Today instead of a devotional I would like to take this time to talk about what is happening on this journey thus far for me.
Well God told me that going for two weeks would not be enough time and therefore I asked about going for a month. I was told to do a couple of things and therefore I followed up on them. In doing so I received an email back telling me that yes I could stay an extra two weeks and the details would be worked out at a later date.
I think God has been testing me in this whole process. He has been trying to teach me to wait, to have patience and to have trust in him and in this whole process. Well any one that knows me knows I am an instant gratification person. So the above mention and I do not jive very well.
From the day I applied to go to Peru I have been told to wait. I had to wait for the decision if there would be room for me on the team. Then I had to wait for the monies from sending out my letters to come in. Then told to wait on the extra two weeks and finally told to wait on the changing of my return date and other information that I want to have.
So why can I not learn to wait, I have not prayed for that. I am afraid to pray for patience because everyone says that when they prayed for that, that God gave them more to test their patience. I guess instead of patience I need to pray for the skill of learning to wait for the answers.
If I believe in God and I trust him to show me the answers why do I lack the trust in him to provide for me? I need to just let go and let God do what he needs to do to make things happen. After all he has already provided me with the monies I needed to raise to go for the first two weeks. And I already have 1/5th of the additional monies I need for the second two weeks.
I already know that I have a commitment of another 1/5th of that money leaving 3/5th left which really is not very much money in the whole scheme of things. So why am I so worried. Because I set my goal to have all monies in by the end of May.
So I just need to let go and let God. I need to pray to learn to wait for the answers and to learn to trust him more. Pretty tall order but I will do my best. Please join me in praying for those things I have talked about.
God Bless
Monday, May 14, 2007
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Ephesians 3 (New International Version)
Paul the Preacher to the Gentiles
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—
2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you,
3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.
4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets.
6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power.
8 Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.
10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
A Prayer for the Ephesians
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father,
15 from whom his whole family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name.
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Footnotes:
Ephesians 3:15 Or whom all fatherhood
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—
2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you,
3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.
4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets.
6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power.
8 Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.
10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
A Prayer for the Ephesians
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father,
15 from whom his whole family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name.
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Footnotes:
Ephesians 3:15 Or whom all fatherhood
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Ephesians 2 (New International Version)
Made Alive in Christ
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
One in Christ
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)—
12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,
16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household,
20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Footnotes:
Ephesians 2:3 Or our flesh
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
One in Christ
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)—
12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,
16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household,
20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Footnotes:
Ephesians 2:3 Or our flesh
Friday, May 11, 2007
Ephesians 1 (New International Version)
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,To the saints in Ephesus,[a] the faithful[b] in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
5 In love he[c] predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—
6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace
8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
9 And he[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen,[e] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[f] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
18 I pray also 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 the saints,
19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,
20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,
23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Footnotes:
Ephesians 1:1 Some early manuscripts do not have in Ephesus.
Ephesians 1:1 Or believers who are
Ephesians 1:5 Or sight in love. 5 He
Ephesians 1:9 Or us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he
Ephesians 1:11 Or were made heirs
Ephesians 1:17 Or a spirit
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
5 In love he[c] predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—
6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace
8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
9 And he[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen,[e] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[f] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
18 I pray also 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 the saints,
19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,
20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,
23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Footnotes:
Ephesians 1:1 Some early manuscripts do not have in Ephesus.
Ephesians 1:1 Or believers who are
Ephesians 1:5 Or sight in love. 5 He
Ephesians 1:9 Or us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he
Ephesians 1:11 Or were made heirs
Ephesians 1:17 Or a spirit
Thursday, May 10, 2007
"Arise; shine for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee". Isaiah 60:1
"Wake up, O sleeper,
Rise from the dead,
And Christ will Shine on you".
Ephesians 5:14
From the rising of the sun to the setting of the same, My glory will be seen over all the Earth! As darkness increases, so shall the light of My glory be released in greater measure.
Rise and shine, My people that My glory may be seen upon you. Awaken and prepare! Trim the wicks and make sure your lamps are filled with precious oil. In this time, some will be found foolish among the wise, but I will cause the wise to shine like the stars in heaven, and My glory will be revealed.
My people will rise and take the land as I cause their enemies to turn their backs to them. Everything within their boundaries will be called, "Holy to the Lord", and I will grant increase until the day when the whole earth is filled with My glory.
The trumpet of the Lord declares
It's time to rise and shine!
Now is the time to prepare,
And form the battle lines.
Fill your lamps with oil
So you can light the way,
As darkness falls upon those who toil
In the evil day.
It's a time of separation,
The wheat from the tare
This is My declaration--
The foolish from the wise.
For I will gather the fruit from the vine
A day of treading
Out the wine--
A new wine prepared for a new day.
