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OK God, you asked……

04 Jan

OK God, you asked……

Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

I have been really struggling the past couple of months with the inner wars in my head. The struggles that many of us face that are handled in the seen, but warred in the unseen. The struggles of life that command our thoughts even when we do no let them become visible. Like many of you, financial security is a thing of the past. I have seen people close to me deeply hurt. I have struggled in the church I call home. I have struggled with those close to me and how they turn their backs on God. I have struggled when God humbled me in great ways showing me my sin. I could go on and on and make the weight of the list too personal, but we all have a personal list. All of these weights bear down on me; bear down in a place of my mind that begin to affect the outer self. I know this load that I bear is becoming too much to bear alone. I must take the weight of this and lay it at the foot of the cross, daily.

Luke 9:23 can mean so many things in so many ways. It is a personal message from Christ that can apply to every struggle you face. It is broad enough, and personal enough, to apply to what you are trying to face; trying to carry; trying to hide; trying to resolve; trying to handle on your own. Pride is at the root of that sin of selfishness, and it will keep you from lightening that load by letting Christ take it from you. Christ desires for us to share what we face with Him, for in Him is strength to face the struggle He has allowed or designed. Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. All you face in life is not meant to handle alone; it is meant to draw you to Jesus.

I have a deep desire to draw closer to God this year. The last morning of 2012 God pressed down on me the sins in my life; the struggles in my life, many of which are unseen, many of which are in the mind. The inner wars of pride and covetousness are a huge battle I face. These inner wars are only fixed in a spiritual plain, and that is only in releasing them daily to God. In my heart for God I must pray for grace and mercy for the day I face. I must pray for the strength to give up my pride and become humble as a lifestyle. Proverbs 29:33 A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor. I must approach Christ every day and release my struggles to Him, give it all to Him, and pray for the guidance to follow His will for me for the day. (Paraphrased Luke:9:23)

 
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Posted by on January 4, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Ya’ got that second chance today

03 Jan

Ya’ got that second chance today

Isaiah 38:5 “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years.

Hezekiah was a king of Judah, and Jerusalem was under siege by Assaria, and the stress of it was getting to him. He had become sick, and God had sent the prophet Isaiah to tell him to get his house in order, for he would not recover. Hezekiah poured out his heart to God; God heard his plea and did the unimaginable; God promised to add 15 years to his life. God even told Hezekiah that He would give him proof of this and seemingly moved time backwards; Isaiah 38:8 Behold, I will bring the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down with the sun on the sundial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward.” So the sun returned ten degrees on the dial by which it had gone down. Hezekiah recovered, poured out his heart in prayer, then pride crept in and he failed miserably showing off all his possessions to those who later would steal them.

We all hear of the stories of second chances in life. Miraculous healing’s, near death experiences, times when we know we should have died, yet God gave us added years. “God had something else for me to do; was not done with me yet.” So many testimonies of God’s power in His Sovereign control of life and death. With those experiences should come a gratitude and a mindset of the pursuit of God and the things of God for the rest of your days. Your life should revolve around serving the One who gave you life. There should be a desire to share what God blessed you with for the remainder of every single day. Does it take a near death experience for this revelation? God holds that sovereign decision regarding your life in His hand.

There is so much more to this life; there is the life after. This life is a preparation of things to come, to spend your time preparing for where and how you will spend eternity. Will you take the easy road of earthly pleasure and pay for that decision in eternal pain? Will you see that God has a plan for you with Him in paradise if you will spend your short time here loving and serving Him? All you must do is to believe in His Son, and your need for His Son. Jesus Christ paid the price for your sin, and only through Christ will you spend your eternal days in paradise. John 5:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. It should not take a near death experience for you to be moved by God. He has granted you the breath of life for today didn’t He?

 
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Posted by on January 3, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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How bad to you want it?

02 Jan

How bad to you want it?

