Archive for May, 2007

Take Courage!

Thursday, May 31st, 2007

Acts 23:11 The following night The Lord stood near Paul and said “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome”.
Paul is in prison in Jerusalem as many Jews are plotting his death. He may be wondering if his time on Earth is done, ready to give up the hard work and frequent beatings. The Lord speaks clearly to him- take courage, there’s more I have for you to do- cowboy up, get back on your horse.
When do I hear this? The Lord often encourages me through His Word when I read it regularly, through praise songs that sing of His truth, in prayer time when I stop talking and listen to Him, and through friends. Be strong, be courageous, He is with me.
I rarely hear the specifics about the future that Paul hears here. The things He lets me know are that He loves me (1 John 3:1), He will never leave me or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5), and that I will be with Him in Heaven one day (John 14:3). For now, that needs to be enough to encourage me, and it is.
Thank You Lord for Your constant, encouraging, lavish love. Thank You for giving me the wisdom and courage for today and that I can depend on You to provide that each day. I love You.

Speak Up! :: Acts 18

Saturday, May 26th, 2007

“One night, the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.’

 

In the short passage of Acts 18, Paul’s covered ground from Athens to Corinth to Cenchrea. Then sailed to Ephesus, and took another boat to Caeserea. From there, he traveled through the regions of Galatia and Phrygia, all the while “strengthening all the disciples.”

 

As Paul was greatly on the move, he not only was warmly received by the community of believers along the way, but in some places, he was also faced with continual and substantial resistance from those within the religious ranks. In the face of this opposition, the Lord spoke to him concerning his marching orders. “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent.”  It is easy to cower in the face of opposition, yet Paul was reassured by the Lord as he spoke with conviction and authority. “I am with you.” And if God is for us, who can be against us? The words of  Joshua 1:9 echo through this theme…”Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

 

Paul encountered resistance, engaged the detractors, encouraged the believers and trusted the Lord for the results. Lord, help me to respond similarly. May my words be wise and strong, May my confidence be not in my own understanding and strength, but in Your authority. May I sense your encouragement and seek to be an encouragement to others, wherever my journeys take me.

 

Speak Up! :: Acts 18

Saturday, May 26th, 2007

“One night, the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.’   In the short passage of Acts 18, Paul’s covered ground from Athens to Corinth to Cenchrea. Then sailed to Ephesus, and took another boat to Caeserea. From there, he traveled through the regions of Galatia and Phrygia, all the while “strengthening all the disciples.”   As Paul was greatly on the move, he not only was warmly received by the community of believers along the way, but in some places, he was also faced with continual and substantial resistance from those within the religious ranks. In the face of this opposition, the Lord spoke to him concerning his marching orders. “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent.”  It is easy to cower in the face of opposition, yet Paul was reassured by the Lord as he spoke with conviction and authority. “I am with you.” And if God is for us, who can be against us? The words of  Joshua 1:9 echo through this theme…”Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”   Paul encountered resistance, engaged the detractors, encouraged the believers and trusted the Lord for the results. Lord, help me to respond similarly. May my words be wise and strong, May my confidence be not in my own understanding and strength, but in Your authority. May I sense your encouragement and seek to be an encouragement to others, wherever my journeys take me.  

God’s Purpose

Friday, May 25th, 2007

Acts 17:27  “His purpose in all of this was that the nations should seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him-though he is not far from any one of us.”

God’s purpose is that people would come to know Him through Jesus.  God wants people, all people, all over the world to find him and be in a relationship with Him.

I like the clarity and straightforwardness of what Paul is saying here.  God has a purpose, here’s what He wants, the plan is laid out through Jesus, and God makes Himself approachable, available, and attainable in a relationship with His Son.  Paul clearly communicates, God is not far away.  He is close and ready to accept me, because I put my faith in Jesus.

God seems distant or hard to find or difficult to relate to, not because of Him, but because of me.  When I sin and choose my own way, when I’m living for myself and trying to do things in my own power, when I am relying on my effort, that is when distance is created and the relationship becomes fractured.  I need to realize that though my sin, distances me from God and I feel far away, it is not God who has moved it is me.  And all I need to do is confess, repent, and ask for forgiveness and God graciously offers His love and forgiveness in such a way that the closeness is restored and the relationship is repaired.  My sin doesn’t negate or destroy the relationship, (I don’t lose Jesus when I sin) but it does create distance and damage, that the Lord is able to reconstruct because of His ability to love, forgive, offer grace, and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.

Lord thank you that you are close.  You are not a far off God.  You are intimate, loving, relational, and able to be found by anyone who is seeking after you.  Thank you for not moving away from me in my moments of selfishness, but patiently waiting for me to close the distance that I have created and gently forgiving, disciplining, and loving me back into a growing, thriving, close relationship with you.  Help me Lord to live close to you all the time and not to wander away.  Guide my walk, direct my steps, show me the path daily that I am to follow.  And help me to walk in your footsteps.

