Spiritual Renewal (Part 3)

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual] act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2

Wikipedia defines a neural network as a "population of physically interconnected neurons or a group of disparate neurons whose inputs or signaling targets define a recognizable circuit." Within a human brain hundreds of thousands of neurons are interconnected in a complex “wiring harness” (neural network) that controls all functions of the human body including our behavior.
New scientific discoveries http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081124174909.htm are beginning to show that the brain, specifically these neural networks, may be able to “remodel” itself and potentially change our functional characteristics and behavior! MRI studies of juvenile stroke victims, for example, have shown that the young brain has actually “re-wired” the stroke-damaged areas allowing speech and other faculty losses to be partially or completely recovered. Research using neural networks has also been used to demonstrate how symptoms may arise from breakdowns in normal brain processes in patients with autism, a neuro-developmental disorder in which sufferers have impaired social interactions, deficiencies in verbal and non-verbal communication and inconsistency in cognitive abilities.

These discoveries are exciting for the believer, because they serve to further confirm the truth of the word of God. When Paul says, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” we know that our minds can be physically renewed when we drop old habits and replace them with new ones. When we open ourselves to the word of God and are careful to not continue the patterns of our former selves, our minds will actually re-wire itself into a more Christ-like brain! AWESOME!

What scientists are learning now through the use of MRI brain studies is a concept that God gave us in his word. By being obedient to God’s word, consistently and through true repentance from the misbehavior of our lives before accepting Jesus Christ, we can transform ourselves into “new creations” in Christ. As we leave another year behind this scripture gives us hope for real change in the coming year. We can once and for all transform ourselves and “be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will “


My prayer. Father, I pray in earnest in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior and Deliverer, asking that you create in us a fire to change what is displeasing to you so that through the wonder our created bodies and minds we can truly transform ourselves into “new creations” that may be of better service to You and your Kingdom. Thank you Lord for the gift of our bodies and the ability to take what we have damaged and make it new again! Amen!

Spiritual Renewal (Part 2)

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2



Next, Paul tells us that in order to discover the perfect will of God in our lives that we should no longer "conform ...to the pattern of this world.” A pattern is a template or model used to generate things or a theme of events that occur in a repetitious and predictable manner. A pattern, good or bad, is a habit and our world operates in a many predictable patterns.



Greed, gluttony and alcoholism are three prevalent patterns in our world. The average American, rich and poor alike, wants everything in the greatest quantities at the lowest cost even when the material is not needed. Consuming food to excess or eating when in a certain setting such as a baseball game or a movie theater even when not hungry is a common pattern. And drinking alcohol to excess at a New Year's party or stopping off for a beer after work is typical behavior for many people.



Not all habits are harmful and in fact many habits (patterns) are beneficial. A routine creates discipline and helps to minimize errors especially in complex operations. Developing a schedule for a new born baby helps to regulate sleep patterns and bodily functions and eases the workload for new parents. We must take stock in our good and bad habits through the lens of God's Word to measure their benefit to our relationship with our Father.



Paul, is telling the Christians in Rome that when they accepted Christ as their redeemer and received a new heart, it was time to examine the patterns of their world, the old habits they created in their former lives and begin to cast off the bad habits and discontinue them. What was normal behavior before, is probably not acceptable as a believer in Christ. The time is now, Paul says, to be more Christ-like and less self-like!



As the year draws to a close, it is time we take inventory of the patterns of this world that have become our bad habits and stop conforming our lives to those patterns. We must abstain from worldly habits and replace them with Christ-like habits. Change of this magnitude is a process that will not happen overnight, but we cannot grow weary as it will last for the rest of our lives in Christ. Rather, we must start now and let God help us grow into the men and women of God he has called us to be.



My prayer. Father, you know what I struggle with. You know what holds me back from giving myself fully to you. Show me the patterns of this world that I have claimed as my own and have a negative stronghold in my life. Help me today to begin the process of freeing myself from old habits that are displeasing to you. Thank you Lord for granting me this request, in Jesus name, Amen!

Spiritual Renewal (Part 1)

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2

At the end of every year, most of us pause and reflect upon those things we would like to change in our lives. Often, we start the New Year with a resolution to change something we dislike in ourselves. However, by the end of February, the resolution is most always forgotten and life goes back to normal until next December. I think this holds true in our walks with the Lord. He makes known to us something He would like us to change or improve so that we could better serve Him and others; we recognize His call and begin on our own to change but soon give up in frustration, unsuccessful.

As I studied Romans chapter 12, the Lord made me aware of some old habits that I have retained since being saved. The Lord pointed out that they are creating separation between the Father and I and are inhibiting me from enjoying the fullness of joy he has planned for my life. Obviously they have to go, but how can I rid myself of these obstacles.

Paul describes three practical things we can do to rid ourselves of the obstacles in our relationship with the Father and discover God’s will for our lives. He says we are to:

1. “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God as a spiritual act of worship;”
2. (no longer) "conform... to the pattern of this world;” and
3. “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Christians everywhere are looking for the answer to the question, what is God’s will, “His good and pleasing will.” How many hours of study and prayer are put in trying to discover God’s plan for our lives? Paul, says the answer is quite simple, "Offer your bodies (to Him) as living sacrifices.” By offering ourselves completely to God we are not only worshiping Him but we are placing ourselves on a path of discovery toward God’s will!

We can't however offer ourselves completely "holy and pleasing" to God until we first do a couple things. The most essential step is to accept the Jesus Christ into your heart as Lord and Saviour. Without admitting sinfulness and the redeeming power of the blood of Jesus Christ, no resolution or any other self-improvement promise will make us holy and pleasing. We must begin on our knees in prayer asking Jesus to dwell inside us and accept his sacrifice on the cross to remove our sins once and for all. Once this step has been taken a process of prayer, daily scripture reading, and regular worship and fellowship with God and other Christians must begin. In that process of walking in relationship with the Father, He will begin to reveal those areas in your life that need to be confessed and turned away (repented) from.

Tomorrow, we will continue looking and meditating on this verse and discover how, we can remove those obstacles, that, although we are saved, hinder us from realizing the fullness of joy our Heavenly Father has planned for us.

My prayer. Father, we are sinners and it is only through your love for us and the sacrifice of your only Son that we can be presented to you as holy and living sacrifices to you. In the days ahead Father hear our prayers and reveal to us the places in our lives that are causing us to stumble in our walk with you. Show us Father where the Enemy has been able to establish a stronghold in our lives so that we may begin to tear it down and eliminate that which is blinding us from seeing your good and perfect will for our lives and for the advancement of Your Kingdom on earth. I pray in earnest in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior and Deliverer, Amen!

Intent of the Heart

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Heb 4:12

Yesterday we celebrated the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ, the Word of God "made flesh." I have spent the last three weeks trying to unpack what God was doing when he used a little baby in a non-descript manger in a little known town to fulfill prophecy that had been spoken of since the beginning of time. His Word made flesh, Emmanuel (God with Us) a baby? My pastor said on Christmas Eve, "if we had a million years to unpack the story of Christmas we could never fully comprehend everything God did in Bethlehem on that day." I agree!

Jesus came and dwelt among us, and forgave our sins by dying on a cross but, he did something else, he showed us what God was like. Jesus gave us a frame of reference around which we mortals could hope to understand the infinite and in doing so, he altered how we look at our faith and what God really requires from us as believers. Jesus made us look at more than the "rules;" he forced us to look at our hearts (our motives). No longer can we just look at we do outwardly (when others are watching), we must now truly change our motivations because God knows the intents of our hearts even when we don't act upon our desires.

For example, Jesus said to his disciples gathered on the Mount of Olives in Matthew Chapter 5, "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: (Ex. 20.14 · Deut. 5.18 ) but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; (Ex. 20.13 · Deut. 5.17) and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."