Matthew 17:20-21    So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

It is day two of the New Year and most likely the second day of some sort of resolution for you. I  hope that in your goals God is in there somewhere. The last couple of years I typically Fasted during this time of the year. This year Pastor Alan is calling for a 3 Day Fast for the church to do together; to seek guidance and God’s Will for the church, community, and each individual role in it. “God where do you want me to serve you?” The power of a church fasting together and seeking God on the same subject can produce mighty works of God.It is a humble self-sacrifice to honor God and concentrate fully on the time in prayer and His Word seeking Him. Fasting is a way to draw nearer to God; to hear the direction of God; to silence the white noise of the world by whole heartedly seeking Him in prayer and His Word.

We all love Matthew 17:20; for it speaks of the ability of the depth of our faith to move mountains. It speaks of the power of our faith; it speaks of the power of God at work in us; but it also is in a rebuke by Christ to His disciples for their lack of it. They had been unable earlier to cast out a demon due to their lack of faith. They had just come down from the Mount of Transfiguration with Christ and they were on their final journey with Him to Jerusalem. Their faith must had grown in these days, and Christ was showing them the power of it.; “and nothing will be impossible for you.” Christ was using these last days with them to strengthen them for their work to come serving Him. He again was using analogies with the smallest seed, doing the greatest work, with the inner strength, the inner faith in Him.

Matthew Henry has a great description of fasting: Fasting is of use to put an edge upon prayer; it is an evidence and instance of humiliation which is necessary in prayer, and is a means of mortifying some corrupt habits, and of disposing the body to serve the soul in prayer.” Do you really want to get close to God? Do you really want to seek God with all your heart, mind, body and soul? Would you replace that hunger pain you are feeling with prayer and time in His Word? Would you ask God for spiritual food in the place of junk that you put in your body every day? Are you ready to act of what you hear? Matthew 6 speaks of prayer and fasting; Christ gives us the example of how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13 in the Lord’s Prayer. We also receive the instruction of fasting as the private act between us and God. Matthew 6:8 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. How bad do you want to get closer to God?

 
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Posted by on January 2, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Eternal resolution

01 Jan

Eternal resolution

1 Thessalonians 4:1 -2  Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

This morning is sort of weird. I seemingly have a lot on my mind, yet in the same sentence I feel blank. I have really felt burdened after yesterday with God, and His showing me how much I need Him and how far I must go for Him. Pride creeps in and makes us feel proud, yet at no point in the Christian life should ourselves feel elevated. Pride is at the root of all sin and a great tool of our enemy who uses it to draw our attention away from God. This morning is the day of resolutions; a day of all the things we will say we desire to do or change by our willpower to achieve that goal. Goals are a great thing if we seek God in them. Do we rely on 12 step programs or prayer to achieve them? Programs elevate us, prayer elevates God.

Paul was writing to the the Thessalonians encouraging them in the growing of their faith and spreading of the Gospel. Paul spends the first part of chapter 4 speaking to them about sexual purity, and how to live a Christian life (4:1-12). He encourages them to live peaceably with others; to set a good example in their work ethic; to not become wrapped up in the chaos of the world that surrounded them; to lead by example. 1 Thessalonians 4:11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you. Paul knew the struggles they faced and we face many of the same struggles today. We live in a sexual exploited society; we live in a entitlement society; we live in a selfish society; we live in a society that is beginning more and more to persecute the church, even in a nation founded on the freedoms of it.

If today is a day that you set your heart on a goal, why can you not make that goal to seek God and the things of God? Why can’t you make the conscious effort on something that matters eternally, much more than any bad habit that is temporal? Why can’t you make today the start of growing your relationship with your Creator and Savior the greatest resolution ever? Today could be the first day of the rest of your eternal life if you truly seek to change through the Good News of Jesus Christ. Have you been playing Christian but yet never sold your soul out for Christ as a disciple? Is your name on a Most Wanted poster at the gates of hell? Make today’s resolution on of a life consecrated to seeking God and the things of God and you will be eternally rewarded. Matthew 6:33 Seek Ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.  True change begins with Christ; true change continues daily in Christ; true change is rewarded eternally, but begins today.

 
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Posted by on January 1, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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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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