Philippians 3:20
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sunday, August 27, 2017
What occupies your mind more: life on Earth or eternity in heaven?
Are you following traditions or God’s commandments?
Matthew 15:3
He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?
Traditions Over Commandments
We are all creatures of habit, and we
love our routines. But when our traditions become more important than
God’s commandments, we’ve unwittingly put our own personal traditions
over God’s commands, and that’s going no place good. The Pharisees and
the Scribes rebuked Jesus’ disciples for not following their own
traditions about washing before eating, but that doesn’t mean the
disciples didn’t wash their hands before a meal. The Pharisees and the
Scribes had a tradition where they washed all the way up to their elbows
before they dined, and then they wouldn’t even dry their hands with a
towel. They let their hands and arms drip dry before they ate anything.
They did what was not even commanded and went above and beyond what is
written. By doing so, they not only judged those who didn’t do as they
did, but they also expected others to do as they did. They placed their
own traditions over and above what God requires, and that is never a
good thing to do because it creates a self-righteous attitude. No one is
righteous or declared righteous in their own sight or by their own
works (Rom. 2:12-13; Gal. 3:11).
Doctrines of Men Over Commandments of God
After the Pharisees and Scribes rebuked
Jesus’ disciples, He rebuked them for teaching the doctrines or
traditions of man and elevating them over the commandments of God (Matt.
15:3). They made void the commandments of God in order to make their
own fleshly traditions more important (Matt. 15:6). This was an affront
to God. When the disciples later came to Jesus, they said, “Master didn’t you realize that you just offended the Pharisees by what you just said”
(Matt. 15:12)? Jesus was never concerned with winning friends and
influencing people, and He never desired popularity with the people,
including the religious leaders of the day. He reminded the disciples
that whatever is not planted by God will be plucked up and thrown into
the fire someday (Matt. 15:13). Therefore, He said to just let them be
because they are only like a blind person leading another blind person,
and both are headed for the pit (Matt. 15:14). Was this a reference to
the fiery pit of hell or the lake of fire (Rev. 20:12-15)? It could have
been.
What’s Inside Defiles, Not What’s Outside
The religious leaders were so concerned
with the exterior or outside because it gave the appearance of
righteousness to those who saw them, but Jesus said that what truly
defiles men and women is what comes out of the mouth because it reveals
what’s in the heart (Matt. 15:17-20). Jesus is saying that it’s not what
we do but our interior motives and the intents of the heart. We can
look good on the outside, but if our intents are evil, then we are
altogether defiled, and that’s the way God sees us because He can see
our thoughts and intents.
A Closing Prayer
Great God, please help me see what my
true intents and motives are, and help me by Your Spirit to not try to
live for the outward appearance of righteousness but to elevate Your
commandments over any traditions that I might think give a show of
holiness, when in actuality, they are just filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). In
Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen
Impossible? Do you not remember the many miracles I have performed?
Mark 6:37
But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?”
Facing the Impossible
When Jesus and the disciples came ashore
and found that a huge crowd had been there waiting for them, Jesus
looked at them with compassion, seeing that they were like lost sheep
who had no shepherd. So He began teaching them (Mark 6:34). After He
taught them for a time, it was late. The disciples looked at how vast
the crowd was and wanted to send them away hungry and tired and have
them find their own food to eat (Mark 6:36), but Jesus, having
compassion on them, thought otherwise. Jesus looked at the disciples and
told them, “You give them something to eat.”
But the disciples said that they would need about 200 denarii to buy
bread for such a large crowd of people (Mark 6:37). A denarii is about
one day’s wages, so they knew that they didn’t have nearly enough money
to buy as much bread as they would need. They were in an impossible
situation.
How Many Loaves Do You Have?
Jesus, knowing full well that they didn’t have enough bread or money to feed such a crowd, asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see”
(Mark 6:37). However, when they returned, they told Jesus that they had
only two fish and five loaves (Mark 6:38), which was not even close to
being what they needed. Why would Jesus ask them how many loaves they
had? Before that, Jesus told them to “give them something to eat.”
Did Jesus want to see their reaction? Did He want to test their faith
to see what they would do in an impossible situation? He asked them to
do something that they couldn’t possibly do. Jesus already must have
known what He was going to do and wanted to see the reaction of the
disciples or if they’d trust Him enough to help them do what He had
asked them. Jesus may ask us to do something someday that seems
impossible for us. He might ask us to do what we have no resources to do
it with. He may ask you someday “how many loaves do you have?”
