Good Things

Lord, open my eyes to see all that you provide for me each and everyday. Grant me a heart of thankfulness. Help me to serve others and be the blessing someone else needs. 

Fix Your Thanks

Take a moment and be thankful. Fix your thoughts on what God has done for you and with you this last week. Be real. Be thankful...

As Chosen People

Light Dawns

A Prayer for You

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Ephesians 1:15 NIV

Thank God for His Comfort

A blessed Sunday to you all! Today we remember to rest in the Lord. Psalm 86:17 reminds us that God has comforted us. 

I am first of all reminded of John 14:26, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (KJV) 

I am also reminded of the many times that the Spirit has comforted me through many painful and difficult circumstances. It wasn't in the highlights that I really learned that God is always with me, whether I feel his Presence or not, it was in the depths of pain, conflict and fear that I learned he is always with me, comforting me with the knowledge that he will never leave me or forsake me and he will use all things to work his good in my life. 

That leads me to our final thought and that is found in 2 Corinthians 1:4, " Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." 

The Word of the Day is Mercy: God Listens to My Cry for Mercy

Thank you, Lord, for your mercy. Thank you that we can call on you for mercy all day long. Praise you because you listen to our cry for mercy and in the day of trouble you will answer us!

Did You Throw Out Your TV?

My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.

Ezekiel 33:31-32  (NIV)

This is where the rubber meets the road, spiritually speaking, isn't it? I went to church last Sunday, I don't know if I put any of what I heard into practice. 

I'm not into straw man spirituality. I've heard pastors rankle about the evils of TV and R rated movies and challenge the congregation to throw out their TVs if it was causing them to sin. Please, let's get real. I asked one of my pastors if he threw his out. He had just bought a new one. I don't think he chucked his.

Paul, Ephesians 5:6b says that the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. I guess, in a way, it just boils down to this: I am doing what I am doing just for my self (greed) or am trying to serve others? 

Father, thank you for sending Jesus to die for our sins and show us how to live by faith in love. praise be to you in us today!

Deliver Me, Lord, In Your Great Love...

But I pray to you, Lord,
   in the time of your favor;
in your great love, O God,
   answer me with your sure salvation.
Rescue me from the mire,
   do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
   from the deep waters.
Do not let the floodwaters engulf me
   or the depths swallow me up 
   or the pit close its mouth over me. 
Answer me, Lord, out of the goodness of your love;
   in your great mercy turn to me.
Do not hide your face from your servant;
   answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.
Come near and rescue me;
   deliver me because of my foes.
Psalms 69:13-18 (NIV)

Father, look upon me with favor. You sent your Son, your One and Only Son to die that I might have eternal life. Rescue me from the mire in my life. I look to you and you alone. Hear my prayer. Thank you, Lord. 

ARE YOU PLAYING FAVORITES?

     "My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.

     Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?" James 2:1, 5

I think the bottom line on this is that to God our outward circumstances do not make us more or less worthy of his mercy, grace and forgiveness. Romans 3:10-12 reminds us "As it is written, "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no who does good, not even one."" In God's eyes everyone, regardless of your social standing is unworthy. 

Yet, Christ died for us all, rich or poor. Paul says in Colossians 3:11, "Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all." The love of God, the forgiveness offered in Christ, is for anyone who will accept it, regardless of their position or circumstances. 

Favoritism can come in many different ways. But, what James was dealing with was the intentional favoritism (what I might crudely call "butt-kissing") toward people of wealth and status. The pathetic thing was that these people were exploiting them! I think the crux of the matter involves faith, as in who or what are you trusting. If you look to the world and its' system of dominance built to make you trust in anything but God, you will always be in bondage. But, if you trust in Christ and view the world from his perspective, you will inherit the kingdom of God. 

James was concerned that this very worldly manner of living was creeping into the church and people were making choices in an ungodly way. In this respect I think James' message is timeless and therefore relevant to you and me, even today. Trust God, not people and treat everyone, regardless of their outward appearance and social status the same, God does. 

Father, help us to see each other through your eyes. Praise be to you in us today!

SPEAK OR NOT?

"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives and his religion is worthless." James 1:26

If the Apostles Paul and James were boxers you would call Paul the boxer and James the brawler. Paul sets you up with jabs and then nails you with a hook. James just throws hooks, big body shots, overhand rights and lefts, uppercuts and just goes to knock you out with every punch.

