Thursday, January 31 2008

Doing Good

1 Pet. 3:17 – ‘It is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.’

Joseph (not his real name) was the model of a trusted military officer, rising in his nation’s army to the rank of colonel in the Special Forces. With this came great opportunity, both for good and bad.

Deployed into a region racked with drug trafficking, Joseph was intent on bringing justice to that plagued area. He and his troops began dealing with the criminals to protect the people. Some of his superiors, who were corrupt and took bribes from the drug runners, ordered him to turn his head to let them move their drugs. He repeatedly refused until he was finally arrested and imprisoned for 8 years – for doing good.

Sadly, we live in a world where at times doing good brings suffering. This was true for Joseph; his payment for serving his people was unjust imprisonment. The apostle Peter, having been jailed for doing good, understood that kind of heartache. He gave us this perspective: ‘It is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.’ (1 Pet. 3:17).

As Joseph shared the stories of what God taught him in prison, I learned that the justice of God is not hampered by the evil of men. Doing good is still pleasing in His sight – even when we’re mistreated by the world for it. (ODB-BC).

Wednesday, January 30 2008

Threats and Warnings

Deut 4:40 – ‘Keep His statutes and His commandments…that it may go well with you and with your children after you.’

“God never threatens; the devil never warns,” declared Oswald Chambers. We sometimes use the word threat and warning interchangeably, but Chambers saw a principle that suggests a distinction. Threats are used to get people to do what is in our best interest. Warnings are issued to get people to do what is in their best interest. In other words, threats seek to preserve power whereas warnings serve to protect people from danger.

Satan wants us to think of God’s loving warnings as mean-spirited threats, but he is wrong. According to Chambers, ‘A Warning is a great arresting statement of God’s, inspired by His love and patience.’ The evidence of this is found in the many commands that are coupled with phrases like ‘that it may go well with you…’ (Deut 4:40).

In loving relationships, people warn one another of the inevitable consequences of foolish behavior. In unhealthy relationships, people threaten one another with punishment if they fail to live up to unreasonable demands. As we interact with others, it’s good to consider the nature of our counsel and commands. Do we use ultimatums to preserve our own well-being? Or do we lovingly warn others to keep them from harm? (ODB-JAL)

Tuesday, January 29 2008

Ending Escalation

Mt. 5:39 – ‘I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.’

The pastor of an inner-city church told his congregation, ‘Some people believe in ‘an eye for an eye’. But in this neighborhood, it’s two eyes for an eye. You can never even the score; you can only raise the stakes.’ The people the nodded in solemn understanding of the reality they faced each day.

We’ve seen it happen on a school playground or in our own homes – a child bumps into another during a game. The one who was bumped pushes back and the shoving quickly grows into fight. It’s the process of retaliation and escalation in which each act of revenge exceeds the one that provoked it.

In Matthew 5, Jesus tackled a number of key relational issues by raising the standard to the one that pleases God, ‘You have heard that it was said…but I tell you…’ His words about turning the other cheek, going the second mile, and giving to those who ask may sound as radical and unrealistic to us as they did to those who first heard them. Are we willing to ponder and pray about Jesus’ teaching? Are we ready to apply it when we are wronged at home, at work or at school? The cycle of escalation can be broken when a courageous, faith-filled person refuses to strike back. (ODB-DM)

Monday, January 28 2008

Connecting with God

Ps. 63:3 – ‘Because your loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.’

In his book ‘Objects of His Affection’, Scotty Smith shares his journey of learning to personally experience the passionate love of God. As a young boy, he lost his mother suddenly in a car accident. Because of this, he closed off his wounded heart to others – including God. Several years later he received Jesus as his Savior and began to learn the truths about Christianity. Yet his relationship with the Lord in those days was, as he described, “side by side rather than face to face. Important, but not intimate.”

Do you ever feel that way? You talk to the Lord a little bit, read His words in the Bible, but don’t sense a passionate connection with Him like that expressed by the psalmist David in Ps. 63. Scotty suggests ways to overcome the obstacles to intimacy, from which we may glean these two ideas.

