“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” Psalm 32:8 NKJ
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 NKJ
“The entrance of Your word gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” Psalm 119:130 NKJ
When we lived in Oregon we loved to go to the Corn Maze every Fall. It was an exciting adventure trying to figure out how to get through it! Even though I knew there was an outlet, sometimes the kids would get scared thinking we would never find our way through. No matter how much I reassured them that I knew the way, they would still panic and get nervous. Sometimes they would grab hold of my leg until we got through the maze.
There are times we all experience that feeling of panic when it doesn’t seem like we can figure out how to maneuver through life. We read Scriptures like Psalm 32:8, Psalm 119:105, and Psalm 119:130 and we want to believe God knows the way, but oftentimes we still get scared, just like my kids did. This is where the enemy and our own thoughts of doubt begin to question if God is really in the midst of our situation. If we give into those thoughts we will retreat further and further into a spirit of fear.
God promises that He did not give us a spirit of fear. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” The spirit of fear comes from the devil and it is his weapon of choice in getting us to doubt God’s Word. In times of fear when we are unsure of how to maneuver through a situation; we have to constantly remind ourselves to counter that fear with the truth of God’s Word, and stand in faith until our reality catches up with His truth.
We can pray, “I believe by faith that I have been given a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. I choose to align my mind with the truth of Your Word. I rebuke the devil and his assault against my mind. I rebuke my own thoughts of doubt and fear. I believe by faith that You are directing me through this situation and I will stand firm in my faith until You lead me through it.”
I understand how hard this can be but I have learned that there are times I have to grab hold of God’s promises, just like my kids grabbed hold of my leg. I have to hang on tight, until He leads me safely through to the other side of a situation. I love how gentle He is with us, just like I was with my kids. Some parents would tell their kids to get over it and deal with it. They may even deal harshly with them, but I never did that. I understood that in their simple minds they needed reassurance and love. So God understands us in the same way and gives us reassurance and love in the process of guiding us.
Remember again what Psalm 119:130 says, “The entrance of Your word gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” The Word of God, His voice to us, gives light, and He deals tenderly with us when our understanding of a situation is simple. When we release our fears to Him and stand firm in faith, He teaches us in the way we should go. Not only do we have the Word as our light on the paths we walk, but we also have the Holy Spirit as our guide.
John 16:13 says, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” Many people do not fully understand the Holy Spirit’s role in their life and they try to understand God’s Word on their own. This also leads to frustration when trying to maneuver through life because we were never meant to walk this path alone. God gave us the indwelling Holy Spirit when we came into relationship it Him, to lead and guide us; but we have to make the decision to accept His place in our lives.
So my encouragement to you today is to spend time with God through pray and meditation on His Word. Study all the passages where God was faithful to lead and guide His people. If you have been given to a spirit of fear when you don’t know which direction to go, ask God to open the eyes of your understanding in regards to 2 Timothy 1:7. If you have never accepted the Holy Spirit as a vital part of your Christian life ask God to give you wisdom and understanding so you can hear His voice and take His direction. If you have been dealt with harshly by your biological parents in times of fear and doubt, and you are afraid to grab hold of Daddy’s leg (His Words of promise); ask God to heal those wounds. Ask Him to reveal the truth about His tender loving kindness towards you, during your times of fear or doubt. God is faithful and He will lead and guide you through life, as you are willing to follow Him.
Prayer: I praise You for shining a light on my path through life and for leading me in the way I should go. I believe by faith that as I surrender my fear and doubt to You and cling to Your Word, You will safely guide me through life. I trust in You and praise You for never leaving me or forsaking me on the paths I travel on this journey of faith. Amen
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Day 37
God Uses The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly To Further The Gospel!
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
Romans 8:18-35, 1 Peter 1:6-9, Acts 9:1-31, and Luke 22:54-62.
Throughout my life I have experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly. Some situations I was put in unwillingly and others I jumped into with both feet all on my own! When I came back into a relationship with God in my early twenties, I felt guilt and shame for some of the things I had done. I knew I wanted God to use me to speak a message of hope and healing, but I wanted to pick and choose what I shared, so I wouldn’t come under judgment. You see I was a Christian when I did those things. And in my experience the church had amazing grace for unbeliever’s who made bad choices, but not for believer’s who did the same.
So I didn’t mind sharing the good or the bad, but I sure didn’t want to share the ugly! Somehow I felt that my past actions would discount my credibility and that people wouldn’t listen to the message God wanted to speak through me. So for a couple of years I didn’t share those accounts. One day I got invited to a woman’s conference and one of the guest speakers was Sheri Rose Shepherd. When she stepped onto the stage I was in awe because of her beauty! She had a long list of accomplishments, including being a former Mrs. Untied States.
At that moment, the enemy began a mental assault against me that went something like this, “See Holly you can’t be on that stage! You have screwed up your life so much and no one will listen to you. You have no major accomplishments and there is no way God can use you.” I began to feel ashamed of my past and almost left, but a still, quiet voice spoke to me and said, “Don’t leave, I want you here.” I knew it was the voice of the Holy Spirit so I chose to stay. As Sheri gave her testimony I was in shock at what I heard! She shared her personal struggles and her major trials, many of which happened after she had said yes to Jesus Christ! She shared it all! Then she shared the story of how God redeemed everything and turned her pain and poor choices for her good and His glory! I was overjoyed with what I heard! From that moment on I knew that God would use everything from a person’s life as a testimony of His great faithfulness and love, if they would allow Him to.
After that event I began to look at people’s lives in the Bible who had royally screwed up, and how God used them in mighty ways to further His message. The list was overwhelming! I had heard the stories before but this time they came to life when I read them. For example: Jacob was a liar, Rahab was a prostitute, David was an adulterer and a murderer, Peter denied Jesus, Paul killed God’s people, Jonah ran away from God, and the list goes on and on! But here’s the important truth: there is not one example of a person who turned their heart towards God or back towards God, who God didn’t work everything they had done, for their good and His glory!
A modern day example is Gospel recording artist, Michael English. He went through a horrible time in his life several years ago. At the time he had sold millions of albums, had multiple Dove awards, and he was at the height of his career. Then he had an affair, lost his marriage, became addicted to drugs, and wound up homeless for a time. He was definitely in the pit of despair! Many people wrote him off, but God never did, and neither did some of his brothers and sisters in Christ! When Michael decided to re-enter a relationship with God, God turned his “ugly mess” into a beautiful portrait of redemption that is now being used for his good and God’s glory!
It is best not to put human limits on the God who is not constrained by time! At any moment in time He can work a miracle in the life of a repentant soul! I want to encourage you to study the many stories of redemption found in the Bible, and the lives of modern day men and women who have been through experiences similar to Michaels. Be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to teach you the truth about God’s desire to turn all of His people’s “ugly messes” into beautiful portraits of redemption, including yours. God wants to use your testimony of redemption to further His Gospel message.
He says to you today, “I don’t care where you’ve been or what you’ve done, give all your messes to Me. I am faithful to My people and I will work all things together for your good and My glory! I love you and I have a plan and a purpose for your life! I know it may look impossible to you, but remember what is impossible with man, is possible with Me! I know the end from the beginning and I will restore what has been destroyed and I will redeem what has been lost. I love you with an everlasting love and in Me there is no condemnation. Call on Me and I will hear and answer you!”
Prayer: I believe by faith that You are the God of redemption and at any moment when a person turns to You, You will turn their life into a testimony that will further Your message of grace and redemption. If I have judged people who have fallen, keep my foot from slipping into the same temptations that I judge, while You are teaching me Your Word in this area. Cleanse me from the feelings of condemnation in my own life and show me Your plan to use my life story as a testimony of Your love and faithfulness. Amen
Romans 8:18-35, 1 Peter 1:6-9, Acts 9:1-31, and Luke 22:54-62.
Throughout my life I have experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly. Some situations I was put in unwillingly and others I jumped into with both feet all on my own! When I came back into a relationship with God in my early twenties, I felt guilt and shame for some of the things I had done. I knew I wanted God to use me to speak a message of hope and healing, but I wanted to pick and choose what I shared, so I wouldn’t come under judgment. You see I was a Christian when I did those things. And in my experience the church had amazing grace for unbeliever’s who made bad choices, but not for believer’s who did the same.
So I didn’t mind sharing the good or the bad, but I sure didn’t want to share the ugly! Somehow I felt that my past actions would discount my credibility and that people wouldn’t listen to the message God wanted to speak through me. So for a couple of years I didn’t share those accounts. One day I got invited to a woman’s conference and one of the guest speakers was Sheri Rose Shepherd. When she stepped onto the stage I was in awe because of her beauty! She had a long list of accomplishments, including being a former Mrs. Untied States.
At that moment, the enemy began a mental assault against me that went something like this, “See Holly you can’t be on that stage! You have screwed up your life so much and no one will listen to you. You have no major accomplishments and there is no way God can use you.” I began to feel ashamed of my past and almost left, but a still, quiet voice spoke to me and said, “Don’t leave, I want you here.” I knew it was the voice of the Holy Spirit so I chose to stay. As Sheri gave her testimony I was in shock at what I heard! She shared her personal struggles and her major trials, many of which happened after she had said yes to Jesus Christ! She shared it all! Then she shared the story of how God redeemed everything and turned her pain and poor choices for her good and His glory! I was overjoyed with what I heard! From that moment on I knew that God would use everything from a person’s life as a testimony of His great faithfulness and love, if they would allow Him to.
After that event I began to look at people’s lives in the Bible who had royally screwed up, and how God used them in mighty ways to further His message. The list was overwhelming! I had heard the stories before but this time they came to life when I read them. For example: Jacob was a liar, Rahab was a prostitute, David was an adulterer and a murderer, Peter denied Jesus, Paul killed God’s people, Jonah ran away from God, and the list goes on and on! But here’s the important truth: there is not one example of a person who turned their heart towards God or back towards God, who God didn’t work everything they had done, for their good and His glory!
A modern day example is Gospel recording artist, Michael English. He went through a horrible time in his life several years ago. At the time he had sold millions of albums, had multiple Dove awards, and he was at the height of his career. Then he had an affair, lost his marriage, became addicted to drugs, and wound up homeless for a time. He was definitely in the pit of despair! Many people wrote him off, but God never did, and neither did some of his brothers and sisters in Christ! When Michael decided to re-enter a relationship with God, God turned his “ugly mess” into a beautiful portrait of redemption that is now being used for his good and God’s glory!
It is best not to put human limits on the God who is not constrained by time! At any moment in time He can work a miracle in the life of a repentant soul! I want to encourage you to study the many stories of redemption found in the Bible, and the lives of modern day men and women who have been through experiences similar to Michaels. Be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to teach you the truth about God’s desire to turn all of His people’s “ugly messes” into beautiful portraits of redemption, including yours. God wants to use your testimony of redemption to further His Gospel message.
He says to you today, “I don’t care where you’ve been or what you’ve done, give all your messes to Me. I am faithful to My people and I will work all things together for your good and My glory! I love you and I have a plan and a purpose for your life! I know it may look impossible to you, but remember what is impossible with man, is possible with Me! I know the end from the beginning and I will restore what has been destroyed and I will redeem what has been lost. I love you with an everlasting love and in Me there is no condemnation. Call on Me and I will hear and answer you!”
Prayer: I believe by faith that You are the God of redemption and at any moment when a person turns to You, You will turn their life into a testimony that will further Your message of grace and redemption. If I have judged people who have fallen, keep my foot from slipping into the same temptations that I judge, while You are teaching me Your Word in this area. Cleanse me from the feelings of condemnation in my own life and show me Your plan to use my life story as a testimony of Your love and faithfulness. Amen
Friday, January 29, 2010
Day 36
I Have Yet To Read The “Yeah But” Gospel!
Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:1-5 NKJ
I can’t even count the number of times I have sat with Christians and spoke a truth from God’s Word in regards to a circumstance they were facing, only to have them reply, “Yeah but”………….. For example when a woman asked me to pray for her to be healed and I claimed Psalm 103:3, she responded, “Yeah but He doesn’t always choose to heal, so I’ve accepted that I may have to deal with this for the rest of my life. I just want him to give me some relief so I can function day to day.”
Or another time when someone asked me to pray for them because they were struggling financially and I prayed 2 Corinthians 8:9 that says, “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.” Only to have them respond, “Yeah but Jesus said it isn’t good to be rich because it is hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. So I don’t want to be rich. I just want to pay my bills. That’s good enough for me.”
One woman who was trying to get pregnant asked me to pray for her and I prayed Psalm 113:9, “He grants the barren woman a home, like a joyful mother of children. Praise the LORD!” Then she replied, “Well I know it may not be God’s will for me to have children, so I don’t want to make a demand on Him, I just think it would be great to give birth to my own children. If not, then I can adopt.”
Are you beginning to see a common denominator here? Saying “Yeah but” has become second nature for many people because they question if God’s Word really applies to them. They can pray and stand in faith for others, but when it comes to their own lives, they have doubt that God would really perform His Word in their situation. This doubt causes them to accept an unnecessary defeat in areas where they could experience incredible victory. While it is true that we don’t know how a situation will turn out, giving up without a fight ensures the outcome will end in defeat.
It is important for us to understand that if one person on the face of the earth has experienced a miracle, we too can experience a miracle! God isn’t a respecter of persons and He doesn’t pick and choose who his benefits go to like some sadistic dictator. All of his benefits apply to all of His people! What makes a person adopt the “yeah but” attitude is when they don’t see the benefit manifest in the time frame they have put on God to perform it. This causes them to doubt God’s Word, and in order to salve their conscience from feeling that God has somehow not chosen them, they adopt a false belief about God.
This false belief is a comfort to them that keeps them from feeling let down by God. God is not confined by time or circumstance. Look at all of the examples in the Bible where God’s people had to wait a long time in order to see His benefits manifest in their lives. We cannot be sure of God’s timing, but we can be sure of His promises and that He will perform His Word in our lives. I want to encourage you to study the stories of people like Moses, Noah, Abraham, Joshua, Paul, Mary, and the countless others who had to wait a long time to see the benefits of God manifest in their lives.
Then ask God if you have adopted a “yeah but” mindset that has caused you to give up praying for a miracle. Ask Him to reveal His Word to you and to give you wisdom and understanding. Then ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth in regards to God’s benefits for your life. Stand strong in the measure of faith, and ask God to give you strength so you don’t become weary or faint during your time of waiting. If you have believed God’s ability to perform His word applies to everyone except you, begin to battle the deception the enemy has imposed on you. God is faithful to His word and to his people! Believe by faith and remind yourself of the benefits He has promised His people, and that includes you.
Prayer: I rebuke the words “yeah but” and I choose to believe your benefits apply to me! I praise You for being faithful to Your Word to perform it in my life. I choose to remind myself of Your benefits and will stand strong in the measure of faith you have given me, until I see those benefits manifest in my life. Amen
I can’t even count the number of times I have sat with Christians and spoke a truth from God’s Word in regards to a circumstance they were facing, only to have them reply, “Yeah but”………….. For example when a woman asked me to pray for her to be healed and I claimed Psalm 103:3, she responded, “Yeah but He doesn’t always choose to heal, so I’ve accepted that I may have to deal with this for the rest of my life. I just want him to give me some relief so I can function day to day.”
Or another time when someone asked me to pray for them because they were struggling financially and I prayed 2 Corinthians 8:9 that says, “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.” Only to have them respond, “Yeah but Jesus said it isn’t good to be rich because it is hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. So I don’t want to be rich. I just want to pay my bills. That’s good enough for me.”
One woman who was trying to get pregnant asked me to pray for her and I prayed Psalm 113:9, “He grants the barren woman a home, like a joyful mother of children. Praise the LORD!” Then she replied, “Well I know it may not be God’s will for me to have children, so I don’t want to make a demand on Him, I just think it would be great to give birth to my own children. If not, then I can adopt.”
Are you beginning to see a common denominator here? Saying “Yeah but” has become second nature for many people because they question if God’s Word really applies to them. They can pray and stand in faith for others, but when it comes to their own lives, they have doubt that God would really perform His Word in their situation. This doubt causes them to accept an unnecessary defeat in areas where they could experience incredible victory. While it is true that we don’t know how a situation will turn out, giving up without a fight ensures the outcome will end in defeat.
It is important for us to understand that if one person on the face of the earth has experienced a miracle, we too can experience a miracle! God isn’t a respecter of persons and He doesn’t pick and choose who his benefits go to like some sadistic dictator. All of his benefits apply to all of His people! What makes a person adopt the “yeah but” attitude is when they don’t see the benefit manifest in the time frame they have put on God to perform it. This causes them to doubt God’s Word, and in order to salve their conscience from feeling that God has somehow not chosen them, they adopt a false belief about God.
