By Proverbs 31 Ministries.
Where Your Treasure Is
T. Suzanne Eller
"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal." Matthew 6:19 (NLT)
I was on my own at 17. I worked two jobs while attending a small community college and eventually left college because I ran out of funds. Three years later I married my husband. Over the next few years babies were born, with medical expenses incurred. Then I got sick: Cancer. It probably won't surprise you that because of these circumstances, there was a huge need in my life for financial stability.
I pinched pennies. I calculated paychecks to the last dime. I made lists of our debt month after month, figuring out how to pay them off quicker. I think financial gurus would say I was on the right track, but can I be honest? In the midst of my calculations and my overwhelming need for security, pinching pennies became not just a means to meet my goal and take care of our family, but it started to reflect my heart spiritually in the area of giving.
Even after I was secure. Even after our financial status was stable.
We tithed. We gave to others, even sacrificially. But my heart wasn't in it. As I placed a tithing envelope in the offering, I thought: "What about our savings? Shouldn't we be building it? What about buying something new for us? Our car is older. The miles are racking up."
Friends would have been surprised at the battle that raged inside me. I was ashamed of it. They would have called me generous, but I knew the truth. I had worked so hard for such a long time that I had come to count on Suzie. I obeyed God in this area, but did I trust Him?
I desperately wanted a generous heart, no matter how much was in our bank account. The first thing I felt God asking me to lay down was worry. As I prayed, I went back to all the times God had liberally cared for me. As an unsure young girl alone at 17, His love led me day by day. As a young mom overwhelmed at times, He wrapped me in security and grace. As a 31-year-old woman diagnosed with cancer, He filled me with faith that could only come from Christ.
My confidence in Him had nothing to do with money, but rather His presence in my life. I put worry down, asking for the strength to abide in Him instead of fear.
The second thing I felt God asking me to lay down was resentment. Oh, Father, such a hard word. Are you sure that is the condition of my heart? And yet, there it was. Hidden from others, but clear as day to me and my Savior.
It's been years since that pivotal moment between me and Jesus. Recently I was talking with one of my daughters. "Remember when you used to worry about money?" she asked. I nodded, smiling. "You seem to be so different, Mom, and yet I know that you and Dad live on a strict budget, especially now that he's back in school. Do you have money I don't know about?" she teased.
Yes, baby, I do. But it has nothing to do with my bank account. It's a different kind of treasure, one that acknowledges how rich I am to have food on the table, a car that starts every time I turn the key, a family that loves me like crazy, and faith that runs deep. It's a treasure that is nestled inside, that is filled with joy when I drop off books at a shelter, or send a check to sponsor my beautiful Compassion International child, or respond to God's leading to give more than a tithe. It's a treasure that is a deep confidence in who God is.
In many ways I'll always be that 17-year-old girl wanting to be secure, but I've found a different kind of security. I may never be wealthy, but believe me when I say this: I'm rich beyond belief. I'm blessed, blessed, blessed.
Dear Jesus, You see my heart. You know my fears, insecurities, and hunger for stability. I pray I will see the vast riches around me, things others might not see as wealth, but in the end they are the most priceless. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Application Steps:
List the things that money provides for you.
List the things you provide for yourself.
List the things God provides for you.
In each, describe your heart condition. Is it in balance with today's scripture (Matthew 6:19-21)?
Reflections:
Temptation to depend on wealth is insidious, but the real problem lies with attitude rather than with the amount of possessions we have. ~Anonymous
Power Verses:
Matthew 6:25-27, "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life--whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?" (NLT)
Friday, September 17, 2010
Is There Good in Temptation?
By My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers’
Is There Good in Temptation?
Is There Good in Temptation?
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man . . . —1 Corinthians 10:13
,The word temptation has come to mean something bad to us today but we tend to use the word in the wrong way. Temptation itself is not sin; it is something we are bound to face simply by virtue of being human. Not to be tempted would mean that we were already so shameful that we would be beneath contempt. Yet many of us suffer from temptations we should never have to suffer, simply because we have refused to allow God to lift us to a higher level where we would face temptations of another kind.
A person’s inner nature, what he possesses in the inner, spiritual part of his being, determines what he is tempted by on the outside. The temptation fits the true nature of the person being tempted and reveals the possibilities of his nature. Every person actually determines or sets the level of his own temptation, because temptation will come to him in accordance with the level of his controlling, inner nature.
Temptation comes to me, suggesting a possible shortcut to the realization of my highest goal— it does not direct me toward what I understand to be evil, but toward what I understand to be good. Temptation is something that confuses me for a while, and I don’t know whether something is right or wrong. When I yield to it, I have made lust a god, and the temptation itself becomes the proof that it was only my own fear that prevented me from falling into the sin earlier.
Temptation is not something we can escape; in fact, it is essential to the well-rounded life of a person. Beware of thinking that you are tempted as no one else–what you go through is the common inheritance of the human race, not something that no one has ever before endured. God does not save us from temptations–He sustains us in the midst of them (see Hebrews 2:18 and Hebrews 4:15-16).
A person’s inner nature, what he possesses in the inner, spiritual part of his being, determines what he is tempted by on the outside. The temptation fits the true nature of the person being tempted and reveals the possibilities of his nature. Every person actually determines or sets the level of his own temptation, because temptation will come to him in accordance with the level of his controlling, inner nature.
Temptation comes to me, suggesting a possible shortcut to the realization of my highest goal— it does not direct me toward what I understand to be evil, but toward what I understand to be good. Temptation is something that confuses me for a while, and I don’t know whether something is right or wrong. When I yield to it, I have made lust a god, and the temptation itself becomes the proof that it was only my own fear that prevented me from falling into the sin earlier.
Temptation is not something we can escape; in fact, it is essential to the well-rounded life of a person. Beware of thinking that you are tempted as no one else–what you go through is the common inheritance of the human race, not something that no one has ever before endured. God does not save us from temptations–He sustains us in the midst of them (see Hebrews 2:18 and Hebrews 4:15-16).
Happiness Begins With a Choice!
By www.jesus-is-lord-the-way-the-truth-the-life.com's FaceBook page
Deuteronomy 30:19—This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.
Happiness begins with a choice!
Many people think of happiness as something that just happens. If it happens to happen to them, great! If not, they curse their bad luck.
But happiness never just happens. It comes to us by our own choice. We decide whether to be happy or miserable, peaceful or anxious, fearful or calm. Much more of the things that happen in our life than we realize proceeds from our choices.
Joshua gathered the children of Israel together for his farewell address. He reviewed God’s blessing upon Israel. He called upon Israel to abandon their idols and serve the true God. He closed his address with one of the most memorable statements in history. “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,” he cried. Then he made clear what his choice would be: “…As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” Joshua 24:15,.
When Jesus stood before Pilate on trial for his life, Pilate said, “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?” (Matthew 27:22). This is the choice every man or woman on earth must make: either for Christ or against Him.
The choice we make about Jesus Christ, above all others, determines the happiness quotient of our lives. It is impossible to do nothing about Jesus Christ. Not to decide for him is to decide against Him. There is no such thing as indecision. Until this choice is made, we can never be happy in an unhappy world.
Happiness begins with a choice!
Take Off The Limits
By Joel Osteen (via Joel Osteen FaceBook page)
Today's message was called Take Off The Limits
"I have seen that everything [human] has its limits and end [no matter how extensive, noble, and excellent]; but Your commandment is exceedingly broad and extends without limits [into eternity]" (Psalm 119:96, AMP)
TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria
Did you know you can limit your life by dwelling on the wrong things? So often, wrong thinking keeps people stuck right where they are. If you think you'll never accomplish your dreams, those thoughts will hold you back. If you think you don't have the talent, the connections or the funds, then you are limiting yourself. You are blocking what God can do in your life.
It's time to take the limits off and trust God. He isn't limited to this earthly realm; His ways are higher than our ways. We serve a supernatural God. Just because you don't see a way doesn't mean that God doesn't have a way. God can bring one opportunity across your path that will thrust you to a whole new level. He has explosive blessings in store that can blast you out of where you are and into a place of abundance. If you'll shift your focus from this earthly realm and start looking with your eyes of faith, you'll see His unlimited possibilities for your future. Take the limits off by setting your thoughts on what God Almighty can do in your life!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father in heaven, today I lift my eyes to You. You alone are the source of my strength, peace and provision. I choose to delight myself in You knowing that You will give me the desires of my heart. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
- Joel & Victoria Osteen
Today's message was called Take Off The Limits
"I have seen that everything [human] has its limits and end [no matter how extensive, noble, and excellent]; but Your commandment is exceedingly broad and extends without limits [into eternity]" (Psalm 119:96, AMP)
TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria
Did you know you can limit your life by dwelling on the wrong things? So often, wrong thinking keeps people stuck right where they are. If you think you'll never accomplish your dreams, those thoughts will hold you back. If you think you don't have the talent, the connections or the funds, then you are limiting yourself. You are blocking what God can do in your life.
It's time to take the limits off and trust God. He isn't limited to this earthly realm; His ways are higher than our ways. We serve a supernatural God. Just because you don't see a way doesn't mean that God doesn't have a way. God can bring one opportunity across your path that will thrust you to a whole new level. He has explosive blessings in store that can blast you out of where you are and into a place of abundance. If you'll shift your focus from this earthly realm and start looking with your eyes of faith, you'll see His unlimited possibilities for your future. Take the limits off by setting your thoughts on what God Almighty can do in your life!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father in heaven, today I lift my eyes to You. You alone are the source of my strength, peace and provision. I choose to delight myself in You knowing that You will give me the desires of my heart. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
- Joel & Victoria Osteen
Monday, September 13, 2010
Thinking God's Thoughts
By Joel Osteen (via Joel Osteen FaceBook page)
Today's message was called "Thinking God's Thoughts"
No one can know a person's thoughts except that person's own spirit, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit" (1 Corinthians 2:11, NLT)
When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God's Spirit becomes one with us and makes His home in us. Because He actually dwells in us, His thoughts and His power dwell in us. One of the ways God empowers us is through our thinking, our imagination. He wants to empower our minds because our thoughts set the direction for our lives. If we think God's thoughts, we will get God's results in our lives.
How do we know which thoughts are God's? Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God will make it clear. When your thoughts line up with His promises, you can be sure that you are thinking His thoughts!
Today, choose to focus on God's thoughts. Let Him empower you through your union with Him. Meditate on the Word and confess His promises over your life. As you continue thinking God's thoughts, you will see God's results and live the life of victory and blessing He has prepared for you!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father God, today I submit my mind, will and emotions to You. I choose to align myself with Your Word. Thank You for filling me with Your Holy Spirit and empowering me to live the life of victory You have in store for me. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Today's message was called "Thinking God's Thoughts"
No one can know a person's thoughts except that person's own spirit, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit" (1 Corinthians 2:11, NLT)
When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God's Spirit becomes one with us and makes His home in us. Because He actually dwells in us, His thoughts and His power dwell in us. One of the ways God empowers us is through our thinking, our imagination. He wants to empower our minds because our thoughts set the direction for our lives. If we think God's thoughts, we will get God's results in our lives.
How do we know which thoughts are God's? Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God will make it clear. When your thoughts line up with His promises, you can be sure that you are thinking His thoughts!
Today, choose to focus on God's thoughts. Let Him empower you through your union with Him. Meditate on the Word and confess His promises over your life. As you continue thinking God's thoughts, you will see God's results and live the life of victory and blessing He has prepared for you!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father God, today I submit my mind, will and emotions to You. I choose to align myself with Your Word. Thank You for filling me with Your Holy Spirit and empowering me to live the life of victory You have in store for me. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Sanctifying Discipline
This message by one of my favorite online ministries... Proverbs 31 Ministries.
Sanctifying Discipline
Wendy Blight
"No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening – it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way." Hebrews 12:11 (NLT)
Discipline hurts.
When on the receiving end of it, we hate it. We whine. We groan. We complain. Our sin nature rises up to defend, rebel, and justify.
The author of Hebrews recognizes this in Hebrews 12:11. He says, "No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening – it's painful."
Yes, it is. Don't you love how God validates our feelings? Discipline hurts!
But when we examine the second half of this verse, God also makes a promise. He promises that afterwards there will be "peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way." God promises to bring forth fruit from discipline. This fruit is the outward effect of His divine discipline. Each time God disciplines us, He moves us closer and closer to holiness.
Oh, how it hurts, though. Recently, I watched and listened as my husband spoke what I believed to be harsh words to my son about his behavior. I did not feel my son's childish behavior warranted my husband's reaction. I made my opinion known right then and there…in front of my son. Looking back, I can see that I disrespected my husband. But, of course, I did not see it that way at the time. In my mind, I was protecting my son's heart, believing I knew the right way, a better way, to say what my husband said.
Later that night, my husband addressed this with me privately. It felt like he was correcting me. I reacted as expected…defending and justifying my words.
God being God had already arranged for me to have coffee the next day with a dear friend who is about ten years ahead of me in parenting. I casually asked how her youngest son was doing. It opened the door to a conversation that led to how a woman needs to respect her husband and trust him with the discipline of a son. She stressed the importance of wives not only respecting their husbands but also trusting them and praying for them…for wisdom and strength as they father their children, especially sons.
Wow!! She knew nothing of my circumstances when she began sharing her wisdom. Tears fell from my eyes as I heard God speaking to me through her.
God softened my heart. Why? To be honest, it was probably because the words did not come from my husband.
I realized in that moment that I needed to change my heart. I learned through her words that my husband's admonishment about what I had done was God's discipline and sanctifying work. With this new perspective, I find myself more willing now to accept discipline and to work with God instead of against Him.
As we closed our time together, my friend prayed the most beautiful prayer that moved my heart to repentance. I could not wait for my husband to get home that night and share what God taught me.
God's promise does not end there. Hebrews 12:12 says:
"Therefore strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed." (NIV)
Friend, God uses discipline to heal. Our God wants the very best for us. He loves us. He delights in us. He has a plan for us. It is only when we willingly allow God to sanctify our hearts and remove sin…whatever it may be (pride, bitterness, fear, mistrust, shame, guilt, anger)…that God can truly use us and accomplish His plans in and through us.
Heavenly Father, give me a heart of glad surrender, one that willingly receives Your discipline. Father, whatever it takes, make me more like You. Bring forth a harvest of righteousness and peace in my life. Amen.
--------------------------------------------
Application Steps:
Read 1 Peter 5:5-6 and James 4:6. Who does God oppose in these verses? Who does God favor? What is His promise?
Reflections:
In what ways has God brought the strong hand of sanctifying discipline into your life?
How has God worked in and through that discipline?
Power Verses:
1 Peter 5:5b-6, "All of you, clothe yourselves with humility….because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (NIV)
James 4:6, "…God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (NIV)
Psalm 51:17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." (NIV)
Isaiah 66:2, "…This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word." (NIV)
Sanctifying Discipline
Wendy Blight
"No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening – it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way." Hebrews 12:11 (NLT)
Discipline hurts.
When on the receiving end of it, we hate it. We whine. We groan. We complain. Our sin nature rises up to defend, rebel, and justify.
The author of Hebrews recognizes this in Hebrews 12:11. He says, "No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening – it's painful."
Yes, it is. Don't you love how God validates our feelings? Discipline hurts!
But when we examine the second half of this verse, God also makes a promise. He promises that afterwards there will be "peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way." God promises to bring forth fruit from discipline. This fruit is the outward effect of His divine discipline. Each time God disciplines us, He moves us closer and closer to holiness.
Oh, how it hurts, though. Recently, I watched and listened as my husband spoke what I believed to be harsh words to my son about his behavior. I did not feel my son's childish behavior warranted my husband's reaction. I made my opinion known right then and there…in front of my son. Looking back, I can see that I disrespected my husband. But, of course, I did not see it that way at the time. In my mind, I was protecting my son's heart, believing I knew the right way, a better way, to say what my husband said.
Later that night, my husband addressed this with me privately. It felt like he was correcting me. I reacted as expected…defending and justifying my words.
God being God had already arranged for me to have coffee the next day with a dear friend who is about ten years ahead of me in parenting. I casually asked how her youngest son was doing. It opened the door to a conversation that led to how a woman needs to respect her husband and trust him with the discipline of a son. She stressed the importance of wives not only respecting their husbands but also trusting them and praying for them…for wisdom and strength as they father their children, especially sons.
Wow!! She knew nothing of my circumstances when she began sharing her wisdom. Tears fell from my eyes as I heard God speaking to me through her.
God softened my heart. Why? To be honest, it was probably because the words did not come from my husband.
I realized in that moment that I needed to change my heart. I learned through her words that my husband's admonishment about what I had done was God's discipline and sanctifying work. With this new perspective, I find myself more willing now to accept discipline and to work with God instead of against Him.