Live honestly. Open up to the Lord about the pain of your losses and admit your failures. And ponder and believe the Scripture about God’s character and His longing for you. Being close in a relationship takes time and effort – even when it’s with the Lord. As Scotty Smith says, ‘God pursues us in our relentlessness, receives us in our sinfulness, and holds us in our brokenness.’ (ODB- AC).

Friday, January 25 2008

Test of Heart

So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there; and they fell before him on the ground. And Joseph said to them, "What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?" Then Judah said, "What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord's slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found." But he said, "Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father."Genesis 44:14-17

What kind of response do you think Joseph was looking for? He placed his cup into the pouch of his brother, Benjamin (the only brother that had the same mother). Did Joseph want to reveal his identity to Benjamin alone or was he testing the hearts of the brothers to see if they had changed after all of these years? Both Joseph and Benjamin were their father’s favorite children because they were born by the mother Jacob loved most. Favoritism does bring about jealousy, resentment and bitterness but the brothers were still responsible for their own behavior before God. After all these years, Joseph probably wondered what his other brothers thought of their actions in selling him. Did they regret it? Would they do it again? Were they treating Benjamin the same way?

Now, God has given Joseph the upper hand and patiently and wisely tested them to discern what was in their hearts. Judah said, “God has found out the iniquity of your servants.” In other words, he was acknowledging that the brothers deserve to be treated as slaves for the sin they had been hiding all these years in selling Joseph as a slave.

What goes around, comes around… We truly do reap what we sow and these boys knew it first hand. God is willing to forgive and we find Joseph acting like the God he trusts in.

God tests our hearts because He wants us to know what is in them. He is so gracious to forgive if we are willing to confess.

Thursday, January 24 2008

Child of God

Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How old are you?" And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage." So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh. Genesis 47:7-10

Joseph brings his family to Egypt and introduces his father to Pharaoh. Pharaoh is the head guy…he is the President, the Commander in Chief, the main man. In contrast, Jacob is a wanderer, a sojourner, the father of shepherds and a very old man who had to leave his homeland because he and his family would have died of starvation from the famine. But what do the scriptures say two times: “Jacob blessed Pharaoh.” How does that happen? How does the empty bless the full? How does the lesser bless the greater? How does the poor possess more than the rich? How does the average overrule the superior? The answer….GOD.

God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. God reveals His will and His blessings to the childlike. God empowers every day people to fulfill abundant promises without money, without cost and without titles. The prayers and praises of the saints have higher ratings and rewards than the most powerful, self sufficient persons on earth.

We have our logic all mixed up down here. If we really understood the ways of the Lord, we would not be held down by gravity or be lifted up with pride When we fix our eyes on the things that matter, we understand that Jacob’s evil years of pilgrimage have an eternal value that weighs more than this nameless Pharaoh who lived a life of luxury on earth.

Do you bless others? You are a child of God, just like Jacob. He blessed Pharaoh because of his position in the heavenlies. He blesses Pharaoh because Jacob knew what being blessed really meant. Jacob blessed Pharaoh and today, his life still blesses me. Jacob has done more for me than Pharaoh because Jacob’s family brought to us the greatest blessing of all…Jesus. When we really know Jesus, we truly understand what it is to be blessed so that we can freely bless others. Ask the Lord to use you to bless someone today

Wednesday, January 23 2008

GOD’S STRATEGY

Read Genesis 39:21-23

Twice we read in that short account, "The Lord was with Joseph." Joseph began to see the hand of God in his prison experience. In what could have been the direst of positions, the dreariest of places, Joseph prospered Because of this, he was freed up to be used by God strategically in the lives of at least two men. Amazingly, he prospered in prison---of all places.

False accusations put Joseph in prison, but it was the Lord who stayed near him and nurtured his soul while he was there. As a result, Joseph found favor even in the eyes of the chief jailer---what we might call the prison warden---to the point where the man trusted Joseph to supervise all the other prisoners. The warden trusted and respected Joseph so much that he "did not supervise anything under Joseph's charge because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made to prosper." You see, the Lord God remained first in Joseph's life; He was the focus of his life. The lens of God's will stood between Joseph and his circumstances, enabling Joseph to see God in them, to read God in them---and enabling God to use him in them.When a dungeon experience comes, the quickest and easiest response is to feel that you've been forgotten by God. How often the heavens seem more like cold brass than God's loving abode. We cry out, but nothing comes in return.

