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Monthly Archives: December 2012

That light hurts my eyes

31 Dec

That light hurts my eyes

John 1:4-5    In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

God woke me up early this morning. I wish I could say it was pleasant, but it was far from it. I woke up in a self-reflection and a deep conviction of sin. I lay there thinking and God kept pointing out sin in my life. The more I reflected; the more He revealed. In my pride I feel like I have come a long way from my old self; but God showed me the journey has only begun. I looked back at recent years in almost a defensive plea; but God knows me and shows me the present struggles; He presses where it hurts to reveal that sin. God knows that my pride will grow if He does not humble me; He knows my struggles. He humbled me in a great way this morning.

The one whom Christ loved was the Apostle John. Their relationship seemed to be special in some way. John spends his gospel pointing to Christ’s deity; that Christ was God. John speaks of Christ as the Light many times in his Gospel. Light will dis-spell darkness, the two cannot co-exist. This light that lives within us not only brings eternal life, but also reveals our sin to us. This light shines in our darkness, and our darkness is revealed to us. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There is no point in your life as a Christian that you get to the point of no need for Christ. When He begins to point out your sin to you He is confirming your need for Him. The conviction of sin is a powerful tool in the work of Sanctification by God in your life.

I had thought I might write of the reflections of 2012 on the last day of it today. I found myself in a reflection and need for a Savior today; a need for a daily deeper walk with God. I found myself humbled by God’s grace and thankful for His mercy. I found myself wanting to draw closer to Him as a result of what He has shown me in my need for Him this morning. The Godliest man I know,  and one of my best friends, has shown me how to emulate Christ. You cannot be around him for five minutes and not know that he is a man of God. My prayer is for God to continue to press me where it hurts, and to mold me into what He desires; to show the reflection of His Son in me. The apostle Paul puts it well: Ephesians 3:8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,. I pray that 2013 brings less of me and more of Him

 
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Posted by on December 31, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Two pawns in eternal Chess

30 Dec

Two pawns in eternal Chess

John 4:35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!

Christ had just shared Himself with the Samaritan women at the well. She had realized who He was and hurried back to tell the everyone she believed she had met the promised Messiah. The disciples had just returned from town getting supplies. They had found Jesus talking to her, and when she left they urged Him to eat, for they knew He must be weak from the journey. Christ used the analogy of food to them, stressing the understanding of doing the Will of His Father is more important that physical nourishment. John 4:32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” The disciples seemed puzzled with this example and Christ began to explain the need for obedience, and the eternal rewards of it.

God will place those in our circle of influence before us with purpose. Circumstance is not by chance with whom God has placed before you. At some point you most likely will have burdens for the souls of friends, family, and even seemingly random encounters. You may become bold enough to share your faith with them; God smiles on that sowing of hope in Christ that you just shared with them. Many times it may become frustrating when it seems to fall on deaf ears; you may feel like they just don’t want to hear it; they just don’t want to respond. But the key here is that you are sowing the hope of Christ into their lives; you are being obedient to the prompting of the Holy Spirit that lives within you. John 4:37 For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ You must not become frustrated, but know that God is doing the greater work in their lives; you are just a vessel for Him to do that work.

What about the person outside of your circle that is also sowing hope in Christ into that person’s life? God may be using both of you to deliver the same message to that person. That person knows that the both of you do not know each other; how can the both of you be telling them the same exact thing? At some point their heart may open, and the realization that God is the one at work through the two of you. You could be playing a critical role in God’s work in a lost soul. You may also be the benefactor of seeing that person come to Christ; reaping what another sows. John 4:38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.” You can only experience this when you are obedient to God’s calling on your life to share your faith; to become a disciple for Christ. There is no eternal rewards found in passivity; but great rewards in participation. John 4:36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.

 
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Posted by on December 30, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Families…we all got em’

29 Dec

Families…we all got em’

Obadiah 1:12 But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress. (ESV)

Edom was the land of Esau, and Israel was the land of Jacob; they were family divided. The history of Jacob and Esau was one of trouble, even from the day they were born. This carried into the nations that they fathered, and their histories were one of continued trouble. God had brought down judgement on Jerusalem for their sins and they were fleeing their country. The Edomites took advantage of them, siding with their enemies, and turned their backs on their brothers in their time of need. Differences aside, they even in God’s eyes should have helped their family in their time of need. Obadiah spoke this prophecy of God’s coming judgement on Edom; Obadiah 1:10 “For violence against your brother Jacob, Shame shall cover you, And you shall be cut off forever.

