When Confusion Prevails

When Confusion Prevails

by Katherine Kehler

“God is not the author of disorder, but of peace” 1 Corinthians 14:33

Have you been in a situation that seemed totally confusing? Decisions need to be made, but things didn’t make sense and you just didn’t know what to do? Let me remind you that God is not the author of confusion. He does not give us the spirit of fear and panic, but of power, love and a sound mind.

Recently I had one of those confusing situations to deal with. Rumors, gossip, insecure and inexperienced people all added to the confusion. God reminded me that He is not the God of confusion, but Satan is.

Good reminder. I began to pray that God would drive the enemy and his evil spirits from this situation. Doesn’t the Bible tell us in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God.” I prayed that God would shine His light into the situation. I prayed that God would bring His wisdom to the minds of the people involved.

Thankfully, the situation was resolved within an hour. Why don’t we pray like this more often? I don’t know. Probably because we try to figure things out ourselves.

Let me note here, there have been times in my life when God chose not to dispel the confusion for a while. God has the big picture and knows what is best for everyone involved.

Are you in a confusing situation today? Take time to pray.

Lord, thank You for your Holy Spirit who reminds me of all things You have taught us in your precious Holy Word. Cause us to listen and act on Your direction quickly. Amen

The First Step

The First Step

by Kristi Huseby

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” Matthew 5.43-44 (NLT, emphasis mine)

“Lord, is there any bitterness in my life?” I asked the question half-heartedly knowing that there wouldn’t be. I had just worked through a seven year stretch of bitterness and felt pretty sure that there couldn’t be any more.

How wrong I was! Bitterness had burrowed deep into my soul. With every wrong done to me I allowed it to tunnel deeper and deeper, until it became a part of me. I relished the bitterness. I was sure I must be in the right.

“Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can fully share its joy.” (Proverbs 14.10 NLT)

God’s illuminating truth revealed the corruption of my heart. But how do I yank this out of my life? Where do I go?

“Come to ME” (Matthew 11:28-29).

Pray for those who have wounded you, for those who have done you wrong. Prayer does the unexplainable, in the heart of the one who prays.

What about you? Have you asked God to show you the bitterness that lurks in your own heart? Are you praying for those who have hurt you and done you wrong?

Lord, I surrender my bitterness to You, all the those things I used to justify my bitterness because I was wronged. I NEVER want to add another brick to my wall of bitterness. Root out this darkness in me and teach me to come to You. Amen.

Action Step
If you need support read “Feelings, Forgiveness and Peace” to find out how to heal.

Second Chance

Second Chance

by Joshua Lim

Everybody deserves a second chance. Hatred in your heart will only bring death.
Be slow to anger and judgment, or judgment shall come upon you.

Always care for one another. Love others as you would love yourselves.
Have a caring and loving heart, just like Jesus and reach out to others.
Be compassionate towards others. Don’t judge a person by their looks.
Go and preach the Gospel in His wisdom, because you must be wise
in everything you do. Be on fire for Christ.

Don’t take things for granted; be united, and don’t be easily offended,
but always give and take with one another. And have love in your own family,
and also in the church.

In your hour of need, always run to the Lord for help; cry out to Him; have faith in Him.

The Lord has given everyone the gift to hear His voice. He will speak to you if you’re willing to hear.

Hear the Lord’s voice and He will guide you.

Have faith and believe His words. Don’t be proud and think that you’re full of knowledge.

Obey His words and commandments and keep the Sabbath holy. Don’t be a Sunday Christian, but take notice of people around you in your church, and in other nations.

Many people are suffering. Count your blessings. The road to heaven is narrow;
so you have to lean on God and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in whatever you do

In Him

In Him

by Alec Niemi

“And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming. “1 John 2:28

Wow! What a challenge. Well when I first read it I thought that it was. It is such a struggle at times to not do something that would have me be ashamed on that day of reckoning.