Something out of Nothing
God created the universe out of nothing.
Everything that exists came into being because God spoke it into
existence (Psalm 33:9). Since we know that God can do whatever He wills
to do, no matter what things look like to us, and seeing it in our own
human eyes, can we not trust Him to do what seems impossible when there
are no apparent resources to do it with? God can multiply what little we
have like the widow’s oil and flour that was enough for only one meal
but which God used Elijah to go further than was humanly impossible (1
Kings 17:16). This is exactly what Jesus did. After they started with
only five loaves and two fish, they were left with such a large amount
of food that it had to be loaded into twelve baskets, so what they ended
up with, even after over 5000 ate, was almost more than they could
handle. God loves to show Himself mighty by doing the impossible.
A Closing Prayer
God, You are glorified in these miracles
of life, and You are still multiplying loaves and fish in our lives
today through Your hand. Nothing is too hard for You, so please help me
to trust You and not my eyes. To You be the glory, and in Jesus’ name I
pray.
Amen
What in life exhilarates you? How can you use this to glorify God?
Luke 15:10
Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
The Joy of Witnessing
For me, there are few things more joyful than that of soul winning. I mean can anything really compare with participating in someone being saved? Jesus says that there is joy in heaven even when one sinner repents (Luke 15:7, 10). Shouldn’t that give us joy? I feel so much exhilaration when I am able to participate in someone being saved. Even when they reject the message, I know it’s not up to me to save them since salvation is from God. Maybe someone will come along and water the message; maybe someone fertilizes it later. However, the harvest is up to God, and I may never see the fruit. There is also great joy in obeying the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8), and if you feel joy in this and heaven feels joy over this, this must glorify God.The Joy of Overcoming
We know that the will of God is our growing in holiness–sometimes called sanctification–and abstaining from any kind of sexual immorality (1 Thess. 4:3-4). So when Christians overcome a major sin, resist a powerful temptation, or help others do the same, there is true joy found in this. It is exhilarating knowing that you are being obedient to God’s command to be holy as He is holy (1 Pet. 1:16), although He doesn’t expect perfection. That was accomplished by Christ’s atonement for our sake at the cross (2 Cor. 5:21). Even our generosity pleases God because it is the will of God, and doing the will of God always glorifies God (1 Cor. 9:12-14). If you can find things in the Bible where you can both feel exhilaration and glorify God, that’s as good as it gets!The Joy of Serving
When we serve, we should always learn to deflect any praise that comes our way to God, for the Holy Spirit is the only reason we do any good. It is never a good thing to accept compliments because you are the source. We can show a gracious attitude and say thank you, but we must remember that any good we do is because our good God enables us to do it. Therefore, He must receive the glory, for He is never going to allow His glory to be shared with humans (Isaiah 48:11). When you read the Bible, search the Scriptures for things in life that will exhilarate you and will also glorify God. Focus on them. Write them down or journal them when you find them. Then find the joy of the Lord in serving, overcoming sin, growing in sanctification, and in proclaiming the Gospel to the lost, for there is no greater joy than to find what exhilarates you but also glorifies God. It doesn’t get much better than that.A Closing Prayer
Amen
The world will try to discredit Me. Can your faith overcome?
Matthew 22:21
Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.
Trapping or Testing Jesus
The Pharisees got together and tried to
plot how they might trip up Jesus by trapping Him in a conundrum or
setting Him up with a question with no easy way out (Matt. 22:15). They
sent some of the disciples of the Pharisees along with the Herodians to
test Jesus. These two groups had been natural enemies of one another,
but since they deemed Jesus a common enemy, they put their heads
together to try and trap Him (Matt. 22:16). They flattered Him by saying
that they knew He was a true teacher Who truthfully taught the way of
God and was no respecter of persons (Matt. 22:16), but inwardly they
obviously didn’t believe that, for why else would they be trying to trap
or trick Jesus? Their motivations were anything but sincere.
Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes?