This false belief is a comfort to them that keeps them from feeling let down by God. God is not confined by time or circumstance. Look at all of the examples in the Bible where God’s people had to wait a long time in order to see His benefits manifest in their lives. We cannot be sure of God’s timing, but we can be sure of His promises and that He will perform His Word in our lives. I want to encourage you to study the stories of people like Moses, Noah, Abraham, Joshua, Paul, Mary, and the countless others who had to wait a long time to see the benefits of God manifest in their lives.
Then ask God if you have adopted a “yeah but” mindset that has caused you to give up praying for a miracle. Ask Him to reveal His Word to you and to give you wisdom and understanding. Then ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth in regards to God’s benefits for your life. Stand strong in the measure of faith, and ask God to give you strength so you don’t become weary or faint during your time of waiting. If you have believed God’s ability to perform His word applies to everyone except you, begin to battle the deception the enemy has imposed on you. God is faithful to His word and to his people! Believe by faith and remind yourself of the benefits He has promised His people, and that includes you.
Prayer: I rebuke the words “yeah but” and I choose to believe your benefits apply to me! I praise You for being faithful to Your Word to perform it in my life. I choose to remind myself of Your benefits and will stand strong in the measure of faith you have given me, until I see those benefits manifest in my life. Amen
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Day 35
Tears Are A Precious Gift From God!
“You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?” Psalm 56:8 NKJ
Growing up I rarely cried. If I felt the urge to cry I would fight it until it went away. For years my mom told me it was okay to cry but her words couldn’t penetrate my stubbornness. Somehow I viewed crying as being weak and I never wanted anyone to think I was weak. My unwillingness to cry lasted until I was in my thirties. I know that seems extreme but it is true! After experiencing a personal loss I could no longer fight back the tears. I remember crying so much that my tears soaked the pillow. But when I woke up in the morning I felt a sense of relief I had never felt before. This experience was the beginning of a wonderful encounter with God during my times of trial when I need to let out a good cry.
Since then I have studied about tears and I discovered many things that I never knew before. Did you know that in ancient days the tears of mourners at a funeral were bottled and placed with the body that was being laid to rest? Did you know that Archeologists have discovered tombs that are filled with such bottles? These were very popular in Roman times and were a symbol of respect. This tradition, though modified, was also popular during the Victorian era and again during the Civil War era. There are still artisans who make tear bottles today in many parts of the world, though the tradition of using tear bottles is not as popular as it was in the past.
While these acts of respect are noteworthy, the psalmist’s reminder to us that God bottles every tear we cry is of much more importance! As Christians we know that one day our tears will be wiped away, but to know that not one teardrop we shed on earth, goes unnoticed by God, is just as comforting. When we look at the life of Christ and the times He wept we are given an even greater reminder of God’s love for us when He gave us the ability to cry. Jesus sympathizes with our pain. (Hebrews 4:14) Jesus cried at the tomb of His friend. (John 11:35) And sometimes Jesus cried passionately. (Hebrews 5:7-10)
Tears are a gift from God given to us to express our deepest sorrows or our most incredible joy! Our tears also tell a story about us. Jeremiah is a great example of this fact. He came to be known as the “Weeping Prophet”, because he was so overwhelmed and passionate for God’s people that he would weep uncontrollably at times, when he preached. What an example for men because men oftentimes do not express themselves through tears. The world has done them a great injustice by telling them that crying is for wimps. As a result many men hold back their tears. My prayer is that they will study the Bible and re-frame their belief about crying.
When we let the tears flow from the depths of our soul we are ushered into the presence of God in a very intimate way! And when we don’t fight back the tears we also experience an incredible blessing from God when our time of weeping is over. Psalm 30:11 & 12 says, “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.”
I can attest to this truth as I have learned to embrace God’s gift of tears and experienced Him turning my mourning into dancing, when my time of sorrow was through! Another blessing that comes when we learn how to release our tears is found in Romans 12:15 & 16. It says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another.” We are blessed with the gift of compassion towards others when we learn how to release our tears.
Today I cry for many reasons. I cry in times of sorrow, times of celebration, and times of anticipation. I want to encourage you to search the Scriptures for more examples where tears were an expression of emotion. If any of the examples are not areas in your life where you shed tears, spend time asking God to give you understanding in that area. Then meditate on those passages and begin to allow God to soften your heart so you can experience the intimacy of relationship with Him, during those times in your life. As I said tears are a gift from God and today is a great time to unwrap the gift.
Prayer: Thank You for giving me the precious gift of tears. Let me embrace them as a blessing You have given me so I can experience a more intimate relationship with you. May I learn to release my tears so I will learn how to be compassionate towards other people in their times of weeping. I praise You for bottling each tear I cry. I praise you for turning my times of mourning in dancing and I will rejoice and worship you. I also praise You that one day you will wipe away my tears, but for now I will not fight them back because they are a gift from You. Amen
Growing up I rarely cried. If I felt the urge to cry I would fight it until it went away. For years my mom told me it was okay to cry but her words couldn’t penetrate my stubbornness. Somehow I viewed crying as being weak and I never wanted anyone to think I was weak. My unwillingness to cry lasted until I was in my thirties. I know that seems extreme but it is true! After experiencing a personal loss I could no longer fight back the tears. I remember crying so much that my tears soaked the pillow. But when I woke up in the morning I felt a sense of relief I had never felt before. This experience was the beginning of a wonderful encounter with God during my times of trial when I need to let out a good cry.
Since then I have studied about tears and I discovered many things that I never knew before. Did you know that in ancient days the tears of mourners at a funeral were bottled and placed with the body that was being laid to rest? Did you know that Archeologists have discovered tombs that are filled with such bottles? These were very popular in Roman times and were a symbol of respect. This tradition, though modified, was also popular during the Victorian era and again during the Civil War era. There are still artisans who make tear bottles today in many parts of the world, though the tradition of using tear bottles is not as popular as it was in the past.
While these acts of respect are noteworthy, the psalmist’s reminder to us that God bottles every tear we cry is of much more importance! As Christians we know that one day our tears will be wiped away, but to know that not one teardrop we shed on earth, goes unnoticed by God, is just as comforting. When we look at the life of Christ and the times He wept we are given an even greater reminder of God’s love for us when He gave us the ability to cry. Jesus sympathizes with our pain. (Hebrews 4:14) Jesus cried at the tomb of His friend. (John 11:35) And sometimes Jesus cried passionately. (Hebrews 5:7-10)
Tears are a gift from God given to us to express our deepest sorrows or our most incredible joy! Our tears also tell a story about us. Jeremiah is a great example of this fact. He came to be known as the “Weeping Prophet”, because he was so overwhelmed and passionate for God’s people that he would weep uncontrollably at times, when he preached. What an example for men because men oftentimes do not express themselves through tears. The world has done them a great injustice by telling them that crying is for wimps. As a result many men hold back their tears. My prayer is that they will study the Bible and re-frame their belief about crying.
When we let the tears flow from the depths of our soul we are ushered into the presence of God in a very intimate way! And when we don’t fight back the tears we also experience an incredible blessing from God when our time of weeping is over. Psalm 30:11 & 12 says, “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.”
I can attest to this truth as I have learned to embrace God’s gift of tears and experienced Him turning my mourning into dancing, when my time of sorrow was through! Another blessing that comes when we learn how to release our tears is found in Romans 12:15 & 16. It says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another.” We are blessed with the gift of compassion towards others when we learn how to release our tears.
Today I cry for many reasons. I cry in times of sorrow, times of celebration, and times of anticipation. I want to encourage you to search the Scriptures for more examples where tears were an expression of emotion. If any of the examples are not areas in your life where you shed tears, spend time asking God to give you understanding in that area. Then meditate on those passages and begin to allow God to soften your heart so you can experience the intimacy of relationship with Him, during those times in your life. As I said tears are a gift from God and today is a great time to unwrap the gift.
Prayer: Thank You for giving me the precious gift of tears. Let me embrace them as a blessing You have given me so I can experience a more intimate relationship with you. May I learn to release my tears so I will learn how to be compassionate towards other people in their times of weeping. I praise You for bottling each tear I cry. I praise you for turning my times of mourning in dancing and I will rejoice and worship you. I also praise You that one day you will wipe away my tears, but for now I will not fight them back because they are a gift from You. Amen
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Day 34
Listen To The Way-Sayers Not The Naysayers!
“Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.” Romans 14:13 NKJ
“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.” Matthew 7:6 NKJ
I have always been the kind of person who openly shares my visions, dreams, and faith. In the past couple of years I have been learning how important it is to be discerning with whom I share and what I share. I am a very trusting person and always believe the best about people, and suppose they believe the best about me. Unfortunately, as you know, this is not always the case. Some people are naysayers. They are wounded individuals who live their lives tearing other people down. They don’t always mean to, but being a naysayer has become a part of their mental makeup.
A naysayer is defined as someone with an aggressively negative attitude, or one who consistently denies, criticizes, or doubts; a cynic or a heckler. They discredit ideas without having a full understanding and they see the world from a “glass half empty” point of view. Their favorite phrases are things like, “That will never work”, “what’s the point in trying”, “you are such a dreamer, come back to reality”, “I have never seen God do that before, I think you are kidding yourself”, etc. In other words, they think and say things that are contrary to hope, faith, belief, redemption, vision, or provision.
While we are called to love the naysayers, it is wise for us to keep from giving them permission to assault our dreams, hope, faith, and desires, by sharing with them. It is important for us to realize that other people can instill doubt with their words, which can lead us to question God’s Words of promise. We have no power to change a naysayer’s point of view, because they are the only ones who hold the key to change within themselves. What we can do is pray that they allow God to heal them, so they can change from a naysayer to a way-sayer.
A way-sayer is defined as a person who builds up, encourages, and instills hope with their words. They know who they are in Christ and understand that God has a plan and purpose for each believer’s life. They listen intently when you share and believe God is bigger than life, and able to do way more than we could ever think or imagine. For instance Paul is a great example of a way-sayer. In Ephesians 3:20 he says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,…” Ephesians 3:20 NKJ
With all Paul had been through in life, persecuting and killing God’s people, he had an encounter with God on the Damascus road that changed him forever! He didn’t hold onto the guilt, shame, and pain of the past. He allowed God to change him from the inside out, which turned him into one who encouraged, built up, and spurred people on, to become all God created them to be. This is the very thing a naysayer has refused to do, and it is the reason they throw stumbling blocks in the paths of their fellow brothers and sisters in the faith. Until they have a Damascus road experience and allow God to transform them from the inside out, it is best to steer clear, because they will persecute and kill your hopes, dreams, and visions.
Jesus is another great example of a way-sayer. In John 14:12 He said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” John 14:12 NKJ These words are a constant reminder that Jesus advocates for us to the Father and He has equipped us and commissioned us, to do even greater things than He did on earth. Jesus made a way where before there was no way! A way-sayer constantly reminds us of our ability in Christ to accomplish God’s purpose. They remind us of our ability to overcome the enemy’s attacks. They encourage us to believe God’s ability, over man’s inability. These are the people who have a solid foundation in Christ, and who are willing to build up, encourage, and strengthen others with their words. They are the ones who help their brothers and sisters in Christ remove the stumbling blocks in their path.
I want to encourage you to ask God if you are a naysayer or a way-sayer. Allow Him to heal any area of your life that may have caused you to become a naysayer. Then spend time evaluating the relationships you have and identify the naysayers and the way-sayers. Set boundaries with the naysayers and set appointments with the way-sayers. God has such amazing plans and purposes for your life! Spend time in the Word and look for other examples of way-sayers. Let their words and actions encourage you in the faith.
Prayer: I believe by faith that You are able to more than I could ever think or imagine and that You have a great and mighty purpose for my life. I choose today to be a way-sayer and to encourage and built up my brothers and sisters in the faith. I choose today to meditate on Your Word and to believe in Your promises. As I do these things I know that You will fulfill Your promises for my life. Amen
“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.” Matthew 7:6 NKJ
I have always been the kind of person who openly shares my visions, dreams, and faith. In the past couple of years I have been learning how important it is to be discerning with whom I share and what I share. I am a very trusting person and always believe the best about people, and suppose they believe the best about me. Unfortunately, as you know, this is not always the case. Some people are naysayers. They are wounded individuals who live their lives tearing other people down. They don’t always mean to, but being a naysayer has become a part of their mental makeup.
A naysayer is defined as someone with an aggressively negative attitude, or one who consistently denies, criticizes, or doubts; a cynic or a heckler. They discredit ideas without having a full understanding and they see the world from a “glass half empty” point of view. Their favorite phrases are things like, “That will never work”, “what’s the point in trying”, “you are such a dreamer, come back to reality”, “I have never seen God do that before, I think you are kidding yourself”, etc. In other words, they think and say things that are contrary to hope, faith, belief, redemption, vision, or provision.
While we are called to love the naysayers, it is wise for us to keep from giving them permission to assault our dreams, hope, faith, and desires, by sharing with them. It is important for us to realize that other people can instill doubt with their words, which can lead us to question God’s Words of promise. We have no power to change a naysayer’s point of view, because they are the only ones who hold the key to change within themselves. What we can do is pray that they allow God to heal them, so they can change from a naysayer to a way-sayer.
A way-sayer is defined as a person who builds up, encourages, and instills hope with their words. They know who they are in Christ and understand that God has a plan and purpose for each believer’s life. They listen intently when you share and believe God is bigger than life, and able to do way more than we could ever think or imagine. For instance Paul is a great example of a way-sayer. In Ephesians 3:20 he says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,…” Ephesians 3:20 NKJ
With all Paul had been through in life, persecuting and killing God’s people, he had an encounter with God on the Damascus road that changed him forever! He didn’t hold onto the guilt, shame, and pain of the past. He allowed God to change him from the inside out, which turned him into one who encouraged, built up, and spurred people on, to become all God created them to be. This is the very thing a naysayer has refused to do, and it is the reason they throw stumbling blocks in the paths of their fellow brothers and sisters in the faith. Until they have a Damascus road experience and allow God to transform them from the inside out, it is best to steer clear, because they will persecute and kill your hopes, dreams, and visions.
Jesus is another great example of a way-sayer. In John 14:12 He said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” John 14:12 NKJ These words are a constant reminder that Jesus advocates for us to the Father and He has equipped us and commissioned us, to do even greater things than He did on earth. Jesus made a way where before there was no way! A way-sayer constantly reminds us of our ability in Christ to accomplish God’s purpose. They remind us of our ability to overcome the enemy’s attacks. They encourage us to believe God’s ability, over man’s inability. These are the people who have a solid foundation in Christ, and who are willing to build up, encourage, and strengthen others with their words. They are the ones who help their brothers and sisters in Christ remove the stumbling blocks in their path.
I want to encourage you to ask God if you are a naysayer or a way-sayer. Allow Him to heal any area of your life that may have caused you to become a naysayer. Then spend time evaluating the relationships you have and identify the naysayers and the way-sayers. Set boundaries with the naysayers and set appointments with the way-sayers. God has such amazing plans and purposes for your life! Spend time in the Word and look for other examples of way-sayers. Let their words and actions encourage you in the faith.
Prayer: I believe by faith that You are able to more than I could ever think or imagine and that You have a great and mighty purpose for my life. I choose today to be a way-sayer and to encourage and built up my brothers and sisters in the faith. I choose today to meditate on Your Word and to believe in Your promises. As I do these things I know that You will fulfill Your promises for my life. Amen
Day 33
Abundance Is Found On The Journey, Not Just At The Destination!
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 NKJ
I love to travel! In fact if I had it my way I would constantly be heading somewhere new! I have always dreamt of owning an RV and traveling the country with my family; teaching and training women and teenagers about the love of God, and His incredible purpose for their lives. But I used to only dream about the destinations and what it would be like when we finally arrived there. I don’t do that anymore because I have realized that while the destination will be a joyful experience; the joy on the journey to reach it, is just as rewarding and fulfilling.
I discovered this truth also applies to being a Christian. When I accepted Christ as my Savior I did it with a joyful expectation of Heaven and one day walking on streets paved with gold. I pictured myself playing with the lions, and flying like an angel, and many more imaginations of what Heaven would be like. While the experience in Heaven will be far more than I ever anticipated, I have realized that the journey to my destination is just as exciting and fulfilling if I am willing to embrace it!
Many people live the way I did and put all of their hope and expectancy in that glorious day when they get to Heaven. But on earth they struggle from day to day, trying to put on a happy face. They view the journey as a hard road they are required to travel if they want to reach their destination. Unfortunately this mindset blocks them from living an abundant life on earth. While it is true that we face battles every day, and we will not be free from the everyday struggles until we get to Heaven; it is not true that we can’t live in abundance on earth. Jesus Words in John 10:10 makes it clear that He has given us the ability to live an abundant life while we are still here.
If you could have an abundance of anything you wanted in your Christian life, what would it be? Maybe you find it difficult to be joyful because you have experienced great pains in life. If so, would you like God to give you an abundance of joy? Maybe you have a poverty mindset because you have always been broke. If so, would you like an abundance of finances so you can support ministries and give to your favorite charities? Maybe you have a hard time being hopeful because so many of the things you hoped for never materialized. If so, would you like an abundance of hope so you can bring hope to others? Maybe you have a difficult time showing love because love has been withheld from you in the past. If so, would you like an abundance of love to give to the people in your life?
