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Spiritual rest at your fingertips…sorta

03 Jul

Spiritual rest at your fingertips…sorta

Hebrews 4:1-3 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 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. For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

The writer of Hebrews is speaking of how a generation of Israel had missed finding rest in the Promise Land due to their unbelief. Their unbelief is so hard for me to grasp when He had provided for them for 40 years, but an entire generation missed the opportunity. But what is this Spiritual Rest found in God? Matthew Henry puts it well. “He specifies this, that we have a promise left us of entering into his rest; that is, of entering into a covenant-relation to Christ, and a state of communion with God through Christ, and of growing up therein, till we are made perfect in glory. We have discoveries of this rest, and proposals, and the best directions how we may attain unto it. This promise of spiritual rest is a promise left us by the Lord Jesus Christ in his last will and testament, as a precious legacy.”

When you hear the Good News, does it stir your heart, or do you deny it? 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. A hard heart, a heart full of pride, will not allow you to enter that rest. You will remain away from God and all the anxieties that this life brings with it. There is a peace with God you will never understand until you accept the Good News. Philippians 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. You have the ability for finding a peace in an out of control world at your fingertips, by reaching out with your heart.

 
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Posted by on July 3, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Let’s talk God

02 Jul

Let’s talk God

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18   Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I was thinking this morning while I was praying about a ‘little thing’; and of how lucky I was on ‘big things’. I have even found myself praying over service calls more this past week due to the extreme heat and even some nightmare calls. Yes, I do pray over air conditioners for God to help me have the ability to fix them, and to provide comfort to those in need. I ask God for guidance in so many areas of my daily walk seeking His Will.

So many times we only go to God with our pleas and not our gratitude. Does God go, “I wonder what they want this time” when you pray? Is that the only time you go to Him in prayer? He knows what you want before you ask it, but think of the joy He has when you don’t ask for, but pray a prayer of thanksgiving and gratitude. He gave you the very breath of life, and the breath to pray. 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. There is much in that verse, for wherever we are in our lives, God has designed or allowed it. All of it can be used to draw you closer to Him, and to glorify Him as a result of where you are today.

17 pray without ceasing. Does this mean to stop your car, to bow your head at work, or to do nothing else but meditate? No; the Apostle Paul is trying to convey to be persistent and consistent in your prayer. A person who is abiding in Christ will be a person who is not afraid to pray at any time about any thing. The closer your relationship grows to God, the more you will be drawn to talk to Him. You will gain a respect and an ability to open the lines of communication with the One whom created you. How will you ever get to know anybody better if you don’t first talk to them? Start today by giving thanks for the breath He gave you today.

 
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Posted by on July 2, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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BC – AC

01 Jul

BC – AC

Ephesians 4:22-24 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

I ended up in Ephesians 4 this morning, and so much of it speaks of the new person and our change once we accept Christ. There is a true “BC” – Before Christ. There is also an “AC” After Christ in your life’s timeline. There is that point in history when your life changes forever, and the pursuit and the lens which you see this life is forever altered. As Dr. Ed Gravely puts it so well, you begin to see life through the “lens of the gospel”. We begin to feel conviction of the old habits that are still there. The Spirit begins to show us where our faults lie, and gives us the power through God’s grace to help us change our ways. This process is called Sanctification.

Sanctification is a process, not immediate, but continual throughout your life. 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. It is the  work of God in your life to mold you into a better person, a person closer to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. Sanctification is spoken of twice in 1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor. This was always a huge struggle for me and in today’s society it is a large struggle for many. But Sanctification is not only in related to sex, but our speech, actions, and thoughts on a daily basis. When God begins to stir in your soul, it is His way of working through the sin in your life, through the conviction of that sin. The Spirit is strong enough to change you like you can’t, if you let Him.

 
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Posted by on July 1, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Hotter than ……..

30 Jun

Hotter than ……..

Isaiah 66:24 “And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

Hotter than Hell….not even close. The popular term is an insult to the eternal heat and fire of Hell. Hell is a real place, and a place that the world has it’s invitation written in many ways. The book of Isaiah closes with this stern warning. This was brought about describing Jerusalem’s garbage dump outside the city with constant fires and rotting corpses that burned continuously. A pretty grim picture, but one that can’t touch purgatory. Eternal fire…..just grasp those two words alone. Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God.