Then as I reread the verse I found the key! …continue “in Him”…

And it’s found again in Philippians 4:13. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

It is “through Him” because “Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. “In love.” Ephesians 1:4

We were chosen “in Him” before we were even born.

It sure makes sense to continue “in Him” then doesn’t it.

He died for my life and lives that He might be in my life!

“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24

My prayer for us this week

“Heavenly Father we rejoice in the knowledge that it is walking in the power of Your indwelling Spirit that we can be confident and unashamed at Your return. In Jesus name, amen.”

Have a great week

What’s Going on in Your Heart?

What’s Going on in Your Heart?

by Gail Rodgers

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23

Have you thought lately about your role as the “gate-keeper” of your heart? You play an active role in what you open the door of your heart to and what seeds you allow in the soil of your mind. What goes on in your heart and mind is not simply thoughts and feelings that come and go at random.

Yes, each one of us plays a role in the guarding of our hearts. Have sour attitudes, harsh words, fear or negativity been too close for comfort lately? God tells us how important it is to tend our hearts — the very well from which our words and attitudes spring. When that role is neglected we will find uninvited emotions and words taking root. With no attention to guarding what goes in, there will also be little attention to what comes out.

Invite God to help you guard the wellspring of your soul today by paying attention what you let settle into your heart and mind. He reminds us how important it is.

Father God, I confess that I have not paid enough attention to what is going on in my heart and mind. I’m sorry for the negative reactions this often causes me to have. Remind me, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, to guard my heart today. Help me to acknowledge what I allow to parade through my thoughts and to choose wisely. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Action Step: Take the next step here, in allowing the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh.

Be Patient

Be Patient

by Katherine Kehler

“But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22)

We were waiting for the traffic light to turn green. A car beside us (going the opposite direction) had her left turn signal light on, waiting to cross our lane. The woman in the car behind her was not impressed. Impatiently, she sat on her horn, then got out of her car and gave the driver a vicious tongue-lashing. She could have easily passed on the other side but chose to vent her hostilities instead.

While we watched this display of uncontrolled anger, we realized with surprise that we knew the woman! I am sure she would have felt terribly embarrassed had she known we witnessed her tirade.

But don’t we all go through those moments of impatience, if not verbally, then in our thoughts? The Holy Spirit reminded me of that just yesterday, I was impatient with a new waitress at a coffee shop. I had to repeat my order several times before she got it straight and although I didn’t say anything to her, my impatience showed.

When the Holy Spirit is in control of our lives, He will produce patience.

Lord Jesus, thank You for providing your Holy Spirit who produces patience in us. Please be in control of Your children’s lives. We want to reflect You and not our impatience. Amen

Patience Freely Offered

Patience Freely Offered

by Max Lucado

“The Spirit produces…..patience.” Galatians 5:22

If you find patience hard to give, you might ask the question.  How infiltrated are you with God’s patience?  You’ve heard about it.  Read about it.  Perhaps underlined Bible passages regarding it.  But have you received it?  The proof is in your patience.  Patience deeply received results in patience freely offered…

God does more than demand patience from us; He offers it to us.  Patience is a fruit of His
Spirit.  It hangs from the tree of Galatians 5:22:  “The Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”  Have you asked
God to give you some fruit?  Well I did once, but… But what?  Did you, h’m, grow impatient?  Ask Him again and again and again.  He won’t grow impatient with your pleading, and you will receive patience in your praying.

Christ in Me

Christ in Me

by Andrew Murray

“Examine yourselves to see if your faith is really genuine.”
2 Corinthians 13:5

Christ is in me. What a difference it would make if we could take time every morning to focus on the thought.  Christ is in me.

Christ made it clear to His disciples.  The Spirit would teach them; “When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (John 14:20). Through the power of God we who believe were crucified with Christ and raised again with Him.  As a result Christ is in us! Through faith in God’s Word, the Christian accepts it.

