IS YOUR GRADITUTE WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE?

 ^“He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.”—Luke 17:16 (NIV)

 

Recently, I was talking to a mother of teenagers who was complaining that her children did not seem to be grateful.  When I asked her what was going on she related the how bad she felt that she could not afford to buy one of her boys a certain pair of shoes that he wanted, so she convinced her husband that if he would get a second job they would be able to afford the “extras” for the children.  He did with the thought that it would be temporary; however, before long the children wanted more and more things, so the mother took a second job.  It seemed that no matter how hard she and her husband worked to provide the “extras” for the children it was never enough, and before long their attitude changed from one of gratitude to one of “you owe me.”

 

This event reminded me of the story of the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19.  Jesus told them to show themselves to the priests and they would be healed.  All ten were healed, but only one returned to thank Jesus and to glorify GodCross references:

Luke 17:16 : S Mt 10:5

“Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.   Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.   And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”   So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.   So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

 

I counseled the woman to talk to her husband and decide if these “extras” were teaching their children the values that they wanted to instill into them and if they were now feeling stuck in a routine that needed to change.  She contacted me a few weeks later to let me know that after she and her husband had reached a decision to quit their second jobs they had a family meeting a told the children their decision.  At first the children were dismayed because mom and dad were not going to buy their every desire, but later the children’s attitude greatly improved and they even began to help around the house without complaining.  She said their whole household had become more peaceful, loving and thankful for the things that they had.   

 

Too often we take our blessings for granted.  We are too busy or we do not care enough to thank God or to thank others for all they do for us.  Psalm 92:1 says, “It is a good think to give thanks unto the Lord.”  Let’s be like the leper who was genuinely thankful and took the time to thank Jesus for healing him.

 

Prayer—Heavenly Father, thank You for always taking care of us and for giving us all that is good in our lives, in Jesus Name.  Amen

GOD PROVIDES THE PATTERN TO LIVE BY

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”—Romans 12:2

 

Although my mother was an accomplished seamstress, I can remember watching her laying a pattern on a piece of material and carefully aligning it.  She did not rely on guess work each piece would be precisely placed, aligned, pinned and cut following the pattern guide-lines.  If she would have ignored the pattern guide-lines the result would have been a garment that would not have fit properly.  She made a choice to follow the pattern and have the desired outcome of a beautiful garment.

 

Through out the Bible we can see how God has provided patterns and longs for us to follow them.  For example, He told Joshua, “Be strong and of good courage for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.  Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.  This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall mediate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.  For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:6-8).

 

Some others biblical examples who were given patterns to follow include: Noah, he was given a pattern on how to build the ark that brought deliverance to his family and Moses when the people constructed the tabernacle in the wilderness. There are many others that were given patterns to follow; however, as Christ’s followers we are to look to Jesus as our pattern for living. 

 

Jesus was given a pattern for living.  Do you remember what happened when He was in Nazareth at the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read?  He was handed the book of Isaiah to read.  We do not know if He asked for this particular book, or if it just “happened” that this was the book that was handed to Him.  But we do have record of what happened.  “He found the place where it was written:  The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:17-19).

 

We as Christ’s followers, find in the “Book” where it is written of us.  We look into Scripture to see our pattern for living.  We see the pattern for peace in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you.  My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid.”  For sickness, “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness by whose stripes you were healed’ (1 Peter 2:24).  For poverty, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (1 Corinthians 8:9).    Whatever pattern that we have need of is in the Book, “…Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ’ (Ephesians 1:3).

 

Prayer—Heavenly Father, thank You for sending your Son, Jesus, to show me how to live and giving to me a pattern to follow so that I no longer walk in confusion.  Thank you that my footsteps are ordered in You and that I am confident that Your pattern includes everything that

have need of, in Jesus Name.  Amen.  

ENCOURAGE OTHERS

“The words of the godly are life-giving fountain.”—Proverbs 10:11 (New Living Translation)

Too often we think it’s our role to inject a dose of “reality,” into someone’s life.  We think it’s our job to protect people from the pain of failure and defeat.  We think we must point out how bad the economy is and how horrible the job market is and how the sky is falling.  We think that dreams were meant for others. 

 

There are times that our faith needs to be encouraged and we need to hear people say that we can make it.  The Apostle Paul sent Timothy to the Thessalonica Church to encourage the people.  “Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith”  (1 Thessalonian 3:1-2).

 

There are enough pessimists and “realists” in the world.  The world doesn’t need more negativity and impossible thinkers.  The world needs more optimists, encouragers, and inspirers.  The world needs more people to speak into the hearts of others and say, “I believe in you.”  “Follow your passion and live your purpose.”  “If you have the desire then you also have the power to make it happen.”

 

Share encouragement today.  It matters and we all need it.

