster in your Boy Scout troop or in charge of sodas at the homeroom Christmas party, but that's about it. You've never won much. You've watched the Mark McGwires of this would carry home the trophies and walk away with the ribbons. All you have are " almosts" and " what ifs."
If that hits home, then you'll cherish this promise: " And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away." ( 1 Peter 5:4)
Your day is coming. What the world has over looked, your Father has remembered, and sooner than you can imagine, you will be blessed by him.
Some of you have never won a prize in your life. Oh, maybe you were quatermaster in your Boy Scout troop or in charge of sodas at the homeroom Christmas party, but that's about it. You've never won much. You've watched the Mark McGwires of this would carry home the trophies and walk away with the ribbons. All you have are " almosts" and " what ifs."
If that hits home, then you'll cherish this promise: " And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away." ( 1 Peter 5:4)
Your day is coming. What the world has over looked, your Father has remembered, and sooner than you can imagine, you will be blessed by him.
I am With You and For You
I am with you and for you. You face nothing alone-nothing! When you feel anxious, know that you are focusing on the visible world and leaving Me out of the picture. The remedy is simple: Fix your eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. Verbalize your trust in Me, the Living One who sees you always. I will get you safely through this day and all your days. But you can find Me only in the present. Each day is a precious gift from My Father. How ridiculous to grasp for future gifts when today's is set before you! Receive today's gift gratefully, unwrapping it tenderly and delving into depths. As you savor this gift, you find Me.
Romans 8:31; 2 Corinthians 4:18; Genesis 16:13-14
Romans 8:31; 2 Corinthians 4:18; Genesis 16:13-14
How To Change A Life
Sometimes our lives can change in a moment through the powerful impact of others. For rock 'n' roll legend Bruce Springsteen, it was the work of musical artists that helped him through a difficult childhood and a persistent struggle with depression. He found meaning in his own work through the truth he'd experienced firsthand, that " You can change someone's life in three minutes with the right song."
Like a compelling song, others' well-chosen words can also give us hope, even change the course of our lives. I'm sure most of us could share stories of a conversation that forever impacted our lives-words from a teacher that changed the way we saw the world, words of encouragement that restored our confidence, gentle words from a friend that carried us through a difficult time.
Perhaps this is why the book of Proverbs spends so much time emphasizing our responsibility to treasure words and use them wisely. Scripture never treats speech as if it's " just talk." Instead, we are taught that our words can have life-or-death consequences. In just a words we can crush someone's spirit, or, through words of wisdom and hope, nourish and strengthen others.
Not all of us have the ability to create powerful music. But we each can seek God's wisdom to serve others through our speech. With just a few well-chosen words, God can use us to change a life.
Lord, help us never to take for granted the powerful gift of language. May we use our words wisely to heal and strengthen others and point to the hope we have in You.
God has given us the power to have an impact on lives through our words.
Like a compelling song, others' well-chosen words can also give us hope, even change the course of our lives. I'm sure most of us could share stories of a conversation that forever impacted our lives-words from a teacher that changed the way we saw the world, words of encouragement that restored our confidence, gentle words from a friend that carried us through a difficult time.
Perhaps this is why the book of Proverbs spends so much time emphasizing our responsibility to treasure words and use them wisely. Scripture never treats speech as if it's " just talk." Instead, we are taught that our words can have life-or-death consequences. In just a words we can crush someone's spirit, or, through words of wisdom and hope, nourish and strengthen others.
Not all of us have the ability to create powerful music. But we each can seek God's wisdom to serve others through our speech. With just a few well-chosen words, God can use us to change a life.
Lord, help us never to take for granted the powerful gift of language. May we use our words wisely to heal and strengthen others and point to the hope we have in You.
God has given us the power to have an impact on lives through our words.
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Follow Me One Step AT A Time
Follow Me one step at a time. That is all I require of you. In fact, that is the only way to move through this space/time world. You see huge mountains looming, and you start wondering how you're going to scale those heights. Meanwhile, because you're not looking where you're going, you stumble on the easy path where I am leading you now. As I help you get back on your feet, you tell Me how worried you are about the cliffs up ahead. But you don't know what will happen today, much less tomorrow. Our path may take an abrupt turn, leading you away from those mountains. There may be an easier way up the mountains than is visible from the distance. If I do lead you up the cliffs, I will equip you thoroughly for that strenuous climb. I will even give My angels charge over you, to preserve you in all your ways.
Keep your mind on the present journey, enjoying My Presence. Walk by faith, not by sight, trusting Me to open up the way before you.
Psalm 18:29; Psalm 91:11-12; 2 Corinthians 5:7
Keep your mind on the present journey, enjoying My Presence. Walk by faith, not by sight, trusting Me to open up the way before you.
Psalm 18:29; Psalm 91:11-12; 2 Corinthians 5:7
National Treasure
When an advertiser altered a photo of Michelangelo's famous marble sculpture of the biblical hero David, Italy's government and gallery officials objected. Picturing David with a military rifle slung over his shoulder ( instead of his slingshot) would be a violation-"like taking a hammer to it or worse," a cultural official said.
In first-century Jerusalem, David was remembered as the shepherd-songwriter and soldier-king of Israel's fondest memeories and greatest hopes. Prophets foretold that David's descendant would finally defeat the enemies of Israel. So, centuries later, when crowds welcomed Jesus as the Son of David, they were expecting Him to lead thhe revolt that would overthrow their Roman occupiers. Instead Jesus knocked over the tables of temple money-changers to restore His Father's house as a house of prayer for all nations. Israel's leaders were furious. This wasn't the kind of Messiah and son of David they were looking for. So without realizing what they were doing, they called for Roman executioners to take a hammer to the hands and feet of the true glory of Israel.
Instead of stopping them, Jesus let Himself be lifted up on a cross of shame-defaced and disgraced. Only by resurrection would it be known that the true Son of David had defeated His enemies with love and enlisted the children of all nations to spread the word.
Father in heaven, it's hard to admit. But it's true. We get so confused. We try to protect the images we love more than the love You consider priceless.
Jesus shows that God is always better than our expectations.
In first-century Jerusalem, David was remembered as the shepherd-songwriter and soldier-king of Israel's fondest memeories and greatest hopes. Prophets foretold that David's descendant would finally defeat the enemies of Israel. So, centuries later, when crowds welcomed Jesus as the Son of David, they were expecting Him to lead thhe revolt that would overthrow their Roman occupiers. Instead Jesus knocked over the tables of temple money-changers to restore His Father's house as a house of prayer for all nations. Israel's leaders were furious. This wasn't the kind of Messiah and son of David they were looking for. So without realizing what they were doing, they called for Roman executioners to take a hammer to the hands and feet of the true glory of Israel.
Instead of stopping them, Jesus let Himself be lifted up on a cross of shame-defaced and disgraced. Only by resurrection would it be known that the true Son of David had defeated His enemies with love and enlisted the children of all nations to spread the word.
Father in heaven, it's hard to admit. But it's true. We get so confused. We try to protect the images we love more than the love You consider priceless.
Jesus shows that God is always better than our expectations.
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
His Past
Michael was nineteen when he collapsed from nervous exhaustion. He was attending college full time during the day and writing, arranging, playing piano and drums in local clubs in the afternoons and evenings. He had high stress, little sleep, and was rapidly working himself to death. The family doctor suggested he be placed in a nearby mental hospital where he could get the rest he needed. His mother later told me that she and the doctor regretted that decision, but at the time they didn't know what else to do. Michael described his two weeks of " rest" there as the most frightening experience of his life. He observed so much strange and horrifying behavior in the other patients that it traumatized him with fear that he might never get out. He went back to college with a less-stressful work schedule, but also great fear.
Throughout the years we've been married, there have been times when he was so overworked and pressured that he experienced that same kind of exhaustion. It always reminded him of what had happened when he was a teenager. The past would come upon him like a specter and threaten him with the thought, You're going to end up in a mental hospital again. It's been at those times, he said, that my prayers for him have meant the most. I always prayed that he would know the truth, and the truth, and the truth would set him free ( John 8:32). I prayed for God to deliver him from the past. This has been a gradual process, but I saw strides forward every time I prayed.
The past should not be a place where we live, but something from which we learn. We are to forget " those things which are behind" and reach " forward to those things which are ahead," and we're to " press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" ( Philippians 3:13,14). God is a redeemer and a restorer. We need to allow Him to be both. He can redeem the past and restore what was lost. He can make up for the bad things that have happened ( Psalm 90:15). We must trust Him to do things. We can never move out of the present into the future of what God has for us if we cling to and live in the past.
Your husband's past not only affects him, it affect your offspring as well. More is passed down to your children and grandchildren than just the color of your hair and eyes. We can leave a legacy as painful and damaging as the one we experienced ourselves. We can bequeath a heritage of divorce, anger, anxiety, depression, and fear, to name a few. Whatever you and your husband can free yourselves from will mean more freedom for them. As long as you dwell in the past, you not only lose some of what God has for your future, but for your children's future as well.
