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Are you the feeble one in the herd?

16 Jun

Are you the feeble one in the herd?

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

You are the prey. You are the one hunted by the devil as a roaring lion seeking to destroy your soul. How does a lion typically hunt? By seeking out the weakest in a herd and pouncing on them by taking advantages of their weakness. Satan’s entire focus is on destroying your faith and your soul, and he will go to great lengths to accomplish it. Matthew Henry said, “It was the faith of these people that Satan aimed at; if he could overturn their faith, and draw them into apostasy, then he knew he should gain his point, and ruin their souls; therefore, to destroy their faith, he raises bitter persecutions, and sets the grand potentates of the world against them.” It can cast a different light on your life if you reflect on the strength of your faith in the herd, and the lion stalking you daily to take advantage of that weakness. “To this end he is unwearied and restless in his malicious endeavours; for he always, night and day, goes about studying and contriving whom he may ensnare to their eternal ruin.”

In 1 Peter 5:5-7,  Peter was speaking of how to clothe ourselves in humility, and of how God grants grace to that. Satan’s fall was greatly related to pride and that sin is a strong weapon is his arsenal against us. 1 Timothy 3:6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. We are not told to flee the devil, but to resist him. We resist him by strengthening our faith in prayer and time in God’s Word. God’s Word becomes our only offensive weapon to guard ourselves when Satan attacks. These attacks will come when you are at your weakest point; after being beat down he whispers in your ear thoughts of pity, doubt, inadequacies,  fear, and the list could go on. The power of God through the strength of your faith measured by your humility and submission to God and His Word, will cause the devil to flee from you. James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Do not find yourself the weakest in the herd, but feed yourself and strengthen yourself on God and His Word daily.

 
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Posted by on June 16, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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At least I didn’t……

15 Jun

At least I didn’t……

Galatians 6:1-5 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For each one shall bear his own load.

As I read some of my daily scripture feeds, I came to Galatians 6 above. I thought of how it would be good to write about helping one another. Then I spent time studying this scripture and God shed a different light on it; one that we all fall guilty to – comparing ourselves to one another.

There is a part of all of us rooted in pride that will compare ourselves to our neighbor. “Well at least I didn’t do what they did…..” is the typical thought. Our pride is elevated and many times we rest on that rock that will crumble. These scriptures speak directly too that. When we see someone that has been overtaken in sin, we must first protect ourselves. This is done in much prayer and seeking God’s Word for guidance. We must approach them in love, but not in pride, for that pride will lead to our fall also. As in verse 3, For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself; Paul speaks directly to that. My pastor once told of God speaking to him saying “the other mans sins are just more visible”.

But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load. We should consistently self examine and surround ourselves with Godly influences and true friends that will approach us and tell us the truth. The immediate conviction of sin in your heart is an assurance of Salvation. If you are knowingly in habitual sin, finding comfort in that sin, and you are not denying a tug on your heart to stop that sin; your problem is much larger than that sin alone. Get on your knees and repent from your heart for a cleansing of your heart and forgiveness of your sin.  For each one shall bear his own load. We are responsible for ourselves and will answer to God for every thought, word, and deed in the future. My prayer is that you are seen by Him through the clear lens of Christ’s paid debt, and not the stained glass of pride.

 
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Posted by on June 15, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Can WE pray together?

14 Jun

Can WE pray together?

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

The past couple of days I have been blanketed in prayer. Asking and receiving individual prayers for my father’s surgery, and together as deacons in prayers for the church body. The verse above is in the context of church discipline, but the promise of the assurance is what we rest on. A basic principle of Salvation is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. The third person of the Trinity dwells inside you; your heart and soul belong to Christ. Therefore simply when we gather together in God’s name, especially in prayer, He is with us.

Matthew Henry puts it so well: “They are hereby encouraged with an assurance of the presence of Christ; There am I in the midst of them. By his common presence he is in all places, as God; but this is a promise of his special presence. Where his saints are, his sanctuary is, and there he will dwell; it is his rest it is his walk (Rev. 2:1 ); he is in the midst of them, to quicken and strengthen them, to refresh and comfort them, as the sun in the midst of the universe. He is in the midst of them, that is, in their hearts; it is a spiritual presence, the presence of Christ’s Spirit with their spirits, that is here intended. There am I, not only I will be there, but I am there; as if he came first, is ready before them, they shall find him there; he repeated this promise at parting ch. 28:20 ), Lo, I am with you always. Note, The presence of Christ in the assemblies of Christians is promised, and may in faith be prayed for and depended on; There am I”

Christianity is not a solo religion. It is meant to be gathered together in both worship and prayer. You are truly missing God’s blessings if you are not spending time with other believers in prayer. Don’t wait until you have a plea for help to God; spend time praising God together for the blessings of the day. Be bold and reach out to someone today and pray together. That may be an answer to their prayer; wanting someone to pray with.

