Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Are You Searching?

As a Christian, do you ever wonder what your next step should be? I have good news for you. The answer is near. It can be found in God’s word. When Moses was near death and was addressing the children of Israel, he told them:
Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. Deuteronomy 30:11-14 (NIV)
Ask the Holy Spirit to open your mind and your soul to the scripture and lead you to your next task for Him.
Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare. Psalm 40:5 (NIV)
God bless!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Abundant Giving/Abundant Living

Jack Hayford and Sam Middlebrook, editors of Living the Spirit-Filled Life, have written,
“Jesus opened up for us a whole new way of giving. He gave Himself totally to and for the needs of people…Jesus Christ has paid our debt before God and His cross is a completed work in our eternal interest. Our giving, then, is no longer a debt that we owe, but a seed that we sow!”
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38 (NIV)
Christ gave ALL for us and just as He gave, lovingly and willing, so should we give. We tend to think of giving in terms of money, which is not always the case. We also tend to think of giving in ways which are grand and large, and this is not always the case either.

We should be giving of ourselves daily to others. We can give of ourselves with a smile; a friendly greeting; a word of encouragement; send a card; hold the door for someone; offer your place in line to someone else; give up your seat for someone…there are so many little things we can do for others. In short, take time to be compassionate!

Many times when we work in groups we have the power to set the tone for the entire day (and the entire office) through the expression of our attitude—good or bad. As Christians we should be letting the light of Christ shine through us daily in our words, our actions, and our attitude.

Be a blessing to someone today!
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2 (NASB)
God Bless!

Monday, March 29, 2010

Giving Thanks Always

“Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20 (NKJV)
Yesterday was my birthday and as I prayed I was mindful to give thanks to our merciful, loving God for all the blessings I have received throughout the course of my life. This morning as I sat and prayed the Holy Spirit led me to give thanks for all those many blessings I have received about which I never knew. Let’s face it; these human minds of ours are finite. So much so in fact, many times we behave as infants stepping through cognitive milestones…if we can’t see it, it does not exist!

Hopefully though, we are mature enough to realize this isn’t the case. Our great and awesome God blesses us in ways in which we cannot even imagine. My challenge today for you is to thank God for ALL your blessings—seen and unseen.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)”
God Bless!

Friday, March 26, 2010

You Follow Me!

I once heard a pastor say, jokingly, that most of us think there are two kinds of sins: big sins and little sins; your sins are big sins, while my sins are little. We all seem to want to evaluate, criticize, and condemn others while conveniently overlooking our own faults.

We do this even though Jesus specifically told us not to judge:
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Matthew 7:1-3 (NKJV)
I must confess I too, am guilty of this very thing. I was greatly convicted of this by the Holy Spirit about a year ago, but He directed me toward another scripture in order to change my way of thinking.

After Jesus had been crucified and rose on the third day, He began to appear to the disciples. John 21 tells that Jesus appeared to Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James, John, and two other unnamed disciples by the Sea of Tiberius (Galilee).

Peter and the other disciples had fished all night without a catch. A man on the shore, whom they later recognize to be Jesus, calls out to them, telling them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. When they do, the nets are pulled up overflowing with fish.

These verses also tell of Jesus’ threefold restoration of Peter. You recall during the night Jesus was arrested, Peter denied Christ three times, even though Peter had promised he would never do such a thing. Matthew 26:75b records Peter, “went out and wept bitterly.” In John 21, Jesus, having asked Peter three times if he loves Him tells Peter to “feed His sheep” and to “follow Me”.

I LOVE the above verses, but it is verses 21-22 I want to focus your attention upon:
“When Peter saw him (referring to the disciple John), he said to Jesus, "Lord—what about him?"” and Jesus answers Peter, “"If I want him to remain until I come," Jesus answered, "what is that to you? As for you, follow Me."
YOU, FOLLOW ME! Don’t worry about what everyone else may or may not be doing; don’t worry about what the duties/jobs/assignments of others may be, YOU FOLLOW ME. We are to keep our eyes firmly focused on Christ and follow Him!

God Bless!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

God's Merciful Grace

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. John 3:16-18
Many, many years before this was written, beginning in Exodus and Leviticus where God gives the law to Moses and He sets down the rituals that the priests (the Levites) had to go through themselves—cleansing/sanctification/consecration and atonement for their own sins—before they are allowed to present offerings of any kind on the behalf of others.