The tax collectors actually came to
Peter once and asked him whether Jesus paid taxes or not (Matt. 17:24),
to which Peter said yes (Matt. 17:25). Then Jesus directs Peter to find a
fish, which would have one shekel in it, enough to pay both of their
taxes (Matt. 17:26). Indeed, Jesus did pay His taxes, contrary to what
most people might believe. The Pharisee and Herodian disciples, wanting
to trap Jesus, then asked Him whether or not it was lawful to pay taxes
to Caesar (Matt. 22:17). If Jesus said no, then they’d report Him to the
Roman authorities as a rebel who unlawfully didn’t think He should pay
His taxes. But if He said yes, then they’d see that He supported the
Roman authorities and their right to collect taxes on the occupied Jews.
This seemed like a no-win situation to Jesus, but as was His custom, He
answered a question with a question of His own. He asked whose
inscription was on the coin (Matt. 22:20), to which they said Caesar’s.
Then Jesus told them to ”render (or pay) to Caesar the things of Caesar and to God the things of God” (Matt. 22:21). They couldn’t believe it! They were stunned and left Him, failing to do what they had set out to (Matt. 22:22).
Outwitted
The religious leaders weren’t done
trying to trick Jesus because the Sadducees, who didn’t believe in the
resurrection, tried to set Jesus up with an impossible situation where a
man had several wives. After he died (Matt. 22:22-27), they asked whose
wife she would be (Matt. 22:28). But then Jesus, knowing their intent,
rebuked them for not knowing the Scriptures, which they should have
known, by saying that those in heaven are neither married nor are there
any given in marriage (Matt. 22:29-30). Then Jesus goes one further on
them by showing that, indeed, there is a resurrection because God is the
God of the living and not the dead, saying, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,” quoting the Old Testament (Ex. 3:6), and also that “he is not the God of the dead but of the living”
(Matt. 22:31-32). Ouch! The crowds heard Jesus’ answer. They were
amazed (Matt. 22:33), and so should we. You cannot unscrew the
inscrutable.
A Closing Prayer
People only want to trick me, Father,
into disbelieving in You by questioning You, Your Word, or Jesus Christ.
But I know You always speak the truth, and I believe You, so thank You
for showing me in Your Word that You are always true and every man a
liar (Rom. 3:4). In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
What promises have you made that you need to intentionally follow through on this week?
Joshua 21:45
Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.
Following Through
It is so easy to make promises but often very difficult in keeping them or following through on them. Only God can make promises that never fail, and every single promise made by God is yes and amen (2 Cor. 1:20). Since God has given us these precious promises, should we not make every effort to live a holy life of obedience (2 Cor. 7:1)? What promise this week or last week did you make that you still haven’t followed through on? How can you intentionally set out to complete that promise by the end of the week? Shouldn’t our yes mean yes and our no mean no (Matt. 5:37)? I plead guilty of sometimes telling people that I will pray for them and then forget, but that’s no excuse. My word is my promise, and I’ve broken it many times. That’s why if I say I will pray for someone, my custom is to do it right there, on the spot! For me, it is sin if I say I’ll pray for someone and fail to do it (1 Sam. 12:23).Making Oaths
Long before we even think of making a promise, a vow, or an oath, shouldn’t we stop and think about it first? James, the half-brother of Jesus, essentially said the same thing as Jesus, that we should say yes or no and not add anything else to it; otherwise, we might face the consequences when we don’t follow through (James 5:12). I would rather qualify my statement and say “I will try my best to” or “if I can, I will” and then make every effort to do what I said I would try to do. It is better to say you will try your best to do something and that if it is at all possible you will do it than to make a promise that circumstances might dictate the impossibility of keeping.Painful Promises Kept
Some have kept their promises or vows and lived to regret making them, as in the case of the Jephtah’s promise that if Israel was successful in battle, whatever walked through his front door would be sacrificed to God (Judges 11:11, 29-33). The ends do not justify the means. Jephtah’s rash vow was foolish. What did he think would come out of his house anyway? A lamb? Did he even think it through? Apparently not because his daughter was the first one who came out, and although the Bible never clearly says that he sacrificed her life, she apparently paid some sort of price. That example should discourage us from making promises that we might not be able to keep because we don’t even know what tomorrow may bring (James 4:14). We can’t brag about or promise with certainty what will happen later in the week because we don’t know for sure (Prov. 27:1).A Closing Prayer
Amen
Your situation may get harder. Will you have stronger faith or give up?
Mark 5:27-28
She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.”
