Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Sept. 30

Philipians 1-2

Working in school I've come to realize I spend as much of my time modeling behavior as I do helping students with their work.  When I read the passage this morning I realized that Jesus came to give us a blueprint, as well as model for us and teach us about the substance of God.  There is comfort in His love along with tenderness and compassion - that's Who our Father is.  So as we go through our day we are supposed to keep in our minds eye that "whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ - do nothing out of selfish ambition or vein concern but in humility consider others better than yourselves".  Paul outlines the blueprint Jesus set for us to yield our rights and become servants to God displaying not ourselves, but the substance of God, our Father.  An impossible task without the Holy Spirit as our guide. Lord I pray that You give us supernatural awareness of Your Presence and pour out Your Spirit of wisdom upon us so that we can walk with humility as Your servants following the blueprint You have given us.




Randi




 

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Tuesday - September 29, 2015

OOPS - see that I was ahead of myself in my post.  We are still in September.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

I arose early today to catch up on everyone's posts and to prepare my own.  After reading what others have posted, I feel so encouraged by the fact that God's love for us is beyond comprehension.  Each of the posts delineates stories or situations in which we look to or encourage others to lean on God for He alone can and will sustain us.

The other thing that has been going through my head over and over is the presence of the Spirit.  We talked about it at church, we write about the Spirit in our posts, and from experience, I believe I can attest that I have truly felt the presence of the Spirit; one time for sure - no mistaking.  I also know that if I set aside the time and clear my mind of all the little, meaningless things that I am supposed to do on a daily basis; nothing gives me more calm and peace than seeking the Spirit and asking for the guidance I need to walk the walk.

In Psalm 71:9-12 I stopped and pondered the words.  "Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone.  For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together.  They say, "God has forsaken him, pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.:  Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me.

Much of my reading left a powerful imprint on my heart, but this particular passage was the one that was speaking to me.  I am getting older, and have taken care of older individuals.  But with this age comes the desire to know the Lord on a more intimate basis.  Sure, family and friends will say things like you can't remember anything, or you told me that 100 times already, and so on and so on.  But the love of God helps me to giggle when I walk away from hurtful words.  His love and Spirit encompass me - so whom then shall I fear???  No one.

Thank you Lord for loving us all and being our one true Father, Friend, Counselor, Healer - not enough words to describe everything you are to us.  When others may mock or hurt us - My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long!

Monday, September 28, 2015

September 28: Of difficult weekends, mountains and fields that sing, and trees that clap

Isaiah 54:1-57:13
Ephesians 6:1-24
Psalm 70:1-5
Proverbs 24:8

This was a tough weekend.  After an eight month long battle with cancer, during which we saw our not-even-six-year-old dog Riley go from a joyful dog filled with boundless energy to a limping, wheezing husk unable to even stand up on all fours without whimpering in pain, during which time we - our 10 year old son Thomas, in particular - had bombarded God with prayers to heal her, we finally submitted to the Truth - that it was time for Riley to go home.  And so, on Saturday, she took her last breath, the most peaceful one in the last few months.  And she went home.

We knew that it was God's will - nothing, good or bad, comes to pass without Him permitting it, after all.  But for all that, and for all my professions of faith, it was painful - painful to say goodbye to Riley, and painful to see the tears streaming from my wife and children's eyes, painful to hear their sobs.  What was I to say to Thomas who had been the most faithful in his supplication, even praying for Riley during church services and asking to bring him to our pastor for prayers, in search of a miracle?  He was heartbroken, and was blaming God, wondering why He would permit such a terrible thing as cancer.

I admit I had no words to comfort him or his siblings - none, at least, that would speed the easing of his pain at Riley's passing.  I can only hope that I do not  exasperate them and, instead, "bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."  Then one day the words from today's OT reading give them the reassurance they provided me:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts
     neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
     so are My ways higher than your ways
     and My thoughts than your thoughts."

We may not understand - but God does, and HIs Word...and His actions including all He permits, are purposeful to Him.  And so we can rest assured that one day, despite the pain and the turmoil of the now, 

"You will go out in joy
     and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
     will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
     will clap their hands."

