Monthly Archives: February 2017

Isn’t it Enough?

Posted on by

2 Corinthians 12:9
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”

Ephesians 1:7
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.

My favorite song by Laura Story is “Blessings”. It was on the radio a couple of times today. Each time these following words stayed with me.

“We doubt your goodness,
We doubt your love,
As if every promise from your Word
Is not enough”
Lyric excerpt from “Blessings” by Laura Story

Almighty God, in His perfection and before even the existence of time, put a plan in place to redeem those that He has called to be His children. Our sins, past, present, and future have been paid by Jesus. We all know that. We acknowledge and praise Him for His amazing grace.

Then something happens in our lives. It might be a cloudy day, rain when you wanted it to be sunny, being treated unkindly by another, it might be sickness, or a million other things. They might be small or life changing events. And then, all of a sudden, it isn’t enough. We doubt, we lose confidence, we worry. How often I worry. And when I do, I’m saying to God, “Your Word isn’t enough”.

It is though. When the challenges come, and they will, I have to say with confidence “Your grace is sufficient”. Even when it might not feel that way, I know from His Word that it really is. I have to remember to cling to His promises no matter what.

Always praying for the glory of God,

The Foolishness of the Cross

Posted on by

1Corinthians 2:14
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

Last week, another person died from my high school class. Janet was a talented artist and creative person, but she didn’t know Jesus. Her death was sudden and unexpected, so it was a shock to all that knew her. Facebook was filled with comments of grief and thoughts for her family. I know that those who were close to her were in sorrow for the lost talent that she won’t be able to share with others in this world, but several Christians in our class grieved for her soul.

Janet had always taken a different path in her life. She dismissed that sin existed and didn’t believe that humans had a spirit or soul. She became angry when others would express their faith in Jesus. One Christian classmate attempted to reach out to her in the last several years, but eventually was cut off from her because Janet didn’t want to hear about Jesus any more. I have prayed for her salvation over the years as well. In a communication with another Christian classmate this week, we hoped that Janet had a last minute conversion.

It is hard to accept the loss of a friend or family member, knowing that you won’t see them in heaven one day. But it is also a comfort knowing that the salvation of others is not dependent on how good we are at sharing Jesus with them, only that we have. It takes the Spirit of God to bring them into the Kingdom, and what a glorious thing that is.

Always praying for the glory of God,

What are your priorities?

Posted on by

“Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still.” – E.M. Bounds

Bounds quote is not a call to drop doing your service for God and spend it all in prayer, but he does imply that even ministry work needs to have the right priority. Ministry work is important work for the Kingdom. We are called to do that. Bounds merely says that our prayers need to precede leading the charge into our ministry work.

I think Bounds made this point because prayer is often given a back seat with respect to everything we do. Prayer meetings in most churches today are poorly attended. Just look at the attention that is given to churches that have a bold and vibrant prayer ministry. They receive the attention because they are the exception, rather than the rule.

During times past when prayer and prayer meetings have been given a high priority by Christians, this has led to sweeping revivals. I have to think there is a correlation here.

But in today’s environment, prayer, if it happens at all, happens after other priorities or wants are met. It is a choice we have made and we have reaped the results of it. There is also a cause and effect relationship between the focus on prayer and the average time that people spend reading and studying scripture. With the massive amount of information and entertainment available today, the Bible is often left on the bookshelf to gather dust. That is where mine was for many years.  There are so many other things that can capture our interest. We put God on hold except on Sundays for an hour or two as a substitute to study of the Bible.  Prayer then is given the same low priority in our lives.  That doesn’t seem to fit with the command of Jesus.

Mark 12:30 (NASB)
30 AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’

I pray that all Christians would look at their priorities and make sure they are in step with God’s will for us.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Are You Satisfied with your Prayer Life?

Posted on by

This week I was drawn back to a prayer book by Ken Boa called “Handbook to Prayer – Praying Scripture back to God”. Ken wrote this book as a guide to help those that want to take their prayer life to a deeper and more meaningful level. He noted in his introduction that many people, if they pray at all, fall into two extremes of prayer time.

The one extreme is to turn it into a repetitious form that is mechanical and never changing. I remember as a child how I was taught to pray at meals and at bedtime. The meal prayer was the same and the bedtime prayer was the same every day. The prayers became rote with no thought about what I was saying to God. As I remembered those prayer times, it occurred to me that if I conversed with other people that way, always saying the same thing, always telling the same stories, we wouldn’t get to know each other.

