August 12

Nehemiah

In February of 1997 their was a fire that tore through the string of businesses which were connected to our restaurant.  By the time we were notified and got there, the ceiling had caved in and what we saw were the remains of what the day before had been our livelihood.  Looking at destruction is devastating. Fortunately in today's world there is insurance to cover rebuilding costs. Now let's put ourselves in Nehemiah's position. Nehemiah was faced with looking at the state of the walls of Jerusalem with a sense of deep grief. His insurance was prayer and trusting God and he knew it. From the very beginning until the end, Nehemiah prayed.  When he first learned of the state of Jerusalem he prayed and this prepared his heart, giving God room to work.  When he went to go speak to the king his prayers were answered and he was treated with favor.  When he was mocked, he didn't react to his feelings, he went to God in prayer.  Every step of the way he showed trust in God.  The result was accomplishing what seemed to be the impossible - the wall around Jerusalem was rebuilt in 52 days. Much like us, Nehemiah was an ordinary man who God chose to use in an extraordinary way.  Through Nehemiah's prayers, the wall was rebuilt because it's foundation was based on prayer and the answers came from God. I'm learning that there are two parts in our service for God.  First we talk to Him, then we listen and walk with Him.  I didn't know the Lord when our restaurant burned down so my life was rebuilt depending on everything else except prayer.  A few years later we were once again faced with destruction.  Is anyone aside from me noticing a pattern here?  God, through His mercy and grace, has once again put me in a season of rebuilding.  This time to Him be the glory.   In Nehemiah's prayer in chapter 5:19 and 13:31 he says "remember me with favor, my God".  I pray Lord for all of us that whatever aspect or our lives needs to be rebuilt we turn to You in prayer knowing and trusting that You are remembering us in favor and we are putting into practice Your words like wise men, building our house on the rock. (Matthew 7:25)




Randi





 

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Saturday, August 8, 2015

[by Keesha Sullivan]

Kenny and I walked into the gym and chatted with one of the workers for a few moments. After just a minute of speaking, I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to invite the worker to a church service and out for lunch. I figured if God had put it on my mind that it would go well. I mentioned going to church with this worker, and his entire face lit up. His reply was quick, and he graciously accepted the invitation.

I marveled at the Lord. The verse from Romans 8:31 came to mind. It says, "31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" When God sends us on a mission, we will always meet success. I am sure that God wants every person in the world to know Him and to fellowship with other believers, but there is something special about carrying out His specific will whether it be for a person, people, or even an entire nation.

 

In the scripture from today it says, "Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me" (Ezra 7:28). Ezra knew that when the hand of the Lord was on Him and that he could be confident in the Lord seeing him through. God had already moved the heart of King Artaxerxes. King Artaxerxes wrote a letter to Ezra stating "Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should his wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons?" (Ezra 7:23). God also moved on Ezra's heart to help lead this mission. Ezra had courage because he knew who was on his side. 

When God calls us to do something, whether it be small or great, we too can go forth with incredible boldness. We can trust that God will lead us to success. We always win when obey God because our obedience is the success; the results of our obedience are God's business. At times we might be met with resistance from the enemy, but we can be sure that God will lead us through in triumph. 

Lord, we thank You so much that You have plans for our lives each day. Holy Spirit, please speak to our spiritual ears. Please continue to remove whatever blockage may stand in the way. Help us to be obedient to Your will. We thank You that when we execute Your will that we will be successful. Guide us throughout this day. We need You and we love You. In Jesus' name. Amen

Thursday, August 6

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015

Ezra 3:1–4:24

1 Corinthians 2:6–3:4

Psalm 28:1–9

Proverbs 20:24,25

 

 

In today’s reading from 1 Corinthians 2 and 3, Paul introduces us to three different types of people, distinguished by their relationship with God and their connection with Him through the Holy Spirit:

 

The natural person (1 Corinthians 2:14).  This individual has not yet received Christ as his Lord and Savior.  Paul has highlighted how the world views the wisdom of God as foolishness in the first two chapters of 1 Corinthians:  “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”  From this verse, we understand that, to understand spiritual truth, we must receive a revelation from the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit guides us into truth and convicts the world according to sin and righteousness. (John 16:8,13,14)

 

The spiritual person (1 Corinthians 2:15).  This person has received Christ and invited the Holy Spirit to strengthen and direct his life.  Guided by the Spirit, this individual “makes judgments about all things,” indicating that he has received wisdom and “may understand what God has freely given us.” (1 Corinthians 2:12)  We become aware of God’s rich blessings “in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.”  Again, we see the crucial element of God’s revelation in sharing God’s truth with the spiritual person.