As we closed our time together, my friend prayed the most beautiful prayer that moved my heart to repentance. I could not wait for my husband to get home that night and share what God taught me.
God's promise does not end there. Hebrews 12:12 says:
"Therefore strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed." (NIV)
Friend, God uses discipline to heal. Our God wants the very best for us. He loves us. He delights in us. He has a plan for us. It is only when we willingly allow God to sanctify our hearts and remove sin…whatever it may be (pride, bitterness, fear, mistrust, shame, guilt, anger)…that God can truly use us and accomplish His plans in and through us.
Heavenly Father, give me a heart of glad surrender, one that willingly receives Your discipline. Father, whatever it takes, make me more like You. Bring forth a harvest of righteousness and peace in my life. Amen.
--------------------------------------------
Application Steps:
Read 1 Peter 5:5-6 and James 4:6. Who does God oppose in these verses? Who does God favor? What is His promise?
Reflections:
In what ways has God brought the strong hand of sanctifying discipline into your life?
How has God worked in and through that discipline?
Power Verses:
1 Peter 5:5b-6, "All of you, clothe yourselves with humility….because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (NIV)
James 4:6, "…God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (NIV)
Psalm 51:17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." (NIV)
Isaiah 66:2, "…This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word." (NIV)
After Surrender— Then What?
By My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers’
After Surrender— Then What?
I have finished the work which You have given Me to do —John 17:4
True surrender is not simply surrender of our external life but surrender of our will— and once that is done, surrender is complete. The greatest crisis we ever face is the surrender of our will. Yet God never forces a person’s will into surrender, and He never begs. He patiently waits until that person willingly yields to Him. And once that battle has been fought, it never needs to be fought again.
SURRENDER FOR DELIVERANCE: “Come to Me . . . and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). It is only after we have begun to experience what salvation really means that we surrender our will to Jesus for rest. Whatever is causing us a sense of uncertainty is actually a call to our will— “Come to Me.” And it is a voluntary coming.
SURRENDER FOR DEVOTION: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself . . . ” (Matthew 16:24). The surrender here is of my self to Jesus, with His rest at the heart of my being. He says, “If you want to be My disciple, you must give up your right to yourself to Me.” And once this is done, the remainder of your life will exhibit nothing but the evidence of this surrender, and you never need to be concerned again with what the future may hold for you. Whatever your circumstances may be, Jesus is totally sufficient (see 2 Corinthians 12:9 and (Philippians 4:19).
SURRENDER FOR DEATH: “. . . another will gird you . . .” (John 21:18 ; also see John21:19 ). Have you learned what it means to be girded for death? Beware of some surrender that you make to God in an ecstatic moment in your life, because you are apt to take it back again. True surrender is a matter of being “united together [with Jesus] in the likeness of His death” (Romans 6:5) until nothing ever appeals to you that did not appeal to Him.
And after you surrender— then what? Your entire life should be characterized by an eagerness to maintain unbroken fellowship and oneness with God.
After Surrender— Then What?
I have finished the work which You have given Me to do —John 17:4
True surrender is not simply surrender of our external life but surrender of our will— and once that is done, surrender is complete. The greatest crisis we ever face is the surrender of our will. Yet God never forces a person’s will into surrender, and He never begs. He patiently waits until that person willingly yields to Him. And once that battle has been fought, it never needs to be fought again.
SURRENDER FOR DELIVERANCE: “Come to Me . . . and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). It is only after we have begun to experience what salvation really means that we surrender our will to Jesus for rest. Whatever is causing us a sense of uncertainty is actually a call to our will— “Come to Me.” And it is a voluntary coming.
SURRENDER FOR DEVOTION: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself . . . ” (Matthew 16:24). The surrender here is of my self to Jesus, with His rest at the heart of my being. He says, “If you want to be My disciple, you must give up your right to yourself to Me.” And once this is done, the remainder of your life will exhibit nothing but the evidence of this surrender, and you never need to be concerned again with what the future may hold for you. Whatever your circumstances may be, Jesus is totally sufficient (see 2 Corinthians 12:9 and (Philippians 4:19).
SURRENDER FOR DEATH: “. . . another will gird you . . .” (John 21:18 ; also see John21:19 ). Have you learned what it means to be girded for death? Beware of some surrender that you make to God in an ecstatic moment in your life, because you are apt to take it back again. True surrender is a matter of being “united together [with Jesus] in the likeness of His death” (Romans 6:5) until nothing ever appeals to you that did not appeal to Him.
And after you surrender— then what? Your entire life should be characterized by an eagerness to maintain unbroken fellowship and oneness with God.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Do You Feel Like You Can't Pray Anymore?
By the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's Decision magazine. An article called "Do You Feel Like You Can't Pray Anymore?" (Based on scripture passage 1 Kings 19:1-9)
September 9, 2010 - Have you ever felt as if you have run out of prayers? When and where did you experience your low point? Was it after failure or success?
By Jill Briscoe
This month, let’s take a look at 1 Kings 19:1-9, where Elijah felt much the same way.
We pick up the story of Elijah just after God had vindicated him by fire on Mt. Carmel in front of the prophets of Baal. But now Jezebel has vowed to kill Elijah, and the contrast is incredible. The Bible says, “Elijah was afraid and fled for his life” and ran away to collapse under a broom tree (1 Kings 19:3).
I could imagine Elijah as exhausted, lonely or angry, but not afraid! Yet, I have to admit that this particular verse encourages me to keep hoping, because I, too, am so often afraid.
Have you ever had a “broom tree experience?” What took you there? Can you identify with any of the factors that took Elijah down? Have you ever run away because you were afraid?
It has been my experience that when you run into fear, you can run out of faith in a hurry. Fear paralyzes you. In a moment we can go from faith to fear and end up under a broom tree waiting to die. But such failure is never final for the people of God. It might look and feel that way, but it can lead to a whole new dimension of ministry and experience in prayer.
What Fear Does to Faith
Doubt is faith in distress, and it is very hard to pray when you are doubting God. The Bible says, “Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Elijah couldn’t see God anymore, but worse, he could see Jezebel very clearly. And she looked so much bigger than God.
There are two ways of looking at a problem. You can look at your problem through God, or you can look at God through your problem. If God is in front of the problem, it appears insignificant. But if God is behind the problem, then the problem dominates everything.
What God’s Presence Does for Us
Do you find it hard to tell God how you feel? Have you ever told God that you’ve had enough?
The first thing to do when you arrive under the broom tree is quit everything. Give yourself permission to collapse. Elijah simply said, “God, I’ve had it!”
Think of a parent dealing with a child who is extremely upset. If only we can get the child talking, we can do something to resolve the issue. God feels like that about His children. It is not that He needs information, just dialogue. It is for our sake, not His, that we should try to tell Him how we feel.
The Lord Jesus never tired of inviting, encouraging, exhorting, even commanding people—especially His disciples—to pray. He said that they “should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1, NIV). When you are under the broom tree, that is very hard to do, but at these times, we are not praying intercessory prayers. These are prayers of desperation. Keep talking to the Lord, even if you are mad at Him or doubting His very existence.
Where was God in Elijah’s situation? Read 1 Kings 19:5-7.
God was there in the person of the angel of the Lord. God is always present and waiting to help His exhausted servants. Jesus promised that a sparrow would not fall to the ground without the Father knowing it (Matthew 10:29). God is never surprised by our visits to the broom tree. Knowing all things, He waits to strengthen us by the appropriate means, just as He waited for Elijah and had a meal prepared for him. In your broom tree situation, have you sensed an “angel of the Lord’s presence?” Look up Genesis 16:7 and Exodus 3:1-16 for other examples of when the Lord appeared. What were the occasions? To whom did He appear? What did He do? What resulted?
Every time we pray, the angel of His presence is as much with us as He was with Elijah through His Holy Spirit. In fact, He dwells within us!
What the Broom Tree Gives to Us
Broom tree experiences introduce us to a new way of praying. It’s not verbal praying but rather total abandonment of ourselves in despair at God’s feet. It is a silent scream for help. Sometimes we cannot even shout at God. We are spent.
When you run out of prayers, God still hears you. Even though no words are formed, God looks at you and reads the language of your longing. At that moment, you are the prayer. So be content just to be a desperate prayer under your particular broom tree and wait and see what happens.
You may wonder how long you’ll be there. You’ll remain there as long as it takes for you to be strengthened. Try not to take on anything extra until things begin to be resolved. Once Elijah was off and running again, God went ahead of him, preparing his future.
If you’re not at the broom tree right now, you will be someday and there is probably someone else there right now. Pray right now for people under the broom tree and make a list of practical ways you could help them. Take action on this list soon. Then, pray and ask God about your own pressures, loneliness and exhaustion. Is there a broom tree ahead of you? Spend some time in prayer.
The journey can be too great for all of us, for all sorts of reasons. Maybe you have been left to care for a sick person for far too long, with no relief. Or you have been in school and also working to support a family and have burned out. Maybe you have been in a wilderness spiritually, with little or no fellowship over the long haul. There are all sorts of reasons that we run out of prayers. Yet, when that happens, God has only just begun!
As Elijah was to find out, God gives more grace, more help, more joy, more hope and more strength to all of us in our weakness than He ever does when we are strong. We just need to bank on it. It was the Lord Jesus, the captain of the Lord of hosts, who came to Elijah’s aid, and the same captain of our salvation will fight for us against all our enemies, even the enemies called desperation and depression.
September 9, 2010 - Have you ever felt as if you have run out of prayers? When and where did you experience your low point? Was it after failure or success?
By Jill Briscoe
This month, let’s take a look at 1 Kings 19:1-9, where Elijah felt much the same way.
We pick up the story of Elijah just after God had vindicated him by fire on Mt. Carmel in front of the prophets of Baal. But now Jezebel has vowed to kill Elijah, and the contrast is incredible. The Bible says, “Elijah was afraid and fled for his life” and ran away to collapse under a broom tree (1 Kings 19:3).
I could imagine Elijah as exhausted, lonely or angry, but not afraid! Yet, I have to admit that this particular verse encourages me to keep hoping, because I, too, am so often afraid.
Have you ever had a “broom tree experience?” What took you there? Can you identify with any of the factors that took Elijah down? Have you ever run away because you were afraid?
It has been my experience that when you run into fear, you can run out of faith in a hurry. Fear paralyzes you. In a moment we can go from faith to fear and end up under a broom tree waiting to die. But such failure is never final for the people of God. It might look and feel that way, but it can lead to a whole new dimension of ministry and experience in prayer.
What Fear Does to Faith
Doubt is faith in distress, and it is very hard to pray when you are doubting God. The Bible says, “Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Elijah couldn’t see God anymore, but worse, he could see Jezebel very clearly. And she looked so much bigger than God.
There are two ways of looking at a problem. You can look at your problem through God, or you can look at God through your problem. If God is in front of the problem, it appears insignificant. But if God is behind the problem, then the problem dominates everything.
What God’s Presence Does for Us
Do you find it hard to tell God how you feel? Have you ever told God that you’ve had enough?
The first thing to do when you arrive under the broom tree is quit everything. Give yourself permission to collapse. Elijah simply said, “God, I’ve had it!”
Think of a parent dealing with a child who is extremely upset. If only we can get the child talking, we can do something to resolve the issue. God feels like that about His children. It is not that He needs information, just dialogue. It is for our sake, not His, that we should try to tell Him how we feel.
The Lord Jesus never tired of inviting, encouraging, exhorting, even commanding people—especially His disciples—to pray. He said that they “should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1, NIV). When you are under the broom tree, that is very hard to do, but at these times, we are not praying intercessory prayers. These are prayers of desperation. Keep talking to the Lord, even if you are mad at Him or doubting His very existence.
Where was God in Elijah’s situation? Read 1 Kings 19:5-7.
God was there in the person of the angel of the Lord. God is always present and waiting to help His exhausted servants. Jesus promised that a sparrow would not fall to the ground without the Father knowing it (Matthew 10:29). God is never surprised by our visits to the broom tree. Knowing all things, He waits to strengthen us by the appropriate means, just as He waited for Elijah and had a meal prepared for him. In your broom tree situation, have you sensed an “angel of the Lord’s presence?” Look up Genesis 16:7 and Exodus 3:1-16 for other examples of when the Lord appeared. What were the occasions? To whom did He appear? What did He do? What resulted?
Every time we pray, the angel of His presence is as much with us as He was with Elijah through His Holy Spirit. In fact, He dwells within us!
What the Broom Tree Gives to Us
Broom tree experiences introduce us to a new way of praying. It’s not verbal praying but rather total abandonment of ourselves in despair at God’s feet. It is a silent scream for help. Sometimes we cannot even shout at God. We are spent.
When you run out of prayers, God still hears you. Even though no words are formed, God looks at you and reads the language of your longing. At that moment, you are the prayer. So be content just to be a desperate prayer under your particular broom tree and wait and see what happens.
You may wonder how long you’ll be there. You’ll remain there as long as it takes for you to be strengthened. Try not to take on anything extra until things begin to be resolved. Once Elijah was off and running again, God went ahead of him, preparing his future.
If you’re not at the broom tree right now, you will be someday and there is probably someone else there right now. Pray right now for people under the broom tree and make a list of practical ways you could help them. Take action on this list soon. Then, pray and ask God about your own pressures, loneliness and exhaustion. Is there a broom tree ahead of you? Spend some time in prayer.
The journey can be too great for all of us, for all sorts of reasons. Maybe you have been left to care for a sick person for far too long, with no relief. Or you have been in school and also working to support a family and have burned out. Maybe you have been in a wilderness spiritually, with little or no fellowship over the long haul. There are all sorts of reasons that we run out of prayers. Yet, when that happens, God has only just begun!
As Elijah was to find out, God gives more grace, more help, more joy, more hope and more strength to all of us in our weakness than He ever does when we are strong. We just need to bank on it. It was the Lord Jesus, the captain of the Lord of hosts, who came to Elijah’s aid, and the same captain of our salvation will fight for us against all our enemies, even the enemies called desperation and depression.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Out of the Waiting Room
This message by one of my favorite online ministries... Proverbs 31 Ministries. The also have a FaceBook Page, a magazine, a radio show... They're just a great bunch of ladies and I love their ministry.
Today's devotion is based on a scripture passage that God has put in front of me many, many times in the past year...well, more than a year. God even led me to a necklace that I have with this scripture passage written on the back of a shield... with a cross on the other. It's a wonderful necklace that is also a tribute to my dear Grandmother; as it was one of two things that I purchased out of the $50.00 that I got from her estate... the other item being a bible with all the books placed in chronological order.
Out of the Waiting Room
Susan Meissner, She Reads Featured Author
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
Picture a doctor's waiting room: cushioned chairs, a display of colorful magazines, soothing music wafting above your head, perhaps an aquarium of sparkling fish. Why does the doctor provide such a calming environment? Because he or she knows that by and large, people do not like to wait there. Truth is, we don't much like to wait anywhere for any length of time.
And we often cringe at the mere idea of waiting on God - more than any other kind of waiting. He is so frequently not in a hurry. We don't want to learn patience by waiting, though it is often the best way to learn it.
But consider for a moment the flipside. Consider for a moment those times when the waiting room door has been thrown open but we're still sitting in the chair by the fish, afraid to get up, get out and get moving. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we sense God nudging us to step out, but instead we're oddly content to just wait it out - perhaps hoping someone else will make the move we're supposed to make.
Just as there are times when God wants us to wait on Him; there are times when He calls us to action. And just as we need to listen for His voice in times of waiting, we need to obey His prompting when the wait is over.
When God told Moses to send spies into the land of Canaan, only two of the twelve came back from the mission ready to do what God was prompting them to do. The others wanted to head back to the waiting room, grab a magazine and hang out with the fish! They were afraid to move forward in faith, even though they had seen God time and again prepare a way for them in the wilderness and then lead them through it. God asked that these people take a step of faith and trust Him for what lay past the waiting room door. He didn't kick them out of the waiting room. He asked them to leave it, and they chose not to. History shows us what they missed (Numbers 13:26-14:25).
Are there perhaps blessings you have asked for but then have refused to pursue? Have you been hanging back in the waiting room – perhaps because you've allowed fear to convince you it's better to be safe and ineffective than risk being used by God?
The waiting room has its purpose. It is the place where you get mentally ready for what comes next. You are not meant to live there. You were designed for the world outside. And it waits for you!
Dear Lord, enable us this day to throw off self-doubts and fear so that we may obey You, serve You and live out our purpose for You. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and empower us to do all that You have called and equipped us to do. Forgive us for being content with sitting in the waiting room when You've called us to come out. Ignite in us a passion to live our faith loudly. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
-----------------
My prayer... as above but written for me to God...