How can we now possibly be obedient to God, given Jesus' new interpretation? Are we now doomed to a fiery death in hell because "God was made flesh and dwelt among us"? How can this be? Why would God do this?

The answer is quite simple yet extremely complex. Belief in Jesus is the simple answer yet God's choice for redemption is so elegantly complex that a thousand of the world's best minds taking a million lifetimes of thought could not unravel its mysteries. God knew that his Creation could never live up to his standards, so he had to develop and air-tight means to remain true to his Word and yet allow us a way to eternal ("sinless") life. He sent himself in the form of a baby who would grow into a "sinless" mortal man to take our sins upon himself and die so that we maybe sinless in His sight. The only thing now that anyone needs to do is to have faith in what happened and believe that God gives this gift freely to anyone who asks at any time in his or her life! Amazing love!

As I consider the enormous love God has for us and his exacting standards as expressed in Hebrews 4:12, I must constantly fall to my knees and thank Him for his mercy because I know I am doomed without his grace!

My prayer. Father, thank you that your word is quick and powerful and that it gets straight to our sins and exposes them in plain sight. Thank you Lord that we cannot hide from our unclean hearts, because our hearts makes us realize there is no hope except through the blood of Jesus Christ. He is "the Way the truth and the life" and I praise you for it. Forgive me Lord in my sinfulness and lead me back to you. My prayer goes out today to all Christians who are struggling may they return to you and stop their wandering in darkness. I pray Lord, earnestly, for those who have yet to come to know you as their Lord and Savior. Change their hearts Lord and whisper to them through your saints here on earth, that they may hear your call and lay themselves at the foot of the cross and ask you to give them new hearts. All this I pray in the Name above all names, Jesus Christ, Amen!

Unto Us a Child is Born

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace Isa 9:6

More than 700 years before he was born, the prophet Isaiah wrote these words. The prophecy would be fulfilled in an obscure town called Bethlehem. A child would be born of a virgin and he would change the world forever for generations to come. A gift from God, Emanuel "God with Us!"

As we go about our family gatherings, last minute shopping, church services and parties, remember that the gift that we celebrate on December 25th is with us today and he is Wonderful, our Counselor, the mighty God, everlasting Father, he is the Prince of Peace. He loves us more than we can possibly ever hope to comprehend and he wants to have a relationship with us.

We are the hope for a lost world. God through the gift of his Son can now use us, his Church, to be his hands feet taking the gospel to those who do not yet know Him. We are the hope for peace on earth and goodwill toward men. We must now use the power he has given us to make Christmas alive on planet Earth.

When you get up tomorrow, to unwrap presents and enjoy the good food and friends, remember the gift from heaven who for just a brief time became one of us because he loves us and wanted us to be free of the chains called sin and death that bind us. And when the celebration is over, his gift will continue to be passed on through our lives to those yet to know his mercy.

My prayer. Father, thank you for entrusting us with your gift, a gift that we must pass along through our obedience to your will. Make us our hands and feet Father so that there truly can be Peace on Earth in 2009. In Jesus mighty name I pray, Amen.

Christ in Us the Hope of Glory

“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eph 3:10-11

I love a good mystery. I remember reading Agathe Christie and watching the adventures of Hercule Poirot on public television when I was younger. I always tried to solve the mystery before the end of the book or movie.

As I read Paul’s letter to the Ephesians I was surprised to discover that Paul had the honor of revealing a mystery that had been kept secret by God throughout the thousands of years documented in the Old Testament and even through the life of Jesus Christ. “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” Eph 3:6. Paul says to the Colossians, “God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Wow! Is Paul really saying that God is putting the “hope of glory” in us? God trusts you and me to be His hope for planet earth? I find this concept of redemption amazing. God is so confident that he would use the power of His only son’s death on the cross and our belief in the shed blood of Christ, to empower us to change the world for God’s kingdom. Amazing!

We truly cannot understand His ways, the God of the universe comes to the earth as a little baby. The child grows into a young man who wanders the countryside and employs twelve ordinary unschooled men to learn from him and take over his ministry. Then he allows himself to be crucified by a jealous religious and political establishment. He rises from the dead but almost secretly reveals himself to only a few and then ascends into the heavens. He turns the story of redemption over to the Gentile world and uses a Jewish man who is brilliantly schooled in the Old Testament (Paul) to begin growing a body of believers that would be empowered by a Holy Spirit, to tell the world about the good news of Jesus Christ.

What a twist! Gentiles doing what the Jews would not do. Yet the Father still plans to return for the Jews sending his Son yet again back to earth, "when the fullness has of the Gentiles has come in." Romans 11:12 When, is still a mystery yet God is waiting on us through the power of Christ in us to help Him fulfill that prophecy. It is so exciting serving a God who has that much trust in his people!

My prayer. Father, thank you for your trust in me to help carry out your plan of redemption on planet earth. Increase Christ in me as I decrease myself in me. Use me today and everyday for your will to be accomplished in my sphere of influence. I pray that the saints around the world be surrounded by your angels and strengthened in their time of persecution. May your glory always be in front of us as we serve you until the "fullness of the Gentiles" has come in! In Jesus name, Amen!

God and Politics

"And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." (John 8:11)

There has been much chatter on the Internet about the "new breed" of Evangelicals who are bucking the "so called" right wing conservative Christians. I see this noise as being another political move to capture more voters to bolster left leaning ideals. Maybe so but in the end , God is in control and the book writers and MSNBC pundits are just pumping up their wallets and egos as they wax greatly on the six o'clock news.

Whatever, the position of these folks on gay marriage or abortion, the Word is clear on the definition of sin whether it is abortion, homosexuality, or any other political football that seems to be popular. He is aware of our obligations as Christians to pray for and come under the authority of our elected leaders even if we disagree with their rational for using military force or appeasing terrorists.

The Church is under the authority of God and we as believers are obligated to have a relationship with Him and our fellow believers and help each other in our walk with God. We are to become more Christ-like as we draw nearer to God. At the end of our lives, God will not judge us on our political positions or even how much we gave to the poor or spoke out against the death penalty. He will judge whether or not we received the free gift of salvation bought through His Son's shed blood on the cross.

Conservative Christians like Dr. Dobson and others who are opposed to gay marriage and abortion are exercising their free speech and making moral arguments that are aligned with the truth of God's word. So called evangelicals or conservative Christians who truly walk daily with the King do not hate homosexuals or abortion practitioners, they hate the sin of homosexuality and abortion. I believe these conservative Christians, like me, love these sinners; and, like Jesus did with the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11, neither condemn the sinner nor condone the sin. Rather we all pray that those who are trapped in these sins will confess their sins to God and repent (turn away) from the sinful behavior and seek a relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ.

My Prayer. Father, again we find ourselves torn by politics and power rather than joined by the love that you taught us to give to one another. I pray in earnest Father for those trapped in the sin of homosexuality, and trapped by the guilt of abortion. Father I ask that you would empower us as believers to come together in agreement on the sinfulness of homosexuality and abortion and to reach out in love to our brothers and sisters in Christ so that we may take these sinners by the hand and lead them to the foot of the cross. May we do this Lord with a spirit of love and not condemnation. Help us Lord to channel our energies toward unification as the body of Christ rather than tear ourselves apart that we fall prey to the Enemy. Thank you Lord for your Word. May it ring true to all believers this Christmas season so that we may be more Christlike in 2009. I pray in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen!

A Sign Unto You

"And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." Luke 2:12

The angel spoke these famous words to the shepherds in the fields on the eve of Jesus birth. The words fulfilled a prophecy spoken by Isaiah, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. " They however echoed something else which is found in the story that Isaiah is telling in Chapter 7.

The kings of Israel and Syria in the days of Ahaz king of Judah aligned with one another to defeat the king of Judah. "the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz,....(tell him) fear not, neither be fainthearted for...(the two kings shall not be successful against you) For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.
And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established." The Lord then went onto say to Ahaz, "Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above."