 

Prayer—Heavenly Father, I thank You that You lift me up when I am down, and I purpose in my heart to lift others up, in Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

TRUST THE LORD HE WILL DIRECT YOUR PATH

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”—Proverbs 3:5-6

 

Have you ever heard the expression, “Oh, I’m just trusting the Lord?”  Have you every questioned what it meant to “trust” the Lord?   

 

The definition of trust and faith is surprising similar.  Trust is the confident expectation of something, or confidence in the certainty of the future fulfillment of something.  Trust is reliance on the integrity, strength and ability of a person or thing. Trust and faith go hand in hand. In difficult times, financial struggles, or health problems, it is not always easy to trust, but God has proven to be trustworthy over time on countless occasions. Once you realize that God can be trusted, it becomes easier to trust Him again and again.

Hebrews 11:1 tells us what faith is, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” The Amplified Bible states faith as, “Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].”

Our Scripture reading, Proverbs 3:5-6 give God's guidance for life “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path.”  These words challenge believers to put more confidence in God's ability than in their own, to not try to analyze and figure out every detail themselves, but to place their belief in God's wisdom, love and strength, to lean on God instead of relying on themselves or anyone else.

C. S. Lewis wrote, “To trust Him means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There would be no sense in saying you trusted a person if you would not take his advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to obey Him.  But trying in a new way, a less worried way.”

Today I challenge you to trust in the Lord in a particular situation.  He will see you through and help you to make the right choices.

 

Prayer—Heavenly Father, today I lift up__________________to you.  I have done all that I know to do, and I now place this ______________________into your hands.  I trust you for the right answer for me in this situation, in Jesus Name.  Amen.

THE CHRISTIAN NEED NEVER TO SUFFER AN IDENTITY CRISIS

"Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."—Romans 6:4

 

You may have heard how thieves are stealing people’s identities and then pretending to be them they steal all their money and create devastation in people’s lives.   Jesus told us that the thief comes to steal, kill and to destroy in John 10:10.  He went on to say in this same verse that He came that we might have life and that more abundantly.   Satan has been stealing the Christians’ identity for decades. 

 

It all started in the Garden of Eden when Satan came and told Eve a lie that if she ate of the tree of life that she would not die.  Eve believed the lie ate the forbidden fruit and gave to her husband Adam he ate of it also, and immediately they became identified with a new nature—death.  God made the simple rule that “…the soul who sins shall die” Ezekiel 18:4, and in Romans 6:23 it is repeated as “the wages of sin is death…”   You see prior to eating from the forbidden tree, Adam and Eve had never been separated from God and when they ate immediately sin separated them from God.  Not only was Adam and Even separated from God, but all of humanity were brought under this identity crisis—separated from God “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). 

 

The good news is that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, came and restored humanity back to God through His death, burial and resurrection.  “Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.  For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:18-19).

 

Too many times, the enemy lies to us and brings thoughts into our minds with thoughts of failure, hopelessness and fruitlessness.  However words and actions such as these can never be associated with God our Jehovah.   God has and never will be associated with—linked with failure.  God’s Word never fails, becomes obsolete or comes to an end.  He is the God of hope and His fruit shall remain.  We could reference many many Scriptures associated with success, hope and bearing fruit; however, I want to encourage you to look up these scriptures and mediated upon them.  Because when you do, they get into you and they will change how you think about yourself.  Your mental image of your identity will change and you will begin to see yourself identified with the Christ the healer (see yourself healed and whole), Christ the Deliverer (see yourself free from hindrances in your life), Christ the Savior (see yourself saved and set free). 

 

Once you have accepted Christ as your Savior your identity changes from death to life, from sickness to health, from poverty to wealth, from spiritual death to spiritual alive.  Never again do you have to accept anything less than the true king and priest that Christ has paid a great price for you to be.  I urge you to renew your ideal of your true identity today.

 

Prayer—Heavenly Father I repent for identifying with ideals of poverty, sickness and disease instead of identifying with my true identity of health, freedom, success, and wealth, in Jesus Name.  Amen.

FAITH IS THE KEY ELEMENT FOR LIFE

 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who come to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”—Hebrews 11:6

 

Faith is a must.  Faith is the entrance point to a relationship with God.   He interacts with us based on His grace we respond in faith.  Given the basis of this type of relationship we understand how important faith is to the believer.  In fact, our scripture reading boldly declares that without faith that it is impossible to please God because the simple truth remains that we must believe that He is before we can come to Him.

 

If faith is the starting point, then it makes sense that faith is the key element for life.  Throughout the gospels, Jesus commented on people’s faith.  In most cases He asked and wondered where it was saying, “You of little faith” or “Where is your faith?”  On other occasions He marveled, as in the example of the centurion soldier (Matthew 8: 5 -13).  When the centurion came to Jesus asking for help for His servant Jesus agreed to come with Him.  But in a marvelous display of faith He told Jesus to just say the word and it would be done; citing his understanding of authority and appropriating it.

