Verses of the Week

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
   I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. 
   I will build you up again, 
   and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt.
Again you will take up your timbrels
   and go out to dance with the joyful.
Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria;
   the farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit.
Jeremiah 31:3-5 (NIV)

“Hear the word of the Lord, you nations;
   proclaim it in distant coastlands:
‘He who scattered Israel will gather them
   and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’
For the Lord will deliver Jacob
   and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they.
Jeremiah 31:10c-11 (NIV)

“I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:
‘You disciplined me like an unruly calf,
   and I have been disciplined.
Restore me, and I will return,
   because you are the Lord my God.
Jeremiah 31:18c (NIV)

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 
“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
Jeremiah 32:26-27 (NIV)

“ ‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. 

Jeremiah 33:6-8 (NIV)

THE BOTTOM LINE

People can and will say many things about what is right and wrong, good and evil and what happens in the end. But the bottom line is that God has the final word. 

Now all has been heard;
   here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
   for this is the duty of all mankind.
For God will bring every deed into judgment,
   including every hidden thing,
   whether it is good or evil.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NIV)

BRACE YOURSELF FOR GOD

"Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:
 "Who is this that darkens my counsel
     with words without knowledge?
 Brace yourself like a man;
     I will question you,
     and you shall answer me.""
 Job 38:1-3

After everybody speaks, Job, the friends and the young know-it-all, God answers... I wonder if Elihu was taking a breath, getting ready to share a little more of his wisdom and God cut him off? 

What would I do if God just kind of popped in on a discussion about God I was engaged in? I think that is a healthy way to approach some of our conversations about God and his ways. We do have the Bible that speaks to us in truth about God. Even there I worry. 

I don't worry about the Bible being true, I worry about the way we sometimes approach the Word of God. I think the problem with some theologians is they believe they have the wisdom within themselves to judge the validity of the Scriptures. They don't approach the scriptures in humility. It's not just professional theologians who act as if they can, by their own wisdom, canonize Scripture. Sometimes we do. 

The point I am trying to make here is that God, does want us to brace ourselves in Christ, because one day, we will answer him. As you walk with God this week, remember that God has spoken to you through his word, the Bible. His word is true and relevant for you. You may not understand the end from the beginning or why your life is going the way it is, but, you can know God is still God and he reigns whether we discern it or not.

Father, open our eyes to see you in our lives. Thank you that you reign over all, you reign in our lives. Praise be to you in us today!

CAUGHT BETWEEN AN ARMY AND AN OCEAN

"By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned." Hebrews 11:29

Remember that the Israelites, who were humanly speaking defenseless, were being pursued by the Egyptian army.Their backs were up against an wall. I guess you could say they were caught between an army and an ocean. God made a way through the waters. It was a way that the Egyptians could not go. 

Sometimes God puts us in a place where we seemingly have no place to go. There is an enemy on one side and something we'll drown in on the other. In Psalm 23:4 David says,

"Even though I walk through the valley of death,     I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." 

So, if you feel caught between an army and an ocean, have faith in God. He will make a way. It may be away that someone who is not a Christian can understand. It may be a way we can not conceive. I am sure no Israelite was saying, "Just cut through the Red Sea Moses!" The Red Sea and the Egyptian army both spelled death for the Israelites. But, God turned death into life. 

Father, help us to call upon you. Make a way. 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!

WHO IS YOUR HELP?

"Surely God is my help;
     the LORD is the one who sustains me." 
 Psalm 54:4

I was watching that moonshine show about the Hatfields & McCoys a while ago. I think I watched maybe two episodes. Well, one of them thought they could get a loan because a relative of theirs was the manager of the bank. The relative/bank manager said, "No." They were of course mad and said a bunch of not so flattering comments about their relative/bank manager.

Sometimes we look to what is familiar to get help and a lot of times it doesn't work out. David learned that God was his help and that in the darkest of times God sustained him. 

