RSS

Monthly Archives: July 2012

But I can’t _______ But He can

13 Jul

But I can’t _______ But He can.

Exodus 4:10-12 Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”

Buuuttt Goooddd……. You can almost hear Moses whining. Moses was arguing with God at the burning bush.  He was begging God not to call him to this tasks of leading his people and approaching Pharaoh.  He did not feel qualified for the responsibility that God was laying out before him. But God had prepared him all his life for this, all of this, all in His plan to save Israel. He was begging God to send someone else, or even help if it must be. God already knew that and already had prepared Aaron, Moses’s brother. Exodus 4:14 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

Everything you face, everything you struggle with, everything you are to the core, can be used by God. You are His creation, and you are where you find yourself today all in His hands. Your shortcomings can be used to show His power. What you cannot do yourself, you can do through Him, which draws glory to Him as a result. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Matthew Henry put it well: “God is pleased sometimes to make choice of those as his messengers who have fewest of the advantages of art or nature, that his grace in them may appear the more glorious. Christ’s disciples were no orators, till the Spirit made them such.” A popular Christian term these days is “Doing extraordinary things through ordinary people.”

Have you felt and heard God speaking to you; calling you to some purpose of which you feel you are not qualified? Are you scared and running from that call? That call can be anything, but you know it was a word from God. You know in your heart he wants you to speak out, to stand alone on your faith, to be bold for Him. He will provide for you for He did not place that call upon you to see you fail. He placed that call on you to show His power through you, and to draw others to Him as a result. 12 Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 13, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Yes He gave you a green thumb

12 Jul

Yes He gave you a green thumb

1 Corinthians 3:5-9 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.

You are a gardener in God’s hands. How you live your life and your circle of influence is the field in which He has placed you. You are where you are at every day by His purpose, and that day may be used to work the field. The simple idea of gardening is a great analogy of your Christian walk as a disciple. Do you reflect Christ in your field, or is there any evidence of your faith in that field? Is is barren and full of weeds, rocks, idols, and choked off so that the Word of God cannot grow in your life?

God gives us daily opportunities to encourage those in our field. He also has other gardeners working the same fields with us performing different tasks. It takes much discipline and nurturing to grow a healthy plant, but you may play a key role in watering that plant. The other gardener may nurture it and see it produce fruit, but you both have helped it grow through God’s grace. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

There is nothing you can do to force anyone to believe as you do, God must prepare their hearts and do the work in them. But you can deny them, and yourself the blessing by not “watering”; or sharing an encouraging word or deed with them. Don’t step on the plants that surround you by living unGodly in your field. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. A humble spirit living inside you may get to see the fruit of God’s work in your field sometimes and it brings great joy. He has given you the pail of Living Water to  pour out on your field to nurture it. John 7:38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Do not keep the water to yourself but pour it out fully for He will never let your pail run dry.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 12, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Teach them thy ways

11 Jul

Teach them thy ways

Deuteronomy 6:5-7   You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

Last night I was headed for bed early when my oldest son crawled up into bed wanting me to read the Bible to him. How could I say no? He is reading it on his own now, but he wanted me to read it to him. We read the story of Noah and the Great Flood. I went to bed thinking of the study I had just completed on the life of Joshua and the generations after him in Israel.

Joshua understood the importance of passing down our faith. When he knew his days were becoming short, he gathered all of Israel including the children to remind them of how God had delivered them to the Promised Land. Joshua 23:2 And Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers, and said to them: But sadly their history was lost in the generation after that when Joshua died, and they rebelled against God. Judges 2:10 When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel. 11 Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals; 12 and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger. Their parents had forsook their responsibility of leading their children to the Lord.

It is truly sad to read of how our inheritance is lost by simply not passing down our history and faith to our children. Of how our responsibility as parents, and our first ministry is our family, or more directly our children. How will they know if we do not tell them? But they will suffer for our mistakes. Joshua gathered more than his children, he gathered the tribe and made sure that He passed on what the Lord had done for them. Israel was falling away from God and He wanted to right them in his last days. He was making sure he passed on Israel’s history for the generations he was leaving behind, for he understood the importance of it.

Sadly the generation after Joshua did not pass their history onto their children. Judges describes the falling away of that generation and the Lords wrath against them. Every where they went the Lord was against them. All likely because they did not know of how the Lord had delivered their people and had blessed the generations before them. Can you truly afford not to teach them?