All of these things and many more are available to us here on earth, not just when you get to Heaven, but we have to believe it first. Napoleon Hill once said, “What the mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve.” This s a powerful statement and it directly correlates to this devotional and gives a model to follow, in order to experience abundance in our lives on the journey of faith.
First we have to conceive the truth that Jesus spoke in John 10:10, and like a mother who conceives a child, we have to realize that conception is just the beginning. But without conceptualizing that an abundant life on earth is possible, we will not be able to experience it. After we have conceived it then we have to believe what He spoke, no matter how contrary His words might seem to our own reality. You could say this is like the 9 months of carrying a baby in the womb. An inner working has to take place in us, and we have to nurture it until it is ready to be birthed. After these have taken place, we will be ready to achieve living in the abundance that Jesus promises in this verse.
Once we have given birth to the belief that we can live in abundance on earth, we have the responsibility to nurture and care for our belief, until it has grown into maturity. When that happens then our minds will not be deceived by the enemy and he will not be able to swoop in to steal, kill, or destroy our belief in God’s promise to give us an abundant life on earth.
I want to encourage you to spend time seeking wisdom in this area. Ask God to reveal if you have had your mind set on the abundance that awaits you at the destination of Heaven, but not believed it was available for you on earth. Ask Him to reveal the depth of meaning found in John 10:10. Be willing to let go of your preconceived notions so the Holy Spirit can lead you in the truth of God’s promise for abundance in your life.
Prayer: I believe by faith that Your promises are true! I release my preconceived notions to You and I submit myself to the Holy Spirit to be taught the truth that Jesus speaks of in John 10:10. I believe by faith that You have an abundance stored up for me in Heaven and an abundance stored up for me on earth. I believe Your truth over my reality and I commit my ways to You. Amen
I love to travel! In fact if I had it my way I would constantly be heading somewhere new! I have always dreamt of owning an RV and traveling the country with my family; teaching and training women and teenagers about the love of God, and His incredible purpose for their lives. But I used to only dream about the destinations and what it would be like when we finally arrived there. I don’t do that anymore because I have realized that while the destination will be a joyful experience; the joy on the journey to reach it, is just as rewarding and fulfilling.
I discovered this truth also applies to being a Christian. When I accepted Christ as my Savior I did it with a joyful expectation of Heaven and one day walking on streets paved with gold. I pictured myself playing with the lions, and flying like an angel, and many more imaginations of what Heaven would be like. While the experience in Heaven will be far more than I ever anticipated, I have realized that the journey to my destination is just as exciting and fulfilling if I am willing to embrace it!
Many people live the way I did and put all of their hope and expectancy in that glorious day when they get to Heaven. But on earth they struggle from day to day, trying to put on a happy face. They view the journey as a hard road they are required to travel if they want to reach their destination. Unfortunately this mindset blocks them from living an abundant life on earth. While it is true that we face battles every day, and we will not be free from the everyday struggles until we get to Heaven; it is not true that we can’t live in abundance on earth. Jesus Words in John 10:10 makes it clear that He has given us the ability to live an abundant life while we are still here.
If you could have an abundance of anything you wanted in your Christian life, what would it be? Maybe you find it difficult to be joyful because you have experienced great pains in life. If so, would you like God to give you an abundance of joy? Maybe you have a poverty mindset because you have always been broke. If so, would you like an abundance of finances so you can support ministries and give to your favorite charities? Maybe you have a hard time being hopeful because so many of the things you hoped for never materialized. If so, would you like an abundance of hope so you can bring hope to others? Maybe you have a difficult time showing love because love has been withheld from you in the past. If so, would you like an abundance of love to give to the people in your life?
All of these things and many more are available to us here on earth, not just when you get to Heaven, but we have to believe it first. Napoleon Hill once said, “What the mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve.” This s a powerful statement and it directly correlates to this devotional and gives a model to follow, in order to experience abundance in our lives on the journey of faith.
First we have to conceive the truth that Jesus spoke in John 10:10, and like a mother who conceives a child, we have to realize that conception is just the beginning. But without conceptualizing that an abundant life on earth is possible, we will not be able to experience it. After we have conceived it then we have to believe what He spoke, no matter how contrary His words might seem to our own reality. You could say this is like the 9 months of carrying a baby in the womb. An inner working has to take place in us, and we have to nurture it until it is ready to be birthed. After these have taken place, we will be ready to achieve living in the abundance that Jesus promises in this verse.
Once we have given birth to the belief that we can live in abundance on earth, we have the responsibility to nurture and care for our belief, until it has grown into maturity. When that happens then our minds will not be deceived by the enemy and he will not be able to swoop in to steal, kill, or destroy our belief in God’s promise to give us an abundant life on earth.
I want to encourage you to spend time seeking wisdom in this area. Ask God to reveal if you have had your mind set on the abundance that awaits you at the destination of Heaven, but not believed it was available for you on earth. Ask Him to reveal the depth of meaning found in John 10:10. Be willing to let go of your preconceived notions so the Holy Spirit can lead you in the truth of God’s promise for abundance in your life.
Prayer: I believe by faith that Your promises are true! I release my preconceived notions to You and I submit myself to the Holy Spirit to be taught the truth that Jesus speaks of in John 10:10. I believe by faith that You have an abundance stored up for me in Heaven and an abundance stored up for me on earth. I believe Your truth over my reality and I commit my ways to You. Amen
Monday, January 25, 2010
Day 32
God Is The One True Promise Keeper!
“But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Hebrews 6:9-12 NKJ
Growing up my parents always tried their best to fulfill their promises to me. In fact they went to great lengths to make good on their promises, because they were people of character and wanted their words to be trustworthy. But there were times when they had no control of situations that kept them from keeping certain promises. Even if I understood their reasons I still felt let down when a promise was broken. We all know what it feels like to experience the let down of a broken promise. In fact if we took the time we could each fill several notebooks of the many promises that have been broken throughout our lives.
As you know the devastation from a broken promise can last a long time. It also causes us to be skeptical the next time someone makes us a promise. We want to believe their words but history tells us that at anytime and for any reason that promise can be broken. Other people confirm our skepticism when they relate their own experiences with broken promises. This combination can hinder us in believing God’s promises if we relate it to our personal experiences with man. While man is incapable of fulfilling every promise he makes, God is not! But in order to stand in faith and believe for the things God promises we have to disconnect from these past experiences with man.
This can only happen by the power of the Holy Spirit because in our humanness our minds are filled with memories of broken promises. But if we will allow the Holy Spirit to speak louder than our own inner voice of doubt, we will find the strength to stand strong in the measure of faith given to us, while we wait for God to fulfill His promises. In Romans 4 Paul speaks to this truth very clearly in his account of Abraham receiving the promise of God, to be the father of many nations. In reality it wouldn’t seem that this promise could have come true since the Bible says that Abraham was nearly 100 years old at the time of the promise. But it did!
My favorite passage in that chapter is verses 17 and 18. It says, “in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” Only God can call things that do not exist as though they did. His ability to fulfill His promises to us supersedes our human comprehension! This is why it is so important to fill our minds with the promises of God’s Word and to daily remind ourselves of the many times God fulfilled His promises to His people. This is also the reason it is important for us to believe God’s Words of promise over our own reality or the reality of others.
For example in times of lack it is important to remind ourselves that God promises to supply all our need, Philippians 4:19. During times when it doesn’t look like anything good can come out of a situation, God promises to work it for our good and His glory, Romans 8:28. When we struggle with trusting God and try to figure things out on our own, God promises to make our paths straight when we put our trust fully in Him and refuse lean on our own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 &6. When your life doesn’t seem to have purpose God promises that He has a plan to give you a hope and a future, Jeremiah 29:11. These are only a few examples of God’s promises. There are hundreds more within the pages of the Bible.
My encouragement to you today is to seek out and write down God’s promises. Then when times of trial come or times of doubting, you can use the weapon of God’s Word against the enemy when he tries to bombard your mind with the memories of broken promises in the past. The Word of God is an offensive weapon as Ephesians 6:17 reminds us. Remember that the battlefield is in the mind and we must fight to believe the voice of the Holy Spirit over our own inner voice or the enemy’s voice. Stand strong on the promises of God in faith, believing that He is the one true promise keeper in your life. He is faithful to His Word and He will perform it in your life as you wait patiently on Him.
Prayer: I believe by faith as Abraham did that You are the God who fulfills Your promises for my life. I choose to battle the temptation to believe my voice, the voice of others, or the enemy’s voice. In doing this I will be open to hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit remind me that You are the one true promise keeper. Then I will stand in the measure of faith You have given me and wait patiently to see Your promises manifest in my life. Amen
Growing up my parents always tried their best to fulfill their promises to me. In fact they went to great lengths to make good on their promises, because they were people of character and wanted their words to be trustworthy. But there were times when they had no control of situations that kept them from keeping certain promises. Even if I understood their reasons I still felt let down when a promise was broken. We all know what it feels like to experience the let down of a broken promise. In fact if we took the time we could each fill several notebooks of the many promises that have been broken throughout our lives.
As you know the devastation from a broken promise can last a long time. It also causes us to be skeptical the next time someone makes us a promise. We want to believe their words but history tells us that at anytime and for any reason that promise can be broken. Other people confirm our skepticism when they relate their own experiences with broken promises. This combination can hinder us in believing God’s promises if we relate it to our personal experiences with man. While man is incapable of fulfilling every promise he makes, God is not! But in order to stand in faith and believe for the things God promises we have to disconnect from these past experiences with man.
This can only happen by the power of the Holy Spirit because in our humanness our minds are filled with memories of broken promises. But if we will allow the Holy Spirit to speak louder than our own inner voice of doubt, we will find the strength to stand strong in the measure of faith given to us, while we wait for God to fulfill His promises. In Romans 4 Paul speaks to this truth very clearly in his account of Abraham receiving the promise of God, to be the father of many nations. In reality it wouldn’t seem that this promise could have come true since the Bible says that Abraham was nearly 100 years old at the time of the promise. But it did!
My favorite passage in that chapter is verses 17 and 18. It says, “in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” Only God can call things that do not exist as though they did. His ability to fulfill His promises to us supersedes our human comprehension! This is why it is so important to fill our minds with the promises of God’s Word and to daily remind ourselves of the many times God fulfilled His promises to His people. This is also the reason it is important for us to believe God’s Words of promise over our own reality or the reality of others.
For example in times of lack it is important to remind ourselves that God promises to supply all our need, Philippians 4:19. During times when it doesn’t look like anything good can come out of a situation, God promises to work it for our good and His glory, Romans 8:28. When we struggle with trusting God and try to figure things out on our own, God promises to make our paths straight when we put our trust fully in Him and refuse lean on our own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 &6. When your life doesn’t seem to have purpose God promises that He has a plan to give you a hope and a future, Jeremiah 29:11. These are only a few examples of God’s promises. There are hundreds more within the pages of the Bible.
My encouragement to you today is to seek out and write down God’s promises. Then when times of trial come or times of doubting, you can use the weapon of God’s Word against the enemy when he tries to bombard your mind with the memories of broken promises in the past. The Word of God is an offensive weapon as Ephesians 6:17 reminds us. Remember that the battlefield is in the mind and we must fight to believe the voice of the Holy Spirit over our own inner voice or the enemy’s voice. Stand strong on the promises of God in faith, believing that He is the one true promise keeper in your life. He is faithful to His Word and He will perform it in your life as you wait patiently on Him.
Prayer: I believe by faith as Abraham did that You are the God who fulfills Your promises for my life. I choose to battle the temptation to believe my voice, the voice of others, or the enemy’s voice. In doing this I will be open to hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit remind me that You are the one true promise keeper. Then I will stand in the measure of faith You have given me and wait patiently to see Your promises manifest in my life. Amen
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Day 31
Assembling Together In Unity To Propel The Gospel Of Jesus Christ!
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:23 – 25 NKJ
Let me ask you a question. Have you ever gotten out of bed on the day your church has set apart as a day of worship, and felt like falling back into bed and sleeping a few more hours? Or have you ever had an event scheduled at the same time as the worship service and chose to attend it, but then felt guilty because you did? Over the years I have met many people who feel guilty over such thoughts or actions and they beat themselves up because of it. They have read this Scripture or heard it taught and believe they are doing something wrong if they forsake the assembling together with fellow believers. After today’s devotional my prayer is that will have a better understanding of this passage and not feel guilty again over such thoughts or actions.
In rightly dividing the Word spoken here in Hebrews 10:23 – 25, another meaning to this verse is revealed than what has traditionally been taught. What disturbed the writer of Hebrews at the time was that some Christians were branching out on their own and refused to be unified in propelling the message of Christianity as a corporate body of believers. They would rather have their own independent ways of teaching and not be accountable to anyone for what they taught. The writer of Hebrews knew that this action of branching out would cause division, confusion, and disunity. And so a warning had to be given to subvert such actions.
While it is vitally important to meet together with other believers to encourage, train, and build one another up in the faith, this verse is not referring to a geographical location of meeting. On any day of the week you can find a church that is having a service. If this verse were a literal instruction to the body of Christ then we would be disobeying God’s instructions every time we chose to stay home from a service. Therefore, it is evident that the writer of Hebrews is not telling us we need to go to a geographical location every time an assembly of believers is gathered together. What he is telling the church is much greater than that! The real instruction here is that the body of Christ needs to be unified, undivided, and single minded, forsaking their own agendas, especially as the Day of Christ’s return is approaching.
If you look at today’s church you will see a fragmented body of believers who have all branched out on their own, just like in the day this passage of Scripture was written. There are thousands of denominations, groups, and sects, who all claim to have “The TRUE Gospel message”. For a new convert to Christianity this kind of division and disunity in the body of Christ is sure to bring confusion and puzzlement. They are forced to investigate the doctrine of churches to determine which doctrine best fits their natural bent, instead of investigating the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They are robbed of the experience of going to a meeting place to fellowship and worship with like minded believers for the sole purpose of glorifying God, and encouraging each other in the faith.
As the day of Christ’s return draws nearer God is calling the church to become integrated and single-minded as a unified body. Just as a physical body whose parts are all detached and separated cannot function, neither can the church. We are all members of Christ’s body, with Christ being the head. In order to have even-flow in the body of Christ we must come together being unified in Christ, forsaking our own agendas and man-made doctrines. If we will do this a transformation will take place in Christianity!
I want to encourage you to investigate your own beliefs in regards to church and ask God to reveal if you are functioning as a member of Christ’s body, unified and single minded, in the teachings of the one true Gospel, Jesus Christ. Or if you are a fragmented member being pulled in the direction of following the doctrines of man. Begin to pray for all believers in the faith to come to the place of unity in the body of Christ, so the function of the church can propel the Gospel through stirring up love and good works with its members. Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you the truth about the function of the body of Christ and its purpose. Begin to express love for fellow believers whose doctrinal views are different than yours, and pray that one day we will all mature out of our own branches of doctrinal division, and come together as one in Jesus Christ.
Prayer: I believe that You are the One True Gospel and that Your desire is for Your body to function in unity. I believe by faith that as I release my own doctrinal beliefs You will give me wisdom so I know how to stir up love and good works, in my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I believe by faith that as I do this I will stop judging Your people based on their doctrinal standards, but rather, pray for them to come to the same place of unity in Jesus Christ. Amen
Let me ask you a question. Have you ever gotten out of bed on the day your church has set apart as a day of worship, and felt like falling back into bed and sleeping a few more hours? Or have you ever had an event scheduled at the same time as the worship service and chose to attend it, but then felt guilty because you did? Over the years I have met many people who feel guilty over such thoughts or actions and they beat themselves up because of it. They have read this Scripture or heard it taught and believe they are doing something wrong if they forsake the assembling together with fellow believers. After today’s devotional my prayer is that will have a better understanding of this passage and not feel guilty again over such thoughts or actions.
In rightly dividing the Word spoken here in Hebrews 10:23 – 25, another meaning to this verse is revealed than what has traditionally been taught. What disturbed the writer of Hebrews at the time was that some Christians were branching out on their own and refused to be unified in propelling the message of Christianity as a corporate body of believers. They would rather have their own independent ways of teaching and not be accountable to anyone for what they taught. The writer of Hebrews knew that this action of branching out would cause division, confusion, and disunity. And so a warning had to be given to subvert such actions.
While it is vitally important to meet together with other believers to encourage, train, and build one another up in the faith, this verse is not referring to a geographical location of meeting. On any day of the week you can find a church that is having a service. If this verse were a literal instruction to the body of Christ then we would be disobeying God’s instructions every time we chose to stay home from a service. Therefore, it is evident that the writer of Hebrews is not telling us we need to go to a geographical location every time an assembly of believers is gathered together. What he is telling the church is much greater than that! The real instruction here is that the body of Christ needs to be unified, undivided, and single minded, forsaking their own agendas, especially as the Day of Christ’s return is approaching.
