Friday, April 30, 2010

Spirit Lead

Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, Abba, Father. So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. Galatians 4:6, 7
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:12, 16

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
A pastor was fond of saying he taught his children to obey quickly, sweetly, and completely. Isn’t that what we as children of God are to be doing in regard to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives? Isn’t it true that delayed obedience is disobedience?

What would it look like to live a life completely and fully lead by the Holy Spirit—responding to the Spirit’s nudging in every facet of your life? Can you imagine it—constantly listening for that small voice and obeying quickly, sweetly and completely?

Isn’t this what we should all be striving for daily—a life completely surrendered to the direction of the Holy Spirit? Not only when we find ourselves in the despair of especially troubling situations, but in all situations—living a life passionately and victoriously for Christ each and every day!

The good news is that life is available for each of us as Christians now. We don’t have to wait to start living the victorious, triumphant life. Galatians 4, verses 6 and 7 tells us we not only have the Spirit living within our hearts, but we are also joint heirs with Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:12 tells us we can know the things that have been freely given to us by God and even further, verse 16 tells us we have the mind of Christ. And lastly, Romans 15:13 says we can abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

As Christians, the infinite power of the Holy Spirit resides within us; you have only to listen and obey…quickly, sweetly, and completely.

God Bless!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Hearts Ablaze

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Have you ever felt the quickening of your heart in that quiet moment of communion with the Holy Spirit? It is a feeling like none other I’ve ever experienced and I wish I had the words to adequately describe it to you. When I feel that special quickening of my heart I’m always reminded of Luke 24:32 when Christ appeared, unrecognized, to two of His disciples after His resurrection. Only later when they realized they had been with Jesus did they say, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

Have you allowed the noise of the world to make you spiritually deaf or is your heart ablaze as you walk in the Spirit; attentive to His word? Slow down. Listen. God is speaking to you. He is waiting and ready to cause your heart to overflow with hope by the power of His Spirit and set your heart ablaze. Amen!

God Bless!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Make a Joyful Noise

Psalm 100:
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

Worship the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the LORD is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Our church has a ministry at a local Residential Nursing Facility. We have music, singing, prayer and our pastor brings a short sermon. The residents seem to really enjoy this time. They especially LOVE the music. They may have reached a time in their lives when their bodies are failing them but their spirits are as fresh and vibrant as ever. They sing loudly, on-key, and they know all the words. Some of them get so excited they practically dance in their wheelchairs. It is a precious site and I know God is well-pleased—His loving kindness is everlasting as is His faithfulness to ALL generations! Praise God!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Get Your Praise On

Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." Revelation 4:8b
Too often our prayer life consists only of our personal lists of wants, wishes, and desires. This should not be! Our prayers should begin most often with praise of our Heavenly Father. Even Jesus set this example for us in His model prayer: “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed (holy, venerated, sacred) be thy Name”, Luke 11:2.

Our days should be paved with prayers of praise. Need help with this? Look to the book of Psalm; or check out Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. It begins like this:

"My heart rejoices in the LORD;
in the LORD my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.

"There is no one holy like the LORD;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God. (v.1-2)
You'll find Mary’s song in Luke 1; it begins,

"My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” Luke 1:46-47
You will find songs of praise for our great and awesome God throughout His word. Check it out; the examples are there; take time to follow them today and everyday and get your praise on!

God Bless!

Monday, April 26, 2010

God's Mercy

I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.
I will praise You forever,
Because You have done it;
And in the presence of Your saints
I will wait on Your name, for it is good. Psalm 52:8b-9
I thank God for His mercy and grace. I’m thankful He gives me the opportunity to recognize and observe His mercy and grace at work in my own life and in the lives of those around me.

Are you mindful of God’s blessings in your life? Are you mindful of God’s blessings in the lives of those around you? My challenge to you this entire week is to not only count your blessings but also to notice the blessings God has bestowed on those with whom you are closely associated.

Stop. Look. Listen. Take time to thank your heavenly Father for His magnificent grace and infinite mercy.

God Bless!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Flawed Heroes

As I read through the book of Judges concerning those who ruled the nation of Israel between the death of Joshua and the period of the kings, I am reminded of how flawed their heroes were. These folks were people just like us; imperfect.