Paul expresses this thought in the prayer of (Ephesians 3:16); “I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will give you mighty inner strength through His Holy Spirit.”  Notice that it is not the ordinary gift of grace, but a special revelation of the riches of His love that Christ may dwell in your heart by faith.  Have you been able to grasp that?

Paul said: “I fall to my knees and pray to the Father” (Ephesians 3:14).  That is the only way to obtain the blessing.  Take time in prayer in His presence to realize: ‘Christ dwells in me.”  Even in the midst of your daily schedule, look upon your heart as the dwelling place of the Son of God.  Then Christ’s words: “Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.” (John 15:5) will become your daily experience.

A New Identity

A New Identity

by Helen Lescheid

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-18)

Linda had a very low self-esteem. She’d always felt second-rate in her own family. Ugly. Like she was a nuisance to have around. I’m programmed to be a looser, she thought. How can I possibly be anything else? She lived in defeat and despair.

Then Linda learned about Jesus Christ, how he had come to save us from sin and give us a new life. Hope began to whisper that she could be set free from her sin and the negative influences of her past. She gave her life to Christ. She began to read God’s Word and apply it to her heart.

When negative voices shouted, “you’re a failure; you’re no good” she would counter, “I don’t have to listen to you. That’s not who I am anymore. God has chosen me before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) It gave him great pleasure to adopt me as His child (Ephesians 1:5) I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength”(Philippians 4:13) She wrote these verses and others on cards so that she could carry them with her and say them often.

As she fed on God’s truths, her self-esteem grew. She began to excel in school, became a registered nurse, and a well-loved public speaker.

Linda affirms that it’s not what has happened to us in the past, but our belief system at the present–what we believe about God and ourselves now–that determines success or failure. Success is not mind over matter, but truth over error. “The truth will set you free,” Jesus said. (John 8:32)

Jesus, I am so thankful that because you live in me I have all that I need to live a godly life which brings blessing to You and to others.

THE MARK OF FAITH

THE MARK OF FAITH

 

Galatians 5:2-6  Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is required to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. (NIVUK)
 

Circumcision is very important to Jews. They see it as the mark of belonging to God, of fellowship with His family; a sign of being special to God and different from those who do not believe. There was pressure from the Jewish community for male Gentile believers to be circumcised if they were to be considered to be part of God’s family. But Paul said, No! If you think that circumcision is essential, then you also have to keep all of the Old Testament law as well. But that was impossible for anybody – even for the Jews who claimed that they were saved by observing the law.

Paul also wrote to tell the Christians that if they preferred to be saved by keeping the law, they had fallen away from the grace of Christ, which is the only way people can be truly saved. Everyone who loves God longs to be perfect, but none of us can be declared righteous because of what we do, because nobody can keep His law completely. And so, Jews who believe in Jesus are not more special than Gentiles Christians because nobody is saved by law-keeping. What matters is admitting you are a sinner and trusting that Jesus is Your Saviour that sort of faith will welcome the Holy Spirit and allow Him to produce love in our lives, which will be a blessing to everybody.

Love is the real mark of faith. It shows kindness to people who do not deserve it, and forgives those who repent. The love produced by faith in Jesus is full of grace, and marks people out as children of God. By comparison, circumcision only says that you have been marked by human beings: but those who show generous love say that they have been transformed by God. That love comes through faith in Jesus. Love is the most powerful of all the identifiable characteristics of a human being. Genuine love cannot be manufactured or done as a ‘good work’; it has to come from inside us … and it gets there because God gives us His Holy Spirit. Romans 5:5 says,“ … God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” The Spirit is not given because we are good, but because God is good, and honours all who are trusting in the death and resurrection of Jesus for their salvation.

Prayer:  Loving Father God. Thank You for marking me with the Holy Spirit who enables me to love like Jesus loved. I am sorry for the times when I have tried to impress You with my own righteousness and have forgotten to thank You for Your grace, and exhibit Your love. Please enable me to know the presence of the Holy Spirit to change me and make me more like Jesus. For His Name’s sake. Amen.