If you look at today’s church you will see a fragmented body of believers who have all branched out on their own, just like in the day this passage of Scripture was written. There are thousands of denominations, groups, and sects, who all claim to have “The TRUE Gospel message”. For a new convert to Christianity this kind of division and disunity in the body of Christ is sure to bring confusion and puzzlement. They are forced to investigate the doctrine of churches to determine which doctrine best fits their natural bent, instead of investigating the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They are robbed of the experience of going to a meeting place to fellowship and worship with like minded believers for the sole purpose of glorifying God, and encouraging each other in the faith.
As the day of Christ’s return draws nearer God is calling the church to become integrated and single-minded as a unified body. Just as a physical body whose parts are all detached and separated cannot function, neither can the church. We are all members of Christ’s body, with Christ being the head. In order to have even-flow in the body of Christ we must come together being unified in Christ, forsaking our own agendas and man-made doctrines. If we will do this a transformation will take place in Christianity!
I want to encourage you to investigate your own beliefs in regards to church and ask God to reveal if you are functioning as a member of Christ’s body, unified and single minded, in the teachings of the one true Gospel, Jesus Christ. Or if you are a fragmented member being pulled in the direction of following the doctrines of man. Begin to pray for all believers in the faith to come to the place of unity in the body of Christ, so the function of the church can propel the Gospel through stirring up love and good works with its members. Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you the truth about the function of the body of Christ and its purpose. Begin to express love for fellow believers whose doctrinal views are different than yours, and pray that one day we will all mature out of our own branches of doctrinal division, and come together as one in Jesus Christ.
Prayer: I believe that You are the One True Gospel and that Your desire is for Your body to function in unity. I believe by faith that as I release my own doctrinal beliefs You will give me wisdom so I know how to stir up love and good works, in my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I believe by faith that as I do this I will stop judging Your people based on their doctrinal standards, but rather, pray for them to come to the same place of unity in Jesus Christ. Amen
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Day 30
Being A Christian Is Not A Circus Act Performance!
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Luke 11:9 & 10 NKJ
During my teen years I was very adventurous and looked for any way to have fun! One year when the circus came to town my friends and I went. After the show I had the brilliant idea of looking for the circus train so we could meet the performers. We drove down to the railroad tracks and began to search for the train. When we finally saw it we were so excited! We jumped out of the car and made our way towards the train. There were all kinds of people moving about. As we approached the train one of the performers said hello and introduced himself. We couldn’t believe this was actually happening!
As we moved about we met several people. I wanted to meet the trapeze and tightrope performers because I was a thrill seeker, and if I was in the circus those would be the acts I would perform. One of the men told us we couldn’t meet them because they didn’t usually socialize like everyone else, because they were mostly families. I was bummed for a minute but then went back to having fun. I didn’t give it another thought until I started writing this devotional and God brought that memory back, because it correlates to the way I lived my life as a Christian for years! Though I never got an opportunity to walk the tightrope or fly on the trapeze in the natural realm, I did both in the spiritual realm, as a Christian for many years. Let me explain.
Walking on the tightrope of Law:
Growing up I felt like I was walking on a tightrope in my relationship with God because of my religious upbringing. I had been taught that I could lose my salvation if I didn’t keep the laws of the Bible and that God was displeased with me when I sinned. So when I was thinking right thoughts, making right choices, and taking right actions, I felt like I had sure footing as a Christian. On the other hand, when I had negative thoughts, made poor choices, and took wrong actions, I felt like I was losing my footing with God. I was constantly trying to regain my balance so I could please God by keeping the laws of the Bible. Unfortunately, the more I focused on trying to stay right with God by keeping the law, the more I found myself unstable in my faith and relationship with Him. At 15 I couldn’t take it anymore and I walked away from my relationship with God and His people and lived a hard life for the next several years.
Flying on the trapeze between Law and Grace:
When I was worn out from living a hard life in the world I decided to come back to my relationship with God. The one thing I learned that made a huge impact on me was the truth that I had been saved by grace, not by my works. But now I found myself in a new predicament. I was like a trapeze artist flying back and forth between law and grace. I would live for awhile being grace filled towards me and others, and then I would fly once again back to the side of law, and judge myself and others, based on works. This was a very confusing time in my life, because I didn’t have a clear understanding of God’s Word. I swung back and forth depending on what I studied or heard and I never lived a life of balance or peace. This pendulum swing lasted for several years.
Finding the balance through rightly dividing the Word and being taught by the Holy Spirit:
A few years ago my husband came across a book titled “Destined to Reign” by Joseph Prince. After reading it he came to me and told me I should read it, but he said I needed to be prepared to have my world turned upside down when I did. So I read it and he was right! At first it was hard to accept what I read, but when I studied the Bible for myself, I realized he was right. I have studied many other teachings on Grace since then that have confirmed what I read in that book. During the last few years I have learned how to rightly divide God’s Word, and I found the balance in understanding the Grace message. I now have peace in my relationship with God and don’t feel like I have to perform to gain His approval or to keep my salvation.
I want to encourage you to take the time to evaluate if you have been walking the tightrope or flying on the trapeze between law and grace, the way I did. Claim Luke 11:9 & 10 and ask God for wisdom in regards to His Word. God is faithful and His Spirit will guide you into truth if you will allow Him access to your belief systems. God promises that when we seek wisdom, we will find it. This is where you will find the peace that passes understanding in your relationship with God. God is not a God of confusion so He won’t tell us one thing in one chapter and then counter it in another. It is man who brings confusion when they take the simple message of the Gospel and add their own rules and regulations to it. God is a God of peace and the Holy Spirit brings peace when we allow Him to teach us His Word.
Prayer: I submit myself to You and believe by faith that when I do You will give me wisdom and understanding. I release my beliefs to You so You can guide me into all truth. If I have false beliefs due to what I have been taught by man, I humbly give over those beliefs. Thank You for being faithful to answer me when I ask You for wisdom and understanding. Amen
During my teen years I was very adventurous and looked for any way to have fun! One year when the circus came to town my friends and I went. After the show I had the brilliant idea of looking for the circus train so we could meet the performers. We drove down to the railroad tracks and began to search for the train. When we finally saw it we were so excited! We jumped out of the car and made our way towards the train. There were all kinds of people moving about. As we approached the train one of the performers said hello and introduced himself. We couldn’t believe this was actually happening!
As we moved about we met several people. I wanted to meet the trapeze and tightrope performers because I was a thrill seeker, and if I was in the circus those would be the acts I would perform. One of the men told us we couldn’t meet them because they didn’t usually socialize like everyone else, because they were mostly families. I was bummed for a minute but then went back to having fun. I didn’t give it another thought until I started writing this devotional and God brought that memory back, because it correlates to the way I lived my life as a Christian for years! Though I never got an opportunity to walk the tightrope or fly on the trapeze in the natural realm, I did both in the spiritual realm, as a Christian for many years. Let me explain.
Walking on the tightrope of Law:
Growing up I felt like I was walking on a tightrope in my relationship with God because of my religious upbringing. I had been taught that I could lose my salvation if I didn’t keep the laws of the Bible and that God was displeased with me when I sinned. So when I was thinking right thoughts, making right choices, and taking right actions, I felt like I had sure footing as a Christian. On the other hand, when I had negative thoughts, made poor choices, and took wrong actions, I felt like I was losing my footing with God. I was constantly trying to regain my balance so I could please God by keeping the laws of the Bible. Unfortunately, the more I focused on trying to stay right with God by keeping the law, the more I found myself unstable in my faith and relationship with Him. At 15 I couldn’t take it anymore and I walked away from my relationship with God and His people and lived a hard life for the next several years.
Flying on the trapeze between Law and Grace:
When I was worn out from living a hard life in the world I decided to come back to my relationship with God. The one thing I learned that made a huge impact on me was the truth that I had been saved by grace, not by my works. But now I found myself in a new predicament. I was like a trapeze artist flying back and forth between law and grace. I would live for awhile being grace filled towards me and others, and then I would fly once again back to the side of law, and judge myself and others, based on works. This was a very confusing time in my life, because I didn’t have a clear understanding of God’s Word. I swung back and forth depending on what I studied or heard and I never lived a life of balance or peace. This pendulum swing lasted for several years.
Finding the balance through rightly dividing the Word and being taught by the Holy Spirit:
A few years ago my husband came across a book titled “Destined to Reign” by Joseph Prince. After reading it he came to me and told me I should read it, but he said I needed to be prepared to have my world turned upside down when I did. So I read it and he was right! At first it was hard to accept what I read, but when I studied the Bible for myself, I realized he was right. I have studied many other teachings on Grace since then that have confirmed what I read in that book. During the last few years I have learned how to rightly divide God’s Word, and I found the balance in understanding the Grace message. I now have peace in my relationship with God and don’t feel like I have to perform to gain His approval or to keep my salvation.
I want to encourage you to take the time to evaluate if you have been walking the tightrope or flying on the trapeze between law and grace, the way I did. Claim Luke 11:9 & 10 and ask God for wisdom in regards to His Word. God is faithful and His Spirit will guide you into truth if you will allow Him access to your belief systems. God promises that when we seek wisdom, we will find it. This is where you will find the peace that passes understanding in your relationship with God. God is not a God of confusion so He won’t tell us one thing in one chapter and then counter it in another. It is man who brings confusion when they take the simple message of the Gospel and add their own rules and regulations to it. God is a God of peace and the Holy Spirit brings peace when we allow Him to teach us His Word.
Prayer: I submit myself to You and believe by faith that when I do You will give me wisdom and understanding. I release my beliefs to You so You can guide me into all truth. If I have false beliefs due to what I have been taught by man, I humbly give over those beliefs. Thank You for being faithful to answer me when I ask You for wisdom and understanding. Amen
Friday, January 22, 2010
Day 29
Open My Eyes To See What You See!
“So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before Him!” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:6 & 7
In college I took a scuba diving class. Each week we prepared for the day we would get the opportunity to dive into the depths of the open water. The instructor told us stories that painted a picture of beauty I could not even fathom in my mind! As the day approached I anticipated the moment I would plunge into the water and see those images of beauty for myself! When the day finally came and we boarded the boat I had butterflies in my stomach! This was a day I had dreamt about and I couldn’t believe it was finally here!
As we made our way out into the open water I began to see a dark substance on the surface. The once clear water had become murky in appearance but I didn’t know why. As the instructor turned off the motor, he turned to us and said, “Here we are. The moment you have been waiting for has arrived!” When I looked over the edge of the boat all I could see was floating kelp. “Surely this couldn’t be the dive sight,” I thought. But the instructor then confirmed that it was and told us to get prepared.
The instructor then told us that this was kelp and that it had long strands that went below the surface of the water. But then he said not to worry because just below the kelp was a world of beauty to behold! At first I was skeptical but I finally decided to trust the instructor’s words and I got out of the boat. As I made my way down past the kelp I was blown away by what my eyes saw! The instructor was right! I never could have imagined that below that kelp was the most beautiful images of God’s creation I had ever seen, but it was! That experience is one I will never forget and I can’t wait until I get to do it again one day! I am so glad I trusted the instructor’s words because if I hadn’t, I would have missed out on one of my life’s most enjoyable moments!
I often think of that experience when I look at people and begin to cast judgments based on what I see or hear. At first glance I only see them on the surface, like I did when I first looked over the side of the boat, and saw the kelp. Even after spending time with them I may continue to view them from the surface because their “strands” go deep under the surface of their skin. They may be superficial and haughty, or they may be overtly angry or bitter. They may have experienced great pains in life which have caused deep scars in their soul, or they may be overly confident and shallow.
I constantly have to remind myself that I can only see a partial image, based on my limited sight and understanding. God on the other hand, is like my scuba instructor. He sees way below the surface into a man’s heart! As in Samuel’s case in 1 Samuel 16:6 & 7 God wants us to remember this truth and to seek Him for understanding when we begin to evaluate people by what we see or hear. If like Samuel, we allow God to reveal the truth about a person, we will gain a clear vision of them. This is called Godly discernment.
God has given us the Holy Spirit to teach us how to be discerning. If we are willing to be taught, we will gain wisdom based on truth about a person, not judgment caused by poor vision. We will also begin to see the true inner beauty that lies far beneath the surface of a man’s skin. In the case of a person who is putting up a front, God will direct us into truth just like He did for Samuel when we seek wisdom and discernment.
In both cases discernment will keep us from judging people by their outward appearance or actions. As we practice this way of approaching people we can begin to pray that others see us in the same way. We are not perfect, and want grace extended to us when we act out in our flesh, or allow our strands of humanness to be seen by others.
Spend time asking God to open the eyes of your understanding so you can see people with His eyes. Spend time in the Word and prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to teach you how to be discerning. Constantly remind yourself that only God can see into the heart of man, and it is not our place to judge by what we see on the outside.
Prayer: I praise you for looking beyond the surface of my life and for seeing my heart. Help me to do the same for others. Blind me to the surface details of their appearance so I can peer beneath the surface of their soul, and see their true identity and beauty. If they need to know you, let my words and actions lead them to you. If they already know you, let my words and actions remind them of their true identity in You. Amen
In college I took a scuba diving class. Each week we prepared for the day we would get the opportunity to dive into the depths of the open water. The instructor told us stories that painted a picture of beauty I could not even fathom in my mind! As the day approached I anticipated the moment I would plunge into the water and see those images of beauty for myself! When the day finally came and we boarded the boat I had butterflies in my stomach! This was a day I had dreamt about and I couldn’t believe it was finally here!
As we made our way out into the open water I began to see a dark substance on the surface. The once clear water had become murky in appearance but I didn’t know why. As the instructor turned off the motor, he turned to us and said, “Here we are. The moment you have been waiting for has arrived!” When I looked over the edge of the boat all I could see was floating kelp. “Surely this couldn’t be the dive sight,” I thought. But the instructor then confirmed that it was and told us to get prepared.
The instructor then told us that this was kelp and that it had long strands that went below the surface of the water. But then he said not to worry because just below the kelp was a world of beauty to behold! At first I was skeptical but I finally decided to trust the instructor’s words and I got out of the boat. As I made my way down past the kelp I was blown away by what my eyes saw! The instructor was right! I never could have imagined that below that kelp was the most beautiful images of God’s creation I had ever seen, but it was! That experience is one I will never forget and I can’t wait until I get to do it again one day! I am so glad I trusted the instructor’s words because if I hadn’t, I would have missed out on one of my life’s most enjoyable moments!
I often think of that experience when I look at people and begin to cast judgments based on what I see or hear. At first glance I only see them on the surface, like I did when I first looked over the side of the boat, and saw the kelp. Even after spending time with them I may continue to view them from the surface because their “strands” go deep under the surface of their skin. They may be superficial and haughty, or they may be overtly angry or bitter. They may have experienced great pains in life which have caused deep scars in their soul, or they may be overly confident and shallow.
I constantly have to remind myself that I can only see a partial image, based on my limited sight and understanding. God on the other hand, is like my scuba instructor. He sees way below the surface into a man’s heart! As in Samuel’s case in 1 Samuel 16:6 & 7 God wants us to remember this truth and to seek Him for understanding when we begin to evaluate people by what we see or hear. If like Samuel, we allow God to reveal the truth about a person, we will gain a clear vision of them. This is called Godly discernment.
God has given us the Holy Spirit to teach us how to be discerning. If we are willing to be taught, we will gain wisdom based on truth about a person, not judgment caused by poor vision. We will also begin to see the true inner beauty that lies far beneath the surface of a man’s skin. In the case of a person who is putting up a front, God will direct us into truth just like He did for Samuel when we seek wisdom and discernment.
In both cases discernment will keep us from judging people by their outward appearance or actions. As we practice this way of approaching people we can begin to pray that others see us in the same way. We are not perfect, and want grace extended to us when we act out in our flesh, or allow our strands of humanness to be seen by others.
Spend time asking God to open the eyes of your understanding so you can see people with His eyes. Spend time in the Word and prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to teach you how to be discerning. Constantly remind yourself that only God can see into the heart of man, and it is not our place to judge by what we see on the outside.
Prayer: I praise you for looking beyond the surface of my life and for seeing my heart. Help me to do the same for others. Blind me to the surface details of their appearance so I can peer beneath the surface of their soul, and see their true identity and beauty. If they need to know you, let my words and actions lead them to you. If they already know you, let my words and actions remind them of their true identity in You. Amen
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Day 28
Oh God Don’t Make Me Forgive Those People!
“Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” Matthew 18:21 & 22 NKJ
Throughout my life I have experienced pain in relationships, when someone has wounded me with their words or actions. Each time I cried out to God to avenge me because of the injustice! I spent countless hours mulling over the situation, trying to make sense of it. I would ask God, “Why did they do this to me?” “Can’t they see how they have wounded me?” I was tormented with thoughts of despair and had a hard time letting it go. This caused me to question other relationships, and I found myself withdrawing into isolation. I began to become suspicious of people and had a very hard time trusting anybody.
