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Press on through it #2

27 Jul

Press on through it #2

Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

It is ironic (not sure that’s the right word), how things work sometimes. Highs are followed by lows; the roller-coaster of life is full of ups and downs. Yesterday I wrote of “Pressing On”, and by early morning I was being challenged to. The woes of the struggles I face seemed to grow before me, and the mental games began. I believe I had an Olympic event in my head yesterday. But did I retreat to worldly comforts to ease the pain, or press into Christ?

I spent some time dealing with the issues head on. I spent some time alone. I spent some time with God. I did not retreat as my mind wanted me to, but faced the day. It is never easy, but God wants to help us in them; Satan wants to destroy us through them. The path only has two directions: Up or Down. The book of James speaks much about the trials of life and how to deal with them. James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. God’s strength to pull you up through whatever you are facing is far beyond the ability He has allowed Satan to drag you down. But you must look up to tap into His power. If you hang your head, you are looking down.

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Tough scriptures to read in a world filled with self seeking  pleasures and false prosperity gospels telling us if we have problems we lack faith. I wonder how they handle these scriptures? Life’s problems present you a direct opportunity to grow in your faith and grow closer to God. If you will see them as that opportunity, a new Light will be shed upon them. That Light in the darkness will guide you through them. Pick your head up and seek that Light in the tunnel of trouble you face, for that Light will dispel whatever darkness you face.

 
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Posted by on July 27, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Press on through it

26 Jul

Press on through it

Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

I have a customer God has placed in my path that has suffered the trial of cancer. It has taken away her joy of playing music, but not her faith. I saw her pre-surgery about six months ago, and again yesterday. We have prayed together both times. She is now cancer free, but her face is suffering from a lymph condition, leaving it partially paralyzed. She is scared, but she is also seeing God at work all around her. She shared great stories of people helping her and seeing God at work through it all.

I am a guy who pushes my limits in all that I do. I just don’t know how to do anything half-way. God has allowed me many tests of faith as a result of that  DNA to test my faith’s strength. If you say you believe, and your faith fails at the first problem; did you truly have faith to begin? God will never leave you, never put you out there to face anything alone. Whatever you are facing today, no matter how large or life changing it may be, He is there with you. Hebrews 13:5 For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Many times He may have allowed these things in your life to draw you closer to Him. We have a tendency to not see God at work around us when our life is full of blessings and all is well. We tend to forget that it all flows through His hands when we are being blessed. James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

We are living in a world far from God that is glorifying sin in every media and walk of life. Satan is peaking in His limited power, and God is surely to return to claim all His creation. If you will truly keep your eye on eternity, the problems will become small you are facing now. What is bigger: Your problem or your God? Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.  Keep your eye on the prize and press yourself towards the goal of eternity in paradise with no problems ever again. This too will have been temporary.

 
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Posted by on July 26, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Breakfast

24 Jul

Breakfast

Hebrews 5:12-14 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

It is unclear who the writer of Hebrews was, but many think it was Paul, and it is also somewhat unclear of what group of people it may have been directed to. But the book of Hebrews has a clear message of salvation and atonement through Christ alone. Paul is trying to strengthen them in their faith, and encourage them to move forward with it.

When we are new to the faith, it comes with excitement, but sometimes that excitement passes and we never grow in our relationship. The growth of our faith is a never ending pursuit filled with zeal and intimacy with the Creator of the universe. This is only accomplished by spending time feeding on the nourishment He provides in His Word and prayer. John 4:32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” Christ was speaking of his labor of love for the will of His Father, and the joy and nourishment He obtained through it. That spiritual nourishment is available to you through seeking God daily and following His will for your life also.

A day that starts with God in His Word and prayer is the most important meal of the day. David puts in well, even in perspective of today’s society which is so far from God. Psalm 63:A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. Time consecrated to God every day is rewarded by Him with a spiritual nourishment to face the day. A new light is shed on the day through the power of His Word and the application you find for it daily in your life. The only way to grow, is to eat of it.

