Romans 15:4 "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."
11 The Pharisees came out and began to argue [contentiously and debate] with Him, demanding from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him [because of their unbelief]. 12 He groaned and sighed deeply in His spirit and said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? I assure you and most solemnly say to you, [a]no sign will be given to this generation!” 13 Leaving them, He again boarded the boat and left for the other side.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Prove Yourself Proving Yourself Right and Smarter
Who is this man?
Why does he believe he is better and smarter than me?
Why does he believe he has any authority over me?
Why does he believe he is closer to God, seeks after God, knows God, trusts God better and much more smarter than I do? Who does he believe he is, God’s Son?
Seeking hearts in Jesus’ day could see proof of his divinity with an honest and humble observation. Even some who weren’t seeking saw Jesus as God’s Son as well. However, those who “came… to argue with him” and who were “seeking after him, testing him” and demanding a “sign… to prove his authority” could not see.
One more miracle, another sign, and yet another display of power would never be enough for them to believe. So much of our faith is knotted to our own heart.
Are we seeking for truth? Are we seeking God? Are we seeking after God, not to believe, not to trust, but only test God to see how well we match up with God?
So we yearn only to prove, approve, affirm our own personal belief in our own self righteousness? Do we yearn for what is really life? These are some crucial questions for us as each we seek not only to know, but also to believe in, Jesus.
Helping Your Unbelief – Come Humbly, Seek Honestly
Generally, School teachers and college professors often experience two types of questioners: those who ask humbly with genuine interest and those who aim to challenge the teachers depth of education intelligence in an adversarial manner.
The former clearly seek to understand. The latter are more interested in their advancing their agendas, reinforcing their opinions, or simply looking smart.
Unlike the crowds of people who witnessed, marveled over Christ’s miracles, the Pharisees often challenged Jesus’ teaching and public ministry in order to test Him and to validate themselves, their authority and to undermine Him.
They weren’t there to see His wonderful works and consider whether He was actually the person He claimed to be. They were there to trip Him up, trap Him.
Jesus responded to the crowds that followed Him with compassion instead. He had displayed divine kindness for those who came to Him in humility of heart, honestly, sincerely recognizing their selfless versus all of their selfish needs.
He turned away no one who came genuinely seeking truth. But He met the antagonistic religious leaders with righteous frustration—divine impatience for those who came seeking only and exclusively, to prove their own position, demonstrate their own faulty self righteousness and to challenge His claims.
There are two ways to ask a question: humbly or arrogantly.
And the Teacher always knows the difference.
Some people who say they are religious still get nothing out of the Bible’s teaching. They listen to sermons Sunday after Sunday, looking for reasons not to rest wholly on Christ’s completed work. They ask questions aimed at holding the Lord at arm’s length, then wonder why they don’t find satisfactory answers.
That is not the way of the child of God. With humble meekness and an honest curiosity, we should seek to learn from our Teacher and, when our hearts are troubled, come to Him humbly, asking for help to be open to the answer and without demanding Jesus “give us a sign,” follow our agenda or expectations.
If you have a big brain, the Bible is able to satisfy your intellect. If you have a big head, you’ll find pride distorts our ability to see the clarity, truth of God’s word.
Christ is more than ready, willing and able to cater to intellectual integrity, but He is entirely unwilling to pander to arrogance.
We all have questions for Jesus about this world, about our life, about the way we should go. Jesus will never turn away those who come to Him, and He will welcome His brothers’ and sisters’ requests if they are in God’s plan, purpose.
But in addition to considering your questions, consider your heart. Ask your questions, but first pray, think through how you are asking: are you motivated by humble honest faith seeking understanding or by pride seeking to be right?
Those who have ears, let them humbly, honestly, meekly, sincerely, hear!
Those who have eyes, let them humbly, honestly, meekly, sincerely, see!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Father, I believe, but I want to believe more strongly and more completely. I don’t want my faith to be narrow or shallow — just a mere emotional cloud that is here today and gone tomorrow. Guide my heart and my mind as I seek to know truth, your truth, about who you are and what you want of me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Psalm 15 Amplified Bible
Description of a Citizen of Zion.
