Thursday, July 9

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2015

1 Chronicles 7:1–8:40

Acts 27:1–20

Psalm 7:1–17

Proverbs 18:22

 

 

“Lord my God, I take refuge in you;

    save and deliver me from all who pursue me,

or they will tear me apart like a lion

    and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me..” (Psalm 7:1,2)

 

 

David’s cries for God’s sovereign protection in the midst of attack from his foes.  While we might view “taking refuge” as an act of weakness, real-life experience shows that “finding rest” in God involves an active trust, an application of faith.  We will our hearts to follow the truth of Proverbs 3:5,6:

 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight.”

 

 

In David’s case, there remain uncertainty about the outcome.  In light of this uncertainty, we might grow impatient or even come to doubt God’s goodness.  We might reason that, given our first-hand knowledge of the situation, we might be able to suggest or even demand a certain result.  Instead of this prideful attitude, however, we must take David’s example to rest in God’s sovereignty and believe His promise that He will work everything out for our good, defined as bringing us into Christlikeness and a deeper knowledge of Him.

 

Malachi 3:17–19 provides us with a hopeful attitude that overcomes even tough circumstances:

 

“Though the fig tree does not bud

    and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

    and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen

    and no cattle in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

    I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

    he enables me to tread on the heights.”

 

 

Lord God, we trust in You to fight for us in the daily battles we face.  We sincerely desire to know You better and to receive a greater revelation of Your goodness and mercy.  Strengthen our hearts for the challenges we face.  Build into us a deep and enduring trust.  We love You and worship You today, our God and King!  In Jesus’s Name, amen.

 

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Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Psalm 5:1-12

 

After reading several posts about how life can interrupt our relationship with Jesus, it became very obvious to me that I am guilty.  I plan on getting to work early so that I can read and prepare my post, but I am consistently interrupted by people, phones and situations even before I am scheduled to start working.  I also seem to be having issues trying to post my day on Facebook....could be the devil at work here. 

 

I get lost in the Psalms so often.  David was so earnest to do the right thing in God's eyes, and the emotion he puts into his prayers to the Lord just reach into the depths of my soul.  "Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing.  Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray".  This is how I believe the Lord wants us to approach Him, wholeheartedly and knowing that nothing and no one else can fill our needs and desires the way He can.

 

With this in mind, how then can we pray earnestly when we let life interfere??   That is the time to find that quiet place and peaceful moment when you can connect directly to God and feel the presence we all desire.  Trust me - it is possible!!

 

Heavenly Father, I come before You today with prayers in heart and mind for those who are ailing, those who are unemployed, those who suffer from anxiety, those who do not know of Your power and glory.  You alone are our God and I ask for Your guidance and blessings on all of my family, friends and even enemies.  May we all learn to love each other and live and work in peace and harmony according to Your will.  Amen

July 6: 2 years, injustice and God's will

1 Chronicles 2:18-4:4
Acts 24:1-27
Psalm 4:1-8
Proverbs 18:16-18

Consider the injustice of it all. Ananias and Tertullus accuse Paul before Felix - but what crime it is they accuse him of is not clear, and they are unable to substantiate even the flimsiest of their accusations. Charges dismissed, case closed right? Not exactly.

Felix, it turns out, has heard of "The Way"...so this should turn out pretty well for Paul. Freedom, certainly, perhaps some restitution from Ananias and Tertullus for libel and false imprisonment, an invitation to dine with Felix. That would make sense, wouldn't it? Sure....

It gets even better! Felix sends for Paul a few days later, and listens to Paul speak about Jesus, Whom he has followed to the point of imprisonment and punishment. This is great! God's about to change another heart...

...but no. It would seem that, when Paul's testimony brought Felix to the point he was going to have to seriously question how he lived his life, he balked. Not only did he order Paul to stop, he reverted back to his old ways, hoping for a bribe. And Paul languished in prison for at least another 2 years.

In the eyes of man, this would seem to be a terrible injustice - and perhaps it is. But we are fortunate to know that what might not make sense to us certainly makes sense to Him Whose thoughts are not our thoughts, Whose ways are above our ways. There was a divinely ordained purpose to Paul's imprisonment - we know this because the Man Paul was following said as much: "you would have no authority over Me unless it had been given you from above".

There is a lot going on today that does not make sense. Modern day Ananiases and Tertulluses are quick to take Christians before the authorities who, in turn, like Felix, seek to curry favor from the local populace. The psalm today seems so true - "How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?"

It can be frustrating - but we can take comfort from the phrase my parents taught me and my children recently: God's will is totally sovereign, gloriously redemptive, sometimes puzzling...but always perfect. And so the end of today's psalm is also true - "In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety."

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Saturday, July 4, 2015

[Kenny and Keesha Sullivan]

 

Can you say, "I have fulfilled my duty to God?" Do you feel as though you are living out your purpose here on earth? Well, Paul did. In the scriptures that we read today, it says, "Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, "My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day" (Acts 23:1).

I guess the next question would be, "How did he do that?" Well in order for Paul to say that he had fulfilled his duty, he needed to know his purpose/duty. Paul found this out through asking the Lord, our God. God answered and said, "Get up, and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do" (Acts 22: 11).  Paul went obediently to Damascus and waited for God's Word. It came. God spoke through a man named Ananias and said, "The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name" (Acts 22:14-16).

