"In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth,
the gospel of your salvation - having also believed,
you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
who is given as a pledge of our inheritance,
with a view to the redemption of God's own possession,
to the praise of His glory."
Ephesians 1:13-14
"...you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise..." This is huge! We were sealed - closed up, never to leave without Someone (Jesus) breaking the seal. We are God's! We are His children! This is irrevocable! And not only were we sealed, but we were sealed with the Holy Spirit. This is the God who comforts, who teaches, who abides within us, who convicts. I had a young lady that I am working with be tempted by alcohol which her father offered to her. She is a new believer and told me her story expecting condemnation. She drank a couple of sips and then felt so convicted that she turned and left feeling like a failure. But, the Holy Spirit was in her! He convicted her! That was proof of her childhood! She obeyed that conviction and changed her behavior. She did not fail the test! She triumphed! And we rejoiced together.
The Holy Spirit is God's conscience within us. He speaks to us teaching training, rebuking. He is love, just like Jesus and God. His conviction is out of love for our good! Rejoice when the Holy Spirit is evident within you! God's truth led to salvation, which led to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which is a sign of the promise of God's inheritance of heaven! God redeemed us for His own. Because of this, we praise Him and recognize His glory over the sin and chaos of this world. There is hope! There is forever!
Hint of the day: Listen to the voice of God within you. Learn to discern His voice. When we follow Him it becomes easier and easier. This is also true about not following Him. When we ignore God, it because easier to ignore Him the next time! Teach your children that it is like a muscle. If you don't use it the muscle will atrophy. If you use it continually it will strengthen. When your child is struggling over an issue, step back. Ask him/her to pray about it and see what God says. Then after they have heard from God be there to confirm and encourage and help them to be obedient. My third son wanted to go on a mission trip when he was 13. He didn't have the money. We told him to pray about it. He did and decided to use the money that he had been saving up for a surf boaord. This was 1/3 of the money that he needed. After making that decision the other 2/3 of the money came in from friends and church. He went to Haiti and learned a lot there, but the lesson started when he heard and obeyed the Holy Spirit.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
God has a Plan!
"In Him also we have obtained an inheritance,
having been predestined according to His purpose
who works all things after the counsel of His will,
to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ
would be to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 1:10b-12
God has a plan. We have obtained an inheritance! God has an eternal plan and a "now"plan for your life. That is good news. I don't have to be in control! God is! He was on His throne during the flood, and He is on His throne now! Sometimes we wonder. We see chaos, and sin and perversion all around us. We see God's people hating and fighting. We see others turning to their own ways. And we wonder - is God in control?
His eternal plan for us is this inheritance. By giving us an inheritance, God is claiming us as His sons and daughters! This inheritance is eternity with Him. Yes, it includes streets of gold, and a tree that produces a different fruit each month, and a stream of water and a place in heaven, but the essence of the inheritance is time forever with the Father! That is precious and can't be taken away from us. We must keep it in view at all times. In the darkness of life on earth, there shines a great Light - Jesus! And if we will stay in the Light and refuse the darkness, we will live a life free of sin and shame and guilt. Grace was given. Mercy was extended. Our reward is sure. Look to heaven in order to get through this life. God is in control!
God has a "now" plan for us as well. Your story is different than everyone else's story. Don't look to others to know your path, look to God. Don't compare, you will despair! This is our human tendency - to look at what God is doing or has done for others and wish that we had the same story. It is not to be. God has a plan for your life different than all others because you are unique and special. He will relate to you as differently as a father relates to his different children. I had a reader. He would read for hours. Then he would be anti-social. I would have to ground him from books and insist that he play outside and with others. I have 4 non-readers. I would have to sit them down and put a book into their hands. I knew what each child needed and it was different. God knows what you need and it is different! God is in control!
We all need the Father's love and the Savior's salvation. But some of us need tough love and others need comforting love. Some of us need hard circumstances to make us grow closer to God, others only need a nudge. But know that God will work all things after the counsel of His will. He has a plan and it is for our ultimate good - our eternal life. And in the midst, whatever God allows to come into your life, it is for you to turn around into His glory. Are you pain filled! Praise God. Are you paralyzed? Praise God! Are you broke? Praise God! Has someone you loved died? Praise God! He promises to use all things in our lives for our good. The circumstance may be daunting, but Praise God that He will use it to draw us closer to Him, to witness to others, to help us to shed our selfishness, to use it to comfort others in like situations. He has a plan. It includes the good, the bad, and the ugly, but always the plan is good because it will lead us to Him. God is in control!
Hint of the day: When something bad happens help your children to see the good in it. a flat tire? - an opportunity to use a skill that you know and a chance to witness to those who stop to help! Sickness? - a chance ot spend more concentrated time with God. A friend who betrayed you? - a chance to realize that God was protecting you from deeper hurt down the road. A thankful heart will turn any situation upside down. Be thankful. Your kids will catch it!
having been predestined according to His purpose
who works all things after the counsel of His will,
to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ
would be to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 1:10b-12
God has a plan. We have obtained an inheritance! God has an eternal plan and a "now"plan for your life. That is good news. I don't have to be in control! God is! He was on His throne during the flood, and He is on His throne now! Sometimes we wonder. We see chaos, and sin and perversion all around us. We see God's people hating and fighting. We see others turning to their own ways. And we wonder - is God in control?
His eternal plan for us is this inheritance. By giving us an inheritance, God is claiming us as His sons and daughters! This inheritance is eternity with Him. Yes, it includes streets of gold, and a tree that produces a different fruit each month, and a stream of water and a place in heaven, but the essence of the inheritance is time forever with the Father! That is precious and can't be taken away from us. We must keep it in view at all times. In the darkness of life on earth, there shines a great Light - Jesus! And if we will stay in the Light and refuse the darkness, we will live a life free of sin and shame and guilt. Grace was given. Mercy was extended. Our reward is sure. Look to heaven in order to get through this life. God is in control!
God has a "now" plan for us as well. Your story is different than everyone else's story. Don't look to others to know your path, look to God. Don't compare, you will despair! This is our human tendency - to look at what God is doing or has done for others and wish that we had the same story. It is not to be. God has a plan for your life different than all others because you are unique and special. He will relate to you as differently as a father relates to his different children. I had a reader. He would read for hours. Then he would be anti-social. I would have to ground him from books and insist that he play outside and with others. I have 4 non-readers. I would have to sit them down and put a book into their hands. I knew what each child needed and it was different. God knows what you need and it is different! God is in control!
We all need the Father's love and the Savior's salvation. But some of us need tough love and others need comforting love. Some of us need hard circumstances to make us grow closer to God, others only need a nudge. But know that God will work all things after the counsel of His will. He has a plan and it is for our ultimate good - our eternal life. And in the midst, whatever God allows to come into your life, it is for you to turn around into His glory. Are you pain filled! Praise God. Are you paralyzed? Praise God! Are you broke? Praise God! Has someone you loved died? Praise God! He promises to use all things in our lives for our good. The circumstance may be daunting, but Praise God that He will use it to draw us closer to Him, to witness to others, to help us to shed our selfishness, to use it to comfort others in like situations. He has a plan. It includes the good, the bad, and the ugly, but always the plan is good because it will lead us to Him. God is in control!
Hint of the day: When something bad happens help your children to see the good in it. a flat tire? - an opportunity to use a skill that you know and a chance to witness to those who stop to help! Sickness? - a chance ot spend more concentrated time with God. A friend who betrayed you? - a chance to realize that God was protecting you from deeper hurt down the road. A thankful heart will turn any situation upside down. Be thankful. Your kids will catch it!
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
The Great Mystery
"In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will,
according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him
with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times,
that is, the summing up of all things in Christ,
things in the heavens and things on the earth."
Ephesians 1:8b-10
Lots of words! What does it all mean? The Bible is actually a mystery novel (non-fiction though!) Throughout the Old Testament God makes references to the fact that even though the Old Covenant was made with a particular people, the Jews, that His Messiah would come to save all men. It is in the histories, Isaiah, Psalms, and the prophets. Look for it. Words that declare that the Christ is coming and that all nations will be drawn to Him.
The great mystery of God is recorded for us in Ephesians chapter 3 verses 3-6:
"...that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery...when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ...to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel..."
This was heresy and broke the pride of Israel. From the time of Abraham they had been God's chosen. They had been given the law. They had been promised the Messiah. They were the holy nation, set apart. When Christ came, He came for all people. No longer did the law have to be met. It didn't matter to whom you were born, or where you were born. Jesus came to all people including the Gentiles, but also not excluding the Jews. He came to each individual rather than to a nation.
"In all wisdom and [with godly] insight", this mystery had been on God's heart since before the foundations of the world was laid down. He knew that He would have to send His own Son, that He would be killed, and that He would raise again and ascend into heaven to save all of mankind (those that were willing through faith to believe). It was due to the "kind intentions of God's will". God created man, He loves man, He desires that all would come to Him and be saved. God's purpose since the beginning of time was to save mankind when the fullness of time came which was when Jesus was born. (Galatians 4:4)
The things in heaven and the things on earth includes all created matter. God has placed all things, ultimately under the authority of Jesus Christ. It is His. Satan is ruling for a time, but only because God is allowing it that others might believe. The final battle is coming! Jesus will be the victor and all things will be His for eternity! I am on the winning side. I hope you are too!