 
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Posted by on June 14, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Boldly proclaiming

13 Jun

Boldly proclaiming

Mark 8:38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

Yesterday two of my closest friends, men that God has placed in my life to influence me, came to the hospital to pray with my family. In my pride I didn’t want them to; I knew how busy they were and I didn’t want to trouble them.  Satan entered my mind with those thoughts. Both of them have followed their hearts  and have become pastors and great men of faith, setting a great example for many to follow. God has used them together and in unique ways in my life. We laughed and shared and learned together about my family history things I did not know. But when it came time, they were obedient to the reason they came; to pray.

I cannot express the gratitude or the feeling of my entire family holding hands together while they prayed for us aloud in that waiting room. What a powerful experience full of emotion, yet one not so long ago I could not have imagined. I experienced this the first time only a few years back with one of them in the waiting room while his wife had brain surgery. As they prayed the prayers even shifted to those in the room witnessing this prayer, boldly proclaiming God and Jesus Christ before them. God was using this scenario, and these men to proclaim Himself to those witnessing this.

Our world now is far from God and needs more people to boldly proclaim their faith in Christ. If you feel that tug to share your faith, and you deny it from fear, you are holding back His Spirit that lies within you. Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. God can be using you to give that person before you just the encouraging word they needed to hear. You could be denying them a direct blessing from God; and even yourself at the realization of Him using you. Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

 
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Posted by on June 13, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Spinal Prayer

12 Jun

Spinal Prayer

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

My dad is having hip replacement surgery today which is a pretty big deal to him and all of us. Any surgery at any age always involves risks, but the older we get the higher the risks become. I ask for your prayers for the physicians hands to be guided by their abilities provided by God, and for them to rest on that understanding.

Although nervous, Dad will be at peace. He knows that whatever may come of this his eternal future is secure and that God has a plan in all of this. We all deal with trials and tribulations in life, and how we view them depends upon our faith. We can either see them as the “why me?”, or the “how God?”. God many times in His sovereignty will place our paths down the suffering road of life for His greater purposes. He grows our faith, strengthens our hope, and encourages those around us in our reflections of it. Romans 5:3-4  And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. How God can I glorify you in the middle of this trial I must endure?

Pray is the spine of enduring these trials of life. When you have nowhere to lean, lean on God. Is it possible that He knows that this is the way to draw you closer to Him? Is is possible that He knows your faith is strong and you will encourage others in how you handle the same things they do but under the shield of faith? All things that we endure can draw glory to Him, and all these things have passed through the Gods hands. Remember the story of Job, and of how Satan was allowed to test him; but all the while God knew His great faith, and the powerful testimony and blessings that came as a result of it. Pray to be that vessel in all things to draw glory to Him.

 
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Posted by on June 12, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Your eyes as a vessel

11 Jun

Your eyes as a vessel

Matthew 6:22-23  The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness.

It is common knowledge that you can get a better “feel” for a person when they look you in the eyes when you are speaking to one another. It is not only rude, but a window into the soul when eye contact is avoided during conversation. What is the darkness that is being hidden, or deception that is being created? The biblical truth is seen in the scripture above for this principle.

Christ is described all throughout the Bible as Light, and when we believe in Him, His Spirit resides in us, therefore His Light resides in us. John 12:46  I have come as a light unto the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. When the Holy Spirit resides in you, He seeks to dis-spell the darkness of sin that remains. Light will dis-spell darkness for the two cannot co-exist. The Spirit inside you not only seeks to conform you to the image of Christ, but He seeks to point others to Christ also. As a believer in Christ, you gain a sense of awareness to the Light that resides in other believers. There is an unspoken connection that you can feel, and see in the Light in their eyes.

What if that light that He projects through your eyes in conversation, opens the door for His light into their heart? A eye to eye conversation bound in truth may be the one that stirs the heart of someone lost in sin, for they feel and wonder what makes you different from others. An eye to eye talk could be the gateway for Christ to use you to encourage others to possess what you possess, and you want to share with them. Don’t keep Him to yourself, share what you possess even in how you conduct your every conversation. Luke 11:33 No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in many see the light.

 
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Posted by on June 11, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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That close……

10 Jun

That close……

Romans 10:8-11 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

The Apostle Paul had a heart for the Jews and their Salvation. He longed for them to see the err of their ways and to realize that their Christ had come to save the world. That they need not try to earn their righteousness by their works, but confess and believe and accept what He has done for them. Christ can be found living inside you, not only in Heaven sitting at the right hand of the Father; He is attainable NOW. Luke 17:20-21  Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” God has placed that desire inside you for better things; for good and not evil.