Rise and Shine those who are Mine
For I will pour you out
The best of the vine
So My glory may be seen over all the earth.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Laughter
Tonight I went to my church to Ladies Night Out. We had a wonderful speaker as our guest this evening. The evening was about the power of humour. Well if I were to guess I think there was around 100 people there. I do not think that there was a person in the room who was not laughing to the point of tears rolling down their faces.
Most people today get going along very quickly in life anf they forget to stop and smell the roses. Humour used in a positive way is very healthy for the soul. They say that ten minutes of hardy laughing a day is the equivilent of 10 mins on a treadmill. They also say it is a great stress reliever.
Laughter is always the best medicine. We need to take time each and every day to relax, enjoy the moment, and have a good laugh. What does this have to do with anything well it is just a gentle reminder that life today is very busy, stressful, and we often forget to just relax and enjoy life. So take time for yourselves, smile and put on your favorite comedy so you can have a good laugh for the day.
Most people today get going along very quickly in life anf they forget to stop and smell the roses. Humour used in a positive way is very healthy for the soul. They say that ten minutes of hardy laughing a day is the equivilent of 10 mins on a treadmill. They also say it is a great stress reliever.
Laughter is always the best medicine. We need to take time each and every day to relax, enjoy the moment, and have a good laugh. What does this have to do with anything well it is just a gentle reminder that life today is very busy, stressful, and we often forget to just relax and enjoy life. So take time for yourselves, smile and put on your favorite comedy so you can have a good laugh for the day.
WAIT
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried.
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait!"
"'Wait?, You say, wait!" my indignant reply,
Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and am claiming your Word."
"My future and all to which I relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to wait?
I'm needing a 'yes,' a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign."
"And Lord, you promised that if we believe
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!"
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my master replied once again, "You must wait."
So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut
and grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting...for what?"
He seemed then to kneel and His eyes wept with mine,
And he tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run."
"All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want--but, you wouldn't know me.
You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint,
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint."
"You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there;
You'd not know the joy of resting in me
when darkness and silence were all you could see."
"You'd never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of my Spirit descends like a dove;
You'd know that I give and I save... (for a start),
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of my heart."
"The glow of my comfort late into the night.
The faith that I give when you walk without sight,
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have last."
"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
what it means that My grace is sufficient for thee..
Yes, your dreams for your loved ones overnight would come true,
But, oh, the loss! If I lost what I'm doing in you!"
"So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see
that the greatest of gifts is to get to know me.
And though oft may my answers seem terribly late,
My wisest of answers is still but to wait."
© 1980 Russell Kelfer.
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait!"
"'Wait?, You say, wait!" my indignant reply,
Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and am claiming your Word."
"My future and all to which I relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to wait?
I'm needing a 'yes,' a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign."
"And Lord, you promised that if we believe
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!"
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my master replied once again, "You must wait."
So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut
and grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting...for what?"
He seemed then to kneel and His eyes wept with mine,
And he tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run."
"All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want--but, you wouldn't know me.
You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint,
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint."
"You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there;
You'd not know the joy of resting in me
when darkness and silence were all you could see."
"You'd never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of my Spirit descends like a dove;
You'd know that I give and I save... (for a start),
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of my heart."
"The glow of my comfort late into the night.
The faith that I give when you walk without sight,
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have last."
"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
what it means that My grace is sufficient for thee..
Yes, your dreams for your loved ones overnight would come true,
But, oh, the loss! If I lost what I'm doing in you!"
"So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see
that the greatest of gifts is to get to know me.
And though oft may my answers seem terribly late,
My wisest of answers is still but to wait."
© 1980 Russell Kelfer.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Side note from todays devotional
With in seconds of clicking the publish button for todays Devotional I recieved this email.
Everything that is going wrong in your life today shall be well with you this year. No matter how much your enemies try this year, 'they will not' succeed. You have been destined to make it and you shall surely achieve all your goals this year. For the remaining months of this year (2007), all your agonies will be diverted and victory and prosperity will be incoming in abundance. Today God has confirmed the end of your sufferings, sorrows, an d pains because HE that sits on the throne has remembered you. He has taken away the hardships and given you JOY. He will never let you down.
I knocked at heaven's door this morning, God asked me... My child! What can I do for you? And I said, 'Father, please protect and bless the person reading this message'... God smiled and answered... Request granted.
Now I ask you how amazing is our God? Is he working in my life? Without a doubt he is! God thank you for everything.
Everything that is going wrong in your life today shall be well with you this year. No matter how much your enemies try this year, 'they will not' succeed. You have been destined to make it and you shall surely achieve all your goals this year. For the remaining months of this year (2007), all your agonies will be diverted and victory and prosperity will be incoming in abundance. Today God has confirmed the end of your sufferings, sorrows, an d pains because HE that sits on the throne has remembered you. He has taken away the hardships and given you JOY. He will never let you down.