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. Christ came into the world to rescue you from that fire. He paid for your life with His, and all you must do is to honor that sacrifice by placing your life in His. A humble repentant heart, a true heart that seeks to serve God with all your mind, body and soul, is a heart that will never fear the fires of Hell. Living a life for our short time here in the pursuit of God, and not the things of this world will give you paradise for eternity. Matthew 25:46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

 
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Posted by on June 30, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Thristy?

29 Jun

Thristy?

John 7:37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

I swear sometimes I think God has a sense of humor. As I lay there this morning watching all the weather channels speak of extreme heat, all they spoke about was hydrating. I then moved over to Reflections and the scripture above was the first one on the screen. I laughed out loud.

Christ was speaking at a great feast (Feast of the Tabernacles), and a large part of that feast was a ritual honoring when God had produced water from a rock for the Israelites when they were in the desert for 40 years. But Christ was telling them of things to come after His departure; and the gift of the Holy Spirit whom He gives to us. John 7:39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. We not only benefit from all that Christ gave us on the Cross for Salvation, we also with that are given His Spirit that comes to live inside us. Christ’s Spirit living inside of you. Do you get the weight of those few words?

That gift is the second greatest gift anyone could ever receive. It comes without even asking with a repentant heart seeking Christ as the Savior of our souls. Once He dwells within us, we begin to live a transformed life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. We begin to see things differently, act differently, speak differently, all because He is living inside us. Those around us take notice and are given that living water to drink that He pours out from us. John 7:38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” You can have all these things too. Humble your heart before God, repent of your sins, and ask Christ to forgive you and become the Lord of your life. You will never thirst again.

 
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Posted by on June 29, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Freaky weird weather

28 Jun

Freaky weird weather

Daniel 2:21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.

Freaky weird weather seems to be becoming the ‘norm’ over recent years. Even yesterday we set a record low temp of 130 years, and 48-72hrs later we will flirt with the all time record high of 104. Almost a 50 degree temperature swing in a couple of days. Are these not strange enough to begin to question? What if it had snowed and then came back to blazing heat? Every prophet true or not would have been on the street preaching the end of days. Are the days just not “biblical” enough to warrant concern? All of this radical weather we have seen in recent years should simply point us to the One who is in control of it. Man can never control the weather, he just improves his abilities to adapt.

Christ was preaching to the multitudes in the gospel of Luke of how the people could forecast the coming weather from the signs God gave them, but they could not see the signs and Him standing before them. Luke 12:56 Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time? Are we not discerning the times laid before us now? Are we so concerned with ourselves that we are simply pushing aside what God is writing on the walls of the sky? Countless natural disaster have filled our history books over very recent years that should point us to the power of God. Matthew 24:7-8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. All of these things simply point you to the power of God and His creation. They point you to something you cannot control, yet can dwell in His presence through the power of the Cross. Do not sit in the comfort of your ability to cope with the seasons, but grasp what the season brings.

Matthew Henry put it like this: Even in regard to changes of the weather God gives warning to us what is coming, and art has improved the notices of nature in weather-glasses. The prognostications here referred to had their origin in repeated observations upon the chain of causes: from what has been we conjecture what will be. See the benefit of experience; by taking notice we may come to give notice. Whose is wise will observe and learn.

 
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Posted by on June 28, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Here. I love to……

27 Jun

Here. I love to……

2 Corinthians 9:6-8   But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

“OoooK; I will give it up if I must. I mean that is what God wants me to do right?” I think we could agree that is not the sound of a cheerful giver, but of one doing what they feel is right, grudgingly. We all have been in that situation of giving a material possession, or invested time in something that we knew we should, but we reeeally didn’t want to. Although it is a ‘good deed’ it is not one that we should expect God to bless. Cheerfulness comes from the heart, and a heart that is in tune with God expels His love cheerfully in outward expressions of that love by giving. This cheerful heart is the one God approves. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

John MacArhur wrote, “While it is possible to give without loving, it is not possible to love with out giving. God gives His Son to all believers, but as previously noted, He blesses in a unique way generous, cheerful givers. In fact, He blesses such believers on such a grand, immense, staggering scale that it beggars language to express it.” 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.  God knows your heart, so He knows why you do what you do. A heart that is after Gods, is a heart that loves to invest freely in gifts and time to draw glory to God, and none to self. The greatest gifts are those done anonymously seeking none for self, but all for His glory.