Hint for the Day: Prepare your children for that day of Christ's return and the final battle. We are given hints to what that will look like. No matter what you believe about the end times, it is obvious that there will be hardship and hardness of hearts. Teach your children that they must not be afraid of man, but rather God. That God does not promise happiness and good times. There are times when we stand only on what we know God says is true even when our circumstances don't look that way. Faith in a jelly bean jar is easy. Faith in the Roman arena facing the lions was not. Build their faith not on feelings, but on the truth. Truth will stand and God's word will stand. Teach your children to stand.
according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him
with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times,
that is, the summing up of all things in Christ,
things in the heavens and things on the earth."
Ephesians 1:8b-10
Lots of words! What does it all mean? The Bible is actually a mystery novel (non-fiction though!) Throughout the Old Testament God makes references to the fact that even though the Old Covenant was made with a particular people, the Jews, that His Messiah would come to save all men. It is in the histories, Isaiah, Psalms, and the prophets. Look for it. Words that declare that the Christ is coming and that all nations will be drawn to Him.
The great mystery of God is recorded for us in Ephesians chapter 3 verses 3-6:
"...that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery...when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ...to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel..."
This was heresy and broke the pride of Israel. From the time of Abraham they had been God's chosen. They had been given the law. They had been promised the Messiah. They were the holy nation, set apart. When Christ came, He came for all people. No longer did the law have to be met. It didn't matter to whom you were born, or where you were born. Jesus came to all people including the Gentiles, but also not excluding the Jews. He came to each individual rather than to a nation.
"In all wisdom and [with godly] insight", this mystery had been on God's heart since before the foundations of the world was laid down. He knew that He would have to send His own Son, that He would be killed, and that He would raise again and ascend into heaven to save all of mankind (those that were willing through faith to believe). It was due to the "kind intentions of God's will". God created man, He loves man, He desires that all would come to Him and be saved. God's purpose since the beginning of time was to save mankind when the fullness of time came which was when Jesus was born. (Galatians 4:4)
The things in heaven and the things on earth includes all created matter. God has placed all things, ultimately under the authority of Jesus Christ. It is His. Satan is ruling for a time, but only because God is allowing it that others might believe. The final battle is coming! Jesus will be the victor and all things will be His for eternity! I am on the winning side. I hope you are too!
Hint for the Day: Prepare your children for that day of Christ's return and the final battle. We are given hints to what that will look like. No matter what you believe about the end times, it is obvious that there will be hardship and hardness of hearts. Teach your children that they must not be afraid of man, but rather God. That God does not promise happiness and good times. There are times when we stand only on what we know God says is true even when our circumstances don't look that way. Faith in a jelly bean jar is easy. Faith in the Roman arena facing the lions was not. Build their faith not on feelings, but on the truth. Truth will stand and God's word will stand. Teach your children to stand.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Grace
"In Him we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us."
Ephesians 1:7-8a
The gospel in one sentence! "In Him" and through no other. There is no other way to be made right with God except through Jesus. "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6) "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." (John 10:9) How do you know if a church, or a person, or a group is of God? If they preach Jesus as the way to salvation , and only Jesus through faith, then they are speaking the truth. If they insist that baptism, or church membership, or tithing, or anything else is necessary for salvation, then they are not teaching God's Word.
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses." Redemption is the buying or something. You "redeem" a coupon. You trade a coupon for the price on it. That's exactly what Jesus did! He paid the price for our sin through His blood, and bought our eternal salvation! That redemption includes the forgiveness of our sins. It also includes a relationship with the Father, eternal life, grace, mercy, and righteousness! Wow! He paid the whole price. There is none left for you to pay. You don't owe God anything! He just wants you to sit with Him and fellowship with Him!
And He did all of this "according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us." Grace - what is it really? It is God choosing to look past our actions and claiming our hearts. Grace is God loving us in spite of our humanness. Grace is God's unconditional love. He loves you just because you are His. Period. You don't have to perform to get His love. You don't have to be beautiful to get His love. You don't have to say the right words to get His love. If you believe and ask for His forgiveness with your tongue and your heart, then you will be saved and are a child of God's!
Notice that God gives this grace according to His riches and He lavishes it on us. He owns everything, so He is the richest! He has what He offers to give. He is God of the universe, of the earth, and of your heart if you let Him. He lavishes this grace on us. He does not hold back. He does not make us prove our worth. He gives good gifts because we are His children.
So if grace is ours, why not sin? Paul answers that in Romans chapter 6! To sum that chapter up, grace is ours, but out of gratitude and worship we grow in righteousness. We are no longer slaves to sin. We can now choose to sin or act righteously. A Christian can and does sin. But by following God's moral laws, the Christian can avoid a lot of heartache nowand as he stands before God. When Christians choose to live a righteous life, they have full fellowship, guidance, and peace with God. The backslidden Christian is no less God's child, but oh the price he pays to live his own life instead of following Jesus. Ruth Bell Graham wrote a poem about two sheep. One follows Jesus throughout life and skips joyfully into heaven. The other goes his own way, does his own thing, and limps into heaven scarred and battleworn. I want to be the first sheep! And I (and you) can be by practicing the presence of God, following Him through His Word, and listening to His voice.
God loves you. He has extended grace and mercy to you. Accept it in its fullness. It will save you a lot of heartache later and will bring you great joy now!
Hint of the day: Sometime when your child does something deserving of punishment, tell him/her that you are going to extend grace to them and not dole out their punishment. Let them know that they are not getting away with something, but rather you are going to pay their priace. Kiss and hug them and send them on their way. Then go sit in the timeout chair yourself. Do it with joy! After your timeout is over, go on about your day. That evening have a discussion about how grace extended to your child made them feel. Tell them that you recieved joy by taking their punishment for them because you love them. Then tell them that Jesus went to the cross willingly with joy because of His love for us. We don't have to pay a penalty for our sins, because He took it for us!
A great example of this is the child's book, The Whipping Boy.
the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us."
Ephesians 1:7-8a
The gospel in one sentence! "In Him" and through no other. There is no other way to be made right with God except through Jesus. "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6) "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." (John 10:9) How do you know if a church, or a person, or a group is of God? If they preach Jesus as the way to salvation , and only Jesus through faith, then they are speaking the truth. If they insist that baptism, or church membership, or tithing, or anything else is necessary for salvation, then they are not teaching God's Word.
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses." Redemption is the buying or something. You "redeem" a coupon. You trade a coupon for the price on it. That's exactly what Jesus did! He paid the price for our sin through His blood, and bought our eternal salvation! That redemption includes the forgiveness of our sins. It also includes a relationship with the Father, eternal life, grace, mercy, and righteousness! Wow! He paid the whole price. There is none left for you to pay. You don't owe God anything! He just wants you to sit with Him and fellowship with Him!
And He did all of this "according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us." Grace - what is it really? It is God choosing to look past our actions and claiming our hearts. Grace is God loving us in spite of our humanness. Grace is God's unconditional love. He loves you just because you are His. Period. You don't have to perform to get His love. You don't have to be beautiful to get His love. You don't have to say the right words to get His love. If you believe and ask for His forgiveness with your tongue and your heart, then you will be saved and are a child of God's!
Notice that God gives this grace according to His riches and He lavishes it on us. He owns everything, so He is the richest! He has what He offers to give. He is God of the universe, of the earth, and of your heart if you let Him. He lavishes this grace on us. He does not hold back. He does not make us prove our worth. He gives good gifts because we are His children.
So if grace is ours, why not sin? Paul answers that in Romans chapter 6! To sum that chapter up, grace is ours, but out of gratitude and worship we grow in righteousness. We are no longer slaves to sin. We can now choose to sin or act righteously. A Christian can and does sin. But by following God's moral laws, the Christian can avoid a lot of heartache nowand as he stands before God. When Christians choose to live a righteous life, they have full fellowship, guidance, and peace with God. The backslidden Christian is no less God's child, but oh the price he pays to live his own life instead of following Jesus. Ruth Bell Graham wrote a poem about two sheep. One follows Jesus throughout life and skips joyfully into heaven. The other goes his own way, does his own thing, and limps into heaven scarred and battleworn. I want to be the first sheep! And I (and you) can be by practicing the presence of God, following Him through His Word, and listening to His voice.
God loves you. He has extended grace and mercy to you. Accept it in its fullness. It will save you a lot of heartache later and will bring you great joy now!
Hint of the day: Sometime when your child does something deserving of punishment, tell him/her that you are going to extend grace to them and not dole out their punishment. Let them know that they are not getting away with something, but rather you are going to pay their priace. Kiss and hug them and send them on their way. Then go sit in the timeout chair yourself. Do it with joy! After your timeout is over, go on about your day. That evening have a discussion about how grace extended to your child made them feel. Tell them that you recieved joy by taking their punishment for them because you love them. Then tell them that Jesus went to the cross willingly with joy because of His love for us. We don't have to pay a penalty for our sins, because He took it for us!