When you confess your sin, repent of your sin asking for Christ’s forgiveness, and accept Him as Lord of your life, you are Justified in God’s eyes and saved from eternal punishment of denying what Christ did for you at Calvary. The pride and denial are the walls that will surround you in Hell in eternal punishment if you deny The Gospel of Grace. It is impossible to earn your way into heaven, but possible to humbly accept the free gift of Grace. The Jews were spending daily time with God, but they thought it was earning them righteousness, and they were mad at Paul for preaching Free Grace to all people. We are all the same in God’s eyes and His invitation is extended to everyone. Romans 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. Those tugs you feel in your heart sometimes is God letting you know that you cannot do life without Him. He is that close, within you, if you answer His call.

 
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Posted by on June 10, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Listen

09 Jun

Listen

Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Who do you, how do you, what do you believe? There are so many ‘faiths & religions’ out there, you can surely find one that suits you. You can believe in the traditional ones, the scientific ones, even the self ones that have become so prevalent today. Our “itching ears” are inclined to desire to hear something that will give us hope and direction for our lives today and beyond. That is the scary thing of how inclined we are to follow the paths that lead us astray in the empty promises that never satisfy but ultimately cost us eternally.

There is something to hearing the Word of God even in comparison to reading it. The audible voice in a good preacher brings about revelation from God. The audible rings true and enlightens the heart, opening the door of truth. The verse above (Romans 10:17) speaks of how that leads to faith. This is not found in empty sermons that tickle the ears, but in sermons that preach solidly from the Word of God. That tugging at your heart when you hear a solid sermon is God’s revelation to you from His Word. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.

If you are having trouble reading or even understanding your Bible, try an audio version also. There are many resources out there at no costs that provide these services. (Youversion is great). Listening to God’s Word will open you heart and set His Word there. You may find that you can remember scripture when you hear them better than when you read it also. God promises that His Word is planted in our hearts upon hearing. Romans 10:8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach). Pray first, then open your ears for they are the keys to your heart.

 
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Posted by on June 9, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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What have you given the kiddo’s?

08 Jun

What have you given the kiddo’s?

Ephesians 1:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

Ah the demon of anxiety rears his head, and mornings like these must be bathed in God’s Word and prayer. I awoke thinking of the graduations of all our children this week, the next steps in life for them, the changes that are coming. Many of them will be on their own in college and life, many are making the next steps. I awoke thinking of writing of Wisdom. Somewhere in my study, Satan creeped in and has made my morning difficult.

I pray that somewhere in your heart, you have shared the Greatest Gift with your children; the gift of an eternal Savior, Jesus Christ. How will they know if you do not teach them? They will be tugged away by the society that we live in that teaches self love and preservation at all costs. If they are headed off into the ‘real world’, have you prepared them, and their hearts?

Our greatest responsibility as a parent is to teach our children of what lies in the life after this, and that life is one of paradise or torment. Our eternal responsibility is to show them the Way through Christ for the forgiveness of their sins, and to a security that this world cannot steal away from them. This wisdom is eternal, and is gained at no expense but approaching God with a humble heart. James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

Invest in your children more than just parenting, or being their friend. Share with them eternity and the answer to it through Christ. You have less than 20yrs of their lives to make the impressions of them to last more than just this lifetime.

 
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Posted by on June 8, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Your Mission Field

07 Jun

Your Mission Field

Matthew 19:29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.

This morning I have those in the Mission Field on my mind. Our team is leaving for Alaska today, and I know personally of two other missionary journey’s in the coming weeks I will be in prayer for. I could think of six people and families from CCC that are in the process or already have given their lives for Christ; spreading His name globally. An amazing fact from just our church. They are true disciples, putting God first in all their lives. They are not seeking the rewards found here in prosperity, but seeking eternal rewards in the dedication of their lives now for service to Him. Luke 14:33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. I have the upmost respect for them and believe that God puts a special tug on a missionary’s heart for that pursuit; forsaking all for that Call they have felt from Him.

You have a mission field too, even without going to Alaska or abroad. Your mission field is where your feet find you today. God has placed you there for His purpose and you can invest your time drawing glory to Him. Everyone that surrounds you is influenced by you without even realizing it many times. We can even deny that influence, but it remains there in the subconscious unknowingly. So do you project Christ? You can project Him in anything and everything you do when you perform the drudgery of your duties to the best of your abilities. You can be a missionary or disciple when you share why you do these things as God honoring. Colossians 3:23-24 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

Make your investment in the things that will matter for eternity, and have the promise of God in an eternal reward. Matthew Henry said of verse 29; “Thousands have dealt with Christ, and have trusted him far; but never any one lost by him, never any one but was an unspeakable gainer by him, when the account came to be balanced. Christ here gives his word for it, that he will not only indemnify his suffering servants, and save them harmless, but will abundantly reward them.” Spend time today investing in your mission field showing the love of Christ that you posses and those that surround you will want to know what makes you different. That is your opportunity to truly share the Good News, or the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 
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Posted by on June 7, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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