Here in verse twentysix James throws a haymaker a nails us with our mouths. I would say that with the advent of the internet and social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram that what we say in writing is included in this "uppercut" from James. 

The meaning is straightforward and you can't dodge it. If you think you are religious, you know, spiritually mature and you can't control what you say, your not. Pretty convicting. 

Now, I am going to make a bit of a stretch here and ask the other side of the question. I get that I should be careful to NOT say some things that would not glorify God. But, what about NOT speaking up when we should? What about situations where injustice is happening or God is being blasphemed and I remain silent? Should I? Maybe the Spirit of God is nudging you to share with someone that Jesus died for their sins and that person is open for that moment. Is controlling your tongue opening your mouth or keeping it closed? 

Father, help us to submit ourselves to you and let you reign even over our what we say. Give us wisdom to be silent when we should and to speak up when we must. Praise be to you in us today!

THE GOD OF I GOT TO HAVE IT NOW

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
     "Never will I leave you;
          never will I forsake you."
 So we say with confidence,
     "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
     What can man do to me?"" 
 Hebrews 13:5-6 (NIV)

We pay our bills with money. So, we have to have some. Wanting to have enough to pay your bills is not greed. Wanting to have enough so you are not worried about living paycheck to paycheck is not greed. Learning to live within your means is where faith meets reality. 

The love of money is not the same as just wanting to not be a slave to your bills. I am not sure but sometimes I think there is a fine line where wanting stuff now and loving money are the same thing because it involves covetousness. I call it the god of "I got to have it now". It usually manifests itself in maxed out credit cards. Sound familiar?

Someone once said that prosperity is having a little more than what you need. Faith is trusting that if you can't pay cash now than maybe God wants you to at least wait until you do. Faith is being able to wait upon God to provide the cash or learning to be content with what we have. Faith allows us to live prosperous lives. 

God won't leave you and God is your helper. 

Father, help us to remember to trust you with our finances. Help us to live by faith knowing that you will provide fro all our needs in Christ Jesus. Thank you for providing and that my family and I have what we need today. Praise be to you in us today!

HOW TO LIVE IN PEACE

"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one can will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." Hebrews 12:14-15

I am not a marriage counselor and by no means do I have the perfect marriage. I have seen too many of my friends end up divorced and not because of unfaithfulness. The reason seems to me that one or both were unwilling to make every effort to live in peace. They made every effort to be right, every effort to stand up for themselves, every effort to do things their way, but not every effort to live in peace. 

More often than not, forgiveness and humility are necessary. If I don't forgive and remember that I need to be forgiven, I will just end up pushing to be right, standing my ground and allowing walls to be built up. That will end up being walls of bitterness. Bitterness eats away at the soul and weakens you. You don't get strong, you get brittle and weak. 

I  encourage you to take an honest look at how you deal with relationships. Are you making every effort to live in peace?

Father help us to remember the effort you put in to forgive us, even though we don't deserve it. Thank you! Praise be to you in us today!

STRONG & LOVING

The truth for the day.

"One thing God has spoken,
     two things have I heard;
 that you, O God, are strong,
     and that you, O LORD, are loving. 
 Surely you will reward each person
     according to what he has done."
 Psalm 62:11-12

God is strong. God is strong enough to deal with any problem you have. God will give you the strength you need to deal with any problem you have.

God is loving. God is dealing with you in love, right now. Even his discipline is mixed with his love. The crucifiction of Christ was the ultimate demonstration of justice and mercy, love and grace. 

Father, help us to live by faith in the truth that you are stronger than any problem we have and that you are loving in all your dealings with us. Praise be to you in us today!

THE DISCIPLINE OF NO

"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons...No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:7a, 11

When I was sixteen my dad told me, "If you want to drive, you can. You just have to pay for your own car and insurance." I was not to happy with that plan because it would mean I wouldn't be able to do sports or anything else. My dad knew that allowing me to get my drivers license would of been disastrous. We lived in Lake Arrowhead and every male under the age of 90 thought they were driving in the Lake Arrowhead Grand Prix. If I would of drove I am sure I would of killed myself or someone else. Literally everyone I knew who drove as a teenager totalled at least one car. When I finally got myself together and drove I at least was trying not to kill myself and dad even lent me a truck. 