Later, in the New Testament, the writer of the book of Hebrews, compares Jesus to the high priest of old by saying,
For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Hebrews 9:24-26 (NIV)
And even before this passage, in the very beginning of Hebrews the author says,
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hebrews 1:1-3 (NIV)
Note the last part of verse 3 tells us that before Jesus sat down at the right hand of God, He “provided purification for sins”.

Back in Matthew 12:31, Jesus speaking, tells of the unforgiveable sin.
And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
What does this mean? What is the unforgiveable sin? The unforgiveable sin is repeatedly saying “no” to the urging of the Holy Spirit when you are placed under conviction of sin and thereby dying in your sin without ever having accepted Christ as your personal Savior.

In the book of John, Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit further by saying,
But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me. John 16:7-9 (NIV)
In Romans, Paul has a great deal to say about righteousness through faith, and God’s merciful grace,
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Romans 3:21-26 (NIV)
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:8-11 (NIV)*
Paul sums it all up like this:
"Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." Romans 4:7 (NIV)
And also Romans 8:1 which says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

PRAISE GOD!

*For additional reading, see Romans 6:1-14, 17-18, 20-23 and a favorite passage of mine called “The Believers Triumph” in Romans 8:31-39

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Growing in Spirit and in Wisdom

Once we accept Christ as our Savior we are considered as babes in Christ and thereafter the process of growing-up in Christ should begin and continue until we breathe our last. Luke records in chapter 2, verse 52, speaking of Christ as an adolescent, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

How do we grow in Christ? The obvious answer is through prayer, Bible study, and by joining together with others of like faith, (“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another”…Hebrews 10:25a).

Jack Hayford and Sam Middlebrook have written in “Living the Spirit-Filled Life”, “The Word of God has been given to us as the most basic requirement of our spiritual growth.” I certainly believe this to be true because of my own experience. Being in God’s word everyday will make a difference in your life.

I have read my Bible daily on a somewhat regular basis since age 15, when I first became a Christian. Three years ago, I decided I wanted to read the entire Bible through from start to finish. I can’t tell you how much I loved it and how it blessed by life. I enjoyed it so much I made the commitment to do this each year.

I’m now into my third year of reading the Bible from cover to cover and I still finish the day’s reading feeling blessed, enlightened, and spirit-filled. Reading your Bible is such a joy and there are many “daily” Bibles and reading plans available to help you. The average day's reading is about 15 minutes. Are you telling me you can't spare 15 minutes in the course of a day for something that will enrich your life and change it for the better?

The Bible is a GREAT book and certainly contains that WOW-factor that we so love in the books we read! Not to mention it is God's textbook for how we should live; our very own instruction book and guide. But don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself. You’ll be glad you did. I promise. And you’ll also find yourself growing in the wisdom and Spirit of the Lord!

God Bless!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Hello God! It’s Me.

In the times in which I have been most distressed, the Holy Spirit reminds me that all is well because our great God, the Creator is still in control. It is He who made the heavens and the earth; indeed, all of the universe—and beyond; it is He who filled the vast spaces of nothingness with great wonders and it is He in whom we may seek comfort at any time.

To our finite minds the magnitude and elements of creation are limitless. Yet the Creator chose to love us…”What is man that thou art mindful of him?” God created man to fellowship with Him and He promised man that those who would seek Him would find Him.
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory
above the heavens.

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.

You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet... Psalm 8:1,3-6 (NIV)
How will you seek God today? Will it be through His word, through prayer, through song or other verse? There are so many ways in which we may seek God, but the end results of the search are all the same…we will find Him. Why? He is always watching and waiting for us.
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD,…Jeremiah 29:12-14a (NIV)
And not only that but this also:
Blessed are the people of whom this is true;
blessed are the people whose God is the LORD. Psalm 144:15 (NIV)
God Bless!

Monday, March 22, 2010

If not now, then when?

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
When the Israelites were about to enter into the “promised land” they were told the land was being given to them, not because they were such a righteous and deserving people, but because the nations which inhabited the land were so wicked (Deuteronomy 9:4-5)…these nations were idol worshipers, they murdered their children, they were sexually immoral…just to name a few of their many sins. Those ancient nations bare a great deal of resemblance to our country today.

It is certainly easy to point fingers and blame others for our country’s indiscretions, but haven’t we, as Christians, been totally complacent as these things have come to pass? Isn’t it true that what one generation tolerates, the next generation embraces?

I am convinced our country will not escape the wrath of God. Sin is an abomination to God; it sickens and disgusts Him. All throughout the Bible we are told, “the wicked will not stand”. Is there any reason this should NOT apply to us?