God wanted Ahaz to simply ask him for a sign, "But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD." God, I believe put off by Ahaz' lack of faith said watch this, I will go beyond this situation and reveal to you a real miracle (my words). He said, "the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings." (Is 7:3-20)

God told us in this story that he was bigger than Ahaz's minor problem and that what he would give the world was a Savior and that he would rid the land of (Israel's)two kings and all further evil would be trampled under his feet. He would establish himself King of the Jews and never again woud their be kings of Judah or Israel!

When will we learn that God is bigger than all of our problems? He is in control and he will help us if we will only ask him in faith!

My prayer. Father, thank you for revealing yourself to us through your word. I pray that my trust in You would increase as I walk closer to you. Thank you for the gift of your Son and the gift of salvation that we can pass to others as members of His body. I pray this Christmas season be a time of renewal and revival. I pray that Christians around the world will come to know the power that you have given each one of them through the power of the Holy Spirit. Help us Lord to be ambassadors of Christ through our lives. Use us today Lord to be your hands and feet. In Jesus name I pray, Amen

Too Wonderful to Comprehend

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19, 51

Luke Chapter 2 the story of the birth of Christ is so rich, I never get tired of reading it. The story is full of drama and joy, love and hope, it is worth reading over and over anytime during the year especially if you want to renew your faith and invigorate your walk with the Lord.

Mary, besides the baby Jesus, takes center stage in this drama which is the culmination of the promises of God and the redemption of the world which was so wonderfully foreshadowed in the Old Testament. I love this verse which was used twice in Chapter 2 to explain how overwhelming the events had become for Mary that she could only take them in and ponder them in her heart.

After all, she ( a virgin) had been favored by the Creator of the universe to carry his one and only begotten son through conception by the Holy Spirit. The, to make the entire story even more difficult to comprehend, she is told that this baby she would give birth to was the promised Messiah that would be King of the Jews and would be the vessel whereby God would redeem the world from the fall of Adam and Eve. As the chapter unfolds Mary is experiencing one unfathomable event after another and I am certain she is virtually in shock regarding the enormity of the situation.

When I read this verse first at the beginning of the Chapter and then again at the end, I can picture Mary just in a daze, overwhelmed and overjoyed that she would be honored in such a way by God, yet confused and bewildered that she had been chosen for the most important assignment in eternity! She was speechless and could only "ponder (everything) in her heart."

God is so amazing how he takes the most unexpected paths to achieve the greatest miracles! Praise Him!

My prayer. Father, I pray that someday I may be considered a useful vessel for you to bless someone in my sphere of influence. Lord, continue to mold me in your hands as the potter does with the clay. Make me an instrument of your plan of salvation in a world that is desperate to receive your Christmas gift. Use me Lord according to the ability you have given me, In Jesus name I pray, Amen!

Out of Egypt I Called my Son!

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." Matthew 2:13-15

After the birth of Jesus and his subsequent return to Nazareth, Magi from the east (most-likely Babylon) approached King Herod in Jerusalem to seek where they could find the Christ. They came bearing gifts and to worship the one that had been prophesied in the scriptures and for whom they referred, king of the Jews. They were directed to Bethlehem by Herod’s advisers and teachers of the law and off they went. Secretly Herod plotted to kill the child as he was deeply concerned about losing his throne.

Again, Divine providence was upon Joseph and Mary and the young boy Jesus when an angel told them to flee to the desert until the danger had passed. Shortly afterwards around, 4 AD, Herod died and the threat to the life of Jesus was over, allowing the family to return to Nazareth.

As we read these writings about the life of Jesus at Christmas time, we are reminded of the obedience of Mary and Joseph and how much the hand of God was on this family and His only begotten Son. As I meditate on these scriptures, my heart fills with joy at how much God did to fulfill his promise of redemption.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden, I believe he was very disappointed but not unforgiving. Josephus writes on the heels of the eating of the forbidden fruit,

“God said, ‘I had before determined about you both, how you might lead a happy life, without any affliction, and care, and vexation of soul; and that all things which might contribute to your enjoyment and pleasure should grow up by my providence, of their own accord, without your own labor and pains-taking; which state of labor and pains-taking would soon bring on old age, and death would not be at any remote distance: but now thou hast abused this my good-will, and hast disobeyed my commands.’”

God therefore, had to punish us. But he soon began his plan of redemption because he loved us so much.

Several thousand years later, God will order Joseph and his family to the desert for safety. The key ingredient, without the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, is that both Joseph and Mary were obedient, doing exactly what they were told when they were asked. This precise and unquestioning trust in the Lord’s requirements are a lesson to all of us that no matter the request from God, if we are to see his plans fulfilled in our lives, we must obey completely and immediately!

My prayer. Father, thank you for your word and the precision of your blessings to those who follow it without question. Lord, continue to teach me how to give you my complete trust, both in the good things and in the uncomfortable situations. I want to have the obedience of a Joseph. Help me start this Christmas so that I may be a better servant to you. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!

Jesus Will Reveal Hearts

"This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." Luke 2:34-35

Simeon, whom Luke calls “righteous and devout,” spoke these words over the infant Jesus just days after he was born and on the occasion of his presentation at the temple eight days after his birth. The Holy Spirit had already revealed to Simeon that this was the Lord Christ who would be “a light for revelation to the Gentiles.”

When I considered this word of God’s, I was astonished at how powerful this prophesy was and how it continues to be fulfilled. Jesus truly is “a sign that (is) spoken against.” Atheists and the "politically correct" find it difficult to withhold comment or reaction at the very mention of His name. Especially during the Christmas season, as the battle wages for displays that honor the name of Christ, the mere utterance of his name always evokes a “heart” reaction positively or negatively.

Whether you are a Christian or a pagan, Jew or Atheist, it is impossible to be neutral about Jesus!

My prayer. Father, I am continually amazed when I contemplate your greatness and mercy. I praise you for the gift that you gave me and all of mankind in your Son Jesus. Empower me Lord to see what you see when hearts are revealed at the mention of the “Name above all names.” Use me Lord to minister to those who may not yet understand the magnitude of the gift that you have given us through your Son. Help me also to heal the brokenness in my won soul. Make my life a testimony unto you Father. And as I continue to reflect upon the wonderful Christmas present you gave the world, continue to open the eyes of my heart even wider and show me the damage yet to be repaired. I thank you for your mercy and I pray in Jesus mighty name, Amen!

May it be to me as You have said!

I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:38)

Praise God that Mary was obedient to His request that she, yet a virgin, would bear the Son of God in her womb! As I contemplate the birth of our Savior this Christmas season, I am amazed at just how obedient she was and what a personal risk she would undertake for the Lord.

I wonder if I could take such a step of faith. I know in my own walk I struggle to give God the easiest things, I can’t imagine myself trusting Him with the dedication of Mary. Why do we find it so difficult to trust, in the safety of our cushy lives?

The word trust “peitho” in the Greek language means “to rely upon, to have confidence in or to believe in.” Trust leaves us with four options in which we can place our confidence or on which we can believe, material objects, other people, ourselves, and, if we are believers, God. Most often trust in the first two leads to disappointment and sometimes a great deal of pain. This leaves only to trust in our own ability or God’s. Herein lies our dilemma, it cannot be both, so we must choose to trust completely in ourselves or in our Creator.

Psalm 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Psalm 62:8 confirms, “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” As believers, we really have but one choice and that is to trust our Father. He created us, to love and be in relationship with us, and He gave his most prized possession, His Son, to die a horrible death for the redemption of our sins. How could we question his love and his ability to accomplish the things we give to him in prayer? Yet we do.

