Too Good To Be True?

For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

It sounded like quite a deal, we could purchase a sofa and chair and as long as we made the monthly payments, and paid it off in the 12 months, there would be no interest.  We found out the deal wasn't all it was portrayed.  What the company did was hold onto our check for several weeks before crediting it to our account, which meant unless we paid it off early, they would merely hold onto our payments until after the year was up and then hit us with 12 months worth of interest at the end.  We pulled money out of savings and paid it off early and got a payment received receipt for our own records and peace of mind.

How many times have we been handed a "deal of a lifetime" which sounded SO good that it would be difficult to pass on it?  Listen to the claims of advertisers! The deals being offered are, more times than not, too good to be true when you really think about it.

There is one deal that, on the surface, might sound far too good to be true, yet when you think about it and work through it, you find this deal is absolutely true! The promise of God through His Son is a deal that is absolutely true!  God really does love us so much that He sent Jesus to take our sins on Himself and pay the price required for our sins.  And when we truly believe in Christ Jesus, we will not be cast away, rather we will be with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit for eternity.  On the outside looking in, sounds too good to be true.  Those who have accepted this offer know it is too good to pass up.

Gentle? Kind? WHY?

Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon.

Philippians 4:5

Have you ever been so stressed and anxious that you were grumpy, irritable, snappy, and perhaps even angry?  Have you ever lashed out at someone because of your stress?  When I was around 5 or 6, I had my bicycle and rode around the car while Dad was working on it. Even at a young age, I had learned to pick up on certain cues. For example, when Mom would take a deep breath and count to 10 slowly, someone was about to get in trouble, or if Dad said "Oh my aching back" that was NOT the time to get his attention.  Dad had let go with "Oh my aching back" for the third time when I wobbled and fell off my bike, scraping my knee and there was blood.  I said, "Dad, I'm bleeding."  Without moving from under the hood, he took a deep breath, let out a low growl, and snapped, "WHERE'S YOUR MOTHER?"

When we are under stress, we get frustrated.  When we get frustrated, we tend to lash out.  When we lash out, we are not being gentle nor are we being kind.  My long-suffering Bride knows that there are times when I am not exactly patient (I heard you gasp in surprise).  I have been known to get down right crabby when I get frustrated or stressed. I am one of those people who believe that if I arrive on time, then in my mind, I'm late.  I would rather be 15 minutes early than a single second late.  My Bride doesn't think as I do, when has led to my crabbiness more than one.  But I'm learning.  I need to example to my Bride, and everyone around me, that God is working with me to be gentle and kind. 

There's an old adage which says "You can attract more flies with honey than with vinegar."  Think about it this way, you can attract more people with kindness and gentleness than with stress and crabbiness.  Take from that what you will.

Glowing!

Have you ever wondered why cities were built on high points like hills?  Well, mainly because it's more difficult to attack a fortified city when you have to fight uphill.  Plus, you can see further when you are up higher.  You can see warning fires that have been lit.  You can see when someone is coming.  Cities built on a hill or a mountain are rather intimidating, and they cannot hide! 

Jesus said that WE are the light of the world! WE are that city on a hill! We are not to hide our light because we are under pressure or because we have been threatened by darkness or because we feel threatened by our enemy seeking to attack us.

When the light of truth shines, darkness fears! When you feel the pressure to hide the truth, stand up and let God's light shine through you. God may have put you in such a place where the Light you shine sparks the strength in someone else to stand up and shine too.

Cure For Anxiety

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!

Philippians 4:4

Have you ever seen a meteor shower?  They can be quite impressive.  The photo is of a meteor shower over Mt. Rainier. 

But what does a meteor shower, regardless how awesome, have to do with rejoicing in the Lord? I pose the following for your consideration: Have you ever been bombarded by the meteor shower of "What If"? 

•  What if I lose my job?
•  What if my spouse decides to leave me?
•  What if we can't make our bills this month?
•  What if I say the wrong thing?
•  What if I don't get the promotion?
•  What if?  What if? What if? What if? WHAT IF?