Make no mistake about it, Joseph didn't deserve jail, but he responded to it beautifully. That's the marvel of the story. First and foremost in his life was his vital and consistent relationship with his Lord. And because of that, God used him in strategic and significant ways.

Tuesday, January 22 2008

AND THE PRISONERS WERE LISTENING

But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them - Acts 16:25

Paul and Silas were smack dab in the middle of the will of God. They were in exactly the right city (Philippi), doing exactly what God called them to d preach the good news of Jesus Christ and confront the deeds (and demons) of darkness. And you know what happened to them? Trouble with a capital T!!!!!

They ended up before the authorities, charged with leading the Philippians into unlawful customs. As a result, Paul and Silas were beaten over and over again with rods and thrown into the inner dungeon of the prison, undoubtedly a dark, rat infested, and rancid place. To keep them secure, the jailer put their feet in the stocks and locked their hands in chains. What to do?

What do you do when you are smack dab in the will of God and all hell breaks loose? What do you do when your situation is just awful and everything is going wrong?

Paul and Silas began to pray and sing hymns of praise. In the midst of the worst of circumstances, they CHOSE to praise God and sing to Him anyway. "And the prisoners were listening to them," the Bible tells us. That is so profound. The prisoners were listening not because they were great singers... but because they had a song even through the midnight suffering.

WOW!!Without question, God begins to work when we begin to praise. He is greatly honored when we CHOOSE to rejoice in the Lord and sing His praises in the midnight hour. When we honor God, He honors us (1 Sam. 2:30)... and miracles begin.

God sent an earthquake... unfastened the chains... opened the prison doors.. transformed the prisoners)... and saved the hardened jailer and his entire family. All because of two guys who prayed and praised when life was caving in.

Make a choice today to sing His praises and thank Him regardless of the situation. He will respond to your song... and the light of the love and power of Jesus will shine through you to those "prisoners" who secretly watch your life to see if this Christianity thing really makes a difference.

Monday, January 21 2008

Living

“Give ear and come to Me; hear Me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, My faithful love promised to David.” Isaiah 55:3

Good news brings life. And God longs for us to receive His good news. There is so much that He wants to give us. But are we willing to listen? Do we listen when He speaks to our hearts to sit with Him and partake of the life He offers?

Relationship demands intimacy and priority. If we are not spending the time with God that He longs to have with us, we are robbing the Kingdom and robbing those He has called us to serve because we cannot give out that which we do not have. We will end up giving and receiving our meager portion, not God’s greater serving.

This life-giving priority is often the opposite of how we think in the world or how we think as women in caring for others. Too often, we serve everyone else and accept the little bit of time and energy that remains for our Lord. We give Him the leftovers. We think we’re being unselfish by putting the needs of others before our own, but the truth is that we’re putting people and daily responsibilities before God. We end up running on empty because we’re not taking the time to sit and sup with the Lord.

Given these circumstances, how useful are we to God or anyone else? It may help to be reminded that our lives were bought with a price, therefore, this resource of time God gave us is not our own. It may also help to remember that Christ only did what The Father called Him to do. What things are we doing that God didn’t call us to do?

God’s first and greatest commandment is to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mk. 12:30). “All” does not mean a meager portion. And His second greatest commandment is to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mk. 12:31).

May we spend some of the time God graciously gives us to examine our hearts and repent so that we may receive and give out His richest love.

Friday, January 18 2008

Courage: Live It

2 Tim. 1:7 – ‘God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power.’

Courage is one thing you need if you want to get God’s work done. That’s what I said when I spoke in a church service in Jamaica. I told the people that according to 2 Tim. 1:7, God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power.

A couple of days later, I stood 35 feet above the water on the edge of the Caribbean Sea. Should I jump off the precipice into the water below? The teenagers who were with me said, ‘Yes!’ Most of them had already done so. One told me, ‘If you don’t jump, you can’t preach about courage again!’ I knew that sometimes the courageous thing is not to go along with the crowd. But this time, I jumped.