If you read Judges 17:6 and also 21:25 you’ll find that because there was no king in Israel, everyone did as they saw fit. While many people did not walk in the way they had been commanded, there were still pockets of the faithful who called upon the name of the LORD.

Let's take a look at Sampson; a judge renowned for his great strength. Sampson had a tendency to consort with women of questionable character and motives, however, God used these occasions for Samson to move against the Philistines who, at the time, were in power over the Israelites. You will notice before Samson’s great feats of strength, the Bible records these words, “And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him” (Judges 14:6, 19; 15:14).

As Christians we look forward to that perfect body in Christ Jesus. While we may be flawed at the moment, we know we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Let’s turn ourselves over to the working of the Holy Spirit daily, to be used for His purpose and make the following claim:
“But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me. So because of Christ, I am pleased in weaknesses, in insults, in catastrophes, in persecutions, and in pressures. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (HCSB)
God Bless!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Walking in the Spirit

When we accept Christ, the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us. He is our Comforter; our Helper; He is God in us; He is God with us. Paul tells us in Galatians 5:25, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

What is walking in the Spirit? It is complete, unadulterated faith; it is letting go and letting God – in all things, in every way, all day long, everyday. Can you imagine the power; the blessings that emanate from constantly walking in the Spirit?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, it is there for us NOW; it is available for us NOW as joint heirs with Christ and it has been there from the very moment we accepted Christ. I pray that each of us will reach out and embrace what God has already given us…for the honor and glory of His great and awesome name. Amen.

God Bless!

Monday, April 19, 2010

The World's Hatred

Those of us living in the Bible-belt know little of rejection for the cause of Christ. We are fortunate indeed. While we may suffer from spiteful, petty comments, you have to go no further than your own computer to read about those who do suffer greatly for the cause of Christ on a daily basis; for example, http://www.perscution.com/.

John 15, verses 9 through 17, talk of God’s great love for us. But these verses are followed by verses, specifically 18-25, which talk of the world’s hatred of God and God’s people.

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” John 15:18-19
However, the world’s hatred is no reason for sorrow; the Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 8:18, to look forward, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

The rewards of walking with Christ are out of this world!

God Bless!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Are You A Saint?

I have a cousin who likes to say, “You’re the mean one aren’t you?” What she is saying is that in comparison to my other siblings (especially my sweet sister), I am the most out-spoken and therefore the “mean” one. By the way, my cousin considers herself, “the mean one”, in comparison to her siblings too. I’m happy to report; the years have softened us both!

Galatians 4:7 tells me if I have accepted Christ as Savior then I’m “… no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

As Christians, we are saints in the eyes of God because we are joint-heirs with Christ. Not because of anything we’ve done. No, not at all; but what Christ did for us on the cross. We are blameless in the eyes of God because when we accepted Christ we became clothed in the righteousness of Christ; the righteousness of the cross of Calvary. (Makes you want to shout for joy doesn’t it?!)

Ephesians 2:8-9a says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Celebrate your “saintliness” today by sharing your story with someone else. Share the Good News of Jesus today and everyday.

God Bless!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Bad Habits

Do you have any bad habits? We don’t like to think about them; we certainly don’t like to talk about them. However, sometimes we become so comfortable with our bad habits we hide them and protect them; and in return, those bad habits become so comfortable with us and so much a part of us they are reluctant to give up their happy home.

The good news is this: if you have accepted Christ as your Savior, the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit lives within you; a power which is able to conquer all. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 19:26 that with God all things are possible. Philippians 4:13 tells us we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. 1 Peter 5:7 says we should cast all our care upon Him who cares for us.

Let’s commit today to give any bad habits we may have to God and let Him conquer them for us. Let’s also commit to NOT taking those bad habits back! If we remain obedient to God, He will fight our battles for us.
1 Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!