You may not have someone trying to kill you but sometimes it does feel like our whole world is caving in. If you are like me you might find yourself looking around all over the place, anywhere but to God. Stop, take a breath and call out on the Lord. Remember, you may be surprised but, God is not. You may be perplexed but, God is not. 

Father, you know the end from the beginning. You knew that we would be where we are right now, before the world began. You also know where you are going to take us. We call on you to be our help and to sustain us! Praise be to you in us today!

YOU CALL, GOD ANSWERS

"Save me, O God, by your name;
     vindicate me by your might.
 Hear my prayer, O God;
     listen to the words of my mouth." 
 Psalm 54:1-2

Jesus died to save us from our sins. He sits at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf and defending us from the accusations of the accuser of the brethren.  

Wonderfully, God is also concerned about are day to day lives. David wasn't praying about salvation from sin when he wrote this Psalm. He was calling out to the God about when Saul was chasing him (to kill him) and people were trying to give him over to Saul. 

What is it that you need salvation from at this moment? How do you need to be vindicated at this present time? Ask him to save you! Call upon him to vindicate you! Call on his name and rely on his might. I don't know how and I don't know when, but, I know God is faithful to complete his work in our lives!

Lord, we call on your name and we rely on your might! Thank you that you hear our prayers! Praise be to you in us today!

THE CALL FROM HEAVEN

"Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess." Hebrews 3:1

Last week I attended a three day training along with several other teachers. There was a little common bond we developed over just those three days.  Now, back at work I know a each of the people in my group a little more than I did before. 

As Christians, we share in the heavenly calling. I am struck by the term "heavenly calling". In part, it is because of that calling that my relationship with Jesus has meaning. I think it is because we are supposed to focus on the eternal, not the temporal. From the throne of heaven itself we receive our calling to follow Jesus and live a life of faith. 

That calling is not alone. It is a shared calling. Shared with other believers the world over and the world next door. Shared with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Father, thank you for calling me to share in the heavenly calling to follow Jesus. Help me to walk in faith with my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. Help me follow in faith and to fix my eyes upon my Lord. Praise be to you in us today!

HE'S BEEN THERE

"Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death, he might destroy him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." Hebrews 2:14-15

I just got back from a week of summer Boy Scout camp with my son and his Troop. One thing I noticed was how the boys whose parents came up acted when their parents were there. They were a little more confident, a little more focused. 

I also watched some boys playing some basketball and there was a boy taller than most of the other boys. When he was on the team, those boys around him were pretty confident. He blocked shot after shot. In a similar way, we should know that since Christ is for us, it does not matter that the devil is against us, because Christ defeated death and the devil at the cross. 

When you are struggling with something remember that Christ became human to know and understand perfectly what we go through. Christ knows. Christ understands. He shares your struggles. If he dealt with death, the greatest of problems, he can surely deal with anything else.

Father, thank for sending Jesus to share in our humanity to rescue us completely! Open our eyes to see you in our lives. Praise be to you in us today!

HAS GOD BEEN YOUR FORTRESS? / PSALM 48:1-3

"Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise, 
     in the city of our God, his holy mountain.
 It is beautiful in it loftiness,
     the joy of the whole earth.
 Like the utmost heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion,
     the city of the Great King.
 God is in her citadels;
     he has shown himself to be her fortress."
 Psalm 48:1-3

Many times I have found myself to be in the middle of a battle, and God was my only place of refuge. He has always shown himself to be my fortress. I may have taken a few incoming blasts from the enemy, but, in the end, God has always been my fortress. 

I was managing (usually the night shift) a Mimi's Cafe and I caught the day manager, several times, taking money from my drawer and putting it in his. This made my drawers come out off and his were right on. I told the general manager and he just blew me off! Finally, after several months, another manager got the GM to listen and they fired the manager who was taking money from my drawer. It took awhile, but in the end I was vindicated. 

As Christians, we will be in constant battle until Christ comes again to reign triumphant. So, trust and obey. Keep up the good fight and remember the many times he has recused you. 