Courage makes a good theory, but sometimes practicing it takes help. As Christians, there are many opportunities to step out of our comfort zone to serve God. When we don’t have courage, we need to be reminded of God’s promise in 2 Timothy, and we need others’ encouragement to take the leap. And perhaps you need someone to tell you.

Be courageous for Jesus. Sometimes it takes just that first step of courage to serve our majestic God. (DB)

Thursday, January 17 2008

Choices that we make

Phil. 1:9-10 – ’I pray…that you may approve the things that are excellent.’

As a kid, one of my favorite pastimes was skipping stones across the surface of a smooth lake. Inevitably, ripples would flow from the impact of stone. It’s like that with choices. Every choice we make creates a ripple effect on our lives as well as on the lives of others. The choices we have made throughout life determine where we are ad what are we becoming.

Choices are also telling. What we really want, love, and think show up in the choices we make. It is no wonder then that Paul urged us to make “excellent” choices – choices that emanate from a heart fully committed to Jesus. He stated that when our love abounds in knowledge and discernment, we are able to understand what is best, so that we may “approve the things that are excellent.”

Excellent choices are the proof of life that is deeply committed to Jesus and His ways, and they have the ripple effect of filling our lives “with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

As a friend of mine wisely told me, our lives are not made by the dreams we dream but by the choices we make. Let’s make excellent ones! (JS)

Wednesday, January 16 2008

What on earth are we doing?

1 Cor. 10:31 – ‘Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.’

“What on earth are you doing?” You may have heard that phrase when your mom told you to clean your room and found you playing with your toys instead or maybe when your teacher caught you passing notes in class. But if God were to ask you this question, how would you respond?

Paul tells us that as followers of Jesus, we have been put on this earth to bring glory to God in everything we do. So what should that look like? God’s glory is the manifestation of all that He is in His unsurpassed, stunning perfection. To glorify Him then means that we have the high privilege of showing Him off in a world that is totally unaware of what He is really like.

Acts of mercy to the undeserving, grace to the needy, forgiveness to an offender, living wisely according to His will – all give glorious visibility to the character and quality of our God.

There are a lot of misconceptions floating around about God. It’s our job to let others see what He is really like. And, when they like what they see, let’s be sure to let them know who taught us to live like that. It’s not a good idea to steal God’s glory! (JS)

Tuesday, January 15 2008

Fresh

Ps. 51:12 – ‘Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.’

What do you think of when you hear the word fresh? When the weather is nice, my husband and I enjoy going to the farmers market so we can buy produce that was picked that very morning. To me, fresh means just-harvested fruits and vegetables – not stale or spoiled, but crisp and full of exquisite flavor.

I need that kind of freshness in my relationship with God. I can have too many stale attitudes – impatience, criticism, and selfishness – and not enough “longsuffering, kindness…gentleness,” which are “the fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-23).

As David repented of the sin in his life, he prayed, “Create in me a clean heart.” The he petitioned God: “Restore to me the joy of your salvation.” Confession and repentance of our sin renews our fellowship with the Lord and allows us to joyously begin anew.

What a better time than today to ask God to give you a new spirit, a freshness of faith, and a renewed appreciation of Him! (CHK)

Monday, January 14 2008

Buy Without Money

Is. 55:3 – ‘Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live.’

A story was told of a wealthy man who felt his son needed to learn gratefulness. So he sent him to stay with a poor farmer’s family. After one month, the son returned. The father asked, ‘Now don’t you appreciate what we have?’ The boy thought for a moment and said, ‘The family I stayed with is better off. With what they’ve planted, they enjoy meals together. And they always seem to have time for one another.’

This story reminds us that money can’t buy everything. Even though our bodies can live on what money can buy, money can’t keep our souls from withering away. Isaiah 55:1 says, ‘Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and you who have no money, come, buy and eat.’