We waste a LOT of time and energy trying to dodge the meteors instead of trusting God to deal with our situations.  We expend countless hours of our lives and enormous amounts of money trying to find peace, calm, and woosah. We tend for forget that God loves His children and oversees everything!

Look at today's verse, in it we can find resolution to anxieties and worries. Permit me lay this out for better understanding.  The verb tense in "Rejoice in the Lord always" literally means "continuously rejoice." Make a habit. Make it sincere, Rejoice that God woke you up this morning. Rejoice that you have clothes to wear and food to eat. Rejoice that you can see the wonders God puts in front of our noses. Rejoice in the sounds we can enjoy. Rejoice in the Lord for everything He is and has given us!  And if the "continuously" part wasn't sufficient, Paul adds "ALWAYS" at the end. 

And if THAT weren't sufficient...Paul adds, "AGAIN I say, rejoice!"  Here's a secret you might want to write down, God's still teaching this to me: You cannot have a heart that is so grateful that you rejoice unless you clear away the clutter of worry and anxiety and put them where they belong...at the foot of the Cross!  Lighten you load! Lift up your head! Rejoice in the Lord!

"Do It For YOU!"

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.

Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Colossians 3:13

We've discussed this before, but I felt compelled to broach the subject again...FORGIVENESS!  We want it. We like knowing that we have been forgiven. But we're not so keen to be the Forgiver!  In fact, we seem to rather enjoy holding grudges.  We even trot them out every so often to look at them again. We talk about them.  We hope others will join us in our grudges.  It's almost as if we are addicted to them and we don't know how we can live without them. In the prayer that Jesus taught His Disciples, there is the line: "And forgive us OUR trespasses IN THE SAME WAY WE forgive those who trespass against us."

Think about this: What purpose do grudges serve?  What purpose does our anger serve?  What do these two do to the ministry you have?  Yes, each of us has a ministry. We are to be the example of Christ in this world.  How can we be the example of Christ when we are unwilling to forgive?

Have you ever thought about the things we do instead of forgiving?  Let me tell you some of the things I have done. Stopped speaking to them....I would talk about them, but not to them. I would avoid going to places I thought they might be. I would, on occasion, ask God to punish them for what they had done to offend me.  Any of these sound familiar?

What God showed me when I prayed that He would punish them, was the heavy burden I was carrying.  Holding onto grudges is like pushing a car uphill with the emergency brake on.  It would be much easier to get inside and drive it uphill, but means we'd have to let go of the burden.  We MUST learn to let go of the anger.  We MUST learn to let go of the grudges. We MUST learn to love others as Christ loves us (Jesus died for them just as He did for us).

When we truly forgive, we take away the power that our enemy has over us.

I'm Becoming A Heavy Drinker

On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”

John 7:37-38

The cup you see in the photo is the cup I use to drink water. It holds 44oz of water, and I try to drink at least 4 of these each day.  Yes, I know...those trips help me get my steps in. 

Why did I start drinking so much water?  Two reasons, the second reason is because my doctor advised me to do this. The first reason, is found in the verse for today.  I need Christ!  I need His living water and each time I drink from this giant cup, I am reminded of the living water Christ offers.

With the 100 degree days we're having, along with the South Carolina "air that you wear" of 1000% humidity, ice water is most welcome.  When we thirst, our bodies tell us to drink.  When our spirit's thirst, that would remind us to run to Christ and drink!

When I was writing the devotionals on Prayer, I took the challenge to pray boldly to heart.  I prayed, "Abba, dry my spirit so that I will run to Christ for refreshing water!"  And guess what happened?  I find myself running to Him!  Not waiting until I get home. Not waiting for the "right time." Not saying, "I'll pray later." I run to Him right then and there, regardless where I am or what I'm doing, I focus on Him.  It's not a good feeling with your spirit is thirsting. But when you drink from Christ, it is SO refreshing!

God is teaching and I am learning.

Prayer Inventory

I have a confession to make...when I read my devotion this morning and it reminded me just how sad my prayer life had become. Read this quote from this morning's devotion: "I had access to the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. The Great I AM. The Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. The all-powerful, ever-present, all-knowing God who can send fire from Heaven, shut the mouths of lions, calm a raging storm. Yet all I had been asking Him to do was keep me safe and help me have a good day."