 
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Posted by on July 24, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Ya’ ain’t them kinda smarts

23 Jul

Ya’ ain’t them kinda smarts

John 20:22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

This was Christ’s fifth resurrection appearance, and it was to 10 of His disciples (Thomas was absent) who were meeting secretly together to discuss many things. They were in fear of what had happened, and surely met to encourage one another and discuss their future plans. Christ had appeared in His risen form to them in a locked upper room. He had come to encourage and commission them for their future plans. John 20:21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” Their faith and future were strengthened.

Christ breathed on them. His breath proved His life, and through His breath He gives life. This even points back to the beginning in Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. The gift of the Holy Spirit was given to all the disciples as an enabler for their future ministries. The Holy Spirit is an enabler, and provides spiritual power to aide in the work of discipleship. This was not only a gift to the disciples, but also to you as a disciple of Christ.

If you are having trouble understanding the bible, is it because you are relying on your own wisdom to reveal it to you? These things are available only through the power of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Humble yourself, repent of your sin, and plea for forgiveness. Christ’s Spirit will come to dwell inside of you; revealing many things that you have never seen before. Your time here on earth will take on a new light, and you will be spurred to share as the disciples shared through the power of His Spirit. The give of the Spirit is for our time here, but yet the Salvation lasts an eternity. It is only gained through a humble heart, and not through our own wisdom.

 
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Posted by on July 23, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Prayer for Aurora

21 Jul

Prayer for Aurora

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.

I have really been struggling this morning on where to write. The thoughts in my head are dominated by the senseless tragedy in Aurora. As the days unfold we will learn many details of horror and heroism that unfolded that night. We will learn the media’s play on the killer’s life. There will be all sort of theories as to ‘why’. That is what everyone wants to know, yet it is not where our focus should be. There are evil people beyond our understanding near us every day, and they do not need glorified in their acts. The focus needs to be on comforting those affected as a result of their actions.

Many ask how could God allow this. I cannot begin to understand, but I can rest in the assurance of His Sovereignty, and the understanding of how evil can still be used to draw people to Him. Those that survived will realize the value of life, and many of them will change their lives for the better as a result with a humble thankful heart. The incredible story of the girl who had just survived another shooting months earlier, yet lost her life Thursday. There were some pics of people gathered in prayer that were gripping. Colossians 4:2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. In times like these we can only seek God for prayers for the lost, for the injured, and for the emotionally hurting. We can show them the compassion that God has shown us.

Please take time over the coming days to earnestly pray for those affected. Pray for them to seek Godly counsel for help in their pain. Pray for them to feel God’s touch and comfort that they will find the peace of God in this. Philippians 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Pray for healing both physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Pray for them to seek God in all of this and not to fall into the snares of the world’s comfort. Let this tragedy bring them closer to Jesus. Amen.

 
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Posted by on July 21, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Thankfullness

15 Jul

Thankfullness

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.

This morning I woke up with a heart full of thanks for the great day with friends yesterday God had blessed me with. I began to think of how could I write about being thankful to God. How could I possibly sum up “Thankfulness” in a OneMinuteMinsitry?

Everything you have is a gift from God. In that simple sentence, the breath you take, the eyes you read with, the mind you comprehend with, the place you are at, the sun that arose to give you the day, the luxuries that surround you…………should I keep going? My mind started to bend in trying to simplify something so complex, yet so simple. Every single thing in your life was filtered through Gods hands to draw you closer to him. It is that simple.

Psalm 106:1 Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. David wrote most of the Psalms, and poured his heart out to God many times when he did not understand why he was facing the trials he was, yet he understood to give thanks for them for they served God’s purpose. “Give thanks” is found 26 times in the Psalms. Colossians 3:14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. The Apostle Paul was speaking to unity in the church and of how we are to be filled with God’s love and that breeds a heart full of thanksgiving.