A great example of this is the child's book, The Whipping Boy.
Friday, September 21, 2012
In Love
"In love He [God] predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself,
according to the kind intention of His will,
to the praise of the glory of His grace,
which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved."
Ephesians 1:4b-6
God is in love with you! Because of His great love for you, He knew before the beginning of time, before the foundations of the world were laid, that He would send Jesus to die for you and return you to Him as His son or daughter. He did it because of love. The Word of God calls it adoption. Look at Ephesians 2:4 - "But God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ..." "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." (John 3:16)
God is in love with you. Think on that. Meditate on it. Let it soak in. God, the Creator of all, the controler, the King, the Authority, God loves you. He loves you just as you are! "But God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) He knows that we are human, He made us! He knows our thoughts and actions. He sees us! But He loves us just as we are anyway! What great love!
Our part? That we know and love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. That we think upon God's love and respond with faithfulness and love. That we love God the Father; that we love God the Son; that we love God the Holy Spirit. That we give thanks.
We are the children of God. Adopted and free. We were transferred out of the kingdomof darkness and brought into the kingdom of light! (Colossians 1:13). Adoption is first a legal act. We were justified legally by the Great Judge. He declared us righteious through Jesus. Then adoption becomes a relationship. We were reconciled to the Father through the blood of Jesus. When a child in Florida is adopted by a family in Texas, he is transferred to Texas. The papers say that he is now adopted and belongs to a new family. It may take a while for the emotions to come alongside, but it is true that he is in Texas, even when he doesn't feel like it. He can not stay in Florida and be in Texas at the same time! When we were adopted we were transformed out of Satan's kingdom and into God's. The legal transaction is done. It may take a while to learn about our new family, to let our emotions dwell in the new family, to become fully reconciled to the fact that we are God's. That's okay. God's love is big enough to strengthen us until we realize His great love towards us. It is a process. And that's okay!
And it was freely bestowed upon us. He, the Father, paid the price. We owe nothing. Think about adoption. The child doesn't earn it, pay for it, deserve it. Adoption is born out of love of the parents for a child. Glory in the fact that you were that child. You are fully love, completely accepted, totally forgiven and loved.
Hint of the day: Love your children with unconditional love. Don't use your love to manipulate or torment. Give it freely and openly. Say those words, "I love you and I am proud of you" often. Your child will go out into the world confident and able to love others when you have loved them this way.
according to the kind intention of His will,
to the praise of the glory of His grace,
which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved."
Ephesians 1:4b-6
God is in love with you! Because of His great love for you, He knew before the beginning of time, before the foundations of the world were laid, that He would send Jesus to die for you and return you to Him as His son or daughter. He did it because of love. The Word of God calls it adoption. Look at Ephesians 2:4 - "But God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ..." "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." (John 3:16)
God is in love with you. Think on that. Meditate on it. Let it soak in. God, the Creator of all, the controler, the King, the Authority, God loves you. He loves you just as you are! "But God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) He knows that we are human, He made us! He knows our thoughts and actions. He sees us! But He loves us just as we are anyway! What great love!
Our part? That we know and love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. That we think upon God's love and respond with faithfulness and love. That we love God the Father; that we love God the Son; that we love God the Holy Spirit. That we give thanks.
We are the children of God. Adopted and free. We were transferred out of the kingdomof darkness and brought into the kingdom of light! (Colossians 1:13). Adoption is first a legal act. We were justified legally by the Great Judge. He declared us righteious through Jesus. Then adoption becomes a relationship. We were reconciled to the Father through the blood of Jesus. When a child in Florida is adopted by a family in Texas, he is transferred to Texas. The papers say that he is now adopted and belongs to a new family. It may take a while for the emotions to come alongside, but it is true that he is in Texas, even when he doesn't feel like it. He can not stay in Florida and be in Texas at the same time! When we were adopted we were transformed out of Satan's kingdom and into God's. The legal transaction is done. It may take a while to learn about our new family, to let our emotions dwell in the new family, to become fully reconciled to the fact that we are God's. That's okay. God's love is big enough to strengthen us until we realize His great love towards us. It is a process. And that's okay!
And it was freely bestowed upon us. He, the Father, paid the price. We owe nothing. Think about adoption. The child doesn't earn it, pay for it, deserve it. Adoption is born out of love of the parents for a child. Glory in the fact that you were that child. You are fully love, completely accepted, totally forgiven and loved.
Hint of the day: Love your children with unconditional love. Don't use your love to manipulate or torment. Give it freely and openly. Say those words, "I love you and I am proud of you" often. Your child will go out into the world confident and able to love others when you have loved them this way.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Holy and Blameless
The next several blogs will be about Ephesians chapter 1.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,
that we would be holy and blameless before Him."
Ephesians 1:3-4
Wow! This is rich with meaning! Paul starts of with a blessing or thanksgiving to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He makes it personal - Jesus is our Lord. And Jesus came from the eternal, omniscient, omnipotent God of the universe! And through Christ, Paul is accepting the blessing from God. These blessings are for every believer. God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (because we have followed Christ and Christ gave His blood and God accepted us!) What are these spiritual blessings? Sonship (or daughtership) with the Father. Access to the throne of God. Confidence before God. Forgiveness. Love. Joy. Peace. Holiness. Being blameless. Can you name others? What about having the God of all the universe protecting us and providing for us! What about knowing the future and how the world ends and being confident that God will keep His word forever? Wow!
Many non-Christians or Christians who have not been taught God's Word will look at another believer and call them self-righteous or sanctimonious. But right here in Ephesisans we see that we are holy and blameless, yes, righteous before God. It is not self-righteousness because we realize that our only righteousness comes through the blood of Christ. But don't be a Christian that believes that he remains in his unrighteousness until heaven. Throughout Scripture we are taught that we are the righteousness of Christ. God looks upon us and sees a holy and blameless child. He is not basing His perception on what we have done, but rather who we are through the blood of Jesus. Jesus' blood allowed God to pass judgment on us and He declared that we are righteous! Then He took us in as His own and gave us the right to be called children of God! And, according to this verse, God knew before He made the world that He would do this! He knew that man would sin, that He would send Jesus, and that some would follow and become His forever children. God knows man - our sinfulness, our rebellion, our selfishness. Yet He still loved us and knew before He even began that He would have to sacrifice His Son for us. He did it anyway. That is Love. that is our God!
Do you know that you are holy and blameless before God? Holy is to be set apart. You are not of this world. You are an alien here. Your real home is in heaven. Do your actions and words set you apart? You are blameless. God looks upon you and sees the blood of Jesus. In thankfulness are you walking and growing towards maturity and blamelessness? If you ever wonder if God really loves you, just read theseverses. He adores you!
Hint of the day: Discipline is necessary, but afterwards extend a hand of forgiveness to your child. Then don't keep bringing up the bad deeds. (This goes for husbands and wives also!) Deal with each transgression as it happens. If you see a pattern then deal with the underlying situation, but forgive and let go. Teach your children of God's blood. Take a white piece of paper and have the child srit his/her name on it with a black marker. Then take a red marker and have them write out various sins. Take a red piece of cellophane and hold it over the paper. You can see their name, but not their sins. That red cellophane represents Christ's blood. When God sees us, He sees us throug the blood and calls us by name. He does not see our sin. Sin does keep us from wanting to fellowship with God. So confession is very important to keep us coming to God.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,
that we would be holy and blameless before Him."
Ephesians 1:3-4
Wow! This is rich with meaning! Paul starts of with a blessing or thanksgiving to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He makes it personal - Jesus is our Lord. And Jesus came from the eternal, omniscient, omnipotent God of the universe! And through Christ, Paul is accepting the blessing from God. These blessings are for every believer. God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (because we have followed Christ and Christ gave His blood and God accepted us!) What are these spiritual blessings? Sonship (or daughtership) with the Father. Access to the throne of God. Confidence before God. Forgiveness. Love. Joy. Peace. Holiness. Being blameless. Can you name others? What about having the God of all the universe protecting us and providing for us! What about knowing the future and how the world ends and being confident that God will keep His word forever? Wow!
Many non-Christians or Christians who have not been taught God's Word will look at another believer and call them self-righteous or sanctimonious. But right here in Ephesisans we see that we are holy and blameless, yes, righteous before God. It is not self-righteousness because we realize that our only righteousness comes through the blood of Christ. But don't be a Christian that believes that he remains in his unrighteousness until heaven. Throughout Scripture we are taught that we are the righteousness of Christ. God looks upon us and sees a holy and blameless child. He is not basing His perception on what we have done, but rather who we are through the blood of Jesus. Jesus' blood allowed God to pass judgment on us and He declared that we are righteous! Then He took us in as His own and gave us the right to be called children of God! And, according to this verse, God knew before He made the world that He would do this! He knew that man would sin, that He would send Jesus, and that some would follow and become His forever children. God knows man - our sinfulness, our rebellion, our selfishness. Yet He still loved us and knew before He even began that He would have to sacrifice His Son for us. He did it anyway. That is Love. that is our God!
