RSS

Night of Worship

13 Oct

Night of Worship

Revelation 22:8-9   Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

I have just completed a class that included three weeks in the study of the book of Revelation. The last book in the bible is a book of prophecy from the Apostle John who was granted a vision by God into the future events when God pours out His judgement on earth. An angel escorted John through the vision, and John was so humbled he was led to fall at the angels feet and worship him. The angel quickly told John of his error and pointed him back to God; they both were brothers in the faith, lovers of Christ, and worshipped only God.

The book of Revelation is for our benefit for this glimpse into the future. It is a complex book full of symbolism, but it speaks of the return of Christ as a central theme. Revelation may be full of war and pain to the lost and those that do not turn to God; but Revelation is also full of the hope and glimpse into heaven we receive as believers in chapters 21. Revelation 21:21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. So magnificent that it’s doorway is a pearl; do you grasp that ideas of natures rare specks of sand creating small pearls; yet the Creator makes the gateway of His (and yours) future home with them, and paves the street in pure gold. Interested?

We had an awesome night of worship last evening at CCC where the majority were fully engaged in the praise and worship of our God. It is so moving to see all the hands in the air, and many tears on the cheeks where the realization and impact of some song stirs your heart. You realize your sin; you realize Christ died to save you from it; you realize your life without or before Him, you realize your future with Him. You are moved to raise your hands in praise for thanksgiving for the grace you did not deserve. You are thankful for the promises of the book of Revelation, and not the fear of Revelation. Revelation 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 13, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

I got rest; even with little sleep

12 Oct

I got rest; even with little sleep

Hebrews 4:1-2   Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

Almost like clockwork as expected, I wrote about the pressures of the world yesterday; and so they set in on me last night. Little sleep, morning headache, and the daunting lists of tasks presses on my mind as I lay awake. Mine are just as yours; age and responsibility brings demands on us that press on us all. These headaches I can do without. Our team in India has really been on my mind as they reach out to the lost there. Of how they are teaching pastors, equipment them for ministry. Of how they are taking Christ into the streets into places where Satan and pain are thriving; and bringing the Good News of Christ to a dying world. They are bringing the word of life that no matter how bad it is now; it gets better for an eternity.

Hebrews 4:1-13 speaks about the promise of God’s rest. The content of this passage is questioned to whether it is written for the entirely present or the entirely future. The commentary states it is best understood if read in the context of already started, yet not consummated. Once you believe, your soul rests in Him. There is a peace about you that the world cannot steal. If I were to describe my faith in one word it would be peace. Satan and his angels try to steal your rest or peace on a daily basis. They are fighting a battle already won for your soul by Christ on the Cross. You have rest today that will last for eternity in paradise with Him.

The author of Hebrews points to the importance of that day you hear the good news and the promise of that rest in Him. He quotes Psalm 95: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” It is critical time when you hear these messages and feel God stirring in your heart. You cannot deny Him but for so long. How many times will He knock at your door and you refuse to answer? The decisions you make today will have eternal consequences. What if tomorrow never comes; and you denied opening the door to your heart today? I would plea that you surrender your sins to the One who died to forgive them and place your faith in Him for the rest He provides for eternity. It is never too late, until it is.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 12, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Give your cares away

11 Oct

Give your cares away

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Are you stressed out? Are the pressures of life and the decisions of life bearing down on your mind to the point of effecting you physically? It can be the demands of the world for our time;(of which there never seems to be enough of). It can be the questions and decisions in life that there never seem to be the answers to. It can become a pressure on our minds that begins to reflect in our outward selves. We may snap easily; we may not feel well; we may loose sleep; we may not remember……where was I going with this? I can give you multiple examples for each and many more of these. The difference in the pressures of life is how you cope. Proverbs 16:3 Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established.

If you cope by running away you will eventually run head on into what you are running from. If you cope with some sort of substance to numb the pain, you are creating a new problem that will ultimately destroy you. If you are releasing, (maybe venting would be a better word), your pains on those around you, then you are destroying those around you. You can release your pain to God and the opposite happens; you strengthen your relationship. Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. You find this rest in the time you spend in prayer and God’s Word. These are the two things in life that God has given you to provide you a means of peace when you are with Him. The more time you spend doing both, the better you are able to handle the stresses of life.