Been in This Woman’s Shoes?
The woman who had a discharge of blood
for some 12 years was desperate. She had spent all of her possessions on
trying to find a solution but to no avail (Mark 5:25-26). Nothing had
worked, and I am sure she tried everything she and the doctors could
think of. In her present state, she would have been considered unclean
and, to be a woman with a discharge, even more despicable to society
since at that time women were not highly regarded at all. She must have
been in poverty by then, had no family or friends, and couldn’t even
worship near the temple. How much lower could someone go? She had hit
rock bottom. But when we have come to an end of ourselves, it seems God
is always waiting there for us, waiting for us to come to an end of
ourselves. At the end of our rope, God typically ties a rope there for
us. We are crushed and humbled, but it is only then that God can give us
His grace (James 4:6).
Has Jesus Touched You?
This woman had heard the many reports
about Jesus’ miraculous powers (Mark 5:27), so in desperation she pushed
her way through the crowds (knowing it was against all that the society
would have her do) and simply touched Jesus’ garment (Mark 5:28). She
might have been ashamed or embarrassed to approach Him from the front to
His face, or she might have been forbidden to do so. Whatever the case,
she boldly sought Jesus and touched the hem of His garment. She must
have had faith in order to do that and must have known that simply
touching Him would help her. She probably had more faith than all of
those surrounding Jesus, but isn’t that usually the case in the ministry
of Jesus?
Healed by Her Faith
The moment she touched Jesus’ garment,
she was healed (Mark 5:28-29). Jesus knew that power had gone out of Him
and asked who it was that touched Him (Mark 5:30). The disciples
sounded surprised because they said that He was surrounded by people
everywhere, and He asked, “Who touched Me”
(Mark 5:31)? When Jesus looked around, the woman, knowing that she was
caught in the act, perhaps of doing something that society forbid, fell
down before Him, trembling with fear, not sure what His reaction would
be (Mark 5:33). Instead of what she feared, Jesus tenderly said, “Daughter, your faith has made you well, go in peace, and be healed of your disease”
(Mark 5:34). When Jesus called her “daughter”–or some translations say
“woman”–this is not a way of showing her disrespect but the tender,
loving title that is ascribed to one’s own daughter as being addressed
by her natural father.
A Closing Prayer
Righteous God, You alone have brought me
healing. My sins had brought the death penalty upon me (Rom. 6:23), and
instead of Your right to rebuke me, a sinner, You reached out and
touched me and forgave me of all my sins when I trusted Your Son, Jesus
Christ. It is in His name I pray.
Amen
Why are you looking for Me?
Luke 2:47
And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
His Astonished Parents
When Jesus’ parents left Jerusalem after
the Passover feast, they didn’t realize that He was gone until after
about a day’s journey. Maybe this shows just how unassuming Jesus was or
that He was such a perfect child that His parents didn’t even have to
give Him a thought most of the time. Either way, His parents came back
to look for Him, and after three days of frantically searching, they
found Him in the temple. They were obviously very upset, asking how He
could have treated them so badly (Luke 2:48). Can you imagine the panic
of these parents? Jesus replied as if they should have known that He
would have been in the temple. Jesus wasn’t being sarcastic to His
parents but making at least two points: first that His Father was God
the Father and secondly that He was where His parents should have
expected Him to be. Possibly, He was telling them that this was where He
naturally fit in. He is God, and as God, He belongs in the temple.
The Perfect Child
Don’t think that Jesus wasn’t submissive
to His parents because He was. It is written that after His parents
came back for Him, He went back to Nazareth with them “and was submissive to them,”
and Jesus’ mother kept all these things in the back of her mind (Luke
2:50). This account of Jesus teaching in the temple was amazing in the
sense that here was Jesus, only 12 years old, mingling among the adults
(Luke 2:46), including the teachers like the Pharisees, the Sadducees,
and likely the Scribes. You wonder why Jesus’ parents didn’t look in the
temple in the first place. And during Jesus three days in the temple,
who cared for Jesus during that time? Who fed Him? Or did He simply fast
during those three days?