 

 “When Jesus heard this, He was astonished and said to those following Him, ‘I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.”  The centurions’ faith made Jesus stop and marvel which is remarkable.  “Then Jesus said to the Centurion, ‘Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.’ And his servant was healed at that very hour.”  The healing took place according to the faith of the solider and in the manner He asked for—Jesus came into agreement with the centurion’s faith.

 

If it is impossible to please God without faith, then the opposite is also true; Faith is what pleases God.  Faith was important to Jesus.  He looked for it and responded to it everywhere He went.

 

In Matthew 9:20-22, a woman who had been hemorrhaging for twelve years said to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I will get well.”  When she reached out and touched the fringe of His garment, she was immediately healed.  Jesus knowing that virtue had gone out of Him said, “Daughter take courage; your faith has made you well.”

God responds to faith.  Just as parents and caretakers respond to babies smiling, God responds to our faith.  It pleases Him, it moves Him to act and it is essential in the life of the believer.

 

Prayer—Heavenly Father, I thank You that You respond to faith. And today I take courage because faith is what pleases You and You have given to me “faith” so that I can please You, in Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

ACT ON FAITH IN THE MIDST OF A DISASTER

“By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible” —Hebrews 11:3

 

Faith is the instrument that God has given to the body of Christ to live like He does.  Jesus, God’s Son, came to earth to demonstrate to us God’s character.  So that as Christ’s disciples we, then, can act like He does.

 

Through the ministry of Jesus we see that God does not get afraid when the forces of nature are overwhelming and it looks like death is certain.  In Luke 8:22-24, we read how Jesus calms a tsunami by speaking to the wind and the raging water, and then ask His disciples, “Where is your faith?”  Meaning, is your faith in the circumstances you are looking at, or is it in the one who is in the boat with you.    

 

In the spiritual realm and in the natural realm, faith is acting upon what you believe.  To get the benefit from something that you believe to be true you must act upon it.  I heard this example one time about faith that I have never forgotten.  You may own a car and have the keys to it in your pocket and tell everybody that you know that you own a car.  You can get into your car and say, “I believe that I can put these keys into the ignition of my car, and I believe that I can start the car and I can drive my car.”  All of that may be true, but you will never be able to drive your car, until you act upon what you believe. 

 

The same is true with food.  You can believe that food will provide nourishment to your body and keep you from starving.  But until you act upon what you believe by eating you will starve.

 

You must act upon what you believe to receive any benefit from it.  “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17).

 

I want to encourage you today to develop your faith in the area of natural disasters by mediating on Scriptures that promise God’s deliverance.  Such as, Psalm 91; Psalm 121:5-8, “The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.  The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.  The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.  The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth and even forevermore.”

 

“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies.  And Your right hand will save me.  The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy O Lord, endures forever; do not forsake the works of Your hands” (Psalm 138:7-8).

 

When the enemy comes, your heart and mind will be renewed so that your faith can focus on Your Deliverer and your deliverance.  He is with you and will never forsake you.

 

 Prayer—Heavenly Father, I thank you that You never leave me and today I refocus my faith upon You and not the circumstances that may confront me

YOU ARE CREATED FOR A UNIQUE PURPOSE

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.”—Psalm 139:14

 

When God looked at all the world that He had made, He declared that if was good.  Making man—male and female—in His image was the crowning achievement of His creative work (Genesis 1:27).  Psalm 139 reminds us that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.”   

 

The Lord has given each of His children great potential for service in His kingdom.  However, some people have serious doubts that this is true.  Comparing ourselves to other people causes serious doubts to come to our minds; furthermore, we think that we are lacking in certain areas or in things.   There are times that we repeatedly criticize ourselves for mistakes that we have made.  The enemy brings doubts, fears and frustrations to our minds, and when we come into agreement with his schemes we perpetuates his diabolic plan to hold us captive.  Several years ago, I was acquainted with a young mother of a five month old baby.   She committed suicide because she kept comparing herself to other mothers, and did not think that she measured up. Although she had many advantages in life, she still did not see herself as a good mother and wife, or what she could become.

 

Moses grew up in Pharaoh’s household and appeared to have many advantages.  He killed an Egyptian and fled the country.  He no longer saw himself as a leader and fled the country.  However, God looked beyond what Moses had done and saw who he could become. 

 

Before being saved, the apostle Paul passionately opposed those who believe in Jesus.  Yet through God’s mercy and grace, he became a mighty leader and authored more of the New Testament books than any other apostle. 

 

The apostle Peter was a simple fisherman who denied that he knew Jesus three times.  And still, the Lord chose him to become the leader of the Jerusalem church, and through him came the revelation that the Gentiles could be saved.