Do you know that you are holy and blameless before God? Holy is to be set apart. You are not of this world. You are an alien here. Your real home is in heaven. Do your actions and words set you apart? You are blameless. God looks upon you and sees the blood of Jesus. In thankfulness are you walking and growing towards maturity and blamelessness? If you ever wonder if God really loves you, just read theseverses. He adores you!
Hint of the day: Discipline is necessary, but afterwards extend a hand of forgiveness to your child. Then don't keep bringing up the bad deeds. (This goes for husbands and wives also!) Deal with each transgression as it happens. If you see a pattern then deal with the underlying situation, but forgive and let go. Teach your children of God's blood. Take a white piece of paper and have the child srit his/her name on it with a black marker. Then take a red marker and have them write out various sins. Take a red piece of cellophane and hold it over the paper. You can see their name, but not their sins. That red cellophane represents Christ's blood. When God sees us, He sees us throug the blood and calls us by name. He does not see our sin. Sin does keep us from wanting to fellowship with God. So confession is very important to keep us coming to God.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Freedom!
“If you continue in My word,
then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth,
and the truth will make you free.”
John 8:31-32
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation in Christ Jesus.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Choosing Friends
"You will know them by their fruits." Matthew 7:16
Next to accepting Jesus as our Savior and Lord, the most crucial decision we will ever make is who are friends will be. This decision will change the course of our lives. For we are influenced by those around us, and "Bad company corrupts good morals." Don't be decieved. You can not hang out with ungodly people and remain godly. Missionary dating or friendship rarely works out. Yes, we should reach out to the unsaved, but our friends, those we share our heart with, those whom we spend time with must be Godly Christians desiring the things of God - to grow closer to God, to be led by His Spirit, to evangelize, etc...
You will run across many who go to church or who say that they are Christians. But we are to jusdge others by their fruit. No, no one is perfect. But are they quick to repent? Are they striving to better their conversation and their actions? Are they convicted by the Holy Spirit when they are wrong? Do they want to talk about God and Jesus and the Bible? Are they peaceful and peacemakers? Do they love others or mock others? Do they have an inner joy rather than discontnentment? Are they patient with others? Are they kind, good, faithful, gentle? Do they show self-control? These are the fruits of the Spirit. These are the traits of thepeople that you want to be near.
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." Galatians 5:16. If the people around you are immoral, impure, sensual, idolaters, sorcerers, strifeful, jealous, angry, disputing, dissentious, causing factions, envious, drunk, and partying, then they are not going to be a good influence. These are the fruit of the flesh. These are things that ungodly people take part in. Boys looking at girl magazines or talking aobut girls in a disrespectful way is not God's way. Crude jokes and snide comments are not of God. Walk away. Or even better, run!!!
Seek out those of like mind and Spirit. These will encourage and lift you up. They will stand by you through thick and thin. They will pray for you when times are tough. They will laugh with you and rejoice when they see God do great things in and through you. And don't let these friends go easily. They are hard to come by! Encourage them, pray for them, talk about the Word of God with them. Keep your relationship pure and enjoy the time you get to spend with them..
Be discerning. Your friends will prove you out.
Hint of the Day: Teach your children that they should be friendly with everyone and share. But be careful to help them choose good friends to spend their time with. It's okay if they don't want to invite everyone to a birthday party as long as their motives are pure. Pray about it. Teach them the difference between spending quality and quantity time with great godly friends and spending time ministering to others. Listen to your child as they talk about their friends. Ask questions. Be involved!
Next to accepting Jesus as our Savior and Lord, the most crucial decision we will ever make is who are friends will be. This decision will change the course of our lives. For we are influenced by those around us, and "Bad company corrupts good morals." Don't be decieved. You can not hang out with ungodly people and remain godly. Missionary dating or friendship rarely works out. Yes, we should reach out to the unsaved, but our friends, those we share our heart with, those whom we spend time with must be Godly Christians desiring the things of God - to grow closer to God, to be led by His Spirit, to evangelize, etc...
You will run across many who go to church or who say that they are Christians. But we are to jusdge others by their fruit. No, no one is perfect. But are they quick to repent? Are they striving to better their conversation and their actions? Are they convicted by the Holy Spirit when they are wrong? Do they want to talk about God and Jesus and the Bible? Are they peaceful and peacemakers? Do they love others or mock others? Do they have an inner joy rather than discontnentment? Are they patient with others? Are they kind, good, faithful, gentle? Do they show self-control? These are the fruits of the Spirit. These are the traits of thepeople that you want to be near.
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." Galatians 5:16. If the people around you are immoral, impure, sensual, idolaters, sorcerers, strifeful, jealous, angry, disputing, dissentious, causing factions, envious, drunk, and partying, then they are not going to be a good influence. These are the fruit of the flesh. These are things that ungodly people take part in. Boys looking at girl magazines or talking aobut girls in a disrespectful way is not God's way. Crude jokes and snide comments are not of God. Walk away. Or even better, run!!!
Seek out those of like mind and Spirit. These will encourage and lift you up. They will stand by you through thick and thin. They will pray for you when times are tough. They will laugh with you and rejoice when they see God do great things in and through you. And don't let these friends go easily. They are hard to come by! Encourage them, pray for them, talk about the Word of God with them. Keep your relationship pure and enjoy the time you get to spend with them..
Be discerning. Your friends will prove you out.
Hint of the Day: Teach your children that they should be friendly with everyone and share. But be careful to help them choose good friends to spend their time with. It's okay if they don't want to invite everyone to a birthday party as long as their motives are pure. Pray about it. Teach them the difference between spending quality and quantity time with great godly friends and spending time ministering to others. Listen to your child as they talk about their friends. Ask questions. Be involved!
Monday, September 17, 2012
Completely His
"For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth
that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His."
2 Chronicles 16:9
God uses strong modifiers in this verse. He will "strongly support" those who are "completely His".
God requires our all, but He gives us His all. Is your whole heart completely His today? Have you surrendered all else to Him, and are you completely trusting Him? This is often a process over many years, and sometimes it is a quick amputation. If you check your heart and realize that you are holding onto things that you need to yield to God, begin to pray and ask God to help you let them go! Old sins of the past, fear of the future, dreams, expectations, anger, etc… Give them to Jesus and let Him carry them for a while. He will strongly support you when your heart is completely His.
I led a women's conference a few years ago and we came up with over 50 things that people tend to hold onto. Singles held onto their dreams for marriage and marrieds held onto their illusions of singleness! Some struggled letting go of worthlessness, others of low self-esteem, others of inadequacies. If we are completey God's then we must believe every word that He has spoken through the Bible. He says that we are complete in Him. He says that we are His child. He says that we are a new creature, forgiven and blessed. We must and believe and apply and not hold onto satan's lies. is Then we can be completely His.
God will strongly support those whose heart completely His. When I strongly support someone, I do it with intention and diligence! I do it with passion and follow-through! God strongly supports you...! He does intentionally, diligently, passionately, and continually! He knows your strengths and weaknesses, your past and your future, your doubts and your fears, your humanness, and He supports you anyway because He is madly in love with you. My husband has taught me of God's great love because he has loved me for better or for worse, through sickess and in health, through thinness and fatness, through periods, pregnancies, and menopause, through laughter and through tears. He has loved me when I felt unlovable, when people betrayed me, when I was rejected by others. That's God's kind of love! And because God loves you unconditionally, He will support you through it all! Life has its ups and downs, emotions, letdowns and high points. God will be there supporting you. How do I know? Because He said so! He is our Rock that will not be moved! He is stable and strong. He is our Anchor! He is our Light!
Hint of the day: Write down anything that is keeping you from giving your whole heart completely to God. Include people, relationships, attitudes, dreams, disappointments, expectations, etc... Then pray through your list and picture yourself laying each item at the foot of the cross. Give them to Jesus and stand on His promises. Share with one other person what you have done and ask them to pray for you. Then watch and see God strongly support you!
that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His."
2 Chronicles 16:9
God uses strong modifiers in this verse. He will "strongly support" those who are "completely His".
God requires our all, but He gives us His all. Is your whole heart completely His today? Have you surrendered all else to Him, and are you completely trusting Him? This is often a process over many years, and sometimes it is a quick amputation. If you check your heart and realize that you are holding onto things that you need to yield to God, begin to pray and ask God to help you let them go! Old sins of the past, fear of the future, dreams, expectations, anger, etc… Give them to Jesus and let Him carry them for a while. He will strongly support you when your heart is completely His.
I led a women's conference a few years ago and we came up with over 50 things that people tend to hold onto. Singles held onto their dreams for marriage and marrieds held onto their illusions of singleness! Some struggled letting go of worthlessness, others of low self-esteem, others of inadequacies. If we are completey God's then we must believe every word that He has spoken through the Bible. He says that we are complete in Him. He says that we are His child. He says that we are a new creature, forgiven and blessed. We must and believe and apply and not hold onto satan's lies. is Then we can be completely His.
