Monthly Archives: May 2014

Draw Close

 

Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:8

 

What satisfies you? Not just a little, but fully; not just for a moment, but for all time?  Develop the habit of drawing close to God, because you need to, and also because He invites you, and desires to bless you.  Let it be your living prayer.

 

“Draw Me Close To You” – Donnie McClurkin

 

Draw me close to You
Never let me go
I lay it all down again
To hear You say that I’m Your friend

 

You are my desire
And no one else will do
‘Cause nothing else can take Your place
To feel the warmth of Your embrace

 

Help me find a way
Bring me back to You

 

You’re all I want
You’re all I’ve ever needed
You’re all I want
Help me know You are near

 

Draw me close to You
Never let me go
I lay it all down again
To hear You say that I’m Your friend

 

You are my desire
And no one else will do
‘Cause nothing else can take Your place
To feel the warmth of Your embrace

 

Help me find a way
Bring me back to You

 

You’re all I want
You’re all I’ve ever needed
You’re all I want
Help me know You are near

 

You’re all I want
You’re all I’ve ever needed
You’re all I want
Help me know You are near
Help me know You are near
Help me know You are near

 

Draw me close to You – Hillsong – YouTube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdJBYyNsQd0

 

 

I believe

 

I Believe

I believe in promises … the ones we make to God… and the ones we make to each other; … that “I do” means to keep on doing.

 

I believe in the promises God makes to us – and always keeps.

 

I believe that making a life is more important than making a living. That making a home is more important than making a house. That it is always the right time to do the right thing and to be the person you were created to be. That a whisper sometimes speaks louder than a shouted word.

 

I believe the smallest light will dispel darkness. That the smallest prayer will still be heard. That there is always a second chance where there is a willing heart.

 

I believe a life of faith in God is the most reasonable way to live and that living by reason alone requires a bigger leap of faith than faith itself.

 

I believe that three things will always remain: faith, hope and love… And the greatest of these is love, the answer to our most enduring questions.

 

I believe. What do you believe that will guide you today and forever?

 

 

 

Blessing through difficulties

 

There is a blessing hidden in every trial in life but you have to be willing to open your heart to see them. – Unknown

 

This devotional from Life Action Ministries offers a simple and good reminder about looking for the blessings found in difficult times.

 

Can God Bless with Trials?

 

Interpreting life’s events can be a tricky undertaking. Our instinct is to assume that if something bad happens, it’s because God is displeased with us. We then go on what I call a wild hunt for sin—that desperate search for whatever we’ve done to bring on our calamity.

 

To be sure, sin will bring with it trials (Proverbs 13:15). The problem is, trials don’t necessarily indicate that sin is present.

 

James refers to “the testing of your faith” in James 1:3. Think about those very words: faith (a good thing) being tested by the events of life. In other words, God responds to something good He sees in our life by sending trials to grow it.

 

One of the greatest challenges of the Christian life is learning to embrace the trials God sends our way as gifts from Him. We use so much energy trying to escape or fight the tough situations we face, that we fail to see they have actually been given to us by God.

 

Are you going through a trial? Ask God for wisdom as to its source. According to James 1:5, God will liberally and graciously answer.

 

What is the greatest trial you are facing right now? Whether it is caused by sin or testing, the Spirit will specifically show you if you sincerely ask for wisdom. If it is testing, take time to thank God for His commitment to your life in giving you this trial.

 

BT: Of course, we know all this. I think the real question is not, Can God bless us with trials? The real question for me is, “Will I LET God bless me through trials?” Or will we let our frustrations get in the way? Isn’t it time to let God have His way in us…for our own good?

 

 

Repetition

 

 

An old adage states that practice makes perfect. Actually, that is not true. When we repeat the wrong thing over and over, it makes it permanent in our mind, not perfect. For example, when you sing the wrong words to a song over and over, they don’t eventually become correct. The same goes for practicing an instrument. Much wrong practice makes the bad habit permanent, not perfect.

 

The same is true with our wrong thinking. Repetition makes permanent those thoughts we keep mulling over in our mind. We all know the negative impact wrong thinking has on our mind, body and spirit.  It tears us down and diminishes our capacity for joyful living. The good news is that repeating right thoughts in our mind also works to effect permanent change, and for our betterment!

 

Repetition is like walking a path through a meadow. It is a much easier journey walking the worn path than trying to forge a new path through the tall weeds. But if that well-worn path leads us to wrong thinking, we are better off to turn our back to that path and forge a new path with thoughts and actions that are true, honorable, and filled with God’s grace. And guess what? As you frequent that new path and ignore the other, the path of right thinking will grow easier and easier to travel and the path of wrong thinking will grow over with weeds and not be so tempting to traverse.

