Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Praying for our Spiritual Leaders

"Then the prophet Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophets, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. So Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, helping them." Ezra 5:1-2

The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, to send some of the Jews out of Babylon and back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. “Then the heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, with all whose spirits God had moved, arose to go up and build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem.” (Ezra 1:5) But once they arrived, adversaries rose up against them and many distractions were used to thwart their work. How often do we encounter such distractions when trying to do God’s work? Our adversary prowls about seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8) and doing whatever he can to stop our progress in the Lord. What the people needed, God provided. Zerubbabel and Jeshua needed support and strength. They got it from the prophets whom God raised up to help them. Haggai and Zechariah prophesied in the name of the God of Israel with His power on their lips, a power that brought the others back to work. For us, that power is in the prayers of others. We do not need prophets around us to support us because we have the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to strengthen and sustain us. But, we do need prayer intercessors in those times when we feel weak and worn out, especially when the adversary seems to be coming after us. Take time today and pray for those in ministry positions, or those whom you know are working in the things of God. Leadership and ministerial positions are often on the front lines of battle where distractions are constantly interfering in their lives. Pray for them. If you are one of those on that battle line, do not hesitate to ask for prayer when you feel
weak and weary. We have Jesus. We have His Word and we have His Holy Spirit, but He has also given us His body of believers to lift each other up in times of trouble. Prayer is a tool we need to use everyday.

Monday, September 28, 2009

God's Abiding Gift

1 Corinthians 2:14-"The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."

The Holy Spirit is God's abiding gift, God's seal and promise. The Spirit is our assurance that what he began with Jesus' sacrificial death and our participation in it through faith and baptism, he will bring to completion. But the world cannot understand this great promise, just like it cannot understand much of Scripture, because without the Spirit, their eyes see only what they can touch with their fingers and not what is true in God's heart.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Seeking First God's Kingdom


Matthew 6:33-"Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."


Seek -- pursue relentlessly -- God's Lordship over your life and the righteousness it demands in your daily life. What you pursue is all temporary; only God and his Kingdom remain. In the process, you will find that the God who gives you his Kingdom and righteousness also will bless you with the things that you need in this life

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Our Advocate

1 John 2:1-"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense -- Jesus Christ the Righteous One."

God hates sin. Don't you? I know I do. But isn't it amazing how we'll fall back into the same old traps again and again. This is where John, the tender Shepherd that he was, hits the nail on the head. The goal is to not commit even one sin. But, knowing our struggle against the flesh, John also gives assurance to those of us trying to live faithful and pure lives that when we do sin, the sacrifice for our sins, God's Son, is also our defense attorney.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Don't Lose Confidence

Hebrews 10:35-36-"Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised."

Boy there are some tough times in life! They're inescapable. That's when our confidence in the Lord's salvation and our relationship with him get tested! It is one thing to sing "it is well with my soul" at the end of a peel-the-paint worship service, but it is quite another to be able to sing it when they auction your house off at the courthouse steps or you've lost a child to death. That's when the commitment to be who we want to be overrides the weakness of what we feel. Faith can't take a holiday when we travel through the suburbs of hell or we'll never find our way out. So don't throw it away. Be like Job or Jeremiah who both argued and complained to God. Just don't quit.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Those Who Oppose Us

Ephesians 6:12-"Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."

Virtually all Christians agree that Satan is a living being who is an evil force in the world. Historically, Christian confessions of faith have always included statements about belief in a personal devil--not that every person has his own personal devil, but that the devil is an actual personage rather than merely an impersonal force. But when you talk about demons being alive and active in the world today, a lot of Christians bristle, "Hold on there. I believe in the devil, but I don't buy that stuff about demons." My questions to these people is: How do you think Satan carries on his worldwide ministry of evil and deception? He is a created being . He is not omnipresent, omniscient or omnipotent. He can't be everywhere in the world tempting and deceiving millions of people at the same moment. He does so through an army of emissaries (demons, evil spirit, fallen angels, etc.) who propagate his plan of rebellion around the world. It is clear from the context of Ephesians 6:12 that the rulers, powers, and forces which oppose us are spiritual entities in the heavenlies (the spiritual world). Disbelief in personal demonic activity (or an inordinate fear of demons) is further evidence of the static that Satan perpetrates in our minds to distort the truth. Watch and pray and be prepared because we have an enemy, Satan, and he is out to steal, kill and destroy. Resist him in the faith and we will be victorious.

Monday, September 21, 2009

God's Blessings To Us

Joel 2:23-"Rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains."

"The prayers go up and the blessings come down..." The words to this children's song are only half right, because God sends his blessings many times even when we don't pray. But with the special smell that comes with a drought-breaking rain, God loves the aroma of his children's joy, especially when he is the source of its delight!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Watch What You Say

Ephesians 4:29-"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

The goal in Christian communication is not merely clarity, but encouragment based on what the needs of the other person are. When we speak to others we should let our words and our speech be for the benefit of others and to be an encouragement to the people we converse with in our daily lives. People can be affected both in a positive way and/or a negative way, simply based on what we say.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Righting Wrongs

John 15:8-"By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples ."