During those times in life I rarely experienced peace and I spent a lot of mental energy focusing on my pain. This caused me to slowly become depressed and angry towards people. One day I met a woman who was struggling with the same issues and she recounted her painful experiences. Unfortunately, I was unable to help her deal with it, because I had never dealt with my own. This caused me great sorrow because I knew she needed me in her time of trouble, to lead her to the place called forgiveness. This encounter motivated me to seek God’s wisdom because I never wanted to find myself in that place again.
Over the course of several weeks God began to do a work in my heart that completely changed my life! The Holy Spirit led me to the account of Jesus’ time in the Garden of Gethsemane, and then his subsequent betrayal and crucifixion. I learned a lot of lessons during that time of study which released me from my prison of despair, and led me to the place at the foot of the Cross, called forgiveness.
The first lesson I learned was that when Christ suffered He cried out to God so greatly that He sweated drops of blood! He asked God if there was any way to take this cup from Him, but then said, “Nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22:41 -44) So I learned that crying out to God is okay and that in the midst of my despair: God has a plan and purpose. The second lesson I learned is that sometimes people will betray us, but their betrayal always plays into God’s bigger plan of redemption. (Luke 22:47-49) Then I learned that sometimes people will deny us, even if they have seen God work in our lives. But at some point they will weep for their actions just like Peter did, but we cannot control when that takes place. (Luke 22:54-62)
I learned that in times of accusation or abuse we don’t always see God’s bigger plan in the midst of the situation! There are times when we have no control over other people’s actions, but God never leaves us or forsakes us during those times. (Luke 22:66-23:1-33) But when we submit ourselves to Him and resist the temptation to harbor unforgiveness and anger, He leads us into understanding, and to the place called forgiveness, “Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. (Luke 23:34)
And finally I learned that the action of forgiveness frees us to accomplish God’s purpose in ushering others into the presence of God. In the midst of our own suffering other people are watching our reactions. The world offers no hope to those who need a Savior. And we never know who is in our midst who needs to know the love and forgiveness of God. “Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:42 & 43) As Christians God calls us to lead people into His Kingdom! And the best way to do that is to lead by example, by putting the enemy’s work of unforgiveness to death with the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony. (Revelation 12:10-12)
At the Cross Jesus destroyed the devil’s ability to destroy us! Though he may come against us to accuse us or wound us, he only gains a foothold when we slide down the slippery slope of unforgiveness or bitterness. When we deny him the right to hold us in the prison of unforgiveness and bitterness, by forgiving those who have offended us, he has to flee! This is when we experience the true peace that passes understanding, and become open to hearing God speak His purpose and His plan of redemption in the situation.
Prayer: I believe by faith today that Jesus suffered injustice on my behalf and I choose to forgive those who have wounded me. I will meditate on Your Word when I have been offended or wounded so that the devil does not gain a foothold in my life, through unforgiveness. I release those people who I have judged in my unforgiveness, and I will testify of Your faithfulness, which will lead others into Your Kingdom. Amen
Throughout my life I have experienced pain in relationships, when someone has wounded me with their words or actions. Each time I cried out to God to avenge me because of the injustice! I spent countless hours mulling over the situation, trying to make sense of it. I would ask God, “Why did they do this to me?” “Can’t they see how they have wounded me?” I was tormented with thoughts of despair and had a hard time letting it go. This caused me to question other relationships, and I found myself withdrawing into isolation. I began to become suspicious of people and had a very hard time trusting anybody.
During those times in life I rarely experienced peace and I spent a lot of mental energy focusing on my pain. This caused me to slowly become depressed and angry towards people. One day I met a woman who was struggling with the same issues and she recounted her painful experiences. Unfortunately, I was unable to help her deal with it, because I had never dealt with my own. This caused me great sorrow because I knew she needed me in her time of trouble, to lead her to the place called forgiveness. This encounter motivated me to seek God’s wisdom because I never wanted to find myself in that place again.
Over the course of several weeks God began to do a work in my heart that completely changed my life! The Holy Spirit led me to the account of Jesus’ time in the Garden of Gethsemane, and then his subsequent betrayal and crucifixion. I learned a lot of lessons during that time of study which released me from my prison of despair, and led me to the place at the foot of the Cross, called forgiveness.
The first lesson I learned was that when Christ suffered He cried out to God so greatly that He sweated drops of blood! He asked God if there was any way to take this cup from Him, but then said, “Nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22:41 -44) So I learned that crying out to God is okay and that in the midst of my despair: God has a plan and purpose. The second lesson I learned is that sometimes people will betray us, but their betrayal always plays into God’s bigger plan of redemption. (Luke 22:47-49) Then I learned that sometimes people will deny us, even if they have seen God work in our lives. But at some point they will weep for their actions just like Peter did, but we cannot control when that takes place. (Luke 22:54-62)
I learned that in times of accusation or abuse we don’t always see God’s bigger plan in the midst of the situation! There are times when we have no control over other people’s actions, but God never leaves us or forsakes us during those times. (Luke 22:66-23:1-33) But when we submit ourselves to Him and resist the temptation to harbor unforgiveness and anger, He leads us into understanding, and to the place called forgiveness, “Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. (Luke 23:34)
And finally I learned that the action of forgiveness frees us to accomplish God’s purpose in ushering others into the presence of God. In the midst of our own suffering other people are watching our reactions. The world offers no hope to those who need a Savior. And we never know who is in our midst who needs to know the love and forgiveness of God. “Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:42 & 43) As Christians God calls us to lead people into His Kingdom! And the best way to do that is to lead by example, by putting the enemy’s work of unforgiveness to death with the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony. (Revelation 12:10-12)
At the Cross Jesus destroyed the devil’s ability to destroy us! Though he may come against us to accuse us or wound us, he only gains a foothold when we slide down the slippery slope of unforgiveness or bitterness. When we deny him the right to hold us in the prison of unforgiveness and bitterness, by forgiving those who have offended us, he has to flee! This is when we experience the true peace that passes understanding, and become open to hearing God speak His purpose and His plan of redemption in the situation.
Prayer: I believe by faith today that Jesus suffered injustice on my behalf and I choose to forgive those who have wounded me. I will meditate on Your Word when I have been offended or wounded so that the devil does not gain a foothold in my life, through unforgiveness. I release those people who I have judged in my unforgiveness, and I will testify of Your faithfulness, which will lead others into Your Kingdom. Amen
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Day 27
When In Doubt, Work It Out!
“Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” Isaiah 53:1 NKJ
All of us know what it feels like to experience doubt. We try to shake the thoughts but they keep bombarding our minds. We read God’s Word and it says one thing, but then we hear other people’s reports and we find ourselves confused! We aren’t sure what report to believe. And so we begin to doubt. For years I hated my times of doubt and tried to fight it in my own strength. I thought I was somehow betraying God and that He would be disappointed in me, if I wrestled with doubt.
I would beat myself up mentally because I didn’t feel that doubt was something a “good” Christian should experience. For a long time I tried to live my life by the old saying, “God said it. I believe it. And that settles it.” Unfortunately that is easier said than done, as you know. It didn’t matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t overcome my times of doubt.
One day when reading the story of John the Baptist I discovered that even God’s elect suffered from times of doubt during their lives. I stopped reading and began to pray for God to give me wisdom and understanding in regards to doubt. My mind began to recount the different examples in the Bible where God’s people struggled with doubt. I went and read those stories. I realized a profound truth in my study. When we don’t fight doubt, but instead, work through it, God solidifies His Word in us as we open our mind to receive it.
Where we get trapped is when we allow our doubt to consume us, and allow it to direct us into unbelief. Doubt says, “I really don’t think that can happen.” While unbelief says, “There is absolutely no way that can happen!” Doubt says, “I don’t think I can get through this.” While unbelief says, “I won’t ever get through this.” But when we fix our eyes on the truth of God’s Word we begin to see that even the impossible becomes possible! In the story of the rich young ruler Jesus makes this truth clear in regards to salvation when the people asked Him, “who then can be saved?” Jesus replied, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Luke 18:27
It is important to understand that God isn’t afraid to be questioned when we are struggling with doubt! We are the ones who are afraid when we question God in times of doubt! We feel like He will disapprove of us, judge us, or deny us. Nothing could be farther than the truth! He is faithful all the time and He is never threatened by our doubting! Like a loving parent who gently leads their child into truth when they are in error, so God leads us; if we seek Him for understanding in times of doubt.
Let’s look at examples from the Bible of people who doubted and needed God to guide them into truth. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, the one who proclaimed to the world, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29, doubted! Even though he had seen with his own eyes, he doubted! At one point he sent his men to ask Jesus if He was the one, or if they should look for another. Job, whom the Bible says was blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil; doubted during his times of trouble.
Thomas doubted so much that he wouldn’t believe Jesus was resurrected until he put his fingers in the wounds on his hands and his hand in the wounds on his side. Thomas was a disciple who walked and talked with Jesus and saw Him perform miracles day after day! Then there was Elijah, the most powerful man of his day and he doubted after Jezebel threatened his life, and he ran away! Jeremiah was the best preacher of his day and he doubted! Are you beginning to see it? Everyone doubts from time to time, and it’s okay! It is what we do with our doubt that counts! And that choice determines if we are going to gain wisdom from God, or be like Zacharias, whose doubt turned into unbelief, as recorded in Luke 1.
When you are struggling in times of doubt don’t run from God with feelings of despair! Run to Him in hopeful expectation that He will dispel your doubts! He is faithful and the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth when you work out your doubts with Him. I want to encourage you to seek God for wisdom and understanding the way I did. Read the stories for yourself and ask God to open the eyes of your understanding! If you will do this and stand in faith believing God’s report, while working through your doubts; His arm will be revealed in your situation.
Prayer: Today I choose to acknowledge my doubts and to bring them to You, so You can reveal Your report to me. I believe by faith that as I meditate on Your word and commune with You, the Spirit will lead me into all truth! I praise You for gently guiding me and directing me as I learn from You. I praise you as I stand in faith, believing Your report in my times of doubt, and I will rejoice when I see your arm revealed in my situation! Amen
All of us know what it feels like to experience doubt. We try to shake the thoughts but they keep bombarding our minds. We read God’s Word and it says one thing, but then we hear other people’s reports and we find ourselves confused! We aren’t sure what report to believe. And so we begin to doubt. For years I hated my times of doubt and tried to fight it in my own strength. I thought I was somehow betraying God and that He would be disappointed in me, if I wrestled with doubt.
I would beat myself up mentally because I didn’t feel that doubt was something a “good” Christian should experience. For a long time I tried to live my life by the old saying, “God said it. I believe it. And that settles it.” Unfortunately that is easier said than done, as you know. It didn’t matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t overcome my times of doubt.
One day when reading the story of John the Baptist I discovered that even God’s elect suffered from times of doubt during their lives. I stopped reading and began to pray for God to give me wisdom and understanding in regards to doubt. My mind began to recount the different examples in the Bible where God’s people struggled with doubt. I went and read those stories. I realized a profound truth in my study. When we don’t fight doubt, but instead, work through it, God solidifies His Word in us as we open our mind to receive it.
Where we get trapped is when we allow our doubt to consume us, and allow it to direct us into unbelief. Doubt says, “I really don’t think that can happen.” While unbelief says, “There is absolutely no way that can happen!” Doubt says, “I don’t think I can get through this.” While unbelief says, “I won’t ever get through this.” But when we fix our eyes on the truth of God’s Word we begin to see that even the impossible becomes possible! In the story of the rich young ruler Jesus makes this truth clear in regards to salvation when the people asked Him, “who then can be saved?” Jesus replied, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Luke 18:27
It is important to understand that God isn’t afraid to be questioned when we are struggling with doubt! We are the ones who are afraid when we question God in times of doubt! We feel like He will disapprove of us, judge us, or deny us. Nothing could be farther than the truth! He is faithful all the time and He is never threatened by our doubting! Like a loving parent who gently leads their child into truth when they are in error, so God leads us; if we seek Him for understanding in times of doubt.
Let’s look at examples from the Bible of people who doubted and needed God to guide them into truth. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, the one who proclaimed to the world, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29, doubted! Even though he had seen with his own eyes, he doubted! At one point he sent his men to ask Jesus if He was the one, or if they should look for another. Job, whom the Bible says was blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil; doubted during his times of trouble.
Thomas doubted so much that he wouldn’t believe Jesus was resurrected until he put his fingers in the wounds on his hands and his hand in the wounds on his side. Thomas was a disciple who walked and talked with Jesus and saw Him perform miracles day after day! Then there was Elijah, the most powerful man of his day and he doubted after Jezebel threatened his life, and he ran away! Jeremiah was the best preacher of his day and he doubted! Are you beginning to see it? Everyone doubts from time to time, and it’s okay! It is what we do with our doubt that counts! And that choice determines if we are going to gain wisdom from God, or be like Zacharias, whose doubt turned into unbelief, as recorded in Luke 1.
When you are struggling in times of doubt don’t run from God with feelings of despair! Run to Him in hopeful expectation that He will dispel your doubts! He is faithful and the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth when you work out your doubts with Him. I want to encourage you to seek God for wisdom and understanding the way I did. Read the stories for yourself and ask God to open the eyes of your understanding! If you will do this and stand in faith believing God’s report, while working through your doubts; His arm will be revealed in your situation.
Prayer: Today I choose to acknowledge my doubts and to bring them to You, so You can reveal Your report to me. I believe by faith that as I meditate on Your word and commune with You, the Spirit will lead me into all truth! I praise You for gently guiding me and directing me as I learn from You. I praise you as I stand in faith, believing Your report in my times of doubt, and I will rejoice when I see your arm revealed in my situation! Amen
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Day 26
Exercising “The Measure of Faith”!
“But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” Matthew 8:26 NKJ
“And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:31NKJ
“Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” Matthew 15:28 NKJ
“When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” Luke 7:9 NKJ
A popular reality show that has drawn worldwide attention is the “Biggest Loser”. Each week people tune in to see the extremely overweight contestants work hard in their pursuit to lose weight. They are willing to put in grueling hours of rigorous exercise and training, in order to reach their positive weight loss goals. I admire their courageous effort in attempting to do what they had previously viewed as impossible! They are working hard towards positive change! If they continue to exercise they will get the desired results that will positively impact their life, and the lives of those they love!
For this devotional I want you to focus on something that is not displayed on the television screen each week. I want you to focus on the truth that the muscles they are beginning to exercise have been in their bodies since the day of their birth. But they will only begin to manifest on the outside of their bodies, as they exercise them on the inside. Only an inward change can produce outward results, not vice versa. It is important to understand that before they entered the program, their muscles were being exercised; but that exercise was negatively focused, which produced the negative result, called obesity!
As I shared in yesterday’s devotional God has given to each person, “the measure of faith”. From the time we were created and formed by Him, He placed in us “the measure of faith” but He also gave us the free will to direct that faith. The many accounts where Jesus made statements regarding an individual’s faith shows us that we have the power to direct our faith, positively or negatively. A great example is the story of Peter walking on the water. He had the faith to step out of the boat and walk on water, but when he directed his faith negatively because of what he saw, he became afraid, and began to sink.
Jesus’ statement to Peter wasn’t one of anger. It was more like a loving father whose child first realizes they can ride a bike without training wheels, but then the child becomes afraid, and falls over. The father knows the child can do it, rejoices when he does, but then questions why, when they give up. And Jesus is saying to all of us, “You can do it! I am in you! Can you see it and perceive it? From the beginning I have given you all you need to stand strong in “the measure of faith”! Believe it! Walk in it! It is yours! Keep focused on Me and you will see it manifest in your life!”
When we exercise “the measure of faith” God has given us, believing we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us, as Philippians 4:13 tells us, we will be empowered to direct our faith for positive change. This focus will empower us to believe with hopeful expectation, for God to fulfill that which He has promised! And when we do this, the impossible becomes possible!
The other accounts where Jesus makes statements of fact, regarding an individual’s faith, refer to the person’s willingness to either exercise it, or not exercise it. Those who chose to exercise their faith with hopeful expectation received what they expected. And those who exercised it negatively with fearful expectation also received what they expected! My question to you is, “How are you exercising the measure (muscle) of faith God has given you?”
I want to encourage you today to begin exercising “the measure of faith”, believing with hopeful expectation, that God is performing his Word in your life! It is in you and Christ in you will begin to manifest it in your life on the outside, as you exercise it on the inside! Just like the contestants on the Biggest Loser who made the decision to believe they could do what they had previously believed was impossible, you too, can change the way you think! And when you do, you will begin to see the positive results in your daily life! Those results will not only affect you, but they will have a positive effect on everyone in your life and for generations to come!