Is it possible to buy what truly satisfies without money? Yes, the prophet Isaiah is pointing to the grace of God. This gift is so invaluable that no price tag is adequate. And the one who offers it – Jesus Christ – has paid the full price with his death. When we acknowledge our thirst for God, ask forgiveness for our sins, and accept the finished work of Christ on the cross, we will find spiritual food that satisfies and our soul will live forever. (AL)

Friday, January 11 2008

Peace

“. . . by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:20

Jesus was and is the new blood covenant of peace. This truth was foretold to the prophet Isaiah in 9:6, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given . . . and He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Verse 7 goes on to say that there is no end to His peace. Directly related to salvation through Jesus Christ, peace is a gift, freely given to us. When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we receive Him and His peace.

In the Hebrew language, peace is translated as “shalom,” which means safety, completeness, prosperity, fulfillment, victory, success, health and blessing. Clearly, peace here is directly linked to the presence of God. It is also a reward of careful obedience. In fact, peace is translated from the Latin word “placibilis,” which means “pleasing” and from Latin “placere,” which means “to please.” Since our primary purpose as Christians is to please God, not people, if we walk in careful obedience to Biblical precepts and the Holy Spirit’s directives, no matter what others think or say or do, we walk in peace. However, when we choose to move from obedience to disobedience and from faith to fear, we distance ourselves from peace (Is. 48:22, 57:21).

Judges 2 has much to say about how choices of disobedience offer defeat, distress and destruction. In this chapter, although God did not break His covenant with the Israelites, He did lift His hand of favor off of them when they disobeyed, allowing them to reap painful consequences.

Consider the story of Gideon, a mighty warrior, whom God called to strike down Israel’s long-time oppressors, the Midianites, and restore peace (Judges 6:7-24). Gideon was the “least” in his family and had the weakest clan of men. Yet because God had purposed restoration for the Israelites, His favor was upon Gideon to defeat Israel’s enemies. No way could Gideon restore peace by himself. Only with God could he complete his mission.

Likewise, only with God’s help can we walk uprightly and affect peace for those around us because God, Himself, is the grantor of peace. And peace is a reward of His righteousness.

If there are areas in our lives where the Holy Spirit is prompting us to cry out to God in repentance and restoration of peace, may we trust that He awaits our cry, He will hear us, and He will respond with love.

May we be led forth in peace, experiencing the fullness and joy of this great blessing that is given to us freely as saints in God’s Kingdom. And may we share this fruit of the Spirit, the peace that surpasses understanding with those who have yet to receive His truth and love

Thursday, January 10 2008

Divine Abundance

“Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift from God.” ~ Ecclesiastes 5:19

Divine abundance is a wonderful gift from God. Thankfully, divine abundance is not defined by or limited to material possessions but encompasses much more. In The Parable of the Rich Fool (Lk. 12:15) Jesus says, “a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

What Jesus is saying is that there is more to our purpose and identity than material things and that we must first “be rich toward God” in our hearts, our spirits and our minds by receiving all of Him and walking in His ways, guarding our hearts against greed and mammon in order to have a right attitude toward abundance (Lk.12:21). In other words, we must first have God’s character in abundance before we can sustain His blessings in abundance. And we cannot accomplish this alone.

Receiving divine abundance is also linked with our faith and actions concerning giving. Malachi 3:10 says, “’Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.’” Receiving divine abundance is also linked with how we treat others. Luke 6:38 says, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Remember, motives count. If we just give for the sake of getting, this principle won’t work. God looks at the heart and sees all things and knows all things.

Both tithing and loving others fit into God’s greatest commandments for us, which is to love and seek Him with all our hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves. This mature level of loving involves walking in obedience to God and forgiveness toward others no matter what the circumstances. Obedience brings divine favor and rewards that are material and immaterial.

Consider Joseph, God predestined him to lead Egypt and receive great abundance, as was evident in the dream He gave Joseph (Gen. 40:5-7). But Joseph was the youngest of his family, the most favored by his father and perhaps even a bit spoiled. Joseph was immature. Therefore, he had to go through an abundance of character building before he could see his mission through to the fullness of his divinely apportioned abundance—both material and immaterial—that came as part of his leadership role

Psalm 65:11 says, “You crown the year with Your bounty and goodness . . . “So as we move into 2008, let us ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and reveal privately any matters that do not please God, the very issues that would prevent us from receiving Our Father’s greatest abundance. Let us repent and ask Him to fill our hearts with a fresh love for our Heavenly Father and others so that we may have a right attitude of divine priority. Only then will we be positioned to receive His accelerated abundance that He longs to give us during this season and throughout 2008.