A Psalm of David.
15 O Lord, who may lodge [as a guest] in Your tent? Who may dwell [continually] on Your holy hill? 2 He who walks with integrity and strength of character, and works righteousness, And speaks and holds truth in his heart. 3 He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend; 4 In his eyes an evil person is despised, But he honors those who fear the Lord [and obediently worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder]. He keeps his word even to his own disadvantage and does not change it [for his own benefit]; 5 He does not put out his money at interest [to a fellow Israelite], And does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
6 Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call on Him [for salvation] while He is near. 7 Let the wicked leave (behind) his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the Lord, And He will have compassion (mercy) on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts higher than your thoughts. 10 “For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, Making it bear and sprout, And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me void (useless, without result), Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. 12 “For you will go out [from exile] with joy And be led forth [by the Lord Himself] with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. 13 “Instead of the thorn bush the cypress tree will grow, And instead of the nettle the myrtle tree will grow; And it will be a memorial to the Lord, For an everlasting sign [of His mercy] which will not be cut off.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Our Thoughts and God’s Thoughts
Some years ago, pastor at a church in New Orleans Louisiana I visited on a volunteer in mission trip once told this story to the children in his church.
He showed the group of children a pumpkin and an acorn, and he said he could never figure out why God had created such a small seed for a large tree and why he had created such a large gourd for such a small plant, asked for their ideas.
Nearly all of the children just shrugged their shoulders, others just sat there.
The Pastor continued, saying it seemed that in a creation that was proportional an oak tree should have a large seed, about the size of a pumpkin, and a small plant like a pumpkin vine should have a small seed, about the size of an acorn.
But then he went on to explain that one day while he was walking through the woods, an bunch of acorns fell from a tree and they hit him on the head–and suddenly he realized that God, not him, must know exactly what he is doing.
Often in life we see and experience things that don’t seem to make sense to us, and just as often we are called to trust that God knows more about what he is doing, what he is going to do at any given time he chose, than the Pastor did.
God reminds us of this when he says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways … As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Even in the confusion of life, we can be assured that when things do not make sense to us, God knows what he is doing and we can trust him to care for us.
Why Are You and I Second-Guessing God at All?
Have we ever second-guessed God, by wondering if He really knew what He was doing, if He really knew what He was talking about, He is communicating to us?
I remember when I applied for what seemed like the perfect job. At the perfect time. With a perfect salary. But when I didn’t get the job, I thought, believed was so perfect in every way, I became discouraged and began to question God.
I prayed, “Why not, God? This was so perfect for me. I prayed about it.
And I shouted to heaven, “I trusted You. Why did you not bless me with this?”
Yet God apparently knew what He was doing. Even though I didn’t. And now when I look back at what I thought was the perfect job at the perfect time, I can see that it wasn’t perfect for him, in His time after all, and it wasn’t the perfect time either. God knew what was coming…and He had something better in mind.
In Isaiah 55, verses 6-9, God told His people to seek Him, set aside their wicked ways and He would surely have mercy and compassion, that His thoughts were not like their thoughts, and neither were their ways like His. Seek God Out!
That’s because He knows all things and we don’t. But that passage also says His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, meaning better, more encompassing with far greater eternal purposes, while we tend to look at just the temporary.
In the next two verses, 10 and 11;
God told His people as sure as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it produce and sprout, and providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will His word will be which goes out of His mouth; it will not return to Him empty, without accomplishing what exactly He alone desires, and without succeeding in the very exact and exacting purpose for which He alone sent it.
That passage assures us that God not only knows what’s best for us, but He has His eternal purposes at work in what He allows, as well as what He prevents.
How often do you and I ask God,
“Why now, in this moment of moments? Couldn’t have come at a worse time!”