We Are Astonished
Jesus might ask you why you were looking
for Him. Was it simply a way of escaping hell? Was it to make your life
better? Was it for the purpose of having a happier life, an improved
marriage, or a more fulfilled experience in this world? Jesus came to
die for sinners, so we should have been looking for Him to go and tell
Him we are sorry for our sins, we repent, and we trust Him to save us,
asking to please forgive us. Really, we didn’t choose Him, but He chose
us (John 15:16) because the Spirit of God revealed Who Jesus is (Matt.
16:17), and the fact is that He loved us first before we ever loved Him
(1 John 4:19). Were you really looking for Him when the Bible clearly
says that none of us seek after Him (Rom. 5:11)? Really, He was looking
for you. Now that is astonishing.
A Closing Prayer
Righteous God, You loved me first, even
while I was a sinner and Your enemy (Rom. 5:8, 10). Please forgive me
for where I fall short, and help me to serve You better where You have
placed me within the Body of Christ. In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen
Finding an Everyday Faith
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me. He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me--God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.
--PSALM 57:1-3 NIV
Father in heaven, I ask that you instill in me a strong and abiding faith to help me through my day. No matter what challenges I face, no matter what drama people throw my way or what obstacles I have to get around, give me a steadfast certainty that I will prevail. Give me a faith that will move mountains, though more likely I will only need to move molehills. Give me a faith for this day that stretches out before me, filled with promise and possibility. Amen.
Monday, August 21, 2017
Would your co-workers see Me in you?
Romans 8:29
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Whose Mind Is in You?
Who do your co-workers see when they look at you? Do they see Fred or Mary, or do they see Christ living in you? Do you get in the way so much that they can’t see Christ? God foreknew us to be predestined into the image of His Son but not just any image–into the same image of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). What does this image that people see in you look like? Do they see more of Christ, or do they see more of you? What does it mean that we’re to be conformed, not into the image of the world but transformed by the renewing of our mind (Rom. 12:2)? The word “conformed” in the Greek is “syschēmatizō,” from which we get the word “schematic” or “pattern,” and this word means “to conform one’s mind and character to another’s.” The “another” in this case is to be transformed or changed into the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). If our minds are renewed or transformed, then that is what people should see. A transformation on the inside usually shows up on the outside. Do your co-workers see that in you?Whose Light Is It?
Paul quoted Genesis chapter one when he wrote that God made the light shine into the darkness, and this light He caused to shine into our hearts (2 Cor. 4:6). Sometimes this light hurts the eyes of those who are in the dark because they have been in the darkness for so long. When we are revealing the light of Christ shed abroad in our hearts through His Spirit (Rom. 5:5), people cannot help but notice. It is not so much you they don’t like as much as it is the true source of that light, and that is Christ, Who Himself is the light of men (John 1:4, 9). There is a delicate balance between putting our light on a lampstand (Luke 11:33) and shining it directly into their eyes. Even worse would be hiding it for no one to see (Matt. 5:15). We are that light set upon a hill, which can seen from a distance. This might mean that, like a flashlight, we can’t go right up to people and shine it in their face because it hurts their eyes, but the light must be seen in order to expose the darkness. Is it the light of Christ they see?Who Are You Imitating?
Paul told the church at Corinth to imitate him but only because he was imitating Christ. Therefore, whatever we do, say, and think should be imitating Christ. They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery, and that is exactly what God wants us to do in imitating Christ. If we do, our co-workers cannot help but see Christ. Paul tells the church at Philippi the same thing, to follow his example because his example was a godly one, and that is a great model to follow (Phil. 3:17). More specifically, Paul tells the church at Thessalonica to be imitating him, his companions, and the Lord (1 Thess. 1:6) because, he hoped, they would be imitating a godly way of life. So my question to you is are you and I letting others at work see God in us and, more specifically, Christ? Can our co-workers see Christ in us, or do they see no difference between us and their fellow workers and themselves? Good question, isn’t it?A Closing Prayer
Amen
When I call you to do something, do you sometimes allow others to talk you out of it?
Matthew 10:7
As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.