 
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Posted by on June 27, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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A dark place, but with a great Light

26 Jun

A dark place, but with a great Light

Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

I had a good friend, a brother in Christ, leave me a message yesterday about someone close to him that died. His voice told of how he was hurting as expected, but his voice spoke of the peace and comfort God brings. He asked me of writing about it, and I have struggled of how to write about one of the toughest subjects – death. We will or have all dealt with it’s pain in our lifetime. The pain that it brings many times seems unbearable, but how is it that some seem to cope better? Without a doubt they will tell you it is always their faith. 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. When we are going through these difficult times resting on God’s comfort, He is glorified. Those around us are drawn to Him through the toughest of tribulations, by those of us who are held in His arms of comfort.

The scripture above speaks of walking through that valley, and Matthew Henry put it so well. “It is a walk through it; they shall not be lost in this valley, but get safely to the mountain of spices on the other side of it. Because there is no evil in it to a child of God; death cannot separate us from the love of God, and therefore it can do us no real harm; it kills the body, but cannot touch the soul. Why should it be dreadful when there is nothing in it hurtful? Because the saints have God’s gracious presence with them in their dying moments; he is then at their right hand, and therefore why should they be moved?” There is great comfort in those words to the believer without attaching all the cliche’s to them.

There is immeasurable comfort in God’s Word. Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. The Spirit will seem to press us into God’s Word during these difficult times, and we will find comfort in the Scriptures. There is no comfort to those who do not know God, but they may be drawn to God by how a believer copes. God’s plans are beyond our understanding, and death is a part of that eternal plan. But as a child of God we can rest in His Sovereignty and the comfort of spending time with our loved ones for eternity in paradise.

 
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Posted by on June 26, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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I wanna Abide

25 Jun

I wanna Abide

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.

God granted me a good nights sleep, and I lay there this morning with my mind ramping up. I was also watching Reflections that scrolls scripture as I do most mornings. John 15:5 came across and it was clearly a word from God for me.  “Without me you can do nothing”. There are endless roads to go down with that scripture with eternal implications, but for today it was God’s reassurance to keep my eyes on Him. When the load that lies before you is daunting, where do you lean? Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Leaning on God in the practical application is surrounding yourself in His Word, and turning over your concerns to Him in prayer.

How much time you spend with God is directly related to how you handle the stress and strain of life. The closer you get to God the more Satan tries to pull you away in both turmoil and even blessings to draw your attention away from God. Start your day in prayer and His Word. Matthew 6:33 Seek ye first the kingdom of God…. Surround yourself with God’s Word all day. There is Christian radio, podcast’s, TV, CD’s, on YOUR PHONE….you name it in this digital age. God can speak to you anytime His Word is read or spoken, but how can you hear from God if you are not seeking Him? Romans 10:7 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Abiding in the scripture above is a state of ‘being’. Abiding is only found in the heart of those continually seeking God. Abiding in Christ is where you find rest in a world that is out of control. Abiding is where you find God and the peace of God. Abiding starts with the heart that seeks…….daily.

 
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Posted by on June 25, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Yes I can……No you can’t.

24 Jun

Yes I can……No you can’t.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

The Apostle Paul was really laying it out here; laying down the foundation of what really mattered to the Corinthians. Christ had paid the ultimate price for them (John 15:13), and we must understand that He buried our sins eternally with His death reconciling us to God. (Romans 6:1-14). 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. If we truly grasp the understanding of self sacrifice for our betterment, there should be a tug to honor that sacrifice that was bestowed upon us. Are you living a life honoring that sacrifice He paid for you? Have you even repented of your sins and accepted that sacrifice He paid for you?

I know we all have our list of reasons why not, and many revolved around our present condition. We feel as though we must ‘get right’ before we come to God. If I was to start my ‘to do’ list of sins I have committed and wanted to change, you would still be reading them next week. You can’t fix yourself by yourself. Satan through pride will try to convince you that you must before, or even that you can do it on your own, but you will fail until you start with Christ. Psalm 10:17 Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear. Come to Jesus just as you are and cast all your burdens on Him. He will take you in, forgive your sin, and reconcile your life to God. I pray that your transformed life is moved to a place of honoring God and the sacrifice Christ paid on the cross for you and I.

 
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Posted by on June 24, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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