Monthly Archives: November 2014

You are the light

You are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14

The message of the GLOW (Go Light Our World) ministry is to shine the light of Jesus into the world. We currently support gospel ministries to the unreached poorest of poor in Bolivia, Bulgaria, Greece, Scotland, and the United States.

When Jesus says “You are the light of the world” He intends for that light to shine wherever you go. He isn’t saying, “Look at how talented and smart you are; how much better you are than everyone else.” No, He is illustrating what happens when the power of an infinite and extraordinary God resides in the heart of an ordinary person who follows His Son. His message is, “When I live in you and when you remain in me, my light shines so brightly, the rest of the world will see and come to praise the Father.” (See Matthew 5:16)

He knows it’s tempting for us to keep the truth and joy of His love all to ourselves. When ministry becomes messy and often frustrating, sometimes we want to crawl under our basket and just bask in the light of God’s peace warming us. We think of the image of resting in His arms and long to remain in that quiet place. Pain and sorrow have ways of ravaging the body and the mind and wreak havoc and violence on our soul. In those times all you long for is peace and quiet, a release from what seems to be an ever-increasing grip on your life. God’s light is meant for such times. His Spirit speaks peace, truth, and hope to us in such desperately needed ways.

But His light isn’t meant to remain solely within us for our comfort only. It is meant to encourage others, meaning other believers as well as bringing the hope of the gospel to the rest of the world. Imagine if our message were health and fitness but we didn’t take care of your own bodies. Who would want to listen to us? In the same way we are called to take care of the body of Christ too, that is other believers. His amazing light is meant to pour over the darkness of our world and flow onto all those around us. The role of light is to disperse darkness.

What would it look like if your light shined into someone else’s darkness today? Maybe you’ll search your address book and write an encouraging note of hope to someone you’ve lost contact with. Tell someone else how much you appreciate who they are, not just what they do. Don’t be afraid to mention how good God is when others are around. Tell someone the reason for your faith. Show His mercy to someone who has no other reason to hope.

Be the light. Go light our world today.

The ‘X’ in our lives

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As we near the end of our alphabet of verses to live by, the only bible verse I know that starts with the letter ‘X’ is found in Esther 2:17 (Contemporary English Version): “Xerxes liked Esther more than he did any of the other young women.” It’s not really one of those top memory verses but perhaps it behooves us to look at some of Esther’s godly traits that led her to be so honored.

She exalted God. The Psalmist wrote, “exalt the Lord our God.” (Psalm 99:5) Esther exalted God by trusting and obeying Him even when speaking God’s truth may have threatened her own life. How about you? Is exalting God part of who you are? Beyond singing songs in church, is He lifted up and esteemed above all in your life? Do others know that you acclaim Him to be the One True God? I’m afraid my actions sometimes reveal I esteem God less than other things in my life. I need this reminder to exalt God in my daily life.

Esther trusted God because she knew His promises were true. As Peter writes, “eXceeding great and precious promises are given unto us.” (2 Peter 1:4) Maybe where you are sitting at this moment, it’s hard to see God’s promises as true. Perhaps you’ve asked and asked for His goodness to be revealed in your life and in others but see no answers. Maybe you’ve desperately lived a life of praise and thanksgiving and yet still feel empty and unfulfilled. The sorrows of life may be washing over you “like sea billows roll,” drowning you in their midst. But God is faithful. It is who He is; He cannot be untrue to His name. We see dimly now, but we will one day see clearly that his exceeding and great, true promises were, are, and will always be given to those who trust in Him, just as they were proclaimed and revealed in Esther’s life.

“Let us eXamine our ways and test them and let us return to the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:40) It seems that Esther examined herself in the eyes of the Lord and with respect to her position before her King, Xerxes. She also examined the situation in which she was thrust. She trusted God who gave her an understanding of the times. In so doing, she commanded the respect of the king who offered her half of his kingdom in one request. Instead of boasting in such a great worldly gift, her humility and faithfulness brought about the salvation of all her people. We are well advised to examine ourselves before our great God, and consider our agendas in light of His desire to save those around us.