 

The carnal person (1 Corinthians 3:1,2).  This person has received Christ but lives in order because he has turned back to the world and trusts in his own strength to live the Christian life.  Paul chides the Corinthians for returning to “worldly… jealousy and quarreling” among themselves.  While he had called them to eternal glory, their focus had remained horizontal.  As a result, they had grown bitter towards one another and had not lived together in love.  As we will discover later, they also had dabbled in worldly sexual practices, which caused confusion and disarray.

 

Dr. Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade (now, Cru), argued that carnal Christians are among the unhappiest of people.  They may have experienced some joy in their walks with Christ, but now they have turned away from the Source of joy and have chosen to dabble again in the world.

 

 

Each Christ-follower has the opportunity to live as a “spiritual person.”  We have all received the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the time we trusted in Christ.  To welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives, we must prepare ourselves in real time.  To do so, we must confess our sin and turn away from it (repentance).  We may thank God for providing once-for-all righteousness for those who have trusted in Christ and for forgiving our sins on that basis (1 John 1:9).  Having “cleaned” our hearts, we may then invite the Spirit to fill us and strengthen us as promised in the Scriptures (Ephesians 5:18).  From that filling, we receive power to honor God by loving Him, loving people, and making disciples (Acts 1:8; Galatians 5:22,23).

 

The Spirit’s filling allows us to express the heart of God in our world.  He brings boldness and focus so that we may live with love, joy, and peace; wisdom; and self-control.  By inviting the Spirit into our lives, we may live out Paul’s charge in Philippians 1:20, even under trial:  “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.”

 

 

In addition, these words from David encourage us in our trusting God:

 

“I am still confident of this:

                I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord;

                be strong and take hart and wait for the Lord….

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

                my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.” (Psalm 27:13,14; Psalm 28:7)

 

 

Lord God, thank You for revealing Yourself through Your Word and through Your Spirit.  Thank You that You do wish for us to be close to You and to understand what You have freely given us.  Send Your Holy Spirit to turn our hearts fully towards Yours and to place You Help us to trust You completely and honor You with our lives.  In Jesus’s Name, amen.

 

 

Please read more about living the Spirit-filled life here:  http://goo.gl/eE6lYg.

 

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August 5

1 Corinthians 1:18

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God

We will never understand God's ways - we aren't supposed to, we aren't God.  Isaiah 55:8 tells us that God's thoughts are not ours, nor are our ways His.  When I looked up the translations in Hebrew I learned that "thoughts" is referring to God's plan, purpose or intention and "ways" is referring to His direction or path.  So when I thought of it in terms of today's reading, the message of The Cross in terms of eternal salvation through the atoning blood of Jesus our Savior would seem irrational and foolish to anyone who isn't looking with their spiritual eyes.  When Jesus arrived, the Jews were expecting The Messiah to be a conquering King. He was a conquering King, just not the way they anticipated.  Jesus did demonstrate power - but not earthly power.  He was demonstrating Godly power which was why it was difficult for people to understand. Going ahead 2000 years, we also need to understand that the message of The Cross has nothing to do with self reformation.  We cannot reform ourselves or save ourselves.  I think "those who are perishing" are the ones that think their ability to influence their destiny rests in their own power and wealth and that's why the message of The Cross still sounds foolish to many people.  Jesus' death wasn't the end of His life, it is actually the beginning of ours because we believe He was resurrected.  Because of this, our life will not end either.  For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).  The message of The Cross is offered to everyone. I pray God gives each of us a chance to share the message with someone today.




Randi

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

August 4
2 Chronicles 35:1-36:23
1 Corinthians 1:1-17
Psalm 27:1-6
Proverbs 20:20-21

Kings come and kings go; but there is one King who reigns forever and ever. 