God gave me a HUGE encouraging word this morning while researching this passage. Isaiah 50:4 “The Lord God has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned. It is so hard to articulate my mornings with God. This ministry that He has put on my heart is so very humbling, yet gives me strength to face each day. Satan comes at me with both fists, but yet I know how to hand those strains over to God; and Satan’s ploys backfire because I draw nearer instead of coping as in the past. I am nothing special, I just have a heart for God and I live as in Deuteronomy 6:5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Wouldn’t you love for today to be the day that you gave your cares away?

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 11, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Who’s on First?

10 Oct

Who’s on First?

Matthew 24:44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

“Yea, I need to get back involved at church; but I need to __________; or I know I should be reading my Bible but I am so busy; or my work requires so much of me that I just don’t have anything left; or the kids have a game and ______________.” I have said and done them all. I have put everything you have before Christ and finally came to the realization of it. God started showing me all these things when He showed me the true idol I had in my life as a motorcycle. It was my God; where I poured everything, what my life focus was on. It is one of the first steps of my testimony of God’s life transforming power. It is now a recreation I still enjoy, but it is not an idol any longer. My idol is my God; my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

When God could stand the evil of the world no longer, He spoke to Noah to prepare and save His elected few. We all know the story of the flood; but what about those who were left to perish? They too may must have been busy with life; even the possibility of a desire to change, but it was too late when God moved. Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. These are the words of Christ of His return and the warning of it. Matthew 24 is a powerful description of the return of our Lord Jesus Christ with a warning the must be heeded.

It is never too late until it is. Do your excuses merit the ticket for the boat, or the perils of the flood in the days of Moses? Anything that you have in your life that you put before your relationship with Christ is an idol. The first of the 10 Commandments is, You shall have no other gods before Me. (Exodus 20:3) It is so serious that is it #1 on the list. Pray for God to reveal your idols to you; it will come with a sting, but that sting is the conviction of the Holy Spirit of that sin. A repentance of that sin and the desire to move your relationship closer is the beginning of a changed heart. Make God first in your life, not down the list after everything else as a leftover. The day is coming when we have to answer for our priorities for eternity.

He came. He died. He arose. He ascended. He is coming back.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 10, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

1-My Savior 2-My wife 3-My boys 4-My business 5-Me

09 Oct

1-My Savior 2-My wife 3-My boys 4-My business 5-Me

Matthew 11:28-30 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.”

I was talking to a friend yesterday about my life load. The “to do” list; the things pressing with owning a business, going to school, and being a dad and husband. His question was how do you do it; my reply was I don’t know. I always jokingly comment, “I am working on project 369, section 4, article b.” To be honest I have a list on my computer of my order of priorities:
1-My Savior 2-My wife 3-My boys 4-My business 5-Me
There are daily struggles for constant realignment of that list. Mostly from a business that still tries to command #1. I have come to the point in my life of realizing what is important, and therefore the list. Do you have a list? Do you stick to it? Should you make one?

In these passages Christ was speaking to the Jews who were living under the legalism that the religious leaders of the day had placed on them. The requirements of the “to do’s and don’t do’s” almost boarder on comical. They were pressured to believe they could not go to heaven if they did not follow the rules; yet there were so many rules no one could go. The laws of the system were to point them to the need for a Savior, and He stood before them. He was about to satisfy the Law they lived under; so they could rest in the grace that He was about to provide. Colossians 2:14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

This world we live in can be overbearing. We live in a world of expected immediacy, expected slavery to our careers, expected success and material prizes; expected to keep our eyes on all the temporary stuff that will all perish when we die. Nothing you do today will be carried with you to the next life other than your investment in your relationship with Christ, and your investment in those around you starting with your family. Nothing can replace the gift of teaching your children about Christ and priorities in life by living that example before them.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 9, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Our Paul’s of today

08 Oct

Our Paul’s of today

Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

I have spent a LOT of time in a few verses in Colossians preparing a research paper recently. The Apostle Paul had written the letter as a means of correction and direction in pointing them to the centrality of Christ. Epaphras had started the church who was predominately Gentile, but it had battled cultural influences and traditions. There were many false teachers that emerged leading followers astray with the injection of the tradition into the message of Christ’s Gospel. They had added to the requirements, and even steered many away with blasphemy. There were so many heresies, one particular was not named in the scripture.