2 For the LORD Most High is awesome;
He is a great King over all the earth.

8 God reigns over the nations;
God sits on His holy throne.

9b For the shields of the earth belong to God;
He is greatly exalted. (Psalm 47, NKJV)
God Bless!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Hold Fast

If you read through the last couple of chapters of the book of Joshua (23-24) you will find Joshua speaking to all of Israel. Joshua is about to die and he is reminding Israel of all the Lord has done for them. He tells them if they serve the Lord and obey His voice they will be blessed but if they turn away from the Lord, “…the anger of the Lord will burn against you…” (23:15)

In chapter 24, Joshua tells Israel to “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (v. 15)

And the people said to Joshua, “the Lord our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!” Joshua 24:24
These verses from chapter 24 are pretty well known and often quoted, but what the Holy Spirit brought to my mind this morning as I was reading is the message from chapter 23; when we “hold fast” (v.8) to God and obey Him, He goes before us; scouts out the dangers and helps to make the way ahead more clear for us. In verse 10, Joshua is speaking and says, “One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you.”

I believe this happens in our day-in-day-out-routine-day as well as in the trials and tribulations the world throws before us, the Lord our God is there making the way easier. Before the battle of Jericho, Joshua looked up and saw a Man standing “opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand” (Joshua 5:13b). Upon inquiry from Joshua concerning the identity of the Man, the reply came, “Commander of the army of the Lord” (v. 14a).

We are not to fear or be dismayed. We are to be strong and courageous. “For the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:8

God Bless!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Do U Have N E Time 4 Me 2day?

As for God, His way is perfect; t
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shieldfor all who take refuge in him. Psalm 18:30 (NIV)
I sometimes think we believe God has a huge appointment book, penciling in those with “real” problems, leaving everyone else to fend for themselves. This is a ridiculous notion. Our God, the Creator of ALL, is powerful beyond our imagination and loves us infinitely. He is always there, working on our behalf, drawing us to Him.

Have you ever thought to yourself, I don’t want to “bother” God with that problem. If you’ve ever thought that then you’ve made God too small. Our God is always able; He was; He is; He always will be. Our God is omniscience—He knows everything; He is omnipresence—He is present everywhere; He is omnipotence—He is all powerful; He is El Shaddai—God all sufficient.

If you haven’t yet placed your trust in Him, today is the day.

God Bless!

Monday, April 12, 2010

God's Work in You

“Our faces, then, are not covered. We all show the Lord's glory, and we are being changed to be like him. This change in us brings ever greater glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NCV)
Once you accept Christ as your Savior, the Holy Spirit takes up residence within your heart and begins a work in you to transform you into His image. The process has already begun; God has already equipped you for the task He has for you…telling others about Christ.

Our competence and confidence for the task comes from God:
“We can say this, because through Christ we feel certain before God. We are not saying that we can do this work ourselves. It is God who makes us able to do all that we do.” 2 Corinthians 3:4-5 (NCV)
Not only have we been made ready for the task but we also are renewed for the task each day. Paul tells the church at Corinth,
“So we do not give up. Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16 (NCV)
While each of us is endowed with a spiritual gift we are ALL called to minister to others for the cause of Christ; to tell a lost and dying world of Jesus. I challenge you to reflect upon these questions today: To whom does your image and character point? Do you carry with you the sweet smelling aroma of Christ? (2 Corinthians 2:15) Can others see the light of Christ in your daily life? (2 Corinthians 4:6)

God Bless!

Friday, April 9, 2010

Like-Minded

Not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Hebrews 10:25 (HCSB)
Last night I met with a small group of women from our church. I came away from the meeting with feelings of joy and celebration in my heart. Why? We met together to worship and honor our great God and that is what we did.

Individually, those present have little in common. In fact, most of us seldom see one another away from church.

There were no two women of the same age at our small gathering. There were only seven women present and yet there were at least six different decades of life represented. But still we met together on common ground.

For all of our differences, the one thing we all share is Christ Jesus. We meet once a month for about an hour; but what an hour it is! We come together, we pray, we celebrate God’s word and talk about what we might do to share the love of Christ with others. What a blessing it is!

If you are a child of God, you need to be in church. Do not forsake the comfort, support, encouragement, and the opportunity for growth that can come from joining together with others of like faith who also love, praise, honor and adore the great I AM.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

R U 2 Busy?

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38-42 (NIV)
Are you so busy with daily life that you don’t have time for Christ? You have a demanding job; you’re married; you have children; etc. You don’t have time to go to church; you don’t have time to read the Bible; you barely have time to whisper a quick prayer before you fall to sleep as your head hits the pillow each night.