You see, I had become "comfortable" with my status quo.  I had been swimming in the bucket instead of the ocean! I had, sadly, forgotten with whom I was conversing.  I need to change that!  Instead of asking God for a good day, I need to ask God to use me in ways I cannot even begin to fathom.  I need to come before His throne as His child and report for duty!

Let me put it this way, if you have a racing thoroughbred that has won the tripe crown, would you put that horse in a children's pony ride at the fair?  Or would you let that champion BE champion!  When we pray we have access to God! He WANTS to hear from us. So why do we whisper?  Why do we not say, "Abba, here I am! Use me! Take me where YOU want me! Let me BE Your messenger!"

Isn't it time we stopped being "safe"?

How Daring Are Your Prayers?

Investigate my life, O God,
    find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,
    get a clear picture of what I’m about;
See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—
    then guide me on the road to eternal life.

Psalm 139:23-24

"Take care when you dare to share in prayer, your soul He will dare into it to stare to find all that you have hidden there.  That which He finds, He will share with care to you. Thus, take care when you dare to share." - Anonymous

How daring are you in your prayers?  I admit that I have fallen into a rut of "comfort prayers" that have no power or oomph.  But God has been teaching me, if you want TRUE results, my prayers must be BOLD and DARING!  Because we are talking with the Creator of everything, who is capable of amazing things.  Want to see true miracles, pray BOLDLY for them!

John Wesley was crossing the ocean when the winds began pushing the ship off course. Wesley had been in his cabin reading when he felt the winds pushing the ship. He got up, went to his knees and prayed, "Almighty and everlasting God, Thou hast sway everywhere, and all things serve the purpose of Thy will, Thou holdest the winds in Thy fists and sittest upon the water floods, and reignest a King for ever. Command these winds and these waves that they obey Thee, and take us speedily and safely to the haven whither we would go." He then got up, got back in his chair and started reading again.  His traveling companion noted, “So fully did he expect to be heard that he took it for granted that he was heard.”

Wesley didn't wonder IF God would move, he KNEW God would move. As soon as He finished his prayer, the winds died down and they were back on course. John Wesley had NO doubts when he prayed. 

There is a caution we must take if we are to pray daringly...God will answer!  When we pray, as David did, for God to search us and show us anything displeasing to Him, God will show you.  When He does, what will your response be?  Are we daring enough to, then, ask God to wash us and cleanse us and remove from us the temptation to fall back into our rut of comfort?

I issue this challenge to each of us: Instead of watching all that our eyes see and getting upset stop, drop and BOLDLY pray. Then don't trust your eyes or the news...trust that God is handling everything!

How Bold Are Your Prayers?

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Hebrews 4:16

How bold are you in your prayers?  I thought I was pretty bold when I prayed...now I'm convinced I was not.  You see, when I prayed God showed me that my words were words spoken from my safety zone...my comfort zone.  My prayers had become...weak!  How many times have our prayers been simply "Be with us. Comfort those who are sick."? 

I was prompted, pushed and prodded to re-read the Lord's Prayer, which I have recited so many times that the words seemed to have no power.  Until God showed me something: The Lord's Prayer is extremely bold AND powerful, it is WE who have lost that boldness and power in favor of recitation and comfort.

Our Father (Abba)

In Heaven (where His throne resides)

Holy Is Your Name (THE most powerful name ever)

YOUR Kingdom come (not the Kingdom we want)

YOUR will be done (Here we go...we have to release our will in favor of God's Will, EVEN if we don't like it or agree with it.)

On Earth as it is in Heaven (God's Will and plans are for OUR benefit and growth!)

Give us this day our daily bread (NOT yesterday, NOT tomorrow, JUST FOR TODAY!)

Forgive us OUR sins (We need this every single day)

AS WE FORGIVE OTHERS (we CAN NOT hold onto prejudices, hurts, anger, frustration, grudges! We have to let them ALL go and let God deal with them).