The events of your husband's past that most affect his life today probably occurred in his childhood. Bad things that happened or good things that didn't happen with family members are the most significant. Being labeled in a certain way by a relative or peer carries over into adulthood. Such words as " fat," " stupid," " uncoordinated," " failure," " poor," " loser", " slob," " four-eyes," " slow," or " idiot" take their toll and imprint themselves into the mind and emotions well into adulthood. While no one can pretend the past didn't happen, it's possible to pray that all the effects of it are removed. No one is destined to live with them forever.
God says we are to cry out for deliverance, walk in His ways, proclaim His truth, and then we will find freedom from our past. But sometimes there are levels of freedom to go through. Your husband may think he's gotten free of something and it will rear its head again, leaving him feeling like he's right back where he started. Tell him not to be discouraged by that. If he has been walking with the Lord, he is probably moving into a deeper level of liberty that God wants to work in his life. Your prayers will surely gird him for the journey to greater freedom.
Being set free from the past can happen quickly or it can be a step-by-step process, depending on what God is teaching. The problem is, you can't make it happen on your timetable. You have to be patient and pray for as long as it takes to keep the voices of the past at bay so that your husband can make the decision to not listen to them.
Prayer:
Lord, I pray that You would enable ( husband's name) to let go of his past completely. Deliver him from any hold it has on him. Help him to put off his former conduct and habitual ways of thinking about it and be renewed in his mind ( Ephesians 4:22,23). Enlarge his understanding to know that You make all things new ( Revelation 21:5). Show him a fresh, Holy Spirit-inspired way of relating to negative things that have happened. Give him the mind of Christ so that he can clearly discern Your voice from the voices of the past. When he hears those old voices, enable him to rise up and shut them down with the truth of Your Word. Where he has formerly experienced rejection or pain, I pray he not allow them to color what he sees and hears now. Pour forgiveness into his heart so that bitterness, resentment, revenge, and unforgiveness will have no place there. May he regard the past as only a history lesson and not a guide for his daily life. Wherever his past has become an unpleasant memory, I pray You would redeem it and bring life out of it. Bind up his wounds ( Psalm 147:3). Restore his soul ( Psalm 23:3). Help him to release the past so that he will not live in it, but learn from it, break out of it, and move into the future You have for him.
Power Tools:
Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. ( Isaiah 43:18,19)
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ( 2 Corinthians 5:17)
Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and ....put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. ( Ephesians 4:22-24)
Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. ( 2 Corinthians 4:16)
God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. ( Revelation 21:4)
Throughout the years we've been married, there have been times when he was so overworked and pressured that he experienced that same kind of exhaustion. It always reminded him of what had happened when he was a teenager. The past would come upon him like a specter and threaten him with the thought, You're going to end up in a mental hospital again. It's been at those times, he said, that my prayers for him have meant the most. I always prayed that he would know the truth, and the truth, and the truth would set him free ( John 8:32). I prayed for God to deliver him from the past. This has been a gradual process, but I saw strides forward every time I prayed.
The past should not be a place where we live, but something from which we learn. We are to forget " those things which are behind" and reach " forward to those things which are ahead," and we're to " press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" ( Philippians 3:13,14). God is a redeemer and a restorer. We need to allow Him to be both. He can redeem the past and restore what was lost. He can make up for the bad things that have happened ( Psalm 90:15). We must trust Him to do things. We can never move out of the present into the future of what God has for us if we cling to and live in the past.
Your husband's past not only affects him, it affect your offspring as well. More is passed down to your children and grandchildren than just the color of your hair and eyes. We can leave a legacy as painful and damaging as the one we experienced ourselves. We can bequeath a heritage of divorce, anger, anxiety, depression, and fear, to name a few. Whatever you and your husband can free yourselves from will mean more freedom for them. As long as you dwell in the past, you not only lose some of what God has for your future, but for your children's future as well.
The events of your husband's past that most affect his life today probably occurred in his childhood. Bad things that happened or good things that didn't happen with family members are the most significant. Being labeled in a certain way by a relative or peer carries over into adulthood. Such words as " fat," " stupid," " uncoordinated," " failure," " poor," " loser", " slob," " four-eyes," " slow," or " idiot" take their toll and imprint themselves into the mind and emotions well into adulthood. While no one can pretend the past didn't happen, it's possible to pray that all the effects of it are removed. No one is destined to live with them forever.
God says we are to cry out for deliverance, walk in His ways, proclaim His truth, and then we will find freedom from our past. But sometimes there are levels of freedom to go through. Your husband may think he's gotten free of something and it will rear its head again, leaving him feeling like he's right back where he started. Tell him not to be discouraged by that. If he has been walking with the Lord, he is probably moving into a deeper level of liberty that God wants to work in his life. Your prayers will surely gird him for the journey to greater freedom.
Being set free from the past can happen quickly or it can be a step-by-step process, depending on what God is teaching. The problem is, you can't make it happen on your timetable. You have to be patient and pray for as long as it takes to keep the voices of the past at bay so that your husband can make the decision to not listen to them.
Prayer:
Lord, I pray that You would enable ( husband's name) to let go of his past completely. Deliver him from any hold it has on him. Help him to put off his former conduct and habitual ways of thinking about it and be renewed in his mind ( Ephesians 4:22,23). Enlarge his understanding to know that You make all things new ( Revelation 21:5). Show him a fresh, Holy Spirit-inspired way of relating to negative things that have happened. Give him the mind of Christ so that he can clearly discern Your voice from the voices of the past. When he hears those old voices, enable him to rise up and shut them down with the truth of Your Word. Where he has formerly experienced rejection or pain, I pray he not allow them to color what he sees and hears now. Pour forgiveness into his heart so that bitterness, resentment, revenge, and unforgiveness will have no place there. May he regard the past as only a history lesson and not a guide for his daily life. Wherever his past has become an unpleasant memory, I pray You would redeem it and bring life out of it. Bind up his wounds ( Psalm 147:3). Restore his soul ( Psalm 23:3). Help him to release the past so that he will not live in it, but learn from it, break out of it, and move into the future You have for him.
Power Tools:
Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. ( Isaiah 43:18,19)
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ( 2 Corinthians 5:17)
Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and ....put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. ( Ephesians 4:22-24)
Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. ( 2 Corinthians 4:16)
God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. ( Revelation 21:4)
Sweat The Small Stuff
Subtle Sins:
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
For this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them....
Be careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Scripture:
Ephesians 5:3-7, 15-20
Defining Moments:
Ever tried cleaning up a room that was totally trashed? When the dresser drawers won't shut and the bed disguises an unseen colony of clothes and clutter--when the last shoe has finally dropped and you've been surrounded by the law of gravity--it's time to do the big stuff first. The glaring things. The obvious things. Like making your bed. Folding up your sweaters. Returning all the plates, forks, and glasses to the kitchen.
But underneath the chief culprits lies a second layer of vandals. Dust. Corners. Baseboards. Pockets of disarray you didn't even notice before, but now--with all the major problems taken care of--they cry out for correction. On and on it goes. The light exposes another. You fi, tinker, and straighten. You want to be clean.
As a growing Christian, you need to stay constantly open to the white glove of God's Word--not to keep you endlessly frustrated with your faults, but to keep unseen sins from becoming an all-day mess. What's under the rug can be more of a problem than you think.
Next Up:
Becoming a Christian doesn't automatically eliminate the bad habits you've formed over the years. But it does give you power to overcome them, one try at a time.
Quote:
" The light Jesus brings helps us to see ourselves more clearly and not to be fooled by what is hidden inside." -James Houston
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
For this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them....
Be careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Scripture:
Ephesians 5:3-7, 15-20
Defining Moments:
Ever tried cleaning up a room that was totally trashed? When the dresser drawers won't shut and the bed disguises an unseen colony of clothes and clutter--when the last shoe has finally dropped and you've been surrounded by the law of gravity--it's time to do the big stuff first. The glaring things. The obvious things. Like making your bed. Folding up your sweaters. Returning all the plates, forks, and glasses to the kitchen.
But underneath the chief culprits lies a second layer of vandals. Dust. Corners. Baseboards. Pockets of disarray you didn't even notice before, but now--with all the major problems taken care of--they cry out for correction. On and on it goes. The light exposes another. You fi, tinker, and straighten. You want to be clean.
As a growing Christian, you need to stay constantly open to the white glove of God's Word--not to keep you endlessly frustrated with your faults, but to keep unseen sins from becoming an all-day mess. What's under the rug can be more of a problem than you think.
Next Up:
Becoming a Christian doesn't automatically eliminate the bad habits you've formed over the years. But it does give you power to overcome them, one try at a time.
Quote:
" The light Jesus brings helps us to see ourselves more clearly and not to be fooled by what is hidden inside." -James Houston
The Lord Is Peace
God's peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. ( Philippians 4:7)
The Lord came to Gideon and told him he was to lead his people in victory over the Midianites. That's like God telling a housewife to stand up to her abusive husband or a high school student to take on drug peddlers or a preacher to preach the truth to a congregation of Pharisees. " Y-y-you-b-b-better get somebody else," we stammer. But then God reminds us that he knows we can't, but he can, and to prove it he gives a wonderful gift. He brings a spirit of logic....He gave it to David after he showed him the gospel; he gave it to Jesus after he chowed him the cross. And he gave it to Gideon. So, Gideon, in turn, gave the name to God. He built an altar and named it Jehovah-shalom, the Lord is peace ( Judges 65:24).