I knocked at heaven's door this morning, God asked me... My child! What can I do for you? And I said, 'Father, please protect and bless the person reading this message'... God smiled and answered... Request granted.
Now I ask you how amazing is our God? Is he working in my life? Without a doubt he is! God thank you for everything.
SPEM PRAYER REQUEST
It is 8:00 am Monday morning and the phone rings so I answer to hear my mothers voice. She is tired and upset and worried. My father and her have been up most of the night. Dad has had a very high fever and sick all night. She has asked me to drive them to London for a scheduled doctors appointment.
I have to rearrange an appointment with my physio and they are upset, but in my life family always comes firt. I decided I had an 1/2 before I needed to leave so I would look for a quick devotion on healing, for stress relief, and I went to the site for Daily Bread and this is this mornings devotional. I felt it suited exactly what my mother needs and so does the rest of my family. So please pray this SPEM prayer for us all. Thank you in advance for these prayers. May God Bless you.
I bow my knees to the Father . . . that He would grant you . . . to be strengthened with might through His Spirit. —Ephesians 3:14,16
A friend sent me an e-mail that concluded with a list of prayer requests. She said, “Spiritually, I am confused, so pray for understanding. Physically, I am tired, so pray for rest. Emotionally, I am very weak, so pray for strength. Mentally, I am worried, so pray for peace.”
When I saw her later, I told her, “I’ve been SPEM praying for you.” She looked confused, so I told her I was praying for her spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
Scripture illustrates God’s care in each of these areas.
Spiritual: Jesus prayed for His disciples: “Sanctify them by Your truth” (John 17:17). Truth leads to spiritual understanding, eliminating confusion.
Physical: Peter had a physical need—release from jail. His friends prayed—and he got out (Acts 12:1-11). In God’s care we find security and rest (Ps. 16:9).
Emotional: Often the psalmists asked God for relief from distress (4:1; 18:6; 107:6-7). He brings hope.
Mental: Insight and wisdom are promised for those who cry out to God (Prov. 2:3-6; James 1:5-7). Through prayer and reading His Word, the peace of God can be found.
Are you struggling? Ask God for spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental assistance. —Dave Branon
What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer! —Scriven
Turn your cares into prayers.
I have to rearrange an appointment with my physio and they are upset, but in my life family always comes firt. I decided I had an 1/2 before I needed to leave so I would look for a quick devotion on healing, for stress relief, and I went to the site for Daily Bread and this is this mornings devotional. I felt it suited exactly what my mother needs and so does the rest of my family. So please pray this SPEM prayer for us all. Thank you in advance for these prayers. May God Bless you.
I bow my knees to the Father . . . that He would grant you . . . to be strengthened with might through His Spirit. —Ephesians 3:14,16
A friend sent me an e-mail that concluded with a list of prayer requests. She said, “Spiritually, I am confused, so pray for understanding. Physically, I am tired, so pray for rest. Emotionally, I am very weak, so pray for strength. Mentally, I am worried, so pray for peace.”
When I saw her later, I told her, “I’ve been SPEM praying for you.” She looked confused, so I told her I was praying for her spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
Scripture illustrates God’s care in each of these areas.
Spiritual: Jesus prayed for His disciples: “Sanctify them by Your truth” (John 17:17). Truth leads to spiritual understanding, eliminating confusion.
Physical: Peter had a physical need—release from jail. His friends prayed—and he got out (Acts 12:1-11). In God’s care we find security and rest (Ps. 16:9).
Emotional: Often the psalmists asked God for relief from distress (4:1; 18:6; 107:6-7). He brings hope.
Mental: Insight and wisdom are promised for those who cry out to God (Prov. 2:3-6; James 1:5-7). Through prayer and reading His Word, the peace of God can be found.
Are you struggling? Ask God for spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental assistance. —Dave Branon
What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer! —Scriven
Turn your cares into prayers.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
FACING THE GIANTS
Tonight I went to the Salvation Army church in Cambridge to watch this movie call Facing the Giants. It was a totally awesome movie. It was a Christian movie.
Here is what it says on its website.
From the award-winning producers of FLYWHEEL comes a new, action-packed, family-friendly drama about a high school football coach who draws up a new game plan for his team … and himself.
In his six years of coaching, Grant Taylor has never had a winning season. Even the hope of a new season is squelched when the best player on his Shiloh Eagles decides to transfer schools. After losing their first three games of the season, the coach discovers a group of fathers are plotting to have him fired. Combined with pressures at home, Coach Taylor has lost hope in his battle against fear and failure.
However, an unexpected challenge helps him find a purpose bigger than just victories. Daring to trust God to do the impossible, Coach Taylor and the Eagles discover how faith plays out on the field … and off.
With God, all things are possible …
Let this be our devotions for today lets pray to strengthen or widen our territoy by putting all our trust and faith in him. And like the football team from this movie we will see that With God, all things are are possible.