God will strongly support those whose heart completely His. When I strongly support someone, I do it with intention and diligence! I do it with passion and follow-through! God strongly supports you...! He does intentionally, diligently, passionately, and continually! He knows your strengths and weaknesses, your past and your future, your doubts and your fears, your humanness, and He supports you anyway because He is madly in love with you. My husband has taught me of God's great love because he has loved me for better or for worse, through sickess and in health, through thinness and fatness, through periods, pregnancies, and menopause, through laughter and through tears. He has loved me when I felt unlovable, when people betrayed me, when I was rejected by others. That's God's kind of love! And because God loves you unconditionally, He will support you through it all! Life has its ups and downs, emotions, letdowns and high points. God will be there supporting you. How do I know? Because He said so! He is our Rock that will not be moved! He is stable and strong. He is our Anchor! He is our Light!
Hint of the day: Write down anything that is keeping you from giving your whole heart completely to God. Include people, relationships, attitudes, dreams, disappointments, expectations, etc... Then pray through your list and picture yourself laying each item at the foot of the cross. Give them to Jesus and stand on His promises. Share with one other person what you have done and ask them to pray for you. Then watch and see God strongly support you!
Friday, September 14, 2012
No Deceit
" Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" John 1:47
Oh, that God might say that of me! The Old King James uses the words "no guile". According to Dictionary.com, guile is "insidious cunning in attaining a goal; crafty or artful deception; duplicity." As the poem goes, "What a tangled web we weave when we practice to decieve." The opposite of deception is honesty and integrity. Solomon writes in Proverbs 11:3, "The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them."
As Christians we have no business being about craftiness, or duplicity. Our "yes" should be "yes" and our "no" should be "no". (Matthew 5:37) Bible.com says this about this verse: "He [Jesus] wants us to tell the truth directly and succinctly, avoiding lying or half-truths when letting our yes be yes would suffice." We are to live life openly and honestly. First we must be honest towards God. Then He will reveal our hearts and our intents and our motives to us. Then we must be honest with ourselves realizing our tendency towards deceit and sin. Confession and prayer for conviction will help us humble ourselves so that God can deal with any tendency we have towards deceit. Then we can be honest with others. When we are right with God, comfortable within ourselves and at peace, then we will find no reason to decieve others.
Deception often comes from the need to make ourselves better than we are or to prove ourselves to someone else. When we realize our position before God, first as a sinner then as a child of the King, then we have no need to prove to someone else our worth. We have no reason to decieve, we are at peace with God. Humility precedes integrity. When we are right with God then we will be right with the world.
Does God say this of You? Are you without deceit? Are you quick to repent? Do you recognize your postion as a child of the King? Then what do you need to deceive others for? You have all you need at your fingertips through Jesus. Walk with integrity and be at peace.
Hint of the Day: Honesty was a big issue when we were raising our children. We gave spankings for only two things. Every other offenses we handled through time out or grounding or other means. But two offenses were worthy of a spanking - lying and out and out rebellion. Stomp your foot at me and tell me "no" and you would get a spanking. Tell a lie and you would get a spanking. End of discussion. We would not raise liars. We did not tolerate lies, half-lies, or deception of any kind. At our house a half-truth was a whole lie. Here's the hard part. Sometimes it was Mom (me) that had to come and confess a half-truth. If someone confessed before they got "caught" then there would be forgiveness instead of spankings. The parents have to hold themselves up to the same standards that they hold their children to. It is humbling for everyone involved, but there we learned forgiveness and grace as well as truth-telling.
Oh, that God might say that of me! The Old King James uses the words "no guile". According to Dictionary.com, guile is "insidious cunning in attaining a goal; crafty or artful deception; duplicity." As the poem goes, "What a tangled web we weave when we practice to decieve." The opposite of deception is honesty and integrity. Solomon writes in Proverbs 11:3, "The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them."
As Christians we have no business being about craftiness, or duplicity. Our "yes" should be "yes" and our "no" should be "no". (Matthew 5:37) Bible.com says this about this verse: "He [Jesus] wants us to tell the truth directly and succinctly, avoiding lying or half-truths when letting our yes be yes would suffice." We are to live life openly and honestly. First we must be honest towards God. Then He will reveal our hearts and our intents and our motives to us. Then we must be honest with ourselves realizing our tendency towards deceit and sin. Confession and prayer for conviction will help us humble ourselves so that God can deal with any tendency we have towards deceit. Then we can be honest with others. When we are right with God, comfortable within ourselves and at peace, then we will find no reason to decieve others.
Deception often comes from the need to make ourselves better than we are or to prove ourselves to someone else. When we realize our position before God, first as a sinner then as a child of the King, then we have no need to prove to someone else our worth. We have no reason to decieve, we are at peace with God. Humility precedes integrity. When we are right with God then we will be right with the world.
Does God say this of You? Are you without deceit? Are you quick to repent? Do you recognize your postion as a child of the King? Then what do you need to deceive others for? You have all you need at your fingertips through Jesus. Walk with integrity and be at peace.
Hint of the Day: Honesty was a big issue when we were raising our children. We gave spankings for only two things. Every other offenses we handled through time out or grounding or other means. But two offenses were worthy of a spanking - lying and out and out rebellion. Stomp your foot at me and tell me "no" and you would get a spanking. Tell a lie and you would get a spanking. End of discussion. We would not raise liars. We did not tolerate lies, half-lies, or deception of any kind. At our house a half-truth was a whole lie. Here's the hard part. Sometimes it was Mom (me) that had to come and confess a half-truth. If someone confessed before they got "caught" then there would be forgiveness instead of spankings. The parents have to hold themselves up to the same standards that they hold their children to. It is humbling for everyone involved, but there we learned forgiveness and grace as well as truth-telling.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Trusted
“Thus the sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the
sons of Judah conquered because they trusted in the Lord, the God of their
fathers….
Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, ‘Lord, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength;
so help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in You,
and in Your name have come against this multitude.
O Lord, You are our God; let not man prevail against You.’”
2 Chronicles 13:18 and 14:11
The prayer of trust. I believe that this is a prayer that makes the Father smile. Are you conquering fears, and voices of the past, and disappointments, and bad habits? Are you conquering rulers, powers, world forces of this darkness, and spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places? (Ephesians 6:12). Are you conquering self-centeredness? You can if you trust in the Lord!
Trust is just believing that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do. Some people lose their trust in God when God does not do what they want Him to do. We have to trust God, not trust that He will give us our way and our wants. That is maturity. That is understanding the difference between the old and new covenants. In the Old Testament we find that the Old Covenant includes the physical world of wealth and safety and health in this world. In the New Testament we find that the New Covenant includes death and pain and rejection and sorrow, but that God will be with us through it all and that we will gain heaven for eternity. If you are trusting God to give you a life of good circumstances, then you are asking the wrong God. If you are trusting God for Joy and Love and Peace in the midst, then you are trusting in the right God.
"Trust in the Lord with all your might and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Hima nd He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6
For a time we lived in innercity Fort Worth, TX. If there was a shooting it was probably within a few blocks from the parsonage where we lived. We worked with street people, ex-convicts, drugdealers, and others that the world had turned away from. Vacation Bible School included an attemped kidnapping, a broken arm, and a sexual assault charge - all in one week! Then there were the drive by shootings. No, our circumstances were not ideal to raise a family, but God was there. He protected us (sometimes from our own ignorance!) and He provided for us. We have great memories from right there in the midst! Halloween came along and we wanted to set up a booth in the driveway of the parsonage. Most of our church members told us that we were nuts! Two other couples came alongside and we had a blast and handed out hot chocolate, coupons, and Bible tracts to over 300 people. We trusted God, and He took away all fear and put the enemy on the run!!!
Are you trusting in a wonderful Savior right now? Are you trusting for good circumstances, or just trusting? This is one of those truths that you may get hold of this time, but that you will struggle with again and again in each new situation. Decide now that you will put your trust in God no matter what. It makes all the difference in the world when you are in the midst.
Hint of the day: Hold your child's trust very carefully. If they expect you to catch them, catch them. If they expect you to be there, be there. Etc... Trust is easily broken and very hard to restore. Talk about trust with your kids. Let them know that you are human and there will come that time when you will let them down. But tell them of their Heavenly Father who will always be there and will never let them down! Trust your kids to God. Let go of them and put them in God's hands. The sooner you do this, the easier it is to watch them go through life's struggles, because you are trusting in their God!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Pray
"Pray without ceasing" 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Jerry Jenkins, author of The Left Behind series, writes about an interview he did with Billy Graham.
Jerry “You never miss?”
Billy Graham I told you. This is my spiritual food. I would no more miss this than a regular meal.”
Jerry writes: I went back to my hotel that day
despairing that perhaps no reader could really identigy with a man so sold out
to god and so disciplined in his inner life. But then it hit me. As
he said, it’s no secret, no hidden key – God doesn’t make it hard or a mystery.
When people wonder why billy Graham, among all those claiming the same
passions, seems infinitely more blessed, more successful in his ministry
effors, they need to realize there is a difference between him and the others:
We all know we’re to pray and read out Bibles. The difference is, he does
it.
Jerry Jenkins, author of The Left Behind series, writes about an interview he did with Billy Graham.
Jerry ”Tell me, at least, how you maintain your own
spiritual disciplines.”