How often do we wonder, Why this? We were faithful and we were hoping for the best! How many times do we say, “Why me? As if I haven’t been through enough already!” We even sometimes offer God our “rational list” of the reasons why we believe His timing was way off and His choice were not in our best interest.
And yet, God continues to know what He is doing. We cannot just second-guess Him. Sometimes He’s protecting us from something we can’t yet—or might not ever—see. Other times He is preparing for something even better for us that we have yet to discover. And I believe at all times, as long as we stay surrendered to Him, He is shaping our character and refining us through our circumstances.
Intersecting Life & Faith:
God has His own exclusive reasons, far above our own, because He is God and thanks be to God, we are not nor have to be. We are asked to simply trust that…
There is an occasion for everything and a time for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 – 11) that means He didn’t get the timing wrong in the slightest.
“His work is perfect; all his ways are just” (Deuteronomy 32:4), and He is a God who never makes mistakes.
He is a God who “does not slumber or sleep” (Psalm 121:3-4), meaning nothing takes Him by surprise.
Can you and I implicitly trust God today instead of second-guessing Him?
Can you and I live with the assurance that He loves us beyond comprehension and that nothing takes Him by surprise and He won’t let anything touch you that hasn’t already first passed through His loving hands? Can we make that your goal today and everyday, in every last circumstance that comes our way?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
God of all creation, we acknowledge that our thoughts are not your thoughts and our ways are not your ways. Help us to trust in you and your ways. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.Lord, please help us to trust You with our disappointments and missed opportunities, and even when it seems like our world is turning all upside down. You are in control and, because You are loving and good, You wouldn’t have things any other way. In Your great, greater and greatest time and season. I pray only in Jesus’ name Amen
Psalm 121 The Message
121 1-2 I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
3-4 He won’t let you stumble, your Guardian God won’t fall asleep. Not on your life! Israel’s Guardian will never doze or sleep.
5-6 God’s your Guardian, right at your side to protect you— Shielding you from sunstroke, sheltering you from moonstroke.
7-8 God guards you from every evil, he guards your very life. He guards you when you leave and when you return, he guards you now, he guards you always.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth [I openly and joyfully acknowledge Your great wisdom], that You have hidden these things [these spiritual truths] from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants [to new believers, to those seeking God’s will and purpose]. 26 Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 27 All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Son except the Father; and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son [deliberately] wills to reveal Him.
28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Jesus, the True Refuge
Life is never going to be a summer camp but a battlefield full of struggles.
In this long and hard journey, we will inevitably be distressed and tired.
Maybe we are groaning under the weight of a virtual steamroller of anguish, and we feel surrounded, hemmed in everywhere, just do not know what to do.
Jesus says, “Do not despair; come to me.”
He is our refuge, he invites us into a refreshing time of trust and fellowship.
He can relieve us of that heavy burden, remove grief from our hearts, and heal our wounds.
He invites us to share with him a deeply personal, deeply intimate experience: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Jesus’ command is for each of us: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.”
To do this requires a commitment to stop being surrounded, to submit, learn.
Pick up His Holy Scriptures, surround yourself with His resurrected presence.
Jesus even repeats his promise to you and me, and the church: not only does he say, “I will give you rest,” but he also says, “You will find rest” for your soul.
Do not walk hunched over under the weight of despair.
Turn to Jesus, because he has the resurrected power to relieve you, relieve me and relieve the church of their burdens and carry us in his omnipotent arms.
“Come to Me!” Always remember that the Son of God is our only true refuge.
Jesus is My True Yoke of Freedom
Matthew 11:28-30 The Message
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
A yoke is a stout wooden frame placed across the back of oxen or other strong animals, joining them together in order to slowly, carefully haul a heavy load.
The yoke’s purpose is to evenly distribute the weight on both sides, making it possible for the animals to walk together, in unison, while bearing its weight.
Jesus uses this illustration to offer those who might follow Him the chance to find unparalleled freedom under His yoke. With His personal invitation to take His “easy” and “light” yoke, Jesus announces an easier way, he distinguishes Himself from mere religion, with its heavy burden of rules and regulations.