We rush through life as though we are professional drivers on the NASCAR circuit accumulating points, prizes, and cash for each win. Our lives feel out of control and yet we quickly dismiss the “one thing” that brings order and true substance to into our lives…Christ.

Turn your day-planner over to Christ. Let Him bring the relief and order to your life you so desperately need. Follow Mary’s example; choose “what is better, and it will not be taken away”.

Seek first God's kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well. So don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:33-34 (NCV)

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

No Room

Wouldn’t it be great to be so filled with the Holy Spirit that there was no room left for any of the negative thoughts that try to make their way into our brains (almost daily) and take up residence there? Especially thoughts of worry and doubt; and hey, what about pride? Wouldn’t it be great just to kick those harmful thoughts right out the door and hang up the “No Vacancy” sign; or better yet, the “Already Filled to Capacity” sign?

If you are a child of God it is possible to be completely filled with the peace of the Holy Spirit; yes, if the Holy Spirit lives within you, then the capacity for perfect peace is within you—NOW!

If the capacity for perfect peace is within us, then why do we suffer so from a lack of peace? I believe the problem arises from practicing that which we know best and that with which we feel most comfortable. Remember the old idiom, “Practice makes perfect”? We have made a habit of the practice of worry; so much so worry has become a part of our comfort zone. However, we should be refocusing our environment by practicing the peace of Christ.

Begin right now to practice the peace of Christ…through prayer and through the study of God's word. Start each day by surrendering yourself fully to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Ask that your heart, mind, actions, and attitude be controlled by the Spirit. Practice peace by taking comfort in the many scriptures which discuss the peace of the Holy Spirit.
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:26-27 (NIV)

The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; Romans 8:6 (NIV)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NIV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23a (NIV)
Gracious Holy Spirit, I surrender my all to you today. I ask that You magnify the fruit of Your Spirit within me today and that I may share that fruit with others. I ask this in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Guilt versus Conviction

What’s the difference between feelings of guilt and feelings of conviction? Feelings of guilt and the thoughts that accompany them (like doubt) are sent to us by the devil; he tells us we aren’t good enough and never will be. Feelings of guilt send us spiraling downward into the depths of despair. Guilt depresses and demoralizes.

Feelings of conviction are of the Holy Spirit; they show us where we’ve gone wrong; they call us to higher ground; they urge us to repent and call us back into communion with God. Conviction motivates us, redirects us, and moves us toward repentance and reconciliation.

Don’t be fooled by the devil’s confusing messages. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Pray for discernment so that you may clearly hear and know the voice of the Good Shepherd speaking and directing your path.
“"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."” John 10:1-5 (NIV)
God Bless!

Monday, April 5, 2010

I Want...

“Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”” Luke 9:23
Do you have a problem with self-denial? I do. I am ashamed to admit it. I know I could improve my life in many areas if I would practice self-denial.

I know I’m not the only one who deals with this problem. Even Paul wrote of the problem in Romans 7:14-25. He tells of the war our spiritual body has with our fleshly (sinful!) body.

Is there any hope? Of course there is. Our hope is always in Christ Jesus. Paul writes,
“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh, to the law of sin.” (Romans 7:24, 25)
Okay, so what do we do now; today? We fight on! Through prayer, through Bible study; for we are not alone in our daily struggles and we find hope in the God’s word. Always remember,
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
God Bless!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

He Walked On

“Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!"” Matthew 20:17-19

As Jesus traveled the road to Jerusalem on that last week of His life, He knew what lay ahead. He didn’t have a bad feeling about what might happen. He knew. But He chose to walk on.

He knew He faced death on the cross. He knew the cup he must drink and that cup was the sin of all mankind. He knew what He, as the sinless Son of God, would suffer, but He walked on. He chose to drink of the cup so that “whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16b

How great a love; how great the victory! The stone was rolled away; the tomb was empty. The angel declared, “…I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.” Matthew 28:5b-6a

The greatest story ever told. I never tire of hearing it—“for God so loved the world”. Choose to walk in that love today, tomorrow and for eternity. AMEN!