Dear Thomas, dear Christian and Sophia, dear Carla - I have no words to ease the pain of Riley's passing...only His reassurance that in ways we do not know today, it will have been for the best of reasons, and we will again experience His joy and peace.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Saturday, September 26, 2015
[by Keesha Sullivan]

     The young woman told me that she never knew her dad, and that her mom told her she didn't want her anymore. The tears that threatened to trickle down her face now easily descended. Her shoulders slumped forward, and she began to sob. The right words to say eluded me. I just rubbed her back and sat with her in silence. As we sat there together, my heart truly ached for her. 
  I believe that the Lord would've said to her, "'Though [your mother] may forget [you], I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palm of my hands; your walls are ever before me"' (Isaiah 49:16). Although this young woman did not have her mother or father in her life, God was there. He made her worthy and to be loved. He had taken the time to knit her together in her mother's womb, because he had a purpose and a plan for her life. 
     We live in such a sinful, broken world. There are so many people out there that feel unloved and unworthy. God is the only One that can repair their wounds and fill the many voids that people left. He is the only One that can heal and restore. "For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones" (Isaiah 49: 13). 
     As I read through these two scriptures for today's reading, I couldn't help but feel the love of our Almighty Father. He cares for us in a way that no one else can. My heart felt full knowing that God had my name engraved on His hands and that He would be there to comfort me. As we go out today and throughout this next week, we should arm ourselves with the Word and the love of our Heavenly Father. "The Spirit of the Lord is on [us], because he has anointed [us] to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent [us] to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free" (Luke 4:18).

Prayer:
O Lord, please help us to be the light of the world. Help us to spread Your love and truth to your children. We need You now even more than yesterday. Guide us and order our steps so that we may encounter those that need restoration. In Jesus' name. Amen 

Friday, September 25, 2015

September 25

Ephesians 4 September 25 2015

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:2-3  

Herman Ostry and his wife, Donna, bought a farm a half mile outside of Bruno, Nebraska, in 1981. Their property was close to a creek that ended up constantly flooding their barn. After a flood in 1988 Herman decided it was time to move that barn to higher ground. He contacted a building moving company but was discouraged by their outrageous bid. One night around the table, Herman commented that if they had enough people they could simply pick the barn up and move it to higher ground. Everyone laughed.

A few days later, Herman's son, Mike, showed his father some calculations. He had counted the individual boards and timbers in the barn and estimated that the barn weighed approximately 16,640 pounds. He also estimated that a steel grid needed to move the barn would add another 3,150 pounds, bringing the total weight to just less than 10 tons. He figured it would take around 350 people with each person lifting 56 lbs. to move the barn.

The town of Bruno, Nebraska was planning its centennial celebration in late July of 1988. Herman and Mike presented their barn moving idea to the committee. The committee decided to make it part of their celebration.

So, on July 30, 1988, shortly before 11 a.m., a quick test lift was successfully made. Then, as local television cameras and 4,000 people from eleven states watched, 350 people moved the barn 115 feet south and 6 feet higher up a gentle slope and set it on its new foundation.

The reason most people think that something cannot be done is because they know that they can't do it by themselves. But impossible things can be done if we join together in the task. Working together, we can not only move barns, but change the world.

Maybe that is why the Apostle Paul challenged us with the team building principles in Ephesians 4. He knew that the Body of Christ joined together in unity can do incredibly heavy lifting.  United together as the body of Christ, with the Holy Spirit, nothing is impossible for our team.

 


--
"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Thursday, September 24

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Isaiah 43:14–45:10

Ephesians 3:1–21

Psalm 68:1–18

Proverbs 24:1,2

 

 

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

 

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:14–21)

 

 

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian believers echoes many of the realities that we wish to see in our individual and corporate life in Christ.  He touches upon the interrelationship of the three Persons of the Trinity and the extent of God’s love.

 

Let’s take a look at some phrases to reflect on the deeper meaning herein:

 

“… before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.”  This section highlights that, in God alone, we find purpose and definition (Psalm 36:9).  As we look to Him and interact with Him, our nature – how He has formed us in His image, according to His likeness, and given us intellect, emotions, and will – becomes clear.

 

“… out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being... filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”  The Spirit’s power operates on our “inner being” and provides strength to honor God in our daily lives.  As described in Galatians 5:22,23, the fruit of the Spirit enables us to become “fully alive,” exhibiting the positive qualities for which God designated us at creation.  His plan includes a wholeness and overflowing reality of His spiritual blessing; we will then radiate His character.

 

“… so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…. being rooted and established in love... ”  When we receive Christ into our hearts through faith, He takes residence in our lives.  He becomes our life (Colossians 3:1–4; Galatians 2:20).  We may only approach Him in faith, which includes both our desire to seek Him and God’s drawing us to Himself.  The persistence of our faith emerges from this rootedness in His love.