I thought of our team in India this morning. God’s light has been shown and hundreds of small house churches have been started by very young preachers just as Epaphras thousand of years ago. They are battling the influences of their culture and a lack of knowledge on their own. There are many questions unanswered and those who are agnostic can gain an upper hand. Our team is the Paul of today; teaching, edifying, encouraging, and simply pointing them to the centrality and supremacy of our Lord Jesus Christ as Paul did throughout Colossians. 9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

The people of Colosse had entwined into the simplicity of the Gospel, the need to earn their salvation through their works in addition to it. They had moved to worshiping stars, angels, denying themselves, and many other influences of society and tradition. The Gospel or Good News of Christ is so simple we even complicate it today. We can never earn our way into heaven.  Living a good life will not outweigh your bad on God’s eternity judgement scale and get you into heaven. Salvation produces good works but good works do not produce salvation. The only way into heaven is through a humble repentant heart. A realization of your sin, the confession and plea for forgiveness of that sin, and the acceptance of Jesus Christ as the Lord over your life with the price He paid with His blood on the cross at Calvary.  John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 8, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Everything

07 Oct

Everything

John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

This morning as I sat down my mind was blank. I don’t mean I did not have a topic I felt led to write about, I mean my mind was BLANK. Not overloaded with the pressures of the day; it just felt like it had not awoken yet. As I stumbled through a prayer, I closed with AM….not Amen…I laughed. I many times do word searches on the computer so I researched nothing; which came up 280 times in the Bible, 119 in the New Testament. Narrowing it down by adding the word without brought up John 15:5; a verse I know well; my mind awakened.

I shared my part of my testimony yesterday and how the backbone of it is rooted in pride. A typical male, independent, strong physically and mentally; I had the mindset of I can do anything I put my mind to. God decided to take out His hammer and take a few blows at my pride. He took a swing at my business, and then at my physical strength. Both were hard hits and both took me to my knees. On my knees I began to look up, and to draw in to Him. There is nothing in your life that has not either been given to, or allowed by God. Romans 11:36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. Your life is filtered through God’s Sovereignty.

A quote we have all heard this presidential race is the one of “you did not build that”. When we begin to understand our lives are filtered through God’s hands, there comes a peace to life. If He is truly in control, why are we to worry? Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? All the daily struggles in life, all the big struggles in life, can be God trying to get your attention. It can be Satan trying to draw your attention away from God. Read the book of Job. It will shed a new light on the struggles you face. Every day is an opportunity in whatever you face to draw closer to God. Your nothing, can become your everything, when you seek Him in all.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 7, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Examine yourselves

06 Oct

Examine yourselves

2 Corinthians 13:5-9   Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?–unless indeed you are disqualified. 6 But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified. 7 Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified. 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. 9 For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, that you may be made complete.

The Corinthians were questioning Paul’s authority as a result of the lies and deception by the false teachers that had infiltrated the church. They were doing the best they could to ruin Paul’s reputation, inflict doubt into their followers, and as a result damage the church. False teachers greatest tools are ones of doubt. Paul wrote to the Corinthians and reprimanded them for great sins in the church, and then challenged them to question themselves. If they found themselves a follower of Christ, that authority came from Paul as an Apostle, or a minister under the authority from Christ.

Do you ever ask yourself those really big questions? Where am I truly in my faith; my walk as a child of God? Am I maturing or simply still as a child nursing on the milk of the Word? Has my relationship ever moved forward with Christ? Are there any evidences in my daily life that I am a disciple for Christ? These big questions if asked humbly before God will bring true answers to the heart through the Holy Spirit. There will be feelings of conviction where He wants you to change. Through the pain, you will find joy in knowing you moved forward in the only relationship that truly matters. These revelations as a result of these self exams will stomp on that doubt when you act on what He shows you. 6 But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.