To Go or Not To Go
I once shared the Gospel going door to door, and a man actually told me that you don’t need to tell people about Christ. I asked him why, and he said that in his church, they just pray for people to come to their church and be saved. I wondered what chapter and verse that was because I couldn’t find it, but I can find dozens of verses where we’re to go out to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost. Some have tried talking me out of this. Some believe that since God predestines people (Eph. 1), He doesn’t need our help, and really that is somewhat true because salvation is fully a work of God (John 6:44-45). But even though He could write it in the sky, He uses men and women to bring the Gospel to the lost (Matt. 28:19-20). God calls men and women to be saved, but we are part of the means to that end. Don’t let anyone discourage you from telling others about Christ because we are all called to do this, and we are all ministers of the Good News.Helping the Least of These
When our church was offering a free invite for people to come and eat during a Thanksgiving meal, some people tried to say that if people are poor and can’t afford to eat, it’s because they probably don’t work. One man said, “They made their own bed. Now let them lie in it.” Some can work and choose not to, yes, but we cannot know exactly who they all are. Jesus teaches us that if we help those who society regards as “the least of these,” then we’re actually doing it for Jesus Himself (Matt. 25:40). This includes visiting the sick, those in prison, and those who are naked (poor), hunger, thirsty, and strangers (Matt. 25:35-36). However, He never qualified helping these people by saying “if they have a job,” “if they don’t deserve to be in prison,” or “if they made their own bed, let them lie in it.” No, Jesus just said doing it for the least of these is doing it to Him, so don’t let anyone talk you out of helping others for Christ because I believe we are all called to do these things for “these least.”Convinced in Our Own Minds
There are some Christians out there who can tolerate compromising with sin more than others. A few times, I have been invited to a movie or a concert, but my conscience didn’t allow me to go because of the offensive content. What is clearly sin and is not sin I have no problem with, but sometimes the grey-area things trip a lot of us up. So here’s what I do to make the decision whether to participate in something or not. I let my conscience, hopefully persuaded by the Holy Spirit, guide me as to whether it is right for me to go or not. Paul wrote that each of us must be persuaded or convinced in our own minds whether something is sin or not (Rom. 14:5). Each of us must be convinced or feel conviction about something in our own minds, and we shouldn’t allow others to talk us into doing something that we’re not comfortable with because it could mean that Christ is not calling us to participate in these things. In this way, we can avoid having a seared conscience, which could lead to greater errors (1 Tim. 4:2).A Closing Prayer
Amen
Do you have any questions you are scared to ask yourself?
Second Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
Self-Examination
I believe that when we examine the Word of God, the Word of God examines us. That is to say, when we read the Bible, it reads us and gives us a good look at our own heart. The truth is that our hearts can easily deceive us, and we can’t fully know it (Jer. 17:9). When Paul writes to the Corinthian church to examine themselves, I don’t believe he is doing this to have them make sure that they are saved or not but to place their lives up against what Scripture says. We had a man once attend our church who insisted that he was not a sinner, but this is contrary to what the Bible teaches (1 John 1:9; Rom. 3:23), so I asked him about a couple of Scriptures that teach that all of us have sinned and what God’s Word says about those who claim they have no sin (1 John 1:10). The man refused to look at these verses as if he was afraid to question himself in any way, and he never came back to our church again. Am I like this? Are you?Questions for the Self
I have often wondered just how strong my faith is. I have seen many who have endured so much in being persecuted and have thought could I go through such things and remain strong in my faith without renouncing Jesus? I just don’t know, and I’d be afraid to find out. What about you? Have you ever seen what other believers go through around the world and asked yourself if you could endure such persecution and loss? I am not so sure I could go through what they’ve gone through. God tested Israel in their wanderings in the wilderness (Ex. 16:4), and he may test us or has already tested us to see how strong our faith is. Israel was always testing God for some reason, even though He keeps every promise (Ex. 17:2). When they put God to the test, it resulted in the death of many of them, which is why Paul warns us about doing the same thing (1 Cor. 10:9).Asking for Patience
Someone once told me to never ask God for patience because He will allow circumstances in your life where you’ll need to have a lot of patience. I had not heard that before. Is that something that you’d be afraid to ask for yourself? If you wanted more patience and we are given opportunities to exercise patience, how would that go? Would you pass that test? Would I do as Paul feared some might in 2 Corinthians 13:5 and fail the test? Paul had hoped that the church at Corinth would see that he didn’t fail the test (2 Cor. 13:6). If we are to test everything against what is true and cling to what is good (1 Thess. 5:21) and God tests our hearts (1 Thess. 2:4), would you ever be scared to ask yourself the question of whether you would fail where a lot of other Christians didn’t? Could I endure as much as the severely persecuted believers around the world do? How would I handle such intensity of pressure as being tortured and losing everything as some have had to endure?A Closing Prayer
Amen
Finding an Everyday Faith
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| The little voice within that whispers to keep on going when the going gets tough is the voice of faith. Listen to it, for it will never lead you astray. |
Finding an Everyday Faith
Though we do not know what lies beyond
an open door, faith allows us to walk through
it anyway and experience the miracles
that exist only when we overcome fear and
doubt and "just go for it."