Inner prison

Thursday, May 24th, 2007

And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly troube our city; and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe. Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods.  And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely.  Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.  Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. Acts 16:20-26

Where to begin!? Who was really in the inner prison? Paul and Silas were sharing about God’s grace, and that individual faith in Jesus was necessary for salvation. That would have been a threat to an individual, Jew or Gentile. The magistrates did not want to be bothered with new customs and beliefs that messed with their lives as Romans. Little did they know that it was a deeper issue than that. The God of the universe was messing with their lives as sinners who need a savior. The truth that was spoken by Paul and Silas would have knocked at the door of their inner prison…their hearts and souls.

We can expect to “shake” things up by speaking the truth about God and salvation by Jesus his son. It is amazing to me that people want to stay behind prison walls, alone without the truth. This passage of scripture shows us that when we have a personal relationship with Jesus, he comes with us into the prison of our circumstances. The power of that personal relationship was manifested in the praying and singing that was going on. I do not know if Paul and Silas were praying to get out of that prison…they knew that God had sent them to Macedonia through a vision given to Paul. (Acts 15:9,10) I know that they were seeking God right were they were. That obviously impacted several people around them. After the earthquake, Paul and Silas could have fled, let alone the other prisoners! They were all still there! Better to be in prison with God, then free without Him! The jailer could have lost his life because he let the prisoners escape…according to Roman law. There was a bigger plan for his life that day, he was to be saved, and his household. (Acts 16:31)

This passage is so rich, I feel like I could spend all day here digging into the word…I need to go to work. I want to take to work (the world), my personal relationship with Jesus. I have the chance to come across prisoners everyday. I pray that my life can reflect God’s grace, and the need for a savior. I pray that I will remember what life is like behind the inner prison of a heart without Jesus.

Lord, please help me to remember that You have sent me out today into a culture that cannot live without You. I pray that those who are lost will see a difference in a life that is lived with You. I pray that my heart will be lined up with Your will today. I know that you have planned the place that I am spending my day, help me to pray and rejoice right were I am. I pray that many can be freed from their inner prison and have a personal relationship with You my Lord Jesus Christ.

It covers me

Wednesday, May 16th, 2007

Not too long ago on a Sunday after church, I asked the usual question of my 6 year old son….”What was your lesson about today?”  I wish you could have seen the expression of excitement on his sweet face.  He told me a story that was oh so familiar.  About a man, on a road and then there was a bright light and a voice calling his name!  I knew who my son was referring to, even if the name was forgotten.  It was Saul.

The beginning of Acts 9 portrays a beautiful example of one of the most valuable lessons I have learned in my life so far.  Grace.  Saul was persecuting God’s people and yet God extended His grace to this man and turned his life around, all starting on a dirt road to Damascus.

To be honest, the word grace had always been the term for the evening meal’s prayer or the mannerism of a lady in my “younger” years.  I truly did not understand the depth or actual meaning of the word up until about 4 years ago.  I was a mom with small babies, living in a new place, struggling with issues that were festering.  I had not committed the same sins as Saul, but my heart was similarly confused as His.  Here I had grown up in the church, read my Bible, made sure I didn’t miss a church service and oh boy…now I was even a “pastor’s wife”!  I should have it all together by now, right?

Understanding God’s grace is a journey.  I still don’t feel like I have grasped its meaning or seen its end in my life.  Every day God gives me His grace.  When I look at my children, or remember my past, or ask His forgiveness for the sins I had made that day. 

Saul’s work was horrific in his past, yet God used a moment in his life to turn everything around for His glory.  Then to further extend His grace by using Saul (Paul) in such a mighty way to build His kingdom.  I for one, am incredibly grateful that the Lord sees our potential and chooses to (sometimes gently, sometimes a little harder) show us grace that we might wake up and make a change!

This is one of my favorite choruses that you can sing as your prayer with me today!:

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.  Amazing love, now flowing down.  From hands and feet, that were nailed to the tree.  As grace flows down and covers me. 

Chorus: It covers me, It covers me, It covers me, And covers me.

Acts 7:9-14

Tuesday, May 15th, 2007

“Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt; so he made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace. “Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our fathers could not find food. When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit. On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family. After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all.

Acts chapter 7 is chalked full of history and stories of extremely important biblical characters. One in particular that caught my eye is Joseph. Joseph had an extremely difficult life but some how managed to maintain a very strong faith. His brothers sold Joseph into Egypt. He was rejected but then raised to power. Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt but did not recognize him. Time and time again Joseph was thrown into very difficult situations. Instead of failing or giving up Joseph always persevered to make the best of every situation. Even while Joseph was in jail he gained favor and had responsibilities over all the other prisoners. The verse that sticks out the most to me is, But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles.