Dear Lord, enable me this day to throw off self-doubts and fear so that I may obey You, serve You and live out my purpose for You. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and empower me to do all that You have called and equipped me to do. Forgive me for being content with sitting in the waiting room when You've called me to come out. Ignite in me a passion to live our faith loudly. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
-----------------
Application Steps:
Stop waiting for a deeper prayer life and start prayer journaling. Visit the She Reads blog where we are giving away a prayer journal, plus the antique ring from the cover of the novel Lady in Waiting. Several copies of Susan Meissner's latest novel Lady in Waiting will be awarded as well.
Reflections:
Is there a decision pressing on you that you've been afraid to make? Pray for courage and wisdom from the Lord, and then share this need with a trusted friend who will help you take the next step of "getting out of your waiting room chair."
What keeps you from being strong and courageous? List those things. What would God have you do with thought patterns that originate out of fear and doubt?
Power Verses:
2 Corinthians 9:8, "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." (NIV)
Ephesians 2:10, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (NIV)
Today's devotion is based on a scripture passage that God has put in front of me many, many times in the past year...well, more than a year. God even led me to a necklace that I have with this scripture passage written on the back of a shield... with a cross on the other. It's a wonderful necklace that is also a tribute to my dear Grandmother; as it was one of two things that I purchased out of the $50.00 that I got from her estate... the other item being a bible with all the books placed in chronological order.
Out of the Waiting Room
Susan Meissner, She Reads Featured Author
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
Picture a doctor's waiting room: cushioned chairs, a display of colorful magazines, soothing music wafting above your head, perhaps an aquarium of sparkling fish. Why does the doctor provide such a calming environment? Because he or she knows that by and large, people do not like to wait there. Truth is, we don't much like to wait anywhere for any length of time.
And we often cringe at the mere idea of waiting on God - more than any other kind of waiting. He is so frequently not in a hurry. We don't want to learn patience by waiting, though it is often the best way to learn it.
But consider for a moment the flipside. Consider for a moment those times when the waiting room door has been thrown open but we're still sitting in the chair by the fish, afraid to get up, get out and get moving. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we sense God nudging us to step out, but instead we're oddly content to just wait it out - perhaps hoping someone else will make the move we're supposed to make.
Just as there are times when God wants us to wait on Him; there are times when He calls us to action. And just as we need to listen for His voice in times of waiting, we need to obey His prompting when the wait is over.
When God told Moses to send spies into the land of Canaan, only two of the twelve came back from the mission ready to do what God was prompting them to do. The others wanted to head back to the waiting room, grab a magazine and hang out with the fish! They were afraid to move forward in faith, even though they had seen God time and again prepare a way for them in the wilderness and then lead them through it. God asked that these people take a step of faith and trust Him for what lay past the waiting room door. He didn't kick them out of the waiting room. He asked them to leave it, and they chose not to. History shows us what they missed (Numbers 13:26-14:25).
Are there perhaps blessings you have asked for but then have refused to pursue? Have you been hanging back in the waiting room – perhaps because you've allowed fear to convince you it's better to be safe and ineffective than risk being used by God?
The waiting room has its purpose. It is the place where you get mentally ready for what comes next. You are not meant to live there. You were designed for the world outside. And it waits for you!
Dear Lord, enable us this day to throw off self-doubts and fear so that we may obey You, serve You and live out our purpose for You. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and empower us to do all that You have called and equipped us to do. Forgive us for being content with sitting in the waiting room when You've called us to come out. Ignite in us a passion to live our faith loudly. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
-----------------
My prayer... as above but written for me to God...
Dear Lord, enable me this day to throw off self-doubts and fear so that I may obey You, serve You and live out my purpose for You. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and empower me to do all that You have called and equipped me to do. Forgive me for being content with sitting in the waiting room when You've called me to come out. Ignite in me a passion to live our faith loudly. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
-----------------
Application Steps:
Stop waiting for a deeper prayer life and start prayer journaling. Visit the She Reads blog where we are giving away a prayer journal, plus the antique ring from the cover of the novel Lady in Waiting. Several copies of Susan Meissner's latest novel Lady in Waiting will be awarded as well.
Reflections:
Is there a decision pressing on you that you've been afraid to make? Pray for courage and wisdom from the Lord, and then share this need with a trusted friend who will help you take the next step of "getting out of your waiting room chair."
What keeps you from being strong and courageous? List those things. What would God have you do with thought patterns that originate out of fear and doubt?
Power Verses:
2 Corinthians 9:8, "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." (NIV)
Ephesians 2:10, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (NIV)
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Let It Go!
Something I got in an email. I need this message now and then it's nice to have the reminder.
The email claims this is by T.D. Jakes
There are people who can walk away from you.
And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you, let them walk. I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.
When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.
The bible said that they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]
People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay.
Let them go.
And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person, it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead...
You've got to know when it's dead. You've got to know when it's over.
Let me tell you something... I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift; I believe in good-bye... It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat, I don't need it. Stop begging people to stay.
Let them go!!!
If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to...
LET IT GO!!!
If you are holding on to past hurts and pains ...
LET IT GO!!!
If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth...
LET IT GO!!!
If someone has angered you.
LET IT GO!!!
If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge...
LET IT GO!!!
If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction...
LET IT GO!!!
If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents...
LET IT GO!!!
If you have a bad attitude...
LET IT GO!!!
If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better...
LET IT GO!!!
If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him...
LET IT GO!!!
If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship...
LET IT GO!!!
If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves...
LET IT GO!!!
If you're feeling depressed and stressed ...
LET IT GO!!!
If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying 'take your hands off of it', then you need to...
LET IT GO!!!
'The Battle is the Lord's!'
Next, stop and think and appreciate God's power in your life, for doing what you kn ow is pleasing to Him. God loves you and watches over you everyday.
The email claims this is by T.D. Jakes
There are people who can walk away from you.
And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you, let them walk. I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.
When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.
The bible said that they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]
People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay.
Let them go.
And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person, it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead...
You've got to know when it's dead. You've got to know when it's over.
Let me tell you something... I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift; I believe in good-bye... It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat, I don't need it. Stop begging people to stay.
Let them go!!!
If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to...
LET IT GO!!!
If you are holding on to past hurts and pains ...
LET IT GO!!!
If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth...
LET IT GO!!!
If someone has angered you.
LET IT GO!!!
If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge...
LET IT GO!!!
If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction...
LET IT GO!!!
If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents...
LET IT GO!!!
If you have a bad attitude...
LET IT GO!!!
If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better...
LET IT GO!!!
If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him...
LET IT GO!!!
If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship...
LET IT GO!!!
If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves...
LET IT GO!!!
If you're feeling depressed and stressed ...
LET IT GO!!!
If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying 'take your hands off of it', then you need to...
LET IT GO!!!
'The Battle is the Lord's!'
Next, stop and think and appreciate God's power in your life, for doing what you kn ow is pleasing to Him. God loves you and watches over you everyday.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Lean Not On Your Own Understanding
By www.jesus-is-lord-the-way-the-truth-the-life.com's FaceBook page
A message from their Wall Photos messages section for today.
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV
When we have an important decision to make, we sometimes feel that we can't trust anyone—not even God. But God knows what is best for us. He is a better judge of what we want than we are! We must trust him completely in every choice we make. We should not omit careful thinking or belittle our God-given ability to reason; but we should not trust our own ideas to the exclusion of all others. We must not be wise in our own eyes but be willing to listen to and be corrected by God's Word and wise counselors. Bring your decisions to God in prayer; use the Bible as your guide; and then follow God's leading. He will direct your paths by both guiding and protecting you.
A message from their Wall Photos messages section for today.
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV
When we have an important decision to make, we sometimes feel that we can't trust anyone—not even God. But God knows what is best for us. He is a better judge of what we want than we are! We must trust him completely in every choice we make. We should not omit careful thinking or belittle our God-given ability to reason; but we should not trust our own ideas to the exclusion of all others. We must not be wise in our own eyes but be willing to listen to and be corrected by God's Word and wise counselors. Bring your decisions to God in prayer; use the Bible as your guide; and then follow God's leading. He will direct your paths by both guiding and protecting you.
For Those Who Are Struggling
Mark Brown with another awesome message via YouTube video that spoke to me. This message called "For those who are struggling"
Sunday, September 5, 2010
How to Discover God's Will
Mark Brown with another awesome message via YouTube video that spoke to me. This message called "How to Discover God's Will"
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Knowledge Can Be Dangerous
By Joyce Meyer - From the book New Day, New You: 365 Devotions for Enjoying Everyday Life by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2007 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.
For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. ~ 1 Corinthians 2:2 (KJV)
This is such a glorious Scripture. You and I try to know everything, and here Paul is telling us that he did just the opposite. Unlike us, who worry about all the things we don't know, Paul was trying to get rid of some of the things he did know. Why? Because he had discovered that, as the Bible teaches, sometimes knowledge can be aggravating (see Ecclesiastes 12:12). He had also discovered that knowledge can create pride, . . . [Yet mere] knowledge causes people to be puffed up (to bear themselves loftily and be proud) (1 Corinthians 8:1).
Sometimes the more knowledge we accumulate, the more problems we create. Often we plot and scheme and finagle to discover things that would be better left alone. Have you ever schemed to find out something that was going on and then when you did discover it, you sincerely wished you had stayed out of it? That is why Paul said that he had determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. Sometimes the more I think I know, the harder it is to follow God.
For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. ~ 1 Corinthians 2:2 (KJV)
This is such a glorious Scripture. You and I try to know everything, and here Paul is telling us that he did just the opposite. Unlike us, who worry about all the things we don't know, Paul was trying to get rid of some of the things he did know. Why? Because he had discovered that, as the Bible teaches, sometimes knowledge can be aggravating (see Ecclesiastes 12:12). He had also discovered that knowledge can create pride, . . . [Yet mere] knowledge causes people to be puffed up (to bear themselves loftily and be proud) (1 Corinthians 8:1).
Sometimes the more knowledge we accumulate, the more problems we create. Often we plot and scheme and finagle to discover things that would be better left alone. Have you ever schemed to find out something that was going on and then when you did discover it, you sincerely wished you had stayed out of it? That is why Paul said that he had determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. Sometimes the more I think I know, the harder it is to follow God.
Victory One Step at a Time
By www.jesus-is-lord-the-way-the-truth-the-life.com's FaceBook page
And the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you little by little; you will be unable to destroy them at once, lest the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. (Deuteronomy 7:22)
When God led His people into the Promised Land, He did so step by step. If He had allowed them to annihilate their enemies at once, the land would have been too difficult to manage. So He allowed some of the enemies to remain for a time in order to maintain the land and suppress the wildlife. In doing so, God taught His people to trust Him step by step. He gave them only as much responsibility as they could handle at one time.
As God leads you in your Christian growth, He will allow challenges that match your character and relationship to Him. God will not totally change your character at once when you become a Christian. Rather, He will lead you through a process to become more like His Son. He will keep working in an area in your life until it is controlled by the Holy Spirit. You may eagerly desire maturity in every area of your character, but steady, gradual growth is more lasting. God will not take shortcuts in His process of making you like Christ. He sees your life from eternity and will take as long as necessary to produce lasting spiritual growth in you.
Do not become impatient while God is producing Christlikeness in you. Do not seek more responsibilities than those He has given you. Obey all that you know He has asked, and He will lead you at a pace that fits your present character and His purposes for you.
And the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you little by little; you will be unable to destroy them at once, lest the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. (Deuteronomy 7:22)
When God led His people into the Promised Land, He did so step by step. If He had allowed them to annihilate their enemies at once, the land would have been too difficult to manage. So He allowed some of the enemies to remain for a time in order to maintain the land and suppress the wildlife. In doing so, God taught His people to trust Him step by step. He gave them only as much responsibility as they could handle at one time.
As God leads you in your Christian growth, He will allow challenges that match your character and relationship to Him. God will not totally change your character at once when you become a Christian. Rather, He will lead you through a process to become more like His Son. He will keep working in an area in your life until it is controlled by the Holy Spirit. You may eagerly desire maturity in every area of your character, but steady, gradual growth is more lasting. God will not take shortcuts in His process of making you like Christ. He sees your life from eternity and will take as long as necessary to produce lasting spiritual growth in you.
Do not become impatient while God is producing Christlikeness in you. Do not seek more responsibilities than those He has given you. Obey all that you know He has asked, and He will lead you at a pace that fits your present character and His purposes for you.
The Race
By www.jesus-is-lord-the-way-the-truth-the-life.com's FaceBook page
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7
"There is much satisfaction in finishing something you have begun! The success of a race is determined not only by how well you begin but also by how well you end. Many athletes can begin a race impressively, but if they stumble or are injured or lack the stamina to finish, their good start is useless. Paul rejoiced that he had not only begun the race but he had also finished it. His prize was a robust faith in God and a life filled with God's powerful presence.
The Christian life is not easy. Some mistakenly assume that once they become children of God, their struggles are over. Many Christians begin their walk with Christ enthusiastically, but as the pressures mount, they lose heart and abandon their pilgrimage.
Paul described His Christian life as a battle. There were times when he struggled, and only through perseverance could he continue. It may surprise us to know that the great apostle had to struggle at times to be faithful to God. Paul faced persecution, misunderstanding, betrayal, and death threats. His Christian life was anything but easy, yet he persevered.
Your faith in God is not proven by beginning the race but by enduring to the finish. Publicly announcing your commitment to Christ in your church does not compare with a lifetime of devotion to His cause. Use Paul as your model. Live your life in such a way that you can one day conclude, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith!"
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7
"There is much satisfaction in finishing something you have begun! The success of a race is determined not only by how well you begin but also by how well you end. Many athletes can begin a race impressively, but if they stumble or are injured or lack the stamina to finish, their good start is useless. Paul rejoiced that he had not only begun the race but he had also finished it. His prize was a robust faith in God and a life filled with God's powerful presence.
The Christian life is not easy. Some mistakenly assume that once they become children of God, their struggles are over. Many Christians begin their walk with Christ enthusiastically, but as the pressures mount, they lose heart and abandon their pilgrimage.
Paul described His Christian life as a battle. There were times when he struggled, and only through perseverance could he continue. It may surprise us to know that the great apostle had to struggle at times to be faithful to God. Paul faced persecution, misunderstanding, betrayal, and death threats. His Christian life was anything but easy, yet he persevered.
Your faith in God is not proven by beginning the race but by enduring to the finish. Publicly announcing your commitment to Christ in your church does not compare with a lifetime of devotion to His cause. Use Paul as your model. Live your life in such a way that you can one day conclude, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith!"
Monday, August 30, 2010
Choose to Rejoice
By www.jesus-is-lord-the-way-the-truth-the-life.com's FaceBook page
But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Acts 16:25
"Your joy as a Christian should not depend on your circumstances. Joy comes from God, and therefore it cannot be affected by what is outside of you. Don't be fooled into letting the actions of others determine your joy. True joy comes from knowing that God Himself lives within you and has fellowship with you, regardless of your environment. Real joy lies in the knowledge that holy God has completely forgiven you of every sin, and even now, He has a home prepared in heaven where you can spend eternity with Him (John 14:3). The circumstances of your life cannot change these truths!
Paul and Silas faced some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable. They were falsely accused, arrested, and imprisoned. They were beaten and shackled in the darkest, coldest section of the prison. But they refused to allow their horrific situation to dampen their joy! They did not blame God for allowing these things to happen to them. Instead, they praised Him for His goodness! In the darkness of the night, they prayed and they sang. God brought a miracle that released them from their chains, but perhaps the greater miracle was that His Holy Spirit could so fill them that even in their painful imprisonment they could overflow with joy!
Do not allow difficult events to cancel the joy of knowing you are a child of God. Choose to allow God's Spirit to fill you with His unquenchable joy, and your life will be a miracle to those who watch you face the trials that come."
But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Acts 16:25
"Your joy as a Christian should not depend on your circumstances. Joy comes from God, and therefore it cannot be affected by what is outside of you. Don't be fooled into letting the actions of others determine your joy. True joy comes from knowing that God Himself lives within you and has fellowship with you, regardless of your environment. Real joy lies in the knowledge that holy God has completely forgiven you of every sin, and even now, He has a home prepared in heaven where you can spend eternity with Him (John 14:3). The circumstances of your life cannot change these truths!
Paul and Silas faced some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable. They were falsely accused, arrested, and imprisoned. They were beaten and shackled in the darkest, coldest section of the prison. But they refused to allow their horrific situation to dampen their joy! They did not blame God for allowing these things to happen to them. Instead, they praised Him for His goodness! In the darkness of the night, they prayed and they sang. God brought a miracle that released them from their chains, but perhaps the greater miracle was that His Holy Spirit could so fill them that even in their painful imprisonment they could overflow with joy!