Looking back I can see that it was probably one of the wisest things my dad ever did. It was hard for me at the time, but in the end it did keep me from doing something crazy. 

I think that the things that God doesn't allow us to do can be pretty frustrating at times. The discipline of "No" by God can be hard for us to understand, but, God's no's have probably saved us from more than we can imagine.

Father, help us to trust in you and trust you, even when you say, "No". Praise be to you in us today!

JUST KEEP RUNNING

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1

When I was around sixteen my grandfather was dying from cancer. I deeply respected my grandfather. When my mom would go visit him I would always ask her to tell him we love him and we're praying for him. After his last operation mom said that he came out and kept asking granny if she saw who was there. Granny said, "Yes, the doctors and the nurses." Grandpa, "Yes, and PT was there too." Granny tried to tell him I wasn't there but he insisted and told her I held his hand and said, "We love you grandpa and we're praying for you." There have been many times since grandpa and granny died that I think of them in heaven looking down on me. 

I know the trials that my grandparents went through. I know they weren't perfect, yet in the end, God saw them through. That encourages me to press on sometimes. 

In the same way, knowing that the people in the bible were real people who went through real and intense trials should encourage us press on. What is encouraging is that God was and is always faithful. We press on which often means we get back up, confess our sins, and keep walking by faith. Each time we learn that it is about Christ's faithfulness, not ours. Men and women of faith have faith in God, not themselves. 

So, keep running. Christ will get you there.

Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, for you faithfulness and unfailing love. Help us to run with perseverance. Praise be to you in us today!

LONGING AHEAD

"Instead, they were longing for a better country - a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." Hebrews 11:16

What are you longing for? What is preoccupying your thinking? 

As Christians we live in the here and now, but, with an eye to eternity. Our faith does not just save us from sins death on judgement day. Christ saves us even now. The Spirit of God is ever changing us into the likeness of Jesus Christ our Lord. There is abundant life right now, and there is eternity in His Presences in the future. 

We can live the abundant life, facing it's every challenge and opportunity, by faith because we know that God is Sovereign and he has unfailing love for us. Heaven awaits us...

Father, give us the faith and strength to live each day in light of you love and faithfulness to us. Praise be to you in us today! 

FROM WHERE YOU ARE AT

"From the ends of the earth I call to you,
     I call as my heart grows faint;
     lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 
 For you have been my refuge;
     a strong tower against the foe."
Psalm 61:2-3

Where are you right now? Not just physically, but spiritually, where are you?   

You may feel way out there and no GPS could possibly tell you where you are and what to do. But God knows. He hears your cry. 

You may feel like your strength is giving out. You may have failed and may be stumbling along just trying to find something to hold on to and right yourself. 

God is right here. God has unfailing love for you. God is Sovereign over everything. 

Father, help us to rest in you, even in the storms of life. Praise be to you in us today!

FAITH IS NOT GETTING WHAT I WANT...

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

The Apostle Paul said that he was, "an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope" (I Timothy 1:1). And in Colossians 1:5 he reminds us that faith and love spring from the hope that is stored for us in heaven. 

Jesus is our hope. We can be sure that that our hope in him is real and certain that he will do what he set out to do and that is save us from sin and make us God's children. 

Faith is not getting what I want but knowing that God will provide what I need. God has me where he wants me. God is doing what he wants to do in my life. I may not see where he is taking me, but I trust that it will be where I need to be. 

Father, thank you that in your Sovereignty, grace and mercy, you reign in my life. Praise be to you in us today!

KNOWING GOD IS WITH YOU

"Then my enemies will turn back 
     when I call for help.
     By this I will know that God is with me.
 In God, whose word I praise, 
     in the LORD, whose word I praise - 
 in God I trust; I will not be afraid. 
     What can man do to me?"
 Psalm 56:9-11

What or who is your enemy? Are you calling on God to help? Do you know how you will know if God is answering your prayers?

I have had a few prayers answered lately where I noticed I prayed about them for quite a long time. But, he answered. 

Sometimes I meet the enemy, and it is me. God needs to change me before he can answer some of my prayers. I need to be willing to be changed. 

So, keep praying, keep humble and don't be afraid to trust in God.

Father, open our eyes to see you working in our lives! Answer our prayers and may our enemies turn back before us! Praise be to you in us today!