I believe the root of our inability to fully trust God lies in our separation from Him resulting from “original sin.” Even though we are saved through the blood of Jesus, the remnant of the shame of original sin still haunts us. We continue to allow ourselves to move back toward self-reliance and away from God-reliance. Self-discovery and our belief that we control our own destiny, hold us back from fully giving ourselves over to God’s will for our lives.

We must continually renew our minds by constantly pulling away from the world order and remain in God’s perfect will for our lives (Romans 12:2). It is only then that we can say and live what Mary said, “I am the Lords servant, may it be to me as you said.”

My prayer. Forgive me Lord for my lack of trust in You, the only one who truly has my best interests at heart. I love you Father and know that you alone know Your perfect will for my life. Let my life be of complete and useful service to you, help me to step out on the water and trust that you will lead me across the surface in perfect agreement with your will and for the advancement of your Kingdom. I pray in earnest and with humble repentance for ever doubting your trustworthiness. In Jesus name! Amen

Judge Not Lest Ye Be Judged

"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." Mat. 7:1-5



This passage of scripture is often used by those who want to call Christians hypocrites and more by those who are opposed to any kind of morale standard. The fact of the matter is that this teaching was by Jesus directly to his closest disciples during the famous Sermon on the Mount. In it Jesus went beyond what the teachings and law of the Old Testament, telling them more than their outward actions but the evil in their own hearts would dictate how
they would be judged by God.

Judgement was never something to be avoided when it came to discerning right from wrong in the eyes of God, rather it was the judgement of one believer of another about which Jesus cautioned his followers. Be careful, he warned, of criticizing another for the purposes of personal superiority. Rather Jesus tells us to make sure that our motives are for building up one another not tearing them down.

Judging right from wrong using an absolute vice relative approach to morality is exactly what God wants us to do. We are to look to the saving power of the blood of Jesus Christ and the grace of God the Father as our hope for eternal life, rather than our ability to keep all the law both outwardly and in our hearts. However, we must be "judgemental" when it comes to determining our life choices. In fact the very sermon that tells us to be careful how we are to warn each other of the dangers of sin, is the very place we all should refer to gain knowledge of what is right or wrong in the eyes of God.

My prayer. Father, thank you that you would send your Son to earth to give us a picture of what you are really like and how much you love us. I pray father that we as believers can become more Christlike in the conduct of our lives so that others are drawn to you not driven away by hypocrisy and elitism. Help us Lord in our weakness and teach us the proper way to serve you and be good stewards of the truth that you have given us in your Word. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!

We Can't Ignore God Any More

"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." Acts 17:29-31

Paul, on his second mission to the Gentiles said these words to the people of Athens who worshiped many idols and images of their gods. Luke even records an altar with an inscription: "To an unknown god"! The people of Athens, not unlike us today worshipped almost anything.

I like how the King James version of the bible translates, "And the times of this ignorance God winked at..." It is almost as if the Holy Spirit is saying, the kidding around is over and now God wants you full attention because through the death of his son on the cross, he has given the world its last chance to recognize that he is the one true God.

He has "set a day," when he will take his bride away with him and he will "judge the world with justice." Paul was quite clear about what he heard God saying to him.

If we roll the clock ahead 2000 years and consider this teaching in the context of today's culture, the urgency of this word rings true. Not much has changed really except maybe the names of the gods being worshipped. Today its the images and idols of money, entertainment, and self fulfillment that have replaced the Greek gods, however, the urgency to give up these gods seems unchanged as our society worships any and everything but God.

God has stated his case and the clock is ticking. The day of his return is much closer now than in Paul's time, don't miss your last chance to join God's family, before its too late.

My prayer. Father, I humbly repent for the times I have wasted worshipping the idols and images of this world. Forgive me Lord for my lack of faith and trust in the love that you have shown through your son Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that in these last days that all mankind repent and come to know you as Lord and Savior. Thank you for your eternal grace and love for your creation. Bring your Kingdom to earth through the love that you have commanded us to show to one another. I pray these things in the name above all names, my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen!

Give Thanks to the Lord

"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands, serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with singing. Psalm 100:1-2

How often, in the fast pace of our world, with all the worry and frustration of a down economy and fears of unemployment, do we turn to ourselves and our problems and forget about our Father in heaven who love us? We spend most of our lives chasing after that which, when we die will be lost. We never spend enough time on what matters most to God, serving him and serving others. It is people who matter most to God not our possessions or our pay raises, not out new positions and our fancy cars and big houses.

"Know ye that the Lord is God, it is He that hath made us and not we ourselves, we are his people and sheep of his pasture." Psalm 100: 3

When all is said and done those of us who have received the free gift of salvation from our Father will spend eternity serving Him in heaven. I don't really know what that will be like but I do know that eternity is a lot longer than the 70 or so years that I will live on this planet, chasing material possessions and dreams that will be gone when I am dead. No, I don't want to wait to serve him after I am removed from this world, I am starting now!

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his name. For the Lord is good and his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endureth to all generations." Psalm 100: 4-5

My prayer. Father in your great mercy please forgive me again for only thinking of myself and forgetting about what matters most to you in this world and the next. Happy Thanksgiving Father! I love you!

Your son,
John

AMEN!

Fighting Against God?

"Therefore in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." Acts 5:38-39

I find myself extremely frustrated and upset when I think about the possibility of Barack Obama with his socialistic ideology possibly being our next president. I think about the blood spilled by our brave men and women in uniform who have died for our liberty and pray that it has not been in vain. To think our way of life, our freedom, could be gone in a short while, perhaps never to be seen again is more than I can bear sometimes.

As I read God's Word this morning the Lord took me through this passage in Acts and made me stop and think, "What if God had ordained this moment for his purpose?" "What if God is using this current political situation for his redemption plan?"

"How could I stop it? "Why would I want to stop it?"

Now don't get me wrong, I am not choosing Mr. Obama's change package! I will still vote for liberty over government oppression and taxes as long as I am able. But what if God has a socialist president elected in the United States as part of his redemption plan? I certainly cannot change that by worrying or getting frustrated; and I may even find myself fighting against God. Perhaps rather than fight, I will just pray, "Thy will be done Father," and be at peace.

My prayer. Lord, I don't know what you have planned for my country in the next four years. I do know, however, that no matter what happens in the physical world that you are working for the good of all mankind in the spiritual world. And I do know that your word is truth and in the end, we as followers of Christ will be victorious over sin and death. Father, I humbly fall before you and confess my sins and promise to turn away from all that displeases you and I pray in earnest for my country seeking your face and trusting that you will heal the United States of America! I know that no human effort can stop what you have planned for your children. I believe in You and I pray that you help me in my unbelief so that I may always trust you even when times are difficult. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!

Because our Time is Short

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12)

Moses is credited with writing Psalm 90. Empowered by the Holy Spirit he cries out to the Lord for mercy and rescue from God's wrath. He pleads for his limited time on earth to be pleasing to God and productive for the Kingdom.

These days seem anxious. The state of the world, especially here in America, reflects a sense of uncertainty, frustration and fear among the people unlike I have ever experienced in my fifty years. Psalm 90's tone sounds as if it could have been written yesterday as the prayer cries out to God. "We are consumed by your indignation," Moses pleads. "You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence." (Psalm 90:7-8)

When we are called before the Lord in judgement, everything we have ever done will be laid bare before Him. Yes, even though we are saved our Father will show us what he saw in us even the "secret sins" we comitted when we thought no one was watching. He is coming, and he may be here sooner than we think.

While I have faith in the salvation that I received from Christ, I, like Moses, am uncomfortable as I reflect on my future meeting with my Father. I can only pray that he "establish the work of (my) hands (now)" and help me "gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:17, 12)

My prayer. Father again I confess the secret sins still present in my life. Despite the relationship you have offered to me, I continue to put myself and the desires of my sinful nature ahead of your will. Teach me Father to "number my days aright" before my time in your earthly service has passed me by. Thank you Lord for your mercy and grace and for establishing the work of my hands that I might store up my treasures in heaven. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!