Don’t Let Anyone Steal Your Identity

Don’t Let Anyone Steal Your Identity by John Grant “Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:22-23 Identity theft is a major and growing problem and as the economy deteriorates and people get more desperate,they are turning to electronic thievery. Identity theft is one of the most serious crimes in the United States – one that can take hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars for victims to clean up. According to the Federal Trade Commission, as many as 9 million Americans have their identity stolen each year, including 400,000 children. A person’s identity is valuable to them and to a thief. We should all take care to protect our identity from getting into the wrong hands. But, as Christians, there is another identity that is more important and more valuable and that is our Christian identity. When we are saved, we are set apart. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20). That is my spiritual identity and far more valuable than any other identity a thief could take from me. Much like ‘dumpster divers’ who sort through trash to find a receipt, check or anything else that would reveal our financial identity, Satan dives into our heart with his intention to steal our spiritual identity, our moral purity and he does it subtly by using a morally corrupt secular world to do his bidding for him to lure us into compromising our spiritual identity. If you ever wonder about the kind of world we live in just look around and look at the news. Here are just a few sample of headlines from my local paper over the past few days: ‘Judge Charged in Stripper Inquiry,’ ‘Former State Official Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography,’ ‘Most Floridians Okay With Gays and Lesbians Adopting’, ‘The incoming Secretary of the Treasury, the top financial post in the federal government admits that it was an oversight that he did not pay his taxes over a number of years, notwithstanding repeated notices from the IRS and now he going to be in charge of the IRS.’ The most dangerous word for Christians is the “C”, word “compromise.” I can handle it.  It’s okay to watch an ‘R’ rated movie. After all the story line is great, the acting superb and I can overlook the profanity and close my eyes during the morally impure scenes. It’s okay for me to regularly go to lunch with my secretary. I can make sure that nothing gets out of hand. And, the list could go on and on. We are twice born creatures trying to live in but stay apart from a once born world. There are traps everywhere we look and the bait is so tantalizing. We live in a world of moral arrogance and it is spiritual adultery to pursue the pleasing values of this world while pledging our love for God. That which we observe, we soon focus our lives around and then we accept as acceptable behavior and then embrace it and ultimately participate in it. That is the normal progression for moral degeneration and don’t think for a minute that Christians are immune from Satan’s temptations. I am not and neither are you. So how shall we then live? The wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure (James 3:17), not the wisdom of the world. If we surrender our lives to God and resist the devil, he will run from us (James 4:7). James best sums it up, saying that we aren’t faithful to God and are in love with the world then we are God’s enemies (James 4:4). The writer of Hebrews summed it up pretty well saying “Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.” (Hebrews 10:22-23) Don’t risk losing your spiritual identity for it is the most valuable thing any Christian has, more valuable than anything in this world John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual Warfare

by Vonette Bright

“for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”  Ephesians 6:12

Every time Pat tried to talk with her friend Monica about God, something seemed to interrupt them: Her cell phone range. Or people would suddenly disrupt their conversation. Or loud noises would prevent Pat from getting the message across … one obstacle after another.

Pat believed there was a spiritual battle being waged for Monica’s soul.  She remembered the Bible says we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil.

So, the next time the opportunity arose to speak with her friend, Pat was prepared.  She had prayed for God’s guidance and protection, and continued to pray throughout their conversation.  And this time, Monica opened her heart to receive Christ!

Friend, don’t be surprised if you find yourself engaged in spiritual warfare.  Remember to always go into battle prepared!

Almighty Creator

Almighty Creator

by Phil Ware

“I lift up my eyes to the hills — where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalms 121:1-3

Thoughts on today’s verse

In a world of startling beauty and a universe of dazzling diversity, our hearts are to be drawn back to the One who made it and now sustains it. He knows us and will help us if we will believe what he has tried so many ways to say: “I love you as my child and I care what happens to you and those you love.”