Wednesday, January 09 2008

Restoration

“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:12

God purposed His only begotten son to reconcile us to Him and to do a complete work of restoration. Divine restoration means to bring us back to God’s original intent and purpose for us, made whole, full of His presence.

When we first accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are born again in the spirit, elated with joy. All we want to do is to please God and shout to the world how wonderful this amazing transformation feels. We want everyone we know and beyond to experience it. And as we step back into the world to work and interact, we can be tempted to slip back into former patterns of sin. But God loves us so much that even when we behave in ways that hurt His heart, if we repent, He is quick to forgive, and He restores us.

Usually, we see the restoration of God manifest after we have suffered for a “little” while (I Peter 5:10). Our definition of “little” and God’s definition usually varies. He will allow us to suffer consequences to discipline us (Heb. 12: 4-11). If the consequences weren’t painful, we probably wouldn’t learn the lesson and would repeat cycles of destruction.

The quickest path to restoration is immediate repentance and diligence in seeking His heart and face, praising Him in the midst of our suffering. It is also important to remember that God did not cause our pain, we did by choosing sin over obedience to Him. We must take accountability, forgiving anyone who may have caused us to stumble and forgiving ourselves. The quicker we let the issue go and return our focus onto God the quicker we move through the restoration process.

Restoration often extends beyond us into past, present and future generations. When generational sins enters a family tree, it can take decades for God to restore us and our family members. This is because there has been so much dysfunction over time. For example, if we were raised in dysfunction for 18 or so years, it may take at least that long to overcome the multitude of issues and get us on track with God’s divine destiny, depending on the level of intensity and amount of areas affected.

Generational restoration is often a process that begins with forgiving our forefathers for their iniquities, repenting for walking in the same sins as they and asking God to help us walk in new ways. This process usually occurs in layers, as in peeling an onion. In such cases, God can accelerate the restoration process by using ministries that specialize in this area or even by miraculous touches from Him.

God will often restore us “suddenly,” as He did in the many creative miracles and physical healings we read about in the Gospels. God is indeed the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8). He still heals today as He did during Biblical times. He is sovereign, and He does not change. He loves us no matter what. But remember, even those who experienced “instant” miracles first suffered for a “little” while, which may have felt like an eternity to them.

God’s restoration offers us liberty from oppression and the freedom to reach our divine destiny in divinely appointed times. The more baggage we overcome and the more Godly the way we process hurts and injustices, the more space we have within us to receive His love, the more room we have within us for God’s presence to live, the more we are able to honor and glorify Him. The more space we offer Him to reflect His love through us, the more ways God can use us to share His love in the marketplace, just like Jesus did.

God has much in store for those who will submit to His restoration process. What will we choose? Will we choose to hold onto our familiar bondages and limit the hand of God from working in us and through us, closing out many of His finest blessings? Or will we choose to return to His joy of salvation and exercise a willing spirit?

Tuesday, January 08 2008

Service

“This service that you have performed is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” ~ 2 Corinthians 9:12 (NIV)

Service is a form of work, and work is a form of praise. This important word, in its various forms, appears in the NIV Bible over 1,100 times. Some of us work in the military service, public service, civil service, customer service, church services, even at service stations. 1 Corinthians 12:5 tells us that there are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. To serve God’s way means to do so from a generous heart of love. And to divinely serve, we must first understand the nature and character of a willing servant:

John 12:26 says, “Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, My servant also will be . . .” A servant partners intimately with God. Matthew 20:26 says, “. . . whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” A servant is humble.

Luke 12:35 says, “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning.” A servant is prepared and vigilant. Matthew 20:28 says, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” A servant sacrifices lovingly.

God rewards His faithful and loving servants with an inheritance (Is. 65:9) He protects them and vindicates them (Is. 54:17). He redeems them (Ps. 34:22). He recognizes them (1Cor. 16:18). He promotes them (Matt. 24:45, Jh. 15:15, Phil. 2:9). And He gives them righteousness and peace (Rom. 14:17-18).