Paul was able to find out his purpose through asking the Lord and then being obedient to God's command. God still speaks today. He speaks through His Word, His people, and even by speaking to our hearts. Sometimes it may be difficult to discern God's voice, but if we think about what is being asked of us at times, we can figure it out. For instance, if God says, " Go and pray for 'so and so.'" You know that the enemy is not going to ask you to pray. I've also found that God will confirm His Word when He knows that we are dubious about a situation and need assurance of the right direction.  However, that is just the point!  When you and I make a decision to follow whatever God desires for us, He will make His will known and give direction.  Your job (yours and mine) is to "trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the Lord in everything you do, and he will show you the right way." (Proverb 3:5-6)  Then, follow the "right way."

 

I desire to be like Paul. I want to be able to look people straight in the eye and tell them, "My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day." We can attain this great feat through listening and then being obedient.

Lord, please help us to ask You for Your will for our lives. Please help us to listen for Your voice through Your Word, Your people, and what You speak to our hearts. Help us to discern Your voice clearly. Help us to be obedient and to go forth with boldness and courage. May our testimony be like that of Paul's. May we fulfill our duty to You. We love You God. We thank You for all of Your help in advance. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. 

Sunday, July 5, 2015

Sunday, July 5, 2015

I just re read the blog that Pastor wrote on Friday and it really spoke to me. Especially the part about being 'too busy to be in God's Word' every day. I am guilty of that lately and it is affecting my thinking and my feelings. But God does have a way of getting my attention. I've had some visitors stop by several times in the last few weeks who want to share their beliefs about God with me. Yesterday they left a pamphlet with me and after they left I read it through and then got out my Bible and began to dig into it to look up scriptures to build up and back up what I know to be true. It seems that God always knows just what I need and when I need it. It felt good to be in the Word and to have it speak to me. I've been praying that the Holy Spirit will use me and speak through me and to use these discussions to speak the truth in love. Only God can change a heart but I am wiling to be used for His purposes.

The reading from Psalm 3 also spoke to me. 'But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.' v.3. 'I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the Lord sustains me.' v.5

Thank you, Lord. Amen

Sent from my iPad

July 3 Momentous Days

2 Kings 22

Momentous Days

Certain days of life seem to be more significant than others. One of those days was when Hilkiah found "a book" in the temple. Evidently they were in the process of renovations and somebody yells out, "Hey, over here. There is an old book." So they sweep the dust off of the book and realize it was the Torah. The first five books of the Bible. These five books of the law show us God's design for life and how to live it to the max. These books also are the guard rails that keep individuals and nations from crashing off the road of life.

The dust and the startling discovery meant someone had neglected this book for a long time. When we neglect the Word of God for even one day, we are in danger of a serious fall. That is why Grace church champions reading the Bible every day. Someone once said, "A Bible that's falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't."  That is always true. Every time I meet with someone who is really struggling in life and I ask them how is your Bible reading going? They usually respond, they don't have time to read the Bible. That is what happened to the nation of Judah and that is what is happening to the USA. We have neglected the Bible and we are paying a huge price for that neglect.

Just a word of encouragement, summer and vacation time is usually a time to slack off connecting with God. Fight through the distractions and give God time to speak to you each day.

A trivia question for the July 4^th weekend: Do you know who thought the reading of the Bible was so important for the colonies that they ordered 20,000 Bibles from Scotland and Holland? 

The answer will definitely surprise you. 

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, July 2

THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2015

2 Kings 20:1–22:2

Acts 21:18–36

Psalm 150:1–6

Proverbs 18:9,10

 

 

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

                the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)

 

 

This wonderful verse offers a fantastic promise about God’s enduring faithfulness to His righteous servants.

 

Many times, we may read about the positive qualities of the “righteous” and consider these traits out of reach for us.  We may reason that, our efforts having fallen short of a “righteous” standard, we will never experience the benefits associated with the “righteous.”  Paul makes abundantly clear in Romans 1 to 3 that “all have fallen short of the glory of God” and that “there are none righteous.”  Based on the straightforward observation that we all have violated God’s standards and fallen short of His glory, we recognize that we will never achieve perfection (righteousness) on our own strength.  We might reckon ourselves adrift on the sea of sinfulness, destined eventually to drown.

 

Yet, in His great mercy and by His grace, God intervenes to “credit” our faith as righteousness.  Just as Abraham trusted God at His Word and believed His promises about Isaac, we too may trust Him to deliver on His promises.  Paul summarizes God’s granting of righteousness to His faithful ones in Romans 3:21,22:  “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe…. ”

 

If we have trusted in Christ and therefore received His righteousness and become adopted as God’s children, we then may experience the gracious provision of this promise.  God will hold us “safe” when we run to Him.  This “safety” will rest on the sovereign and awesome power of God, Who has called and chosen us:  “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.  And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:11–14)

 

We may rightly give thanks for His choosing us.  God’s sovereignty should speak peace and courage to our hearts, for we know that He holds everything and “works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.”  In Romans 12:2, Paul describes God’s will as “good, perfect, and pleasing.”  Amen!  He is making all things new, starting with us, as He molds us into the image of Christ.

 

 

Father God, thank You for giving us new life through the precious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Thank You for opening our eyes that we might run to You and be safe.  Thank You that You do grant us safety on a day-in, day-out basis.  Thank You that You are never far from us.  Thank You that we are never alone, as You will never leave us nor forsake us.  Thank You for revealing Your character and awesome power to us through Your Word.  Increase our love and understanding for You, Your Word, and Your people.  Draw our hearts deeper into a love relationship with You and Your people.  In Jesus’s Name, amen.

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