Our only hope is repentance. Repentance is a two-step process. We must not only stop our evil ways but we must also give them up all together. Humbling ourselves is not enough; prayer is not enough; seeking God’s face is not enough…we must do ALL of this PLUS turn from our wicked ways. THEN God will hear us, forgive us, and heal our land.

As an American you have a voice; as a Christian you should be using your voice for God's purpose. If you won't speak up now; then when will you?

Friday, March 19, 2010

Never Alone

I was touched this morning by an e-devotional I received. It was a reminder that we are not alone in the journey of life. Certainly we are never alone as believers because the Holy Spirit is constantly with us and we are also never alone because of the kinship we share with other believers.

The e-devotional used the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer as its text: “Our Father who art in heaven…”, Matthew 6:9. This great prayer begins with the plural pronoun, “our”. Even though we may feel lonely, in reality, we are never alone because we are members of the family of God.

Even the best of us have sometimes felt lonely. Remember when Elijah was hiding from Queen Jezebel? Elijah feared for his life and was running away but the Lord stopped him asked him what he was doing.
“He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." I Kings 19:14
But then the Lord reminded Elijah that he was not alone.
“Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.", v. 18.
God ALWAYS provides for those who love Him and are obedient to His word. We are never alone. Just as the Holy Spirit ministers to us and comforts us we are to minister to and be a comfort to others.

Be on the lookout for that person the Holy Spirit is sending your way today. Perhaps all they need is a friendly smile and a word of encouragement. Do your part to spread the love of Jesus today.

God Bless!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Action!

As I was finished reading my Bible this morning I thought about how the word of God always seems to require action. Even when we “wait upon the Lord” we are to wait actively; and when the Lord says, “be still and know that I AM GOD” it means we are to “be still” from our own thoughts and actions (in other words, stop trying to do everything on your own).

Speaking concerning the crucifixion and resurrection, the last chapter of Mark records; “Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.” Mark 16:14

The disciples were stymied by their grief and they were afraid. Because of this they seemingly had forgotten what they had been told about the resurrection. But Christ appeared to them and set them straight; “He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Mark 16:15

Jesus told them to “Get busy!” This is exactly what they did; verse 20, the last verse of the chapter tells us, “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.”

I love this verse for it tells us the disciples not only got up and went but also tells us, “the Lord worked with them”. It can be easy to feel stymied by the stress of everyday life, but let us remember that God’s word tells us to be active; to “go”; and it also tells us that HE is working along with us. Praise God!

God Bless!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Say What?

I spent today sitting in a hospital. My husband had surgery this morning and as we were waiting in the holding room for him to be taken into surgery I picked up a New Testament which had been placed in the room by Gideon’s International. I began to flip through it reading various passages, but quickly found myself in 1 Corinthians 14. In this chapter, Paul is writing to the church at Corinth concerning speaking in tongues and the gift of prophecy. This is significant for me because my younger daughter and I have been recently discussing speaking in tongues.

Paul tells us the better gift is the gift of prophecy. He says the person who speaks in tongues, speaks to God because no one else understands him and thereby edifies himself while the person who prophesies edifies the church. The person who prophesies speaks to men for their “strengthening, encouragement and comfort”, v.3.

In verse 6, Paul asks, “Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?” Paul equates the speaking of tongues without interpretation as someone playing random notes on a musical instrument; it is not music but noise. In verse 19, Paul says, “But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.”

Further, Paul says tongues are a sign for unbelievers but prophecy is for believers.
“So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!" v. 23-25.
Paul completes his message about the speaking of tongues in verses 26-28 but he finishes the chapter by speaking on of the importance of orderly worship, proclaiming God a God of peace, not of disorder. I challenge you to read the entire chapter. It is enlightening and you’ll discover the church at Corinth must have had some rowdy church services to have drawn so much attention on the subject from Paul.

God Bless!

Monday, March 15, 2010

Thou Shalt Not!

I do not now nor have I ever considered myself a political person. However, I believe it is time (in fact, well past the time) for me and other Christian-Americans like me to stand up and cry out (or even better, as my grandchildren say, shout out) about laws  passed in our country today which are an abomination to God.

We murder the unborn and call it, "pro-choice" and a "woman's right to choose" even though God told us, you “shall not murder”, (Exodus 20:13 : Gen 9:6; Ex 21:12; Lev 24:17; Matt 5:21; 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Rom 13:9; James 2:11). Because the murder of children in the form of child sacrifices were common among the pagan nations, God warns against this very early in Biblical text: “You shall not behave thus toward the LORD your God, for every abominable act which the LORD hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.” –Deuteronomy 12:31; further Ezekiel 20:26 records, “and I pronounced them unclean because of their gifts, in that they caused all their firstborn to pass through the fire so that I might make them desolate, in order that they might know that I am the LORD.”