Do not allow difficult events to cancel the joy of knowing you are a child of God. Choose to allow God's Spirit to fill you with His unquenchable joy, and your life will be a miracle to those who watch you face the trials that come."
Giving Your Best
By www.jesus-is-lord-the-way-the-truth-the-life.com's FaceBook page
You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God a bull or sheep which has any blemish or defect, for that is an abomination to the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 17:1
"God's love moved Him to sacrifice that which meant the most to Him -- His only Son. Our response, if we truly understand His love for us, is the desire to give back to God that which means the most to us.
The Old Testament reveals that God set forth high standards for the sacrifices He required of His people. A worthy sacrifice had to cost the people something. As their hearts shifted away from God, the people began struggling to give God costly offerings. They would bring blind, lame, and sick animals, assuming God could not tell the difference (Mal. 1:8). God saw what they were doing and declared their offerings to be in vain (Mal. 1:10). Throughout the Old Testament period, God was setting the stage for the ultimate, perfect, and sinless sacrifice of His Son for the sins of humanity.
The offerings we give back to God reveal our hearts' condition. A heart that overflows with gratitude for God's love will respond in selfless devotion. If we are unwilling to sacrifice our time, our possessions, our money, or our energy, we indicate that we do not love God as He desires. God takes delight in the person who gives to Him cheerfully out of a loving heart, a person who understands that God is the source of everything he has and who knows that God will more than compensate for whatever is sacrificed for Him (2 Cor. 9:8).
If you struggle in giving your best to God ie...your time, heart, money, pause and reflect on what God sacrificed for you. Trust Him and give Him the best that you have because you love Him with all your heart."
You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God a bull or sheep which has any blemish or defect, for that is an abomination to the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 17:1
"God's love moved Him to sacrifice that which meant the most to Him -- His only Son. Our response, if we truly understand His love for us, is the desire to give back to God that which means the most to us.
The Old Testament reveals that God set forth high standards for the sacrifices He required of His people. A worthy sacrifice had to cost the people something. As their hearts shifted away from God, the people began struggling to give God costly offerings. They would bring blind, lame, and sick animals, assuming God could not tell the difference (Mal. 1:8). God saw what they were doing and declared their offerings to be in vain (Mal. 1:10). Throughout the Old Testament period, God was setting the stage for the ultimate, perfect, and sinless sacrifice of His Son for the sins of humanity.
The offerings we give back to God reveal our hearts' condition. A heart that overflows with gratitude for God's love will respond in selfless devotion. If we are unwilling to sacrifice our time, our possessions, our money, or our energy, we indicate that we do not love God as He desires. God takes delight in the person who gives to Him cheerfully out of a loving heart, a person who understands that God is the source of everything he has and who knows that God will more than compensate for whatever is sacrificed for Him (2 Cor. 9:8).
If you struggle in giving your best to God ie...your time, heart, money, pause and reflect on what God sacrificed for you. Trust Him and give Him the best that you have because you love Him with all your heart."
Sunday, August 29, 2010
How Can We Keep From Singing?
by Our Daily Bread - Aug 29, 2010 by David C. McCasland
Read: Psalm 146
While I live I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. —Psalm 146:2
Robert Lowry felt that preaching would be his greatest contribution in life. However, this 19th-century pastor is best remembered for his gospel music and hymns. Lowry composed words or music for more than 500 songs, including “Christ Arose,” “I Need Thee Every Hour,” and “Shall We Gather at the River?”
In 1860, as the United States teetered on the brink of civil war, Lowry wrote these enduring words that focus not on threatening circumstances but on the unchanging Christ:
What though my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Savior liveth;
What though the darkness gather round!
Songs in the night He giveth:
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of Heav’n and earth,
How can I keep from singing?
Lowry’s confidence in God during difficult times echoes the psalmist’s words: “Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. . . . Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God” (Ps. 146:3-5).
Whether we react to life with faith or fear depends on our focus. Knowing that “the Lord shall reign forever” (v.10), how can we keep from singing?
If you keep in tune with Christ, you can sing even in the dark.
In 1860, as the United States teetered on the brink of civil war, Lowry wrote these enduring words that focus not on threatening circumstances but on the unchanging Christ:
What though my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Savior liveth;
What though the darkness gather round!
Songs in the night He giveth:
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of Heav’n and earth,
How can I keep from singing?
Lowry’s confidence in God during difficult times echoes the psalmist’s words: “Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. . . . Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God” (Ps. 146:3-5).
Whether we react to life with faith or fear depends on our focus. Knowing that “the Lord shall reign forever” (v.10), how can we keep from singing?
If you keep in tune with Christ, you can sing even in the dark.
Wait On the Lord
By www.jesus-is-lord-the-way-the-truth-the-life.com's FaceBook page
Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!" PSALM 27:14
Waiting is one of the hardest things to do. We want to be people of action. We feel better if we are doing something to address our need, but waiting forces us to rely on God. David learned what it meant to wait. He was chosen by God to be the next king of Israel, then spent years waiting for the day God's word would come to pass in his life. As he waited, a paranoid, egocentric king occupied the throne that had been promised to him. David spent his time hiding in caves and living among his enemies. As he waited he saw good friends murdered and his family and possessions taken. He saw Israel's enemies wreak havoc on his nation. Perhaps no one ever faced greater adversity while waiting upon God's promise than David did.
He certainly understood what it meant to become discouraged and fearful.
But David also enjoyed the reward for waiting upon the Lord. He became the greatest king in Israel's history, and, more importantly, through his trials he became a man after God's own heart. The psalms David wrote during his days as a fugitive have been cherished words of encouragement for millions of people through the ages. Through David's descendants came the Messiah. David's willingness to wait has blessed us all.
Times of waiting on the Lord can be some of the most precious moments in your life (John 11:1-6). If you are waiting on God for something, read Isaiah 40:31 and find encouragement as you wait for Him to fulfill His promises to you.
Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!" PSALM 27:14
Waiting is one of the hardest things to do. We want to be people of action. We feel better if we are doing something to address our need, but waiting forces us to rely on God. David learned what it meant to wait. He was chosen by God to be the next king of Israel, then spent years waiting for the day God's word would come to pass in his life. As he waited, a paranoid, egocentric king occupied the throne that had been promised to him. David spent his time hiding in caves and living among his enemies. As he waited he saw good friends murdered and his family and possessions taken. He saw Israel's enemies wreak havoc on his nation. Perhaps no one ever faced greater adversity while waiting upon God's promise than David did.
He certainly understood what it meant to become discouraged and fearful.
But David also enjoyed the reward for waiting upon the Lord. He became the greatest king in Israel's history, and, more importantly, through his trials he became a man after God's own heart. The psalms David wrote during his days as a fugitive have been cherished words of encouragement for millions of people through the ages. Through David's descendants came the Messiah. David's willingness to wait has blessed us all.
Times of waiting on the Lord can be some of the most precious moments in your life (John 11:1-6). If you are waiting on God for something, read Isaiah 40:31 and find encouragement as you wait for Him to fulfill His promises to you.
Worry
By www.jesus-is-lord-the-way-the-truth-the-life.com's FaceBook page
2 Timothy 1:7—For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Fear is Satan’s trademark—and if you’re living in fear, you’re not dominated by the Prince of Peace!
Worry and stress also happen to be killers. Stress makes cowards out of aggressive men. Worry fills the face with wrinkles and apprehension. Worry paralyzes the mind. Stress robs the body of rest at night, and it sends you to work shaking and shattered, incapable of solving the crisis of the day.
Worry and stress are killing us. Worry is the mother of heart disease. Some doctors say that many forms of cancer are caused by the stressed-out society in which we live. Worry is the mother of high blood pressure and ulcers. It’s not what you’re eating, it’s what’s eating you that’s the problem.
Worry is sin. Worry is faith in fear. God has not given us a spirit of fear.
Worry is trust in the unpleasant. Worry is assurance that disaster is going to overtake you. Worry is belief in defeat and despair.
What do we worry about? We worry about thing we can’t change. We worry about being unfavorable compared with somebody else. The Bible says not to compare yourselves among yourselves. Wife, there will always be somebody prettier than you. Husband, there will always be somebody more handsome than you. There will always be a better salesman, a better lawyer, a better doctor, a better preacher. Be happy with where you are and who you are. God made you what you are—be glad with that.
Don’t worry about what you can’t change. Don’t worry about what you can change—just change it. If it’s bothering you, change it. But don’t worry, because it’s an absolute waste of time.
Jesus said, "Don’t worry." Worry has sent millions of people to their graves years before they were supposed to die…people who were supposed to have known the Prince of Peace. Jesus said not worry. "Take no thought for tomorrow. I have taken care of it. I will never leave you. I will never forsake you. Don’t worry."
2 Timothy 1:7—For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Fear is Satan’s trademark—and if you’re living in fear, you’re not dominated by the Prince of Peace!
Worry and stress also happen to be killers. Stress makes cowards out of aggressive men. Worry fills the face with wrinkles and apprehension. Worry paralyzes the mind. Stress robs the body of rest at night, and it sends you to work shaking and shattered, incapable of solving the crisis of the day.
Worry and stress are killing us. Worry is the mother of heart disease. Some doctors say that many forms of cancer are caused by the stressed-out society in which we live. Worry is the mother of high blood pressure and ulcers. It’s not what you’re eating, it’s what’s eating you that’s the problem.
Worry is sin. Worry is faith in fear. God has not given us a spirit of fear.
Worry is trust in the unpleasant. Worry is assurance that disaster is going to overtake you. Worry is belief in defeat and despair.
What do we worry about? We worry about thing we can’t change. We worry about being unfavorable compared with somebody else. The Bible says not to compare yourselves among yourselves. Wife, there will always be somebody prettier than you. Husband, there will always be somebody more handsome than you. There will always be a better salesman, a better lawyer, a better doctor, a better preacher. Be happy with where you are and who you are. God made you what you are—be glad with that.
Don’t worry about what you can’t change. Don’t worry about what you can change—just change it. If it’s bothering you, change it. But don’t worry, because it’s an absolute waste of time.
Jesus said, "Don’t worry." Worry has sent millions of people to their graves years before they were supposed to die…people who were supposed to have known the Prince of Peace. Jesus said not worry. "Take no thought for tomorrow. I have taken care of it. I will never leave you. I will never forsake you. Don’t worry."
Protection: Armor All - Part 5/5
Written By Sheila Schuller Coleman
2117 08/29/10
I hope that you have seen the majority, if not all, of my messages on "Living the Lord's Prayer." I've been hearing from some of you that you're actually starting to pray the Lord's Prayer as a prayer template every single day. I've done this the last couple of years, and it has absolutely, positively transformed my life. When you pray the Lord's Prayer day by day, you begin to notice, how much more consistently you're following the key principles that God and Jesus gave us to help us live full and fruitful lives.
As we go into the last message of this series, let's review...
The Lord's Prayer begins with "Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." We PRAISE our heavenly Father Who knows what's best for us. Our Heavenly Father knows best.
And then we move on to "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." We move from praise to permission, giving God authority in those tug-of-wars of wills that we have, not because we have to, but because we trust Him. We know, as our heavenly Father knows best, we can give Him permission to have His way in our lives.
And then we're ready to ask Him to "Give us this day our daily bread." It's petition. We can ask God correctly because now we are in the right frame of mind to ask Him. Because we've already praised Him and we've been reminded that He's a big and powerful God who can do anything, we don't just ask for moldy, stale, day-old bread. We ask for fresh-from-the-oven artisan daily bread. That's what we do. We pray with boldness because we've been praising God.
And then we move from praise to permission to petition to pardon. "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." Last week I brought my restoration bucket. We pardon because we need to ask God to forgive us and to wipe away those stains that are in our hearts and in our lives. And as we have been forgiven, then we also give forgiveness to others. You'll remember that a lot of the fractures in relationships are due to broken hearts. And God decided to mend broken hearts with this - a hammer and a nail. "For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son" so we could be pardoned and we can, in turn, forgive others. That is how we mend broken hearts and mend broken relationships through asking God to forgive us and then giving others forgiveness.
And now we come to the fifth and final part of the Lord's Prayer. That is protection. Wow, anybody here need victory over things in your life? Temptations? Anybody ever have temptations in your life?
My husband Jim and I, in these lean economic times, have been on a very strict family budget. And he said, "Sheila, no more spending money on clothes or shoes."
I said, "Okay Jim, I'm here with you. I'm a team partner. I will resist the temptation." But the other day I had to go pick up a baby gift and, in order to get into the mall, I had to go through Nordstrom. Just had to, it's the easiest way into the mall. And, of course, it was when Nordstrom holds their big summer sale.
As I walked through the store, I happened to run past this really cute dress that was my size and on sale! I thought, oh, it won't hurt just to try it on. It's really hard to find a dress that fits just right, especially one that's affordable, right? All you ladies know exactly what I mean. You can't pass up an item because it won't be there next time; it'll be gone. I thought I could try it on, that won't hurt. So I went in the dressing room, I tried it on, and I thought it fit perfectly. I couldn't walk away from it. The temptation was too strong, so I bought it, took it home, and then guilt began to eat at me. I thought, oh, Jim's going to see that credit card bill and he's going to say, "Sheila, I thought we had an agreement."
I wondered how I was going to break the news to my husband. When he came home that night, we had a great dinner, a nice dessert, and I said, "Jim, I blew it today. There was a dress in my size, it was on sale, and when I went into the dressing room and tried it on, it fit perfectly. I need it for the summer wedding that we'll be attending. I just couldn't resist the temptation."
And Jim said, "Sheila, why didn't you say to yourself, ‘Get thee behind me Satan?''"
I said, "I did and he said it looks good from back here, too."
Okay, that's not a true story and we all have temptations. Do you want victory over a temptation in your life? Do you? I will tell you that when you decide to say yes to that God-given dream, you will face attack. The evil one, do you think he wants God-given dreams to succeed through you? No. So, he'll come after you and he will attack you with all kinds of little ploys. When we ask God, in the Lord's Prayer to "lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one," the good news is, we can have protection.
When I started praying the Lord's Prayer a couple years ago, when I got to this "protection" part, I also started to pray Ephesians 6, which is praying for the armor of God. I would pray each piece of the armor over me because I wanted to make sure that as I was tackling the God-sized dreams that He was asking me to give leadership to. I was facing attack, I was facing discouragement, I was facing many, many things that wanted to take me down and take me out. I knew I had to walk out of the house completely covered with God's armor. It reminded me of the "Armor All" that my husband uses to protect our dashboards from sun damage.
In this season of my life, especially, I knew I couldn't go out without one single piece of armor mentioned in Ephesians. From top to bottom, from head to toe, I make sure that I'm completely protected before I leave the house each morning.
It begins in the mind, so we all need a helmet of salvation. One day when I prayed and I said, "Lord, put that helmet of salvation on me," it dawned on me that, because I have a helmet of salvation and because I have been saved by God, He sees me as pure of mind. He has purified my thoughts. As my mind is purified from negativity, from doubt, from impure thoughts, Satan is less able to attack me. Do you see why that's important to have the helmet of salvation? It's so tempting to think "I can't do this" as opposed to "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." It begins in the mind. As we think, so are we. Cognitive psychologists talk about how thoughts lead to feelings, which lead to behavior. So, we protect our minds with a helmet of salvation. Our thoughts become God's thoughts when we do this.
Now, many of you have not had a chance to meet my wonderful husband. You hear me talk about him all the time. And I want to introduce to you, right now, my husband, Jim Coleman. Come on up Jim.
Jim's going to help demonstrate the Armor-of-God concept. First, I've asked him to put on a helmet of salvation. So, Jim, put it on. Now, negative thoughts will bombard him. Negative thoughts like "You can't do it; you're not good enough." When you're protected, those thoughts are deflected. The attacks are deflected. The helmet of salvation protects your mind.
But now, Jim's completely vulnerable right here, in the heart of the matter. Would he go into battle without a breastplate of righteousness? The scriptures say no. Because we have a breastplate of righteousness, our hearts are pure, our motives are right. We're doing things for the right reasons. We're doing things to please God. We're doing things so He gets the glory. We're doing things to help others. We're not getting up in the morning to do things for ourselves, and we're not having pity parties through the day. Instead, we're doing things for others. When the heart is protected, our motives are pure. Satan cannot attack us. And that's why it's so important to put on the breastplate of righteousness. So, Jim, please put on a breastplate of righteousness for us.
Now, he's a little more protected. Now, he's got the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, and then we put on the belt of truth. And this is really an important one for me. I don't know about you, but I get attacked by lies, all those negative lies. "Sheila, you shouldn't be in that pulpit, you're a woman." "Sheila, you shouldn't be doing that, you don't have the degree." "Sheila, why are you there? You're just Dr. Schuller's daughter." Those are the most common lies I hear.