 

“… power… to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge… ”  God’s love has overwhelmed us, does overwhelm us, and will overwhelm us.  I am sensing more and more that each believer must experience a tidal wave of His love and affection to overcome the hurts and slights that the world, forces of evil, and our own hearts and minds have inflicted.  Created in His image and redeemed through the blood of Christ, those who have received Christ may now return joyfully to their loving Father and rest in His affection.

 

“… immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine… ”  While we may initially think of this phrase as speaking of material goods, the intention seems more focused on spiritual blessings and benefits.  No amount of material possessions or length of life may compare with one moment of peace with God and intimacy with Him.  As Psalm 84:10 reads, “Better is one day in your courts/ than a thousand elsewhere… ”

 

“… to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations… ”  God formed the world and everything in it for the purpose of bringing glory unto Himself.  For a human or any other creature, this motivation would appear selfish or prideful, but God’s perfection inevitably triggers an exaltation of His glory.  As Philippians 2:9–11 indicates, every person will bow before the Lord Jesus Christ, acknowledging His Lordship.  We will experience great joy and freedom as we worship our glorious God today, in this life.

 

 

Lord God, we thank You for sending Your Son to take on the penalty that we rightly deserved and to bring freedom to us.  We trust in our Lord Jesus Christ and give You praise for working everything for our good.  Thank You for sending the promised Holy Spirit so that our faith may persist and that we may understand the length, width, and depth of Your love.  Help us to feel, sense, and embrace this love as an antidote to this world’s cynicism and attacks of Your good creation in us.  In Jesus’s Name, amen.

 


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Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Sept. 23

Isaiah 41-43

I have to admit, today's reading fascinated me.  God downloads a vision to Isaiah of a promise to Israel with vivid details of Who He is, (42:6) and the protection He will provide (43:2), with a plea for them to open their spiritual eyes (42:7) and gives a promise of a new covenant (43:18-19).  The nation of Israel was given a mission to serve God.  Verses 41:1-4 are crossed referenced in Matthew 12:18-21 as Jesus reveals Himself as the chosen servant who came to reveal God's word in the flesh and fulfill the mission. As believers, we walk in the promises of that New Covenant but not without picking up our own cross. Knowing that Jesus is the will of God and we have been reconciled to God through Him, passes the role of modeling servanthood onto us.  We are not perfect, and there is only One Messiah, but we are called to represent Jesus here on earth and serve as He served.  Jesus is the exact representation of The Father - we need to keep our eyes fixed on Him.  I pray today that as many Jewish people are fasting for Yom Kippor  that God downloads a vision of The Messiah and their spiritual eyes are opened.  The day of Atonement happened at the cross, when we were made AT ONE with God through Christ. I pray for all of us that we pick up our cross, follow our Model, and serve Him well.



Randi

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

September 21: You don't harvest strawberries after planting arugula


"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows."

It is so easy for me to read this and be reminded of the seeming travesty that is developing in elections in two countries close to my heart.  

In one of them, a country bemoaning government corruption, two of the candidates are best known for corruption, and a third - who leads the pack - may not even be eligible to run...and I think to myself, if one is unwilling to demand honesty through the electoral process, how does one expect honesty in government?  One reaps what one sows.  

In the other country, many bemoan the current administration's lack of respect for the rule of law, and lack of respect for the office overall.  And yet there, of the two leading candidates, one is a minor celebrity for whom, it would seem, misogyny and insult constitute discourse and articulation; and the other seems to think they are above the inconvenience of rules meant to safeguard government.  How then does one expect improvement in government?  One reaps what one sows.

And yet, after lamenting the situations above, I am reminded of how much I am very much the same way.  I aspire to a relationship with God, but there are countless mornings I have set aside prayer and scripture.  I aspire to teach my children the right way, but have countless times showed them a poor example.  I aspire to be a good husband, yet I do not express my love for my wife in ways she will appreciate.  I reap what I sow.  

"You who answer prayer, to you all people will come. 
    When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions."

My situation would be impossibly overwhelming, would be cause only for despair, if I - if we - were dependent only upon our own devices.  But the fact is, our God, "who formed the mountains by [His] power...who stilled the roaring of the seas...", our God "answer[s] us with awesome and righteous deeds".  He is "God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas."

And so, as impossible as it may seem to man, we can still have hope - for elections, for candidates, and for ourselves - because our hope rests not on man, but on God.

And because I hope in God, despite myself, I can hope to raise righteous children, and be the father described in today's proverb.

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Saturday, September 19, 2015

"Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you."  [Galatians‬ ‭5:1‬ ‭MSG‬‬]

Over the summer, I've had a number of God-conversations with people.  The number one catch phrase has been this:  "I believe that if I'm a good person that's good enough." In almost every instance my follow-up question has been "What does it mean to be good?"  For many, "being good" means doing good works - helping old ladies cross streets, being "nice," lending a helping hand to someone in need.  These are all good works, but can they save us from the penalty of sin?