God Bless
It is my reccomendation that everyone see this movie it sure touches your hearts.
Here is what it says on its website.
From the award-winning producers of FLYWHEEL comes a new, action-packed, family-friendly drama about a high school football coach who draws up a new game plan for his team … and himself.
In his six years of coaching, Grant Taylor has never had a winning season. Even the hope of a new season is squelched when the best player on his Shiloh Eagles decides to transfer schools. After losing their first three games of the season, the coach discovers a group of fathers are plotting to have him fired. Combined with pressures at home, Coach Taylor has lost hope in his battle against fear and failure.
However, an unexpected challenge helps him find a purpose bigger than just victories. Daring to trust God to do the impossible, Coach Taylor and the Eagles discover how faith plays out on the field … and off.
With God, all things are possible …
Let this be our devotions for today lets pray to strengthen or widen our territoy by putting all our trust and faith in him. And like the football team from this movie we will see that With God, all things are are possible.
God Bless
It is my reccomendation that everyone see this movie it sure touches your hearts.
Friday, May 4, 2007
God’s grace sets you free
Todays Devotional is from the Purpose Driven Life
God’s grace sets you free
By Jon Walker
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God ....” (Ephesians 2:8 NIV)
Grace. If you carry away only one thing from these devotionals, my prayer is that it will be a mind-transforming, behavior-altering understanding of God’s infinite, indestructible, and immovable grace.
Not just a quick, yet correct sound-bite explanation – like the “unmerited favor of God” – but the deep, ancient meaning of grace that stretches across the depth and breadth and width and height of God’s character.
This is on my mind because these devotionals present some high standards for Christian discipleship. My hope is to press us both – myself as well as you – toward an honest assessment of our faith, a deeper commitment to our beliefs, and most importantly a sacrificial, wholly-abandoned love for our Lord.
The standard is high; in fact, it’s impossibly high. That’s why we need God’s grace. I can’t, but God can. “Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.” (2 Corinthians 3:4-5 NIV)
Although I strive for these standards in my own life, I often fail, but that doesn’t mean I should lower the standard or hide behind denial of failure, or that I should settle for a mediocre, warmed-over faith walk. It means I look to the things above, striving to become the man God wants me to be, and getting out of the way so the Holy Spirit can do the work of transformation in my life. Whether I succeed or fail, I fall upon the grace of God. I remain immersed in his grace, knowing I cannot be holy, but the spirit of God within me and the blood of Jesus Christ allow me to connect with a holy God.
If we don’t understand God’s grace, we stand in danger of growing weary in our walk with God, descending into a quiet resignation that the abundant life is just a notion that describes our “Sweet By and By” future in heaven.
Or, when we fail to embrace God’s grace, we’re in danger of slipping into legalism, believing we can somehow reach God’s holy standard through our own efforts. In effect, we’re saying we can achieve godliness without God’s power! We behave as if we become one of God’s children by the things we do or the things we don’t do and not from the extraordinary Grace of God. (2 Corinthians 3:4-6 NIV)
As if.
We become like the foolish Galatians, who began their Christian walk with the Spirit, but then they began to behave as if godly goals could be reached by human effort. (Galatians 3:1-5 NIV)
The Apostle Paul, who struggled with legalism himself, taught the Galatians that the law was only put in charge to lead us to the grace of Christ. (Galatians 3:23-25) The Spirit of the living God transforms us by writing the law into our hearts rather than on simple stone tablets. (2 Corinthians 3:3) The godly standard is set within, where it cannot be lost, or diminished, or forgotten, instead of on tablets of stone that can be broken, or misplaced, or simply ignored.
So, you and I – my sister, my brother – we share in an inheritance from God, and that inheritance comes from grace. In fact, that inheritance is God’s grace. We are his workmanship, not creations of our own hand. (Ephesians 2:7-10)
So what?
· God’s grace sets you free to fail – When Martin Luther was fighting the false belief that we could work our way into God’s grace, he wrote, "Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world." He was not teaching that it’s okay to sin; rather that all sins are covered by the grace of God – so we can stop living timidly, afraid to make mistakes. We can live boldly.
· God forbid we abuse his grace – God doesn’t give us grace so we will continue to sin; rather, he gives us grace so we are free, here and now, to not sin. He gives us grace so we can live in relationship with him, no longer fearing separation because of our sin. “So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we've left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there?” (Romans 6:1-7 MSG)
· Grace makes way for good works – “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:6-10 NIV)
God’s grace sets you free
By Jon Walker
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God ....” (Ephesians 2:8 NIV)
Grace. If you carry away only one thing from these devotionals, my prayer is that it will be a mind-transforming, behavior-altering understanding of God’s infinite, indestructible, and immovable grace.
Not just a quick, yet correct sound-bite explanation – like the “unmerited favor of God” – but the deep, ancient meaning of grace that stretches across the depth and breadth and width and height of God’s character.