You hear lies, too. Because when you have a God-sized dream, Satan wants to take you down and he's hurling these attacks at you. Some of those lies come from within ourselves. Some of the lies come from people who love us dearly, but they don't want to see us embarrass ourselves. They're afraid that we'll fail and so they discourage us. They try to redirect us. Have any of you ever had that happen to you? Those are lies to take you away from God's beautiful, God-sized dream that He needs you to accomplish for Him today.
So we put on that belt of truth. When I put on that belt, I actually put God's truth in that belt. I don't just go out with a belt that's unarmed. Here's a truth I'm going to give to Jim to put in his belt of truth: "God is at work within you," Jim, "giving you the will and the power." That's a truth. Here's another truth: "God who began a good work in you will complete it." And another: "You are fearfully and wonderfully made," and don't you ever believe any other lie, because you're fearfully and wonderfully made.
Those are the truths of God that He gives us. So, take those truths and put them in your belt before you leave for work this week or before you go anywhere. You will hear lots of different voices. You'll hear negative voices, you'll hear encouraging voices, you'll hear God's voice, and you'll hear Satan's voice. Most of the time you won't recognize it as Satan's voice, but "choose you this day to whom you will listen." Listen to the truth and nothing but the truth.
We can also be attacked by our fears. So many fears, especially today. People are afraid and we have reason to be afraid. It is reasonable fear that we are fighting today - that fear of embarrassment, fear of failure, fear of going bankrupt. So many fears. So, that's where the shield of faith comes in because faith protects us against our fears.
So, Jim, do you have a shield of faith with you today to protect you? Good. Now, if you don't have enough faith, you just ask for more faith because that shield deflects those attacks of fear. When I'm afraid, I'm not going to try something challenging or pursue my God-given dreams. So, don't leave home without that shield of faith. You'll need it when discouraging news or discouraging emails or letters come. God is your champion. He will not let you down.
Now, when we discuss the armor, the full armor as described in Ephesians, it's good to know that Paul wrote this in prison. He describes all the pieces of armor - most are defensive, in essence. However, he does give us one offensive piece of armor and that's the sword. And the sword is the word of God.
We see the "sword of the word" used so clearly when Jesus was tempted. Here He was, about to embark on His God-sized dream to save the world, to save you and me. He went out into the wilderness to fast and pray for forty days and nights. Of course, Satan did not want to see Him succeed, so he went into the wilderness, meets up with Jesus, who hadn't had anything to eat or drink for forty days or nights. Satan tempts Jesus by reminding Him that He could turn a stone into bread and have something to eat. But Jesus pulls out the sword of the word and quotes scripture saying, "It is written: man shall not live by bread alone."
The tree key words are: "It is written." Jesus, the Son of God, deflected Satan's temptations with the word of God. He used a scripture from the Old Testament. He said, "It is written: man shall not live by bread alone."
Then Satan encouraged Jesus to look below Him. "Do you see? If you jump down from there I'll bet you could live if you're really, truly God. Are you really truly God? Jump. Prove it. Show us that you're really, truly God."
A nibble, a bait, and Jesus did not bite. He said, "It is written: don't put God to the test."
That didn't work, so Satan tried another ploy. He said, "See as far as the eye can see - there are kingdoms out there. I will give all of those kingdoms to you if you will worship me."
And Jesus said, "It is written: worship God, the Lord God, and only the Lord God." Three times Satan tried to tempt Jesus; three times Jesus resisted and fought the temptation with God's word. It is written, it is written, it is written.
Do you think that you or I can have the strength to withstand Satan without "it is written"? If Jesus needed it, how much more do you and I need it? So, I have my little it-is-written's. They're imaginary and I tuck them in my pocket before I leave every morning. When I'm praying the armor - I'm praying for God to put on that helmet of salvation, put on that breastplate of righteousness, and the belt of truth, and then the sword of His word - I say, "Okay, Lord, it is written," and I tuck it in my pocket. Then, when I'm driving along and I suddenly have this little niggling fear or that little niggling temptation, I instantly say out loud, "Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute, I'm not going to give into this temptation; it is written! ‘The Lord is at my right hand and I will not be shaken.'" That's one of my favorite it-is-written's that I keep handy at all times.
Last but not least, Satan, our great adversary, our great accuser, he is powerless. However, it's important to keep ourselves protected against him. And we need to be completely protected from head to toe. The scripture in Ephesians talks about putting on the shoes of the gospel of peace. Why? Because we need to make sure that our steps are protected, that we don't lose our way, that we don't stumble and fall flat on our faces, and that we make it to the end of our races. Shod your soul with God's word and you will finish the race. It says in 1st Corinthians, "Do you not know that in a race, all runners run? But only one gets the prize."
Make sure you have your shoes of the gospel of peace on your feet because they protect your way. Where is it that you're going? Why are you getting up in the morning? What is it you want to do? Our goal, Paul says here, our mission should you accept it, is a mission impossible if you try to accomplish it on your own strength. But it's a mission possible if you use God's help. And the mission is this: We're not to wear full body armor to be warriors, we're to be messengers of the gospel of peace. We're to be "repairers of the breach," to bring good news. That's why we have to make sure we also remember our shoes of the gospel of peace.
Jim's completely protected from head to toe and I want to thank him for helping us to demonstrate the full armor of God. Thank you, Jim. You're a very brave man.
God wants you to be a catcher like Jim was, a catcher of God-sized dreams. So, say yes to them today. Say yes to God-sized dreams. Then protect yourself from head to toe against discouragement, against negative thinking, against fear. It's here in the Bible. You can do it.
Stand with me and let us close by actually doing this together. We're going to all lift our hands in the air and we're going to lift our eyes to the heavens. "Our father Who art in heaven" (Our Father Who art in heaven), "hallowed be Thy name" (hallowed be Thy name). And place your hands in submission, hold them out, hands open, not clenched, not holding onto that rope, but holding our will open to God. "Thy kingdom come" (Thy kingdom come), "thy will be done" (Thy will be done) "on earth as it is in heaven" (on earth as it is in heaven). Put your hands together in petition. "Lord, give us this day our fresh-from-the-oven daily bread" (Give us this day our fresh-from-the-oven daily bread). And now in your mind, if you have a request, something you're hungry for, tell Him privately. Ask Him for it.
And then we're going to use the American Sign Language for Jesus - pointing to where the nails would be in the palms of our hands. "Forgive us our debts" (Forgive us our debts) "as we forgive our debtors" (as we forgive our debtors). And you don't have to repeat this after me, but in your heart say silently "Lord, forgive me for..." Ask Him to forgive you for whatever comes to mind right now. And Father, I forgive. Say it in your heart. I forgive... What names, what faces come to mind? People who have hurt you, people you need to forgive. Father, I forgive them. I forgive them now. Be free of it, don't hang on to that bitterness another moment. I forgive them, Lord.
Repeat after me: "Lead us not into temptation" (lead us not into temptation), "but deliver us from evil" (but deliver us from evil). And again, repeat after me: "Protect my mind and my thoughts, today, with the helmet of salvation" (protect my mind and my thoughts, today, with the helmet of salvation). "Protect my heart today with the breastplate of righteousness" (protect my heart today with the breastplate of righteousness). "Protect me from discouragement today with the belt of truth" (protect me from discouragement today with the belt of truth). "Protect me from fear today with a shield of faith" (protect me from fear today with a shield of faith). "Protect me from getting lost with the shoes of the gospel of peace" (protect me from getting lost with the shoes of the gospel of peace). "Amen" (amen).
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2117 08/29/10
I hope that you have seen the majority, if not all, of my messages on "Living the Lord's Prayer." I've been hearing from some of you that you're actually starting to pray the Lord's Prayer as a prayer template every single day. I've done this the last couple of years, and it has absolutely, positively transformed my life. When you pray the Lord's Prayer day by day, you begin to notice, how much more consistently you're following the key principles that God and Jesus gave us to help us live full and fruitful lives.
As we go into the last message of this series, let's review...
The Lord's Prayer begins with "Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." We PRAISE our heavenly Father Who knows what's best for us. Our Heavenly Father knows best.
And then we move on to "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." We move from praise to permission, giving God authority in those tug-of-wars of wills that we have, not because we have to, but because we trust Him. We know, as our heavenly Father knows best, we can give Him permission to have His way in our lives.
And then we're ready to ask Him to "Give us this day our daily bread." It's petition. We can ask God correctly because now we are in the right frame of mind to ask Him. Because we've already praised Him and we've been reminded that He's a big and powerful God who can do anything, we don't just ask for moldy, stale, day-old bread. We ask for fresh-from-the-oven artisan daily bread. That's what we do. We pray with boldness because we've been praising God.
And then we move from praise to permission to petition to pardon. "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." Last week I brought my restoration bucket. We pardon because we need to ask God to forgive us and to wipe away those stains that are in our hearts and in our lives. And as we have been forgiven, then we also give forgiveness to others. You'll remember that a lot of the fractures in relationships are due to broken hearts. And God decided to mend broken hearts with this - a hammer and a nail. "For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son" so we could be pardoned and we can, in turn, forgive others. That is how we mend broken hearts and mend broken relationships through asking God to forgive us and then giving others forgiveness.
And now we come to the fifth and final part of the Lord's Prayer. That is protection. Wow, anybody here need victory over things in your life? Temptations? Anybody ever have temptations in your life?
My husband Jim and I, in these lean economic times, have been on a very strict family budget. And he said, "Sheila, no more spending money on clothes or shoes."
I said, "Okay Jim, I'm here with you. I'm a team partner. I will resist the temptation." But the other day I had to go pick up a baby gift and, in order to get into the mall, I had to go through Nordstrom. Just had to, it's the easiest way into the mall. And, of course, it was when Nordstrom holds their big summer sale.
As I walked through the store, I happened to run past this really cute dress that was my size and on sale! I thought, oh, it won't hurt just to try it on. It's really hard to find a dress that fits just right, especially one that's affordable, right? All you ladies know exactly what I mean. You can't pass up an item because it won't be there next time; it'll be gone. I thought I could try it on, that won't hurt. So I went in the dressing room, I tried it on, and I thought it fit perfectly. I couldn't walk away from it. The temptation was too strong, so I bought it, took it home, and then guilt began to eat at me. I thought, oh, Jim's going to see that credit card bill and he's going to say, "Sheila, I thought we had an agreement."
I wondered how I was going to break the news to my husband. When he came home that night, we had a great dinner, a nice dessert, and I said, "Jim, I blew it today. There was a dress in my size, it was on sale, and when I went into the dressing room and tried it on, it fit perfectly. I need it for the summer wedding that we'll be attending. I just couldn't resist the temptation."
And Jim said, "Sheila, why didn't you say to yourself, ‘Get thee behind me Satan?''"
I said, "I did and he said it looks good from back here, too."
Okay, that's not a true story and we all have temptations. Do you want victory over a temptation in your life? Do you? I will tell you that when you decide to say yes to that God-given dream, you will face attack. The evil one, do you think he wants God-given dreams to succeed through you? No. So, he'll come after you and he will attack you with all kinds of little ploys. When we ask God, in the Lord's Prayer to "lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one," the good news is, we can have protection.
When I started praying the Lord's Prayer a couple years ago, when I got to this "protection" part, I also started to pray Ephesians 6, which is praying for the armor of God. I would pray each piece of the armor over me because I wanted to make sure that as I was tackling the God-sized dreams that He was asking me to give leadership to. I was facing attack, I was facing discouragement, I was facing many, many things that wanted to take me down and take me out. I knew I had to walk out of the house completely covered with God's armor. It reminded me of the "Armor All" that my husband uses to protect our dashboards from sun damage.
In this season of my life, especially, I knew I couldn't go out without one single piece of armor mentioned in Ephesians. From top to bottom, from head to toe, I make sure that I'm completely protected before I leave the house each morning.
It begins in the mind, so we all need a helmet of salvation. One day when I prayed and I said, "Lord, put that helmet of salvation on me," it dawned on me that, because I have a helmet of salvation and because I have been saved by God, He sees me as pure of mind. He has purified my thoughts. As my mind is purified from negativity, from doubt, from impure thoughts, Satan is less able to attack me. Do you see why that's important to have the helmet of salvation? It's so tempting to think "I can't do this" as opposed to "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." It begins in the mind. As we think, so are we. Cognitive psychologists talk about how thoughts lead to feelings, which lead to behavior. So, we protect our minds with a helmet of salvation. Our thoughts become God's thoughts when we do this.
Now, many of you have not had a chance to meet my wonderful husband. You hear me talk about him all the time. And I want to introduce to you, right now, my husband, Jim Coleman. Come on up Jim.
Jim's going to help demonstrate the Armor-of-God concept. First, I've asked him to put on a helmet of salvation. So, Jim, put it on. Now, negative thoughts will bombard him. Negative thoughts like "You can't do it; you're not good enough." When you're protected, those thoughts are deflected. The attacks are deflected. The helmet of salvation protects your mind.
But now, Jim's completely vulnerable right here, in the heart of the matter. Would he go into battle without a breastplate of righteousness? The scriptures say no. Because we have a breastplate of righteousness, our hearts are pure, our motives are right. We're doing things for the right reasons. We're doing things to please God. We're doing things so He gets the glory. We're doing things to help others. We're not getting up in the morning to do things for ourselves, and we're not having pity parties through the day. Instead, we're doing things for others. When the heart is protected, our motives are pure. Satan cannot attack us. And that's why it's so important to put on the breastplate of righteousness. So, Jim, please put on a breastplate of righteousness for us.
Now, he's a little more protected. Now, he's got the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, and then we put on the belt of truth. And this is really an important one for me. I don't know about you, but I get attacked by lies, all those negative lies. "Sheila, you shouldn't be in that pulpit, you're a woman." "Sheila, you shouldn't be doing that, you don't have the degree." "Sheila, why are you there? You're just Dr. Schuller's daughter." Those are the most common lies I hear.
You hear lies, too. Because when you have a God-sized dream, Satan wants to take you down and he's hurling these attacks at you. Some of those lies come from within ourselves. Some of the lies come from people who love us dearly, but they don't want to see us embarrass ourselves. They're afraid that we'll fail and so they discourage us. They try to redirect us. Have any of you ever had that happen to you? Those are lies to take you away from God's beautiful, God-sized dream that He needs you to accomplish for Him today.
So we put on that belt of truth. When I put on that belt, I actually put God's truth in that belt. I don't just go out with a belt that's unarmed. Here's a truth I'm going to give to Jim to put in his belt of truth: "God is at work within you," Jim, "giving you the will and the power." That's a truth. Here's another truth: "God who began a good work in you will complete it." And another: "You are fearfully and wonderfully made," and don't you ever believe any other lie, because you're fearfully and wonderfully made.
Those are the truths of God that He gives us. So, take those truths and put them in your belt before you leave for work this week or before you go anywhere. You will hear lots of different voices. You'll hear negative voices, you'll hear encouraging voices, you'll hear God's voice, and you'll hear Satan's voice. Most of the time you won't recognize it as Satan's voice, but "choose you this day to whom you will listen." Listen to the truth and nothing but the truth.
We can also be attacked by our fears. So many fears, especially today. People are afraid and we have reason to be afraid. It is reasonable fear that we are fighting today - that fear of embarrassment, fear of failure, fear of going bankrupt. So many fears. So, that's where the shield of faith comes in because faith protects us against our fears.
So, Jim, do you have a shield of faith with you today to protect you? Good. Now, if you don't have enough faith, you just ask for more faith because that shield deflects those attacks of fear. When I'm afraid, I'm not going to try something challenging or pursue my God-given dreams. So, don't leave home without that shield of faith. You'll need it when discouraging news or discouraging emails or letters come. God is your champion. He will not let you down.
Now, when we discuss the armor, the full armor as described in Ephesians, it's good to know that Paul wrote this in prison. He describes all the pieces of armor - most are defensive, in essence. However, he does give us one offensive piece of armor and that's the sword. And the sword is the word of God.
We see the "sword of the word" used so clearly when Jesus was tempted. Here He was, about to embark on His God-sized dream to save the world, to save you and me. He went out into the wilderness to fast and pray for forty days and nights. Of course, Satan did not want to see Him succeed, so he went into the wilderness, meets up with Jesus, who hadn't had anything to eat or drink for forty days or nights. Satan tempts Jesus by reminding Him that He could turn a stone into bread and have something to eat. But Jesus pulls out the sword of the word and quotes scripture saying, "It is written: man shall not live by bread alone."
The tree key words are: "It is written." Jesus, the Son of God, deflected Satan's temptations with the word of God. He used a scripture from the Old Testament. He said, "It is written: man shall not live by bread alone."
Then Satan encouraged Jesus to look below Him. "Do you see? If you jump down from there I'll bet you could live if you're really, truly God. Are you really truly God? Jump. Prove it. Show us that you're really, truly God."