The new Christians in the province of Galatia faced this struggle between righteousness by faith in Christ versus righteousness by works of the Jewish law.  They were troubled by the very same issues that people face today.  "Will God accept me if I do some really great things for Him?"  This is an issue for both those outside of the community of faith and inside.  At the root of this thought is the pride of individualism - the proverbial "self-made man."
 
 However, the gospel of the kingdom, which Jesus preached everywhere He ministered, does not have any room for "self-made" people.  In Mark 10:15 Jesus is recorded as saying, "Anyone who will not RECEIVE the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it" (emphasis added).  No one can work their way into the kingdom - we'll never be good enough.  "As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10).  So, where is our hope?
 
One day when traveling, men approached Jesus and asked, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"  Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (John 6:28-29).  The issue between God and humankind has never been about us gaining God's acceptance or love.  God has always accepted us and has always loved us.  The issue has always been sin and its destructive nature.  We can never "work away" our sins.  We only need to receive the blood of Jesus to wash them away and then turn our hearts to follow Him in love.

Friday, September 18, 2015

September 18

Galatians 4 September 18 2015

Tom Johnson was a mentor of mine for 4 years. He is the leader of the Praxis ministry and he has had a tremendous impact on my life and ministry. Tom is of the Charismatic persuasion of the faith and he has some amazing stories of how God has used him in the healing of 100's of people. One time during a private meeting with him, he voiced one of the greatest mysteries of the kingdom. He wondered out loud why God had used him in the healing of 100's of people, yet every day of his life he battles with cystic fibrosis.  Every day it is a struggle for him to simply breathe.

I wonder if the Apostle Paul also asked this same question. Healing signs and wonders were abundant in the city of Iconium. A crippled man was healed in Lystra. God even used Paul to raise Eutychus from the dead. These are all first degree miracles and God used Paul in all of these situations. But here is the mystery,

"As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you."  Gal 4:13

Paul suffered from an eye problem. This vision illness was not removed from his life even though he was able to accomplish amazing healings in the lives of others. This lack of healing couldn't be because Paul lacked faith; if you can trust God for a resurrection you would certainly trust him for a simple eye issue.

What is going on here is called the "sovereignty of God." In God's economy, He gets to choose what issues we face in our lives. He is God and we are not. Paul had to learn dependence on God in the spiritual as well as in the physical realm. This eye problem was called a thorn in the flesh and it was used by God to teach Paul to lean hard on the grace of God. That is why many years later Paul would write, "I delight in weakness, for when I am weak, then I am strong."

The key is listening to God in the midst of the adversity and asking what He wants to accomplish through the trial. I have included a link to a modern day miracle. The key in this incident was a woman who listened to God and discerned His will. Once she knew God's will she prayed in line with God's will.

Check out this video at https://vimeo.com/53877165


--
"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Thursday, September 17

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

Isaiah 25:1–28:13

Galatians 3:10–22

Psalm 61:1–8

Proverbs 23:17,18

 

 

In Galatians 3:10–22, Paul demonstrates how faith, not the law, leads to righteousness and how each person has an opportunity to respond to God’s offer of grace.  This explanation helped to spark the Protestant Reformation, in which Martin Luther argued that the Church should return to the tenets of “Christ alone by grace alone through faith alone.”  Galatians promises freedom and fruitfulness for those committed to following God through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Having died to sin, we have become alive through Christ. (2:20)  Due to his heavy citations from Galatians, the book became known as “Luther’s book.”

 

Historically, Galatians likely represents the first canonical book in the New Testament, written before 50 AD.  Paul carefully challenges the Judaizers, those who had compelled Christ-followers to return to Jewish ritual practices (the law) to “complete” their faith.  Paul eloquently summarized the singularity of faith in the Gospel life:  “You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.  For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.  The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (5:4–6)

 

The concepts that Paul presents here in Galatians 3:10–18 give us confidence:  since our relationship with God rests on our faith in the completed work of Christ, we have become free from the “curse” of the law.  The law’s “curse” falls out from the reality that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and that, therefore, we may never obtain perfection under this law.  “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written:  ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’” (3:13)  The Lord Jesus Christ became a “curse” or “sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21) on our behalf so that we might receive “righteousness” and “the promise of the Spirit.” (3:14)

 

Echoing the teaching of Romans 4, Paul then highlights how God granted Abraham a promise regarding the blessing to come through His seed, namely Christ.  So often, we fail to appreciate and experience the promises of God because we simply do not trust Him, perhaps relying on our own efforts.  Extending Paul’s reasoning, if one of God’s promises has yet to reach its fulfillment, we may still trust Him for that promise, just as Abraham did.