Prayer:

Almighty Creator, Majestic Architect and Eternal Engineer, it absolutely bewilders and delights me to know that you care for me. With all the things of such vast importance, I find your desire to know and love me humbling and assuring. Today I will worship, work, and witness while being aware of your presence and care. Thank you, dear Father, in Jesus name. Amen.

I’m Thankful For

I’m Thankful For

by Katherine Kehler

“Oh LORD God Almighty! Where is there anyone as mighty as you, Lord.” Psalm 89:8

I am extremely grateful for our God’s magnificent creation. I never cease to be amazed at the thousands of varieties of birds, flowers, trees, leaves, rocks and plants.  I love gazing at different mountain ranges such as the Rocky Mountains in Western Canada in all their grandeur or the mountains of California and Arizona with their varying shadows.  I love quiet streams; gushing waterfalls; rivers; lakes; and oceans. I am continually amazed at the way God controls the oceans and how he allows the tides to come inland just so far and then it has to retreat again.

We read in Isaiah 42: 12
“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales.”

When I consider that all the water in the world can fit in God’s hand, I know he is a BIG God.

My job keeps me in front of a computer for most of the day and my husband, Marvin, has made a wonderful garden for me just outside my office window.  I get to enjoy rhododendrons, hydrangea, azaleas, and many other flowers while I am working. He has also placed the bird feeder within my view.

One morning, last winter, after a heavy snowfall, I filled up the bird feeder and the birds were so happy. They proceeded to put on a real show for me – flitting from one branch to another and then back to the feeder.

Many different birds visit us and although I love them all humming birds have always made me stop what I am doing to watch them. They are amazing:

They fly forward, backward, shift sideways, stop in midair.
They can beat their wings 60 to 200 times per second.
They lap nectar with their tongues (some say that their tongue is like a straw).
They can fly up to 60 miles an hour.
They live 5 -6 years in the wild.
They are the smallest bird in the world.
They consume, on average, half their weight in sugar each day.
Some of them migrate 600 miles to a warmer climate.

When I see these little birds with their magnificent iridescent colors, I am reminded of how wonderful and majestic and amazing our God is. And because He has created so many wonders for us to enjoy here on earth, I know they are but a taste of what He has in store for us in heaven.  For this I am so thankful.

Father, I am so thankful for the wonders of your creation. Thank you that you didn’t create the world in black and white or without sounds and smells. I love you God, because you are so great and so kind. Amen.

The Blessings of God

The Blessings of God

by Rev. Daniel Forster

“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?” James 2: 14 (NLT)

Please read James 2:14-26. I read an amazing quote the other day, and I would like to share it with you in regards to this scripture.
“God blesses us because we respond to Him, not as a response to our good works.”

I posted this scripture because I see to often a trend that is misunderstood. Somehow, new believers have come under the impression that they must start doing good works, and that this will please God. That God will know they are not the same sinner they were before by their good works now.

As a body of Christ, I feel we have not really taught this very well. All to often we are happy to see an increase of volunteers without fully seeing where their hearts may be. All to often our new volunteers get burnt out or fall away, because they misunderstood how and why we do good works.

James writes here, “what good is faith without action?” This is a true, as true gets. Yet, we do not prove our faith by our actions. Our faith is in our belief, our surrendering of ourselves to Jesus. There is no proof, other than what God sees in our hearts. Our good deeds do not make us more faithful; our faith leads us into action.

Faith and true belief must be established first. If it is not, we are working from our flesh to perform these good works we are doing it without God. We are doing it to show others around us and to show God we can change…and folks, this is just not the way it is. We can’t change on our own. We can only change by the blood Jesus has shed for us, it is Him inside of us, that is leading us to change. Doing good works out of your faith in Christ is not a New Year’s resolution (something we can do on our own will power), it is a way of life.