How has God been your fortress?

Father, open our eyes to see you in our lives. Help us to remain in you! Praise be to you in us today!

ARE YOU FINDING REST?

"Sing praises to God, sing praises;
     sing praises to our King, sing praises.
 For God is the King of all the earth; 
     sing to him a psalm of praise.
 God reigns over the nations;
     God is seated on his holy throne."
Psalm 47:6-8

Sunday is a day of rest. Rest in God. What in you life do you need to remember to rest in God about? 

Father, thank you that we can rest in you! Praise be to you today!

EVEN THERE...

"Clap your hands, all you nations;
     shout to God with cries of joy!
 How awesome is the LORD Most High,
     the great King over all the earth!"
Psalm 47:1-2

Where on the earth are you right now? God is King over even there. There is no place he can not reach you.

What is going on in your life right now? God is King over even that. There is no circumstance he can not use when we chose to love and trust him.

Father, reveal yourself to our very lives today! Praise be to you in us today!

LISTEN... Psalm 46:8-11

"Come and see the works of the LORD,
     the desolations he has brought on the earth.
 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
     he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
     he burns the shields with fire.
 "Be still and know that I am God;
      I will be exalted among the nations,
      I will be exalted in the earth."
The LORD Almighty is with us;
     the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah" 
Psalm 46:8-11

Listen...

Paula Deen, Hate and Mercy / Titus 3:4-5

"But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous thing we had done, but because of his mercy." Titus 3:4-5a

The Apostle Paul knew all about hate. He went from house to house to persecute the church.  But the kindness and love of God appeared to him. Saul was changed to Paul. 

Think back in your life. Remember what God in Christ has saved you from. I am always struck by the amount of hate I see in the world today. And there is no mercy, no grace. Think of Paula Deen, the now ex Food Network host. Years ago she used a racial slur. There is no grace for Paula Deen from the world. There is forgiveness, mercy and grace from Christ.

But, that is not how God works. God sent Jesus Christ to die for ALL our sins. It is not about our righteous deeds, because they are but filthy rags in his eyes (the only eyes that matter), it is about his mercy. There is mercy for me and you. 

So stop and take stock. Are you living more like before you gave your life to Christ? Maybe you have never given your life to Christ? Is hate, malice and envy controlling you and dominating your thoughts? Maybe it's time to get some mercy. Maybe it's time to share some mercy and grace. 

Father, thank you for your mercy and grace toward us! Help us to live in your mercy and give your mercy to those around us. Praise be to you in us today!

ARE YOU READY? / Titus 3:1

"Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good." Titus 3:1

In sports there is the "ready position". You know, feet just a little more than shoulder width apart, knees bent, hands out, and ready to move which ever way is necessary to make the play. Spiritually speaking we need to be ready to make whatever play the Spirit of God puts before us. 

Ephesians 2:10 reminds us, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." 

In I Peter 3:15 the Apostle says, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." 

Maybe this is why the saying, "What would Jesus do?" came about. I think that is always a good "stance" or mindset to be in. 

GRACE & SELF-CONTROL/ Titus 2:11-14

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us  to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." Titus 2:11-14

Self-control is a lifelong lesson. It is life long because although everyday is connected to the past and bridges to the future, it is new and unique unto itself. Today I will encounter circumstances, situations and people that will be opportunities to experience God and to seek to be godly. 

How does the grace of God that brings salvation tie into this moment? 

How does the grace of God affect the way I respond to each person and each situation and circumstance?

Father, teach us to say "No" and abide in you. Praise be to you in us today!

SET ME IN A FAMILY/ Psalm 68:4-6

"Sing to God, sing praise to his name,
     extol him who rides on the clouds - 
 his name is the LORD -
     and rejoice before him.
 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
     is God in his holy dwelling.
 God sets the lonely in families,
     he lead forth the prisoners with singing;
 but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land."
 Psalm 68:4-6

I am been blessed with a wonderful godly wife and four children who all know God's Name. 