 

The law therefore helps to draw us to new life through faith in Christ.  Once we recognize that “the whole word is a prisoner to sin,” we then seek out the One Who may provide freedom from this prison.  God “imparts life” not through the law, but through the One Who fulfilled the law.  Our hunger for righteousness will never find satisfaction in what we may find through the law, but only in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Having experienced freedom from this prison, we may then live by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16–26).

 

Are you hungry for freedom?  Have you sought it through the One Who fulfilled the law?

 

 

Lord Jesus, thank You for securing our freedom by becoming a curse for us.  You are before and over all Creation, and yet, in Your humility, You surrendered to the place that we deserved.  Thank You for Your amazing love and sacrifice for us.  Empower us and direct us to experience life through the Spirit so that we may bring honor and glory to Your Name.  Keep our hearts from wandering and treating the freedom that You have given us as a license to distraction and sin.  We love You and are hungry to know You more.  In Your Name, we pray.  Amen.


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Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Sept. 16

Galatians 3:2

Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?

I had a conversation with a co worker the other day who told me she was afraid she was "doing things wrong". I tried to explain that it by Grace we have been saved. (Eph. 2:5)  It's probably a topic we've all wrestled with but reading today's passage makes it clear. As I read carefully what Paul says, I think we have to, at some point, accept the fact the there is nothing we can "do" to earn a righteous position in Christ.  It's a gift, given to us by our having faith in God.  I guess what makes it so hard to accept is that we live in a culture where nothing is free and everything is based on our merit and hard work.  Faith, by definition, is having complete trust or confidence in in someone or something.  Abraham had faith in God, which is why it was credited to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6). Those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham (v.9)   I think the enemy would love nothing more than to blindside our thinking and get us to ignore the reality that he is already defeated and that our faith in God is the basis for everything we believe. Paul reassures us that if we attempt to claim our righteousness through legalism then Christ died in vain.  I pray that if anyone strives to attain their position in Christ they are prompted by the Holy Spirit to remember that we are not justified because of works or tradition but only through faith in Y'shua Messiah.  No one will be made righteous by works of legalism.




Randi


Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Proverbs 23:13-14

Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.

Of course in this day and age, parents are not allowed to punish with the rod because our young people have grown so knowledgeable of the law that they would call 911 and have us arrested.  This did not happen overnight.  I remember the times when children had respect for their parents and they were eager to please them.  Now we encounter parents who are afraid of their children and feel helpless with nowhere to turn.  Lord, we need to turn our families back to you.  As our Father, all your children need Your wisdom and guidance.  Look upon us Lord with mercy and kindness and help us all with the knowledge that will bring our children to You for the first time or to have them renew their bond with You.  I am sure every parent would agree that we need a revival of Spirit in all our children and the strength and wisdom to be an example of Your goodness so that they can learn that there is hope in You.

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Saturday, September 12, 2015

[by Keesha Sullivan]


F​our children in Iraq were beheaded when they refused to renounce their faith in Yeshua. 150 Kenyan college students were targeted and killed due to their Christian faith. Christians have and will continue to voluntarily suffer death and other persecution as the penalty for loving Jesus and refusing to renounce their belief in Him. It seems as though even in America the disdain for followers of Jesus is growing more intense.

If we look through our natural eyes at what is going on in the world, it immediately causes us distress and panic. In today's scripture in the book of Psalms, David, from a natural/worldly, perspective had all the reason to fear losing his life. He wrote this Psalm based on when the Philistines had seized him in Gath.

David admits being afraid, but he doesn't stay in that place of trepidation. He says, "When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" (Psalm 56: 3­4). David allows God's perfect love to cast out His fear. As soon as he finishes admitting that he is scared, he proclaims, "I WILL TRUST IN YOU."

In 2

​ ​
Chronicles chapter 14, an Ethiopian army of 1,000,000 soldiers and 300 chariots advanced against King Asa and his 580,000 men. "Then Asa cried out to the Lord his God, 'O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for WE TRUST IN YOU ALONE'"(2 Chronicles 14:11).

When I have become really worried or anxious about something, I've begun to proclaim and repeat the phrase, "I TRUST YOU." I am not exaggerating when I tell you that God immediately touches my mind and my heart. There is something about making that proclamation in the midst of some of the hardest, most dire situations that changes your way of thinking. God works in us supernaturally when we cry to him in our total dependency.