Billy Graham “There’s no secret to that. God
doesn’t hide the key from us. The Bible says to pray without ceasing and
to search the Scriptures. And I do that.”
Jerry writes: And I flinched. I had always hoped
the Apostle Paul’s New Testament admonition to “pray without ceasing” was
somehow figurative. After two to three minutes of prayer, my mind tends
to wander, and I find myself wondering whether the Cubs will ever see another
World Series.
Jerry “You pray without ceasing?
Billy Graham “I do. And I have, every waking
moment since I received Christ as a teenager. I’m praying right now as I’m
talking to you. Praying that God will use this book, that it will be
clear that it’s more about Him than about me, praying that we’ll both do our
jobs well and that He will get the glory.”
Jerry (nearly speechless) “And you searching the
Scripture. How does that work?”
Billy Graham Wherever I am, at home in my office, or
in a hotel room in some other country, the first thing I do in the morning is
to leave my Bible open somewhere where I will notice it during the day. I
pick it up at odd moments and read a verse or two or a chapter or two or for an
hour or two. And this is not for study or sermon preparation. This
is just for my own spiritual nourishment.”
Jerry “Say you miss a day or two. How do you
get back to your routine?”
Billy Graham “Miss a day or two? I don’t think
I’ve ever done that.”Jerry “You never miss?”
Billy Graham I told you. This is my spiritual food. I would no more miss this than a regular meal.”
- taken from Jerry Jenkins' book Writing for the Soul
Hint of the day: Pray without ceasing. If your prayer life could use a makeover... If your mind wanders after just a few minutes... If you think of God in the morning and again when it is bedtime...Then you need to practice prayer. It is like a muscle - the more you use it, the stronger it gets. If you pray for 10 minutes, push yourself to 15. If you pray only in the morning, put cards around your house or work place with praise songs or scripture verses or listing God's attributes. Prayer includes praise and thanksgiving. These are probably the two easiest ways to expand your prayer life. Then begin to pray for those you meet throughout your day. Pray is just constant communication with God. Don't say Dear God... or Amen every time. Leave it as an open conversation.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Hated By All
“But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and
relatives and friends,
and they will put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all because of My name.
Yet not a hair of your head will perish.
By your endurance you will gain your lives.”
Luke 21:16-19.
I have been crucifed with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me... Galatians 2:20
If we are crucifed and it is Christ living in us, then when someone hates us it is not us they hate, but Jesus in us! If we are living for Jesus, He shines through our eyes, our tongues, and our actions. If someone chooses to reject us, then they are not rejecting us but Christ Jesus. I am a people pleaser. It is hard for me when I disappoint someone or make someone upset or mad. But lately some very significant people in my life have chosen to reject me. As I look into their background there is cult activity including mind control. I have prayed for them and will continue to do so, but I have finally accepted the fact that they hate me because they have chosen another master. Jesus at the cross is offensive to them. God's Word says to let your mind be renewed by the reading of God's Word. (Romans 12:2) People who try to shortcut this with New Age beliefs will have their minds transformed but not by God and not to His wisdom.
The Roman Christians had to release their devotion to all other gods. They could not put Jesus up on their mantles next to Ceasar, Zeus, Hera, etc... Jesus demands by His very nature that He alone is served as the One True God. Today many claim Jesus, but put Him up on the mantles of their hearts next to other gods - self, earthly wisdom, material wealth, etc... The Roman Christians were killed because of this singular devotion. Luke tells us in Luke 21:16-19 that we should expect no less. Hate is not just a strong dislike, it leads to wrath and vengeance.
David the Psalm writer often throughout his Psalms cries out to God to rescue him from his enemies. He complains that God seems so far away, but he then claims eternal devotion to God choosing to trust in Him and Him alone. These verses in Luke are like that. We will be hated by all. We will be rejected by family. We will be killed. But not a hair on our heads will perish because we will be living in heaven for eternity with God. Our job now is to endure. We may lose our earthly life and body, but we will gain an incorruptible one!
This world is corrupted. Satan is the prince of the power of the air. He is in charge. What a mess! I want to go to live in God's perfect world and walk with Jesus. If the world hates you, then rejoice! This world belongs to another master. "The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2:17 Read all of 1 John and see the total polarity of God's children to this world that they live in. Our nation is becoming more and more polarized in its politics. Our churches are becoming more and more polarized as some choose God's grace and others tradition. We as Christians are going to become more and more polareized from the mainstream culture. We are not of this world! Endure. Rejoice.
Do you seek man's approval or God's. God's rewards are the forever kind!
Hint of the Day: There are going to come times in your children's lives when they are not accepted by everyone. Teach them to forgive and to love, but also teach them to choose their friends wisely. "Bad company corrupts good morals." (1 Corinthians 15:33) Ungodly friends can pull your child away from God. Teach them to forgive, but that they don't have to be best buddies with everyone. Pray that they will learn discernment.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Crucified
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Galatians 2:20
I can't say it better, so I am going to turn today's blog over to Mr. AW Tozer.
Quotes from AW Tozer’s book: The Pursuit of God
“With the veil (the temple veil) removed by the rending of Jesus’ flesh, with nothing on God’s side to prevent us from entering, why do we tarry without?”
“It is woven of the fine threads of the self-life, the
hyphenated sins of the human spirit. They are not something we do, they
are something we are, and therein lies both their subtlety and their
power. To be specific, the self-sins are self-righteousness, self-pity,
self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-admiration, self-love and a host of
others like them.”
I can't say it better, so I am going to turn today's blog over to Mr. AW Tozer.
Quotes from AW Tozer’s book: The Pursuit of God
“With the veil (the temple veil) removed by the rending of Jesus’ flesh, with nothing on God’s side to prevent us from entering, why do we tarry without?”
“The answer usually given, simply that we are ‘cold,’ will
not explain all the facts. There is something more serious than coldness
of heart, something that may be back of that coldness and the cause of its
existence. What is it? What but the presence of a veil in our
hearts? A veil not taken away as the first veil was, but which
remains there still shutting out the light and hiding the face of God from
us. It is the veil of our fleshly, fallen nature living on,
unjudged within us, uncrucified and unrepudiated. It is the close-woven
veil of the self-life which we have never truly acknowledged, of which we have
been secretly ashamed, and which for these reasons we have never brought to the
judgment of the cross…an effective block to our spiritual progress.”
“It can be removed only in spiritual experience, never by
mere instruction. We may as well try to instruct leprosy out of our
system. There must be a work of God in destruction before we are
free. We must invite the cross to do its deadly work within us. We
must bring our self-sins to the cross for judgment. We must prepare
ourselves for an ordeal of suffering in some measure like that through which
our Savior passed when He suffered un Pontius Pilate.”
“To tear it away is to injure us, to hurt us and make us
bleed. To say otherwise is to make the cross no cross and death no death
at all. It is never fun to die. To rip through the dear and tender
stuff of which life is made can never be anything but deeply painful. Yet
that is what the cross did to Jesus and it is what the cross would do to
every man to set him free.”
One final thought from Mr. Tozer:
"God must do everything for us. Our part is to yield
and trust!...We dare not rest content with a neat doctrine of
self-crucifixion. That is to imitate Saul and spare the best of the sheep
and the oxen. Insist that the work be done in very truth and it will be
done. The cross is rough and it is deadly, but it is effective. It
does not keep its victim hanging there forever. There comes a moment when
its work is finished and the suffering victim dies. After that is
resurrection glory and power, and the pain is forgotten for joy that the veil
is taken away and we have entered in actual spiritual experience the presence
of the living God.”
And his prayer:
"Lord, how excellent are Thy ways, and how devious and dark are the ways of man. Show us how to die, that we may rise again to newness of life. Rend the veil of our self-life from the top down as Thou didst rend the veil of the Temple. We would draw near in full assurance of faith. We would dwell with Thee in daily experience here on this earth so that we may be accustomed to the glory when we enter Thy heaven to dwell with Thee there. In Jesus' name, Amen."
Hint of the day: Do not inpire to make your kids happy, but rather inspire to make them see the truth of their own depravity and then lead them to the cross and let God do the work there. A time of sorrow can bring deeper happiness later.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Money
"The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the lowland." 2 Chronicles 9:27
The king was Solomon, the wisest and richest man that ever lived! He had houses and horses and gold and silver and precious stones without number. He had spices and cities and an ivory throne overlaid with gold with lions on either side and lions on the steps leading up to the throne. He was a rich man. And it all came from the hand of God! (See 2 Chronicles 1:10-11)
Money. It's a tricky subject for the Christian. Is it a sin to have too much? Is it a sign of displeasure or lack of faith to not have enough? Solomon wrote about this balance in Proverbs 30:7-10 asking God to give him enough that he would not be in want and steal and that he would not have too much and deny God. He says give me neither riches nor poverty. God has given much to some and little to others. As New Testament believers we must understand that our financial situation is not an indication of our faith or our favor with God. We are not more holy with little or more holy with much. I have met people on both extremes and both are obsessed with their finances and its supposed reflection on their holiness.