When I first became a Christian I knew I was not called to be single. I thought God would provide a wife pretty quickly because it just wouldn't be good to be single (for me). Well, God had other plans and I ended up not getting married until I was thirty six. Yes, that was a long time. I didn't like being single and when I did meet my wife, everyone wanted to know what kind of women could deal with me. 

One of the things that I found attractive about her was that her two boys were good boys. So, at thirtysix, I married into a family. The boys were and are to this day great young men. I sort of felt like Rip Van Winkle and I had somehow slept through this huge portion of my life. I woke up, was married and had two sons! 

The point here on Father's Day is that I thank God for setting me in a family. Thank you, Lord.

Thank you for being my Father and giving me such a great wife and children. Praise be to you, my Father. Praise be to you in us today!

HOLD ON BECAUSE THEY'RE HOLDING ON TO YOU: Titus 1:9

"He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." Titus 1:9 

My faith, my holding on to to Christ as he holds on to me, not only helps me abide in Christ but those in my circles of influence, starting with my family. 

In my school district there has been this infestation of "coaches" for about the last decade. There is nothing more nullifying than a coach who couldn't teach trying to tell other teachers how to do their job. In the same way my wife and children are not going to hear me if I am living a godless life yet talk like I am a saint. 

Now, I must offer a disclaimer. In Ephesians 5:21-33 Paul tells wives to submit to their husbands and husbands to love their wives. Please notice that it does not say submit when your husband is Christlike or love your wife when she is loveable. It also does not say you are free to not submit or love when your spouse is un-Christlike. My point is that perfection is not what is being taught. Faith relies on the cross because we need mercy, grace and forgiveness. 

My children need me to encourage them to follow Christ when everyone else is not. My children need me to help them refute the lies taught to children about the origin of man and the reality of our Creator, Savior, Father and Friend. We don't need to be brilliant apologists of the gospel, we just need to point our families to Christ.

Father, help us to follow you as parents and spouses and to encourage our children and spouses to trust in you. Praise be to you in us today! 

KEEP YOUR HEAD: II Timothy 4:5

"But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardships, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry."   II Timothy 4:5

What is your primary ministry? Your primary ministry is first to your spouse and then your family. Think about that for a second or two...If there is ever a place where you might not "keep you head" it is usually with your family. Sometimes we come home after holding everything in all day at work and we sort of vent or just sort of relax and then ,"BAM", a little drama, a little or not so little family crisis slams us right in the face! It can be hard to "keep your head" when all you want is just fifteen minutes of peace. 

I think the key is to still remember the grace of God and to let him reign. We can never let down our guard and never give up the reign of Christ in our hearts and minds. The day is not over until I lay my head on the pillow and that is not when I forget about God but when I thank God for bringing me through another day on planet earth. 

Father, bring us through this day and help us to keep our heads in all situations! Praise be to you in us today!

NOT A CHAINSAW OR BUTTER KNIFE: II Timothy 2:15

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." II Timothy 2:15

Hebrews 4:12 tells us that "the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword". The problem is that most of the time we use the Bible more like a chainsaw or a butter knife! Either we try to force our way by saying, "The Bible say! The Bible says!" Or we pick a quote with little or no reference to what the issue really is. 

If I see something in someone and just quote a verse and tell them to get it together or else they are in sin I could be shredding their faith. What happens if they are sincerely struggling with something, seeking God, but just having trouble? What if what they really need is someone to walk alongside them a while and instead I just condemn them? That's what I Corinthians 13 is all about, love. Think about Christ. Although he never condoned sin he was always kind to sinners (like me) when offering them a way of repentance. The only people Jesus was harsh with was with the so-called spiritual elitists, those who thought they were already righteous. 

So, apply the word of God with love and wisdom, correctly handle the word of God.

Father, help us to correctly handle your word and to dispense it with wisdom and love. Praise be to you in us today!