 

Our Father sees beyond our human frailties to the potential we have in Christ.  Because we were made in His image and His Spirit dwells in us, we have a greater capacity for spiritual transformation and service than we can imagine.  God’s ways are higher than ours and His plans for us are for good and not for evil.  He never compares us to anyone else.  He declares that each person that He has created is unique and has special ingredients that the world needs.  Every time the enemy brings the thoughts of comparison to you, cast those thoughts down and declare that you are special and are created for a unique purpose.

 

Prayer—Father I thank You that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Thank you for Your plans and purposes for my life.  I ask you to forgive me for the times that I have compared myself to others, and please help me to see that I am special just the way that you created me to be, in Jesus Name. Amen.

FAITH STANDS IN DESPERATE SITUATION

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”—Hebrews 11:1

 

In Luke chapter 8:22-25, there is an outstanding account that the Holy Spirit included in the scriptures for us to learn how faith stands in a crisis situation.

 

Now it happened, on a certain day that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out.  But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”  Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was calm. But He said to them, “Where is your faith?”  And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”

 

The text begins, now on one of those days…the day started out good.  Jesus and His disciples were going to cross over a like.  Have you ever had a day that started out well—things were going good and then all of the sudden a crisis happens.  That is what happened here in this account.

Jesus was lying down taking a much needed rest when all of the sudden He was awaken to the frantic cries of His disciples—“Master, Master, we are perishing.”  The rest, seemingly, had turned into a disastrous situation.  A fierce wind was blowing, the surging waves were swamping

 

the boat and it looked like they were all going to drown.  Jesus stood up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and the scripture says that they stopped and it became calm.  Then Jesus said the most amazing thing to His disciples, He said, “Where is your faith?”  Signifying to His  disciples that faith has a place.

 

Is your belief in the circumstances that you are looking at, or is it in the One who is present with you in the situation?

 

These were Jewish men who had knowledge of their nation’s history and deliverance from the wicked pharaoh.  They knew how God had pushed back the Red Sea so that over a million of their fellow-countrymen could walk across the Red Sea on dry land.  And then when their pursed them they were drowned by the same sea. 

 

I think that a lesson that we can learn from this account is that although these men had knowledge of how God had delivered, the circumstance, the difficulty at hand obscured the right knowledge—trusting in what the Master—the Lord Jesus had said, “Let’s go over to the other side.”  Fear entered into their hearts and disabled their ability to stand in faith.

 

I believe that is why Jesus said, “Where is your faith?” Jesus was not criticizing the disciples.  I believe that He was teaching them what to do in desperate situations.  The disciples had witnessed great miracles and yet they were consumed with fear.  Jesus was physically with them, and they waited until the last minute to ask Him for help.  We wonder, “Shouldn’t it have occurred to them, to ask Him for help, right away?”  We should ask ourselves that same question in the desperate situations that we face.  Why go through all the worry and struggle, when we can just ask Jesus to calm the storm?

 

Believe in God’s Word trust completely in what He says know that He is with you too.  “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’” (Isaiah 41:10).

 

Matthew 28:20 says, “I am with you always.”  Believe that He is when the wind and waves of fear and doubt are assailing you.  You can be assured that Jesus is with you.  He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Psalm 50:15 tells us to, Call upon the Lord in the day of trouble and He will deliver.

 

Prayer—Heavenly Father, I thank You that in desperate and difficult situations when I call out to You that You are right their calming the storm, in Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

GIVE PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING TO THE CREATOR BECAUSE HE IS GOOD

“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His Name.”—Hebrews 13:15

 

There are times, in the busyness of life that we simply do not stop long enough to pause and thank our Creator for the countless blessings He has given to us.  Other “things” take the priority over our expressing gratitude to the One who made us.  But when we do, our spirits revive, our strength is renewed, and our hope is inspired.  Psalm 107:1-2 is an expression of thanksgiving.  Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever.  Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.” 

 

We express praise and thanksgiving to the Creator because He is good.  He bestows everything on us, and He deserves our gratitude.  

 

God is good because….

He loves you.

He gave you breath.

He redeemed you.

He gives you the capacity to know Him.

He gives you the desire to trust Him.

He does not remember your transgressions.

He takes piety upon your needs.

He considers the poor.

He fulfills every promise.

He is trustworthy.

He is dependable.

He is always present.

He never leaves you.

He forgives us.

He receives us into eternity.

 

Your reasons for expresses your love of praise and thanksgiving to God can be never ending, and I pray that they will never be.  Let praise and thanksgiving become a regular part of your routine.  Allow your spirit to be revived, your strength renewed, and your hope inspired, as you offer up to Him, the fruit of your lips giving praise. 