I have the ultimate redeemer/rescuer to rely on and so many times I decide to do it my way and figure it out on my own terms. God is not a crutch that I lean on when I’m hurting or in trouble. God is omnipresent and I need to let him be involved in all decisions in my life. Joseph went through many ups and downs in his life from being a prisoner to a King. Our life is not different. Every season can bring different circumstances whether good or bad and God needs to be involved.

Father God I pray that I will not lean on you just when I need you but that you will constantly be holding me up. Father I want to live my life like Joseph and praise you when times are good and be able to seek wisdom and guidance when things are rough. Lord you are the King of Kings and I thank you for wanting to rescue me from all my troubles.

Let It Go - Go To God

Sunday, May 13th, 2007

I Samuel 25:39  “Blessed be the Lord, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept back His servant from evil.”

David had been wronged.  And if not for the wisdom of a faithful woman (Abigail), he would have retaliated. 

It was the custom of the day and the law of the Lord (which David knew quite well), that strangers were to be treated with love and shown hospitality.  In the book of Leviticus we read, “When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.  The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you and you shall love them as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:33-34)  David’s men had approached the wealthy Nabal seeking food, water and supplies.  But the “harsh and evil” Nabal met them with a resounding “NO!”  David became angry and sent his men to kill and plunder. 

But Abigail, the faithful wife and P.31 woman (Proverbs 31:12 “She does him good and not evil all the days of her life) intervenes.  Not only does she bring food and provisions to David, but pleads with him to forgive her husband.  David responds, “Go up to your house in peace.  I have listened to you and granted your request.”  Ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died.

I am reminded of times when God has asked me through His Word or the counsel or another to ‘let it go!’  It is not always easy to set aside grudges, brooding and retaliation.  Yet God’s Word is clear:

Proverbs 29:11 ”…it is to a man’s glory to overlook an offense.”

Proverbs 20:22 ”Do not say, ‘I will repay evil.’  Wait for the Lord, He will save you.”

Matthew 6:14  “For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”

Romans 12:17  “NEVER pay back evil for evil to anyone…”

Romans 12:19  “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

In the case of David and Nabal, justice came quickly.  Often we may not ever see the justice of the Lord delivered in our lifetime.  Yet we are called to remember the words in Deuteronomy 7:9, “Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousand generations who love Him and keep His commandments.”  Hopefully, we will remember to ‘go to God’ and be able to say with David that “He has kept back His servant from evil.” 

 

When You Cannot NOT :: Acts 4:18-20

Saturday, May 12th, 2007

Acts 4:18-20

18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. 20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Backed into a corner, the rulers and elders and scribes didn’t know what to do with a couple of fishermen who kept on speaking with great power and authority of the great power and authority of Jesus. Once again, the simple will be used to confound the wise. They weren’t educated or trained in religious schools, but they brought forth a beggar, crippled since birth, which many people recognized, vouching for their credentials. The leaders were dumbfounded, leaving them without a response. They couldn’t deny the miracle because he was standing right in front of them. Their best solution? Just tell these two fishermen to be quiet about Jesus.

Peter and John found themselves in the position where they could NOT NOT talk about what they had seen, heard, experienced, witnessed, and lived. They were well aware of the contrasts between God’s kingdom and the earthly kingdom and willfully and daringly chose to yield themselves to the Higher Court and Kingdom of the Living and True God.

(It reflects the stance of Jesus, giving to Caesar what is due him, and giving to God what belongs to God.)

As I seek to live and do what I believe, I must have my eyes open (wide) in order to see how God is at work in me and around me. I need to be ready to give an account of what I see him do. This creates a sense of urgency, accountability, and opportunity to step through open doors to share the love of Jesus with others.

He Has Witnessed Them

Friday, May 11th, 2007

I Samuel 20:23  “And may the Lord make us keep our promises to each other, for he has witnessed them.”

Jonathan understood the power of a promise.  He realized that when promises are made, God is watching and witnessing what I say and what I commit to.  He also understood that God can help in the process of keeping a promise.  And Jonathan kept his promises to David.

The challenge here is huge for me.  So often I can say something and then not follow through on what I have said or committed to do.  I need to be a better promise keeper and my motivation needs to be the realization that God witnesses my actions, my words, my attitudes, the promises I make, keep, or break.

Lord hold me accountable to what I say I will do and help me to follow through on my commitments.  Forgive me Lord for the times I break my promises and help me to remember that you are watching and witnessing the promises I make to those around me.