This proclamation declares that we don't know what to do. It declares we are lost and feeling helpless. It declares there is no one else to turn to but God. It is saying we are putting the last of our hope in the only One that can change anything.

I believe the men, women, and children that have lost their earthly lives by proclaiming their trust in God are being rewarded in heaven. God defeated the Philistines for David and the Ethiopian army for Asa. God took my mountain of worry and made it into a molehill.

Lord, we trust You! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in You alone. We will not remain afraid. What can mortal man do to us? We trust You, and we love You. We will continue to praise Your Name! Amen. 

Friday, September 11, 2015

Sept 11

Isaiah 9 September 11, 2015

This is a day of darkness for all Americans. 14 years ago the towers fell just 30 miles from Stamford. So where can we find hope on this dark day?

You will not find it in science. American astronomer Carl Sagan said, "Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic darkness."  You are a speck here on a planet with 7.2 billion people. This solar system is a speck.  To cross even the vast blackness of the Milky Way alone would take 100,000 light years traveling at the blurring speed of light.  You are a speck on a speck on a speck floating in a lonely sea of black space.  At times you can sit in the dark and feel the reverberating echo of Carl Sagan's words.  Sagan also said, "In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves." This was one of the wisest scientific minds decreeing to us who are living, walking and breathing in this darkness that there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us.  No rumor of relief. No sign of saving. No hope for us as we wait in the darkness. That is the best definition of hopelessness I have ever come across.

But is it true? In this darkness is there no hope for our world? Isaiah the prophet disagrees.

Isaiah 9:2,6 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. For us a child is born, to us a son is given.

The great hope for us is found in a child. This hope is that the God who created the Milky Way, the God who breathed the stars into existence, now breathes Bethlehem's stable air.  We are saved from walking in darkness through the baby Jesus. Our hope is found in a person, not a philosophy. Maybe you are in a dark place today. You don't have to stay there. There is a dawn for you. There is a light and it comes from Jesus.  


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"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Thursday, September 10

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2015

Isaiah 6:1–7:25

2 Corinthians 11:16–33

Psalm 54:1–7

Proverbs 23:1–3

 

 

In Isaiah 6:1, we read about Isaiah’s amazing vision:  “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on the throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.”  Later, the vision included angels singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;/ the whole earth is full of his glory.” (6:3)

 

In short, Isaiah stood in awe and respect of the holiness of God and wondered if he could even remain in God’s presence:  “Woe is me!  I am ruined!  For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” (6:5)

 

Yet, God graciously cleanses Isaiah’s lips through sending a live coal from the altar with the promise:  “Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”  With this recognition of his right standing before God, Isaiah boldly volunteers to serve God:  “Here am I.  Send me!” (6:8)  Isaiah receives a message of judgment, which he then relays to his people.

 

We may marvel at Isaiah’s vision and think that he had received a unique calling, but these thoughts often have the tendency of causing us to “freeze.”  Having been redeemed by the blood of Christ and having received His forgiveness, we sometimes exchange Isaiah’s words with others:  “Woe is me!  I am unqualified!  For, even though I know the King and have experienced His presence in my life, I am a person who doesn’t know enough or have enough charisma to make a difference among a people of unclean lips.”

 

Several texts in the New Testament dispel this notion of being unqualified, however.  First, Acts 4:12,13 explains that the bold apostles declared and stood behind the powerful Name of Jesus in the face of the Sanhedrin’s opposition.  Acts 4:13 records:  “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and took note that these men had been with Jesus.”  The apostles’ transformation from cowardice at His trial to the courage of Pentecost and beyond had emerged from some supernatural power.

 

In 2 Corinthians 3:4–6, Paul highlights the competence that comes through the Holy Spirit:  “Such confidence we have through Christ before God.  Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.  He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

 

Then, in James 5:16–18, the author indicates the potential behind the prayers of the saints:  “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective….  Elijah was a human being, even as we are.  He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.  Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”

 

In Christ, we have freedom and confidence to approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:14–16).  We have received life so that we may share the Good News with others.  We are each gifted in one way or another to serve as a blessing in the lives of those around us.  Let us rejoice in God’s choosing us to love others through us!

 

Lord God, thank You for making us competent as ministers of the New Covenant through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Thank You for sending Your Son to take our place on the Cross, making us fit to serve You.  Bring us into the path of those who need Your love and Your touch.  Help us to demonstrate Your awesome character and love to others.  Take away our fears and hesitations in the remembrance of Your awesome grace and sovereignty.  In Jesus’s Name, amen.