This is on my mind because these devotionals present some high standards for Christian discipleship. My hope is to press us both – myself as well as you – toward an honest assessment of our faith, a deeper commitment to our beliefs, and most importantly a sacrificial, wholly-abandoned love for our Lord.
The standard is high; in fact, it’s impossibly high. That’s why we need God’s grace. I can’t, but God can. “Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.” (2 Corinthians 3:4-5 NIV)
Although I strive for these standards in my own life, I often fail, but that doesn’t mean I should lower the standard or hide behind denial of failure, or that I should settle for a mediocre, warmed-over faith walk. It means I look to the things above, striving to become the man God wants me to be, and getting out of the way so the Holy Spirit can do the work of transformation in my life. Whether I succeed or fail, I fall upon the grace of God. I remain immersed in his grace, knowing I cannot be holy, but the spirit of God within me and the blood of Jesus Christ allow me to connect with a holy God.
If we don’t understand God’s grace, we stand in danger of growing weary in our walk with God, descending into a quiet resignation that the abundant life is just a notion that describes our “Sweet By and By” future in heaven.
Or, when we fail to embrace God’s grace, we’re in danger of slipping into legalism, believing we can somehow reach God’s holy standard through our own efforts. In effect, we’re saying we can achieve godliness without God’s power! We behave as if we become one of God’s children by the things we do or the things we don’t do and not from the extraordinary Grace of God. (2 Corinthians 3:4-6 NIV)
As if.
We become like the foolish Galatians, who began their Christian walk with the Spirit, but then they began to behave as if godly goals could be reached by human effort. (Galatians 3:1-5 NIV)
The Apostle Paul, who struggled with legalism himself, taught the Galatians that the law was only put in charge to lead us to the grace of Christ. (Galatians 3:23-25) The Spirit of the living God transforms us by writing the law into our hearts rather than on simple stone tablets. (2 Corinthians 3:3) The godly standard is set within, where it cannot be lost, or diminished, or forgotten, instead of on tablets of stone that can be broken, or misplaced, or simply ignored.
So, you and I – my sister, my brother – we share in an inheritance from God, and that inheritance comes from grace. In fact, that inheritance is God’s grace. We are his workmanship, not creations of our own hand. (Ephesians 2:7-10)
So what?
· God’s grace sets you free to fail – When Martin Luther was fighting the false belief that we could work our way into God’s grace, he wrote, "Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world." He was not teaching that it’s okay to sin; rather that all sins are covered by the grace of God – so we can stop living timidly, afraid to make mistakes. We can live boldly.
· God forbid we abuse his grace – God doesn’t give us grace so we will continue to sin; rather, he gives us grace so we are free, here and now, to not sin. He gives us grace so we can live in relationship with him, no longer fearing separation because of our sin. “So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we've left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there?” (Romans 6:1-7 MSG)
· Grace makes way for good works – “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:6-10 NIV)
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Prayer Request--for friends going to Haiti on a Mission Trip
Today May 4th/07 there is a team of 14 people leaving from Canada to go to Haiti on a Mission trip from the Salvation Army.
I personally have been talking via emails with one of the team leaders Nathanael Homewood in regards to mission work. I would like to ask for prayer for his team members and the other leaders going with them. I would also ask for prayers for the four leaders in Haiti as well. This team will be gone from May 4th till the 18th.
Here are two things that were mentioned in the email I recieved from him.
1) It is their hope that their brief visit will be life changing for their team members by learning to appreciate the culture, lifestyle, celebrations and even the pain and suffering of each other as human beings.
2) Their goal is to make their visit an "Integrated Mission" where they come first of all to build relationships with the Haitian people at their own comfort level. They do not wish to impose themselves on others, or to declare that they are coming to "fix" problems and download resources. It is their philosophy that every community has the ability and capacity to heal itself and that their role is to come along side, to learn and share their lives as fellow human beings.
Please pray that they all are able to maintain these goals and objectives while they are their.
I personally have been talking via emails with one of the team leaders Nathanael Homewood in regards to mission work. I would like to ask for prayer for his team members and the other leaders going with them. I would also ask for prayers for the four leaders in Haiti as well. This team will be gone from May 4th till the 18th.
Here are two things that were mentioned in the email I recieved from him.
1) It is their hope that their brief visit will be life changing for their team members by learning to appreciate the culture, lifestyle, celebrations and even the pain and suffering of each other as human beings.
2) Their goal is to make their visit an "Integrated Mission" where they come first of all to build relationships with the Haitian people at their own comfort level. They do not wish to impose themselves on others, or to declare that they are coming to "fix" problems and download resources. It is their philosophy that every community has the ability and capacity to heal itself and that their role is to come along side, to learn and share their lives as fellow human beings.
Please pray that they all are able to maintain these goals and objectives while they are their.