Prayer: Today I choose to believe by faith that in me is “the measure of faith” that I can direct for positive change. I believe by faith that as I do this I will begin to see positive results manifest in my life! I choose to believe Your Word over my reality, and as I exercise “the measure of faith” you have given me, I will see my reality catch up to Your Truth! I praise You for giving me the power to stand strong in my faith, by giving me Your Spirit to guide me and direct me! I choose to keep my eyes fixed on You so that I will not look to the right or the left, and become afraid. Amen
“And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:31NKJ
“Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” Matthew 15:28 NKJ
“When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” Luke 7:9 NKJ
A popular reality show that has drawn worldwide attention is the “Biggest Loser”. Each week people tune in to see the extremely overweight contestants work hard in their pursuit to lose weight. They are willing to put in grueling hours of rigorous exercise and training, in order to reach their positive weight loss goals. I admire their courageous effort in attempting to do what they had previously viewed as impossible! They are working hard towards positive change! If they continue to exercise they will get the desired results that will positively impact their life, and the lives of those they love!
For this devotional I want you to focus on something that is not displayed on the television screen each week. I want you to focus on the truth that the muscles they are beginning to exercise have been in their bodies since the day of their birth. But they will only begin to manifest on the outside of their bodies, as they exercise them on the inside. Only an inward change can produce outward results, not vice versa. It is important to understand that before they entered the program, their muscles were being exercised; but that exercise was negatively focused, which produced the negative result, called obesity!
As I shared in yesterday’s devotional God has given to each person, “the measure of faith”. From the time we were created and formed by Him, He placed in us “the measure of faith” but He also gave us the free will to direct that faith. The many accounts where Jesus made statements regarding an individual’s faith shows us that we have the power to direct our faith, positively or negatively. A great example is the story of Peter walking on the water. He had the faith to step out of the boat and walk on water, but when he directed his faith negatively because of what he saw, he became afraid, and began to sink.
Jesus’ statement to Peter wasn’t one of anger. It was more like a loving father whose child first realizes they can ride a bike without training wheels, but then the child becomes afraid, and falls over. The father knows the child can do it, rejoices when he does, but then questions why, when they give up. And Jesus is saying to all of us, “You can do it! I am in you! Can you see it and perceive it? From the beginning I have given you all you need to stand strong in “the measure of faith”! Believe it! Walk in it! It is yours! Keep focused on Me and you will see it manifest in your life!”
When we exercise “the measure of faith” God has given us, believing we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us, as Philippians 4:13 tells us, we will be empowered to direct our faith for positive change. This focus will empower us to believe with hopeful expectation, for God to fulfill that which He has promised! And when we do this, the impossible becomes possible!
The other accounts where Jesus makes statements of fact, regarding an individual’s faith, refer to the person’s willingness to either exercise it, or not exercise it. Those who chose to exercise their faith with hopeful expectation received what they expected. And those who exercised it negatively with fearful expectation also received what they expected! My question to you is, “How are you exercising the measure (muscle) of faith God has given you?”
I want to encourage you today to begin exercising “the measure of faith”, believing with hopeful expectation, that God is performing his Word in your life! It is in you and Christ in you will begin to manifest it in your life on the outside, as you exercise it on the inside! Just like the contestants on the Biggest Loser who made the decision to believe they could do what they had previously believed was impossible, you too, can change the way you think! And when you do, you will begin to see the positive results in your daily life! Those results will not only affect you, but they will have a positive effect on everyone in your life and for generations to come!
Prayer: Today I choose to believe by faith that in me is “the measure of faith” that I can direct for positive change. I believe by faith that as I do this I will begin to see positive results manifest in my life! I choose to believe Your Word over my reality, and as I exercise “the measure of faith” you have given me, I will see my reality catch up to Your Truth! I praise You for giving me the power to stand strong in my faith, by giving me Your Spirit to guide me and direct me! I choose to keep my eyes fixed on You so that I will not look to the right or the left, and become afraid. Amen
Monday, January 18, 2010
Day 25
How Are You Directing “The Measure of Faith” God’s Given You?
“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Romans 12:3 KJV
Do you remember as a child when you and a friend rushed to the playground to be the first ones on the teeter totter when the recess bell rang? My friends and I did this on countless occasions. We were thrilled when we got there first, because we had anticipated the excitement of the teeter totter experience! First to be catapulted into the air and then to descend to the ground, trying to make the other person launch from their seat! Oh, but to be on the receiving end when you made contact with the seat again, was not such a pleasurable experience, because it could hurt really badly! But that reality never stopped us from climbing onto the teeter totter day after day.
Many times in my life I have felt like I was on a teeter totter of faith. For example: Throughout my life during times of trial, temptation, decision, vision, dreams, etc. I have stood in faith, anticipating a positive outcome for whatever situation I found myself in. When the progression of the situation was pointing in a favorable direction, I felt empowered by the faith inside of me, to keep believing for a positive outcome. Just like the anticipation of the teeter totter experience as a child! But when the progression was pointing in a non-favorable direction, I would begin to be empowered by fear, and would anticipate a negative outcome. Just like the fearful anticipation of making contact with the teeter totter seat upon descent!
But for years I never understood what was happening. I just accepted that the opposite of faith was fear and I had no control over it. Then one day when reading a motivational book the author countered my belief. He said we all have the same measure of faith but some people direct it positively which produces hope, and others direct it negatively, which produces fear. It sparked an interest in me to seek wisdom from the Bible and through prayer, in regards to his words. As I opened up the Bible and read story after story of Jesus’ encounters with people, God began to reveal that I had a false belief about faith, and its operation in my life!
I had been conditioned through Christian teachings, music, and conversations, to believe faith was an unstable substance that was given in certain measures, depending on circumstance. But when I studied Paul’s words in Romans 12:3b, “according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” I realized my belief was false! Faith is not unstable, but for years in reading translations that said “a measure”, or “according to the degree”, or “by the amount of faith”, I had formed a false belief about faith. The truth is that “the measure of faith” God has given each of us, doesn’t grow or shrink, it just gets redirected!
God is not a respecter of persons and He doesn’t choose to give some more faith and others less faith. He has given each of us “the measure of faith”. But He has also given us a free will to direct that faith! We can direct it towards the positive or the negative! The positive being hopeful expectation for what He has promised! The negative being the fear that He will not act on what He has promised! Therefore, we vacillate in where we direct “the measure of faith” God has given to us, which determines the outcome of our mindset and belief!
I love to read Hebrews 11 and the account of the heroes of faith, who directed their measure of faith towards the hopeful expectation of God’s promises! And who received the promises because they stood strong in their faith! It reminds me that the same measure of faith given to Moses, Abraham, Enoch, Noah, Sarah, and countless others, was also given to me. But I can only be a partaker of the blessings from the promises God has for me, when I stand strong in my faith! Not when I direct my faith towards a fearful expectation or a negative thought. I then love to read Hebrews 12 because it is the instruction manual for how to accomplish this mission of directing my faith! God hasn’t left any detail out of His Word, but we are responsible to ask for it and study it.
I want to encourage you to spend time with God in the Word and in prayer, asking Him to grant you wisdom and understanding; in regards to “the measure of faith” He has given you. Ask Him if you have been on the teeter totter of faith in your life the same way I was. I also want to encourage you to examine if you have been directing your faith in hopeful expectation or in fear. God is faithful! He will reveal the details in regards to faith that you need to understand, in order to become a hero of the faith like those recorded in Hebrews 11. Be willing to let go of preconceived notions about faith, and to allow the Holy Spirit to teach you all things in regards to faith! If you will do this you will be blessed beyond measure!
Prayer: I believe by faith that You have given me the same measure of faith, as the heroes of the faith, I read about in Your Word! Today I choose to allow Your Spirit to open the eyes of my understanding, so I can receive Your truth over my false, negative, or limiting beliefs, about faith! I praise You for giving me the Holy Spirit who leads me into all truth and I give You permission to speak to me. I will stand strong in my faith as I learn from You! Amen
Do you remember as a child when you and a friend rushed to the playground to be the first ones on the teeter totter when the recess bell rang? My friends and I did this on countless occasions. We were thrilled when we got there first, because we had anticipated the excitement of the teeter totter experience! First to be catapulted into the air and then to descend to the ground, trying to make the other person launch from their seat! Oh, but to be on the receiving end when you made contact with the seat again, was not such a pleasurable experience, because it could hurt really badly! But that reality never stopped us from climbing onto the teeter totter day after day.
Many times in my life I have felt like I was on a teeter totter of faith. For example: Throughout my life during times of trial, temptation, decision, vision, dreams, etc. I have stood in faith, anticipating a positive outcome for whatever situation I found myself in. When the progression of the situation was pointing in a favorable direction, I felt empowered by the faith inside of me, to keep believing for a positive outcome. Just like the anticipation of the teeter totter experience as a child! But when the progression was pointing in a non-favorable direction, I would begin to be empowered by fear, and would anticipate a negative outcome. Just like the fearful anticipation of making contact with the teeter totter seat upon descent!
But for years I never understood what was happening. I just accepted that the opposite of faith was fear and I had no control over it. Then one day when reading a motivational book the author countered my belief. He said we all have the same measure of faith but some people direct it positively which produces hope, and others direct it negatively, which produces fear. It sparked an interest in me to seek wisdom from the Bible and through prayer, in regards to his words. As I opened up the Bible and read story after story of Jesus’ encounters with people, God began to reveal that I had a false belief about faith, and its operation in my life!
I had been conditioned through Christian teachings, music, and conversations, to believe faith was an unstable substance that was given in certain measures, depending on circumstance. But when I studied Paul’s words in Romans 12:3b, “according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” I realized my belief was false! Faith is not unstable, but for years in reading translations that said “a measure”, or “according to the degree”, or “by the amount of faith”, I had formed a false belief about faith. The truth is that “the measure of faith” God has given each of us, doesn’t grow or shrink, it just gets redirected!
God is not a respecter of persons and He doesn’t choose to give some more faith and others less faith. He has given each of us “the measure of faith”. But He has also given us a free will to direct that faith! We can direct it towards the positive or the negative! The positive being hopeful expectation for what He has promised! The negative being the fear that He will not act on what He has promised! Therefore, we vacillate in where we direct “the measure of faith” God has given to us, which determines the outcome of our mindset and belief!
I love to read Hebrews 11 and the account of the heroes of faith, who directed their measure of faith towards the hopeful expectation of God’s promises! And who received the promises because they stood strong in their faith! It reminds me that the same measure of faith given to Moses, Abraham, Enoch, Noah, Sarah, and countless others, was also given to me. But I can only be a partaker of the blessings from the promises God has for me, when I stand strong in my faith! Not when I direct my faith towards a fearful expectation or a negative thought. I then love to read Hebrews 12 because it is the instruction manual for how to accomplish this mission of directing my faith! God hasn’t left any detail out of His Word, but we are responsible to ask for it and study it.
I want to encourage you to spend time with God in the Word and in prayer, asking Him to grant you wisdom and understanding; in regards to “the measure of faith” He has given you. Ask Him if you have been on the teeter totter of faith in your life the same way I was. I also want to encourage you to examine if you have been directing your faith in hopeful expectation or in fear. God is faithful! He will reveal the details in regards to faith that you need to understand, in order to become a hero of the faith like those recorded in Hebrews 11. Be willing to let go of preconceived notions about faith, and to allow the Holy Spirit to teach you all things in regards to faith! If you will do this you will be blessed beyond measure!
Prayer: I believe by faith that You have given me the same measure of faith, as the heroes of the faith, I read about in Your Word! Today I choose to allow Your Spirit to open the eyes of my understanding, so I can receive Your truth over my false, negative, or limiting beliefs, about faith! I praise You for giving me the Holy Spirit who leads me into all truth and I give You permission to speak to me. I will stand strong in my faith as I learn from You! Amen
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Day 24
How Will We Ever Get Over This Hurdle?
“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” Ephesians 1:17-21
When I was in college I lived with my grandma Harriet. She was a woman of God who spent a lot of time in prayer and in the Word. Though she had many struggles in life she had an incredible faith in God and she loved Him with her whole heart. She put her trust and hope in Him whenever she faced hurdles that seemed impossible to get over. Whenever she faced one of those hurdles she would say, “Now how will we ever get over this hurdle?” Then she would pray, laugh and say something like, “Hasn’t that devil seen my Jesus? He’s way bigger than this hurdle!” During those times God never failed her as she stood in faith and waited for the obstacle to be removed. She would claim His promises and tell the devil to be quiet whenever he tried to get her focused on the obstacle, or tried to make her fearful.
I learned a lot from her during those times. She taught me to remember that God is bigger than any trial or tribulation I face in life. I also learned that life is about perspective and it is my responsibility to align my perspective with the truth of God’s Word. Sometimes it is very difficult to do this because at times, my hurdles seem so big! But she taught me to pray and to trust God to perform His word in the trials I face in life. And she taught me to laugh in the midst of my struggles and not to give in to worry or fear.
When I study the Bible I see many examples of God performing His word on behalf of His people and delivering them from impossible situations. A great example of this is found in 2 Kings 6. Elisha was facing a major hurdle! An enemy army had completely surrounded the city with horses and chariots. One of his servants was afraid and said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” (Verse 15) In the natural Elisha saw what the young servant saw, but Elisha also saw something greater!
“So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (Verses 16 & 17)
God was in the midst of that situation the entire time but the servant couldn’t see it, because he was gripped with fear and only looking with his natural eyes. To him this was a hurdle they couldn’t possibly get over and from his perspective, they were defeated. This is how I used to react when I faced hurdles that seemed insurmountable in life. But after learning those lessons from my grandma and studying God’s word, my spiritual eyes of my understanding were opened, just like the servant’s were.
Paul reminds us of this in Ephesians 1:17 - 21. The greatest truth in the believer’s life today is this: When Jesus died and rose again He completed the work of taking the enemy’s power to defeat us away! His only power now is the power of deception! He knows that if he can get us to focus our minds in the natural realm, and only see the hurdles in front of us, he can instill fear and doubt in our minds. The last thing he wants us to do is to have the eyes of our understanding opened to see God at work in the midst of our trials.
In order to defeat him, and keep him from deceiving us, it is important to fix our eyes on the truth of God’s Word, and to meditate on it day and night. We must battle the thoughts of fear and worry that bombard our minds through prayer. We also must stand in faith trusting God to perform His word in our situation. The victory over the enemy already belongs to us through what Christ did at the Cross! I want to encourage you to ask God to reveal any areas of your life where you may be focusing in the natural, and not seeing His supernatural work taking place. Ask Him to give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him so you can be strengthened in your understanding. And write down Scriptures that will remind you of the victory you have over the enemy because of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Prayer: I believe by faith that as I meditate on Your word and spend time with You, the eyes of my understanding will be opened. I believe by faith that Jesus overcame the enemy at the Cross and that victory over his deception is mine! I choose today to believe You are working in the midst of my trials and I will remind myself to look at it with spiritual eyes. When I am afraid I will call on You and allow the Spirit of peace to envelop me. I believe Your word and I trust in You wholeheartedly. Amen
When I was in college I lived with my grandma Harriet. She was a woman of God who spent a lot of time in prayer and in the Word. Though she had many struggles in life she had an incredible faith in God and she loved Him with her whole heart. She put her trust and hope in Him whenever she faced hurdles that seemed impossible to get over. Whenever she faced one of those hurdles she would say, “Now how will we ever get over this hurdle?” Then she would pray, laugh and say something like, “Hasn’t that devil seen my Jesus? He’s way bigger than this hurdle!” During those times God never failed her as she stood in faith and waited for the obstacle to be removed. She would claim His promises and tell the devil to be quiet whenever he tried to get her focused on the obstacle, or tried to make her fearful.
I learned a lot from her during those times. She taught me to remember that God is bigger than any trial or tribulation I face in life. I also learned that life is about perspective and it is my responsibility to align my perspective with the truth of God’s Word. Sometimes it is very difficult to do this because at times, my hurdles seem so big! But she taught me to pray and to trust God to perform His word in the trials I face in life. And she taught me to laugh in the midst of my struggles and not to give in to worry or fear.
When I study the Bible I see many examples of God performing His word on behalf of His people and delivering them from impossible situations. A great example of this is found in 2 Kings 6. Elisha was facing a major hurdle! An enemy army had completely surrounded the city with horses and chariots. One of his servants was afraid and said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” (Verse 15) In the natural Elisha saw what the young servant saw, but Elisha also saw something greater!
“So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (Verses 16 & 17)
God was in the midst of that situation the entire time but the servant couldn’t see it, because he was gripped with fear and only looking with his natural eyes. To him this was a hurdle they couldn’t possibly get over and from his perspective, they were defeated. This is how I used to react when I faced hurdles that seemed insurmountable in life. But after learning those lessons from my grandma and studying God’s word, my spiritual eyes of my understanding were opened, just like the servant’s were.