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 11, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Not gonna let it get me down

10 Jul

Not gonna let it get me down

Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Some days we just get the blahs. The weight of the world comes crashing in; all our anxieties about the present and the future grab hold and drag us down. Satan has a powerful tool rooted in fear, that shifts the scales in lieu of your faith. Faith and fear may easily be placed on a balance, for one will always dominate the other. You cannot proclaim great faith and have fear control you. Your relationship with God could easily be described as that balance. You are either focusing on your fear, or on your God. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

I am no different than you. If I were to open my doors and let you into my world, you would understand what I am facing, and these battles with fear. Big things, but none bigger than what you are facing. But on what front do you fight the battle? Is it running away, in retaliation, in substance abuse, denial, or in seeking God? He knows exactly where you are at right now, and where you will be next. He can use where you are at to draw you closer to Himself if you will seek and not stray. 1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Many times the reason we are drug down is the worry about the future. If we are worried about tomorrow, we will waste today away in that fear. Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. We can loose some of life’s best days being lost in worry about the days to come. Take today and cherish where God has you. Turn Satan’s tool of fear against him, and let God use fear to draw you closer to Himself. Today, and only today are all you need to worry about.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 10, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

I swear……….no don’t.

09 Jul

I swear……….no don’t.

Matthew 5:33-37 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

But I swear I ____________ . Been there done that. Probably many times in a bad context or even worse if we swore by God, or the pinnacle swearing by His name knowing it was a lie. The scriptures above are a fascinating study and point us primarily to the Third Commandment: Exodus 20:7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. It was considered legally binding to take an oath to God’s name, but also could have been a means to cover up a lie. We are plainly being told not to swear at all in verse 34.

The backbone of this scripture is telling the truth. We can’t improve on anything by attaching the power of something to the “by it” to our speech. It can become a condemnation if used lightly and in the wrong context. Matthew Henry puts it: “That we must not swear lightly and irreverently, in common discourse: it is a very great sin to make a ludicrous appeal to the glorious Majesty of heaven, which, being a sacred thing, ought always to be very serious: it is a gross profanation of God’s holy name, and of one of the holy things which the children of Israel sanctify to the Lord: it is a sin that has no cloak, no excuse for it, and therefore a sign of a graceless heart, in which enmity to God reigns.”

37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Our word is our cloak that we wear every day. I have struggled with this in a daily context of running a business and making promises that I break, or can’t keep. For instance telling someone I will be there and canceling the appointment for any reason. That really bothers me. Christ would place His ‘stamp’ by using the words “Verily, verily” on matters of importance, or as His “Yes be Yes”.  Verily, Verily was our Savior’s ‘yes be yes’, and quoted 25 times in John’s gospel in the King James version. Think before you make a promise, or an oath the next time. It is only as good as the cloak you wear.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 9, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

The climb

08 Jul

The climb

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

Christ was beginning his Sermon on the Mount here in Matthew. He began with what we call the ‘Beatitudes’. Christ is going against all the world is teaching in a way with words of simple summaries. He is teaching that His way of living will bring blessing eternal and not temporal. He is extending His invitation to them early in this sermon to prepare them for what He is about to teach.

Do you hunger for God? Is there something inside you that wants to know more, to draw closer, to pursue a relationship that grows daily? God has given you that ability through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. At the day of Pentecost the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit, and that same Spirit lives within you today, urging you to draw closer to God. Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. That feeling inside you is the Holy Spirit tugging you towards righteousness in your daily life. Are you following His lead, or denying Him and grieving the Spirit?

A hunger for God is a pang that should never subside. He will fill you with His Spirit and His Word, but you should always desire more. Your relationship with God is never to stagnate, for still is falling away. You are either moving upward in pursuit of Him, or you are sliding backwards; the climb has not grip, but God has the rope. That pursuit of righteousness is God’s arms pulling you up the climb closer to him and eternal blessing.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 8, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Not any angel

07 Jul

Not any angel

Colossians 1:21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight– 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

The Apostle Paul was speaking to the Colossians, a city who was divided deeply on who they worshiped. In chapter 1 he has been setting the stage for Christ’s preeminence; simply stated First & Foremost.  17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. Paul begins to speak here of the ministry of Christ’s reconciliation, or righting us to God through His death on the Cross. The Colossians believed in many angels, and they did not believe in Christ incarnate.