The Lord came to Gideon and told him he was to lead his people in victory over the Midianites. That's like God telling a housewife to stand up to her abusive husband or a high school student to take on drug peddlers or a preacher to preach the truth to a congregation of Pharisees. " Y-y-you-b-b-better get somebody else," we stammer. But then God reminds us that he knows we can't, but he can, and to prove it he gives a wonderful gift. He brings a spirit of logic....He gave it to David after he showed him the gospel; he gave it to Jesus after he chowed him the cross. And he gave it to Gideon. So, Gideon, in turn, gave the name to God. He built an altar and named it Jehovah-shalom, the Lord is peace ( Judges 65:24).
I Am Your Strength And Your Shield
I am your strength and your shield. I plan out each day and have it ready for you long before you arise from bed. I also provide the strength you need each step of the way. Instead of assessing your energy level and wondering about what's on the road ahead, concentrate on staying in touch with Me. My power flows freely into you through our open communication. Refuse to waste energy worrying, and you will have strength to spare.
Whenever you start to feel afraid, remember that I am your Shield. But unlike inanimate armor, I am always alert and active. My Presence watches over you continually, protecting you from both known and unknown dangers. Entrust yourself to My watchcare, which is the best security system available. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.
Psalm 28:7, Matthew 6:34; Psalm 56:3; Genesis 28:15
Whenever you start to feel afraid, remember that I am your Shield. But unlike inanimate armor, I am always alert and active. My Presence watches over you continually, protecting you from both known and unknown dangers. Entrust yourself to My watchcare, which is the best security system available. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.
Psalm 28:7, Matthew 6:34; Psalm 56:3; Genesis 28:15
White as Snow
Last December, my family and I went to the mountains. We had lived in a tropical climate all our lives, so it was the first time we could see snow in all its magnificence. As we contemplated the white mantle covering the fields, my husband quoted Isaiah, " Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow."
After asking about the meaning of scarlet, our three-year old daughter asked, " Is the color red bad?" She knows sins are things God dislikes, but this verse is not talking about colors. The prophet was describing the bright red dye obtained from the eggs of a small insect. Clothes would be double-dyed in this bright red so the color became fixed. Neither rain nor washing would remove it. Sin is like that. No human effort can take it away. It's rooted in the heart.
Only God can cleanse a heart from sin. And as we looked at the mountains, we admired the pure whiteness that scrubbing and bleaching a piece of cloth dyed scarlet red can't achieve. When we follow Peter's teaching, " Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out", God forgives us and gives us a new life. Only through Jesus's sacrifice can we receive what no one else can give- a pure heart. What a wonderful gift!
Father, thank You for forgiving our sins and wiping them clean.
When God forgives, He purifies us too.
After asking about the meaning of scarlet, our three-year old daughter asked, " Is the color red bad?" She knows sins are things God dislikes, but this verse is not talking about colors. The prophet was describing the bright red dye obtained from the eggs of a small insect. Clothes would be double-dyed in this bright red so the color became fixed. Neither rain nor washing would remove it. Sin is like that. No human effort can take it away. It's rooted in the heart.
Only God can cleanse a heart from sin. And as we looked at the mountains, we admired the pure whiteness that scrubbing and bleaching a piece of cloth dyed scarlet red can't achieve. When we follow Peter's teaching, " Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out", God forgives us and gives us a new life. Only through Jesus's sacrifice can we receive what no one else can give- a pure heart. What a wonderful gift!
Father, thank You for forgiving our sins and wiping them clean.
When God forgives, He purifies us too.
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
His Fatherhood
When I asked my husband to share with me his deepest fears, one of the things he mentioned was the fear of not being a good father. " I believe it's something men in general tend to fear, " he said. " We get so caught up in doing what we do in our work that we're afraid we haven't done it well enough with our children. Or we're afraid we haven't done it well enough, or we're missing something. It becomes even more of a problem with teenagers. We fear we can't communicate with them because we'll be perceived as old and irrelevant."
I was touched by his perspective and resolved to pray for him to be a good father. I believe my prayers made a difference because I saw him become more patient with our children and less insecure about his own parenting skills. He grew increasingly relaxed and able to enjoy them. He became less guilt-ridden or angry when it was necessary to discipline them and more able to speak wisdom powerfully into their lives. He now sees that any flaw in our children is not necessarily a reflection of his value as a father.
Thoughts of failure and inadequacy are what cause so many fathers to give up, leave, become overbearing from trying to hard, or develop a passive attitude and fade into the background of their children's lives. It can be especially overwhelming to a man who already feels like a failure in other areas. Mothers get overwhelmed with feelings of inadequacy, too, but only most deeply disturbed ever abandon, ignore, or hurt their children. That's because we have the opportunity from the moment of conception to pour so much of ourselves into our children's lives. We carry them in the womb, we nurse and nurture them as newborns, we guide and teach and love them so much that we have a full sense of bonding from the start. Fathers don't have that privilege and often feel they are starting on the outside, trying to work their way in. If they are also spending a great amount of time and energy trying to establish their careers, they can easily feel hoplessly removed and ineffectual. Our prayers can help redeem this situation.
Have you ever had someone pray for you when you couldn't think straight, and after they prayed you had complete clarity and vision? I've experienced that countless times. I believe this is what can happen for our husbands when we pray about their parenting. If they are tortured with doubt and burdened by a sense of responsibility, we can minimize these feelings with our prayers. Prayer can help them gain a clear perspective of what it means to be a good father, and open the door to Holy Spirit guidance on how to handle the parenting challenges that arise.
My husband recalled a specific incident where he knew my prayers for him regarding his fatehrhood had made a big difference. It happened when our son, Christopher, was about seven and we had caught him in a lie. We knew we had to deal with it, but we wanted a full confession from him along with a repentant heart. Neither was forthcoming at that moment. Michael wanted to teach him a lesson but didn't know what to do, so he asked me to pray. While I was praying, it became very clear to him. As CHris watched, Michael drew a triangle and a picture of Satan, God, and Christopher, one at each of the points. He then described Satan's plan for Chris, and God's plan for Chris. He illustrated how lying was part of Satan's plan that Chris was going along with. He described in detail the ultimate consequences of going along with Satan's plans--which meant traveling on a spectrum away from God--and it shook Christopher up so badly that he broke down and confessed the lie with a completely repentant heart. Michael said he knew that without that clear picture from God he would not have been able to get through to his son with the depth he needed to.
The best way for a man to be a good father is to get to know his heavenly Father and learn to imitate Him. The more time he spends in the Lord's presence, being transformed into His likeness, the better influence he will be when he spends time with his children. He will have a father's heart because he understands the Father's heart. This can be difficult if your husband didn't have a good relationship with his earthly father. The way a man relates to his dad will often affect how he relates to his Father God. If he was abandoned by him, he may fear being abandoned by God. If his father was distant or uncaring, he may see God as distant and uncaring. If he doubted his father's love, he may doubt his heavenly Father's love. If he is angry with his father, he may be angry with his Father God as well. Events of the past with regard to his own dad can serve as a barrier that keeps him from truly knowing the Father's love. This will carry over into his relationship with his children.
Pray that your husband grows into a greater understanding of his heavenly Father's love and be healed of any misconceptions he has in his heart and mind about it. Where his father has failed him and he has blamed God, ask the Lord to heal that enormous hurt. The bible says, " Whoever curses his father or mother, his lamp will be put out in deep darkness." ( Proverbs 20:20) Unless forgiveness happens in his heart for his dad, he will be in the dark as to how to be the best father for his children. His father doesn't have to be alive in order to right that relationship, because it's what is in his own heart regarding his dad that matters. Pray that he will gain a right attitude toward his earthly father so nothing will stand in the way of his relationship with his Father God.
Men don't always realize how important they are to their children. They sometimes feel they are only there to provide materially for them. But the importance of a father's influence can never be underestimated. How he relates to his children will shape their lives for bad or for good. It will change his life forever, too. For if he fails as a father, he will always carry that sense of failure with him. If he succeeds, there will be no greater measure of success in his life.
Prayer:
Lord, teach ( hsubands name) to be a good fatehr. Where it was not modeled to him according to Your ways, heal those areas and help him to forgive his dad. Give him revelation of You and a hunger in his heart to really know You as his heavenly Father. Draw him close to spend time in Your presence so he can become more like You, and fully understand Your Fatehr's heart of compassion and love toward him. Grow that same heart in him for his children. Help him to balance mercy, judgment, and instruction the way You do. Though You require obedience, You are quick to acknowledge a repentant heart. Make him that way too. Show him when to discipline and how. Help him to see that he who loves his child disciplines him promptly ( Proverbs 13:24). May he never provoke his " children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord" ( Ephesians 6:4). I pray we will be united in the rules we set for our children and be in full agreement as to how they are raised. I pray that there will be no strife or argument over how to handle them and the issues that surround their lives.
