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Humbled

11 Sep

Humbled

Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.

As I sit in this chair with you this morn
My body is tired from the day;
For it was filled with emotions
You came calling that way.

I have followed that tug
That you placed on my heart;
From your Word every day
I do not depart.

I seek you early each day
I am humbled by your response;
It all started that day
When I opened my Bible once.

Help me Lord to share
Help me Lord to teach;
To show the the way to you
Help me Lord to preach.

Paul wrote to us in Romans
Of spreading the Good News;
Of sharing the hope that lies within us
There is no way I could refuse.

I have felt the stronger tug
Of hearing your call to preach;
I know my strength lies in you
From your Word I will teach.

Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

 
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Posted by on September 11, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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How will they know?

09 Jul

How will they know?

Romans 10:13-15    For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

Paul has been presenting that what was once thought only available to the Jews, is now available to all. The Lord God that all had known the Jews worshipped, had come to give Himself up for those not of Jewish decent too. The saving grace found in Him carried no ruse of exclusivity any longer; all could come to know Him and worship Him for what He freely gave to them. 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. This was no private party with a God all throughout the Old Testament that those opposing the Jews had feared; Paul preached a God of love who had came and paid the ultimate price for all to have forgiveness and access to Him. The doors were opened, and all needed to hear; Paul preached the Gospel with urgency.

I love this set of rhetorical questions that Paul presents here; the “how thens”. You say that you believe in Him, but how then did you come to believe? You at some point must have heard of Him, to come to a point of belief in Him. Someone, somewhere, somehow, presented the Good News of Jesus Christ to you. It may have been received with a hardened heart at the time it was presented; it may have fallen on your seemingly deaf ears; it may have nestled in a corner of your soul until God was ready to humble you to remind you of your need of Him. Paul is stressing the importance of spreading the Good News here, to live your life on mission. And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? Have, or more directly, is your life on mission? Do those around you know of Who you place your faith and hope in? How can they share in your joy if they have not heard of Him?

So much over the past couple of weeks of my life has been centered on missions. God has been putting people in my life that have true hearts for missions; for spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth; with hearts like Paul. I have spent some time with a modern day Paul; he is just encouraging to be in his presence; sold out for Christ and spreading the Good News in a country far away from God. I have friends with true mission hearts such as Paul, I saw and experienced the evidences of it and Him greatly as we gathered to prayerfully send off the next team. The presence of the Holy Spirit was great in that home that evening; He was there, and we were blessed because 15b”How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” My heart is full of joy for those that God has put in my circle to influence me; to encourage me to press on, to feel the love they have for Him and the hearts they have for sharing Him with others. How else will they ever come to know Him?

 
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Posted by on July 9, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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On Mission to spread the Good News

08 Jul

On Mission to spread the Good News

Romans 10:8-10     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): 9 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. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

My heart is on missions this morning; from spending time with friends headed on mission last night, to my son pouring his heart out to God in a prayer letter after we got home, to where I have been in God’s Word in Romans the past couple of days. Presenting the Gospel to those that will hear; to give hope to those that desire it; to present the understanding that one can never perform enough good works to enter into heaven; the Gospel of Grace. Paul has been pouring out his heart for his countrymen; for their err in seeking to obtain righteousness through following the word of the Law. The Law had been satisfied by Christ, their Messiah had come and now they are to follow Him, not the Law that pointed to Him. Their are two types of righteousness; a works based, and a faith based. Works is based in self and pride; faith is based in the heart and Grace. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you feel that you can in any way, earn your way, you are going headlong against Christ and the Gospel of Grace.

I grew up going to church every Sunday. Somewhere in there I began believing that you went to heaven because you went to church. So whatever I did during the week was ok, or forgiven, if I made it to church on Sunday. Sadly the largest denomination today still preaches this works based faith system. Their is no number of “hail Mary’s” that will ever pay your sin debt; only a humble heart that confesses sins to the Savior of them through Grace will be saved. How could a missionary go into the far reaches of the world and preach a Salvation that required works? The only Salvation that saves is the one accessible to all; one that is through faith in Jesus Christ that came, died, and rose from the dead to pay for your sins; past, present, and future. The gospel of Grace is obtainable to all that will hear, all that God is tugging on their heart, opening that door of hope that is available to all.

What do you believe? Do you think that the better you are as a person, the more likely you are to enter into heaven? Do you think that your good works will outweigh your bad on God’s scales for eternity? Do you think that because you know right from wrong, and that you feel you are just good enough, that God will let you in? God doesn’t let just good enough in, he only let’s in those that have accepted the free gift he gave them in the understanding of the sacrifice of his Son. He will ask you upon judgement day what you did with the knowledge of that sacrifice? How will you answer?

 
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Posted by on July 8, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Lemme’ tell you…….

27 Apr

Lemme’ tell you……..