 


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Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Sept. 9

2 Corinthians 11

Paul was not a "trained speaker" (v.6), and neither am I.  Paul was, however, filled with the Holy Spirit Who "trained" and equipped him to speak and preach Gods word in a way I long for.  Paul walked in his anointing wherever he was.  I think it's in his unique awareness of Gods presence that he warns us about the enemy and his servants that masquerade as apostles of Christ (v.13-15).  We live in a time when everyone has an opinion and thinks they also have to share it, but not everyone is listening for Gods voice before they speak.  We are bombarded by advertising, politicians and news media whose intent is for us to shift our focus.  As I get ready for work, I pray for all of us that we are aware of our training.  We are trained to speak by the Holy Spirit Who lives in us and that no matter where we are or who we talk to, we are never alone. I pray we listen for Gods voice and God strengthens us as we speak wherever He puts us today and whoever He puts in front of us.




Randi

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

September 8, 2015

Isaiah 1:22

Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils.  Of what account is he?

In January of this year, I made a resolution unlike any other I have ever made.  My resolution was to come to know the Lord more than I had ever in the past.  I wanted to understand Him and His words and turn to Him in time of need.  It has been a journey that at times does not go as I had planned.  It is a worthy and noble thing to give all of yourself to the Lord, but I believe as a human, it is very difficult.  I have friends and family, but it is definitely the Lord who has never left my side.  I want to grow in my faith and dependence on the Lord and know that if I trust Him with my whole heart, that He is all I will ever need.  People let you down and say things to hurt you, but with the Lord on your side - these things do not matter; nor does the hurt and disappointment that accompany them.  Rise up and know that we are worthy because of the blood of Christ.  It is by the blood that we are saved and not by any act of man.

The words in Isaiah are very powerful indeed.  In Isaiah 1:21 - men try to hide anywhere possible to escape from their wrongdoings and defiance against the will of God.  They flee from dread of the Lord and the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.  This brings to mind the song - He's Got the Whole World in His Hands.  The Lord can indeed shake the earth like a child shakes a rattle, and no one can hide.

In trying to walk closer with the Lord this year, I am also reminded of the need to give more.  I am still working through many senseless debts that I have incurred, but the Lord put me on a path to help clear them.  It may take a while, but the path is clear and I just have to stay the course.  When I read Proverbs 22:27, the message was reinforced - If you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you. 

Lord - help me to continue in my walk to be closer to You, to know You, to trust in You only.  Help me to be considerate and caring for others, but not to the point that it overwhelms me with anxiety because I must know that only You heal and mend what is broken. 

Monday, September 7, 2015

September 7: Wear, Stain, Wash, Rinse, Repeat

It is inevitable that, when one regularly uses an article of clothing, said article is going to need regular washing as well. Sort of like life.

I love Psalm 51. The completeness of its description of my sinfulness gives me comfort someone other than me has been in my position - someone else has sinned grievously, blatantly, deliberately against God, someone who had been so abundantly blessed one would've thought they would not have wanted anything more than they'd already been given, none of which they had the right to in the first place, all of which they'd received because of the love of, and by the hand of, the God whom they had then rejected in their sinfulness. And here they were - asking for forgiveness.

We know God forgave David. The psalm tells us it wasn't so much the material sacrifices that God wanted from David - it was the humbling of heart, the admission of guilt and, consequently, the recognition of God's sovereignty over one's life. What a tremendous reassurance, this! - but it doesn't stop there...

What the Bible doesn't tell us is this - it doesn't tell us David ceased to sin after he received God's forgiveness. I suspect he did, and had need for this prayer more than once. And I believe God forgave him every time. And that is why, in my persistent sinfulness, I love Psalm 51. It is the assurance that, as I use my life, I will inevitably stain it - and I can wash, rinse, and repeat as needed. Thank You, God.

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Saturday, September 5, 2015

 

"They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us."

(2 Corinthians 8:5 NIV)

 

The Macedonian churches were largely Gentile churches.  There was an idol or a temple to a different god on every corner and this "Jesus" thing was not very popular.  These infant congregations suffered persecution and "severe trial." (2 Corinthians 8:2)  Some people were possibly kicked out of their family homes for committing to follow Jesus.  Others lost jobs and income.  How do they survive?  Who would support them? 

 

The last thing that many of us would want to do in that moment is give.  Why give $5 of my $10 to the people in Jerusalem when my family disowned me, I lost my job, and I don't know how I'm going to eat tomorrow?  You see, it's easier to give when the money is coming in, when I'm feeling healthy, when I have the time…  How do you sacrifice like this when your world is caving in?