The Pharisees of Jesus’ time were consumed with doing what was right—not only seeking to abide by God’s law but adding a great number of their own rules as well. Such man-made obligations and expectations create crushing burdens.
Repeatedly saying, with the millstone of rules on your back; “Come on now, try harder; come on, you can do this,” will figuratively wear down anyone’s neck.
But Jesus’ yoke is different.
To be under the yoke—the authority—of Jesus is not a burden; it is a delight.
How can this be?
There is a definitely different freedom found in Christ—not a freedom to do what we want but a freedom to do what we ought. Since by nature we cannot do what we ought, we’re yoked to our own desires, promising much, delivers little.
We need somebody—Jesus—to set us free from our bondage to sin so that we might live in freedom and obedience to God’s will: to become the people we were designed to be.
So it is that Christ’s commands are “the perfect law that gives freedom,” and so it is those who obey them “will be blessed in what they do” (James 1:25, NIV).
James 1:25 The Message
25 But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.
Jesus is My Lord
This is why we declare with joy, “Jesus is my Lord.”
This is His identity—and because of His lordship, when we respond to His invitation and receive His yoke upon our shoulders, we accept a newfound obligation to live freely under His perfect will.
The issues of ethics, morality, sexuality, business, family—all these things and more are gathered under the yoke, the true authority, of the Lord Jesus Christ.
For those who still feel yoked to a burdensome weight, be it impossible rules or sinful desires, Jesus extends the invitation to come, let Him lift these burdens.
You absolutely need to hear this today.
Where are you struggling with sin?
How are you seeing the commands of the Lord as burdensome?
In what ways might you be struggling against His ways?
Hear Him again:
Hear Him again:
Come to Me. I’m humble. I’m gentle. Your burden is so severe that I had to die on the cross for you, and I did so willingly. Come, be yoked to Me. My burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30 Amplified Bible
28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.”
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Lord of the Sabbath,In times of weakness and hour of need, yours is the strength by which we carry on, the shoulder we rest our head upon. When our load is heavy and too much to bear, yours are the arms stretched out to help us the true grace that we depend on. In times of weakness and hour of need, your truest voice is heard over the turmoil, ‘Come… find rest.’ This is grace divine, the path we tread to wholeness of body and spirit, the path that leads to you, for which we offer our offering of praise.
Psalm 119:9-16 Amplified Bible
Beth.
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping watch [on himself] according to Your word [conforming his life to Your precepts]. 10 With all my heart I have sought You, [inquiring of You and longing for You]; Do not let me wander from Your commandments [neither through ignorance nor by willful disobedience]. 11 Your word I have treasured and stored in my heart, That I may not sin against You. 12 Blessed and reverently praised are You, O Lord; Teach me Your statutes. 13 With my lips I have told of All the ordinances of Your mouth. 14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on Your precepts And [thoughtfully] regard Your ways [the path of life established by Your precepts]. 16 I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
31 So Jesus was saying to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word [continually obeying My teachings and living in accordance with them, then] you are truly My disciples. 32 And you will know the truth [regarding salvation], and the truth will set you free [from the penalty of sin].” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone. [a]What do You mean by saying, ‘You will be set free’?”
34 Jesus answered, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, everyone who practices sin habitually is a slave of sin. 35 Now the slave does not remain in a household forever; the son [of the master] does remain forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, then you are unquestionably free. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you plan to kill Me, because My word has no place [to grow] in you [and it makes no change in your heart]. 38 I tell the things that I have seen at My Father’s side [in His very presence]; so you also do the things that you heard from your father.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
The Bible – Our Free Pathway to God’s Personal Truth
The Truth Will Make You Free
31 So Jesus was saying to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word [continually obeying My teachings and living in accordance with them, then] you are truly My disciples. 32 And you will know the truth [regarding salvation], and the truth will set you free [from the penalty of sin].”
Sometimes the Bible is described as a telescope.
A telescope is not something to look at but an instrument to look through.