Looking back on all those times when I was younger, when I thought things would never get better or I was in the midst of heartbreak over the loss of a love or job or a dream, I remember always having a sense of something pulling at me to keep on going. No matter how hard the road ahead seemed, I felt something tugging me forward, even if I had no idea where I was going to end up. I realize now that it was faith urging me forward, faith calling me to believe that things would improve. And the funny thing is, they did.
Finding an Everyday Faith
- MATTHEW 17:20 NIV
God, grant me the faith to be my best today. Though the children are calling and the work is pressing upon me, and the coffee is not made and the phone is ringing, and the pets are asking to be fed and the house is a mess . . . give me the faith today to stand up to it all with grace and even a bit of humor. Without my daily dose of faith, life can get a little overwhelming, and on some days, a lot overwhelming. Just a little bit of faith with my coffee is enough to start off the day with the resourcefulness, strength, and wisdom I need to make it through in one piece until bedtime. Amen.
Sunday, August 20, 2017
Finding an Everyday Faith
Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase. - Martin Luther King Jr.
People who have done great things often say that their greatest resource and power came from a deep and abiding faith: faith in a power greater than themselves, faith in humanity, and faith in themselves. The ability to keep going toward a desired purpose or goal, even when it seemed utterly impossible to reach, is what makes these individuals stand out and achieve. We all have the opportunity to find that faith within and bring it forth so that we can succeed at whatever it is we desire, whatever our purpose may be. Faith is not something given only to the lucky few. Faith is a blessing we are all born with.
Finding an Everyday Faith
Friday, August 18, 2017
Finding an Everyday Faith
- MARK 11:22-24
Dear Lord, give me a faith that lasts longer than my fear. It's easy to feel strong and good when all is well, but when everything me seems to be a huge mess, it's hard to keep hope alive. With your loving presence, I know I will be able to weather each daily storm, believing that I have the inner and outer resources to do so. I know, dear Lord, that you never give us more than we can handle, but perhaps just for today can you pass a little more faith my way.
We may wake up to stormy skies, but faith is what we hold onto until the sun breaks through the clouds again.
The Blessings and the Lessons
Lord, it's hard to count your blessings when all around you is chaos and despair. Though my heart is heavy and my mind cluttered, please help me realize that before a flower shows its beauty to the sun, it is first a seed buried in the dirt. Help me stand above the negative things in life and cast my eyes instead upon the positives that are always there, like the seedling, growing toward the moment when it will appear above ground, facing the sun.
Lift up your heart in sweet surrender to the God who is waiting to shower you with blessings. Lift up your soul on wings of joy to the God who is waiting to guide you from the chaos of shadows out into the light of a peace that knows no equal.
Monday, August 14, 2017
The Blessings and the Lessons
God's peace among people brings many blessings.
Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall; happy are the people whose God is the Lord.
- PSALM 144:15
Sunday, August 13, 2017
The Blessings and the Lessons
- JAMES 3:17
Seeing the best in the worst is the highest form of wisdom and faith.
There's so much to be grateful for in this life! Thank you, God, for your many blessings.
All opportunities, abilities, and resources come from God. They are given to us to hold in sacred trust for him. Cooperating with God will permit us to generously pass on to others some of the many blessings from his rich storehouse.
Faith is the root of all blessings. Believe and you shall be saved; believe and you will be satisfied; believe, and you cannot but be comforted and happy.
- JEREMY TAYLOR
The Blessings and the Lessons
An unanswered prayer may at first seem like punishment, or as if God is withholding love from us, when in fact we are being loved and protected. God's "No" is often the doorway that opens to a wonderful "Yes."
We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking, only to learn that it is God who is shaking them.