A nibble, a bait, and Jesus did not bite. He said, "It is written: don't put God to the test."
That didn't work, so Satan tried another ploy. He said, "See as far as the eye can see - there are kingdoms out there. I will give all of those kingdoms to you if you will worship me."
And Jesus said, "It is written: worship God, the Lord God, and only the Lord God." Three times Satan tried to tempt Jesus; three times Jesus resisted and fought the temptation with God's word. It is written, it is written, it is written.
Do you think that you or I can have the strength to withstand Satan without "it is written"? If Jesus needed it, how much more do you and I need it? So, I have my little it-is-written's. They're imaginary and I tuck them in my pocket before I leave every morning. When I'm praying the armor - I'm praying for God to put on that helmet of salvation, put on that breastplate of righteousness, and the belt of truth, and then the sword of His word - I say, "Okay, Lord, it is written," and I tuck it in my pocket. Then, when I'm driving along and I suddenly have this little niggling fear or that little niggling temptation, I instantly say out loud, "Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute, I'm not going to give into this temptation; it is written! ‘The Lord is at my right hand and I will not be shaken.'" That's one of my favorite it-is-written's that I keep handy at all times.
Last but not least, Satan, our great adversary, our great accuser, he is powerless. However, it's important to keep ourselves protected against him. And we need to be completely protected from head to toe. The scripture in Ephesians talks about putting on the shoes of the gospel of peace. Why? Because we need to make sure that our steps are protected, that we don't lose our way, that we don't stumble and fall flat on our faces, and that we make it to the end of our races. Shod your soul with God's word and you will finish the race. It says in 1st Corinthians, "Do you not know that in a race, all runners run? But only one gets the prize."
Make sure you have your shoes of the gospel of peace on your feet because they protect your way. Where is it that you're going? Why are you getting up in the morning? What is it you want to do? Our goal, Paul says here, our mission should you accept it, is a mission impossible if you try to accomplish it on your own strength. But it's a mission possible if you use God's help. And the mission is this: We're not to wear full body armor to be warriors, we're to be messengers of the gospel of peace. We're to be "repairers of the breach," to bring good news. That's why we have to make sure we also remember our shoes of the gospel of peace.
Jim's completely protected from head to toe and I want to thank him for helping us to demonstrate the full armor of God. Thank you, Jim. You're a very brave man.
God wants you to be a catcher like Jim was, a catcher of God-sized dreams. So, say yes to them today. Say yes to God-sized dreams. Then protect yourself from head to toe against discouragement, against negative thinking, against fear. It's here in the Bible. You can do it.
Stand with me and let us close by actually doing this together. We're going to all lift our hands in the air and we're going to lift our eyes to the heavens. "Our father Who art in heaven" (Our Father Who art in heaven), "hallowed be Thy name" (hallowed be Thy name). And place your hands in submission, hold them out, hands open, not clenched, not holding onto that rope, but holding our will open to God. "Thy kingdom come" (Thy kingdom come), "thy will be done" (Thy will be done) "on earth as it is in heaven" (on earth as it is in heaven). Put your hands together in petition. "Lord, give us this day our fresh-from-the-oven daily bread" (Give us this day our fresh-from-the-oven daily bread). And now in your mind, if you have a request, something you're hungry for, tell Him privately. Ask Him for it.
And then we're going to use the American Sign Language for Jesus - pointing to where the nails would be in the palms of our hands. "Forgive us our debts" (Forgive us our debts) "as we forgive our debtors" (as we forgive our debtors). And you don't have to repeat this after me, but in your heart say silently "Lord, forgive me for..." Ask Him to forgive you for whatever comes to mind right now. And Father, I forgive. Say it in your heart. I forgive... What names, what faces come to mind? People who have hurt you, people you need to forgive. Father, I forgive them. I forgive them now. Be free of it, don't hang on to that bitterness another moment. I forgive them, Lord.
Repeat after me: "Lead us not into temptation" (lead us not into temptation), "but deliver us from evil" (but deliver us from evil). And again, repeat after me: "Protect my mind and my thoughts, today, with the helmet of salvation" (protect my mind and my thoughts, today, with the helmet of salvation). "Protect my heart today with the breastplate of righteousness" (protect my heart today with the breastplate of righteousness). "Protect me from discouragement today with the belt of truth" (protect me from discouragement today with the belt of truth). "Protect me from fear today with a shield of faith" (protect me from fear today with a shield of faith). "Protect me from getting lost with the shoes of the gospel of peace" (protect me from getting lost with the shoes of the gospel of peace). "Amen" (amen).
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Saturday, August 28, 2010
The Purpose of Prayer
By My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers’
. . . one of His disciples said to Him, ’Lord, teach us to pray . . .’ —Luke 11:1
Prayer is not a normal part of the life of the natural man. We hear it said that a person’s life will suffer if he doesn’t pray, but I question that. What will suffer is the life of the Son of God in him, which is nourished not by food, but by prayer. When a person is born again from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve or nourish that life. Prayer is the way that the life of God in us is nourished. Our common ideas regarding prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer simply as a means of getting things for ourselves, but the biblical purpose of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself.
“Ask, and you will receive . . .” ( John 16:24 ). We complain before God, and sometimes we are apologetic or indifferent to Him, but we actually ask Him for very few things. Yet a child exhibits a magnificent boldness to ask! Our Lord said, “. . . unless you . . . become as little children . . .” ( Matthew 18:3 ). Ask and God will do. Give Jesus Christ the opportunity and the room to work. The problem is that no one will ever do this until he is at his wits’ end. When a person is at his wits’ end, it no longer seems to be a cowardly thing to pray; in fact, it is the only way he can get in touch with the truth and the reality of God Himself. Be yourself before God and present Him with your problems— the very things that have brought you to your wits’ end. But as long as you think you are self-sufficient, you do not need to ask God for anything.
To say that “prayer changes things” is not as close to the truth as saying, “Prayer changes me and then I change things.” God has established things so that prayer, on the basis of redemption, changes the way a person looks at things. Prayer is not a matter of changing things externally, but one of working miracles in a person’s inner nature.
. . . one of His disciples said to Him, ’Lord, teach us to pray . . .’ —Luke 11:1
Prayer is not a normal part of the life of the natural man. We hear it said that a person’s life will suffer if he doesn’t pray, but I question that. What will suffer is the life of the Son of God in him, which is nourished not by food, but by prayer. When a person is born again from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve or nourish that life. Prayer is the way that the life of God in us is nourished. Our common ideas regarding prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer simply as a means of getting things for ourselves, but the biblical purpose of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself.
“Ask, and you will receive . . .” ( John 16:24 ). We complain before God, and sometimes we are apologetic or indifferent to Him, but we actually ask Him for very few things. Yet a child exhibits a magnificent boldness to ask! Our Lord said, “. . . unless you . . . become as little children . . .” ( Matthew 18:3 ). Ask and God will do. Give Jesus Christ the opportunity and the room to work. The problem is that no one will ever do this until he is at his wits’ end. When a person is at his wits’ end, it no longer seems to be a cowardly thing to pray; in fact, it is the only way he can get in touch with the truth and the reality of God Himself. Be yourself before God and present Him with your problems— the very things that have brought you to your wits’ end. But as long as you think you are self-sufficient, you do not need to ask God for anything.
To say that “prayer changes things” is not as close to the truth as saying, “Prayer changes me and then I change things.” God has established things so that prayer, on the basis of redemption, changes the way a person looks at things. Prayer is not a matter of changing things externally, but one of working miracles in a person’s inner nature.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Living Your Theology
By My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers’
Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you . . . —John 12:35
Beware of not acting upon what you see in your moments on the mountaintop with God. If you do not obey the light, it will turn into darkness. “If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” ( Matthew 6:23 ). The moment you forsake the matter of sanctification or neglect anything else on which God has given you His light, your spiritual life begins to disintegrate within you. Continually bring the truth out into your real life, working it out into every area, or else even the light that you possess will itself prove to be a curse.
The most difficult person to deal with is the one who has the prideful self-satisfaction of a past experience, but is not working that experience out in his everyday life. If you say you are sanctified, show it. The experience must be so genuine that it shows in your life. Beware of any belief that makes you self-indulgent or self-gratifying; that belief came from the pit of hell itself, regardless of how beautiful it may sound.
Your theology must work itself out, exhibiting itself in your most common everyday relationships. Our Lord said, “. . . unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” ( Matthew 5:20 ). In other words, you must be more moral than the most moral person you know. You may know all about the doctrine of sanctification, but are you working it out in the everyday issues of your life? Every detail of your life, whether physical, moral, or spiritual, is to be judged and measured by the standard of the atonement by the Cross of Christ.
Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you . . . —John 12:35
Beware of not acting upon what you see in your moments on the mountaintop with God. If you do not obey the light, it will turn into darkness. “If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” ( Matthew 6:23 ). The moment you forsake the matter of sanctification or neglect anything else on which God has given you His light, your spiritual life begins to disintegrate within you. Continually bring the truth out into your real life, working it out into every area, or else even the light that you possess will itself prove to be a curse.
The most difficult person to deal with is the one who has the prideful self-satisfaction of a past experience, but is not working that experience out in his everyday life. If you say you are sanctified, show it. The experience must be so genuine that it shows in your life. Beware of any belief that makes you self-indulgent or self-gratifying; that belief came from the pit of hell itself, regardless of how beautiful it may sound.
Your theology must work itself out, exhibiting itself in your most common everyday relationships. Our Lord said, “. . . unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” ( Matthew 5:20 ). In other words, you must be more moral than the most moral person you know. You may know all about the doctrine of sanctification, but are you working it out in the everyday issues of your life? Every detail of your life, whether physical, moral, or spiritual, is to be judged and measured by the standard of the atonement by the Cross of Christ.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Are You Ever Troubled?
By My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers’
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you . . . —John 14:27
There are times in our lives when our peace is based simply on our own ignorance. But when we are awakened to the realities of life, true inner peace is impossible unless it is received from Jesus. When our Lord speaks peace, He creates peace, because the words that He speaks are always “spirit, and they are life” ( John 6:63 ). Have I ever received what Jesus speaks? “. . . My peace I give to you. . .”— a peace that comes from looking into His face and fully understanding and receiving His quiet contentment.
Are you severely troubled right now? Are you afraid and confused by the waves and the turbulence God sovereignly allows to enter your life? Have you left no stone of your faith unturned, yet still not found any well of peace, joy, or comfort? Does your life seem completely barren to you? Then look up and receive the quiet contentment of the Lord Jesus. Reflecting His peace is proof that you are right with God, because you are exhibiting the freedom to turn your mind to Him. If you are not right with God, you can never turn your mind anywhere but on yourself. Allowing anything to hide the face of Jesus Christ from you either causes you to become troubled or gives you a false sense of security.
With regard to the problem that is pressing in on you right now, are you “looking unto Jesus” ( Hebrews 12:2 ) and receiving peace from Him? If so, He will be a gracious blessing of peace exhibited in and through you. But if you only try to worry your way out of the problem, you destroy His effectiveness in you, and you deserve whatever you get. We become troubled because we have not been taking Him into account. When a person confers with Jesus Christ, the confusion stops, because there is no confusion in Him. Lay everything out before Him, and when you are faced with difficulty, bereavement, and sorrow, listen to Him say, “Let not your heart be troubled . . .” ( John 14:27 ).
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you . . . —John 14:27
There are times in our lives when our peace is based simply on our own ignorance. But when we are awakened to the realities of life, true inner peace is impossible unless it is received from Jesus. When our Lord speaks peace, He creates peace, because the words that He speaks are always “spirit, and they are life” ( John 6:63 ). Have I ever received what Jesus speaks? “. . . My peace I give to you. . .”— a peace that comes from looking into His face and fully understanding and receiving His quiet contentment.
Are you severely troubled right now? Are you afraid and confused by the waves and the turbulence God sovereignly allows to enter your life? Have you left no stone of your faith unturned, yet still not found any well of peace, joy, or comfort? Does your life seem completely barren to you? Then look up and receive the quiet contentment of the Lord Jesus. Reflecting His peace is proof that you are right with God, because you are exhibiting the freedom to turn your mind to Him. If you are not right with God, you can never turn your mind anywhere but on yourself. Allowing anything to hide the face of Jesus Christ from you either causes you to become troubled or gives you a false sense of security.
With regard to the problem that is pressing in on you right now, are you “looking unto Jesus” ( Hebrews 12:2 ) and receiving peace from Him? If so, He will be a gracious blessing of peace exhibited in and through you. But if you only try to worry your way out of the problem, you destroy His effectiveness in you, and you deserve whatever you get. We become troubled because we have not been taking Him into account. When a person confers with Jesus Christ, the confusion stops, because there is no confusion in Him. Lay everything out before Him, and when you are faced with difficulty, bereavement, and sorrow, listen to Him say, “Let not your heart be troubled . . .” ( John 14:27 ).
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Sacrifice and Friendship
By My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers’
I have called you friends . . . —John 15:15
We will never know the joy of self-sacrifice until we surrender in every detail of our lives. Yet self-surrender is the most difficult thing for us to do. We make it conditional by saying, “I’ll surrender if . . . !” Or we approach it by saying, “I suppose I have to devote my life to God.” We will never find the joy of self-sacrifice in either of these ways.
But as soon as we do totally surrender, abandoning ourselves to Jesus, the Holy Spirit gives us a taste of His joy. The ultimate goal of self-sacrifice is to lay down our lives for our Friend (see John 15:13-14 ). When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, our greatest desire is to lay down our lives for Jesus. Yet the thought of self-sacrifice never even crosses our minds, because sacrifice is the Holy Spirit’s ultimate expression of love.
Our Lord is our example of a life of self-sacrifice, and He perfectly exemplified Psalm 40:8, “I delight to do Your will, O my God . . . .” He endured tremendous personal sacrifice, yet with overflowing joy. Have I ever yielded myself in absolute submission to Jesus Christ? If He is not the One to whom I am looking for direction and guidance, then there is no benefit in my sacrifice. But when my sacrifice is made with my eyes focused on Him, slowly but surely His molding influence becomes evident in my life (see Hebrews 12:1-2 ).
Beware of letting your natural desires hinder your walk in love before God. One of the cruelest ways to kill natural love is through the rejection that results from having built the love on natural desires. But the one true desire of a saint is the Lord Jesus. Love for God is not something sentimental or emotional— for a saint to love as God loves is the most practical thing imaginable.
“I have called you friends. . . .” Our friendship with Jesus is based on the new life He created in us, which has no resemblance or attraction to our old life but only to the life of God. It is a life that is completely humble, pure, and devoted to God.
I have called you friends . . . —John 15:15
We will never know the joy of self-sacrifice until we surrender in every detail of our lives. Yet self-surrender is the most difficult thing for us to do. We make it conditional by saying, “I’ll surrender if . . . !” Or we approach it by saying, “I suppose I have to devote my life to God.” We will never find the joy of self-sacrifice in either of these ways.
But as soon as we do totally surrender, abandoning ourselves to Jesus, the Holy Spirit gives us a taste of His joy. The ultimate goal of self-sacrifice is to lay down our lives for our Friend (see John 15:13-14 ). When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, our greatest desire is to lay down our lives for Jesus. Yet the thought of self-sacrifice never even crosses our minds, because sacrifice is the Holy Spirit’s ultimate expression of love.
Our Lord is our example of a life of self-sacrifice, and He perfectly exemplified Psalm 40:8, “I delight to do Your will, O my God . . . .” He endured tremendous personal sacrifice, yet with overflowing joy. Have I ever yielded myself in absolute submission to Jesus Christ? If He is not the One to whom I am looking for direction and guidance, then there is no benefit in my sacrifice. But when my sacrifice is made with my eyes focused on Him, slowly but surely His molding influence becomes evident in my life (see Hebrews 12:1-2 ).
Beware of letting your natural desires hinder your walk in love before God. One of the cruelest ways to kill natural love is through the rejection that results from having built the love on natural desires. But the one true desire of a saint is the Lord Jesus. Love for God is not something sentimental or emotional— for a saint to love as God loves is the most practical thing imaginable.
“I have called you friends. . . .” Our friendship with Jesus is based on the new life He created in us, which has no resemblance or attraction to our old life but only to the life of God. It is a life that is completely humble, pure, and devoted to God.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
The Spiritual Search
By My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers’
What man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? —Matthew 7:9
The illustration of prayer that our Lord used here is one of a good child who is asking for something good. We talk about prayer as if God hears us regardless of what our relationship is to Him (see Matthew 5:45). Never say that it is not God’s will to give you what you ask. Don’t faint and give up, but find out the reason you have not received; increase the intensity of your search and examine the evidence. Is your relationship right with your spouse, your children, and your fellow students? Are you a “good child” in those relationships? Do you have to say to the Lord, “I have been irritable and cross, but I still want spiritual blessings”? You cannot receive and will have to do without them until you have the attitude of a “good child.”