                                                                   

"They gave themselves first of all to the Lord…"

Many know Jesus as Savior.  Jesus has saved us from the power and penalty of sin and He still saves us by the power of the Holy Spirit – warning us, teaching us, healing us, etc.  However, there is a difference between knowing Jesus as Savior and knowing Him as Lord (King).  The Macedonian churches gave themselves to the Lord, their King.  They submitted to His love for them, to His peace in their persecution, and to the promise that "God [would] meet all [their] needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus" (Php. 4:19).  As they gave everything to the Lord the circumstances of their lives in the kingdom of this world faded for their view of the kingdom of God.  They gave themselves to the Lord as if they were giving Him an empty cup, inviting Him to use it as He saw fit.  He filled them up with His grace and then He poured them out on the thirsty Jerusalem church.

 

How much of myself did I give to the Lord?  Was I available for Him to fill and pour out on someone who needed Him?  What about tomorrow?

 

Lord, You are the greatest Giver that I know!  No One has given more than what You gave when You freely sacrificed Your Only Son for sinners like me.  The very least that You deserve is all of me.  May the love You've shown and the provisions You've made move my heart to give You me everyday of my life.  Fill me up and pour me out however You choose.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Thursday, September 3

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

Ecclesiastes 4:1–6:12

2 Corinthians 6:14–7:7

Psalm 47:1–9

Proverbs 22:16

 

 

Ecclesiastes 5:10–15 reads:

 

“Whoever loves money never has enough;

    whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.

    This too is meaningless.

As goods increase,

    so do those who consume them.

And what benefit are they to the owners

    except to feast their eyes on them?

The sleep of a laborer is sweet,

    whether they eat little or much,

but as for the rich, their abundance

    permits them no sleep.

I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:

 

wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,

    or wealth lost through some misfortune,

so that when they have children

    there is nothing left for them to inherit.

Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb,

    and as everyone comes, so they depart.

They take nothing from their toil

    that they can carry in their hands.”

 

 

The writer of Ecclesiastes, Solomon, had intimately experienced the lessons in these verses. By virtue of God’s blessing, he had accumulated great wealth – beyond that of all other kings.  In these verses, he touches on the vanity of wealth, extending the book’s theme of “meaningless” reality.

 

In our idealized thinking, material abundance promises security and joy, but, as Solomon notes, reality falls short of these expectations.  In fact, his words suggest that added material benefits may translate primarily into greater anxiety.  In addition, the pursuit of wealth often isolates us from others, causing us to forego the joy and mutual encouragement of true relationships. (Ecclesiastes 4:8-12)

 

The Bible points out that, alternatively, “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6) and that we should “use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” (Luke 16:9)  Money serves primarily as a means of blessing others, providing for our needs, and experiencing God’s goodness.  Sometimes, we may experience a reverse guilt and forego pleasure; I know that I struggle with this concept.  It seems that, instead, we should find joy in the beautiful things that God has created, remembering His great love and provision towards us.

 

The Scriptures also talk about investing the material resources that we have in God’s Kingdom purposes.  Jesus counsels us in Matthew 6:19–21:  “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  We see that generosity will help us to maintain a singular focus on loving and serving God and others.  We cannot serve two masters simultaneously. (Matthew 6:24)

 

How has God called you to invest your time, talent, and energy?  Have you found joy in doing so?  What might you consider stopping?  Starting?  Or continuing?

 

 

Lord God, we thank You that You have always provided and will always provide for our needs.  Help us to trust You in difficult moments and to give generously in less challenging moments.  Give us vision for how You would have us invest our time, talent, and energy to Your glory and for the blessing of Your people.  Change our hearts so that we might reflect Your character in these areas.  Use us for Your Kingdom purposes.  We love You and give You praise for all Your goodness to us.  In Jesus’s Name, amen.


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Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Sept. 2

Psalm 46

I think one of the most important lessons God is teaching me is how to be still, sit in prayer and be in His presence. The Hebrew translation of "be still" is cease striving.  Learning this is a process but one that I am grateful for.  In this morning's reading of  A Diary of Private Prayer, we read "I cannot go into this day unless you accompany me with your blessing". In our stillness, we receive in our souls what God wants to give us.  Everything we receive we must realize is a gift from God. We must walk as stewards, carrying and releasing the blessings we received while sitting still in His presence.  God is our refuge and strength now and  through each trial.  His final victory in inevitable and one day we will all stand still quietly before Him. Being still at some point in each day, giving Him praise and honoring His power and majesty puts our lives in proper perspective.  Apart from that, as King Solomon so wisely put it, "everything is meaningless".






Randi