Hope for What is Unseen

"But hope that is seen is no hope at all." (Rom 8:24)

Hope is an anticipation for something not present. When one hopes for something or someone, he or she looks forward to its appearance with a sense of desire and a knowledge that the object of that desire will manifest itself as reality someday. One would not hope for an illness or financial ruin, neither would one hope that the world would someday be found to be flat.

"Therefore (in light of our eventual resurrection), my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves freely to the work of the Lord, because you KNOW that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Cor 15:38) Paul says, because we have hope in our certain resurrection we KNOW that our labor (obedience) to the Lord is not wasted time. When one has hope, there is excitement in obedience. Christians should be eager to serve God, to give him glory and to help gather souls unto Him, because of the anticipation of spending eternity worshipping God in a New Heaven and New Earth! What freedom!

Our hope, therefore, lies in what we presently cannot see. It is only by our faith in a (physically)unseen world by the promises of a (physically) unseen God, that we have true freedom. Because we hope, we can experience freedom from what held us captive (drugs, alcohol, sexual immorality, etc) before we put our trust in the redemptive power of the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

If I was addicted to pornography yesterday and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour today, I would be free from this addiction immediately if I had enough faith in Christ's redeeming power. But, because our faith is weak and our hope still lies in the pleasure we feel in the physically present pornographic material we will continue to struggle in the chains of that addiction. UNTIL we have faith to trust that Jesus Christ died to free us from this addiction, we will return to it even though we profess to be Christ followers. How often has this been the downfall of so many believers?!

No, we must allow the hope of a broken addiction to permeate our spirit and resist the subject of our physical desire as we are filled with the stronger desire to be obedient to the Father. As we practice that faith (hope) daily, trusting in the unseen power of a resurrected Jesus, we will slowly be separated from the spirit of (lust, greed, drunkenness, etc) that wants to draw us back into bondage. Unfortunately, we of little faith, must undergo a process of learning how to hope for the unseen before we allow ourselves to live in freedom. Therefore, as our faith grows, so does our ability to trust God and be obedient to his commands and his calling on our lives.

My prayer. By faith Lord, we can be healed not because of our strength but by the stripes received by your Son at the hands of a sinful and fallen world. Because of your love for us you healed us from sin and death. Father, you are the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not (the unseen) as though they were. You give sight to the blind and restore hearing to the deaf. You save us from the chains of addiction and use us to redeem the lost. What an awesome God we serve! Thank you for loving us so much that your would not leave us to die in our own sinfulness. I love you Lord and give you thanks and praise. In the Name above all names I pray, Amen!

Faith

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us to that only together with us would they be made perfect." (Heb 11:39-40)

Faith is believing in something unseen and receiving it just as if it were physically present. "By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days." (Heb 11:29) By faith:

• Daniel spent the night in the lion's den and was unharmed;
• David picked up five smooth stones and his sling, and slew Goliath; and
• Abraham, after waiting, although not patiently, until he was very old, was given many children.

After writing this in draft, the Lord spoke to me and called me to add here the fact that all of these biblical heroes exercised their faith, first by taking the action that God had spoken to them, and then by receiving the promise God had given them. They didn't read about or hear about God's power and not take action, they first were obedient and then they believed and received his blessing. How often we forget about the action step!

God's promises for our lives are fulfilled if we are obedient to what he asks us to do and then we are confident that God is faithful in his promises even when we may not see physically the results. Let us not lose heart when the world around us seems to be winning and stealing our joy because God has something waiting for us. He has plans to prosper and not to harm us. Whatever we face now we must believe that what we have asked God to remove or replace according to his will, it has already been set aside for us by Him because he is faithful in what he promises.

My prayer. Father, you know my heart. You know what I struggle with. Your word says that you have plans for us that do not include harm but promise prosperity and hope. Help me Lord not to be blinded by present circumstances but to be encouraged by my faith in You, believing for things promised but yet unseen. I trust you Lord even though I am weak in my faith. I ask earnestly for your forgiveness for my doubt and receive now the promises already delivered in my unseen future. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!

Here I Am Lord

"I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is written in my heart." (Psalm 40:8)

I awoke this morning to the sound of an "Infomercial" tauting that a person could make hundreds of thousands of dollars a day selling items on eBay. Having fallen asleep with the television on, which I often do when I am on a business trip, I arose to find the remote and see if the morning news was on. "Colin Powell endorses Barack O'Bama," was the buzz of the minute as I quickly flipped through all of the so-called news choices. The Holy Spirit quickly prompted me to turn it off, make some coffee, and get into God's word. Thank you Lord!

So many things are pulling for our attention these days. The world is clamoring about everything and the media is continuously awash in the latest moment never taking the time to explain at more than a superficial level before moving on to the next "Breaking Story." The coverage and depth of substance on almost topic today is so thin that it doesn't take an astute person to see through it. Rush Limbaugh aptly calls this style of coverage and its perpetrators the "Drive-by Media."

As Christians we can fall into this trap of superficiality when it comes to our relationship with God. The pace of life and our sinful nature constantly pull at us to move on to the next thing. We must fill up our days with stuff, often ignoring or perhaps avoiding the weight and the substance of God's Word. Perhaps its the busyness or maybe, deep down in our hearts, we don't want to be bothered with that which God wants us to do.

I carry around a piece of paper entitled "The Cost of Discipleship;" it is a list taken from a sermon delivered by the Reverend Mary L. Jacobs on June 23, 2002. The list gives an answer to the question, "What happened to the twelve apostles?" While there is much controversy about the exactness of the historical record surrounding these passionate men, the fact of the matter is that this tattered document shoved into my Bible is a record of the hearts of Christians who got beyond the surface in their walks with God.

Of the 14 men listed, which represent the original twelve and the replacement (Matthais) for Judas Iscariot and Mark (writer of the Gospel), all of them except for John experienced horribly violent deaths because of their faith. These gruesome endings while fascinating from a macabre perspective, serve as a humbling reminder that faith in Jesus Christ and a relationship with God is not a trivial, "only on Sundays" activity. It is a matter of life or death, "eternal life or death.!"

While, in our current political environment, we may not be beheaded, or crucified for sharing our faith with others, we will experience other forms of "persecution" from family, friends and co-workers who do not share our passionate belief. Whatever our current circumstance, however, we must be prepared to do God's will wherever it takes us and whenever we feel the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

David writes prophetically in Psalm 40:7-10 (NETBible): "Then I say, “Look! I come! What is written in the scroll pertains to me. I want to do what pleases you, my God.
Your law dominates my thoughts.” I have told the great assembly about your justice.
Look! I spare no words! O Lord, you know this is true. I have not failed to tell about your justice; I spoke about your reliability and deliverance; I have not neglected to tell the great assembly about your loyal love and faithfulness."

The passion here of David's words ( "your law dominates my thoughts") is the same that ignited the hearts of the disciples to go into the world at their own personal risk to tell others about Jesus. We must all have this passion especially as we face the times ahead. We must daily pray and study God's word and walk boldly into our world and not be timid about sharing what God has done in our lives.

We our live must be "living sacrifices holy and acceptable unto God." "Sacrifice" means that our lives are no longer ours, but His. We must therefore, serve him in everything we do. Let's turn off the TV and put down the remote and get off the couch and get into the game for our Lord and Savior and in humble remembrance of our fallen brothers who went bravely before us.

My prayer. Father, strengthen us today and empower us to go into a tumultuous world and walk boldly proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. Prepare a way for us and let your light shine on our footsteps today. Give us the words through your Holy Spirit and prepare the hearts of those to whom we will minister. Use us today according to your will and not ours. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!