 

Prayer—Father I thank you for bestowing your life of goodness and blessing upon my life.  Today I recommitment my time to include thanksgiving and praise to You for what You have done, in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

LOOK UP SEE THE POSSIBILITIES

“And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.”—Mark 6:41

 

When Jesus was faced with an impossible task of feeding five thousand men with a small amount of food, He did not look at the natural forces of impossibility.  By looking up, He looked beyond the natural into the spiritual capability of His Father. 

 

The word mundane means of this world.  God the Father is a Spirit and has the answers to problems that are not of this world.  There is a spiritual answer to every physical problem that you face.  The answer is just as real as the seemingly natural impossibility, and God’s supply is infinitely greater than any impossibility.  With God all things are possible. 

 

Remember, you are seating with Christ in Heavenly places far above principalities, might and dominions.  When confronted with seemingly impossible situation, look up, regain your sight, and by faith begin to declare that your spiritual Father will take care of every situation in your life. 

 

Prayer—Father thank You that I do not have to settle for the mundane in my life.  Today I choose to look up and see that You want the best for me.  Thank you for your best in my life, in Jesus Name. Amen.

A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR THE SACRIFICE MADE

“And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘Take eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same manner, He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘this cup is new covenant in My blood.  This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”—I Corinthians 11:24-25

 

Countries around the world have a day of Remembrance that is celebrated.  In America, Remembrance Day is celebrated as Memorial Day.  It is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service.  It is good to remember that freedom was not FREE.  Many people have died in service to their county, and so we set the day aside to commemorate their sacrifices. 

 

A memorial service is an event that takes place after the person has died, in order to preserve the memory of that person.  Jesus’ instituted the Lord’s Supper as a memorial for the Church.  The Lord’s Supper is the ordinance of the Lord in which gathered believers eat bread and drink either wine or juice.  The symbolic breaking of the bread refers to His body being broken for us, and the drinking of the cup is symbolic of the blood of Jesus shed for the new covenant.  We do this in remembrance of the Lord and thereby proclaiming His death until He comes.  Those who drink in a worthy manner partake of Christ’s body and blood not physically but spiritually in that by faith they are nourished with the benefits obtained by His death and thus grow in grace.   The Scriptures tell us that as often as we partake of the Lord’s Supper we then proclaim the Lord’s death.   The curse of sickness and disease was removed from us when Jesus took our pains and suffered the punishment for our sins upon the cross.  His blood was shed so that we could receive forgiveness of sins and enter into a new covenant based upon better promises.  When we symbolically eat and drink of the communion elements we are affirming that our freedom is not FREE, and that the debt has been PAID.  We celebrate what Jesus has done in our behalf (I Corinthians 11:23-34).

 

This Memorial Day of Remembrance let it be one of celebration and honor for the debt that has been paid for your freedom.

 

Prayer—Father I thank you for the debt that was paid so that I can be free, in Jesus Name. Amen.     

 

THE LORD IS YOUR KEEPER

“He who keeps you will not slumber, behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep, the Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.  The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.  The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth and even forevermore.”—Psalm 121: 3b-8

 

David’s song in Psalm 121 portrays the Lord as your keeper.  A lot of people are in fear of what the future will hold for their nation, and for them as individuals.  I want to assure you that the One who cares for you is not asleep; furthermore, He has promised to protect you in treacherous times.

 

In Acts 16 Paul and Silas were “busted” and thrown in jail because of preaching the gospel.  The Scripture tells us that a “great earthquake” shook the jail that they were chained up in, and the prison door flew open.  Thinking that the prisoners had escaped the jailer drew out his sword to kill himself; but Paul and Silas did not run out the door just because it was open, (Every open door may not be an opportunity to be taken) and they called out to the jailer to stop him.  Because Paul and Silas trusted the Lord to be their keeper, the jailer and his family became Christians.  Later Paul and Silas were let go and went into the house of Lydia, the first convert in on the European continent.  God preserve their souls, and their goings and comings. “The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore”   (Psalm 121:8).   Be assured today that God will protect you from anything that would cause you to fail or fall.  He maintains the cause of the righteous. “For You have maintained my right and my cause; You sat on the throne judging in righteousness” ( Psalm 9:4).

 

God is with us always—protecting, pointing the way, and teaching.  He accompanies and leads even in the small tasks that seem insignificant.  God is our keeper, and He cares for us better than any earthly person can.

 

Prayer—Father I thank You that You are my Keeper preserving my soul, keeping me from evil, and that You are maintaining my goings and comings, in Jesus Name. Amen.

FAITH ABOLISHES DOUBT

“So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”—Hebrews 3:19

 

In this scripture, the writer of Hebrews is reflecting on the deliverance of the children of Israel from bondage.  The Lord had brought the people out with great miracles, but then they were unwilling to step into the Promised Land because they were afraid and they doubted God’s promise.  They did not believe that God had promised to give them the land.  They allowed circumstances to dominate there conclusions on the matter rather than God’s word.  They were not resolved.  So it is in that context that we are delving into the thought in Hebrews 3:19.