The Bible speaks of how rare servant leadership has been in Biblical times and continues to be today in Luke 22:26 as defined in 1 Peter 5:2—to be willing, eager examples, not lording their authority over those whom God has entrusted in their care. Those of us who have worked under difficult bosses understand what this means.

Luke 22:26-27 puts it in perspective: “. . . the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.”

Indeed, true divine service is both a noble and humble action. It involves doing that which the Father instructs us to do with faithfulness and wholeheartedness (1Sam. 12:24), praise and obedience (Ps. 103:2).

And attitude matters. Philippians 2:5 tells us that our “attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus,” which is one of humility. Romans 14:17-18 tells us that when we live righteously, peacefully and joyfully, we are “pleasing to God and approved by men.” This is a key to getting along with others. Proverbs 14:35 says, “A king delights in a wise servant.” Now here is a precept for getting promoted.

In John 15:15, Jesus calls His servants His “friends” because true servants of Christ are also His true friends in that they are so intimately involved with Him that they know His business. They are His inner circle or “inner court.”

Can we say that we honestly know Christ’s business? Are we part of His inner court? Do we intimately partner with Him to do Kingdom work? Are we His wise and humble servants? May we invite Him to have more of our heart, to guide us in doing and being more like Him so that we can soar in true service to His glory.

Monday, January 07 2008

SAUL’S DISOBEDIENCE

Read 1 Samuel 13:1-15

Saul's disobedient actions involved at least three major errors.

First, kings weren't supposed to offer sacrifices on behalf of the community. Kings could offer sacrifices for themselves, but never for the nation. That was done only by priests.

Second, it was Samuel who was to convey the Lord's battle plans. Saul was to wait for him. However, since Saul kept his eye on the sundial and his dwindling army, he gave in to panic and rushed ahead on his own. This reduced the sacrifice to a pointless ritual that looked more pagan than Hebrew. Gentile generals decided where, when, and whom to attack, mobilized their troops, then sacrificed to their gods to gain favor. The Hebrew sacrifice was different; it was to be an act of submission, not bribery.

Third, and most important to our study, Saul made the decision to trust himself at the crisis point. His decision to sacrifice and attack was based on good common sense (from an earthly perspective). Just like Israel's desire to have a human king and their ready acceptance of Saul based on his outward appearance, the new king was ready to advance on the enemy with a human strategy. Probably a good one, but human, nonetheless.

Saul's faith failed. He saw his army evaporating like water and the town of Michmash teeming with his enemy. He saw that the appointed seven days had passed and that Samuel was late. So he tossed aside any pretense of decorum and protocol. He, in effect, put on the priestly garb along with his crown and signet and tried to make the altar his own special instrument of power---something he had no right to do.

Confrontation is rarely pleasant but frequently necessary. We all need a Samuel, someone who cares more about our character than our image or comfort. Often, that kind of loving honesty calls for sharp words. "You have played the fool" is never easy to hear, but when it comes from the mouth of a trusted, godly friend, we must hear it and take heed.

Friday, January 4, 2007

Paul's Personal Mission Statement

I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:10-11 - Acts 21:11-12

Paul understood his personal mission, which should be the personal mission of every believer in Jesus Christ. It is the one summary statement that best describes the purpose of our existence on earth and the goal of our Christian experience. It can be reduced to three important characteristics.

To know Christ.

To know and experience His power.

To identify with His sufferings.

All that flows from these three objectives becomes a by-product. Salvation is a by-product. Miracles are a by-product. Christlikeness is a by-product. Paul's focus was on relationship. He understood that the deeper the relationship, the more power he would experience. He also understood that as he grew in this relationship, there would be suffering. Whenever the Kingdom of Light confronts the kingdom of darkness, there is a battle, and this often results in casualties. Christ confronted these earthly kingdoms and suffered for it. If we are living at this level of obedience, we, too, will face similar battles; it simply comes with the territory.