So many religions today are all about “feel good faith”. They never speak of the power of the conviction of the Holy Spirit to draw us out of sin and closer to God. These religions are not true religions, but great heresies. Titus 1:13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth. These wrong faiths have been around since Christ, but they always lead us to believe we are good people, and never the truth that we are all sinners. When you pray for God to open your eyes in that self exam, your heart will be humbled in the revelation. Your heart will be moved by the sacrifice on the Cross that Christ paid for your sins, and your heart will be drawn closer to him as a result of your obedience. That conviction of sin that He brings is an assurance of Salvation and a release of the doubt Satan planted.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 6, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Jehovah – Jireh – The Lord will provide

05 Oct

Jehovah – Jireh – The Lord will provide

Genesis 22:11-14   11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” 12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” 13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of The Lord it shall be provided.”

Yesterday was an absolutely incredible day as a child of God. I saw God directly bless me and a friend of mine with God’s perfect timing. It was a day of humbling spiritual highs and confirmations on a day when we both needed it dearly. I am really struggling with school, and the day before I had poured my heart out to God in a plea: “In my study this week it has been so hard trying to focus on God’s Will for my life. I had a heartfelt plea this morning with God for clarity. I so desire to be in the center of God’s path, that it pains me.” Yesterday that prayer was answered by a customer who had been blessed and wanted to bless me. His gift was almost the exact amount needed for next semesters classes. Only a few hours later did I answer a phone call from Liberty Univ. wanting to discuss my upcoming semester and registration. I was at a loss for words. I shared my story with them of these God orchestrated coincidences; and as the young man said, he had received a huge blessing from hearing of God’s work in my life yesterday.

There is nothing special about me. All of God’s blessings are available to you too. All you must do is to live your life for Him. Matthew 6:33 Seek Ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. When all else in your life seems to be failing; when all around you is out of control; when all you see is a world that is full of desire for stuff and sin; God is using these things to get your attention. When you begin to see how far this world is from God, you may be getting a glimpse of how He sees it. He may be showing you a glimpse of your life. We all sin, we all fail, and we all can rest in God’s grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

God may take you to a place in your life that you don’t want to be. God may take you down, to lift you up. When your life is full of blessings, many times we don’t recognize where they came from. When we are at the bottom, the only place to look is up. I was really struggling the last couple days wondering if I was really on the right path. Satan had crept into my thoughts and placed doubt. I had a heartfelt plea to God for clarity. God sent me His answer 24hrs later by His messengers. Thank you Jesus.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 5, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Debate or Deliver?

04 Oct

Debate or Deliver?

2 Timothy 2:14-16  Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.

Most today will be discussing the presidential debate of last night. Their believed winner and looser; dissecting their speech and forming their opinions of whom they should cast their vote for. Politics have the natural bend to bring out the debater in us all, sometimes our opinions become overbearing for the need to convince or change our opponents point of view. We try to argue our way of thinking into the idea that we must be right, and surely they must be wrong. Luckily I live in a free country where we even have the ability to freely present these feelings.

The Apostle Paul was speaking to Timothy in regards to the importance of understanding the Word of God so that he preached the Word of God clearly and correctly. A teacher of God’s Word is held to a higher standard; this is a weight that scares me as I share in this format every day. I am held accountable for my every word. James 3:1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. Paul was encouraging Timothy to remain focused; to not be draw astray himself with those who distract from the whole truth. The heretics (false teachers) were twisting God’s Word a little at a time, leading people astray.

Debate has been in the church since the beginning of time. We are all born into sin, and that sin separates us from God. Therefore we have opposing sides of good and evil. Once we rest in the grace of God under the Salvation through Christ, we change sides. That desire that grows inside you with the realization of your life before and after Christ drives you to share, or debate, your faith with others. We can’t argue someone into believing in Christ. John 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. We are to present our faith and the Good News in love and respect to everyone who will here following the last words of Christ in Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. You may be the one who “wins” that debate by God preparing them to receive the Good News that you deliver; and you get to see their life change forever as God’s gift to you.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 4, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

← Older posts
Newer posts →