 

Notice that the only reason they could not enter into the promise was because of unbelief.  It was not the armies of Canaan that prevented them from entering.  It was not the waters of the Jordan River that prevented them from entering, it was nothing tangible.  It was only their doubt.

 

Dr. Ladonna Osborn had this to say about doubt: “Doubt is a cruel thief that steals from you all of the promises of God that He has given to you so that you can receive His provision.”  What God says is truth in spite of all circumstances, but it requires faith for us to align our attitudes with the Word of God.   Faith is what abolishes doubt.  You cannot live in faith and doubt at the same time. 

 

I am encouraging you today to resist doubt.  When you are having doubtful thoughts, or feeling anxiety over what might happen you are giving your attention over to the negative circumstances.  Resist those things.  Hold fast by faith to the promises of God.  He has promised to deliver you, to provide for you, to be your protector, to be your defender, your wisdom, your righteousness for you.  He is the one who has promised:  to never leave you, to never forsake you, to never withdraw His Spirit from you, to offer you this great salvation, to be the voice that says this is the way to walk in. 

 

You have these abundant promises.  Doubt will come in a little subtle cancerous ways to steal from you everything of God purpose in your heart not to let this happen.  Through this devotion understand that we are putting up a guard against the doubt that the enemy will bring.  And you are being called to the challenge of faith to live today in absolute confidence in God. 

 

Prayer—Father I thank You that when the enemy comes to assail me with doubt that I can stand firm in faith believing Your promises because You are trustworthy, and that my faith in You will never fail, in Jesus Name. Amen.

ACCEPT GRACE BY FAITH

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”—Ephesians 2:8

 

The transforming power of God’s grace is the heart of our Christian faith and the heart of our relationship with God.  Grace is the means by which God brings himself to us and restores us.  Grace is best defined as: God giving me what I need, not what I deserve.  I deserve to be punished for my sins, but in grace, God offers me forgiveness.  Through forgiveness, I am able to experience blessings upon blessing.  We accept grace by faith, and that is totally undeserved.  We tend to offer people conditional love; I love you, if.  But Jesus Christ offers each of us unconditional love: I love you, period!  And, when we are the recipients of such an awesome gift, our hearts are transformed and the desire of our hearts becomes helping others understand this amazing grace.  Dr. T. L. Osborn related that his older brother was transformed by the power of grace at his conversion to Christ.  Before being transformed his brother was mean and treated people badly, afterward he spoke kindly to people and treated them nicely.  Dr. T. L. wanted to experience the new birth because it made such a radically change in his brother.  Grace transforms people.

 

The apostle Paul is another example of the Lord’s power to transform an unrighteous man into an image-bearer of Jesus.

 

God changed a sinner into Christian. Paul was deeply religious before his conversion, but he relied on good works and a pious nature to gain divine acceptance.  When he met the Lord on the road to Damascus, the future apostle learned that all of his religious zeal meant nothing.  The only way for people to be acceptable before God is to receive the saving grace of Christ—He replaces our sin nature with a righteous spirit.  And even though Christians will sometimes falter and make mistakes, our heavenly Father remains patient and loving toward His children.  He uses our failures to teach us more about Himself and His ways.

 

God changed a servant of sin into a servant of the Lord. Paul was welcomed into the kingdom in spite of his hostility toward the church.  He had promoted blasphemy, punished believers, and cast his vote against those being put to death (Acts 26:10-11).  The lesson here is that nothing can separate you from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39).

 

The Father shapes and chisels His children until they mirror His Son.  He turned one of the early church’s enemies into a wise and repentant leader. Commit to obey the Lord, and see what He will do in your life.  He is faithful to complete the good work He has begun in you, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

 

I have made many mistakes in my life, and in repentance I have seen that God’s grace is always willing to receive me back in love and mercy.  We all need God.  The Apostle Paul wrote that, “The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me—to tell people the good news about God’s grace” (Acts 20:24 NCV).  Sharing the transforming grace of God with others is a sacred responsibility.  When we experience the transforming grace of God and His miraculous intervention, we should be filled with the desire to share that same wonderful reality with others.

 

Prayer—Father I thank You for Your miraculous transforming power of grace at work in my life.  I thank You that I will complete the work that You have given me to do, to share the good news of Your grace with others, in Jesus Name. Amen.

REFOCUS YOUR VISION TO OVERCOME DIFFICULTIES

“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal”—2 Corinthians 4:18

 

The Lord gave the Israelites a commission to go in and possess the land of Canaan.  The people needed a separate place in which to thrive as a God-centered nation.   And He chose an exceptionally good country for their development.

So at the Lord’s direction, Moses sent twelve men to spy out the land.  Ten of them returned with frightening negative stories.   All that these spies could see were the obstacles to taking ownership (Numbers 13:25-14:10).