Does this sound like your personal mission statement? Is your focus in life centered on knowing Christ and the power of His resurrection? If not, press into Him today in order to begin experiencing Christ more intimately.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

The Finger of God

When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God. - Exodus 31:18

Throughout the Bible, the word testimony is used in many ways. Testimony comes from the Hebrew word eduwth, which means "witness." The Ark of the Covenant contained the Ten Commandments, written and inscribed personally by God and given to Moses on Mount Sinai. These became known as the testimony. The ark was a divinely inspired structure that was to be used as a witness to the people of Israel and the whole world of God's power and majesty. These divinely created tablets were a witness of God's activity on earth with man.

Throughout the Bible, God looked to create testimonies with His people. At the Red Sea, He created a testimony through Moses. God created a testimony through Joshua when He parted the Jordan River and allowed the people with the Ark to cross on dry land. When Lazarus lay dead for days, Jesus came and created a testimony of His ability to raise the dead.

Jesus is still looking for those who are willing to have a testimony created through their lives. One of the major characteristics of a God-ordained testimony is for something to happen that cannot be explained in the natural. In other words, if you can make it happen through your abilities, it is not a testimony about God, but about you.

God wants to create a testimony in every aspect of your life - your family, your work, your church, and in your community. He is waiting to put His finger on your next endeavor to reveal His power through your life. Look carefully at the events where God might want to create a testimony out of an impossible situation. He delights in using His children for this purpose because it brings Him glory.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Desert Preparation

Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus. - Galatians 1:17

The apostle Paul tells us in the first chapter of Galatians some of the facts surrounding his own conversion. He tells us that he clearly understood the call Jesus placed on his life. He did not have to consult other men about this calling. But before he was released to begin his own mission, He went to Arabia for three years. Why did Paul have to go to Arabia for three years before he ever met another disciple of Jesus Christ?The Scripture does not tell us plainly why Paul spent three years in Arabia However, based upon many examples of God placing special calls on people's lives, we know it often requires a time of separation between the old life and the new life. No doubt, Paul had plenty of time to consider what had taken place in his life and time to develop an intimate knowledge and relationship with the newfound Savior. His life was about to change dramatically.

So often, when God places a call on one of His children, it requires a separation between the old life and the new life. There is a time of being away from the old in order to prepare the heart for what is coming. It can be a painful and difficult separation. Joseph was separated from his family. Jacob was sent to live with his uncle Laban. Moses was sent to the desert.

Perhaps God has placed you in your own desert period. Perhaps you cannot make sense of the situation in which you find yourself. If you press into God during this time, He will reveal the purposes He has for you. The key is pressing into Him. Seek Him with a whole heart and He will be found. God may have a special calling and message He is building in your life right now. Trust in His love for you that He will fully complete the work He has started in you.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Elevated From the Pasture

Now then, tell my servant David, "This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over My people Israel." - 2 Samuel 7:8

Have you ever heard someone say, "He is a self-made millionaire"? They are stating that this person accomplished everything through his own efforts. His achievements were a result of his hard work and street smarts.

David was nearing the end of his life. The prophet Nathan was responding to David's idea to build a temple where the Ark of the Covenant would stay. God reminded David of his roots and where He had brought him. God took David from the fields of pasturing sheep to pastoring a nation. God reminded David that He cut off all of David's enemies. (David never lost a battle.)

Have you ever felt tempted to look at your accomplishments with pride as if you were the reason for your success? Have you ever thought your prosperity was due to your ingenuity? Has your material success been a testimony to others that God is the ruler of all aspects of your life, even the material side?

Joseph's greatest test was not his temptation to be bitter against his brothers. It wasn't the sexual temptation that came inside Potiphar's house. It wasn't even the discouragement of years of imprisonment for being wrongfully accused. It was the temptation of prosperity and ownership. Once he was elevated, he was given choices that he never had before. It was totally up to him as to which choice he would make. Stewardship reveals what we believe about God and ourselves.

Not every man can carry a full cup. Sudden elevation frequently leads to pride and a fall. The most exacting test of all to survive is prosperity. -Oswald Chambers.

Do you have a proper understanding of who you are? Do you understand that it is God who has given you the ability to work and achieve? He is the source of all good things. Ask God today if your life models this belief.