Josiah followed a long line of kings, and he celebrated a Passover the likes of which had not been seen in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel.  He was following the words in the Book of the Covenant and it was pleasing to God.  But it seems that God was speaking to other kings of that time as well.  You think that Josiah would have learned from his predecessors that you must first ask the Lord your God what to do.  When you ask, the Lord will show you the way.  Hence, his defeat in battle by Neco, the king of Egypt.  Neco made the connection with God and was blessed in his battle, even though it was not Josiah's country with which he was at war.  Wrong place, wrong time and without the Lord's guidance and protection Josiah met his end.  When we lean on our own understanding and remove God from the picture, you can't really expect good results.  I know that we cannot always prevent bad things from happening but if we listen, God will speak to us and guide us in all of our ways. 

The other thing that got to me was there were so many, many kings that immediately tried to remove the Lord from the picture - reverting to pagan ways, greed, corruption.  Guess things today have not changed much from the Old Testament.

As I read Psalm 27:1-6 I had a deeper understanding about dwelling in the house of the Lord.  It is my interpretation and it could be wrong, but as I read it, I felt that if I do what the Spirit is telling me knowing full well the difference between right and wrong - then I am dwelling in this current day and age in the house of the Lord.  David was seeking to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life.  So it is here and now.

Lastly, at church this past Sunday during Steve's sermon, I had this feeling that I could not shake.  God is the Father of us all - He is our Creator - He performs miracles to this day!  Lord God, You are our Father, and only You can make these miracles happen.  We are your children, and even though we may not be deserving all the time, the Blood of Christ has made us flawless.  Father, many of your earthly children are in need of healing; please show us your mercy; hold us and heal us with your loving Fatherly hands.  In Jesus' name we all pray!

August 3: Children and the value of instruction and example

2 Chr 33:14-34:33
Rom 16:10-27
Ps 26:1-12
Pro 20:19

I love the story of Josiah. He became king at age 8, and 8 years later, at the age of 16, he began to seek God. Four years after that, at 20, he began to purge the sin from Judah and Jerusalem, taking down the Asherah poles and the high places and the idols. And at 26, he commenced the repair of the temple - at which point, God chose to reveal Himself. Hilkiah found the Book of the Law in the temple, and when it was read to Josiah, its was meaningful to him, so much so that, despite the life he'd lived in pursuit of, and obedience to, the Lord, he tore his robes in despair at the nation's sinfulness.

I aspire to such a relationship with God, for myself, and for my family - that, when we hear God's word, it should resonate so fully in us, it should make it abundantly clear how sinful and unworthy we are in the presence of God's perfection. But here's the thing: there are 8 years from the time Josiah ascended to the throne and the time he began to seek God. In those 8 years, did he reject God the way so many of his predecessors did? I don't know the answer for sure, but I think it very seldom someone develop a hunger for God at 16 without an example, without others' guidance, and without having been lifted into God's care in prayer. And if my thinking is correct, it is interesting to note how early all that began.

So going from the example of Josiah's life, if we want our children to get to know God, if we want their hearts to break for what breaks God's heart, then we need to provide that example and that guidance, and we need to lift them up in prayer. Josiah's story tells us it is never too early. God's power and mercy confirm that it is never too late.

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Saturday, August 1, 2015

Saturday, August 1, 2015

[by Keesha Sullivan]

There's something special about Maureen and Ray. Every time I'm around them, I feel it. Wait…I know what it is. It's so rare. It's their unity in Christ. Every time they do something, God gives them success! I don't know many couples that exhibit this unity. Satan is always working to keep couples on different pages, because he knows what unity does!" Diane exclaimed. Maureen and Ray are an extremely Godly couple that work in ministry and have been glorifying God together for over 25 years. Watching them together testifies to God's love and powerand creates a desire within whoever's watching to possess what they've got. 

​In the scripture today from Chronicles 30: 12, it said, "Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord." In this verse, God brought the people together in unity, so that His will would be carried out. God wants all of His children to be unified as He, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are unified. 

​Unity displays God's love and His perfect will. In Romans 15:5-7 it says, "5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." We bring praise to our Father in Heaven when the body of Christ is united as husband and wives, families, as well as sisters and brothers in Christ. Unity in Christ is more powerful than we could ever fathom. 

​Lord, we ask that You would be in us as You were in Jesus. We pray that You would bring us into complete unity to let the world know that You sent Jesus and have loved us even as You have loved Jesus. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray that all of us agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among us and that we may be perfectly united in mind and thought. In Jesus name, we pray, Amen.