Give him skills of communication with his children. I pray he will not beeeeee stern, hard, cruel, cold, abusive, noncommunicative, passive, critical, weak, uninterested, neglectful, undependable, or uninvolved. Help him instead to be kind, loving, soft hearted, warm, interested, affirming, affectionate, involved, strong, consistent, dependable, verbally communicative, understanding, and patient. May he require and inspire his children to honor him as their father so that their lives will be long and blessed.
Lord, I know we pass a spiritual inheritance to our children. Let the heritage he passes on be one rich in the fullness of Your Holy Spirit. Enable him to model clearly a walk of submission to Your laws. May he delight in his children and long to grow them up Your way. Being a good father is something he wants very much. I pray that You would give him the desire of his heart.
Power Tools:
Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father. ( Proverbs 17:6)
For whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights. ( Proverbs 3:12)
The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will delight in him. ( Proverbs 23:24)
Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes, he will give delight to your soul. ( Proverbs 29:17)
I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almight. ( 2 Corinthians 6:18)
I was touched by his perspective and resolved to pray for him to be a good father. I believe my prayers made a difference because I saw him become more patient with our children and less insecure about his own parenting skills. He grew increasingly relaxed and able to enjoy them. He became less guilt-ridden or angry when it was necessary to discipline them and more able to speak wisdom powerfully into their lives. He now sees that any flaw in our children is not necessarily a reflection of his value as a father.
Thoughts of failure and inadequacy are what cause so many fathers to give up, leave, become overbearing from trying to hard, or develop a passive attitude and fade into the background of their children's lives. It can be especially overwhelming to a man who already feels like a failure in other areas. Mothers get overwhelmed with feelings of inadequacy, too, but only most deeply disturbed ever abandon, ignore, or hurt their children. That's because we have the opportunity from the moment of conception to pour so much of ourselves into our children's lives. We carry them in the womb, we nurse and nurture them as newborns, we guide and teach and love them so much that we have a full sense of bonding from the start. Fathers don't have that privilege and often feel they are starting on the outside, trying to work their way in. If they are also spending a great amount of time and energy trying to establish their careers, they can easily feel hoplessly removed and ineffectual. Our prayers can help redeem this situation.
Have you ever had someone pray for you when you couldn't think straight, and after they prayed you had complete clarity and vision? I've experienced that countless times. I believe this is what can happen for our husbands when we pray about their parenting. If they are tortured with doubt and burdened by a sense of responsibility, we can minimize these feelings with our prayers. Prayer can help them gain a clear perspective of what it means to be a good father, and open the door to Holy Spirit guidance on how to handle the parenting challenges that arise.
My husband recalled a specific incident where he knew my prayers for him regarding his fatehrhood had made a big difference. It happened when our son, Christopher, was about seven and we had caught him in a lie. We knew we had to deal with it, but we wanted a full confession from him along with a repentant heart. Neither was forthcoming at that moment. Michael wanted to teach him a lesson but didn't know what to do, so he asked me to pray. While I was praying, it became very clear to him. As CHris watched, Michael drew a triangle and a picture of Satan, God, and Christopher, one at each of the points. He then described Satan's plan for Chris, and God's plan for Chris. He illustrated how lying was part of Satan's plan that Chris was going along with. He described in detail the ultimate consequences of going along with Satan's plans--which meant traveling on a spectrum away from God--and it shook Christopher up so badly that he broke down and confessed the lie with a completely repentant heart. Michael said he knew that without that clear picture from God he would not have been able to get through to his son with the depth he needed to.
The best way for a man to be a good father is to get to know his heavenly Father and learn to imitate Him. The more time he spends in the Lord's presence, being transformed into His likeness, the better influence he will be when he spends time with his children. He will have a father's heart because he understands the Father's heart. This can be difficult if your husband didn't have a good relationship with his earthly father. The way a man relates to his dad will often affect how he relates to his Father God. If he was abandoned by him, he may fear being abandoned by God. If his father was distant or uncaring, he may see God as distant and uncaring. If he doubted his father's love, he may doubt his heavenly Father's love. If he is angry with his father, he may be angry with his Father God as well. Events of the past with regard to his own dad can serve as a barrier that keeps him from truly knowing the Father's love. This will carry over into his relationship with his children.
Pray that your husband grows into a greater understanding of his heavenly Father's love and be healed of any misconceptions he has in his heart and mind about it. Where his father has failed him and he has blamed God, ask the Lord to heal that enormous hurt. The bible says, " Whoever curses his father or mother, his lamp will be put out in deep darkness." ( Proverbs 20:20) Unless forgiveness happens in his heart for his dad, he will be in the dark as to how to be the best father for his children. His father doesn't have to be alive in order to right that relationship, because it's what is in his own heart regarding his dad that matters. Pray that he will gain a right attitude toward his earthly father so nothing will stand in the way of his relationship with his Father God.
Men don't always realize how important they are to their children. They sometimes feel they are only there to provide materially for them. But the importance of a father's influence can never be underestimated. How he relates to his children will shape their lives for bad or for good. It will change his life forever, too. For if he fails as a father, he will always carry that sense of failure with him. If he succeeds, there will be no greater measure of success in his life.
Prayer:
Lord, teach ( hsubands name) to be a good fatehr. Where it was not modeled to him according to Your ways, heal those areas and help him to forgive his dad. Give him revelation of You and a hunger in his heart to really know You as his heavenly Father. Draw him close to spend time in Your presence so he can become more like You, and fully understand Your Fatehr's heart of compassion and love toward him. Grow that same heart in him for his children. Help him to balance mercy, judgment, and instruction the way You do. Though You require obedience, You are quick to acknowledge a repentant heart. Make him that way too. Show him when to discipline and how. Help him to see that he who loves his child disciplines him promptly ( Proverbs 13:24). May he never provoke his " children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord" ( Ephesians 6:4). I pray we will be united in the rules we set for our children and be in full agreement as to how they are raised. I pray that there will be no strife or argument over how to handle them and the issues that surround their lives.
Give him skills of communication with his children. I pray he will not beeeeee stern, hard, cruel, cold, abusive, noncommunicative, passive, critical, weak, uninterested, neglectful, undependable, or uninvolved. Help him instead to be kind, loving, soft hearted, warm, interested, affirming, affectionate, involved, strong, consistent, dependable, verbally communicative, understanding, and patient. May he require and inspire his children to honor him as their father so that their lives will be long and blessed.
Lord, I know we pass a spiritual inheritance to our children. Let the heritage he passes on be one rich in the fullness of Your Holy Spirit. Enable him to model clearly a walk of submission to Your laws. May he delight in his children and long to grow them up Your way. Being a good father is something he wants very much. I pray that You would give him the desire of his heart.
Power Tools:
Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father. ( Proverbs 17:6)
For whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights. ( Proverbs 3:12)
The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will delight in him. ( Proverbs 23:24)
Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes, he will give delight to your soul. ( Proverbs 29:17)
I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almight. ( 2 Corinthians 6:18)
Between Friends
Accountability:
The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, " There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor.
" The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
" Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him...."
Then Nathan said to David, " You are the man!.... Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your won. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites....
" You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel."
Then David said to Nathan, " I have sinned against the Lord."
Scripture:
2 Samuel 12:1-4,7,9,12-13
Defining Moments:
" I will praise the Lord who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me." ( Psalm 16:7-8)
He's there. Wherever you are. Whatever you're feeling. Without having to play a silly mind game or pretend something that's not real, you can just believe the fact that God is always with you, His power always within reach, His help always one word away.
But when it's late, when you've had a tough day, when a drink is sounding awfully good or the remote control is driving through a bad section of TV-land, the features on God's face can dim a little. His invisible presence can fade into your forgetfulness.
But if you've got a couple of friends you've promised to stay accountable to, if you dread the thought of facing them without a clear conscience and a good word of testimony, you can flash their faces through your mind or make a wuick phone call and remember what a holy life is worth.
Lokk, we're all in this thing together.
Next Up:
You've made some good friends by joining the family of faith, but also some sworn enemies. Let's look at who's out to get you and what it's going to take to win.
Quote:
" I believe if a man gets close to a true spiritual champion, he will become one. We become like the people we associate with." -Ronnie Floyd
The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, " There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor.
" The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
" Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him...."
Then Nathan said to David, " You are the man!.... Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your won. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites....
" You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel."
Then David said to Nathan, " I have sinned against the Lord."
Scripture:
2 Samuel 12:1-4,7,9,12-13
Defining Moments:
" I will praise the Lord who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me." ( Psalm 16:7-8)
He's there. Wherever you are. Whatever you're feeling. Without having to play a silly mind game or pretend something that's not real, you can just believe the fact that God is always with you, His power always within reach, His help always one word away.
But when it's late, when you've had a tough day, when a drink is sounding awfully good or the remote control is driving through a bad section of TV-land, the features on God's face can dim a little. His invisible presence can fade into your forgetfulness.
But if you've got a couple of friends you've promised to stay accountable to, if you dread the thought of facing them without a clear conscience and a good word of testimony, you can flash their faces through your mind or make a wuick phone call and remember what a holy life is worth.
Lokk, we're all in this thing together.
Next Up:
You've made some good friends by joining the family of faith, but also some sworn enemies. Let's look at who's out to get you and what it's going to take to win.