Exalt God in our daily life.

Examine ourselves in His sight.

Believe His exceeding and great promises are given to us.

Live the adventure of the cross as the ‘x‘ in your life!

Well done!

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Well done, good and faithful servant! Matthew 25:23

We all long to be praised even if sometimes we are embarrassed. Deep inside we long for a life of faith that is lived well.

But we get side tracked. Our attention turns to the bills, the never-ending chores, the constant demands on our time. Just keeping our head above water seems like a challenge. Where do we find time or energy to do more? Fortunately, the answer is not found in doing more but in doing whatever we do well:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. Colossians 3:23

What His Word really says is that we should enjoy His presence in everything we do. Enjoy Him when you get dressed, when you brush your teeth. Let your joy over His goodness spill over the way you work; let it overflow onto those you encounter. Be purposeful in your interactions with His love, truth and grace in mind. Rest in His presence that restores you, not in recreation that leaves you ‘wrecked.’ Remember also, sometimes the answer to living a life of faith and honor is in doing nothing, but in waiting on God:

Wait on the Lord. Psalm 27:14

Be honest, waiting is a hassle! We wait for the coffee to brew, we wait for the end of the day, we wait for our paycheck to come, we wait and wait for the answer to prayers. We hate waiting. But in waiting, we stop tapping our toes impatiently and start to silently bow our heads. Waiting makes us humble and draws us closer to the God who lifts us up, the God we so desperately need. We are eager to press forward with our own plans and efforts. But waiting on God’s timing and providence ultimately reveals more of who He is. We sometimes think we can wait no longer, but we can, because:

We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

It doesn’t seem that way. Life beats us up just as Jesus said it would. Maybe you sometimes feel more defeated and enslaved by suffering than victorious over it. Me too. I wish I could tell you the secret to making suffering end right now. But it won’t. You don’t want to hear it, but the truth is, the immense weight of suffering we feel now will appear light compared to the glory of God that will be revealed through it and in fact produced by it. (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Believe it, not because it’s easy, but because it’s true. Even though pain shouts at us, God speaks loudly through His whisper of grace and peace. So, let’s cast our anxieties aside and focus on the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living:

Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable. If anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things. Philippians 4:8

And rest in peace, good and faithful servant.

Turning the Tide of History Through Prayer

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If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Billy Graham was interviewed years ago and asked, “Looking back on your life of accomplishments, what would you have done differently?” Graham answered, “I should have prayed more.”

In this season of mid-term elections we need to be focused in prayer. After all, Jesus commends us to pray for our leaders and even our enemies. Our nation was founded by men who believed in the power of prayer. After the billions of dollars spent on political ads persuading us to vote for someone or against some else, it comes down to our vote and our prayer, which is really the most powerful tool available to us.

Now I know there will be many who will be praying that one party or another wins. I have my own opinions on who I want to see in office and likely you have yours. But what if instead of praying our list of candidates, we do something quite radical. What if we personalize 2 Chronicles 7:14 as our prayer to God:

God make us people who behave as we are called by your name. Humble us as we pray that we may seek your face and turn from our wicked ways. Give us leaders who are called by your name, who humble themselves before you, who turn from wicked ways. And if we must serve leaders who are ungodly, surround them with godly counsel that their hearts might be changed, and that ours stay faithful to you.

I hope you will exercise your right (and responsibility) to vote. Your vote matters! But first, ask God’s insight. To echo a quote by Mother Teresa, instead of asking God for this or that, let’s put ourselves “in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.” As we prepare to go to the voting polls, consider these thoughts spoken by the Rev. Billy Graham in his 1962 (yet still current) message, “Turning the Tide of History:”

“Today the world is being carried on a rushing torrent of history that is sweeping out of control,” said Rev. Graham. “There is but one power available to redeem the course of events, and that is the power of prayer by God-fearing, Christ-believing people. Elisha prayed and a young man was raised from the dead; Jesus prayed and Lazarus rose from the dead; the thief on the cross next to Jesus prayed and Jesus told him he would go to paradise that day; John Wesley prayed and religious fervor grew in England, and the same happened with Johnathan Edwards in Northampton. I tell you, history could be altered and changed again if people went to their knees in believing prayer.”