-CHARLES C. WEST
I love it when a friend is excited about something that just happened. "Chances are," she'll proclaim, "it's the best thing that will ever happen to me." And in that moment it truly is. But I love it even more when a friend recognizes the blessings in "the worst thing that has ever happened to me," and comes out of a long, dark journey through a challenging life experience with newfound resilience, strength, and faith. I love it when it happens to me also, because so often I've failed to be grateful for the dark part of the journey, in favor of the light. In the end, when we look back at the bigger picture, it appears that everything we go through is "the best thing that ever happened."
Sunday, August 6, 2017
The Blessings and the Lessons
Sometimes the greatest progress comes from the smallest of steps, as long as those steps are consistently taken in faith.
I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing.
I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing.
-EZEKIEL 34:26 NIV
Today I pray not just for blessings, but for the ability to see them when they come disguised as obstacles and unanswered prayers. God, I know you don't always give me what I ask for, despite what I believe I need. It always turns out that had I gotten what I asked for, I would have ended up unhappy in ways I couldn't envision at the time. Your will is higher than mine, God, and your vision for me is clearer. I pray for that same discernment when asking for blessings and praying for miracles. I pray that what you give me, God, is always best for me whether I like it or not at the time. Amen.
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Learning a lesson may often hurt in the short run, but in the long run, we are better for what we have learned and experienced.
The Blessings and the Lessons
a different perspective is the way to find inner
peace and happiness. Every cloud truly does
have a silver lining if you look for it.
God, may today be filled with more happiness than pain, with more peace than chaos, with more good than bad. May the sun shine a little bit warmer, and the night fall a less cold,
and may the new dawn be filled with more birdsong than tears. May I be a
little stronger and a little less afraid. May I react with a little
more love and a little less anger, and may I acquire a little bit more
understanding and a little less intolerance. I know that life is made up
of both light and dark, but I ask that the light always be brighter
than the dark, and that I am always equipped with the courage, faith,
and hope to make each day better than the day before. Amen.
Friday, August 4, 2017
The Blessings and the Lessons
The Blessings and the Lessons
I remember going to school as a child and loving certain classes. The subject matter thrilled me, and the lessons were easy because I was excited to learn. Then there were classes I enjoyed less, struggled with, and eventually passed, which were harder to get through because my heart wasn't in them. And yet, I see that those difficult classes taught me so many important things that I didn't learn from the classes I enjoyed. I see now that the challenging classes helped shape me just as much and in ways I had no idea were possible at the time. Life is a series of fun classes and tough lessons, and those who strive to get good grades in both are truly blessed.
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
-JAMES 1:12 NIV
Thursday, August 3, 2017
The Blessings and the Lessons
Let go, let God, and let it be. There is no better
way to live than by those three simple rules.
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.
-2 TIMOTHY 2:15
Everyone always tells us to let go of the past, to take the lessons of yesterday and learn from them today. It is hard to do, letting go of the past, because in many ways we have unfinished and unresolved issues that still tug at out hearts and haunt our minds. But as long as we understand that it all happened for a reason, as part of God's bigger plan, we can more easily let go of the regrets and "what ifs" and "should haves" and come to a peaceful acceptance of what is. Then we can move on from there, equipped with the lessons and knowledge and wisdom that come from experiencing both the good and the bad.
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
The Blessings and the Lessons
-ROMANS 12:14 NKJV
Lord, as I lay down to sleep tonight, I let go of the events of the day, knowing that I did the best I could, learned what I needed to learn, and reacted from the highest place possible. If I made mistakes, I accept that and ask for the strength and wisdom to do better tomorrow. If I hurt someone I ask for forgiveness, for it was not my intention. If I didn't think before I spoke, or spoke out of turn, I ask for more patience the next time around. I let go of it all, knowing that each new day is a new opportunity to take what I've learned the day before and start fresh. I can and will do better tomorrow, Lord. Amen.
The sun sets, yet also rises, and each time it does we can start over, smarter and wiser than before. Time is the greatest of teachers.
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
The Blessings and the Lessons
-ISAIAH 40:31 NIV
Every person that comes into your life has a gift to give you. Even the people who push your buttons, make you angry, drive you crazy, and make you wish you had never met them have a lesson to teach you. And until you learn that lesson, God will send other people just like them into your life. How easy it is to love and care about your friends and family and those who support you. Yet even the people who seem to be your enemies deserve your love, your care, and your gratitude. Sometimes blessings come in the strangest of disguises.
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