Quote:
" I believe if a man gets close to a true spiritual champion, he will become one. We become like the people we associate with." -Ronnie Floyd
God Heals Our Hurts
He had compassion on them ( Matthew 14:14)
The Greek word for compassion is splanchnizomai, which won't mean much to you unless you are in the health professions and studied " splanchnology" in school. If so, you remember that " splancnology" is a study of...the gut.
When Matthew writes that Jesus had compassion on the people, he is not saying that Jesus felt casual pity for them. No, the term is far more graphic. Matthew is saying that Jesus felt their hurt in his gut:
He felt the limp of the crippled.
He felt the hurt of the diseased.
He felt the loneliness of the leper.
He felt the embarrassment of the sinful.
And once he felt their hurts, he couldn't help but heal their hurts.
The Greek word for compassion is splanchnizomai, which won't mean much to you unless you are in the health professions and studied " splanchnology" in school. If so, you remember that " splancnology" is a study of...the gut.
When Matthew writes that Jesus had compassion on the people, he is not saying that Jesus felt casual pity for them. No, the term is far more graphic. Matthew is saying that Jesus felt their hurt in his gut:
He felt the limp of the crippled.
He felt the hurt of the diseased.
He felt the loneliness of the leper.
He felt the embarrassment of the sinful.
And once he felt their hurts, he couldn't help but heal their hurts.
Worship Me Only
Worship Me Only. Whatever occupies your mind the most becomes your god. Worries, if indulged, develop into idols. Anxiety gains a life of its own, parasitically infesting your mind. Break free from this bondage by affirming your trust in Me and refreshing yourself in My Presence. What goes on in your mind is invisible, undetectable to other people. But I read your thoughts continually, searching for evidence of trust in Me. Guard your thoughts diligently; good thought-choices will keep you close to Me.
Psalm 112:7, 1 Corinthians 13:11
Psalm 112:7, 1 Corinthians 13:11
Able and Available
My husband was at work when I received news about my mom's cancer diagnosis. I left him a message and reached out to friends and family. None were available. Covering my face with trembling hands, I sobbed. " Help me, Lord." A resulting assurance that God was with me comforted me through those moments when I felt utterly alone.
I thanked the Lord when my husband came home and support from friends and family trickled in. Still, the calming awareness of God's presence I sensed in those first few hours of lonely grieving affirmed that God is readily and faithfully available wherever and whenever I need help.
In Psalms 46, the psalmist proclaims God is our sanctuary, strength, and steadfast supporter. When it feels as if we're surrounded by chaos or everything we thought was stable crashes down around us, we don't have to fear. God doesn't falter. His power is evident and effective. Our eternal Sustainer gives us confidence in His unchanging character. The Lord, our secure stronghold, remains with us forever.
God created His followers to prayerfully support and encourage one another. But He also affirms He is always able and available. When we call on God, we can trust Him to keep His promises to provide for us. He will comfort us through His people as well as through His personal presence.
Lord, thank You for assuring us You're always accessible because You're always with us.
God is always able and available to help us.
I thanked the Lord when my husband came home and support from friends and family trickled in. Still, the calming awareness of God's presence I sensed in those first few hours of lonely grieving affirmed that God is readily and faithfully available wherever and whenever I need help.
In Psalms 46, the psalmist proclaims God is our sanctuary, strength, and steadfast supporter. When it feels as if we're surrounded by chaos or everything we thought was stable crashes down around us, we don't have to fear. God doesn't falter. His power is evident and effective. Our eternal Sustainer gives us confidence in His unchanging character. The Lord, our secure stronghold, remains with us forever.
God created His followers to prayerfully support and encourage one another. But He also affirms He is always able and available. When we call on God, we can trust Him to keep His promises to provide for us. He will comfort us through His people as well as through His personal presence.
Lord, thank You for assuring us You're always accessible because You're always with us.
God is always able and available to help us.
Monday, January 29, 2018
His Relationships
Isolation is not healthy. We all need the influence of good people to keep us on the right path. Every married couple should have at least two strong believing couples with whom they can share encouragement, strength, and the richness of their lives. Being around such people is edifying, enriching, balancing, and fulfilling, and it helps us keep persepective when things seem to grow out of proportion. Having the positive qualities of other people rub off on us is the best thing for a marriage.
I remember one time when Michael and I had an argument just before we were to be at another couple's house for dinner. On the drive there we sat in stiffened silence, and all I could think about was how we could possibly get through the evening gracefully without making the other couple very uncomfortable. When we arrived, the warmth, love, and rich godliness we felt from them infected our thoughts and emotions. Soon we were laughing and talking and having a great time, forgetting about what had transpired previously. What those two people had was not just a " let the good times roll" party spirit. It was the joy of the Lord, and it wore off on us.
We've witnessed the exact same thing happen in reverse. There have been numerous instances when a couple in the midst of maritial strife came to our house for dinner and went away with peace in their hearts. One particular couple even called just before they were to arrive--when the dinner was completely ready--to say they'd just had a bad argument and couldn't possibly be enjoyable guests. I told them we completely understood, having experienced the same thing ourselves, but that we wanted them to come, even if they sat in silence all night. " Besides, you do need to eat," I said. " If necessary you can sit at opposite ends of the table." It took some persuading, but they came and it turned out to be a highly enjoyable evening for all. We even ended up laughing about what transpired earlier and they left hand and hand.
Being good friends with godly people who love the Lord doesn't just happen by chance. We must pray that such people will come into our lives. And then when we find them, we should continue to cover the relationships in prayer. We should also pray the bad influences awa. The Bible says we must " not be unequally yoked together with unbelivers" ( 2 Corinthians 6:14). This doesn't mean we can never be around anyone who isn't a Christian, but our closet, most influential relationships should be with people who know and love the Lord, or there will be consequences. " The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray." ( Proverbs 12:26). That's why it's very important to have a church home where it's possible to meet the kind of people you need. Choose to be around the highest quality people you can, the ones whose hearts are aimed toward God.
Pray also for your husband to have godly male friends. And when he finds them, give time to be with them without criticism. Those friends will refine him. " As iron sharpens iron, so man sharpens the countenance of his friend." ( Proverbs 27:17). They will be a good influence. " Ointment and perfume delight the heart, and the sweetness of a man's friend does so by hearty councel." ( Proverbs 27:9) Of course if it becomes obsessive, pray for balance.
After we had children, Michael worked every day and night during the week and on weekends he spent spare time on the golf course or at baseball and football games with his friends. There were many bitter arguments about that, but no changes happened until I started praying that God would convict him and turn his heart toward home. God did a much better job that I ever could have.
Often men have fewer close friends than women because of the way their time is consumed with establishing their careers. They don't take the necessary steps to develop close friendships like we do. That's where prayer can make a difference. Even if your husband is not a believer, you can still pray for him to have godly friends. A close friend of mine has a husband who doesn't follow the Lord and we have prayed many times for him to have godly friends and be in contact with believers where he works. God has now brought so many strong Christians into his life that we laugh about how the Lord has him surrounded.
Pray about all of your husband's relationships. He needs to have good relationships with his parents, brotehrs, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, co-workers, and neighbors. Pray that none of his relationships be marred by his inability to forgive. A husband who is tortured with unforgiveness is not a pretty sight.
Prayer:
Lord, I pray for ( husband's name) to have good, godly male friends with whom he can openly share his heart. May they be trustworthy men of wisdom who will speak truth into his life and not just say what he wants to hear ( Proverbs 28:23). Give him the discernment to separate himself from anyone who will not be a good influence ( 1 Corinthians 5:13). Show him the importance of godly friendships and help me encourage him to sustain them. Give us believing married couples whom we can feel comfortable sharing our lives.
I pray for strong, peaceful relationships with each of his family members, neighbors, acquaintances, and coworkers. Today I specificall pray for his relationship with ( Name of Person). Inspire open communication and mutual acceptance between them. Let there be reconcilliation where there has been estrangement. Work peace into anything that needs to be worked out.
I pray that in his heart he will honor his father and mother so that he will live long and blessed in his life ( Exodus 20:12). Enable him to be a forgiving person and not to carry grudges or hold things in his heart against others. Lord, You've said in Your Word that " he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes" ( 1 John 2:11). I pray that my husband would never be blinded by the darkness of unforgiveness, but continually walk in the light of forgiveness. May he not judge or show contempt for anyone but remember that " we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ" ( Romans 14:10). Enable him to love his enemies, bless those who curse him, do good to those who hate him, and pray for those who spitefully use him and persecute him ( Matthew 5:44). I pray that I will be counted as his best friend and that our friendship with one another will continue to grow. SHow him what it means to be a true friend and enable him to be one.
Power Tools:
Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is themanner of some, but exhorting one another. ( Hebrews 10:24,25)
If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ( Matthew 5:23,24)
If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. ( 1 John 1:7)
Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, " I repent," you shall forgive him. ( Luke 17:3,4)
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this you will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. ( John 13:34,35)
I remember one time when Michael and I had an argument just before we were to be at another couple's house for dinner. On the drive there we sat in stiffened silence, and all I could think about was how we could possibly get through the evening gracefully without making the other couple very uncomfortable. When we arrived, the warmth, love, and rich godliness we felt from them infected our thoughts and emotions. Soon we were laughing and talking and having a great time, forgetting about what had transpired previously. What those two people had was not just a " let the good times roll" party spirit. It was the joy of the Lord, and it wore off on us.