It has been a season of family during the holidays. It has been the time we spend with those closest to us. We see the lifestyles of them that may bring about troubling thoughts. We may see things we know are wrong; we may see things that bother us deeply. Most likely they see some of the same things in us. We all have dysfunctional families in some degree, but they are the only family that we have. God has placed us together in that gene pool for a reason, and it is not to turn our backs on each other. God takes this so seriously that we are not to come to a place of worship with him without a pure heart. Matthew 5:23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Many times this is thought of in relation to the Lord’s Supper; but it also may be in daily context.

We have all heard of Karma; and many may believe that it is an axis on which the world turns. “What goes around comes around.” Their may be some truth to that all wrapped up in God’s Sovereignty, but we all must answer for our thoughts and deeds before Him. Obadiah prophesied of this in Obadiah 1:15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head. Can you see where Karma could be derived from that scripture? The day of the Lord is the day of judgement, and we will answer for our lives at that day. Forgive what you have against your family; in so many ways it is so important to God

 
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Posted by on December 29, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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I am second

28 Dec

I am second

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; 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 for me.

There is a movement out there called “I am Second” that focuses on the struggles of life we all face, and presents the testimonies of individuals that have found the answer to their struggles in Christ. Stories of lives changed through the Gospel; stories of people that as a result of that change come to realize that their lives revolve around Christ; not Christ around them. Putting Him first in your life means that you no longer live in the selfishness that the world breeds; you become elevated in a way the world does not understand by becoming a slave to it’s King. A heart transformed in the understanding of Christ as the ruler of your life, is a heart that shines in thanksgiving for His sacrifice and provision of it.

The Apostle Paul got it. He understood the sacrifice that Christ had made for him; he understood the outpouring of grace on a person who formerly dedicated his life to going against Christianity. Paul had such zeal for the Law that he persecuted Christians to death. He was in that pursuit of Christ followers when Christ approached him on the Damascus road in a blinding light. Acts 9:4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” Paul had been living a prideful life; he was greatly known and respected in his knowledge of religion. He even was present at the martyr of Stephen, holding the coats of the men who stoned Stephen. This started a great persecution of the Christian church with Paul (then Saul) as a leader.

When Christ came into his life, transformed and saved it, Paul came to realize how bad he was before Christ. He thought of himself as the baddest of the bad. 1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. When you accept what Christ has offered you as a child of His forever forgiven, it should move you to a place of humble thanksgiving. It should move you to the pursuit of God and the things of God in every day of your life. It should move you to share what He gave you with others who have not found the answer in Him yet. It should move you to a pursuit in prayer and His Word every day. It should move you to place Him above everything else in your life. Becoming second is no longer the first looser, but is the eternal winner in Christ.

Take a look at this website and the stories of struggles and healing people found in Christ.

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Posted by on December 28, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Two steps forward; one back

27 Dec

Two steps forward; one back

Galatians 2:18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

The Apostle Paul begins Galatians giving a timeline of his testimony. He speaks of his life of sin persecuting Christians, his conversion, and the early years after that seeking God. More than 10 years later he goes to Jerusalem again and even has a confrontation with Peter about some hypocrisy he sees in the Apostle Peter. Peter had been called by Christ to witness to the Jews; Paul had been called to witness to the Gentiles. Peter’s acts were damaging his ministry. Paul begins to preach of how they must lead in their dying to the Law’s of tradition; the Law that Christ came to fulfill. The Law did not produce righteousness, and Peter was stepping back into traditions, back into sin.

As I read these scriptures this morning, the Holy Spirit spoke to me of how I easily do the same thing sometimes. The power of the Living Word at work in my soul. I am far from perfect; struggle and fail every day; and need God to prick me every now and then to remind me of it. Those convictions hurt, but in them should bring humble repentance and healing. If I let sin build back into my life, as Paul did in those Jewish traditions, I stand condemned. The law points us to our need for Christ; for we cannot satisfy it’s requirements. Paul explains this in Galatians 3:19-25. Galatians 3:24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. The Law points us to our need for Christ; it is that simple.

Paul continues to pour out his heart in one of the most powerful statements of a person sold out for Christ. He shows he has a life with no other focus than to be a slave to Christ; a sold out disciple with his only purpose to share the hope that lies within him. Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; 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 for me. Paul saw nothing else with any purpose than Christ in his life. He was so sold out to he says he “lives by faith in the Son of God”. He recognizes the sacrifice Christ made; he recognizes the life of sin he led; he recognizes his need for Christ every single day to live. Christ will let you fall, only to pick you up again. Seek Him every day, for you need Him every day to live as Paul says. Thank you Lord for your grace you provide every single day.