The other extreme has no form to it, but rather is just free-wheeling. This approach has no context to scripture and generally turns into a litany of asking God for all of our wants and cares. Conversing with other people that way doesn’t work either.

If our prayer time is to become deeper and more meaningful, it has to be linked very closely to the scriptures. Prayer is a constant theme throughout scripture and by reading and meditating on it, we can develop a deeper relationship with our Lord and Savior. Reading and meditating on scripture allows us to have a good balance between the form of our prayers and the freedom to converse with God about the things He wants us to know about Him.

Are you reading scripture each day? Do you reflect on what you have read all throughout the day? Do your prayers reflect what you have read? Are you getting to know God more and more? Maybe we should pray about that.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Take Away My Critical Spirit

Posted on by

Romans 15:4-7 (NASB)
4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,
6 so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.

Paul’s prayer to the Romans is needed so much today. He encourages them in the first verses of Romans 15 to a life of self-denial rather than the worldly life of self-interest, just as Christ modeled that for us. Then in verses 4-7, he encourages them, through the power of the Scriptures, to be of the same mind, with one accord, with one voice.
The bride of Christ was meant to be a place of self-denial, a place where all are of the same mind, with one voice praising God.

Regretfully, we are not. I confess that I am critical at times of others that I am supposed to support and encourage. And even when it is not open criticism, I can cleverly disguise it as helpful suggestions. Those that consider themselves to be more mature in the faith can often discourage others by attempting to steer them onto their path. This feeling of discouragement can be especially true for those that have been called by God to lead in various ministries. As they prayerfully follow the leading of Christ, they can become discouraged by the helpful suggestions of those that are standing on the sidelines. But as the body of Christ, we are not to try to create others in our image, but love them as all of our images change into the person of Christ.

I pray that God would take away my critical spirit. I pray that I would love others and accept them, just as Christ accepted all of us to the glory of God.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Pray for Clarity

Posted on by

Psalm 18:1-2 (NASB)
1 I love You, O LORD, my strength.”
2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 18:20-23 (NASB)
20 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, And have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all His ordinances were before me, And I did not put away His statutes from me.
23 I was also blameless with Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity.

Psalm 19:11-14 (NASB)
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

As I was reading the psalms of David, I thought about how God uses scripture and the writers of it to point out that we are the creature, His creation. And because of the fall we are not perfect. Only His righteousness can cleanse us. In psalm 18, David begins with beautiful praises to God, acknowledging that He is our strength, our rock, and our salvation. But later in the psalm, I cringe as I read verses 20-23 as David takes credit for the rewards that God has bestowed on him. It makes us realize that David was a creature, just like all of us – weak and wavering.

Then as I moved on to psalm 19, in the last four verses David shows clarity as he understands that it is only God that can keep us from the wrong path. It is His righteousness that is pure. And the psalm ends with the familiar verse, asking God to keep the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart, acceptable to Him.

Verse 14 is a cry for clarity. David acknowledges his imperfection without God’s help. He claims his Savior because only He can redeem him.

Our lives are the same. We waver as the Holy Spirit works in our lives to bring the perfection of Jesus to us. I pray that God brings clarity into my life and the lives of all His children.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Are You Getting in God’s Way?

Posted on by

Genesis 24:27 (NASB)
27 He said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His lovingkindness and His truth toward my master; as for me, the LORD has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers.”

Have you ever had someone tell you to “get out of my way”, or “you are in my way”? When you get in the way of other people, you can often be irritating to them.

But when you get in God’s way that is exactly where He wants you. We are often told that we need to be in God’s will and there are numerous scriptures that support that. I think I understand that better than I used to, but there was a time when I didn’t really understand what that meant.

As I read the scripture in Genesis, I realized that if I want to be in His will, I need to see where He is going and then “get in His way”. It may be a path or direction that is different than where everyone else is going. It often is. But if you are in His way, you can’t go wrong. You will probably irritate people that don’t love God. You may even be persecuted.

Being “in His way” though doesn’t mean that we should try to get ahead of God or to attempt to lead Him. That can be tempting, especially if we consider ourselves to be leaders. True leaders are servants of God. They look where God is headed, begin following Him and then by the way they follow God, others will want to join in. Others will want to join because they want to “get in God’s way” too, not because of anything the leader does. True leaders don’t tell you what you have to do, they gently show you the way by the way they follow Jesus.