How can you know if you're being led by the Spirit or the flesh? Very simple: Look at your behavior. If you respond to a given situation by exercising love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, you are following the Spirit's lead (Galatians 5:22, 23). If your reactions and responses reflect the deeds of the flesh listed in Galatians 5:19-21, you are following the flesh. What do you do when you discover you are not walking by the Spirit? Acknowledge it for what it is. You have consciously or unconsciously chosen to live independently of God by walking according to the flesh. Walking according to the Spirit is a moment-by-moment, day-by-day experience. Acknowledge your sin to God, seek the forgiveness of anyone you may have offended, receive forgiveness, and be filled with the Spirit.
Here are a couple of things to consider when you are faced with righting fleshly wrongs. First, the scope of your confession should only be as broad as the scope of your offense. If you lashed out at a relative with angry words, you need only confess to God and that relative. If you entertain a secret, lustful thought or proud attitude without any overt, offensive behavior, you need only confess it to God. Confession literally means to agree with God. When you recognize an internal fleshly response, immediately acknowledge it in your mind. That's it; just agree with God and walk in the light. Second, the process of restoring a relationship through confession and forgiveness is a step of spiritual growth. Your role as a spouse, parent, friend, coworker, or fellow-Christian is to model growth, not perfection. If you're trying to keep up a front of Christian perfection in order to encourage saints and win sinners, forget it; it will never happen. But when you openly admit and ask forgiveness for your fleshly choices, you model the kind of spiritual growth which will touch saints and sinners alike.

(Special thanks to Neil Anderson for this devotional)

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Wisdom and Humility

James 3:13-"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. "

Wisdom is proven right by the character of a loving lifestyle. It is so easy, however, for someone to be arrogantly intelligent and be dumber than a post at spiritual wisdom. Which are you closer to in your walk with Jesus -- wisdom expressed through humble and loving lifestyle or smart with feelings of superiority and arrogance?

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Following HIM


Matthew 16:24 If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him . . . follow Me.


Seeking to overcome self by self-effort is a hopeless struggle. Self will never cast out self, because an independent self motivated by the flesh still wants to be God. We must follow Christ by being led by the Holy Spirit down the path of death to self-rule. As Paul wrote: "We who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh" (2 Corinthians 4:11). This may sound like a dismal path to walk, but I assure you that it is not. It is a tremendous experience to be known by the Shepherd and to follow Him as obedient, dependent sheep (John 10:27). The fact that we are led by the Spirit of God, even when it results in the death to self-rule, is our assurance of sonship (Romans 8;14). We were not designed to function independently of God. Only when we are dependent on Him and intent on following Christ are we complete and free to prove that the will of God is good, acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2). Self-rule is motivated by self-interest and supported only by self-centered resources. When we come to the end of our resources, we discover God's resources. God will let us do our thing and patiently wait until self-interest and self-rule leave us spiritually and emotionally bankrupt. We can turn to God any time we weary of trying to run our own lives independently of Him. He doesn't force Himself on us; He just simply says, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him . . . follow Me." Are you willing to forsake self-rule and follow Him?

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Working Together

1 Peter 3:8-"Live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble."

Unity and harmony are no accident! They happen because of intention and submission. But more than just states of being, they are commanded by God. How do we have unity and harmony? Peter reminds us that we must have three commitments 1) actively share concern with those who grieve; 2) share love just like a healthy family does; and 3) show compassion rather than arrogance as we deal with others failures toward us. By doing this we are demonstrating a Christ-like attitude and spirit. Which is what brings unity and harmony with fellow believers and others.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Our Helper

Psalm 121:1-2-"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."

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."

Friday, September 11, 2009

Remembering 9-11


"FREEDOM IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR...GOD BLESS AMEERICA."

Monday, September 7, 2009

Labor Day Greeting

Hope everyone has a happy Labor Day and is enjoying the holiday weekend. God bless you and yours as you celebrate the Holiday Weekend.



Saturday, September 5, 2009

God's Indicators

Proverbs 4:23-"Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life."

I played sports as a young man and I have the scars on my body to prove it. As I get older I am starting to feel the effects of the wear and tear my body has received from years of playing baseball, football and basketball. My knees and my shoulder will sometimes hurt due to old sports injuries from years ago. Your emotions are to your soul what your physical feelings are to your body. Nobody in their right mind enjoys pain. But if you didn't feel pain, you would be in danger of serious injury and infection. And if you didn't feel anger, sorrow, joy, etc. your soul would be in trouble. Emotions are God's indicators to let you know what is going on inside. They are neither good nor bad; they're amoral, just part of your humanity. Just like you respond to the warnings of physical pain, so you need to learn to respond to your emotional indicators. Someone has likened emotions to the red light on the dashboard of a car which indicates an engine problem. There are several ways you can respond to the red light's warning. You can cover it with a piece of duct tape, "I can't see the light now," you say, "so I don't have to think about the problem." You can smash out the light with a hammer. "That'll teach you for glaring in my face!" Or you can respond to the light as the manufacturers intended for you to respond by looking under the hood and fixing the problem. You have the same three options in responding to your emotions. You can respond by covering over them, ignoring them, stifling them. That's called suppression . You can respond by thoughtlessly lashing out, giving someone a piece of your mind, flying off at the handle. I call that indiscriminate expression . Or you can peer inside to see what's going on. That's called acknowledgment.

Friday, September 4, 2009

God's Direction and Presence

Isaiah 48:17-"This is what the Lord says -- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go."

You know many times, I long for the pillar of fire at night and the cloud by day to guide me as I make my way through this world. But I am reminded of God's abiding presence in the Spirit and his promise to never forsake me. I believe that if I seek his glory he will get me where I need to be to do his will.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

A Word for Parents

Proverbs 22:6-"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

Children don't need to be taught, they need to be trained. Life is not about intellectual lessons, but about integrating truth into the fabric of our daily lives. God calls us to move our children and their training up on the list of our priorities.