Paul reminds us of this in Ephesians 1:17 - 21. The greatest truth in the believer’s life today is this: When Jesus died and rose again He completed the work of taking the enemy’s power to defeat us away! His only power now is the power of deception! He knows that if he can get us to focus our minds in the natural realm, and only see the hurdles in front of us, he can instill fear and doubt in our minds. The last thing he wants us to do is to have the eyes of our understanding opened to see God at work in the midst of our trials.
In order to defeat him, and keep him from deceiving us, it is important to fix our eyes on the truth of God’s Word, and to meditate on it day and night. We must battle the thoughts of fear and worry that bombard our minds through prayer. We also must stand in faith trusting God to perform His word in our situation. The victory over the enemy already belongs to us through what Christ did at the Cross! I want to encourage you to ask God to reveal any areas of your life where you may be focusing in the natural, and not seeing His supernatural work taking place. Ask Him to give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him so you can be strengthened in your understanding. And write down Scriptures that will remind you of the victory you have over the enemy because of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Prayer: I believe by faith that as I meditate on Your word and spend time with You, the eyes of my understanding will be opened. I believe by faith that Jesus overcame the enemy at the Cross and that victory over his deception is mine! I choose today to believe You are working in the midst of my trials and I will remind myself to look at it with spiritual eyes. When I am afraid I will call on You and allow the Spirit of peace to envelop me. I believe Your word and I trust in You wholeheartedly. Amen
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Day 23
Jesus Is In Our Midst! Do We Recognize Him?
"Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him." Luke 24:13-16 NKJ
“Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:30-32 NKJ
Over the years I have visited many churches. Some were affiliated with a denomination and some were non-denominational. If you would have asked me if I had an open heart and mind in regards to the churches, before I entered the buildings, I would have adamantly said “yes”! I have always thought of myself as an open-minded and non-judgmental person. But many times I walked away unsettled or annoyed with the experience of the service.
In the days that followed my visits I would recap everything from the presentation of the bulletin, to the worship music, announcements, to the content of the sermon. Unfortunately, most of the time, I would talk myself out of returning to the church the next week. There were times I would go back several weeks in a row, but within a short time I would once again talk myself out of returning for one reason or another. For years this pattern of action bothered me but I never understood the reason for my actions.
I have read the story of the two friends on the road to Emmaus dozens of times and each time I would ask myself, “How could these men walk with Jesus and not recognize him?” One day when I was studying it a feeling of great sorrow came over me but I didn’t know why. After I was finished reading I asked God to give me wisdom in regards to my sorrow. Later in the day the memories of my church seeking travels came to mind and God began to speak to my spirit.
I went back and read the passage again but this time I did it with regard to my church seeking actions. Here is what I discovered: These men didn’t recognize Jesus on the road to Emmaus because they were not expecting to see him. They only saw him with their natural eyes as a man traveling down the same road as they were traveling. Even though they had spent three years with him, eating, fellowshipping, and learning from him, their natural eyes were blinded to recognizing him. It wasn’t until they took the time to sit with him and he broke bread, blessed it, and gave it to them, that their eyes were opened and they recognized him as Jesus.
And then it hit me! My church seeking actions were exactly the same as this story. My focus had always been on what my natural eyes saw, and because of it, I failed to recognize Jesus’ presence in the lives of the people who were fellowshipping there. I only viewed them as people walking down the road of Christianity with me and because of it; I was blinded to seeing Jesus in those churches.
After this revelation I decided to change the way I approach a new church experience. I now enter the building asking God to open my eyes to his presence so I do not judge the experience by what my natural eyes see. Because of making this decision I can now go into any church and experience the presence of God in the midst of it, even if the program doesn’t meet my natural expectations. By allowing God to open my eyes to Jesus’ presence in those around me, I have seen His Spirit manifesting in my own life, each time I enter a new church. And like the men who finally recognized Jesus my heart burns within me as He speaks to me in church and opens the Scriptures to me.
All of us can learn a great lesson from the story of the road to Emmaus if we are willing to allow God to open our eyes to the presence of Jesus when we enter a church. People in church are human and church services are a natural experience. But if we allow Jesus to reveal Himself to us when we are fellowshipping, our spiritual eyes will be opened to His presence. I want to encourage you to spend time asking God if you have been judging church based on what your natural eyes see, the way I was. Then ask Him to open your spiritual eyes to see His presence instead of your perceptions.
Prayer: I praise You for opening my eyes to Your presence when I am fellowshipping with other believers. I believe by faith that as I allow you to open my spiritual eyes I will be blessed. I choose today to spend time with You so You can reveal Yourself to me. I believe by faith that as I do this, You will give me eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand. Amen.
“Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:30-32 NKJ
Over the years I have visited many churches. Some were affiliated with a denomination and some were non-denominational. If you would have asked me if I had an open heart and mind in regards to the churches, before I entered the buildings, I would have adamantly said “yes”! I have always thought of myself as an open-minded and non-judgmental person. But many times I walked away unsettled or annoyed with the experience of the service.
In the days that followed my visits I would recap everything from the presentation of the bulletin, to the worship music, announcements, to the content of the sermon. Unfortunately, most of the time, I would talk myself out of returning to the church the next week. There were times I would go back several weeks in a row, but within a short time I would once again talk myself out of returning for one reason or another. For years this pattern of action bothered me but I never understood the reason for my actions.
I have read the story of the two friends on the road to Emmaus dozens of times and each time I would ask myself, “How could these men walk with Jesus and not recognize him?” One day when I was studying it a feeling of great sorrow came over me but I didn’t know why. After I was finished reading I asked God to give me wisdom in regards to my sorrow. Later in the day the memories of my church seeking travels came to mind and God began to speak to my spirit.
I went back and read the passage again but this time I did it with regard to my church seeking actions. Here is what I discovered: These men didn’t recognize Jesus on the road to Emmaus because they were not expecting to see him. They only saw him with their natural eyes as a man traveling down the same road as they were traveling. Even though they had spent three years with him, eating, fellowshipping, and learning from him, their natural eyes were blinded to recognizing him. It wasn’t until they took the time to sit with him and he broke bread, blessed it, and gave it to them, that their eyes were opened and they recognized him as Jesus.
And then it hit me! My church seeking actions were exactly the same as this story. My focus had always been on what my natural eyes saw, and because of it, I failed to recognize Jesus’ presence in the lives of the people who were fellowshipping there. I only viewed them as people walking down the road of Christianity with me and because of it; I was blinded to seeing Jesus in those churches.
After this revelation I decided to change the way I approach a new church experience. I now enter the building asking God to open my eyes to his presence so I do not judge the experience by what my natural eyes see. Because of making this decision I can now go into any church and experience the presence of God in the midst of it, even if the program doesn’t meet my natural expectations. By allowing God to open my eyes to Jesus’ presence in those around me, I have seen His Spirit manifesting in my own life, each time I enter a new church. And like the men who finally recognized Jesus my heart burns within me as He speaks to me in church and opens the Scriptures to me.
All of us can learn a great lesson from the story of the road to Emmaus if we are willing to allow God to open our eyes to the presence of Jesus when we enter a church. People in church are human and church services are a natural experience. But if we allow Jesus to reveal Himself to us when we are fellowshipping, our spiritual eyes will be opened to His presence. I want to encourage you to spend time asking God if you have been judging church based on what your natural eyes see, the way I was. Then ask Him to open your spiritual eyes to see His presence instead of your perceptions.
Prayer: I praise You for opening my eyes to Your presence when I am fellowshipping with other believers. I believe by faith that as I allow you to open my spiritual eyes I will be blessed. I choose today to spend time with You so You can reveal Yourself to me. I believe by faith that as I do this, You will give me eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand. Amen.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Day 22
A Beam in Your Eye Clouds Your Vision!
“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37 NKJ “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” Luke 6:41 & 42 NKJ
Years ago we were on a family camping trip celebrating my son’s birthday. I had bought glow in the dark light sticks for all the kids. As I opened one of the packages a piece of the light stick snapped off and hit me in the eye. At first my eye just felt a little irritated. But within a short time I was experiencing excruciating pain! Finally they decided to take me to the emergency room at a nearby hospital.
At the hospital they asked me to point to the area of the eye that hurt and I pointed to the lower part of my eye. When the doctor came in to examine me, he informed me that I had a laceration right above my cornea. This was shocking because that was not the part of the eye that hurt! Of course I had to tell him I thought he was wrong. He was humored by my assessment but then informed me I was mistaken.
He said the eye is a tricky part of the body because it mirrors pain. In other words: if you feel pain in the lower part of the eye, the damage is towards the top, and vice versa. Then he said, “For example if you get a dust particle in your eye and you think it is in under the bottom eyelid, it is actually under the top eyelid. That is why it takes a skilled physician to truly diagnose the problem when there is damage to the eye.” You’d think I would accept his expert opinion, but I didn’t. I left the hospital and went back to camp.
Upon returning to Portland I scheduled a follow up appointment with an eye surgeon. I told him what the doctor said and my dissatisfaction with his diagnosis. The surgeon chuckled as he told me the doctor was right and I was wrong. He gave me the same instructions for care and sent me on my way. I wasn’t pleased but I finally accepted that I was not a skilled physician and I was limited in my understanding about eye wounds. Eventually the eye did heal and I didn’t think much about it, until one day when I read this passage of Scripture.
Jesus gives the command, “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Then Jesus tells quite a humorous parable about the eye to get his point across. “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?” “First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”
Notice that Jesus doesn’t say we are not to aid our brother in helping him to remove the speck in his eye. In fact he tells us we are. But first he tells us to remove the plank from our own eye. In other words, let him heal us from our wounds and then he can use us as an instrument of healing for others. This is the only way we can see our brother’s wounds clearly. People who do not heed Jesus’ words end up judging and condemning others and never get to the place of being able to help their brother remove the specks in their lives. They are proud and haughty in their opinion of themselves and their understanding, just like I was with the doctors. Unfortunately, limited understanding leads to misdiagnosis, and that leads to devastating results. Had I not humbled myself and listened to the skilled physicians I could have done permanent damage to my eye. People who do not listen to Jesus’ words, not only damage themselves, but they also damage the people in their lives, whom they are judging.
Jesus is the master physician who is the only one who can accurately diagnose the problem areas in our lives, and he is the only one who can heal us. And like I said earlier, if we humble ourselves and learn from him we will not only be healed, but we will then become an instrument of healing to be used in our brother’s lives. It is important to understand the difference between the doctors at the hospital and our role as Christian. While they could train and become skilled physicians, when we train to become Disciples of Christ, we do not become skilled physicians! We only become instruments of healing to be used by the skilled physician, Jesus Christ!
I want to encourage you to examine yourself and address the areas where you cast judgment or condemn. And then I want to encourage you to go to the physician, Jesus Christ, and ask him to diagnose your wounds. Allow him to heal you and then ask him to use you as an instrument of healing, not vice versa. If you will do these things Jesus will help you see clearly as you aide your brother in removing the specks in his life.
Prayer: I humbly come to you and acknowledge you as the skilled physician in my life. I bring my wounds to you and ask you to diagnose them and treat them. I believe by faith that as I do this, you will heal me. I also believe by faith that after I am healed you will use me as an instrument of healing for others. I praise you for being gentle with me during my times of learning how to be your disciple and I dedicate my life to learning from you. Amen
Years ago we were on a family camping trip celebrating my son’s birthday. I had bought glow in the dark light sticks for all the kids. As I opened one of the packages a piece of the light stick snapped off and hit me in the eye. At first my eye just felt a little irritated. But within a short time I was experiencing excruciating pain! Finally they decided to take me to the emergency room at a nearby hospital.
At the hospital they asked me to point to the area of the eye that hurt and I pointed to the lower part of my eye. When the doctor came in to examine me, he informed me that I had a laceration right above my cornea. This was shocking because that was not the part of the eye that hurt! Of course I had to tell him I thought he was wrong. He was humored by my assessment but then informed me I was mistaken.
He said the eye is a tricky part of the body because it mirrors pain. In other words: if you feel pain in the lower part of the eye, the damage is towards the top, and vice versa. Then he said, “For example if you get a dust particle in your eye and you think it is in under the bottom eyelid, it is actually under the top eyelid. That is why it takes a skilled physician to truly diagnose the problem when there is damage to the eye.” You’d think I would accept his expert opinion, but I didn’t. I left the hospital and went back to camp.
Upon returning to Portland I scheduled a follow up appointment with an eye surgeon. I told him what the doctor said and my dissatisfaction with his diagnosis. The surgeon chuckled as he told me the doctor was right and I was wrong. He gave me the same instructions for care and sent me on my way. I wasn’t pleased but I finally accepted that I was not a skilled physician and I was limited in my understanding about eye wounds. Eventually the eye did heal and I didn’t think much about it, until one day when I read this passage of Scripture.
Jesus gives the command, “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Then Jesus tells quite a humorous parable about the eye to get his point across. “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?” “First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”
Notice that Jesus doesn’t say we are not to aid our brother in helping him to remove the speck in his eye. In fact he tells us we are. But first he tells us to remove the plank from our own eye. In other words, let him heal us from our wounds and then he can use us as an instrument of healing for others. This is the only way we can see our brother’s wounds clearly. People who do not heed Jesus’ words end up judging and condemning others and never get to the place of being able to help their brother remove the specks in their lives. They are proud and haughty in their opinion of themselves and their understanding, just like I was with the doctors. Unfortunately, limited understanding leads to misdiagnosis, and that leads to devastating results. Had I not humbled myself and listened to the skilled physicians I could have done permanent damage to my eye. People who do not listen to Jesus’ words, not only damage themselves, but they also damage the people in their lives, whom they are judging.
Jesus is the master physician who is the only one who can accurately diagnose the problem areas in our lives, and he is the only one who can heal us. And like I said earlier, if we humble ourselves and learn from him we will not only be healed, but we will then become an instrument of healing to be used in our brother’s lives. It is important to understand the difference between the doctors at the hospital and our role as Christian. While they could train and become skilled physicians, when we train to become Disciples of Christ, we do not become skilled physicians! We only become instruments of healing to be used by the skilled physician, Jesus Christ!
I want to encourage you to examine yourself and address the areas where you cast judgment or condemn. And then I want to encourage you to go to the physician, Jesus Christ, and ask him to diagnose your wounds. Allow him to heal you and then ask him to use you as an instrument of healing, not vice versa. If you will do these things Jesus will help you see clearly as you aide your brother in removing the specks in his life.
Prayer: I humbly come to you and acknowledge you as the skilled physician in my life. I bring my wounds to you and ask you to diagnose them and treat them. I believe by faith that as I do this, you will heal me. I also believe by faith that after I am healed you will use me as an instrument of healing for others. I praise you for being gentle with me during my times of learning how to be your disciple and I dedicate my life to learning from you. Amen
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Day 21
God Watches Over His Word To Perform It!
“Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it.” Jeremiah 1:12 AMP
Growing up I was taught the importance of prayer but I didn’t know that prayer was also a weapon in my arsenal to be used against the enemy. And I didn’t know that God was active in performing his Word. As an adult when I learned these truths I prayed all the time. But at first my prayers were more like a laundry list of wants and needs than a weapon of assault. This was because I didn’t really know God’s Word or how to pray it. And that was okay because Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.” AMP
So I wasn’t praying wrong prayers. I just didn’t realize just how multifaceted prayer was or what a powerful force it is in defeating the enemy in his attack against my mind and life! Prayer is a time to communicate with God where we are filled with power, praise, peace, gratefulness, and strength. It is also through prayer where the stronghold of the enemy is defeated. The Word of God is an offensive weapon and when we take it up through prayer it activates as a weapon of destruction against the spiritual forces of darkness in the heavenly places! Remember our battle is not against flesh and blood!
Ephesians 6:17 & 18 says, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” NKJ So prayer is the action of launching God’s Word into operative mode. Maybe you are like I was and have no idea how to pray God’s Word into operation. It can be one verse or several verses. It isn’t a lofty, wordy prayer, it is only the truth spoken from your mouth in full assurance of God performing it. Here is an example. I will include the Scripture reference so you can look them up. This is the kind of prayer that you can pray if someone comes against you to accuse you or harm you with their words.
I praise you for the plans you have for me that give me a hope and my future (Jeremiah 29:11) and I have an assurance that when I call upon you and pray, you are listening. (Jeremiah 29:12) I believe by faith that no weapon formed against me can prosper, and every tongue that comes against me to judge me or condemn me, you will cause to cease. (Isaiah 54:17) because there is no condemnation for me because I am in You and I walk in your spirit. (Romans 8:1) I know that satan is truly my accuser (Revelation 12:10) because I am not battling flesh and blood, but demonic forces of darkness. (Ephesians 6:12) So I put to death the work of this enemy and execute the power you have given me to destroy his assault against me and I am assured that this attack will not harm me. (Luke 10:19) I choose to forgive those who have come against me because you have first forgiven me. (Colossians 3:13) I will not fear this attack for you did not give me a spirit of fear. I choose today to talk in power, love, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) Amen
As you can see these were God’s Words, not mine, spoken by me as an assault against the enemy. In and of myself I can make my requests to God for the things I need or want and God hears and answers those prayers. But in the midst of a battle it is difficult to know what to pray. But in the Bible God gives us His words and with those words comes our assurance of victory. And this is where we find peace in the midst of the battle. For in God’s Word there is no fear, worry, anxiety, or panic! There is only peace, strength, wisdom, and clarity!