As Americans, we are on a slippery slope. It is time for Christian-Americans to stand up, be heard and be counted. It is time for us to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves; to be known as a God-fearing-Christian-nation once again. We have been complacent for far too long.

Don’t delay! Make your voice known: vote, contact those in power who represent you and express your opinion, PRAY for those in power and support organizations such as the Alliance Defense Fund or ADF, (http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/) who fight daily for religious freedom, sanctity of human life, and family values.

The voices of the unborn are crying out to us:
Plead my cause, O LORD, with those who strive with me;
Fight against those who fight against me.
Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor
Who seek after my life;
Let those be turned back and brought to confusion
Who plot my hurt. Psalm 35:1, 4 
God Bless.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Serve the Lord with Gladness

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.
Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
Know that the LORD Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the LORD is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100 (NASB)
Have you been presented with an opportunity to serve the Lord and you quickly dismissed the idea without giving it any thought at all? Yes, I realize we all live very busy lives. What I want to bring to your attention for just a moment is the thought that when you dismiss an opportunity to serve the Lord you are missing out on a blessing God has prepared just for you.

As a child you were taught to STOP! LOOK! LISTEN! That lesson still applies today. As a Christian, the Holy Spirit is working within you to prepare you for greater things. Yield yourself fully to His direction. Stop, look, and listen for opportunities to serve the Lord and then serve Him gladly. There is no retirement plan for Christians but the rewards are out of this world!
“Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.” Psalm 34:3 (NKJV)
God Bless!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

I Know the Plans I Have For You

The following verses are part of a letter sent to Jews who had been taken captive to Babylon exhorting them to live as normally as possible and wait for the Lord's deliverance:
"For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. And I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nation and from all the places where I have driven you," declares the Lord, "and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile." Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NASB)
God has a plan for us, wherever we may be, in whatever situation we may be. My older daughter reminded me of this the other day. She called last night to tell me she would be losing her job in May but when she and I discussed this possibility a few days ago and I was upset by it, she reminded me that God has a plan for us and if these things came to pass, they were meant to be. (Praise God my children have a personal relationship with Him!)

God does indeed hold us in His hand but He does not guarantee our lives will be problem-free. We can be confident, however, that He is always there for us!

God Bless!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Look and Live


They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!"
Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people.
The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived. Numbers 21:4-9 (NIV)
As you read about the children of Israel’s journey through the wilderness, many times you find them grumbling and complaining because of a lack of faith. But as is still true today (PRAISE GOD!), God’s mercy and grace provides a way of escape from (eternal) death through confession, repentance, belief and faith in Him. Here the sin—lack of faith in God which resulted in speaking against Him—the consequences of the sin—the venomous snakes bit the people—the result of the sin—death—but the act of faith—those who believed God looked upon the bronze snake and lived.

God’s grace is still sufficient today. If we confess our sins to God, He is faithful to forgive us. Further, Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Look to Jesus and live. God Bless!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Surrender

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)
I read a bar graph the other day that sited control issues as the primary cause of church divisiveness. That doesn’t surprise me at all. It seems everyone wants to be in control—certainly the people in my family (including me), are control freaks.

In truth, we can’t control our own lives much less the lives of others. Yet we struggle and fight for control as if it is something we are truly able to possess. For example, following the recent earthquake in Chile, my husband read the title of a news article which asked the question, “Is Mother Nature Out of Control?”

My point, of course, is there is but One who is in control—the Creator, the God of all. Instead of being anxious and going to the Lord in prayer with a litany of requests, surrender yourself to the One who loves you; the One who provides for you in ways that you can’t even imagine are possible—the One “…who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask...”

Control is the elusive butterfly, but the "the power that works in us", the Holy Spirit, is free to all through acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. To Him be the Glory forever and ever! God Bless!

Monday, March 8, 2010

Passion for God

Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all you upright in heart! Psalm 32:11 (NKJV)
Last night at church I had the opportunity to hear a young man speak who surrendered to the ministry about a year ago. The passion, zeal, and enthusiasm this young man has for our great God is exhilarating. My heart is still full this morning.

As Christians, we should all express joy, passion, and enthusiasm for we serve a magnificent God who through the power of the Holy Spirit, resides within us. Now that is something to be excited about, today, tomorrow, and forever more!

Below is a hymn of praise written by Fannie Crosby around 1869. Fannie Crosby wrote about 8000 hymns in her lifetime though blind from the age of 6 weeks. Fannie’s passion for God is still seen today in hymn books across America.

Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessèd Redeemer!
Sing, O Earth, His wonderful love proclaim!
Hail Him! hail Him! highest archangels in glory;
Strength and honor give to His holy Name!
Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children,
In His arms He carries them all day long:

Refrain
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Tell of His excellent greatness.
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Ever in joyful song!

Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessèd Redeemer!
For our sins He suffered, and bled, and died.
He our Rock, our hope of eternal salvation,
Hail Him! hail Him! Jesus the Crucified.
Sound His praises! Jesus who bore our sorrows,
Love unbounded, wonderful, deep and strong.

Refrain

Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessèd Redeemer!
Heav’nly portals loud with hosannas ring!
Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever.
Crown Him! Crown Him! Prophet, and Priest, and King!
Christ is coming! over the world victorious,
Pow’r and glory unto the Lord belong.

Refrain

Share your passion for God with someone today. God Bless!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Service to Others

“…but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:43b-45 (NKJV)
Jesus spoke these words to His disciples while on the road to Jerusalem. As they journeyed, Jesus explained to His disciples what He would suffer in Jerusalem; He would be betrayed, condemned to death and killed, but on the third day He would rise again.

When Jesus finished telling the disciples of coming events, James and John (brothers) ask Jesus to grant them the right to sit on either side of Him in His kingdom. This, of course, did not sit well with the other disciples. In response, Jesus takes the opportunity to teach His disciples an important lesson; in order to be considered great in the kingdom of Heaven, they must learn to serve others. He tells them that even He, the Son of God, came to serve; not to be served.

To be in service to others can be a hard pill to swallow…some may even think it demeaning; surely service to others could not be the road to greatness! But most assuredly, as Christians, we are to be in service to others. Not only are we to serve others, but we are to serve others gladly and with an attitude of gratitude.

Why??? Love. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves—Matthew 22:37-39. We are to love others because God so loved us that He gave us His son to die on the cross for our sins—John 3:16. It is impossible to become Christ-like without love and it is impossible to love and not serve—1 John 2:3-6, 1 John 3:16-18.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” 1 John 3:1a
Dear Lord, May I worship you today through love and through that love may I be a blessing to others in your precious name. I pray that by serving others gladly I honor, glorify and magnify Your Holy Name. Amen.

God Bless!

Friday, March 5, 2010

Be Humble

This morning I was reading in the book of Numbers that Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth during his time. This statement gave me pause because this is opposite of what society encourages in us today. As Americans, we are nurtured to be proud.

This is radically different from what the Bible teaches. Throughout the Bible we are taught God loves the humble of spirit. I queried on the keyword, “humble” at Biblegateway.com, New King James Version, and got at least 70 hits. I have listed some of those below:

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

The LORD lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground. Psalm 147:6

When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom. Proverbs 11:2

A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor. Proverbs 29:23

Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:4

For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:11

Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Romans 12:16

Philippians 2:8 tells us we are to be humble because Christ humbled Himself for us; He is the King of Kings who humbled Himself to die on the cross for our sins.
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Let us, therefore, serve our great God with gladness and humbleness of heart! Amen.

God Bless!

Monday, March 1, 2010

What do others say about you?

Do you spend much time wondering what others think of you? I can’t say that I do. This hasn’t always been true. When I was younger, I was definitely concerned about what others thought of me. Those were the days when my self-esteem was tied to what others thought. What a wretched time!

Maturity is a wonderful thing. However, maturity in Christ is a much better thing! I am most concerned with what my Heavenly Father thinks of me. I am only concerned with what others think of me in regard to my Christian witness. I never want to be a stumbling block to anyone!

By nature, I am a reclusive person. When I became an adult, I realized I was expected to go into the world, rub elbows with others, attend an institution of higher learning, get a job, etc. Because of these things, I learned I must leave behind my childhood insecurities (and eccentricities) and become a somewhat socially acceptable individual who could converse intelligently (and nicely) with a variety of people.

Having not worked in almost five years, I find myself returning to that naturally reclusive self. I also find myself attending fewer social functions at my church. The problem with this is I now realize I may be offending some of my brothers and sisters in Christ with my reclusive behavior. This will not do!

In Romans 14:14-23, Paul admonishes us to be mindful of our actions in regard to others in the faith. Even though he is specifically addressing the argument of what some considered unclean food and drink, it still follows that we should be careful not to offend others and thereby place a stumbling block in their journey of faith.
I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.

Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
May we all serve Christ faithfully by loving and encouraging others. God bless!