A Time to Stand Strong

" For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ,..." (Titus 2:11-13)

I don't like to wait. It seems the faster the pace of our lives the less we like to wait for anything. We don't like to wait to see our doctor, nor do we tolerate slow service in a restaurant. Even our vacations are stressful as we pack as many events as we can into them. "Rush here, hurry there" is our new standard of living and the result is a stressed out, overworked, exhausted society that is miserable and hopelessly frustrated. Even we Christians have joined the rushing masses, many of us losing sight for whom we are called to wait.

God tells us, while we are waiting for Christ's glorious return we are to "live self-controlled upright and godly lives." We are to "patiently" wait while saying "'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions," because the grace of God has brought us salvation.

Paul says God's grace has "appeared to all men," but only some men have received that grace. I believe God is having us wait for Jesus' glorious return so that those around us can see how His grace has changed our lives to the point we are no longer effected by "worldly passions." If we can wait patiently throughout the turmoil around us, how many souls will be won? If we are examples of God's saving grace living self-controlled lives in the midst of financial crisis and fears of terrorism, we are bound to draw the attention of the unsaved around us. But, if we lose heart and grow impatient we will lose the opportunity God has provided to witness to our neighbors and friends. God has ordained a "valley" for us to walk through so that can show the world the power of Christ in us!

Jesus died "to redeem us from all wickedness" and "to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." (Titus 2:14) Paul recognizes two different conditions of people:

1. Redeemed People - That is us!
2. "Unpurified" people who are eager to do what is good.

If the "unpurified people" can't see the good in us (the redeemed), how can they see Christ? We are the only example they have and the means by which they will come to know Jesus.

Now is the time to Christians (you and me) to slow down, be patient and be living examples of Christ. The world is watching while we wait patiently for His return.

My prayer. Father, thank you for purifying me through the blood of your Son. Give me the strength of character to say "No" to ungodliness so that I may be an example of "Christlikeness" to the unsaved around me. Help me to wait patiently and obediently for your return, through the intercession of Jesus Christ in whose mighty name I pray! Amen!

Submit to God's Will

"During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission." Heb 5:7

Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night he was betrayed and handed over to Roman soldiers to be tortured and killed:

" 'Abba,' Father everything is possible with you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." (Mark 14:36)

In my walk with the father, I often pray and petition; selfishly I ask for "better" things (jobs, houses, relief from illness or pain) but seldom do I hear myself say, "Yet not I will but what you will," Father.

God, through the author of Hebrews, reminds us to follow Jesus' example of submission (reverent submission) to the will of God when we pray. We of small minds and limited vision are blinded by our own comfort and selfishness and cannot see what God's perfect will is in our daily life experiences. God's will may not be always for what we desire, as confirmed by his answer to Jesus' plea in the garden. If God did not spare his own Son's suffering and death when he asked, how can we be sure that he might not have us suffer for the greater purpose of His plans.

It is God's will and our submission to it, no matter what the hardship, that we must keep in mind when we pray. God did not promise an easy life and a comfortable retirement here on earth. But he does offer a "Sabbath rest" for his people (Heb 4:9) if we have faith in Jesus and submit to His will while we are here.

My prayer. Help me Father to always remember that it is your will that is the main thing. Forgive my selfishness when I pray and teach me to always submit reverently to your will. In Jesus name and by his example, I submit! Amen

Many Antichrists Have Come Already

"Such a man is the antichrist-he denies the Father and the Son" 1 John 2:18



These are very interesting times. The world economy is on a roller coaster ride, fueled be greed and panic. Terrorists motivated by selfish desires to attain power and wealth, kill innocent people in the name of their religion. We find ourselves in a world of mistrust and most live in fear and uncertainty. John's first letter written to the body of Gentile believers of the day is said by scholars to "give the believers assurance and confidence in God and in their faith." (Life Application Bible, Zondervan) Yet I believe that his letter too is prophetic especially as current events unfold.

"I am writing these things about those who are trying to lead you astray," John says in 1 John 2:25. The Lord spoke through John 2000 years ago so that now, in the midst of today's turmoil (war, financial distress, and political rhetoric) we would not be deceived by false idols ("antichrists") such as money, power, greed, etc.

John's words remind us, "...you have an anointing from the Holy One (all of us) and all of you know the truth." Prophetically, he warns that now is not the time to put our trust in a politician, a stock broker, a real estate agent, a radio talk-show host or televangelist. The Enemy is working overtime right now, pulling out every deception to lead us astray. We must resist and take to heart John's words, '...the anointing you received from him remains in you, you do not need anyone (Barack, Rush, or "crazy" Aunt Sue) to teach you." (1 John 2:22) Editorial mine!

These trying times, I believe, are brought by the Enemy through our own sinful nature, but allowed by God. If we truly have the truth of God's word in us, we can be strong during the turbulence and can show non-believers and believers who are not well-grounded in their faith the power of Christ through our quiet strength in Him. God is allowing world events to happen to bring people to him but we, who are already in Christ, must be strong and "walk as Jesus did, " (1 John 2:6) so those around us can see God through us even when circumstances are tough.

My prayer. Father thank you for letting us serve you during these trying times. How exciting it is to be a follower of Christ at such a time as you have ordained for the world to endure. Lord we ask you to strengthen our resolve and demonstrate the power of Christ through us so that you may usher thousands perhaps millions into the eternal life found through belief in your Son Jesus. Help us to resist the wiles of the Enemy and grant us all the quiet strength and confidence that Jesus demonstrated. May we live our lives as examples of the power of Christ in us. Thank you Father for trusting us to do your work in this difficult season! In Jesus name I pray, Amen!

Because of Our Unbelief

"So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief." Heb 3:19

The author of Hebrews is writing to a Jewish audience and referring to their history of disobedience and unbelief that caused a generation to wander in the desert unable to enter the promised land. Even Moses who led them out of slavery in Egypt was unable to see the fruits of his own obedience because of their unbelief.

How often does our own unbelief causes us to miss God's blessings? I know I have suffered much self-inflicted pain and anxiety simply because I did not believe God. Whether, its finances or forgiveness, we all can call to mind a time of not being able to enjoy or experience the fullness of God's blessing because of our lack of trust in the Father.

John 3:36 says, Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." Because of our inherent sinfulness, God's wrath remains on all who do not trust that Jesus went to the cross and endured torture and death to remove the Father's wrath from the entire world. Many Christians, including me, believe this truth but fail to believe that God is faithful in his other promises such as forgiveness of past misdeeds or blessings around tithing, and healing. Why is it we can believe he died for our sins yet not believe his other promises? We must learn to believe all of his promises if we are going to have complete freedom, not only from His wrath but from the chains that have held us captive and kept us from our "promised land."

My prayer. Father we are often unwilling and unable to enter into the fullness of your blessings. Even as believers in Christ, we miss out on the fullness of your promises and joy. I pray today for your grace regarding our stubbornness and mistrust of you. As we pass through this life, may each one of us hear and receive the promises you made to all of us through your Word. Open our eyes and our ears to see and hear your words and please open our hearts to receive and believe what you have said. Thank you Father for loving us even when we stand outside of our promised land waiting, in unbelief. In Jesus Name I Pray, Amen!

Give God Your Heart

"You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty." Psalm 18:27

I saved a little note that I wrote down sometime in the last year or so. It had a few scribblings on it and some scripture references. I probably took a few notes from one of our pastor's sermons and thrust it in my bible as book mark. My bible is full of them, "notes from the Holy Spirit". Some are dog-eared and worn but God seems to know just when to have one of them "catch my eye."

Is 29:13-14 referred to by Jesus in Mat 15:8-9 says, "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Therefore, once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

I get lazy with familiar things. My job, a favorite hobby, exercise, yes, even my family become routine when I feel comfortable with them. It is common to most of us and if we do not keep this human tendency in check, it can end in sadness and tragedy. A man who continuously puts work, a hobby, or his own desires ahead of his family may find himself divorced and alone. Likewise, the driver or the heavy equipment operator who becomes too familiar and careless with his equipment may lose his life or kill someone else due to his carelessness.