Money, like trials, can be used by God to draw us to Him, or we may choose to allow it to draw us away. It is not the money; it is our heart attitude. Do you own your possessions or do they own you? Are your possessions a means to serving God or a means to serving yourself? Are you a steward of that which God has entrusted you for the kingdom or are you a user, demanding more and more? Are you grateful or resentful? These questions apply whether you have much or little. What ever you have, be faithful to God with it. Yes, God did promise Solomon and the nation of Israel blessings of wealth if they followed after Him, but we are of the new covenant and our reward is not here on earth but we await for a better reward in heaven.
So, what should we do about money? Work hard ("Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for menColossians 3:23), be thankful ("."...with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6b), be content ("Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have..." Hebrews 13:5), and be a good steward of what you have (Matthew 25:14-29).
Hint for the Day: Teach your children the value of money. We did this not with real money or allowances, but rather with "tokens". Our tokens were poker chips and each child had their own color or color with stickers. They earned the tokens by doing a job with a good attitude or getting caught doing something nice. They could also lose their tokens with bad attitudes or sloppy jobs. We had a chart that spelled out the rewards and consequences. Then they could redeem their tokens with things from the Dollar Tree store, a date with dad, getting to let a friend spend the night, etc... The older boys bought their roller blades with tokens. They learned to save!
When the boys got older they also started a business called "Any Odd Jobs". With the money they earned, they were taught to put 10% away for tithe, 10% away for long-term saving, 10% away for short term saving, and then they could have the other 70%. They usually chose to put even more away in savings and spent very little. By the time they were older teenagers, they had "real" jobs and continued with the savings plan as well as buying their own clothes, buying gas, paying car insurance, paying for car maintainance, and putting themselves through college.
Through it all, they learned gratefulness, trusting God, working hard, saving, and stewardship. Don't deny your children these life lessons by giving them everything. A little hard work never hurt anyone!
The king was Solomon, the wisest and richest man that ever lived! He had houses and horses and gold and silver and precious stones without number. He had spices and cities and an ivory throne overlaid with gold with lions on either side and lions on the steps leading up to the throne. He was a rich man. And it all came from the hand of God! (See 2 Chronicles 1:10-11)
Money. It's a tricky subject for the Christian. Is it a sin to have too much? Is it a sign of displeasure or lack of faith to not have enough? Solomon wrote about this balance in Proverbs 30:7-10 asking God to give him enough that he would not be in want and steal and that he would not have too much and deny God. He says give me neither riches nor poverty. God has given much to some and little to others. As New Testament believers we must understand that our financial situation is not an indication of our faith or our favor with God. We are not more holy with little or more holy with much. I have met people on both extremes and both are obsessed with their finances and its supposed reflection on their holiness.
Money, like trials, can be used by God to draw us to Him, or we may choose to allow it to draw us away. It is not the money; it is our heart attitude. Do you own your possessions or do they own you? Are your possessions a means to serving God or a means to serving yourself? Are you a steward of that which God has entrusted you for the kingdom or are you a user, demanding more and more? Are you grateful or resentful? These questions apply whether you have much or little. What ever you have, be faithful to God with it. Yes, God did promise Solomon and the nation of Israel blessings of wealth if they followed after Him, but we are of the new covenant and our reward is not here on earth but we await for a better reward in heaven.
So, what should we do about money? Work hard ("Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for menColossians 3:23), be thankful ("."...with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6b), be content ("Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have..." Hebrews 13:5), and be a good steward of what you have (Matthew 25:14-29).
Hint for the Day: Teach your children the value of money. We did this not with real money or allowances, but rather with "tokens". Our tokens were poker chips and each child had their own color or color with stickers. They earned the tokens by doing a job with a good attitude or getting caught doing something nice. They could also lose their tokens with bad attitudes or sloppy jobs. We had a chart that spelled out the rewards and consequences. Then they could redeem their tokens with things from the Dollar Tree store, a date with dad, getting to let a friend spend the night, etc... The older boys bought their roller blades with tokens. They learned to save!
When the boys got older they also started a business called "Any Odd Jobs". With the money they earned, they were taught to put 10% away for tithe, 10% away for long-term saving, 10% away for short term saving, and then they could have the other 70%. They usually chose to put even more away in savings and spent very little. By the time they were older teenagers, they had "real" jobs and continued with the savings plan as well as buying their own clothes, buying gas, paying car insurance, paying for car maintainance, and putting themselves through college.
Through it all, they learned gratefulness, trusting God, working hard, saving, and stewardship. Don't deny your children these life lessons by giving them everything. A little hard work never hurt anyone!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Walk by Faith
"...for we walk by faith, not by sight..." 2 Corinthians 5:8
Whenever there is the word "for" in the Bible, you should look what is before it to find out what it is there for! The verse before this says that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. The verse after it says that we should rather be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Paul struggled with this in Philippian 1:23-24. He would rather go to heaven and be with Jesus, but for the sake of the believers he needed to stay here on earth.
What is your hope? Are you hoping in marriage? In money? In a career? An education? Or are you hoping towards heaven? How you answer that question will determine whether you can walk by faith or not. Faith is believing in things not yet seen (Hebrews 11:1) If you are hoping in that which is seen, that is not faith. Our faith is to be placed in the promises of Jesus - life eternal with Him in paradise. When that is our faith and our hope, the things of this world will fall into place. God may want you to get that degree, that career, that money, that man. He may not. When we walk by faith in Jesus, then we trust that He will work out the details of our lives preparing us for heaven.
A gymnast who walks on the balance beam has learned that she must focus on the far end, not the next step. When she looks ahead, her steps are steady. When she looks at her feet, she will falter. Look to the end. Look to Jesus. Look to heaven. Then your steps will not falter and you will be able to walk by faith that God is working all things out in your life. I am in a little town in nowhere Texas. My husband is no longer in full-time ministry. My body is aging and in need of repair. My boys are gone. This in not where I want to be or where I thought I would be at this age. But... I choose to walk by faith. God has allowed all of this. He has a purpose and a plan in it. I will look to Him and, step by step, walk by faith in His goodness, His love, His faithfulness, His promises. He will never leave me or forsake me. That is enough. I am content. I am more than content! I am excited to see what God will do. Who will He bring into my path? What opportunities will He open for me? Sight is dismal, but life walked in faith with the Faithful One is exciting and free!
Hint for the day: By nature, we all walk by sight. That is being human. With Christ we have the ability to walk by faith. It has to be taught though. Be deliberate as you go through life with your mate or children to point out what the world says and what God can do. For instance: When we started homeschooling in the 80's the world said that we were nuts! God called us and was faithful through 21 years! At times we moved when it didn't make sense financially or socially. But we placed our trust in God and moved anyway. What an adventure we have had! Have your children make a newsletter of a big trip or move or decision that goes against the world or against logic. This can be defining for them. Read 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. Help them to choose the wisdom of God, not the wisdom of this world.
Whenever there is the word "for" in the Bible, you should look what is before it to find out what it is there for! The verse before this says that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. The verse after it says that we should rather be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Paul struggled with this in Philippian 1:23-24. He would rather go to heaven and be with Jesus, but for the sake of the believers he needed to stay here on earth.
What is your hope? Are you hoping in marriage? In money? In a career? An education? Or are you hoping towards heaven? How you answer that question will determine whether you can walk by faith or not. Faith is believing in things not yet seen (Hebrews 11:1) If you are hoping in that which is seen, that is not faith. Our faith is to be placed in the promises of Jesus - life eternal with Him in paradise. When that is our faith and our hope, the things of this world will fall into place. God may want you to get that degree, that career, that money, that man. He may not. When we walk by faith in Jesus, then we trust that He will work out the details of our lives preparing us for heaven.
A gymnast who walks on the balance beam has learned that she must focus on the far end, not the next step. When she looks ahead, her steps are steady. When she looks at her feet, she will falter. Look to the end. Look to Jesus. Look to heaven. Then your steps will not falter and you will be able to walk by faith that God is working all things out in your life. I am in a little town in nowhere Texas. My husband is no longer in full-time ministry. My body is aging and in need of repair. My boys are gone. This in not where I want to be or where I thought I would be at this age. But... I choose to walk by faith. God has allowed all of this. He has a purpose and a plan in it. I will look to Him and, step by step, walk by faith in His goodness, His love, His faithfulness, His promises. He will never leave me or forsake me. That is enough. I am content. I am more than content! I am excited to see what God will do. Who will He bring into my path? What opportunities will He open for me? Sight is dismal, but life walked in faith with the Faithful One is exciting and free!
Hint for the day: By nature, we all walk by sight. That is being human. With Christ we have the ability to walk by faith. It has to be taught though. Be deliberate as you go through life with your mate or children to point out what the world says and what God can do. For instance: When we started homeschooling in the 80's the world said that we were nuts! God called us and was faithful through 21 years! At times we moved when it didn't make sense financially or socially. But we placed our trust in God and moved anyway. What an adventure we have had! Have your children make a newsletter of a big trip or move or decision that goes against the world or against logic. This can be defining for them. Read 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. Help them to choose the wisdom of God, not the wisdom of this world.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
My Grace is Sufficient
"My grace is sufficient for you." 2 Corinthians 12:9
Grace - God's unmerited favor. It took me over 30 years of being a Christian before I began to fully undertand God's grace. It is unlimited! It is sufficient! It is enough!