When we do, we are free to see that what we see and believe is far away or hard to see is actually closer than we thought, when focused it becomes clearer to us.
When we look at life and history through the narrowed lens of the Bible, what once seemed distant and hard to understand will inevitably come into focus.
Through the Words of Scripture we are brought close to God and His truth.
Through the Words of Scripture we are brought near to events that happened thousands of years ago. We zoom in, for example, on the life and ministry of our Savior Jesus Christ, who became human and came to live among us (John 1:14).
Jesus wanted the people of his day to believe in him as the One who reveals the truth about God, what God is doing in this world, His freedom, through Christ.
But instead they wanted to hang on to old legalisms that enslaved them to a broken system, refusing to admit that they were slaves to sin, could not keep the law perfectly. Jesus urged them to accept him as the eternal truth and life who could bring them out of this slavery, give them new life forever with God.
Are we any different? As we daily encounter the Word of God, we must accept and meet God on his terms, not ours. By relying on the Spirit’s help, God speaks to us and breathes into us his life and truth. And that truth sets us free-free to serve him in our all daily work, play, relationships, and every other facet of life.
A Prayer of Gratefulness for our Nation’s Freedom
Galatians 5:1The Message
The Life of Freedom
5 Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.
Even though some American citizens may not feel too much gratitude for our nation in its present condition, we should want to view it with thankful hearts, treasuring how God worked in 1776, divinely established this nation in freedom.
As 2 Corinthians 3:17 explains, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Regardless of how some feel about our nation’s present state, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 urges us to “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Especially as Christians to recognize that God is the author of freedom.
As John 8:36 explains, Jesus is the One that sets us free. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Cultivating Ongoing Gratefulness for Our Nation’s Freedom
Long-lasting freedom requires citizens to practice ongoing gratitude.
Without continual appreciation and recognition of the efforts that fostered and shed blood, sacrificed for freedom, a nation starts to lose widespread support for it, leading to coming generations being uninformed and misconstruing events that led to the establishment of a free nation. Proverbs 11:14 explains, “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.”
Silence Equals Consent: The Sin of Omission author William J. Federerwrites how on March 30, 1961, America’s future 40th President, Ronald Reagan, spoke to the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce on the importance of passing on gratitude for the history, lessons, and sacrifices of freedom to our future generations:
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. The only way they can inherit the freedom we have known is if we fight for it, protect it, defend it, and then hand it to them with the well-taught lessons of how they in their lifetime must do the same. And if you and I don’t do this, then you and I may well spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it once was like in America when men were free.”
For America’s freedom to endure, it’s vital for us to pass on genuine, heartfelt gratitude for it by first giving glory, thanking God and, secondly, by recognizing exactly what it takes to maintain it. As Proverbs 15:22 explains, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers, they succeed.”
Passing Gratefulness for Our Freedom On to the Next Generation
Proverbs 13:22 urges parents to leave an inheritance to their children.
Teaching our children and their children to be thankful for America’s costly freedom is vital and a priceless gift.
Taking the time to pass on gratitude for it to our families is well worth our time.
A key to parents passing on gratitude for America to future generations is by example, expressing it ourselves, and researching, studying, and knowing and then sharing and celebrating its rich history – both its victories and its defeats.
Providence Forum Executive Director Dr. Jerry Newcombe encourages parents to “Learn the true history ourselves and teach it to our children. “
There are plenty of sound resources out there trying to get Americans to learn about what made our nation so special.” One such resource is the Providence Forum “Foundation of American Liberty” film series, written and produced by Newcombe. This series explores the foundation of American liberty, which is our Judeo-Christian heritage.
A Prayer to Prepare Our Hearts to Celebrate God and Our 248th Nation’s 4th of July Birthday.