Once we are in full faith, and belief, and trust in God, He will guide us towards the good works He would like us to do. I often feel a pull, or a tug, or even sometimes a push from His Holy Spirit in me, to do a good work. This is the response to God, and by which we as well as others around us are blessed by God.

Father, I pray today that we are working in response to You Lord. I pray that we are not working from our own strength or our own will, but that we are working as a result of You stirring in us a desire to do something. I pray that we are working by the power of Your Holy Spirit in us, that it is You doing the work, and us being a vessel of Your love. Help us as a body of Christ, Lord, to share this with other brothers and sisters. Let us not be so quick to accept new help without understanding where their hearts are. Let us take time to teach Your living word, so others may be strengthened by it, and it becomes alive in their lives as well as ours. We ask all of this in the mighty name Jesus, Amen

Question: Have you been living a works-based or faith-based life of salvation?

A Message and a Promise

A Message and a Promise

by Bethany Hayes

“Say to the righteous, that it shall be well with them.” Isaiah 3:10 (NKJV)

Missing church on Sunday leaves a hole in my week that is difficult to patch up.  A chronic illness makes this absence unavoidable at times. But I can always count on this loving message and sincere promise when it occurs:  “Tell Bethany I’ll be praying for her.” Knowing the one who faithfully sends me this message, I’m always confident the promise has already been kept.

Recently, I discovered a similar message in God’s Word and a promise as sure as the One Who sent it:  “Say to the righteous, that it shall be well with them.”  (Isaiah 3:10)

This message was sent to a nation unsure of God’s ways. And the promise it contains is for those in the same situation.  Those full of questions yet righteous in Christ have this promise:  “. . . it shall be well with them.”  No matter the doubts, the frustrations, the “wish-things-were-different” thinking that takes our affection off things above, in Christ, we can be confident that it will be well with us.

Knowing the God who made this promise, we can be sure it is strong enough to lean on.

And it doesn’t take one ounce of strength to lean.

Father, Help us to lean our weakness and our questions on Your promises. We praise You for being as certain as the promises You’ve sent. Thank You for the assurance that because of Christ, it will be well with us. In His Name.  Amen.

Mountain Peaks and Regal Robes

Mountain Peaks and Regal Robes

by Marilyn Ehle

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.” Colossians 3:23

If I walk just a few hundred feet from the door of our small home, the grandeur of Pikes Peak fills my eyes. Snow covered much of the year with crags jutting into brilliant blue sky, the scene is breathtaking. The Creator God displays His magnificence in ways beyond my comprehension.

But then I read how God once chose and commissioned skilled artisans to create “three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms.” Men (and perhaps women) designed regal robes of ‘blue, purple and scarlet yarn, of finely twisted linen.” (Exodus 36 and 37)

God chooses to reveal Himself in His glory and beauty in both soaring mountain peaks and well-crafted clothing. He likewise asks that His followers be involved in both monumental world-shaping endeavors and those more hidden (but equally important) expressions of His love. The artisans of Moses’ day were “filled with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills,” and our heavenly Father is ready and willing to do the same today. He just asks for willing people to work with all their hearts, knowing that God accepts our service.

Lord, sometimes I feel as though the small things I attempt don’t matter much in the grand scope of things. Help me understand that You accept all endeavors if done in Your name and for Your glory. In Jesus name, amen.

Trust and Obey

Trust and Obey

by Dr. Charles Stanley

Read: Joshua 6:1-5

One of my favorite songs is “Trust and Obey” because it sums up God’s purpose for our lives. When we practice these two commands, a beautiful cycle begins. Trusting the Lord makes obedience easier, and obedience produces ever-increasing trust. Can you recall facing a challenge that was difficult or perplexing? If so, you know how important these two commands are.