GIVING GOD THE GLORY
Todays devotional comes from RBC Ministries---Daily Bread
“Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
The news from our mechanic threatened to scuttle our plans. A suspicious rattling noise prompted me to take our clunker of a car to the shop a day before we were scheduled to drive through the night to Florida for our family vacation. The mechanic informed me that the rattling noise was our transmission’s farewell song, and that we were going to have to replace it—a time-consuming and expensive repair.
Seriously discouraged, I made my way back to the church office. I was considering how I would break the news to my family, when the phone rang. On the other end of the line, one of our church members said, “Hey, Pastor, I hear that you’re going to Florida on vacation. You know, my wife and I are worried about you taking your family to Florida in that little car. Our cars belong to God, and we would like you to take one of them on your vacation. Your choice!”
Wow! I knew that his cars were beauties—so either one would have been incredible.
With vacation plans intact and with a heart of gratitude for God’s provision, my family made our way to Florida in our friend’s beautiful car. I’ve got to be honest: I loved driving that car. I loved the stares we got at stoplights; and I felt pretty proud as I pulled up to a gas station. As I was pumping gas into the car (it had a huge appetite for fuel!), a guy walked out of the gas station and said, “Hey, that’s a beautiful car. How do you like your car?”
This was a big moment for me. Do you think I wanted to tell him it wasn’t my car? No way! A spiritual battle raged in my heart for what seemed like an hour (but was probably only 10 seconds). Truth finally won out, and I said, “Well, it’s not my car, but I like it a lot!”
Through the course of life, we all have opportunities to take the credit for ourselves when we shouldn’t. In the spotlight of some success, it’s tempting to keep the applause focused on “me.” But when you think about it, we would have no success in our lives at all if God did not see fit to give us the opportunities to succeed, the brainpower, the education, the temperament and gifts to accomplish praiseworthy things. Even so, when people notice that we have something good going, an internal spiritual battle occurs: Do we keep the glory for ourselves, or do we turn the spotlight back to God where it belongs?
Paul had it right in Philippians 3:1-11 when he encouraged us to stop bragging about ourselves and to start rejoicing in the Lord. He put together an impressive list of his own accomplishments and then said they were like “dung” compared to the glorious reality of Christ in His life. Jeremiah said, “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight” (9:23-24).
It’s not that we can’t enjoy our moment in the sun. Pleasure in good things is a gift that God has given us. It’s just that it’s important to give the credit for all we have and are to the appropriate person: God, the giver of all good things (1 Timothy 6:17).
YOUR JOURNEY…
Think back on some areas of accomplishment in your life. How were those moments (or how could they have been) used to bring God glory? What can you do in the future to tactfully give God the credit?
Think about some of the activities, hobbies, or pursuits that bring you genuine joy in life. Thank God for the opportunity to use the body and talents that He has given you to enjoy these things!
Read Acts 12:20-23, a sobering thought about stealing the glory from God.
“Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
The news from our mechanic threatened to scuttle our plans. A suspicious rattling noise prompted me to take our clunker of a car to the shop a day before we were scheduled to drive through the night to Florida for our family vacation. The mechanic informed me that the rattling noise was our transmission’s farewell song, and that we were going to have to replace it—a time-consuming and expensive repair.
Seriously discouraged, I made my way back to the church office. I was considering how I would break the news to my family, when the phone rang. On the other end of the line, one of our church members said, “Hey, Pastor, I hear that you’re going to Florida on vacation. You know, my wife and I are worried about you taking your family to Florida in that little car. Our cars belong to God, and we would like you to take one of them on your vacation. Your choice!”
Wow! I knew that his cars were beauties—so either one would have been incredible.
With vacation plans intact and with a heart of gratitude for God’s provision, my family made our way to Florida in our friend’s beautiful car. I’ve got to be honest: I loved driving that car. I loved the stares we got at stoplights; and I felt pretty proud as I pulled up to a gas station. As I was pumping gas into the car (it had a huge appetite for fuel!), a guy walked out of the gas station and said, “Hey, that’s a beautiful car. How do you like your car?”
This was a big moment for me. Do you think I wanted to tell him it wasn’t my car? No way! A spiritual battle raged in my heart for what seemed like an hour (but was probably only 10 seconds). Truth finally won out, and I said, “Well, it’s not my car, but I like it a lot!”
Through the course of life, we all have opportunities to take the credit for ourselves when we shouldn’t. In the spotlight of some success, it’s tempting to keep the applause focused on “me.” But when you think about it, we would have no success in our lives at all if God did not see fit to give us the opportunities to succeed, the brainpower, the education, the temperament and gifts to accomplish praiseworthy things. Even so, when people notice that we have something good going, an internal spiritual battle occurs: Do we keep the glory for ourselves, or do we turn the spotlight back to God where it belongs?