I want to encourage you to spend time in the Bible and write down verses that speak to different circumstances that you encounter in life. Every circumstance in life that is an assault against your mind, body, faith, heart, etc. is an attack by the enemy to try and get you to cower in fear, and to get you to surrender to defeat. But when you surrender your time to God and meditate on His Word, you will experience victory over the enemy’s assault!
Prayer: Today I give my time to you and I will meditate on your Word day and night. I believe by faith that as I do this, I will be filled with Your Words. I know that Your Word is an offensive weapon and I will use it daily to defeat the attack of the enemy on my mind and life! I rejoice in the assurance that You have defeated the enemy and when I remind him of his defeat he has to flee. Amen
Growing up I was taught the importance of prayer but I didn’t know that prayer was also a weapon in my arsenal to be used against the enemy. And I didn’t know that God was active in performing his Word. As an adult when I learned these truths I prayed all the time. But at first my prayers were more like a laundry list of wants and needs than a weapon of assault. This was because I didn’t really know God’s Word or how to pray it. And that was okay because Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.” AMP
So I wasn’t praying wrong prayers. I just didn’t realize just how multifaceted prayer was or what a powerful force it is in defeating the enemy in his attack against my mind and life! Prayer is a time to communicate with God where we are filled with power, praise, peace, gratefulness, and strength. It is also through prayer where the stronghold of the enemy is defeated. The Word of God is an offensive weapon and when we take it up through prayer it activates as a weapon of destruction against the spiritual forces of darkness in the heavenly places! Remember our battle is not against flesh and blood!
Ephesians 6:17 & 18 says, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” NKJ So prayer is the action of launching God’s Word into operative mode. Maybe you are like I was and have no idea how to pray God’s Word into operation. It can be one verse or several verses. It isn’t a lofty, wordy prayer, it is only the truth spoken from your mouth in full assurance of God performing it. Here is an example. I will include the Scripture reference so you can look them up. This is the kind of prayer that you can pray if someone comes against you to accuse you or harm you with their words.
I praise you for the plans you have for me that give me a hope and my future (Jeremiah 29:11) and I have an assurance that when I call upon you and pray, you are listening. (Jeremiah 29:12) I believe by faith that no weapon formed against me can prosper, and every tongue that comes against me to judge me or condemn me, you will cause to cease. (Isaiah 54:17) because there is no condemnation for me because I am in You and I walk in your spirit. (Romans 8:1) I know that satan is truly my accuser (Revelation 12:10) because I am not battling flesh and blood, but demonic forces of darkness. (Ephesians 6:12) So I put to death the work of this enemy and execute the power you have given me to destroy his assault against me and I am assured that this attack will not harm me. (Luke 10:19) I choose to forgive those who have come against me because you have first forgiven me. (Colossians 3:13) I will not fear this attack for you did not give me a spirit of fear. I choose today to talk in power, love, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) Amen
As you can see these were God’s Words, not mine, spoken by me as an assault against the enemy. In and of myself I can make my requests to God for the things I need or want and God hears and answers those prayers. But in the midst of a battle it is difficult to know what to pray. But in the Bible God gives us His words and with those words comes our assurance of victory. And this is where we find peace in the midst of the battle. For in God’s Word there is no fear, worry, anxiety, or panic! There is only peace, strength, wisdom, and clarity!
I want to encourage you to spend time in the Bible and write down verses that speak to different circumstances that you encounter in life. Every circumstance in life that is an assault against your mind, body, faith, heart, etc. is an attack by the enemy to try and get you to cower in fear, and to get you to surrender to defeat. But when you surrender your time to God and meditate on His Word, you will experience victory over the enemy’s assault!
Prayer: Today I give my time to you and I will meditate on your Word day and night. I believe by faith that as I do this, I will be filled with Your Words. I know that Your Word is an offensive weapon and I will use it daily to defeat the attack of the enemy on my mind and life! I rejoice in the assurance that You have defeated the enemy and when I remind him of his defeat he has to flee. Amen
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Day 20
Bringing Our Thoughts Into Captivity!
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds ;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” 2 Corinthians 10:3 -5
As a child I loved to play the game Capture the Flag where you go into the enemy’s territory and take their flag. But in order to accomplish the mission we had to enter the enemy’s territory and fight our way to the flag. Once we captured the flag we had to fight to keep it! The memory of playing this game gave me a clear picture of how to take our thoughts captive as this Scripture teaches.
Notice the verse doesn’t say to first take our thoughts captive and then demolish the arguments. It says to demolish and then capture! In other words we have to engage in a battle for our thoughts if we are going to be able to capture them, and make them obedient to Christ. The first part of the Scripture shows us that this is not a physical battle, like the Capture the Flag game was, but rather a spiritual one. And in fact it isn’t a game at all, but a real battle, with a real enemy. And that enemy is satan and the demonic forces of darkness.
In order to gain the victory over our thoughts and make them obedient to Christ, we have to be willing to engage in the battle! Unfortunately, most people don’t engage in the battle because they have been taught that fighting is bad. Think about it: As children we are told not to fight because fighting is wrong and it hurts people. As we grow up we hear this over and over again. We learn to avoid conflict at all costs, because we know that if we engage in conflict, we will be punished.
While the Bible is clear that we should have a spirit of peace and that peace makers are blessed of God, it doesn’t say we are never supposed to fight! In fact this passage and many others tell us there are appropriate times where we need to fight and it tells us how!
Ephesians 6:10-18 gives us a clear picture of the war that is going on in the spiritual realm and what we are to do in order to be prepared for the battle. It even tells us what our armor and weaponry is and how to use it! But as I said, throughout our lives we have been conditioned to think of war and fighting as bad. From song writers like John Lennon to peace activists, we are told to imagine a world without war. War veterans have suffered from ridicule when they have come home from battle and made to feel like their tour of duty was futile. This gives the enemy ammunition to use against us by telling us there is no honor in being a soldier.
Therefore, when the Scriptures tell us we are in a battle and we need to fight, most people freeze! They don’t want to fight! They don’t know how to fight! And they are ill-equipped to fight! Just the thought of fighting causes them to experience great fear and anxiety. But in order to demolish the arguments and pretensions that come against the knowledge of God we have to fight! Here are ten things to do in order to be equipped for the battle:
Prayer: I acknowledge today that I am in a spiritual battle for my thoughts. I refuse to accept the enemy’s lies any longer, and I choose to believe Your truth! I believe by faith that as I meditate on Your word I will be equipped to fight and I will be willing to fight. I believe by faith as David did that you will teach me how to fight. I praise you for the victory Jesus won for me at the Cross and I will stand victorious in my thoughts and they will become obedient to Him as I fight to take them captive. I believe by faith that victory is mine and I praise you for leading me in triumph Amen.
As a child I loved to play the game Capture the Flag where you go into the enemy’s territory and take their flag. But in order to accomplish the mission we had to enter the enemy’s territory and fight our way to the flag. Once we captured the flag we had to fight to keep it! The memory of playing this game gave me a clear picture of how to take our thoughts captive as this Scripture teaches.
Notice the verse doesn’t say to first take our thoughts captive and then demolish the arguments. It says to demolish and then capture! In other words we have to engage in a battle for our thoughts if we are going to be able to capture them, and make them obedient to Christ. The first part of the Scripture shows us that this is not a physical battle, like the Capture the Flag game was, but rather a spiritual one. And in fact it isn’t a game at all, but a real battle, with a real enemy. And that enemy is satan and the demonic forces of darkness.
In order to gain the victory over our thoughts and make them obedient to Christ, we have to be willing to engage in the battle! Unfortunately, most people don’t engage in the battle because they have been taught that fighting is bad. Think about it: As children we are told not to fight because fighting is wrong and it hurts people. As we grow up we hear this over and over again. We learn to avoid conflict at all costs, because we know that if we engage in conflict, we will be punished.
While the Bible is clear that we should have a spirit of peace and that peace makers are blessed of God, it doesn’t say we are never supposed to fight! In fact this passage and many others tell us there are appropriate times where we need to fight and it tells us how!
Ephesians 6:10-18 gives us a clear picture of the war that is going on in the spiritual realm and what we are to do in order to be prepared for the battle. It even tells us what our armor and weaponry is and how to use it! But as I said, throughout our lives we have been conditioned to think of war and fighting as bad. From song writers like John Lennon to peace activists, we are told to imagine a world without war. War veterans have suffered from ridicule when they have come home from battle and made to feel like their tour of duty was futile. This gives the enemy ammunition to use against us by telling us there is no honor in being a soldier.
Therefore, when the Scriptures tell us we are in a battle and we need to fight, most people freeze! They don’t want to fight! They don’t know how to fight! And they are ill-equipped to fight! Just the thought of fighting causes them to experience great fear and anxiety. But in order to demolish the arguments and pretensions that come against the knowledge of God we have to fight! Here are ten things to do in order to be equipped for the battle:
- Demolish false beliefs about fighting and war. Refuse the world’s perspective, and only look at it from God’s perspective.
- Accept the truth that you are in a spiritual battle and can only gain victory using spiritual weapons.
- Spend time in prayer and meditation on God’s word so you know how to fight.
- Remind yourself that Jesus took away satan’s power to destroy us at the Cross, and the only time satan is victorious is when we throw up the white flag of surrender and quit fighting.
- Remind yourself that as you resist him he has a command to flee that he has to obey.
- Imagine the victories you will have in life when your thoughts are in alignment with God’s truth.
- Begin to picture yourself as a victor and remind yourself of it daily.
- Refuse to accept the enemy’s lies.
- Stand firm in the armor of God and use the weapons of God’s word to fight against the lies.
- Spend time praising God for your victory because praise is one of your most powerful weapons of warfare.
Prayer: I acknowledge today that I am in a spiritual battle for my thoughts. I refuse to accept the enemy’s lies any longer, and I choose to believe Your truth! I believe by faith that as I meditate on Your word I will be equipped to fight and I will be willing to fight. I believe by faith as David did that you will teach me how to fight. I praise you for the victory Jesus won for me at the Cross and I will stand victorious in my thoughts and they will become obedient to Him as I fight to take them captive. I believe by faith that victory is mine and I praise you for leading me in triumph Amen.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Day 19
Do You feel Used When God Wants to Use You?
“Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." Luke 1:38 NKJ
Can you imagine what it must have been like for Mary when the Angel of the Lord told her she had been chosen to birth the Living Savior, the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ the Lord? I can’t even fathom what must have been going through her mind at that moment! At first she was troubled and questioned the Angel, but when he explained the details, she calmed down and gave the reply, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38 She still didn’t have all the details yet she yielded herself to be used by God for His plan. I am amazed by this interaction and her response every time I read this passage!
I am sure my reaction and response would have been quite different because even when God asks to use me for little things, I sometimes struggle in my reaction and response. I am sure I am not the only one who can identify with this. Think about how many times we have asked God to use us and then when He does, we complain about feeling used. I have done this countless times in my life.
One time I was asking God to use me to make a difference in the lives of the women at a church I was attending. I signed up for a mom’s group. I was a gifted speaker and I knew I had a message of hope that would impact their lives. I talked to the leader of the group and told her of my desire. Thinking she would gladly welcome me into the leadership, I waited for her reply. The next week she approached me and told me she wanted me to be a small group leader.
I looked at her like a deer in the headlights because I could not believe what she had just asked me to do. My thought was, “Are you kidding me? I asked God to use me to do a mighty work for Him that would benefit the whole group? Certainly He would not want me to just be a small group leader?” Of course I didn’t voice my dissatisfaction but I did act a little annoyed when I finally accepted her offer. This is a great example of asking God to use me, and then complaining because I felt like I was going to be used.
I am happy to report that after my wrestling match with God was over I chose to change my attitude and accept my assignment. In essence I did what Mary did and said, “Let it be to me according to your word.” The result of that change was incredible because the small group I was assigned, needed me, and I needed them. We supported one another, prayed for each another, and built one another up! That year I experienced an unforeseen tragedy that would have caused me to step down if I had been in a leadership position of teaching. The stress caused by the event was too great and there is no way I could have fulfilled the requirements of the teaching position.
Looking back I see that God had orchestrated His plan for me in that group. He chose me for the position that I was able to fill, and it was one that gave birth to the miracle of hope and encouragement in my life, and the lives of the women in the group. We can learn a lot from Luke 1:38 if we apply what Mary did to our own lives. It is okay to pray to be used by God and even to question God when He reveals how He wants to use us, just as Mary did. But then it is our responsibility to yield to the calling that He knows will best accomplish His plans, not ours. Of course God won’t call us to give birth to Jesus but everything He calls us to do gives birth to something powerful that will change the world forever.
We will be called to give birth to hope, healing, success, victory, and every blessing and promise of God. These blessings and promises will benefit every person we come into contact with, and it will have a ripple effect for generations to come, just like the birth of Christ does. It is important to remember that this side of Heaven we will only know in part, but we can be assured that if we yield to God’s plan as Mary did, we will one day know all the reasons and details. Begin to ask God to give you a heart like Mary’s and to quiet your spirit when He calls upon you to carry out His plan in your life.
Prayer: Today I yield my heart, mind, and spirit to you and believe by faith that you know the plans you have for me. I believe by faith that as I do this, you will use my life to accomplish those plans. I praise You for choosing to use me to be a life giver to those around me. In quietness and trust of Your plan for my life I will find my strength to accomplish them. Amen.
Can you imagine what it must have been like for Mary when the Angel of the Lord told her she had been chosen to birth the Living Savior, the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ the Lord? I can’t even fathom what must have been going through her mind at that moment! At first she was troubled and questioned the Angel, but when he explained the details, she calmed down and gave the reply, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38 She still didn’t have all the details yet she yielded herself to be used by God for His plan. I am amazed by this interaction and her response every time I read this passage!
I am sure my reaction and response would have been quite different because even when God asks to use me for little things, I sometimes struggle in my reaction and response. I am sure I am not the only one who can identify with this. Think about how many times we have asked God to use us and then when He does, we complain about feeling used. I have done this countless times in my life.
One time I was asking God to use me to make a difference in the lives of the women at a church I was attending. I signed up for a mom’s group. I was a gifted speaker and I knew I had a message of hope that would impact their lives. I talked to the leader of the group and told her of my desire. Thinking she would gladly welcome me into the leadership, I waited for her reply. The next week she approached me and told me she wanted me to be a small group leader.
I looked at her like a deer in the headlights because I could not believe what she had just asked me to do. My thought was, “Are you kidding me? I asked God to use me to do a mighty work for Him that would benefit the whole group? Certainly He would not want me to just be a small group leader?” Of course I didn’t voice my dissatisfaction but I did act a little annoyed when I finally accepted her offer. This is a great example of asking God to use me, and then complaining because I felt like I was going to be used.
I am happy to report that after my wrestling match with God was over I chose to change my attitude and accept my assignment. In essence I did what Mary did and said, “Let it be to me according to your word.” The result of that change was incredible because the small group I was assigned, needed me, and I needed them. We supported one another, prayed for each another, and built one another up! That year I experienced an unforeseen tragedy that would have caused me to step down if I had been in a leadership position of teaching. The stress caused by the event was too great and there is no way I could have fulfilled the requirements of the teaching position.
Looking back I see that God had orchestrated His plan for me in that group. He chose me for the position that I was able to fill, and it was one that gave birth to the miracle of hope and encouragement in my life, and the lives of the women in the group. We can learn a lot from Luke 1:38 if we apply what Mary did to our own lives. It is okay to pray to be used by God and even to question God when He reveals how He wants to use us, just as Mary did. But then it is our responsibility to yield to the calling that He knows will best accomplish His plans, not ours. Of course God won’t call us to give birth to Jesus but everything He calls us to do gives birth to something powerful that will change the world forever.
We will be called to give birth to hope, healing, success, victory, and every blessing and promise of God. These blessings and promises will benefit every person we come into contact with, and it will have a ripple effect for generations to come, just like the birth of Christ does. It is important to remember that this side of Heaven we will only know in part, but we can be assured that if we yield to God’s plan as Mary did, we will one day know all the reasons and details. Begin to ask God to give you a heart like Mary’s and to quiet your spirit when He calls upon you to carry out His plan in your life.
Prayer: Today I yield my heart, mind, and spirit to you and believe by faith that you know the plans you have for me. I believe by faith that as I do this, you will use my life to accomplish those plans. I praise You for choosing to use me to be a life giver to those around me. In quietness and trust of Your plan for my life I will find my strength to accomplish them. Amen.
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