When the Lord calls you to a task that seems unreasonable, you have two options. You can obey Him even though you don’t understand what will happen, or you can become fearful and attempt to find a way out. Joshua chose the first option. Because he trusted the Lord, he disregarded all his military experience and adopted God’s bizarre battle plan. Over the years, he had learned that the Lord is trustworthy.

The way we respond to God’s challenging assignments reveals our level of commitment. We may feel as if we’re right in step with Him–until He proposes a change of direction. That’s when our resistance kicks in, and with it, the realization we aren’t as close to Him as we thought. At that point, our decision determines whether the Lord will be able to use us as He desires. Because Joshua never lost his commitment, he continued to serve the Lord for the remainder of his life.

At times obedience is a struggle, as your mind runs through all the reasons God’s path is illogical. Fear dominates and your will battles to comply when everything within is screaming to run the other way. But obedience is always the best choice, because the Lord is trustworthy and wise.

Jesus Recycles

Jesus Recycles

by Idelette McVicker

“And this is the will of Him who sent me that I should lose nothing of all that He has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”  John 6: 39 (NIV)

I took a picture of the recycling truck in our neighborhood a few days ago. “Transforming waste to resources,” reads the sign on the side. It reminds me so much of Jesus.

So often we see the experiences, mistakes and sins in our life as plain garbage. We want to leave it on the side of life’s road and see it disappear into forgetting. Jesus, however, wants to take our waste and is ready to transform it into resources for others who need to know that He meets us and loves us, even in our messiest moments.

In the hands of Jesus, our wasted experiences and the lessons we learn along the way can become a message. If only we would turn our hearts towards Him. As soon as we hold out our garbage to Him, He recycles it into resources and transforms us into His likeness.

Reflect:
Is there anything in your life you need to put out for Jesus to recycle?

Jesus, I love that You can transform even my smelliest garbage into something to serve another person’s heart. I place it all before You. Thank You for Divine recycling and transformation. With You, nothing is wasted.

God Wants to Give You Freedom

God Wants to Give You Freedom

By Rick Warren

“If the Son sets you free, then you will be really free.” John 8:36 (TEV)

The world defines freedom as a life without any restraint — “I can do anything I want to do and say anything I want to say without anybody telling me what to do.” You may burn everybody else, but you get to do it your own way. The world says you can have your freedom, but only by being totally selfish.

Yet, the Bible says the only way to true freedom is through Jesus: “If the Son sets you free, then you will be really free” (John 8:36 TEV).

Real freedom is freedom from fear, guilt, worry, bitterness, and death. You’re free to quit pretending because you’re free to be yourself.

How do you get rid of those kinds of fears? By letting God love you! The apostle John teaches that “there is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18a NIV).

When you realize how much God loves you, you’ll begin to live in true freedom. In fact, you worship God when you recognize that “God is love.” It is an act of worship to agree that he is a loving, caring, generous God and that we can “rely on the love God has for us” (1 John 4:16).

Talk It Over

•    What will you have to give up in your life to experience freedom through Jesus Christ?

•    What will you gain through freedom in Jesus Christ? What will change about your relationships? Your attitude? Your future?

Saying ‘Thank You’

Saying ‘Thank You’

by Max Lucado

“He brought them out of the gloom and darkness and broke their chains.
Let them give thanks to the Lord.”  Psalm 107:14-15

Worship is when you’re aware that what you’ve been given is far greater than what you can give.  Worship is the awareness that were it not for His touch, you’d still be hobbling and hurting, bitter and broken.  Worship is the half-glazed expression on
the parched face of a desert pilgrim as he discovers that the oasis is not a mirage.

Worship is the “thank you” that refuses to be silenced.

We have tried to make a science out of worship.  We can’t do that. We can’t do that anymore than we can “sell love” or “negotiate peace”.

Worship is a voluntary act of gratitude offered by the saved to the Savior, by the healed to the Healer, and by the delivered to the Deliverer.

Count Your Blessings!