Pray. Pray. Pray. Then vote. Then continue to pray.

Safe in the hands of God

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What comes to mind when you think about prayer? Often we think about prayer requests, those lists of petitions to bring before God. God invites us to come to Him with our requests, but prayer is more than that.

Mother Teresa once said, “Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.” Prayer is seeking the presence of God, being available to His agenda, and listening to Him with our heart. Her quote reminds me of the passage in John 22:27-30. Jesus is talking about the difference between true followers and those who don’t know Him.

“My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life,and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father,who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.

Sometimes we think we can’t hear God’s voice or that He doesn’t listen to ours. But He says we (His sheep) will hear His voice because they remain in His safe protection and they follow Him. And He hears us. Jesus gave us His own Spirit to interpret our prayers perfectly and present them before the Heavenly Father.

We come into God’s presence by placing ourselves in His hands, by being available to Him, and by listening for His voice. We also come into His presence by giving thanks. Jesus prayed, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I know that you always hear me.” – John 11:42

A.W. Tozer wrote: “Sometimes I go to God and say, “God, if Thou dost never answer another prayer while I live on this earth, I will still worship Thee as long as I live and in the ages to come for what Thou hast done already.” God’s already put me so far in debt that if I were to live one million millenniums I couldn’t pay Him for what He’s done for me.”

The next time you go to prayer, spend time seeking His presence. Experience the peace and joy of letting Him hold you in His hands. Whisper to Him your praise and your thanks. Listen to His voice speaking peace, love and wisdom to you. Go ahead and present your requests to Him, with thanksgiving. But don’t miss the transcending experience of just resting safe in the hands of God.

Verily I say…whatever you ask

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Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it to you. John 16:23b KJV

Having talked so much on the troubles and suffering we must endure, this verse offers us such great hope! Not perhaps what many have acclaimed it to say, but something greater! Many would have this be a magic genie lamp that you rub while saying, “In your name, Lord” as the magical incantation to get whatever brings us a little pleasure. We want sweets now while He invites us to be satisfied at His banquet table forever. I believe Jesus spoke this truth so that we may know the most immense pleasure of enjoying God in all situations.

The context of this passage is Jesus preparing His disciples for His leaving this world. The bewildered followers asked, “What does He mean?” Jesus explains that they will be sorrowful for a while but their sorrow will turn into a joy that no one could take from them (v 22). In this context, Jesus says, “Verily, verily, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give it to you.” “Verily” means ‘you can count on this!’

He continues by telling them that after their sorrow is done their joy will be full (v 24). It is why He came to this earth, that we may live abundantly, without fear that the enemy will kill, steal or destroy our joy (John 10:10). He offers joy known as peace in a world filled with tribulation; peace because Jesus has overcome the world (v 33).

It is what we believe as Christians, unless we follow some other doctrine than what the bible preaches. Our ultimate gift is to be able to enjoy the presence of God more than anything else; imperfectly now and perfectly forever. We are glad to worship Him because His glory exceeds the weight of our sorrows or anything else we might imagine. We take joy in faithfulness. We take joy in the great hope that when this life is done, we will see Jesus face to face. While we see only through a veil now we will then see His glory in its fullest. Our hope and confidence is in His promise we’ll enter into His perfect presence forever… no more pain, no more sorrow or tears. We take joy that the end of this life will be the beginning of an eternity of enjoying God’s greatness and goodness.

And from where comes such confidence? It comes from the promise that whoever asks the Father in the name of Jesus shall receive this great joy, whatever we ask and more if we just wait. Our hope is to “Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

Verily!