Feb/100
It is Hard to “Be Still”
Exodus 14
The Israelites were a real pill. They saw all of the plagues that God put on the Egyptians and now that they were up against the Red Sea they were afraid that God had sabotaged them. We know that this will not be the last time that they complain. We are the same way. We know that God is looking out for our good, yet we complain when we have to suffer a little. Pastor Randy shared last night that suffering makes us more sensitive to God and His ways just as a cut on our finger makes the finger more sensitive to anything that touches it.
We must do as God told the Israelites in this circumstance “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:13-14).
Being still is the difficult part for us who are “movers and shakers.” It is tough to be still and not try to manipulate or maneuver the outcome of our situation.
Jan/100
Touching Jesus in Faith
In Mark 5, the woman who had a bleeding problem knew that if she just touched Jesus, she would be made whole. There were many people touching Jesus that day. Many people who had needs, I’m sure. But this one woman was identified in scripture because it was her faith that made her whole. We have the opportunity to touch Jesus each day. What are we expecting from that touch? Are we just going through the motions, going along with the crowd? We must approach the throne in faith believing that we will have what we ask for in faith believing.
Jan/100
Blaspheming the Holy Spirit
Mark 3:22-30
22And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”
23So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house. 28I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. 29But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.”
30He said this because they were saying, “He has an evil spirit.”
In this passage, Jesus talks about blaspheming the Holy Spirit by calling Him evil. Many people are not discerning enough to determine what is of God and what is of Satan. This comes only by praying and fasting. As we draw closer to the Lord and He draws closer to us, we are able to distinguish which Spirit comes from Him and which one comes from Satan. There is no reason to fear the act of blaspheming the Holy Spirit if we are intimate with Him.
Jan/100
Creed for Optimists
I ran across this and thought this is a good example of the attitude we should have as Christians…
by Christian D. Larson
- Be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
- Talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
- Make all your friends feel there is something in them.
- Look at the sunny side of everything.
- Think only of the best, work only for the best, and expect only the best.
- Be as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
- Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
- Give everyone a smile.
- Spend so much time improving yourself that you have no time left to criticize others.
- Be too big for worry and too noble for anger.
Dec/090
How can we feel anything?
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
As I was wallowing in self-pity, upset with a personal attack on my area of ministry, I was reminded by the Spirit of this verse. If I truly believe it, then I should feel nothing. I am only a representative of the Lord. There is no reason for pride, embarrassment, or self-pity. None of these things affect a dead person. If we are struggling with these emotions, then, perhaps we need to evaluate our relationship with Christ. We are servants. He must increase and I must decrease.
Nov/090
Veterans Day
As we celebrate Veterans Day, I can’t help but wonder what this day may look like 2o years from now. It seems that our country is moving away from honoring those who have fought for the freedoms we now enjoy. Many of those freedoms are being taken from us. As these freedoms slip into federal custody who will be willing to defend a socialist government? I’m sure the draft will have to be reinstated as fewer and fewer people are willing to volunteer.
But nothing takes the Lord by surprise. What the enemy (Satan) means for evil, it will surely work out for good to those who are called according to His purpose in Christ Jesus. Therefore, we have nothing to fear, but must seize every opportunity to proclaim the GOOD NEWS of Jesus in the midst of a negative world. It may not seem that they are listening, but the world will see that Christians have the real answer to peace.
Oct/090
Tested without the help of God
2 Chronicles 32:31 – “However, when ambassadors arrived from Babylon to ask about the remarkable events that had taken place in the land, God withdrew from Hezekiah in order to test him and to see what was really in his heart.”
God will allow us to be tested without His assistance in certain situations. If we store up the right things in our hearts we will pass the test.
Too many people rely on “the anointing” without paying attention to their personal spiritual growth. They believe they can live any way they please and do the things that would not be pleasing to the Lord and then they can just flip a switch and the anointing flows through them. Eventually the truth will be revealed and God will remove His hand in order to test what is really in their heart.
Aug/092
A GPS doesn’t tell us where we are in life.
Proverbs 20:24 The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?
A question many of us ask is, “What is my purpose?” If this verse is to be understood, we may never know. Why do we have to have everything spelled out clearly? If we “trust the Lord with all of our heart and lean not on our own understanding” we must walk in faith. In this day of instant and text messaging, it is difficult to not be “in the know” at all times. We want a spiritual GPS that can instantly tell us where we are on our path of life.
However, the Lord does reveal His plans to us as we seek Him and take the time to “Draw near” to Him. He is leading us, but we must get into the place to hear Him daily. It will not be instant, and it will not be in the midst of chaos and noise. Make time to be quiet.
Aug/090
Revolution
I just read an article by Herbert Meyer
During the last 30 years we Americans have been so politically divided that some of us have called this left-right, liberal-conservative split a “culture war” or even a “second Civil War.” These descriptions are no longer accurate. The precise, technical word for what is happening in the United States today is revolution.
Aug/090
Under His Control
Daniel 2:20-23: “Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. 21 He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars. 22 He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light. 23 I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors, for you have given me wisdom and strength. You have told me what we asked of you and revealed to us what the king demanded.”
Daniel prayed this prayer after the Lord revealed to him Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. The worldly astrologers and so-called wise men said it was impossible for someone to interpret the king’s dream without first hearing the dream. Daniel thought otherwise because he knew the God of the universe.
God is waiting for us to listen to him instead of all the voices telling us what to think. The events of our world are in His hands and nothing takes Him by surprise. We must develop our worldview on our knees.