However, Caleb was certain that they would “surely overcome” (

Numbers. 13:30), because he was focused on God’s promises rather than the obvious difficulties.   He based his confidence on God’s words to Abraham: “To your descendants I will give this land” (Genesis. 12:7).

The people did not share Caleb’s faith—tales of giants and fortified cities scared them. Ordinarily, those would have been obstacles worth fearing.  But the Israelites served a God who had proven that He could overcome anything:  He had parted the Red Sea to facilitate their escape from Pharaoh.   And He fed them for two years in the desert.

Focusing on obstacles distorts our vision.  Problems seem to loom so large that we can not see to take the next step in faith.  In reality, if God has called us to do something, the only hindrance is our mind—our way of thinking, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7). God has already planned a way around, over, or through any barriers that might lie on the path to fulfilling His purpose.

 

In 2 Kings Chapter 6, we see that the King of Syria was at war against Israel.  However, the Syrian army could not trap Israel because by the word of knowledge God let Elisha know where the Syrian were encamped, thus Israel escaped from them.  The King of Syria found out who was letting the King know their whereabouts, so the King of Syria sent out his army to look for Elisha and they found him in the city of Dothan.  When Elisha’s servant got up early the next morning, he saw that the army had surrounded the city with horses and chariots and he asked Elisha what they were going to do.  Elisha responded to his servant: “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (verse 16).   Elisha prayed and God opened the eyes of the servant and he saw that the mountains were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.   When the Syrians came down to Elisha, he prayed that their eyes would be struck with blindness.  He went on to lead them to Samaria where he prayed and asked the Lord to open their eyes.  After seeking the counsel of Elisha, the King of Israel did not kill the Syrians, instead he prepared a great feast for them and sent them back to their king, and as a result the Syrians did not raid Israel anymore.  Do not focus your vision on the obstacles that you see around you,  “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witness, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin, which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Today you may have a problem or difficulty that you cannot see your way around or through, ask the Lord to refocus your vision.  Ask Him to help you see the answer and not the problem.  Ask Him to give you strategies for moving forward.  He is faithful who has promised to never leave you nor forsake you.  You are more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus.

 

Prayer—Father I bring my problem of ________________before You today.  I ask You to forgive me for trying to fix it in my own strength and not in Yours.  I ask You to refocus my vision so that I can see Your solution to the problem, in Jesus Name. Amen.

FAITH IS A KEY ELEMENT FOR LIFE

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”—Hebrews 11:6

 

faith is a must.  faith is the entrance point to a relationship with God. he interacts with us based on His grace, we respond in faith.  given the basis of this type of relationship we understand how important faith is to the believer.  In fact, our scripture passage boldly declares that without it, it is impossible to please God because the simple truth remains that we must believe that He is before we can come to Him.

 

If faith is the starting point, then it makes sense that faith is a key element for life. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus commented on people’s faith.  In most cases He asked and wondered where it was, saying ‘you of little faith’ or ‘where is your faith?’  On other occasions He marveled, as in the example of the centurion solider (MATTHEW 8:5-13). When the centurion came to Jesus asking for help for his servant Jesus agreed to come with him. But in a marvelous display of faith, he told Jesus to just say the word and it would be done; citing his understanding of authority and appropriating it. “When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. The centurion’s faith made Jesus stop and marvel which is noteworthy. “Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour”.  The healing took place according to the faith of the solider and in the manner he asked for, Jesus just came into agreement with the faith that had been displayed.

 

If it is impossible to please God without faith, Then the opposite is also true; faith is what pleases God. As in our examples from the gospels, faith was important to Jesus, He looked for it and responded to it everywhere He went.

 

So the underlying truth to draw from is that God responds to faith.  just as parents and caretakers respond to babies smiling, god responds to our faith.  It pleases Him, it moves Him to act and it is essential in the life of the believer.

 

prayer—father i thank you that you have given to me the measure of faith.  i purpose in my heart to live by faith and to please you, in jesus name.  amen.

 

ACTIONS TAKE FAITH

“When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgive you.”—Mark 2:5

 

James wrote in his Epistle to the Jewish believers that, “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26).  Faith must work; it must be visible; it must produce.  Verbal faith is not enough; nor, is mental faith sufficient.  James stressed that true faith inspires action and is manifested in works of faith. 

 

How do you see faith?  You see faith like you see the wind.  You can not see wind, but you can see the effects of the wind by seeing things blown by the wind.  Likewise, you cannot see faith, but a person’s actions will prove when they are acting in faith.