Don't lead us into temptation (keep us from straying off the straight path)

But save us from evil (defend us, pull us back even if we are kicking and screaming and fighting back because our nature craves evil)

Because the Kingdom, the Power, and ALL Glory are Yours (And HIS ALONE!)

Forever and EVER! (We are releasing everything to God forever!)

Amen. (This seals the prayer into the ear and heart of God)

When we pray boldly, we pray with the expectation that God has heard our prayer and that He is ALREADY answering. We MUST pray as described in James 1:6 - "When you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind."

We pray to the God how does miracles and is able to do WAY more than we could ever dream of asking. So why pray small?  Why pray safely? Pray BOLDLY!

Honor Others

"Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor."

- Romans 12:10

We love awards. The fact that someone notices our work is encouraging! But what about the people who work behind the scenes?

I read a story a number of years ago about a group of intellectuals who had gathered to ponder the question, "If you were shipwrecked on an island, what would you want most?" The discussion began rather simply with answers such as a good food source, clean and reliable water supply, sturdy shelter, books, reading glasses and the like.

But before too long the vision became quite grandiose. One wanted a stallion to ride in search of other people. Another wanted a palatial villa with views of the crystalline waters. Another required a vineyard that produced only the finest of wines. And the list became ever more spectacular.

During this discussion, the janitor came in to sweep up and empty the trash. The austere mental giants decided to poke fun at the janitor so they posed the question, "If you were shipwrecked on an island, what would YOU want most?" The janitor looked in amazement at this group of brilliants and answered softly, "To be rescued."

Be careful to outdo each other in honoring others for even the "simplest" are brilliant and deserving!

Jesus never taught us to sit on our haunches, He told us "as you are going into the world make disciples..." (Matthew 28:19-20).

Do You Abide?

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

I have to be honest, catch phrases are memorable because they are catchy.  My Bride have a bowl by the door where we put our keys when we come in.  The bowl makes it easy to find our keys when we need them.  Where did that come from?  We heard it on "The Big Bang Theory."  Sheldon stated that "We have a bowl. That's where we put our keys....in the bowl because that's what the bowl is for....for putting keys in."  That stuck with us.

One of my favorite catch phrases came from a movie I never saw, but I saw a clip where the phrase, "The Dude Abides" was used and it stuck in my mind.  I pondered it for a long time.  Then I read today's verse and it smacked me like tree limb!  The meaning of the phrase, "The Dude Abides" means the "Dude" will live on.

Look at today's verse: "Don't be afraid, for I am with you."  How's that for a reason to Abide?

"Don't be discouraged, for I am your God." Feeling more like the abiding Dude yet?

"I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my VICTORIOUS right hand." I don't know about you, but with God as my help, strength, and protector...This Dude Abides!

Transform!

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:2

If we take a good look around, we will see that our world is in a constant state of transformation. Nothing remains the same!  Water evaporates and is transformed into clouds which, in turn, bring rain.  We are born, and we transform into adults.  We are in a constant state of transformation, and we need God's help to transform into someone who willingly obeys Him.

Guess what?  There are people whose lives have been transformed by God from horrific to forgiven.  Have you ever read the story of Saul who met Christ on the road and transformed him into Paul?  How did God transform Saul into Paul? By changing the way Saul thought.  You see, our minds are immensely powerful.  What we think determines our view of the world and everything in it.

One argument I used to used to use was to simply say, "Well, everyone else is doing it!"  I stopped using that argument when I was 9 or 10.  My Mom answered my argument with, say it with me, "If everyone else jumped off a cliff would you jump too?"  My reply..."Yes, because I would land on them and not get hurt."  Mom's paddle swiftly and sharply applied very quickly transformed my way of thinking.

In my life on this rock, I have realized that my thinking is transformed depending on where I focus my mind.  If I am angry with someone, I'm not a very nice person.  If I have a rough day, I am not much fun to be around.  But when I focus my mind of Christ and His way of thinking, my thoughts change and so do my actions.  It's a daily quest to focus one's mind on Christ, and sometimes it is difficult to focus when we see all that's going on around us.

Remember Paul who used to be Saul?  He wrote a letter to the church in Philippi instructing them to focus their minds: "Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies."  How about you?  Are you ready to be transformed?