We've witnessed the exact same thing happen in reverse. There have been numerous instances when a couple in the midst of maritial strife came to our house for dinner and went away with peace in their hearts. One particular couple even called just before they were to arrive--when the dinner was completely ready--to say they'd just had a bad argument and couldn't possibly be enjoyable guests. I told them we completely understood, having experienced the same thing ourselves, but that we wanted them to come, even if they sat in silence all night. " Besides, you do need to eat," I said. " If necessary you can sit at opposite ends of the table." It took some persuading, but they came and it turned out to be a highly enjoyable evening for all. We even ended up laughing about what transpired earlier and they left hand and hand.
Being good friends with godly people who love the Lord doesn't just happen by chance. We must pray that such people will come into our lives. And then when we find them, we should continue to cover the relationships in prayer. We should also pray the bad influences awa. The Bible says we must " not be unequally yoked together with unbelivers" ( 2 Corinthians 6:14). This doesn't mean we can never be around anyone who isn't a Christian, but our closet, most influential relationships should be with people who know and love the Lord, or there will be consequences. " The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray." ( Proverbs 12:26). That's why it's very important to have a church home where it's possible to meet the kind of people you need. Choose to be around the highest quality people you can, the ones whose hearts are aimed toward God.
Pray also for your husband to have godly male friends. And when he finds them, give time to be with them without criticism. Those friends will refine him. " As iron sharpens iron, so man sharpens the countenance of his friend." ( Proverbs 27:17). They will be a good influence. " Ointment and perfume delight the heart, and the sweetness of a man's friend does so by hearty councel." ( Proverbs 27:9) Of course if it becomes obsessive, pray for balance.
After we had children, Michael worked every day and night during the week and on weekends he spent spare time on the golf course or at baseball and football games with his friends. There were many bitter arguments about that, but no changes happened until I started praying that God would convict him and turn his heart toward home. God did a much better job that I ever could have.
Often men have fewer close friends than women because of the way their time is consumed with establishing their careers. They don't take the necessary steps to develop close friendships like we do. That's where prayer can make a difference. Even if your husband is not a believer, you can still pray for him to have godly friends. A close friend of mine has a husband who doesn't follow the Lord and we have prayed many times for him to have godly friends and be in contact with believers where he works. God has now brought so many strong Christians into his life that we laugh about how the Lord has him surrounded.
Pray about all of your husband's relationships. He needs to have good relationships with his parents, brotehrs, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, co-workers, and neighbors. Pray that none of his relationships be marred by his inability to forgive. A husband who is tortured with unforgiveness is not a pretty sight.
Prayer:
Lord, I pray for ( husband's name) to have good, godly male friends with whom he can openly share his heart. May they be trustworthy men of wisdom who will speak truth into his life and not just say what he wants to hear ( Proverbs 28:23). Give him the discernment to separate himself from anyone who will not be a good influence ( 1 Corinthians 5:13). Show him the importance of godly friendships and help me encourage him to sustain them. Give us believing married couples whom we can feel comfortable sharing our lives.
I pray for strong, peaceful relationships with each of his family members, neighbors, acquaintances, and coworkers. Today I specificall pray for his relationship with ( Name of Person). Inspire open communication and mutual acceptance between them. Let there be reconcilliation where there has been estrangement. Work peace into anything that needs to be worked out.
I pray that in his heart he will honor his father and mother so that he will live long and blessed in his life ( Exodus 20:12). Enable him to be a forgiving person and not to carry grudges or hold things in his heart against others. Lord, You've said in Your Word that " he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes" ( 1 John 2:11). I pray that my husband would never be blinded by the darkness of unforgiveness, but continually walk in the light of forgiveness. May he not judge or show contempt for anyone but remember that " we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ" ( Romans 14:10). Enable him to love his enemies, bless those who curse him, do good to those who hate him, and pray for those who spitefully use him and persecute him ( Matthew 5:44). I pray that I will be counted as his best friend and that our friendship with one another will continue to grow. SHow him what it means to be a true friend and enable him to be one.
Power Tools:
Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is themanner of some, but exhorting one another. ( Hebrews 10:24,25)
If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ( Matthew 5:23,24)
If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. ( 1 John 1:7)
Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, " I repent," you shall forgive him. ( Luke 17:3,4)
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this you will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. ( John 13:34,35)
Strength In Numbers
Why You Belong in Church
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ...
If the foot should say, " Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, " Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
If the whole boy were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body....
But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:12, 15-20, 24b-26
Defining Moments:
Your week may be filled with sales meetings and lunch plans, with night classes and homework, with diapers and runny noses. Whatever ordinary means to you. You may be having a squabble with your sister or a hassle with your landlord. You may be knee deep in credit card bills or trying not to worry about that curious new pain in your side.
The week has a way of wearing you down, of hitting you head-on with more troubles and temptations than you were hoping to handle. You can fall into bed on Saturday night a limp rag. A sigh. A surrender. You may feel almost as far out of God's plan as you were before you gave your life to Him.
But no matter what your week's been like, you can walk into God's house on Sunday morning and know that you're right where you're supposed to be--that you're part of something bigger than yourself, a place where you belong, a member of an eternal family. You need them, and they need you. And together, you can find the strength to face another week. To go on another day.
Next Up: More than Sunday morning, though, you need a face-to-face connection with a few close Christian friends who can help to keep you living what you say you believe.
Quote:
" It's only as we, as a body of Christians, grow together in Jesus Christ that we will truly reflect faith, hope, and love." -Gene Getz
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ...
If the foot should say, " Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, " Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
If the whole boy were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body....
But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:12, 15-20, 24b-26
Defining Moments:
Your week may be filled with sales meetings and lunch plans, with night classes and homework, with diapers and runny noses. Whatever ordinary means to you. You may be having a squabble with your sister or a hassle with your landlord. You may be knee deep in credit card bills or trying not to worry about that curious new pain in your side.
The week has a way of wearing you down, of hitting you head-on with more troubles and temptations than you were hoping to handle. You can fall into bed on Saturday night a limp rag. A sigh. A surrender. You may feel almost as far out of God's plan as you were before you gave your life to Him.
But no matter what your week's been like, you can walk into God's house on Sunday morning and know that you're right where you're supposed to be--that you're part of something bigger than yourself, a place where you belong, a member of an eternal family. You need them, and they need you. And together, you can find the strength to face another week. To go on another day.
Next Up: More than Sunday morning, though, you need a face-to-face connection with a few close Christian friends who can help to keep you living what you say you believe.
Quote:
" It's only as we, as a body of Christians, grow together in Jesus Christ that we will truly reflect faith, hope, and love." -Gene Getz
A Heart At Peace
The wisdom that comes from God is first of all pure, then peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. ( James 3:17)
The heart of Jesus was pure. The Savior was adored by thousands, yet content to live a simple life. He was cared for by women ( Luke 8:1-3), yet never accused of lustful thoughts; scorned by his own creation, but willing to forgive them before they even requested his mercy. Peter, who traveled with Jesus for three and a half years, described him as a " lamb, unblemished and spotless."
After spending the same amount of time with Jesus, John concluded, " And in him is no sin."
Jesus' heart was peaceful. The disciples fretted over the need to feed the thousands, but not Jesus. He thanked God for the problem. The disciples shouted for fear in the storm, but not Jesus. He slept through it. Peter drew his sword to fight the soldiers, but not Jesus. He lifted his hand to heal. His heart was at peace.
The heart of Jesus was pure. The Savior was adored by thousands, yet content to live a simple life. He was cared for by women ( Luke 8:1-3), yet never accused of lustful thoughts; scorned by his own creation, but willing to forgive them before they even requested his mercy. Peter, who traveled with Jesus for three and a half years, described him as a " lamb, unblemished and spotless."
After spending the same amount of time with Jesus, John concluded, " And in him is no sin."
Jesus' heart was peaceful. The disciples fretted over the need to feed the thousands, but not Jesus. He thanked God for the problem. The disciples shouted for fear in the storm, but not Jesus. He slept through it. Peter drew his sword to fight the soldiers, but not Jesus. He lifted his hand to heal. His heart was at peace.
Keep Your Focus On Me
Keep Your Focus On Me. I have gifted you with amazing freedom, including the ability to choose the focal point of your mind. Only the crown of My creation has such remarkable capability; this is a sign of being made in My image.
Let the goal of this day be to bring every thought captive to Me. Whenever your mind wanders, lasso those thoughts and bring them into My Presence. In My radiant Light, anxious thought shrink and shrivel away. Judgmental thoughts are unmasked as you bask in My unconditional Love. Confused ideas are untangled while you rest in the simplicity of My Peace. I will guard you and keep you in constant Peace, as you focus your mind on Me.
Psalm 8:5; Genesis 1:26-27; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Isaiah 26:3
Let the goal of this day be to bring every thought captive to Me. Whenever your mind wanders, lasso those thoughts and bring them into My Presence. In My radiant Light, anxious thought shrink and shrivel away. Judgmental thoughts are unmasked as you bask in My unconditional Love. Confused ideas are untangled while you rest in the simplicity of My Peace. I will guard you and keep you in constant Peace, as you focus your mind on Me.