A prideful heart will not breed thanksgiving. A humble heart will breed thanksgiving with the realization of everything comes from above. James 1:7 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Stop, drop, and pray a prayer of thanksgiving today.

 
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Posted by on July 15, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Yes He gave you a green thumb

12 Jul

Yes He gave you a green thumb

1 Corinthians 3:5-9 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.

You are a gardener in God’s hands. How you live your life and your circle of influence is the field in which He has placed you. You are where you are at every day by His purpose, and that day may be used to work the field. The simple idea of gardening is a great analogy of your Christian walk as a disciple. Do you reflect Christ in your field, or is there any evidence of your faith in that field? Is is barren and full of weeds, rocks, idols, and choked off so that the Word of God cannot grow in your life?

God gives us daily opportunities to encourage those in our field. He also has other gardeners working the same fields with us performing different tasks. It takes much discipline and nurturing to grow a healthy plant, but you may play a key role in watering that plant. The other gardener may nurture it and see it produce fruit, but you both have helped it grow through God’s grace. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

There is nothing you can do to force anyone to believe as you do, God must prepare their hearts and do the work in them. But you can deny them, and yourself the blessing by not “watering”; or sharing an encouraging word or deed with them. Don’t step on the plants that surround you by living unGodly in your field. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. A humble spirit living inside you may get to see the fruit of God’s work in your field sometimes and it brings great joy. He has given you the pail of Living Water to  pour out on your field to nurture it. John 7:38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Do not keep the water to yourself but pour it out fully for He will never let your pail run dry.

 
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Posted by on July 12, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Not gonna let it get me down

10 Jul

Not gonna let it get me down

Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Some days we just get the blahs. The weight of the world comes crashing in; all our anxieties about the present and the future grab hold and drag us down. Satan has a powerful tool rooted in fear, that shifts the scales in lieu of your faith. Faith and fear may easily be placed on a balance, for one will always dominate the other. You cannot proclaim great faith and have fear control you. Your relationship with God could easily be described as that balance. You are either focusing on your fear, or on your God. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

I am no different than you. If I were to open my doors and let you into my world, you would understand what I am facing, and these battles with fear. Big things, but none bigger than what you are facing. But on what front do you fight the battle? Is it running away, in retaliation, in substance abuse, denial, or in seeking God? He knows exactly where you are at right now, and where you will be next. He can use where you are at to draw you closer to Himself if you will seek and not stray. 1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Many times the reason we are drug down is the worry about the future. If we are worried about tomorrow, we will waste today away in that fear. Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. We can loose some of life’s best days being lost in worry about the days to come. Take today and cherish where God has you. Turn Satan’s tool of fear against him, and let God use fear to draw you closer to Himself. Today, and only today are all you need to worry about.

 
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Posted by on July 10, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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The climb

08 Jul

The climb

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

Christ was beginning his Sermon on the Mount here in Matthew. He began with what we call the ‘Beatitudes’. Christ is going against all the world is teaching in a way with words of simple summaries. He is teaching that His way of living will bring blessing eternal and not temporal. He is extending His invitation to them early in this sermon to prepare them for what He is about to teach.

Do you hunger for God? Is there something inside you that wants to know more, to draw closer, to pursue a relationship that grows daily? God has given you that ability through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. At the day of Pentecost the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit, and that same Spirit lives within you today, urging you to draw closer to God. Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. That feeling inside you is the Holy Spirit tugging you towards righteousness in your daily life. Are you following His lead, or denying Him and grieving the Spirit?

A hunger for God is a pang that should never subside. He will fill you with His Spirit and His Word, but you should always desire more. Your relationship with God is never to stagnate, for still is falling away. You are either moving upward in pursuit of Him, or you are sliding backwards; the climb has not grip, but God has the rope. That pursuit of righteousness is God’s arms pulling you up the climb closer to him and eternal blessing.

 
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Posted by on July 8, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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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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