 
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Posted by on December 27, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Entrusted

26 Dec

Entrusted

1 Thessalonians 2:4 But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.

I have been thinking again this morning of the words my 6yr old used Christmas morning. There was such a burden on his heart that he had to tell me something before he could even seemingly look at his presents. “I am not really entrusted with the presents, I am entrusted with Jesus’s birthday.” His words blew me out of the water, and the choice of the word “entrusted” was what grabbed me. He had been a typical 6yr old with the persistent mention of opening presents for about 72hrs durning family functions. He had been consistently reminded of what Christmas was really about; Jesus’s birthday. At some time it seemed to sink in and God placed that burden on his heart Christmas morning in a beautiful way that I even caught on video.

I searched “entrusted” this morning and found it 3 times in the Bible. The scripture above is what grabbed me. Paul was writing to the Thessalonians, almost defending his ministry. He was speaking of how God had entrusted him with the Good News, and of how He had called Paul to minister, to become a vessel for God to share it through him to others. God trusted Paul and knew Paul’s heart. Paul had a heart for God and the things of God; he did not seek any glory or personal gain as a result of what God had entrusted him with. 5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed–God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. Paul could have taken what God had given him for self gain, but Paul only sought to point people to Christ; even preaching the Gospel when he knew he would suffer for it.

Have you been “entrusted” with the Gospel? Do you claim Christianity yet live with no evidence of it in your life? What would those that surround you every day say about your faith if they were asked? How many of them might say they don’t want to be a Christian if that is how they act? We will all stand before God when we die and answer what we did with the knowledge of Christ; what we had been entrusted with. Paul spoke of a heart transformed by Christ to those in Philippians 3:8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. Paul got it; he lived a life transformed by what he was entrusted with. He lived a life full of the evidence of Christ dwelling in him. He took was God had given him and treated it like a treasure. Nothing else matter in Paul’s life except the gift that he had been given through Christ; and all his life he sought to share what he had been entrusted to with others.

 
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Posted by on December 26, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Learning to read

24 Dec

Learning to read

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

I don’t gamble; I don’t play the lottery, I don’t win; I loose. There is really no gambling in the stakes for me you see; I would really be just donating my proceeds to whatever cause. I am not scared to “gamble” with God’s Word through. I have jokingly even heard it called Bible roulette. Some people go to God and flippantly tell God to show them something and randomly open the Bible expecting it to be a word from God. Hopefully it doesn’t land on the swine filled with sin that ran off the cliff into the sea (Mark 5:12-13). This morning I was in prayer, even more of a meditation really seeking God on something. I prayed for God to “use me” and to please give me a word of confirmation in His Word. When I opened my Bible the scriptures above was what I saw in only a few verses. Isaiah was telling God “use me”.

God’s Word can speak to you like none other can. No book has ever been written like it, for no other book has been directed by God on how to write it. The Bible is the inspired words of God, where the Spirit lead each man to write what he felt God telling him. Each book incorporates their personality, styles, doctrine, faith, and hope. The Bible contains everything that God knows you will need to live a life of faith in service to Him. 2 Timothy 3:6 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. The more you want your life to change; to honor God; to become a disciple; is all relative to how much time you spend in God’s Word. The more time you spend there, the more you will reflect the image of Christ; which is God’s goal for your life; to emulate His Son.

Pastor Dean spoke yesterday of how we want Christ to be our “buddy, ole’ pal”. He also spoke of how we can never get to that place until Christ is our Lord. The more time you spend in God’s Word, the greater your reverence and awe of Christ as your Lord and Savior become. You should be moved to reverent fear and awe of how great God is through His Word. Isaiah continues to speak to Israel, to prophesy of their coming judgements and then restoration. There is no difference between the Jew and Greek now; Christ came to save us all. We should be witnesses to that; to be used by God to point the lost to Christ. Isaiah 43:10 “You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. 11 I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior. Prayerfully seek God to grant you wisdom, knowledge, and understanding in the scriptures He has given you. Then make the conscious effort to spend time there. You will not be disappointed, for your life will never be the same.

 
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Posted by on December 24, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Light gathered in Words

23 Dec

Light gathered in Words

2 Peter 1:19-21    And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Some days in prayer and Gods Word, I feel this pressing upon me. A weight almost; a feeling I cannot describe. I do not feel as these scriptures above describe, but I do feel the weight of God speaking to me through them. I fully believe everything that I feel in God’s Word is available to you also. This is the power of God’s Word, a living word, that you can experience also when you seek Him in it every day. There are times in the Word that you cannot escape the scripture that lies before you. It stops you in your tracks; may convict you of sin; may shed light on a struggle; may open your eyes through your heart. When you take the time to slow down and read word for word, you gain a knowledge of your Lord. Peter was speaking as an eyewitness of God speaking to Christ in the verses prior; but the written Word is more powerful than the eyewitness account.