Romans 10:13-15     For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

My study Bible states the logic of this scripture clearly: “People will call on Jesus to save them only if they believe he can do so; belief in Christ cannot exist without knowledge about him; one hears about Christ only when someone proclaims the saving message; and the message about Christ will not be proclaimed unless someone is sent by God to do so.” Do you see the power in the spoken word of the saving power of Christ? Do you see the necessity of your call as a Christian to share the gospel with those that He places before you? I have heard the quotation from a leading atheist paraphrased, “If as a Christian who believes this gospel of saving power and love, how much must you truly hate your fellow man to not share it with them?”

Paul is speaking of salvation in these chapters of Romans. Of how there is no difference now between God’s chosen people (Jews), and the Gentiles who are now coming to the faith. 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. Paul reminds us that the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled by the Gentiles coming to faith in Christ. 20 But Isaiah is very bold and says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.” Where the stubborn Jews have been turning their backs on Him, the Gentiles have been coming to faith in Him. But we must understand that God seeks to save us all, and He is saving a remnant of the Jews who are coming to faith in Him, and not their religiosity of their culture.

Are you doing your part? Are you keeping Christ to yourself? If we are truly saved then we are led to share what we have with others; it is a natural draw to have that desire. The Spirit, the Spirit of Christ that comes to dwell inside you, desires to use you to draw others to Himself. Evangelism is a spiritual gift to some, but it should be a desire to all. If you have ever been in the presence of an evangelist, it is incredible to witness how openly and easily they share the gospel. It does not come easy to us all, but we should respond when our hearts are led to share. How do we know what plans God has for us or those before us unless we share the hope that lies within us?

 
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Posted by on April 27, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Do your part

24 Apr

Do your part

Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Pastor Jack asked the question of what this scripture meant to us yesterday. This falls in the context of when Christ was speaking to his disciples regarding his second coming and the end of times. They were seeking to know what the signs were for the end of times, and how to be on the lookout for His return. Matthew 24 is Christ’s prophecy of the last days. Early in this prophecy is this scripture above; a prelude to the Great Commission He gives them upon his ascension to heaven after his crucifixion and resurrection. 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. Christ was telling them of how it is their ultimate life responsibility to spread the Gospel; and the spreading of the Gospel to all those who will hear must happen before He returns.

Matthew Henry summarized it well, “That which seems chiefly intended here, is, that the end of the world shall be then, and not till then, when the gospel has done its work in the world. The gospel shall be preached, and that work carried on, when you are dead; so that all nations, first or last, shall have either the enjoyment, or the refusal, of the gospel; and then cometh the end, when the kingdom shall be delivered up to God, even the Father; when the mystery of God shall be finished, the mystical body completed, and the nations either converted and saved, or convicted and silenced, by the gospel.” The apostle Paul summarized it well in Romans 10:13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? You are called by Christ, the one who saved you, to preach that message of Salvation to all that will hear. It is your responsibility, unto your debt to Him, to evangelize and spread the Good News found in Him.

Ten years ago the internet was a new fad. A new means of communication that would likely fade. In that short time we now cannot imagine life without it. We now are instantly connected 24 hours a day to all the world. All the world is receiving this technology at an alarming rate. Even missionaries in the far reaches of the earth are carrying this technology into those foreign lands. This can easily be seen as a means for all to hear. You can even look shortly into the future of this technology and begin to understand how “all may see or hear.” In the book of Revelation we are told of the two great prophets that come and preach repentance to all the earth for 1,260 days. When they have finished their testimony, they are killed, and all the world living in sin rejoices at the sight of their bodies. 9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. The means for all the world to see and hear lies before you today. God has given us the technology for the Good News to be spread to every nation. Today should be the day you begin to do your part.

 
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Posted by on April 24, 2013 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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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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Yes that is God stirring this week

04 Apr

Yes that is God stirring this week

Romans 10:8-9    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.

Before Christ I was living a life so full of sin I am ashamed. I don’t believe in glorifying the sin, but in my typical fashion I even sinned to the greatest of my ability too. But somewhere along the way God began to stir my heart and I began to listen. Then I began to respond and things started to change, and the conviction of those sins bared down on me with a weight I was ready to release. Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.  I did not want to walk in the middle of the road, I wanted to fully commit my life to Christ, and I prayed for Him to take my sins and guide me to fully following Him with all my might. I cannot accurately pen the indescribable difference that Christ has made inside me, but everything I have is available to you too.

This Holy week celebrating our Risen Lord stirs the hearts of many of you which may spur you into going to church. No other religion in the world celebrates a Risen King which separates Christianity from all others. Romans 8:34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. There is nothing that you have done that you cannot be forgiven for by One whom conquered death and presented life eternally. He is praying for you and submitting His prayers to God His Father on your behalf in hope that you will recognize your sin and allow Him to rescue you from an eternal punishment. No good deeds will ever rescue you from paying the price tag with pride of believing you can attain what is unattainable without Him.

Let God stir in your heart this week and respond to that invitation. Humble yourself before Him, repent and know there is eternal forgiveness, and let Him into your heart. You will attain a peace and a new outlook in life in a world that is far from God. Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.

 
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Posted by on April 4, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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