Paul had it right in Philippians 3:1-11 when he encouraged us to stop bragging about ourselves and to start rejoicing in the Lord. He put together an impressive list of his own accomplishments and then said they were like “dung” compared to the glorious reality of Christ in His life. Jeremiah said, “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight” (9:23-24).
It’s not that we can’t enjoy our moment in the sun. Pleasure in good things is a gift that God has given us. It’s just that it’s important to give the credit for all we have and are to the appropriate person: God, the giver of all good things (1 Timothy 6:17).
YOUR JOURNEY…
Think back on some areas of accomplishment in your life. How were those moments (or how could they have been) used to bring God glory? What can you do in the future to tactfully give God the credit?
Think about some of the activities, hobbies, or pursuits that bring you genuine joy in life. Thank God for the opportunity to use the body and talents that He has given you to enjoy these things!
Read Acts 12:20-23, a sobering thought about stealing the glory from God.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
The hard work of getting along
Today I decide to go to one of my Favorite Christian books other than the Bible I have read which is "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. I know many have heard of this book or ev en read it but for those of you who have not read it or heard of it please take the time to go to your local libarary or Christian book store and take a look at it. I loved it cause in todays world I sure could relate and understand what they were talking about and apply it to my everyday life and living.
God makes clear what our Purpose is and Rick Warren has laid it out in a format we can all understand. I also reccommend you check out his website as most of his material is available online as well.
There is a daily devotional reading on his site and that is where I have gotten todays devotional from.
The hard work of getting along
By Jon Walker
“Let us agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other.” (Romans 14:19a Message)
If you have children, you’ll know exactly what I mean: Some days you look into their faces, and you see the attitudes of angels; on other days you want to scream, “Why can’t you just get along!” as they get into a ridiculous argument about who moved a toy 1/32nd of an inch.
Sometimes these opposite attitudes shift back and forth six times in five minutes!
But let me ask you this: Do you think God ever looks at us – we adults, believers in community together – and sighs, “Why can’t my children just get along?’”
There are dozens of reasons we don’t get along with each other – with the sin of pride right at the top of the list. But I think another huge reason we fail to live in authentic, consistent, committed Christian community is because it’s too hard.
It requires real effort to work through our differences, to remain transparent and honest, to confront and to pay close attention to each other. Frankly, it’s easier to keep relationships superficial, to “demonize” one another when we don’t agree, to cut and run at the first sign of trouble rather than commit to each other.
Yet God placed within us a need for “stick-with-it” commitments; his commitment to us is unbreakable, and he wants to see us extend the same commitment to each other (2 Corinthians 8:5). But this kind of commitment takes time – something that has become far too scarce in our lives today (and that, my friend, is a choice).
God knows we will live in a healthy, Christian community if we will commit to living our lives together beyond our weekly meetings, if we will make each other a priority - sharing our lives over coffee, after work, at the ballpark, in the hospital.
The only way for us to become a “friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24) is when we focus on the quality of our relationships, not mere quantity or mere acquaintances.
“You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.” (James 3:18 MSG, Emphasis mine)
So what?
· Love no matter what
How can you plan to help others at all times, not just when it’s convenient? (Proverbs 17:17)
How can you develop a strategy for loving others at their worst, not just when they seem lovable? (Romans 5:8)
· Show up – The most basic behavior of commitment is simply showing up. “If you care, you’ll be there.” You may be surprised that your mere presence is a source of encouragement. (Hebrews 10:25)
· Intentional commitments – Other than your spouse, have you ever told someone else, “I will always be there for you”? This week, establish an intentional commitment with another believer. Approach the Spirit’s choice and bless that person by saying, “I want to grow close to you as a friend.”
© 2007 Jon Walker. All rights reserved.
God makes clear what our Purpose is and Rick Warren has laid it out in a format we can all understand. I also reccommend you check out his website as most of his material is available online as well.
There is a daily devotional reading on his site and that is where I have gotten todays devotional from.
The hard work of getting along
By Jon Walker
“Let us agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other.” (Romans 14:19a Message)
If you have children, you’ll know exactly what I mean: Some days you look into their faces, and you see the attitudes of angels; on other days you want to scream, “Why can’t you just get along!” as they get into a ridiculous argument about who moved a toy 1/32nd of an inch.
Sometimes these opposite attitudes shift back and forth six times in five minutes!
But let me ask you this: Do you think God ever looks at us – we adults, believers in community together – and sighs, “Why can’t my children just get along?’”
There are dozens of reasons we don’t get along with each other – with the sin of pride right at the top of the list. But I think another huge reason we fail to live in authentic, consistent, committed Christian community is because it’s too hard.
It requires real effort to work through our differences, to remain transparent and honest, to confront and to pay close attention to each other. Frankly, it’s easier to keep relationships superficial, to “demonize” one another when we don’t agree, to cut and run at the first sign of trouble rather than commit to each other.