 

While Jesus was staying in Capernaum, many people came to the house where He was staying to hear Him preach.  So many people came, that there was not anymore room in the house.  Some friends of a man who was paralyzed carried him to Jesus; however, upon arrival they discovered there was no room for them to get their friend to Jesus.  Not giving up, the friends cut a hole in the roof where Jesus was, and let the bed down on which their friend was laying to Jesus.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”  The religious leaders, who were sitting and listening to Jesus, began to think in their hearts that no one could forgive sins but God.  Immediately, Jesus perceived in His spirit what they were thinking, and responded to their thoughts by saying, “…that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins…take up your bed, and go to your house” (Mark 2:8-11).  The paralytic man immediately stood up, gathered up his bed, and left the house.  Everyone there was amazed and began to say, “We never saw anything like this!” (Mark 2:1-12). 

 

These men could have believed that Jesus could heal their friend, but then took no action on what they believed.  However, because they acted upon what they believed their friend experience a healing, and Jesus was able to use the occasion to teach about forgiveness.  Actions are a vital part of faith.  For faith to be seen, corresponding actions must accompany faith (James 2:17).

 

Prayer—Father I determine in my heart to walk in genuine trust and reliance upon you, in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

 

DON’T ALLOW DISCOURAGEMENT TO GROW

“Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances and it endures everything [without weakening].”—1 Corinthians 13:7

 

David wrote Psalm 38 at a time that he was very discouraged.  He was a man whom God said was “after His own heart,” and yet here we see him downcast and discouraged, struggling and crying out in distress to God. “I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart, My heart pants, my strength fails me; as for the light of my eyes it also has gone from me. But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; and I am like a mute who does not open his mouth. Thus I am like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth is no response” (Psalm 38:6, 8, 10, 13-14).

 

Reading this Psalm, we get a picture of a man who is plagued by discouragement.  His soul is “cast down” to the point that all he could do was cry.  This is a man who hungered for the Lord and daily poured out his heart to Him in prayer and worship.  But now, discouragement has settled in on him and he can see no way out of this situation.

 

Many Christians are discouraged, and like David are trying to figure out why they feel so empty and broken in spirit. In this state, the enemy brings every failure, sin and foolish deed before them.  He then brings the thought to their minds, “Am I so wounded that I am beyond hope?” 

 

Even at his lowest point, David would not allow himself to excessively indulge in unbelief. Because of David’s relationship with God, He continued to cry out to Him in faith. “For in You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God” (vs. 15).

 

Today, you can cry out in faith to God for His help.  God is a God of love and His love never fails, even when we do.  His love is unconditional.  He loves you because He is love and He does not withdraw it from you—ever.   I Corinthians 13: 4-8a list the remarkable characteristics of God’s love. 

 

“Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy; is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited—arrogant, and inflated with pride; it is not rude (unmannerly), and does not act unbecomingly. Love [God’s love in us] does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it—pays no attention to a suffered wrong. It does not rejoice in injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances and it endures everything [without weakening].   Love never fails—never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end” [emphasis added].

 

As you mediate upon these Scriptures, strength and courage will come to your heart knowing that you can trust in God’s love for you; therefore, leaving no room for discouragement to grow.

 

Prayer—Father I thank You that Your love dwells in my heart by faith, and where there is love discouragement cannot have a place in me, in Jesus Name. Amen.

BE SELF-CONTAINED IN CHRIST

“Now godliness with contentment is great gain.”—1 Timothy 6:6

 

I think that the best viewpoint of contentment that I have heard is — only wanting what you have.  Since most people are always looking to get what they do not have, we, then, ask the question, how do you achieve godly contentment?  How do you get to the point where you only want what you have, and no longer focus on trying to keep up with what other people have?   I think that the best way to answer that question is to look at Biblical examples, like Paul for instance.   He came to place in his life – not a physical place, but a spiritual place – where he felt divine contentment. 

Contentment in God’s Word means to be “self contained.”  In the context of this passage, we learn that Paul was thanking people for their love gifts to him, but he wanted them also to know that he was not dependent upon them because God had brought him to a place of sufficiency in Himself alone.  That is, Paul was able to say, “I have learned that I do not need anything or anybody else, but the Lord. I have Him, and therefore, I am self-contained, not self –sufficient.  I can do all things through Christ.”  Do you have contentment today in Christ alone?  Or are you trying to fill the void in your life by seeking things that other people have?  When we try to fill the void in our lives by seeking things that other people have, we are actually, seeking worldly contentment and not godly contentment.

The Scriptures sum up godly contentment in the simplest of terms for us, that "having food and raiment let us be therewith content" (I Timothy 6:8).   Today, let’s repent for seeking worldly contentment in things and not true godly contentment and ask the Lord to remove any pride in our hearts.

 

Prayer—Father, I repent for seeking worldly contentment in things and I ask you to forgive me and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.  Lord, I repent of pride and every false way, cleanse me and make me new so that what I sincerely desire is you and your sufficiency alone, in Jesus Name. Amen.