Our relationship with God is very much like this. When we worship or pray or even write devotionals in our blog, God wants our hearts not just upward looking eyes. He doesn't want us to only memorize scripture so we can impress our friends at church, he wants us to live out what the word says all the time. He wants us to love Him with our whole heart. All of our heart (24-7) all the time, no matter how it feels and especially when no one is watching.

This is not a new problem for God, as I can attest in my own life. Isaiah admonishes the people of Israel 700 years before Christ was born and 300 years later Malachi would use the same language (Mal 2:2) to admonish the Jewish priests. The same words continue to echo true today as I reflect on my own shortcomings. We must honor God with our heart not just words or actions that make us look good in front of our friends.

My prayer. Forgive our haughtiness Lord. Thank you for sending your Son to reconcile us through death to present us holy in your sight without blemish and free from accusation. Help us to live with hearts for you so that others may see what you have done in us and to show the world that there is freedom from sin and death only through faith in you. Make me Christ-like in everything I do and say, especially when no one is looking. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!

Evil Spirit from God?

"Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him." 1 Samuel 16:14

When I first read this I must admit I was in disbelief. "God wouldn't send an evil spirit! That's not God, that must be the Enemy!" As I read further, however, I learned that God had used evil spirits before and will again in the future. In the book of Judges, "After Abimelech had governed Israel three years, God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Schechem, who acted treacherously against Abimelech." Judges 9:22-23 In 1 Kings 22:22, God sent a lying spirit "to entice Ahab (King of Israel) into attacking Ramoth Gilead where he died there." And in 2 Thes 2:9-12 Paul foretells of God sending "a powerful delusion," so that those who remain in the end times will believe the lie of Satan and not believe in the truth of God.

Saul did not realize when God sent the evil spirit to torment him that David had been anointed to be the next king of Israel. Saul summoned David to play his harp in order to ease his torment; however, God had already arranged events such that David could be close to Saul so that he might learn kingship and be visible to the people of Israel. The evil spirit was used by God to shape natural events and move forward God's plan of redemption which would be fulfilled by Christ Jesus through the royal line of David!

My prayer. Father, you are the author of our salvation and you alone are in control of the natural and the supernatural. I pray that we can be useful to you in shaping your kingdom just as Saul and David were in Samuel's day. Make us today your servants. Hone our skills and prepare us to do your will on earth. Help us to be your hands and feet, the conduit between the supernatural and the natural worlds. Make us more in your image and less in ours as we serve you with gladness. I Jesus name I pray, Amen!

A Whole New You

"The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power and you will prophesy with them an you will be changed into a different person." 1 Samuel 10:6

Most people today are not happy with themselves and desire to be changed, in some way, differently than how they appear or act. We spend hundreds millions of dollars every year "getting rich quick," loosing or gaining weight, "increasing" our IQ, having cosmetic surgery, getting younger skin, or growing hair. You name it and we are spending money trying to change it now!

When Saul was anointed king by God through Samuel, the Bible tells us "as Saul turned to leave,... God changed Saul's heart." (1 Samuel 10:9) He was later able to prophesy (something he had never done before) among the prophets, Samuel writes, even to the disbelief of those that had known Saul for many years. Samuel told Saul, "...do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you." 1 Samuel 10:7

Saul had been transformed by God from the person known by friends and family as Saul son of Kish who was last seen looking for his father's donkeys, into Saul the King of Israel! He was empowered by the Creator of the universe to do whatever he wanted to do and God would give him everything he needed to be successful. "Talk about a whole new you!"

Nevertheless, Saul, I believe, would always have doubts in the back of his mind. After all, "this is only Saul," his friends would say, "he cannot possibly be different." Even, at his coronation he was found "hiding among the baggage" (1 Samuel 10:22), too shy to step out and grasp the power the Lord gave him.

I believe we Christians doubt sometimes the power that our Lord gives us through the Holy Spirit. We choose to listen to old friends, who knew us before we received the Lord and became different men and women in Christ. They tell us we are not any different or that we shouldn't listen to that "religious stuff." Soon we find ourselves believing them rather than God and we fail to use the power that He has given us.

We must learn to stop "hiding among the baggage" and chasing the donkeys of our old selves and learn to "do whatever (our) hands find to do, for God is with (us)." Listen to God and not the Enemy (through our past life) and be the man or woman God has called us to be.

My prayer. Daddy, I come to you humbly to thank you for the great power you have given me through Jesus Christ. Today, I receive that power and ask for you to walk with me so that I can do whatever it is my hand finds to do. In Jesus name and for your glory I believe and pray. Amen!

Be Careful What You Wish For

"Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day."
But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."
When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king." 1 Samuel 8:10-22

God continually amazes me. "Give them a king, if that is what they want," (my paraphrase) the Lord tells Samuel. Even after he told them what a ruler would do, the people still wanted one. Why?----Because that's what the "other" nations had!

Never mind that "the other nations," (Philistines, Amorites, etc) were constantly trying to kill them. Never mind their neighbors worshipped false gods that told them to sacrifice their children! Never mind that Yahweh had brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and gave them a beautiful land with bountiful resources. No. they wanted to be like "the other nations."

Does this sound vaguely familiar. I can hear a politician now, "Elect me and I will make sure that we are "respected" again by the rest of the world." Why do we keep listening? Why would we want to be like nations who have forgotten their Christian roots; where beautiful churches are empty, turned into museums, theaters and mosques and God is no longer relevant to them?

"Let them have a king to lead them," God said. I believe he cried that day because he knew how it would turn out. I believe he is beginning to cry again in 2008.

My prayer. Father, forgive us for wanting false gods and putting our trust in rulers and governments over You. This election year help us to choose leaders who fear You and who will not place their trust and our future in the world. Help us to realize that You are our King and that you will faithfully do what is best for us because you love us. In Jesus name I pray. Amen!

Rid Yourselves of the Foreign Gods

"If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only..." 1 Samuel 7:3

Jesus tells us in the Books of Mark and Luke that a "A slave cannot serve two masters." When we make a choice to serve the Lord, we must make up our minds that if we are to truly serve Him, we must serve him alone. Just as Jesus warns that if we try to do both, that we will "hate the one and love the other."

I know in my personal walk with God through my relationship with Jesus, I found that He has had to reveal to me the truth about the gods that I follow because most of them are very subtle. Money and Materialism are certainly the ones that seem the most obvious, but as God reveals things to me over time, I find there are many hidden idols that I serve not realizing they are distracting me from God.

Those things that I thought I had mastery over are the very ones that God shows me I put before him. It is not an overnight task to follow what Samuel is saying. "...Serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hands of the Philistines," Samuel goes on to say. We must walk with the Lord and he will reveal and deliver us out of the things that keep us from experiencing the complete joy that comes from serving him alone. At times it is frustrating that but giving ourselves completely to the Lord is a lifetime process, not a one time event!

Each time God reveals a new "Ashtoreth" to me, I know for the next season in my life, I am in for a struggle until He reveals the root and helps me to "rid myself" of it. Some are harder than others and many of them return often. THANK YOU LORD FOR YOUR GRACE!

"For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God." 1 Peter 2:20

We must wait patiently on the Lord and sometimes suffer through our shortcomings. However, as we rid ourselves of the idols that hold us back God receives the glory through our sufferings just as Jesus did on the cross. Idol "smashing" is not so much about us as it is about Him and his great power.

My prayer. Lord thank you that you are a Great God and that you can and will deliver us from our Baals and Ashtoreths. Father, in the name of your Son Jesus, and with your saving grace, please come into our lives and reveal to us those idols that we serve and help us to rid ourselves of them. Thank you for the journey that we undertake when we choose to serve you and put away "foolish things" that hinder us from truly loving you. Make us stronger and increase our patience as we go. Thank you for loving us and may we bring you glory as we suffer in service to you just as your Son did on the cross. I love you Lord and thank you for loving me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!