Psalm 8:5; Genesis 1:26-27; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Isaiah 26:3
Like a Little Child
One evening many years ago, after saying a goodnight prayer with our two-year old daughter, my wife was surprised by a question. " Mommy, where is Jesus? "
Launn replied, " Jesus is in heaven and He's everywhere, right here with us. And He can be in your heart if you ask Him to come in."
" I want Jesus to be in my heart."
" One of these days you can ask Him."
" I want to ask Him to be in my heart now."
So our little girl said, " Jesus, please come into my heart and be with me." And that started her faith journey with Him.
When Jesus's disciples asked Him who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, He called a little child to come and join them. " Unless you change and become like little children, " Jesus said, " you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.... And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."
Through the eyes of Jesus we can see a trusting child as our example of faith. And we are told to welcome all who open their hearts to Him. " Let the little children come to me," Jesus said, " and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Lord Jesus, thank You for calling us to follow You with confident faith of a child.
Our faith in Jesus is to be like that of a trusting child.
Launn replied, " Jesus is in heaven and He's everywhere, right here with us. And He can be in your heart if you ask Him to come in."
" I want Jesus to be in my heart."
" One of these days you can ask Him."
" I want to ask Him to be in my heart now."
So our little girl said, " Jesus, please come into my heart and be with me." And that started her faith journey with Him.
When Jesus's disciples asked Him who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, He called a little child to come and join them. " Unless you change and become like little children, " Jesus said, " you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.... And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."
Through the eyes of Jesus we can see a trusting child as our example of faith. And we are told to welcome all who open their hearts to Him. " Let the little children come to me," Jesus said, " and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Lord Jesus, thank You for calling us to follow You with confident faith of a child.
Our faith in Jesus is to be like that of a trusting child.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Final Commendations and Greetings
I command to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.
Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house.
Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the first fruits of Achaia to Christ. Greet Mary, who labored much for us. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, abd Stachys, my beloved. Greet Apelies, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodion, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.
Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis who labored much in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. Greet Philologus, and all the saints who are with them.
Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you.
Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf, but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you Amen.
Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you. I tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord.
Galus, my host abd the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith-to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house.
Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the first fruits of Achaia to Christ. Greet Mary, who labored much for us. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, abd Stachys, my beloved. Greet Apelies, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodion, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.
Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis who labored much in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. Greet Philologus, and all the saints who are with them.
Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you.
Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf, but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you Amen.
Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you. I tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord.
Galus, my host abd the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith-to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
His Priorities
Men have many different ideas about what their priorities should be. But every wife feels she should be at the top of he husband's list-right there under God. I've found , however, that if a wife wants her husband's priorities to be in that kind of order, sha has to make sure hers are in that order as well. In other words, if you want your husband to place you as priority over work, children, friends, and activities, you need to do the same for him. I God and spouse aren't clearly top priorities in your life, your husband will have less incentive to make them so in his. I know very well about the struggle to keep order of priorities, especially if there are little ones in the picture. Children's needs are immediate and urgent and you're the one to take care of them. A husband, after all, is an adult and hopefully can take care of himself. Even if there are no children, it's possible to be consumed by work, home, friends, projects, interests, and activities. It's hard, in the midst of everything that occupies your time and attention not to allow your husband to fall down on the list-or at least feel as though he has.
Fortunately, priorities don't always have to do with the total amount of time spent on them, otherwise anyone with a forty-hour work week would be putting God second to their job unless he or she was praying at least eight hours a day. And there is no way a wife can give as much time to her husband as she does to a young child without neglecting the child. When it comes to your husband, it's not so much a matter of how much time you take, but that you do take the time to make him feel like he is a priority.
Just greeting him first thing in the morning with a smile and a hug can make him feel he's important to you. so is asking him, " Is there anything you want me to do for you today?" ( And then he tells you, remember to do it.) Also, let him know you are praying for him and ask what he specifically wants you to pray about. Even checking in with him periodically in the midst of the many other things you are doing assures him he's still at the top of your list.
Priorities have to do with the position in the heart. Planning times for just the two of you-a date, a night or two away, a dinner alone, time in the home without any children or friends-communicates to him that he is a priority in your heart. If you want your husband to love you more, you need to love him more. It always works, especially if you're praying about it as well.
If you feel that you just don't have the time and or energy to put your husband first and still do all that's expected of you, ask God for a fresh filling of His Holy Spirit. Seek Him first and He will help you get your priorities in order. If your schedule doesn't allow time to be with God and draw on His strength, then rework your priorities and make a new schedule. The old one is not working.
In the business my husband is in, we often see people experience success quickly. The problem with that is a spirit of lust for more success, more power, and more wealth usually comes along with it. When these people don't make a special effort to keep their priorities in order, their pride guides them, and they buy into its lure. They slip into overdrive, leaving God, family, church, and friends in their dust. When these shooting stars come back to earth, the landing is often hard. We don't want that to happen, even on a small scale, to our husbands. Pray for your husband to always put God first, you second, and the children third. Then, no matter what else is going on in his life, his priorities will be in order and there will be greater peace and happiness ahead for both of you.
Prayer:
God, I proclaim You Lord over my life. Help me to seek You first every day and set my priorities in perfect order. Reveal to me how to properly put my husband before children, work, family, friends, activities, and interests. Show me what I can do right now to demonstrate to him that he has this position in my heart. Mend the times I have caused him to doubt that. Tell me how to prioritize everything so that whatever steals away, or has no lasting purpose, will not occupy my time.
I pray for my husband's priorities to be in perfect order as well. Be Lord and Ruler over his heart. Help him to choose a simplicity of life that will allow him to have time alone with You, Lord, a place to be quiet in Your presence every day. Speak to him about making Your Word, prayer and praise a priority. Enable him to place me and our children in greater prominence in his heart than career, friends, and activities. I pray he will seek You first and submit his all to You, for when he does I know the other pieces of his life will fit together perfectly.
Power Tools:
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ( Matthew 6:33)
Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. ( Philippians 2:4)
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. ( Matthew 6:24)
The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. ( Matthew 13:45,46)
You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve. ( Matthew 4:10)
Fortunately, priorities don't always have to do with the total amount of time spent on them, otherwise anyone with a forty-hour work week would be putting God second to their job unless he or she was praying at least eight hours a day. And there is no way a wife can give as much time to her husband as she does to a young child without neglecting the child. When it comes to your husband, it's not so much a matter of how much time you take, but that you do take the time to make him feel like he is a priority.
Just greeting him first thing in the morning with a smile and a hug can make him feel he's important to you. so is asking him, " Is there anything you want me to do for you today?" ( And then he tells you, remember to do it.) Also, let him know you are praying for him and ask what he specifically wants you to pray about. Even checking in with him periodically in the midst of the many other things you are doing assures him he's still at the top of your list.
Priorities have to do with the position in the heart. Planning times for just the two of you-a date, a night or two away, a dinner alone, time in the home without any children or friends-communicates to him that he is a priority in your heart. If you want your husband to love you more, you need to love him more. It always works, especially if you're praying about it as well.
If you feel that you just don't have the time and or energy to put your husband first and still do all that's expected of you, ask God for a fresh filling of His Holy Spirit. Seek Him first and He will help you get your priorities in order. If your schedule doesn't allow time to be with God and draw on His strength, then rework your priorities and make a new schedule. The old one is not working.
In the business my husband is in, we often see people experience success quickly. The problem with that is a spirit of lust for more success, more power, and more wealth usually comes along with it. When these people don't make a special effort to keep their priorities in order, their pride guides them, and they buy into its lure. They slip into overdrive, leaving God, family, church, and friends in their dust. When these shooting stars come back to earth, the landing is often hard. We don't want that to happen, even on a small scale, to our husbands. Pray for your husband to always put God first, you second, and the children third. Then, no matter what else is going on in his life, his priorities will be in order and there will be greater peace and happiness ahead for both of you.
Prayer:
God, I proclaim You Lord over my life. Help me to seek You first every day and set my priorities in perfect order. Reveal to me how to properly put my husband before children, work, family, friends, activities, and interests. Show me what I can do right now to demonstrate to him that he has this position in my heart. Mend the times I have caused him to doubt that. Tell me how to prioritize everything so that whatever steals away, or has no lasting purpose, will not occupy my time.
I pray for my husband's priorities to be in perfect order as well. Be Lord and Ruler over his heart. Help him to choose a simplicity of life that will allow him to have time alone with You, Lord, a place to be quiet in Your presence every day. Speak to him about making Your Word, prayer and praise a priority. Enable him to place me and our children in greater prominence in his heart than career, friends, and activities. I pray he will seek You first and submit his all to You, for when he does I know the other pieces of his life will fit together perfectly.
Power Tools:
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ( Matthew 6:33)
Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. ( Philippians 2:4)
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. ( Matthew 6:24)
The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. ( Matthew 13:45,46)
You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve. ( Matthew 4:10)
Out In the Open
Confession And Repentance:
He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.... If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.....