 

What paths have you worn down as your mind travels down them each day? If they continually bring you disappointment, regret, and sorrow, it may be time to blaze a new trail and travel it frequently until it is worn smooth. Learn to say ‘NO’ to the thoughts that fight against the truth and grace in your life and experience a life worth living.

 

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

Strength when you are weak

 

Remaining in God’s presence renews us and leaves us refreshed.

 

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights. Habakkuk 3:19

 

Trying to help Marcia with a bit of yard work, I find myself so easily tired. I ‘work’ for five minutes and then sit down and rest for 5-10 minutes. I am constantly aware of my weakness; it is part of the leukemia landscape. How about you? Do you struggle with things that seem beyond your strength to endure? It might be a physical weakness, or maybe an emotional one. Or perhaps there is a weak chink in your spiritual armor and it seems that you are not strong enough to protect yourself from the temptation of doubt, fear, greed, gossip, anger, or any number of self-defeating and Spirit-grieving habits.

 

Here’s the bad news. You aren’t strong enough. .. On your own. Your self-reliant strength will never be enough to endure all that will confront you. You weren’t created to have super powers in all areas of life. The good news is that there is a Sovereign God whose strength IS sufficient. In fact, it is magnified and perfected in your weakness. Although we hate the feeling of being weak, that is precisely where we are able to find God’s strength. Author Sarah Young reminds us the key to accessing this strength is to connect with God; that in this moment by moment connection we are able to receive either the partial strength he gives us for the moment or the full abundant strength of God intends for us.

 

Entering into the presence of God refreshes and rejuvenates us. It allows us to hear the whispers of God as He speaks to us in our state of weakness. And so, we should not be discouraged by our weakness, but encouraged because it leads us into the presence of our Sovereign God whose grace is sufficient and strength is made perfect in our weakness. We are His temple, His sanctuary. Let His strength and glory reside in you.

 

Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and glory are in His sanctuary. Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Psalm 96:6-7

 

 

Freedom

 

 

I wonder if you are old enough to remember your parents or grandparents talking about Decoration Day? It was the predecessor of Memorial Day, a day set aside to decorate the graves – and commemorate the lives – of those who  passed before us, most especially the fallen heroes who died defending our freedoms.

 

How often do you think about your freedoms?  Freedom of speech, freedom of worship,  freedom of press, freedom of assembly, freedom to petition government. All these are guaranteed under the first amendment of our constitution in the USA.  In some countries, these freedoms are not allowed and attempt to pursue them can result in severe and painful consequences, including imprisonment, torture, and death.  Even in the USA, these freedoms seem to be under constant attack.

 

There are also other freedoms that govern our lives:

  • The freedom to say NO to thoughts and habits that steal our joy and that of those around us.
  • The freedom to escape the imprisonment of self-effort and to become our best as God intended.
  • The freedom to accept and belief truth and say NO to lies.
  • The freedom to put others’ interests ahead of our own.
  • The freedom to forgive.
  • The freedom to not be controlled by circumstances.
  • The freedom to choose not only what is permissible but also beneficial.

 

But don’t we so often find ourselves in bondage when it comes to living out these freedoms? I mean we try and try in our own effort to realize these freedoms in our lives, only to find ourselves held back by chains that bind us. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians:3:17, “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Why is that our only path? Because the Spirit of the Lord is our wisdom and our strength. He is our power to experience freedom in our lives and to bless others with that same freedom. 

 

This Memorial Day, let’s set aside time to reflect on the freedoms provided to us by those who have gone on before; those who have taught us to embrace them, those who have defended it with their lives. And let us choose to live free in our thoughts and actions.

 

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians:5:13).

 

Doubt and fear in the presence of faith

Do you sometimes struggle with fear and doubt? Even when you hold on to your faith, do you find questions keep rising to confront you?  John Stumbo shares some insights into the aspect of doubt in the presence of faith as he reflects on the story in John 20 when Jesus appears to Thomas:

 

“I’m intrigued by this because of what I find just eight days later. John 20, verse 26. “Eight days later his disciples were in the house again. Thomas was with them.” And you know the story. Thomas hadn’t been with them the first time and had doubted the whole story. “Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’”

 

Here is my simple point. Why if they had understood that the Spirit who had raised Christ from the dead was now, had now been given to them, why were they still huddling behind locked doors? I don’t think they yet had fully understood what Christ was doing and bringing to them. If they understood the presence and power of the Spirit, the breath of God that had been breathed upon them, they would have not still been huddling in fear.

 

Maybe you will disagree with my understanding of this historical account, or maybe you think I am being too hard on the early apostles. Let’s leave them for a moment, and let me ask us: are we still huddling in some locked place of fear, not fully understanding or experiencing that which the Spirit of God wants to grant to us and do in us?