I think that is why many people who may be called to be leaders don’t want to have anything to do with that. They see examples of leaders that try to get ahead of God. Or they don’t like giving orders or making plans that others have to follow. But, if you “get in God’s way”, being a leader is easy because all you have to do is follow Jesus. All that others have to do that you are leading is get in God’s way too.

If God has been tugging on your heart to lead, pray that He will guide you in the way. That is a prayer that will be answered, for He will be glorified as you follow Him.

Always praying for the glory of God,

God is my Valentine

Posted on by

1 Corinthians 13:8 (NASB)
Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away

Last Sunday we read the entire 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians together. In verses four through seven, Paul describes what love is. Then in verse 8, he tells us that love will endure, even when all other gifts pass away.

It was verse 8 where my mind stopped to meditate. God is love. He unconditionally loves us, even when we are unlovable. It is not our gifts that He cares about. It is the love that we return to Him. For in the end, love will be all that is left, for love is why we were created.

Deuteronomy 6:5-6 (NASB)
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.

God wants us to do all things out of love for Him. He doesn’t want us to do things, so we can earn His love. His love has been there for us even before time began.

Today, I pray praises and thanksgiving to my valentine, to God the Father, to Jesus the Son, and to the Holy Spirit who lives within me. I pray I will love Him more each day.

Always praying for the glory of God,

I’m a Recovering Christian Spectator

Posted on by

We went out last Saturday night to see Tim Hawkins, a Christian comedian with 3 other couples. It was a great time. I can’t remember laughing so much in a long time. It was a special evening with some very special people. It was great to just enjoy the entertainment and be a spectator.

In my quiet time the next morning, I thought about how God has changed me over the years. There was a time when being a Christian spectator was the extent of what I did. I went to church on Sunday pretty faithfully and watched. But that was it. I didn’t tithe, I didn’t participate, I watched. Oh, I got convicted by sermons and was moved by music, but I wasn’t really involved. I wonder how many blessing I missed out on over the years, how many blessings I could have been for others out of my love for Jesus.

Great things happen in God’s Kingdom when people get involved. When they love Jesus so much that they can’t just be a spectator any more. But, there are more spectators today than ever before. It probably has a lot to do with how much entertainment is available to us compared to previous times in history.

If Jesus is the most important person in your life, you will want to participate in his Kingdom work. Otherwise, you will be content to be a spectator, like I used to be. Maybe we should pray about that.

Always praying for the glory of God,

The Free Gift

Posted on by

I am a Christian. If you are a Christian, you know that I say that with gratitude and thankfulness. If you are not a Christian, you may think I am boasting or bragging and that I am saying that I am better than you.

But, you see, the fact is that if you are a Christian, it is actually a gift from God. When you get a gift from someone, your reaction is to be grateful and thankful, not prideful or to boast about it. Being a Christian is also a unique, special kind of gift, one where you did nothing to deserve it. That is why it is called a free gift from God. So, I cannot say that I am better than anyone else, whether they are a Christian or not. The only difference is that, as a Christian, I am blessed with salvation for eternity because of what God did for me.

The interesting thing about any gift though, is that you have to accept it. If someone brings you a gift and you don’t take it from them, or you don’t open the package, then you haven’t accepted it. You can’t enjoy the benefits that the gift brings. It just sets there unopened.

So, if you want to accept God’s free gift, you have to accept it. Not because you deserve it, not because you have done anything for it, but because you are grateful and thankful for what He has done.

There are two simple things you have to do to accept the gift.  Both of these are important and necessary steps for you to claim the free gift.

First, you have to acknowledge that God exists. In order to receive a gift from someone, you have to recognize that someone gave it to you. When it is God that gives you a gift, you have to understand who He is, the creator of the universe, a perfect God. He wants you to be perfect too, but we are not perfect. God sent His son, Jesus to be the perfection that we cannot be and to be punished for the things we have done to hurt God. Jesus took the punishment for us. To accept the gift we need to tell Him we are sorry for the things we have done to hurt Him and ask His help to turn away from them.

Secondly, in order to accept His gift, we must realize that He is saving us for an eternity with Him in heaven. God is therefore our Savior and because of that He deserves our worship. We have to accept Him as Lord of our life and Savior of our souls.

So, I had nothing to do with my salvation, I only had to accept the free gift of God.  I can truly say without boasting, but only with gratitude and thankfulness – I am a Christian.

If you are not a Christian and want salvation and eternity with a loving God, the free gift is waiting there for you too. All you have to do is accept it. It is the best gift you will ever receive.

Always praying for the glory of God.