We mistake defiance for devotion, arguing with God instead of surrendering. We refuse to look at the evidence that clearly indicates where we are wrong. Have I been asking God to give me money for something I want, while refusing to pay someone what I owe him? Have I been asking God for liberty while I am withholding it from someone who belongs to me? Have I refused to forgive someone, and have I been unkind to that person? Have I been living as God’s child among my relatives and friends? (see Matthew 7:12).
I am a child of God only by being born again, and as His child I am good only as I “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7). For most of us, prayer simply becomes some trivial religious expression, a matter of mystical and emotional fellowship with God. We are all good at producing spiritual fog that blinds our sight. But if we will search out and examine the evidence, we will see very clearly what is wrong— a friendship, an unpaid debt, or an improper attitude. There is no use praying unless we are living as children of God. Then Jesus says, regarding His children, “Everyone who asks receives . . .” (Matthew 7:8).
What man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? —Matthew 7:9
The illustration of prayer that our Lord used here is one of a good child who is asking for something good. We talk about prayer as if God hears us regardless of what our relationship is to Him (see Matthew 5:45). Never say that it is not God’s will to give you what you ask. Don’t faint and give up, but find out the reason you have not received; increase the intensity of your search and examine the evidence. Is your relationship right with your spouse, your children, and your fellow students? Are you a “good child” in those relationships? Do you have to say to the Lord, “I have been irritable and cross, but I still want spiritual blessings”? You cannot receive and will have to do without them until you have the attitude of a “good child.”
We mistake defiance for devotion, arguing with God instead of surrendering. We refuse to look at the evidence that clearly indicates where we are wrong. Have I been asking God to give me money for something I want, while refusing to pay someone what I owe him? Have I been asking God for liberty while I am withholding it from someone who belongs to me? Have I refused to forgive someone, and have I been unkind to that person? Have I been living as God’s child among my relatives and friends? (see Matthew 7:12).
I am a child of God only by being born again, and as His child I am good only as I “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7). For most of us, prayer simply becomes some trivial religious expression, a matter of mystical and emotional fellowship with God. We are all good at producing spiritual fog that blinds our sight. But if we will search out and examine the evidence, we will see very clearly what is wrong— a friendship, an unpaid debt, or an improper attitude. There is no use praying unless we are living as children of God. Then Jesus says, regarding His children, “Everyone who asks receives . . .” (Matthew 7:8).
Monday, August 23, 2010
Prayer— Battle in "The Secret Place"
By My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers’
When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly —Matthew 6:6
Jesus did not say, “Dream about your Father who is in the secret place,” but He said, “. . . pray to your Father who is in the secret place. . . .” Prayer is an effort of the will. After we have entered our secret place and shut the door, the most difficult thing to do is to pray. We cannot seem to get our minds into good working order, and the first thing we have to fight is wandering thoughts. The great battle in private prayer is overcoming this problem of our idle and wandering thinking. We have to learn to discipline our minds and concentrate on willful, deliberate prayer.
We must have a specially selected place for prayer, but once we get there this plague of wandering thoughts begins, as we begin to think to ourselves, “This needs to be done, and I have to do that today.” Jesus says to “shut your door.” Having a secret stillness before God means deliberately shutting the door on our emotions and remembering Him. God is in secret, and He sees us from “the secret place”— He does not see us as other people do, or as we see ourselves. When we truly live in “the secret place,” it becomes impossible for us to doubt God. We become more sure of Him than of anyone or anything else. Enter into “the secret place,” and you will find that God was right in the middle of your everyday circumstances all the time. Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless you learn to open the door of your life completely and let God in from your first waking moment of each new day, you will be working on the wrong level throughout the day. But if you will swing the door of your life fully open and “pray to your Father who is in the secret place,” every public thing in your life will be marked with the lasting imprint of the presence of God.
When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly —Matthew 6:6
Jesus did not say, “Dream about your Father who is in the secret place,” but He said, “. . . pray to your Father who is in the secret place. . . .” Prayer is an effort of the will. After we have entered our secret place and shut the door, the most difficult thing to do is to pray. We cannot seem to get our minds into good working order, and the first thing we have to fight is wandering thoughts. The great battle in private prayer is overcoming this problem of our idle and wandering thinking. We have to learn to discipline our minds and concentrate on willful, deliberate prayer.
We must have a specially selected place for prayer, but once we get there this plague of wandering thoughts begins, as we begin to think to ourselves, “This needs to be done, and I have to do that today.” Jesus says to “shut your door.” Having a secret stillness before God means deliberately shutting the door on our emotions and remembering Him. God is in secret, and He sees us from “the secret place”— He does not see us as other people do, or as we see ourselves. When we truly live in “the secret place,” it becomes impossible for us to doubt God. We become more sure of Him than of anyone or anything else. Enter into “the secret place,” and you will find that God was right in the middle of your everyday circumstances all the time. Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless you learn to open the door of your life completely and let God in from your first waking moment of each new day, you will be working on the wrong level throughout the day. But if you will swing the door of your life fully open and “pray to your Father who is in the secret place,” every public thing in your life will be marked with the lasting imprint of the presence of God.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Pardon: For Giving - Part 4/5
Written By Sheila Schuller Coleman
Today we are continuing in our series on "Spiritual Sustainability: Living The Lord's Prayer." You've been hearing the word sustainability, that new "go green" word that represents anything from fabric to architecture to foods to anything that can be renewed and continue to grow. Anything that is sustainable.
Don't we want that for our spirits, as well? To be spiritually sustained? And the secret to that is found in the Lord's Prayer. There are principles in the Lord's Prayer that will give you spiritual sustainability. And so today, we'll cover number four in a series of five. However, before we do, let's review the first three principles.
We begin the Lord's Prayer with praise: "Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name." Praise. Beginning your day with praise and continuing throughout the day by living and praying with a God who has a can-do-anything attitude. He's a loving Father, a powerful God, a protective Father, a heavenly Father.
The order of these principles align with the order of the Lord's Prayer, which Jesus gave to us when His disciples asked Him, "How, then, should we pray?" He only gave one answer to that question and it's the Lord's Prayer. And the order is very important. Number one, begin with praise. Why? We thank God, we worship Him, we focus on Him, and we remind ourselves it's to Him that we pray. And that's important because we tend to forget about how big God really is. So begin with praise.
Then move on to permission, giving God permission. He doesn't need our permission, but we give it to Him anyway. You may remember that I used a rope to illustrate our daily tug of war with my will and my will. Do I want to go to the gym or will I stay in bed? Will I eat healthy food or will I eat junk food? Me and me. My will versus my will.
And then there's also my will versus Thy will, meaning I have a tug of war between my will and my spouse's will, my will and my child's will, my will and my friend's will. Those tug of wars, those clashes of wills.
Ultimately we talk about Thy will be done, my will versus God's will. I can give God permission. I can say to Him, "Thy will be done with my life. You do with me as you want to do," because, remember, I've just praised Him. I've just focused on who He is and I can trust Him with my entire life. And so we pray "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done," in my life "on earth as it is in heaven." And we say, "What are You up to today, Lord? I want to be a part of it."
So, praise, permission, and then we have petition. After we have praised Him, after we've given Him permission and submitted to Him, then we ask Him for what we need this day. Jesus said, "Give us this day our daily bread." It doesn't say give us this day our day old, moldy, stale bread, but give us this day our fresh-from-the-oven artisan bread. God says, "Ask and it will be given to you" (Matthew 7:7a).
So praise, permission, petition. Today we get to pardon. "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."
I've brought with me today, to help illustrate this Sunday's message, a restoration bucket, that's what I call it. I'll put it right here. And I have lots of little illustrations in there on how this verse works. There are two parts to this part of the Lord's Prayer. The first part is "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." Again, the order is really important. The first part is asking for forgiveness, and the second part is giving forgiveness.
I'll have you know, I abhor house cleaning. Anybody else here feel the same? I just don't like doing it. And the worst part is cleaning the shower and the bathtub, don't you think? Scrubbing that soap scum. Nonetheless, I buckled down and cleaned my house from top to bottom. I even cleaned the grout in the tile. The house was beautiful; it was sparkling. There was no dust anywhere in the entire house. That was ten years ago. I haven't done it since. NOT! Really truly, if I only cleaned my house once in my lifetime, is that enough? No. I wish it were, but it's not. We have to do perpetual housecleaning, don't we?
That's why I love the fact that you can pray the Lord's Prayer every day. Every day you praise God. Every day you give Him permission. Every day you ask Him for what you need today. And every day, you do your housecleaning in your soul and in your relationship with God and with other people. And you do it by asking for forgiveness, which is pardon.
One of our biggest fears is the fear of failure. I truly believe that. You've heard Dad and others talk about the fear of failure to live up to our potential, to do the right thing, to pay what we owe other people, to pay our debts. How we fear that we might fail our families, friends, God. How many of you have ever dealt with the fear of failure? I have. I do. Yet every single one of us has already failed. Every one of us will fail. Probably we fail a little bit every single day. So you say, "Sheila, that isn't the positive message." Oh yes it is because, what if I were to give to you the antidote for failure? What if I gave you the antidote for the fear of failure? Would you love to have that, the antidote to failure, to the fear of failure? Well it's right here in the Lord's Prayer. The antidote to failure is forgiveness. Forgiveness. Jesus gives us the antidote.
You may think, Oh I failed. Oh, I wasn't as successful as I wanted to be. And I want you to know, you're in good company if you feel that way. King David was known as one of the greatest kings, if not the greatest earthly king ever to walk this earth. Remember, he was the little shepherd boy who took on the big giant Goliath and he built this great big empire for God. David is revered; people talk about him as this wonderful, successful king. Oh, to be a David, right? Yet David failed. Let me tell you about David, how he failed.
As a king. He had multiple wives and he had multiple concubines, many beautiful women that were his. Back then, this was okay. Yet he saw this one woman, Bathsheba, and thought, wow, she's good looking. He desired her. But she was married to Uriah, another man, a soldier in David's army. When Uriah was away, David took her. He took her and she became pregnant. Now wouldn't this make headline news in the newspaper that the king took somebody else's wife while the husband was away and got her pregnant? Would you say that's a failure on David's part? Absolutely. He failed God, he failed his country, he failed Bathsheba, and he failed Uriah.
So what was his response? What do you think he did? He continued to fail because, when he found out that Bathsheba was pregnant, he decided to cover up his failure. Now have any of you ever tried to cover up your failure? Or do you know anybody else who's tried to cover up a failure? Absolutely yes.
What David did was to send Uriah, Bathsheba's husband, to the front lines where he knew he would be killed. In essence, he murdered Uriah to cover up his adultery. So here he is, this great King David, who has committed adultery and has covered it up with murder. A failure. And yet the Bible says that David was a man after God's own heart. When Nathan the prophet said David, "Look what you have done," David agreed he had failed. This is why David was a man after God's own heart.
David said, "Yes, I failed. Yes, I messed up. So, Father, forgive me." He then wrote a beautiful Psalm - Psalm 51. If you ever feel that you've failed, read David's Psalm because the antidote for failure is forgiveness. He wrote, "Have mercy on me, oh God. Have mercy on me. Because of Your unfailing love, because of Your compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sins and I will be clean. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow."
The next time you feel you've failed, or maybe today you feel like you've failed, I want you to know that it's just a sign that you're alive. It's a sign that you are a child of God and all you need to do, the antidote for failure and fear of failure, is ask for forgiveness. When we say, "God forgive me," He cleans our hearts. He's the great "Mr. Clean."
So, here in my restoration bucket is a Mr. Clean eraser. It's supposed to be able to erase any stain from your house. I also have in here a pink pearl eraser because, as a teacher, I love pink pearl erasers. If we make a mistake or if we have debt, wouldn't you love just to take this pink pearl eraser, erase that mistake or that debt once and for all, and get rid of it? I do hate debt, personal debt, especially. Most of us have debt of some sort or another, to either a credit card or a car loan or a mortgage loan or maybe a student loan for your child. This Bible verse says to forgive us our debts - to wipe us off, clean up that heart, make us whiter than snow. And God will do that. It's a gift. You don't have to pay for it, and when you accept it, there are no monthly payments. It's just a gift. No interest accrued. It's just a gift.
Well, you know that I don't like to clean my house. You may also like to know that I'm very dangerous when it comes to fixing anything that breaks in the house. So my husband doesn't like it when something breaks. He's always afraid that I'll try to fix it before he does, because this is my favorite tool. It's a table knife. It's always handy, and the handle works as a hammer. This part, at the blade, works like a screwdriver and it works as a wedge; you can pry out all kinds of things from the wall. Whenever anything breaks and I open the drawer, my husband says, "Put that table knife away!" So I put it away. Jim is Mr. Fix It. And he fixes things.
The first part of the Lord's Prayer is where we ask God to forgive us, to clean us up, to clean our hearts. The second part is where we ask God to help mend and fix our relationships with others. We take the forgiveness that we've been given from God, we accept that forgiveness that we've been given by God, and we pass it on to others who hurt us.
Jesus was asked, "How many times am I supposed to forgive my brother?" Most of you have heard this. "Am I supposed to forgive him seven times?"
Jesus said, "No, you're supposed to forgive him seventy times seven. That's how many times you're supposed to forgive him." And many, many more times. But beyond that, Jesus didn't stop there. In that passage, He shared this parable (Matthew 18:23-35, paraphrased):
There was a master who had a servant, and the servant owed his master ten thousand talents, a lot of money. And the master called the servant in and he said to him, "You owe me this money, and I want you to pay me. The servant didn't have the money. He couldn't pay his debt. The master said, "Where's the money?"
The servant said, "I don't have it."
The master said, "If you don't pay me back every penny, you, your wife, and your children will be my slaves. You will work off your debt. I don't care how long it takes you - probably the rest of your life. You will be my slaves for life. No longer will you be my servant where I pay you; you will be my slave."
The servant bowed before the master and he said, "Please, please, please have mercy on me. Forgive me my debt. Forgive me my debt."
The master showed him mercy and he forgave him completely. He said, "Because you've asked for mercy, I'm going to give you mercy. You may go. You're completely forgiven." So, off went the servant. Free.
He returned home and, when looking at his own financial records, realized that one of his sub servants, who worked for him, owed him a hundred denarii, not nearly as much as the ten thousand talents he had owed. So he called his sub servant in and he said, "You owe me money. I want it right now." In fact, it says in the Bible that he took his sub servant by the neck and choked him and said, "Give me my money. Pay me back immediately!"
The sub servant said, "I don't have it, I don't have the money."
So what do you think this servant - the one who had been graciously forgiven, his debt erased by his master - did? What kind of response do you think he had for this man who owed him money? He threw him in jail.
Well, Jesus let us know that God has forgiven us. He has completely forgiven us. He has erased our debt. We don't owe Him a thing. And all He asks for us in return is to take that forgiveness and give it to others who have hurt us and who will hurt us.
So we ask for forgiveness, and we give forgiveness. That is the antidote for all of our failures in life, and especially our failure in relationships. And, yes, there are many of us who have either strained or ruptured relationships, and the antidote for that is forgiveness.
I also have a trowel in my restoration bucket because it says in Hebrews 12, "See to it that no one misses the grace of God, and that no bitter root grows up to trouble and defile many." In other words, the "bitter root" is "bitterness." You may, like Dad likes to say, "Nurse and rehearse those hurts." You may think that you have every right - and you probably do - to feel mad, to feel angry, to feel resentful, and to be bitter. But be careful because that bitter root will just wrap its tentacles around your heart, and choke the love and the joy right out of you. Bitterness is a spiritual and an emotional cancer. And so we say, "God, take Your trowel and lovingly, carefully, tenderly dig out that bitter root from my heart."
I want you to think about how you would feel if the following was your experience. Imagine someone murdered your entire family. Imagine that someone broke into your home and, before your eyes, tortured your children, murdered your husband, and then raped you. Then later that murderer was captured, put in jail, and quickly released by the warden. He sets him free, gives him pardon, and says, "Go home." And, what if he moves in right next door to you? You see him walk his dog. You see him when you go to the grocery store. You see him when you wash your car. How would you feel? Wouldn't that be hard? Wouldn't that be excruciating? Forgiveness? Sheila, you say you want me to forgive him?
That is exactly what happened in Rwanda with the genocide in 1994. Nearly a million people were tortured and killed. Forty thousand murderers were thrown in jail, and then pardoned, and then released to live as neighbors beside those they had hurt. And do you know what the country of Rwanda is teaching the rest of the world? How to forgive. They're learning to forgive, and this is what the bishop of Rwanda has said: "A murderer able to accept forgiveness? Impossible! A victim of such atrocities able to give forgiveness? Impossible. But remember, men and women, that what is humanly impossible, with God all things are possible." He says there is no greater grace than the grace that is in Rwanda, and that grace comes from the cross of Jesus Christ.