Yet God placed within us a need for “stick-with-it” commitments; his commitment to us is unbreakable, and he wants to see us extend the same commitment to each other (2 Corinthians 8:5). But this kind of commitment takes time – something that has become far too scarce in our lives today (and that, my friend, is a choice).
God knows we will live in a healthy, Christian community if we will commit to living our lives together beyond our weekly meetings, if we will make each other a priority - sharing our lives over coffee, after work, at the ballpark, in the hospital.
The only way for us to become a “friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24) is when we focus on the quality of our relationships, not mere quantity or mere acquaintances.
“You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.” (James 3:18 MSG, Emphasis mine)
So what?
· Love no matter what
How can you plan to help others at all times, not just when it’s convenient? (Proverbs 17:17)
How can you develop a strategy for loving others at their worst, not just when they seem lovable? (Romans 5:8)
· Show up – The most basic behavior of commitment is simply showing up. “If you care, you’ll be there.” You may be surprised that your mere presence is a source of encouragement. (Hebrews 10:25)
· Intentional commitments – Other than your spouse, have you ever told someone else, “I will always be there for you”? This week, establish an intentional commitment with another believer. Approach the Spirit’s choice and bless that person by saying, “I want to grow close to you as a friend.”
© 2007 Jon Walker. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Faith --- Not Emotion
2 Corinthians 5:7 (New International Version)
7 We live by faith, not by sight.
I take this devotional today from Oswald Chambers book MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST
For a time we are conscious of God's attentions, then, when God begins to use us in His enterprises, we take on a pathetic look and talk of the trials and the difficulties, and all the time God is trying to make us do our duty as obscure people. None of us would be obscure spiritually if we could help it. Can we do our duty when God has shut up heaven? Some of us always want to be illuminated saints with golden babes and the flush of inspiration, and to have the saints of God dealing with us all the time. A gilt-edged saint is no good, he is abnormal, unfit for daily life, and altogether unlike God. We are here as men and women, not as half-fledged angels, to do the work of the world, and to do it with an infinitely greater power to stand the turmoil because we have been born from above.
If we try to re-introduce the rare moments of inspiration, it is a sign that it is not God we want. We are making a fetish of the moments when God did come and speak, and insisting that He must do it again; whereas what God wants us to do is to "walk by faith." How many of us have laid ourselves by, as it were, and said - "I cannot do any more until God appears to me." He never will, and without any inspiration, without any sudden touch of God, we will have to get up. Then comes the surprise - "Why, He was there all the time, and I never knew it!" Never live for the rare moments, they are surprises. God will give us touches of inspiration when He sees we are not in danger of being led away by them. We must never make our moments of inspiration our standard; our standard is our duty.
This is what it says on his website homepage
Oswald Chambers
Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) was a Scottish minister and teacher whose teachings on the life of faith and abandonment to God have endured to this day.
This daily devotional is a collection of his teachings compiled by his wife into a daily devotional format. It's presented here in the original English. His wife's comments may be found in the Foreword.
We publish this with the prayer that Oswald Chambers' teachings will help you grow in your walk with Christ.
7 We live by faith, not by sight.
I take this devotional today from Oswald Chambers book MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST
For a time we are conscious of God's attentions, then, when God begins to use us in His enterprises, we take on a pathetic look and talk of the trials and the difficulties, and all the time God is trying to make us do our duty as obscure people. None of us would be obscure spiritually if we could help it. Can we do our duty when God has shut up heaven? Some of us always want to be illuminated saints with golden babes and the flush of inspiration, and to have the saints of God dealing with us all the time. A gilt-edged saint is no good, he is abnormal, unfit for daily life, and altogether unlike God. We are here as men and women, not as half-fledged angels, to do the work of the world, and to do it with an infinitely greater power to stand the turmoil because we have been born from above.
If we try to re-introduce the rare moments of inspiration, it is a sign that it is not God we want. We are making a fetish of the moments when God did come and speak, and insisting that He must do it again; whereas what God wants us to do is to "walk by faith." How many of us have laid ourselves by, as it were, and said - "I cannot do any more until God appears to me." He never will, and without any inspiration, without any sudden touch of God, we will have to get up. Then comes the surprise - "Why, He was there all the time, and I never knew it!" Never live for the rare moments, they are surprises. God will give us touches of inspiration when He sees we are not in danger of being led away by them. We must never make our moments of inspiration our standard; our standard is our duty.
This is what it says on his website homepage
Oswald Chambers
Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) was a Scottish minister and teacher whose teachings on the life of faith and abandonment to God have endured to this day.
This daily devotional is a collection of his teachings compiled by his wife into a daily devotional format. It's presented here in the original English. His wife's comments may be found in the Foreword.
We publish this with the prayer that Oswald Chambers' teachings will help you grow in your walk with Christ.
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