 

You have not been given a spirit of timidity or fear, my son, Timothy. You have been given a spirit of power to do that which you would otherwise not be able to do, a spirit of love to care about other people, to care about people you would not otherwise care about, the spirit of self-discipline to say no to things that would otherwise control you.”

 

I’m aware that I have led too much of my life in those locked, seemingly safe kind of places with the disciples, but increasingly in my life, I’m desiring to be open to all that the Spirit has for me—to send me where He would send me, to do in me what He wants to do in me, to reveal Christ through me in an increasing measure.” (Stumbo)

 

As you reflect on John’s words, ask the Spirit of God to reveal to you areas of your life that have been hidden behind locked doors and surrounded by fear and doubt. Read Acts 1:8 and ask God to open those doors and to be empowered by His Spirit and commissioned to His purpose in reaching and encouraging others in His name.

 

Life purpose

I’ve always thought that kids ask some of the best life questions: Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? What is the purpose of life? You probably asked these questions too. Unfortunately, important questions tend to get buried in the process of going to school, getting a job, getting married, buying a house and car, having children, pursuing hobbies. We lose sight of the great questions in pursuit of other lesser things.

 

If you paid big bucks for a life coach to tell you how to live well, they would undoubtedly ask you about your life purpose. And they would counsel you to begin each morning with a reaffirmation of that purpose and the intentional pursuit of goals to achieve it. They would say to not waste the most precious resource you have, your life. Christian Missionary and Alliance president John Stumbo puts it this way:   “Together we have one chance at this thing called making use of our life to serve the Lord who called us . . . this has given me a sense, a greater sense of purpose, of destiny, of urgency. Not in a panicky, fearful, dread kind of way. No, no, no. But with this sense of calling that the God who spoke that mountain into the universe and can speak my life into heaven’s gates at any moment has left me here and left you here for this moment in human history for us to live out this call of God upon our lives, and to do so not empowered by our own strength but to be a people who are dependent upon the Spirit.   We don’t want to go through life making our own decisions, following our own whims, slaves to our old nature, throwing religious masks of pseudo-holiness over lustful, greedy, impatient hearts. No. We don’t want to just play church or be religious; we want to be Spirit-led, Spirit-filled, Spirit-directed people.”   The bible says we will spend a short time in this life – maybe 70, 80, 90 years – and then an everlasting eternity somewhere else, based on how we responded to the invitation of Jesus here and now. Doesn’t it make sense to ‘wake up’ to this reality every day and live intentionally toward that goal instead of wasting away our life? What will matter most – on earth and for eternity – when your life is at its end? Spend some time to think about your life purpose and what in your life you want to change to reflect this. If you have a relationship with the Holy Spirit, ask him to guide you.

Unshakable

 

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28-29

What do you see when you look in the mirror? An athlete, a thinker, an artist, a writer, a provider? Mother, father, son, daughter? You have been created with certain attributes that make you unique. But they aren’t all that you are. What do you see when your strength is gone, when your creative thinking is impaired or memory lost?  When relationships are severed by hurts or by death?

 

When we lived in Australia years ago, we became friends with a lady who lived down the street from us. I forget the reason but we stayed a night at her father’s house which offered a peaceful retreat for us. Margaret’s dad was known for his intellectual acuity.  As I recall, he had taught in the university and spoke five languages fluently. . . until he had a stroke. Now he was left without speech and physically impaired. Whether he still comprehended all those languages in his mind and just couldn’t express them, I don’t know. But he was obviously a changed man with a new identity. But despite the losses, there was something about him that was not stirred. His calm, peaceful, and welcoming nature remained unshaken. Imagine losing so much and retaining what really mattered.

 

The reality is that you and I live in a world that is easily shaken. Natural disasters, financial calamities, physical and mental illnesses, and relationships all strike quickly and unexpectedly ravish our minds and hearts, our bodies and possessions. Our very identities are shaken too. But we don’t have to be left without hope. If you have sincerely and whole heartedly taken on the identity of a devoted follower of Christ, something remains that circumstances cannot shake. Hope, love, compassion, mercy, faith.

 

A personal relationship with Jesus brings a kingdom and identity that cannot be shaken. Our peace of mind can be threatened but not overcome if our identity is truly in Jesus, and not the other things we typically see in the mirror.  No matter how frightening the storm around you bellows, no matter how devastating the disaster falls upon you, no matter what has been stripped away or is consumed in your life, focus on what remains: Faith, Hope, Love.

 

You belong to an unshakable kingdom. Put your whole trust in this one unshakable truth and find peace in the middle of whatever storms come your way.