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Scripture:
Proverbs 28:13-14, 1 John 1:6-9, Hebrews 4:5-16
Defining Moments:
God is no pushover. His call to holy living is very clear, very firm, very hard to misunderstand. Let's not trick ourselves into thinking that His heart of compassion has made Him soft on sin.
But rest in this: " He remembers that we are dust" ( Psalm 103:14). He knows where we've come from. He understands the bad habits we've molded over the years, the comfortable corners we run to when we're tired or upset or discouraged. Truth is, the anger we feel pressing down on us is more ours than His, for while we could kick ourselves for caving again, He's heartbroken that we've sold ourselves out so cheaply, that we've chosen the path of pain when He has offered the path of peace.
So as you catch yourself in compromise, confess your mistake. And promise ( with God's help) that you'll turn your back on this foolishness. Confession gets your sin out in front where you can deal with it. Repentance takes it out to the curb where God can haul it off with the rest of your garbage. And leave you feeling clean again.
Next Up:
God hasn't saved you just so you could enjoy life in a better mood. He has placed you in a community of faith, where your little part can be multiplied in ministry.
Quote:
" Christianity is strange. It orders man to acknowledge that he is evil, even abominable. Yet it also bids him to be like God." -Blaise Pascal
Statement:
Nobody expects you to be perfect. But by owning up to your mistakes, you get a whole lot closer to it.
He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.... If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.....
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Scripture:
Proverbs 28:13-14, 1 John 1:6-9, Hebrews 4:5-16
Defining Moments:
God is no pushover. His call to holy living is very clear, very firm, very hard to misunderstand. Let's not trick ourselves into thinking that His heart of compassion has made Him soft on sin.
But rest in this: " He remembers that we are dust" ( Psalm 103:14). He knows where we've come from. He understands the bad habits we've molded over the years, the comfortable corners we run to when we're tired or upset or discouraged. Truth is, the anger we feel pressing down on us is more ours than His, for while we could kick ourselves for caving again, He's heartbroken that we've sold ourselves out so cheaply, that we've chosen the path of pain when He has offered the path of peace.
So as you catch yourself in compromise, confess your mistake. And promise ( with God's help) that you'll turn your back on this foolishness. Confession gets your sin out in front where you can deal with it. Repentance takes it out to the curb where God can haul it off with the rest of your garbage. And leave you feeling clean again.
Next Up:
God hasn't saved you just so you could enjoy life in a better mood. He has placed you in a community of faith, where your little part can be multiplied in ministry.
Quote:
" Christianity is strange. It orders man to acknowledge that he is evil, even abominable. Yet it also bids him to be like God." -Blaise Pascal
Statement:
Nobody expects you to be perfect. But by owning up to your mistakes, you get a whole lot closer to it.
Adopted by God
The Spirit himself bears witness with our Spirit that we are children of God. ( Romans 8:16)
When we come to Christ, God not only forgives us, but also adopts us. Through a dramatic series of events, we go from condemned orphans with no hope to adopted children with no fear. Here is how it happens. You come before the judgment seat of God full of rebellion and mistakes. Because of his justice he cannot dismiss your sin, but because of his love he cannot dismiss you. So, in an act which stunned the heavens, he punished himself on the cross for your sins. God's justice and love are equally honored. And you, God's creation, are forgiven. But the story doesn't end with God's forgiveness.... It would be enough if God just cleansed your name, but he does more. He gives you his name.
When we come to Christ, God not only forgives us, but also adopts us. Through a dramatic series of events, we go from condemned orphans with no hope to adopted children with no fear. Here is how it happens. You come before the judgment seat of God full of rebellion and mistakes. Because of his justice he cannot dismiss your sin, but because of his love he cannot dismiss you. So, in an act which stunned the heavens, he punished himself on the cross for your sins. God's justice and love are equally honored. And you, God's creation, are forgiven. But the story doesn't end with God's forgiveness.... It would be enough if God just cleansed your name, but he does more. He gives you his name.
Let My Love Enfold You
Let My Love Enfold You in the radiance of My Glory. Sit still in the Light of My Presence, and receive My Peace. These quiet moments with Me transcend time, accomplishing far more than you can imagine. Bring Me the sacrifice of your time, and watch to see how abundantly I bless you and your loved ones.
Through the intimacy of our relationship, you are being transformed from the inside out. As you keep your focus on Me, I form you into the one I desire you to be. Your part is to yield to My creative work in you, neither resisting it nor trying to speed it up. Enjoy the tempo of a God-breathed life by letting Me set the pace. Hold my hand in childlike trust, and the way before you will open up step by step.
Hebrews 13:15, 2 Corinthians 3:18; Psalm 73:23-24
Through the intimacy of our relationship, you are being transformed from the inside out. As you keep your focus on Me, I form you into the one I desire you to be. Your part is to yield to My creative work in you, neither resisting it nor trying to speed it up. Enjoy the tempo of a God-breathed life by letting Me set the pace. Hold my hand in childlike trust, and the way before you will open up step by step.
Hebrews 13:15, 2 Corinthians 3:18; Psalm 73:23-24
True Hope
Not long ago I visited the Empire State building with a friend. The line looked short-just down the block and around the corner. Yet as we entered the building, we discovered the line of people stretching through the lobby, up the stairs, and into another room. Every new turn revealed more distance to go.
Attractions and theme parks carefully route their crowds to make the lines seem shorter. Yet disappointment can lurk. " Just around the bend."
Sometimes life's disappointments are much more severe. The job we hoped for doesn't materialize; friends we counted on let us down; romantic relationship we longed for fails to work out. But into these heartbreaks, God's Word speaks a refreshing truth about our hope in Him. The apostle Paul wrote; " Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame or disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, God whispers the truth that we are unconditionally loved and will one day be with Him-regardless of the obstacles we face. In a world that may often disappoint us, how good it is to know that God gives genuine hope.
Abba, Father, thank You that I can always trust in Your perfect, never-ending love.
In Christ, the hopeless, find hope.
Attractions and theme parks carefully route their crowds to make the lines seem shorter. Yet disappointment can lurk. " Just around the bend."
Sometimes life's disappointments are much more severe. The job we hoped for doesn't materialize; friends we counted on let us down; romantic relationship we longed for fails to work out. But into these heartbreaks, God's Word speaks a refreshing truth about our hope in Him. The apostle Paul wrote; " Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame or disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, God whispers the truth that we are unconditionally loved and will one day be with Him-regardless of the obstacles we face. In a world that may often disappoint us, how good it is to know that God gives genuine hope.
Abba, Father, thank You that I can always trust in Your perfect, never-ending love.
In Christ, the hopeless, find hope.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Peace, Be Still
Meditation and Quietude:
Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes....
Wait for the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, but soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.
Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace.
But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.
The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
There's a quiet place beyond the buzz of the TV and the telephone. And God's saving you a seat.
Defining Moments:
The New Agers came in, started talking about focusing and finding their center ( and stuff like that), and made people think of meditation as some heebie-jeebie, hippie holdover that feels at home on a PBS special, but not on our living room sofas.
Just because someone misuses God's gift, however, doesn't diminish its importance. Meditation is a much-needed Christian discipline. When you seek a silent place away from the pull of the newspaper or the approaching drumbeats of a work deadline, when you feast on a single verse of the Scripture, letting the Holy Spirit bring to your mind new lessons to learn, new twists on the truth, new insights to gather...you will learn to recognize God's voice and grow in your relationship.
You don't have to go out looking for demands and distractions. They'll find you-enough to fill every second of your life with noise and activity, yet still leave you restless and dissatisfied. COme quietly before God. Meditate on His word. And enjoy His satisfying rest.
Next up:
Now we're getting somewhere. The next step in growing as a Christian is learning how to keep your life an open book before God, and let nothing come between you.
Quote:
" We must carefully plan solitude. We do not take the spiritual life seriously if we do not set aside some time to be with, and listen to, God." -Henri Nouwen
Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes....
Wait for the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, but soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.
Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace.
But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.
The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
There's a quiet place beyond the buzz of the TV and the telephone. And God's saving you a seat.
Defining Moments:
The New Agers came in, started talking about focusing and finding their center ( and stuff like that), and made people think of meditation as some heebie-jeebie, hippie holdover that feels at home on a PBS special, but not on our living room sofas.
Just because someone misuses God's gift, however, doesn't diminish its importance. Meditation is a much-needed Christian discipline. When you seek a silent place away from the pull of the newspaper or the approaching drumbeats of a work deadline, when you feast on a single verse of the Scripture, letting the Holy Spirit bring to your mind new lessons to learn, new twists on the truth, new insights to gather...you will learn to recognize God's voice and grow in your relationship.
You don't have to go out looking for demands and distractions. They'll find you-enough to fill every second of your life with noise and activity, yet still leave you restless and dissatisfied. COme quietly before God. Meditate on His word. And enjoy His satisfying rest.
Next up:
Now we're getting somewhere. The next step in growing as a Christian is learning how to keep your life an open book before God, and let nothing come between you.
Quote:
" We must carefully plan solitude. We do not take the spiritual life seriously if we do not set aside some time to be with, and listen to, God." -Henri Nouwen
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