Do you believe that He was truly God, and truly man? 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. You must get this right, there is no middle ground here. Christ was not any angel, Christ was God in the flesh walking here as a man, suffered physical death, was raised from the dead to walk the earth again to many witnesses, and ascended to heaven to be with His Father until He returns again to reclaim those who believe. He did all of this for you, so that you can spend eternity in paradise and not Hell for not believing in Him.

When you are moved from darkness to light, you begin to see these things. You see Christ as the Savior of your soul, and the only Way unto heaven. Make your days now as a child of Light ones that count in service to Him. Do not let the temporary pleasures of this world drag your vision away from the One whom paid the highest price for you. He left paradise to come and die a death of pain words cannot describe with the sin of the world on His back, all so you could join Him in Heaven forever.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 7, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Don’t take your eyes off the prize

06 Jul

Don’t take your eyes off the prize

2 Timothy 2:1-4  You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

The Apostle Paul was encouraging his protege’ Timothy for his service to the Lord. Timothy had been with Paul and he was growing into his own ministry. He had been learning from the best on how to have a sole purpose in life; to share the Good News that Christ has come to save the world. Paul had no other focus than to preach Christ at all costs, and many times the costs were extreme. But his faith never wavered and his focus remained. Timothy had been a witness to these events and knew well what he was getting himself into as a disciple of Christ. 3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

When you embark on the journey of a growing relationship with your Lord, you will face obstacles of many kinds that will either draw you closer, or draw you away from Christ. Every event in your life can have that effect. It can be blessings, or it can be turmoil; but either way where does your focus remain? 4a No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life. Satan could fill your day with overflowing blessings and your attention could be drawn from your purpose. Satan could fill your day with turmoil and your attention could be drawn away. Never let your eyes or your hearts attention be moved away from the One who has designed or allowed every event that happens in your life. Give thanks for where He has you today, and grow closer to Him as a result of where you are today. 4b that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 6, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Got it. Now use it.

05 Jul

Got it. Now use it.

1 Peter 4:10-11   As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

You have it, now use it. God has given you a spiritual gift. It can be many things, but deep in your heart you know what it is. It can be encouragement, teaching, giving, praying, etc. Any gift that God has given you is the result of the ultimate gift through the sacrifice of His Son. Being a good steward is not wasting what has been given to us; honoring the gift by using it to honor God. 11 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

These gifts are not for us to draw glory to ourselves, but to show honor and glory to the One who has given us them. If we are saying, “Look at me”, the gifts have become wasteful and idolatry drawing attention to ourselves. If you love to give, do you want the credit for the gift? The bible tells us to do it anonymously and God will reward us. Matthew 6:4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. The joy that you feel inside with gifts like those is the joy God feels seeing you give them sacrificially.

There is a point in your Christian walk and growth that you begin to understand it is not all about you. The perfect Sunday service, or sermon, or many things you once felt. God begins to open your heart and reveal to you that you are here to serve others, to use your gifts to draw glory to Him. In the verses before these above, Peter spoke of loving one another. 4:8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” An outward expression of that love is using the gift you have been given in the serving of those around you. This is expressing your love for them, and your love for God, through your gift.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 5, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Liberty

04 Jul

Liberty

Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

The word liberty in the New Testament is used many times to refer to freedom from the law that the Jews lived by. They believed they earned their way into heaven by attempting to keep the law. One of those key points was the circumcision of all the men, and without it they believed you were unsaved. Paul was speaking of the freedom that Christ brought in Galatians, from the necessity of keeping that law in the scripture above.

Believing in Christ alone brings liberty. It brings a freedom from the bondage of sin, from the works of the law to attain God’s grace. You cannot attain God’s grace by living a good life, bound by the law, and denying the only Way by the acceptance of Christ as your justifier before God. Your humble repentant heart before God will bring about a freedom from the bondage of sin as Christ now dwells with you. 2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

This freedom you now possess is not your “get out of jail free card”. This does not give you the freedom to continue to live in sin once you profess Christ. If you say you are a Christian and live as a heathen, how is your witness to those who don’t believe? 1 Corinthians 8:9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. If you are truly saved, you will desire to flee from sin, and the bondage you once felt, and live a life in freedom, liberty, and assurance of your eternal paradise to come.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 4, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

← Older posts
Newer posts →