Our world is a dark place right now. Our world needs Christ’s lamps to shine light in this dark place right now. The more time you spend in God’s Word, the brighter your light becomes. God’s Word gives you a discernment for the darkness that lies in the world; it gives you the ability to see things for what the truly are; and many times this may be painful. Paul in Romans 12-14 speaks of putting on this Light and living like Christians. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. The time is at hand to act like a Christian, to walk the talk.

This time of the holidays bring us closer to family. Time to reconnect once or twice a year. Time to share life and love for each other. Do you share your faith with each other? Do you share everything else but your faith? If this is truly the meaning of Christmas, to share the birth of our Savior with all those we meet; are you the light in the darkness? This time of year is the best time of year to bring up your faith. You have the perfect reason to share it; for it is the season for it. God may place one of your family at your feet for this reason. Matthew 5:15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Share the hope and the Light that lives inside you; a light that someone that is very close to you needs in this dark world.

 
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Posted by on December 23, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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“Because I said so” (Epic Fail)

22 Dec

“Because I said so” (Epic Fail)

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

I have two great young boys. Great kiddo’s, full of life, full of questions, full of testing me as a parent. Sometimes I feel as though I am too hard on them; but I see so many that have no discipline. I go into a lot of homes and see a lot of families, and I see a lot of children that run wild. It does not take long to get a feel of the level of structure in a home to be honest. I have had the talk with my oldest son of how I am learning to be a parent too; of how so many things I tell him are for his protection; or I have reasons behind them. It is so crucial to take the time to explain to them once we set the bar. We are hopefully looking out for their best interest and not from emotion; we should have Jeremiah 29:11 written on our hearts in the upbringing of our children.

King Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captives from Judah into Babylon. Jeremiah had spoken the words that God gave him during these turbulent years; he told them of the punishment for their idolatry; for they had gone against God. Even in their exile in Babylon, the were false prophets were leading them astray; promising a quick return to Jerusalem. God spoke through Jeremiah and told them His plan for them; 9 For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the Lord. 10 For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. God had reason for their exile and the 70 years they were to spend there. Their hearts will change in these 70 years.

God speaks of how He will renew and restore them who seek Him during this time. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. All of these things that were happening to them, were happening as a father corrects his children. God had seen their sin, and punished them for it. Our children may often wonder and question the why of our response; but if there is reason behind it and not emotion, the true learning comes with that explanation of it. The more time you spend in God’s Word the better a parent you will become. You will be taught by example by the best parent of all.

 
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Posted by on December 22, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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JD SOLD (because I am sold out

21 Dec

JD SOLD (because I am sold out)

Psalm 62:5 My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him.

I wish I could articulate my mornings to you. I wish I could explain to you my heart, my desire for you to know God, for you to seek God with all your might. For you to arise early, open His Word, pray, and humbly seek Him. My heart lies in Matthew 6:33 Seek Ye First the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. If there is one thing I can share with you outside of the Salvation of Christ, it is the daily pursuit of God. For if you will do this one thing every day, He will take care of all the rest. Satan will give you every reason and every detour to keep this from happening, but you must realize that, and press on. If the focus of your life becomes God and the things of God, there will be little else in your life that matters. When He begins His work in you as a result of that pursuit, true life change happens.

I am selling one of what I would call my top three possessions today. Something that I love, something I hold dear, but something I can do without. Those that know me well know I love to escape on a JD Mower and cut grass; today I let go of that cherished possession. This may seem trivial to some, but it is God at work in my life. There is a point in your whole heart pursuit that God will begin to show you that stuff really doesn’t matter, and many times the stuff is placed before Him. These realities only come to you when you come to God. You do not want to stand before God and try to explain your stuff that got in the way of your heart. Exodus 20:3 You shall have no other gods before Me. (The first of the Ten Commandments). The proof of our nation that is so far from God is the evidence of all the material possessions that we live our lives in tireless pursuit of.

There seems to be an urgency in the air for our nation to humble itself before God. We are seeing horrific acts of violence that have torn our hearts apart. We are seeing poorly run governments and businesses that are crippling our nations economies and healthcare systems. We are seeing evidences every day of a nation turning it’s back on God. We are promised by God that He will hear us and heal us, if as a nation we will seek Him first. 2 Chronicles 7:14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. This begins with you; begins with you arising earlier than your household, finding a quiet place, and opening God’s Word and your heart by seeking Him. Change begins with you, and real change is only found in God.

 
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Posted by on December 21, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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