God is Bigger

"So they called together all of the rulers of the Philistines and said, 'Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it will kill us and our people'." 1 Samuel 5:11

After the Philistines had defeated the Israelites at Ebenezer, they captured the ark of the covenant and took it back to Ashod. They placed it next to and image of the Philistine god Dagon. As the story says, " when the people arose early the next day, there was Dagon fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord!" Even after they set up the image again the following morning again they found Dagon before the ark of the Lord with his head and hands broken off and lying in pieces. After moving the ark to several different locations enduring devastation and outbreaks of disease caused by the wrath of God, the Philistine people finally cried out to their rulers for its removal and return back to Israel.

What a great story of the power that our Lord has over everything. No problem we face is big enough that He cannot handle. No god is big enough to defeat him. And when he moves into a new place, the other gods that dwell there must bow down and worship the name above all names.

Whatever, you are dealing with today, drugs, alcohol, pornography, or debt. None is too big for God to handle. He will defeat them every time and, as long as we trust that he will, we can enjoy the victory that God gives us over them. Too often however, we cannot see past the trials and we do not trust God enough to handle them and we intervene with our own solutions almost always creating worse problems than we had to begin with.

We must learn to let God be God and trust that he will defeat the Dagon in our lives in his time using his path. "Who can stand in the presence of the Lord, this holy God?" the Philistines said. No one, without the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ!

My prayer: Whatever the issues Father that we face, none are bigger than you. Help us Lord to let you have all of these problems and concerns and then make us stay out of the way so that you can defeat them and receive all of the glory. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!

In Those Days

"...In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions." 1 Samuel 3:1

I had a football coach once who told us that we had to worry when he stopped yelling and making us run laps, because at that point he had given up on us. As kids we all hated to be reprimanded or instructed by our parents because "we knew better than they did." But it was even worse when we had angered them so much that they told us to go to our room while they ignored us for several hours. Those hours seemed like days when our loved ones would not give us any attention.

As I reflected on this passage of scripture today in my quiet time, I thought how awful it must have been when the Lord remained silent. When Moses and Joshua lead the Jews from Egypt and into the promised land the Lord frequently appeared and spoke to his people. But now, after centuries of rule under the judges, God's word had become rare even to the Levites (the elected priests).

The people and even Eli, the religious leader of the time, had grown distant from God. They refused to listen to Him, choosing to follow their own way, increasing distance between themselves and the Lord. As this distance grew, God's voice became more and more faint, until even the prophets stopped hearing from Him.

This lesson is as appropriate today as it was in Samuel's time. If we as believers do not take the time to pray, worship and study God's on a daily basis, he too will begin to leave us alone. He will not abandon us but will wait silently until we are ready to give him our attention. The bible tells us to "be still and know that I am God." If we are to hear him we must be attentive. We must rid ourselves of the distractions of this world and focus on him with all of our heart, mind and body. We cannot have a part-time relationship with God and expect to hear what he has to say.

My Prayer: Father, thank you for the truth in your word that says, "draw near to God and he will draw near to you," Thank you Father for never moving and for always responding when we come to you with our whole hearts. Thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit to fill us and allow us to hear from you when we truly take the time to listen. Help us Lord to remove the obstacles that keep us apart from you and open all of ourselves to you so that we can hear your still small voice. Forgive us for being distracted and wasting so much of our earthly lives not hearing what you are saying. Father, let us not spend another moment missing your word. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!

Hannah's Prayer

"Then Hannah prayed and said:
"My heart rejoices in the LORD;
in the LORD my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.

"There is no one holy like the LORD;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.

"Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the LORD is a God who knows,
and by him deeds are weighed.

"The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry hunger no more.

She who was barren has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.
"The LORD brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.

The LORD sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.
He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.

"For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's;
upon them he has set the world.
He will guard the feet of his saints,
but the wicked will be silenced in darkness.

"It is not by strength that one prevails;
those who oppose the LORD will be shattered.
He will thunder against them from heaven;
the LORD will judge the ends of the earth.

"He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed." 1 Samuel 2:1-10

God is in control no matter what the circumstances no matter how it feels. He is always right, and always on time. "Be still and know I am God", the bible says. It is very easy to say but difficult to practice. We want our prayers answered our way and on our schedule. But we must understand that the Creator of the universe who knew us before we were conceived, has a better plan, one that serves his Kingdom.

In the midst of our trials and our tribulations, we like Hannah (Samuel's mother), must understand that we serve God and that he does not serve us. He loves us and will always be there no matter what we must endure. Thank you Father for your grace and mercy and please forgive our selfishness and let YOUR will be done! Amen

God is in Control

"But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine." Psalm 33:18-19

We live in a a world that is constantly changing. The weather, the tides, the seasons are constantly in a state of change. The planets, the stars and all that makes up the universe is in constant motion. Even we are not the same today as we were yesterday not the way we will be tomorrow as our bodies slowly age. Yes all around is in flux and only one constant exists, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Lord is the same today as he was yesterday and will be into eternity. He set the universe into motion when he created it and he sits on a throne while it moves all around him. He has known each one of us since before we were born and he has his eye upon us always. Nothing escapes him and while we endure hardship and good times he is with us even when it seems he is so far away. God is always there no matter how it feels and our salvation. like Him, is unchanged.

We endure difficulties, deaths, sickness and pain in life but God's presence is always there. He is with us even when it seems our prayers go unanswered. Yet God hears them and awaits his plan to unfold in our lives.

When we accepted the free gift of salvation from God we exchanged masters. Once we were enslaved by the Enemy in the bondage. When Jesus shed his blood on the cross and we, through faith in his promises, received eternal life in Jesus we became slaves to Him. We now are "love slaves" of the most high God and we obey him as our Lord and master. So as we endure difficulties or good times, we do it as unto the Lord and we must realize that God has a plan for us and we must be patient and wait for it to unfold.

My prayer: Father, thank you for constantly having your eye on me and keeping me in your loving care. No matter what happens in my life I serve you and your kingdom and not the wishes and desires of my flesh. I love you Lord and want to do your will, no matter what it may cost. I pray this in Jesus name, Amen!

Angel of the Lord

"When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him holding a drawn sword. Joshua approached him and asked him, “Are you on our side or allied with our enemies?” He answered, “Truly I am the commander of the Lord’s army. Now I have arrived!” Joshua bowed down with his face to the ground and asked, “What does my master want to say to his servant?” The commander of the Lord’s army answered Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, because the place where you stand is holy.” Joshua did so." Joshua 5:13-15

Angels appear several times in Old Testament scripture. Balaam's donkey sees one in Numbers Chapter 22 as does Daniel in Chapter 9. The significance of an angel of the Lord appearing emphasizes that their is more to the battles and struggles we face than meet our human eyes. Paul says that our struggle is "not against flesh and blood, but against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Eph 6:12

When the Jews marched around Jericho and shouted obediently as the Lord had told Joshua, they empowered the spiritual forces of God (his angels) against the dark forces of Satan embodied in the Canaanites behind the walls of Jericho. David tells us that "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and he delivers them." Psalm 34:7 Because of their obedience to the Lord, God fulfills the promise about which David writes.

God never leaves us alone no matter how difficult the circumstances may seem. Just as the angel told Daniel, that he came to him as soon as he began to pray, so does God hear our prayers and immediately begins to put together his response according to his word sometimes using his angels to engage the dark forces of evil to do it.

My prayer: Help me father to understand that there is more in front of me than my mortal eyes can see nor my mind can understand. I pray for supernatural wisdom through the power of the Holy Spirit to help me see things that cannot be seen and to understand that My God will never leave me alone. Praise God for always being with me and especially for the grace which has set me free from sin and death. I pray this in Jesus name, Amen!