I go through the day and, every now and then, somebody will say something that hurts my feelings. Any of you ever have that happen to you? And right away, you go ouch, oh, ah! And you harbor a little anger towards them. But I have trained myself to, most of the time, think of Jesus hanging on the cross with the people who put Him there standing down below Him. What did He do to deserve that? Did He deserve to have nails pounded into His hands? Pounded into His feet? Did He deserve that? No. And yet He looked down on these same people who did that to Him, and He said, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).
And so when I get those little twinges and those little hurts, I think of that and I immediately say, "Father, I forgive them. They know not what they do."
So much of hurt is resentment. So many fractured relationships with our Heavenly Father and with others come from broken hearts. And so I want to ask you, what would you do? What would you use to mend a broken heart?
So, let's look in this restoration bucket - these are my husband's tools. So, would you use a hammer and a nail to mend a broken heart? Would you? Actually, that is exactly what God used to mend our broken hearts. He used a hammer and a nail. Hammers pounded nails into the hands of Jesus. A hammer pounded nails into the feet of Jesus because God wanted to mend your broken heart. He wants to mend your broken relationships. He loves you so much that He would send His Son to die so we can be mended, we can be pardoned, our debts can be paid when we pray, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."
Please stand with me. Let us close in prayer. And we're going to do our hand motions as we've been doing so we remember. It helps us remember through the week. So we start with praise, right? Hands up, faces lifted up and, with Crystal Cathedral gusto, repeat after me: "Our Father, Who art in heaven (Our Father Who art in heaven)." A little more gusto. "Hallowed be Thy name (Hallowed be Thy name)." Now we're going to do permission. Take your hands down and open them up. "Thy kingdom come (Thy kingdom come), Thy will be done (Thy will be done), on earth as it is in heaven (on earth as it is in heaven)." Now we put them together in petition and we ask Him, "Give us this day our daily bread (give us this day our daily bread)." And, Lord, we ask not for day-old, moldy, stale bread, but for daily bread.
And now we're going to do the pardon and this is American sign language for Jesus; you just put a nail in the hand. Repeat after me: "Forgive us our debts (forgive us our debts) as we forgive our debtors (as we forgive our debtors)." Lord, I ask You, today, to forgive me (Lord, I ask You, today, to forgive me). Forgive me for thinking I don't need You (Forgive me for thinking I don't need You). Forgive me for holding grudges (Forgive me for holding grudges). Forgive me for hurting that person I really do love (Forgive me for hurting that person I really do love). Amen (Amen).
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Today we are continuing in our series on "Spiritual Sustainability: Living The Lord's Prayer." You've been hearing the word sustainability, that new "go green" word that represents anything from fabric to architecture to foods to anything that can be renewed and continue to grow. Anything that is sustainable.
Don't we want that for our spirits, as well? To be spiritually sustained? And the secret to that is found in the Lord's Prayer. There are principles in the Lord's Prayer that will give you spiritual sustainability. And so today, we'll cover number four in a series of five. However, before we do, let's review the first three principles.
We begin the Lord's Prayer with praise: "Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name." Praise. Beginning your day with praise and continuing throughout the day by living and praying with a God who has a can-do-anything attitude. He's a loving Father, a powerful God, a protective Father, a heavenly Father.
The order of these principles align with the order of the Lord's Prayer, which Jesus gave to us when His disciples asked Him, "How, then, should we pray?" He only gave one answer to that question and it's the Lord's Prayer. And the order is very important. Number one, begin with praise. Why? We thank God, we worship Him, we focus on Him, and we remind ourselves it's to Him that we pray. And that's important because we tend to forget about how big God really is. So begin with praise.
Then move on to permission, giving God permission. He doesn't need our permission, but we give it to Him anyway. You may remember that I used a rope to illustrate our daily tug of war with my will and my will. Do I want to go to the gym or will I stay in bed? Will I eat healthy food or will I eat junk food? Me and me. My will versus my will.
And then there's also my will versus Thy will, meaning I have a tug of war between my will and my spouse's will, my will and my child's will, my will and my friend's will. Those tug of wars, those clashes of wills.
Ultimately we talk about Thy will be done, my will versus God's will. I can give God permission. I can say to Him, "Thy will be done with my life. You do with me as you want to do," because, remember, I've just praised Him. I've just focused on who He is and I can trust Him with my entire life. And so we pray "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done," in my life "on earth as it is in heaven." And we say, "What are You up to today, Lord? I want to be a part of it."
So, praise, permission, and then we have petition. After we have praised Him, after we've given Him permission and submitted to Him, then we ask Him for what we need this day. Jesus said, "Give us this day our daily bread." It doesn't say give us this day our day old, moldy, stale bread, but give us this day our fresh-from-the-oven artisan bread. God says, "Ask and it will be given to you" (Matthew 7:7a).
So praise, permission, petition. Today we get to pardon. "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."
I've brought with me today, to help illustrate this Sunday's message, a restoration bucket, that's what I call it. I'll put it right here. And I have lots of little illustrations in there on how this verse works. There are two parts to this part of the Lord's Prayer. The first part is "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." Again, the order is really important. The first part is asking for forgiveness, and the second part is giving forgiveness.
I'll have you know, I abhor house cleaning. Anybody else here feel the same? I just don't like doing it. And the worst part is cleaning the shower and the bathtub, don't you think? Scrubbing that soap scum. Nonetheless, I buckled down and cleaned my house from top to bottom. I even cleaned the grout in the tile. The house was beautiful; it was sparkling. There was no dust anywhere in the entire house. That was ten years ago. I haven't done it since. NOT! Really truly, if I only cleaned my house once in my lifetime, is that enough? No. I wish it were, but it's not. We have to do perpetual housecleaning, don't we?
That's why I love the fact that you can pray the Lord's Prayer every day. Every day you praise God. Every day you give Him permission. Every day you ask Him for what you need today. And every day, you do your housecleaning in your soul and in your relationship with God and with other people. And you do it by asking for forgiveness, which is pardon.
One of our biggest fears is the fear of failure. I truly believe that. You've heard Dad and others talk about the fear of failure to live up to our potential, to do the right thing, to pay what we owe other people, to pay our debts. How we fear that we might fail our families, friends, God. How many of you have ever dealt with the fear of failure? I have. I do. Yet every single one of us has already failed. Every one of us will fail. Probably we fail a little bit every single day. So you say, "Sheila, that isn't the positive message." Oh yes it is because, what if I were to give to you the antidote for failure? What if I gave you the antidote for the fear of failure? Would you love to have that, the antidote to failure, to the fear of failure? Well it's right here in the Lord's Prayer. The antidote to failure is forgiveness. Forgiveness. Jesus gives us the antidote.
You may think, Oh I failed. Oh, I wasn't as successful as I wanted to be. And I want you to know, you're in good company if you feel that way. King David was known as one of the greatest kings, if not the greatest earthly king ever to walk this earth. Remember, he was the little shepherd boy who took on the big giant Goliath and he built this great big empire for God. David is revered; people talk about him as this wonderful, successful king. Oh, to be a David, right? Yet David failed. Let me tell you about David, how he failed.
As a king. He had multiple wives and he had multiple concubines, many beautiful women that were his. Back then, this was okay. Yet he saw this one woman, Bathsheba, and thought, wow, she's good looking. He desired her. But she was married to Uriah, another man, a soldier in David's army. When Uriah was away, David took her. He took her and she became pregnant. Now wouldn't this make headline news in the newspaper that the king took somebody else's wife while the husband was away and got her pregnant? Would you say that's a failure on David's part? Absolutely. He failed God, he failed his country, he failed Bathsheba, and he failed Uriah.
So what was his response? What do you think he did? He continued to fail because, when he found out that Bathsheba was pregnant, he decided to cover up his failure. Now have any of you ever tried to cover up your failure? Or do you know anybody else who's tried to cover up a failure? Absolutely yes.
What David did was to send Uriah, Bathsheba's husband, to the front lines where he knew he would be killed. In essence, he murdered Uriah to cover up his adultery. So here he is, this great King David, who has committed adultery and has covered it up with murder. A failure. And yet the Bible says that David was a man after God's own heart. When Nathan the prophet said David, "Look what you have done," David agreed he had failed. This is why David was a man after God's own heart.
David said, "Yes, I failed. Yes, I messed up. So, Father, forgive me." He then wrote a beautiful Psalm - Psalm 51. If you ever feel that you've failed, read David's Psalm because the antidote for failure is forgiveness. He wrote, "Have mercy on me, oh God. Have mercy on me. Because of Your unfailing love, because of Your compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sins and I will be clean. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow."
The next time you feel you've failed, or maybe today you feel like you've failed, I want you to know that it's just a sign that you're alive. It's a sign that you are a child of God and all you need to do, the antidote for failure and fear of failure, is ask for forgiveness. When we say, "God forgive me," He cleans our hearts. He's the great "Mr. Clean."
So, here in my restoration bucket is a Mr. Clean eraser. It's supposed to be able to erase any stain from your house. I also have in here a pink pearl eraser because, as a teacher, I love pink pearl erasers. If we make a mistake or if we have debt, wouldn't you love just to take this pink pearl eraser, erase that mistake or that debt once and for all, and get rid of it? I do hate debt, personal debt, especially. Most of us have debt of some sort or another, to either a credit card or a car loan or a mortgage loan or maybe a student loan for your child. This Bible verse says to forgive us our debts - to wipe us off, clean up that heart, make us whiter than snow. And God will do that. It's a gift. You don't have to pay for it, and when you accept it, there are no monthly payments. It's just a gift. No interest accrued. It's just a gift.
Well, you know that I don't like to clean my house. You may also like to know that I'm very dangerous when it comes to fixing anything that breaks in the house. So my husband doesn't like it when something breaks. He's always afraid that I'll try to fix it before he does, because this is my favorite tool. It's a table knife. It's always handy, and the handle works as a hammer. This part, at the blade, works like a screwdriver and it works as a wedge; you can pry out all kinds of things from the wall. Whenever anything breaks and I open the drawer, my husband says, "Put that table knife away!" So I put it away. Jim is Mr. Fix It. And he fixes things.
The first part of the Lord's Prayer is where we ask God to forgive us, to clean us up, to clean our hearts. The second part is where we ask God to help mend and fix our relationships with others. We take the forgiveness that we've been given from God, we accept that forgiveness that we've been given by God, and we pass it on to others who hurt us.
Jesus was asked, "How many times am I supposed to forgive my brother?" Most of you have heard this. "Am I supposed to forgive him seven times?"
Jesus said, "No, you're supposed to forgive him seventy times seven. That's how many times you're supposed to forgive him." And many, many more times. But beyond that, Jesus didn't stop there. In that passage, He shared this parable (Matthew 18:23-35, paraphrased):
There was a master who had a servant, and the servant owed his master ten thousand talents, a lot of money. And the master called the servant in and he said to him, "You owe me this money, and I want you to pay me. The servant didn't have the money. He couldn't pay his debt. The master said, "Where's the money?"
The servant said, "I don't have it."
The master said, "If you don't pay me back every penny, you, your wife, and your children will be my slaves. You will work off your debt. I don't care how long it takes you - probably the rest of your life. You will be my slaves for life. No longer will you be my servant where I pay you; you will be my slave."
The servant bowed before the master and he said, "Please, please, please have mercy on me. Forgive me my debt. Forgive me my debt."
The master showed him mercy and he forgave him completely. He said, "Because you've asked for mercy, I'm going to give you mercy. You may go. You're completely forgiven." So, off went the servant. Free.
He returned home and, when looking at his own financial records, realized that one of his sub servants, who worked for him, owed him a hundred denarii, not nearly as much as the ten thousand talents he had owed. So he called his sub servant in and he said, "You owe me money. I want it right now." In fact, it says in the Bible that he took his sub servant by the neck and choked him and said, "Give me my money. Pay me back immediately!"
The sub servant said, "I don't have it, I don't have the money."
So what do you think this servant - the one who had been graciously forgiven, his debt erased by his master - did? What kind of response do you think he had for this man who owed him money? He threw him in jail.
Well, Jesus let us know that God has forgiven us. He has completely forgiven us. He has erased our debt. We don't owe Him a thing. And all He asks for us in return is to take that forgiveness and give it to others who have hurt us and who will hurt us.
So we ask for forgiveness, and we give forgiveness. That is the antidote for all of our failures in life, and especially our failure in relationships. And, yes, there are many of us who have either strained or ruptured relationships, and the antidote for that is forgiveness.
I also have a trowel in my restoration bucket because it says in Hebrews 12, "See to it that no one misses the grace of God, and that no bitter root grows up to trouble and defile many." In other words, the "bitter root" is "bitterness." You may, like Dad likes to say, "Nurse and rehearse those hurts." You may think that you have every right - and you probably do - to feel mad, to feel angry, to feel resentful, and to be bitter. But be careful because that bitter root will just wrap its tentacles around your heart, and choke the love and the joy right out of you. Bitterness is a spiritual and an emotional cancer. And so we say, "God, take Your trowel and lovingly, carefully, tenderly dig out that bitter root from my heart."
I want you to think about how you would feel if the following was your experience. Imagine someone murdered your entire family. Imagine that someone broke into your home and, before your eyes, tortured your children, murdered your husband, and then raped you. Then later that murderer was captured, put in jail, and quickly released by the warden. He sets him free, gives him pardon, and says, "Go home." And, what if he moves in right next door to you? You see him walk his dog. You see him when you go to the grocery store. You see him when you wash your car. How would you feel? Wouldn't that be hard? Wouldn't that be excruciating? Forgiveness? Sheila, you say you want me to forgive him?
That is exactly what happened in Rwanda with the genocide in 1994. Nearly a million people were tortured and killed. Forty thousand murderers were thrown in jail, and then pardoned, and then released to live as neighbors beside those they had hurt. And do you know what the country of Rwanda is teaching the rest of the world? How to forgive. They're learning to forgive, and this is what the bishop of Rwanda has said: "A murderer able to accept forgiveness? Impossible! A victim of such atrocities able to give forgiveness? Impossible. But remember, men and women, that what is humanly impossible, with God all things are possible." He says there is no greater grace than the grace that is in Rwanda, and that grace comes from the cross of Jesus Christ.
I go through the day and, every now and then, somebody will say something that hurts my feelings. Any of you ever have that happen to you? And right away, you go ouch, oh, ah! And you harbor a little anger towards them. But I have trained myself to, most of the time, think of Jesus hanging on the cross with the people who put Him there standing down below Him. What did He do to deserve that? Did He deserve to have nails pounded into His hands? Pounded into His feet? Did He deserve that? No. And yet He looked down on these same people who did that to Him, and He said, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).
And so when I get those little twinges and those little hurts, I think of that and I immediately say, "Father, I forgive them. They know not what they do."
So much of hurt is resentment. So many fractured relationships with our Heavenly Father and with others come from broken hearts. And so I want to ask you, what would you do? What would you use to mend a broken heart?
So, let's look in this restoration bucket - these are my husband's tools. So, would you use a hammer and a nail to mend a broken heart? Would you? Actually, that is exactly what God used to mend our broken hearts. He used a hammer and a nail. Hammers pounded nails into the hands of Jesus. A hammer pounded nails into the feet of Jesus because God wanted to mend your broken heart. He wants to mend your broken relationships. He loves you so much that He would send His Son to die so we can be mended, we can be pardoned, our debts can be paid when we pray, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."
Please stand with me. Let us close in prayer. And we're going to do our hand motions as we've been doing so we remember. It helps us remember through the week. So we start with praise, right? Hands up, faces lifted up and, with Crystal Cathedral gusto, repeat after me: "Our Father, Who art in heaven (Our Father Who art in heaven)." A little more gusto. "Hallowed be Thy name (Hallowed be Thy name)." Now we're going to do permission. Take your hands down and open them up. "Thy kingdom come (Thy kingdom come), Thy will be done (Thy will be done), on earth as it is in heaven (on earth as it is in heaven)." Now we put them together in petition and we ask Him, "Give us this day our daily bread (give us this day our daily bread)." And, Lord, we ask not for day-old, moldy, stale bread, but for daily bread.
And now we're going to do the pardon and this is American sign language for Jesus; you just put a nail in the hand. Repeat after me: "Forgive us our debts (forgive us our debts) as we forgive our debtors (as we forgive our debtors)." Lord, I ask You, today, to forgive me (Lord, I ask You, today, to forgive me). Forgive me for thinking I don't need You (Forgive me for thinking I don't need You). Forgive me for holding grudges (Forgive me for holding grudges). Forgive me for hurting that person I really do love (Forgive me for hurting that person I really do love). Amen (Amen).
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