Count Your Blessings!

by Katherine Kehler

“And don’t forget to thank Him” Philippians 4:6

In my daily devotional one day, the words of the song ‘Count Your Blessings, Name Them One by One‘ was included. I haven’t sung that song for a long time – the words are tremendous:

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, ev’ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by.

What a wonderful reminder to take the time to think about what God is doing for us. Too often we focus just on the horrid things – the evil, the hurricanes, the floods and devastation and famine.

But take time every day to verbalize or write all you are thankful for. You may want to use this outline. Doing so will revitalize your soul.

Begin with Thanksgiving
Psalm 100:4 tells us,
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.”

•    Thank Him for His patience and forgiveness.
•    Thank Him for the privilege of coming into His presence.
•    Thank Him for what He has done in and through your life in the last year.

List What He Has Done

Take time to list what God has done for you. Be specific. Think through every area of your life.

Become Still Before the Lord. (Psalm 46:10)

•    Consider who God is. (Psalm 103)
•    Praise Him for His attributes. (Psalm 145)
•    Rejoice in your fellowship with Him and that He delights in you. (Proverbs 15:8)
•    Read passages of scripture and pray them back to God. (Psalms 146-150)
•    Sing to the Lord.

Lord I thank You for the beauty of the seasons. I thank You for health and strength. I thank You for people to love and people who love me. I love You God and thank for loving me first. Amen.

THE LAW OF LOVE

THE LAW OF LOVE

 

Galatians 5:14-15  For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (NIVUK)
 

Paul was writing to believers who were arguing with each other. The issue was whether or not you could be a true Christian if you did not also fulfil all the Jewish laws. The legalists were so insistent that they were right that they behaved like wild animals, biting and tearing at each other with sharp claws. Paul then drew them back to the law they were supposedly defending.

He pointed them to Leviticus 19:18 which says, “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.” That law was endorsed by Jesus in Matthew 22:39. So, Paul protests, how can God’s ‘law-lovers’ hate people so much! It is an absurd contradiction. The end of that process is destruction, not building up the church.

The ‘law of love’ is a good test for devotion to God. Violent disagreement is as wrong in the church as it is in the home. Hatred should not find a home among God’s people. That does not mean that we should agree with people who teach and do what is wrong, or trust those who do not hold to the truth; but we should still love them. Jesus did that: so should we.

Prayer:  God of love and peace. Thank You for Your love towards me while I was a sinner and far away from You. Thank You for Your patience with me when I wander and fail to trust You. So I am sorry for the times when I have angrily attacked those who I believe are wrong, and have not loved those who have opposed me. Please help me to see that You are their Master as well, and that You will help me to honour You as I stay close to You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Do all Things Really Work Together for Good?

Do all Things Really Work Together for Good?

by Helen Lescheid

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”(Romans 8:28).

When you’re in the midst of great suffering you don’t want people to piously quote the above verse to you. “How can this be good when it feels so bad?” you ask yourself. But what is this verse really talking about? I looked it up in my Bible so I could read it in context.

“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, to those who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.”

In the Amplified Bible the last phrase reads: “He destined them from the beginning to be molded into the image of His Son and share inwardly His likeness.”

God is interested in our long-range good. For that reason, He is using all things in our lives–the good and the bad–to make us more like Christ. To perfect us. To grow us up. To set us free from self-centeredness so that we will become the beautiful people He created. This is a greater good than temporal blessings. Wouldn’t you agree?

We must beware of a feeling of entitlement, thinking that God owes us a blessing. “I’ve been a good Christian; I’ve worked very hard; I deserve better.” In truth, if it weren’t for Jesus’ death and resurrection, God would owe us judgment. Instead, He offers us mercy. Grace and mercy are His gifts to us. We do not earn them.

Father, I want to believe that you have my best interest at heart, at all times. Help my unbelief. I now surrender all my dreams and ambitions and all my disappointments to you. I want to be more trusting like Jesus was.