Charles Spurgeon wrote about grace in his book, Strengthen My Spirit. He wrote:
If none of God's saints were poor and tried, we should not know half so well the consolations of divine grace. When we find the wanderer who does not have a place to lay his head, who yet can say, "Still will I trust in the Lord"; when we see the pauper starving on bread and water, who still glories in Jesus; when we see the bereaved widow overwhelmed in affliction, and yet having faith in Christ, oh what honor it reflects on the gospel. God's grace is is illustrated and magnified in the poverty and trials of believers. Saints bear up under every discouragement, believing that all things work together for their good and that out of apparent evils a real blessing shall ultimately spring - that their God will either work a deliverance for them speedily or most assuredly support them in the trouble, as long as He is pleased to keep them in it. This patience of the saints proves the power of divine grace.
Spurgeon goes on to say, "He who would glorify his God must set his account upon meeting with many trails...As for His (God's) failing you, never dream of it - hate the thought. The God who has been sufficient until now should be trusted to the end."
Grace. It is tried in the trials of life. If it does not seem sufficient, it is not the grace of God that failed, but the person who didn't understand or chose to not believe. Grace. It is sufficient by its very definition and its Giver. God is all sufficient. I have found grace to deal with daily, difficult pain with spina bifida and fibromyalgia. I once cried out to God, "God, I can't do this for the next 20 years, the next 5 years, the next month." He replied, "I didn't ask you to. I ask you only to get through today. My grace is sufficient." And it has been. One day at a time. I have found rest and comfort in His arms. The pain remains, but knowing that it is temporary not eternal, and that God will get me through each day is enough. I can rejoice that I need Him daily. I can rejoice that I know His comfort in the midst. I can rejoice that it is just for today, today. His grace is sufficient. I know His grace the most when I go to my closet and get down on my knees and dance before my Father in heaven. He accepts me. He loves me. That's grace! What joy!
Are you in a trial? Does God seem far away? Are you wondering if your dreams will ever come true? The answer is still Jesus because Jesus is God's grace personified. Jesus is God's love for you. Jesus is the answer. God to Him. He will walk through your trial with you. He will be by your side. He will change your dreams to better ones, dreams more lasting. Study God's grace, pray for an understanding of God's grace. His grace is sufficient for you.
Hint for the day: Read great biographies of the faith to your children. Joni, Bruchko, The Hiding Place, The Foxe's Book of Martyrs, etc... These stories show us God's grace in people's lives. They remind us that we serve the same God and that He will give us grace in the time of our need. These saints show us that God's grace was sufficient in the most horrendous of circumstances: paralysis, the German concentration camps, the cannibalistic tries of South America, but God's grace is sufficient. Share with your children acts and moments of grace in your life. Pray that God will reveal these to you to share. His grace is there for every Christian in times of trials and in times of great joy.
Grace - God's unmerited favor. It took me over 30 years of being a Christian before I began to fully undertand God's grace. It is unlimited! It is sufficient! It is enough!
Charles Spurgeon wrote about grace in his book, Strengthen My Spirit. He wrote:
If none of God's saints were poor and tried, we should not know half so well the consolations of divine grace. When we find the wanderer who does not have a place to lay his head, who yet can say, "Still will I trust in the Lord"; when we see the pauper starving on bread and water, who still glories in Jesus; when we see the bereaved widow overwhelmed in affliction, and yet having faith in Christ, oh what honor it reflects on the gospel. God's grace is is illustrated and magnified in the poverty and trials of believers. Saints bear up under every discouragement, believing that all things work together for their good and that out of apparent evils a real blessing shall ultimately spring - that their God will either work a deliverance for them speedily or most assuredly support them in the trouble, as long as He is pleased to keep them in it. This patience of the saints proves the power of divine grace.
Spurgeon goes on to say, "He who would glorify his God must set his account upon meeting with many trails...As for His (God's) failing you, never dream of it - hate the thought. The God who has been sufficient until now should be trusted to the end."
Grace. It is tried in the trials of life. If it does not seem sufficient, it is not the grace of God that failed, but the person who didn't understand or chose to not believe. Grace. It is sufficient by its very definition and its Giver. God is all sufficient. I have found grace to deal with daily, difficult pain with spina bifida and fibromyalgia. I once cried out to God, "God, I can't do this for the next 20 years, the next 5 years, the next month." He replied, "I didn't ask you to. I ask you only to get through today. My grace is sufficient." And it has been. One day at a time. I have found rest and comfort in His arms. The pain remains, but knowing that it is temporary not eternal, and that God will get me through each day is enough. I can rejoice that I need Him daily. I can rejoice that I know His comfort in the midst. I can rejoice that it is just for today, today. His grace is sufficient. I know His grace the most when I go to my closet and get down on my knees and dance before my Father in heaven. He accepts me. He loves me. That's grace! What joy!
Are you in a trial? Does God seem far away? Are you wondering if your dreams will ever come true? The answer is still Jesus because Jesus is God's grace personified. Jesus is God's love for you. Jesus is the answer. God to Him. He will walk through your trial with you. He will be by your side. He will change your dreams to better ones, dreams more lasting. Study God's grace, pray for an understanding of God's grace. His grace is sufficient for you.
Hint for the day: Read great biographies of the faith to your children. Joni, Bruchko, The Hiding Place, The Foxe's Book of Martyrs, etc... These stories show us God's grace in people's lives. They remind us that we serve the same God and that He will give us grace in the time of our need. These saints show us that God's grace was sufficient in the most horrendous of circumstances: paralysis, the German concentration camps, the cannibalistic tries of South America, but God's grace is sufficient. Share with your children acts and moments of grace in your life. Pray that God will reveal these to you to share. His grace is there for every Christian in times of trials and in times of great joy.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
But...
""But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength;
Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For You have been my stronghold." Psalm 59:16
Psalm 59 is a cry of deliverance from David as his enemies surrounded him and he was in danger of death. Due to no guilt of his own, his enemies persecuted him David cried out to God to help him. Then comes the decisive word in David's life: "But..." The word “but” is an indicator that something opposite came before. David is saying that in the midst of anguish and concern, anxiety and peril, he will choose to worship and trust God.
There are probably things going on in your life (welcome to the world) that you are struggling with - grief, death, anxiety, way-ward children, unfaithfulness, peril, job losss, etc... David teaches us that we can lay these burdens before God who is our Strength. We can cry out. We can voice our concerns, our worries, our hate, our anger. We can acknowledge the depth of our pain to God. We can ask Him for retribution and vengeance. But...
Once we have aired our feelings, our hurts, our concerns, we must then do an about face and rest in our Lord's strength. If God is who He says He is and He can do what He says He will do, then we must turn to Him in trust and for guidance. Life stinks, but... But God. (Period). God is able, He is strong, He is in cotrol, He cares for you, He will deliver in His time, in His way, for ever.
Our job? Sing praises. We are to wake in the morning with a song of praise on our tongues to God. We are to sing praises throughout the day and go to Him for our refuge and stronghold. He is big enough. When we sing praises unto God we are putting demons to flight, calling upon angels, getting a clear perspective of our worth as God's children and our need to depend upon our Father. Praise puts our hearts in tune with God's heart and mind. Praise lifts our emotions up and helps us to rejoice in the midst.
Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For You have been my stronghold." Psalm 59:16
Psalm 59 is a cry of deliverance from David as his enemies surrounded him and he was in danger of death. Due to no guilt of his own, his enemies persecuted him David cried out to God to help him. Then comes the decisive word in David's life: "But..." The word “but” is an indicator that something opposite came before. David is saying that in the midst of anguish and concern, anxiety and peril, he will choose to worship and trust God.
There are probably things going on in your life (welcome to the world) that you are struggling with - grief, death, anxiety, way-ward children, unfaithfulness, peril, job losss, etc... David teaches us that we can lay these burdens before God who is our Strength. We can cry out. We can voice our concerns, our worries, our hate, our anger. We can acknowledge the depth of our pain to God. We can ask Him for retribution and vengeance. But...
Once we have aired our feelings, our hurts, our concerns, we must then do an about face and rest in our Lord's strength. If God is who He says He is and He can do what He says He will do, then we must turn to Him in trust and for guidance. Life stinks, but... But God. (Period). God is able, He is strong, He is in cotrol, He cares for you, He will deliver in His time, in His way, for ever.
Our job? Sing praises. We are to wake in the morning with a song of praise on our tongues to God. We are to sing praises throughout the day and go to Him for our refuge and stronghold. He is big enough.
May God give you clear perspective in the midst of life’s
struggles; may you call upon Him and He will hear; may you cling to His
promises and His character; may you seek Him and know that He is God; may you sing praise sin the midst and know the peace of Goid that will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
Hint of the Day: Teach you rkids songs of praise. We used to sing them in the car constantly. They now come to mind often. We sang fun songs of praise, joyful songs of praise, and worshipful songs of praise. God made a beautiful world; rejoice in it! God gave you salvation; sing of Jesus! God loves you unconditionally; sing praise!
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