John 8:36 Amplified Bible
36 So if the Son makes you free, then you are unquestionably free.
America’s 4th of July holiday is all about celebrating freedom. Although many citizens may be viewing it as a reason for an extended holiday, family gatherings, and setting off fireworks, there is much more behind this national holiday. Many Americans may not realize where the desire for freedom, the kind that stirs the hearts of men and women, originates. 2 Corinthians 3:17 explains its source, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Many believe God’s way is to restrain people, but His way is freedom; as John 8:32 explains, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Humankind’s longing for freedom comes from God, who provides the way for us to be free. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).
Freedom Came to America
Sadly, some Americans have no idea how America came to be the free nation it is today. They haven’t heard or learned how God divinely led Christians from across the ocean who longed to openly serve Him to leave everything behind and risk their lives to set sail for a world where they could freely worship God.
In The Pilgrim Chronicles, historian Rod Gragg traces the Pilgrims’ beginnings in 1606 England as Christian separatists who had faced severe persecution by the Church of England. But fleeing to Holland in 1609 brought them face-to-face with worldly Dutch ways, causing them to look beyond the Netherlands for the religious freedom they longed to find.
Journeying to the New World offered them the opportunity to find the freedom to worship their Savior Jesus in peace. Because they did, the Pilgrims laid the biblical foundation and influence, leading our Founding Fathers to base our Declaration of Independence on godly principles. These truths are exactly why we each have been given the right to worship God freely and without reserve.
Freedom Brings Unity
But as the New World grew, England’s King George ruled with a heavy hand, oppressing the citizens and cultivating a widespread desire for them to be free from his control. His oppression led to the Revolutionary War that led to the Declaration of Independence and the creation of the United States of America.
Behind this movement was the Church, consisting of Congregationalists, Anglicans, Catholics, Deists, Quakers, Dutch Reformed, Baptists, Lutherans, Puritans, and Presbyterians who came together to pray, overlooking their own denominational differences to unite 13 colonies together for a common goal.
Dennis Prager, an American conservative radio talk-show host and writer, explains, “Ultimately, they wanted people to be free to practice their religion and relate to God in their own way. They all knew God is the source of liberty.”
Freedom’s Ultimate Sacrifice
As Christians, we know freedom comes through Jesus’ sacrifice.
As 1 John 2:2 explains, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Likewise, sacrifice led the way for our nation’s freedom, too. Retired Judge Darrell White describes, “In a nutshell, our founders sacrificed their prosperity for their posterity, us. They pledged to give their entire lives, their fortunes, their reputations and their sacred honor to secure our blessings of liberty.”
Because Jesus loved us, freely laid down His life, we have been set free from sin.
John 3:16-17 Amplified Bible
16 “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] [a]only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him.
This foundational freedom, this foundational truth, strengthened and led the way for men and women before us to sacrifice of themselves, lay down their lives so that we might live in a nation founded on liberty for all. As Dr. Jerry Newcombe, Executive Director of Providence Forum, explains, “We are free in large part because many others sacrificed on our behalf that we might be free.”
Thank You, God! Happy 248th Birthday – The United States of America!
In the name of God, the Father, and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 22:27-28 Amplified Bible
27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations will bow down and worship before You, 28 For the kingship and the kingdom are the Lord’s And He rules over the nations.
Dear Father, King of Eternity, thank You for the freedom You give to us through Jesus Christ, Your Son. Help us, as United States citizens, publicly and privately give thanks to You for the freedom we have as a nation. Lead Americans across our nation to be grateful for what You have given us and to recognize that true freedom is a gift from You. Let our hearts overflow with thankfulness to You for the true freedom our nation offers us because its foundation is based on the freedom we receive from You. Lead us in teaching our children, and our children’s children, to have hearts full of gratitude to You for providing the way to freedom through Jesus. Inspire future generations to treasure freedom and treasure You and to see that it comes from You and You alone.
Today and every day, we are freely able to celebrate the freedom You give us and how it laid the foundation for our nation to be free. Thank You for the freedom You give to us through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Because of You, true freedom is possible and stirs the hearts of Americans and people around the world. Let Your name be glorified in our celebrations. Help us celebrate in ways that bring You praise and honor. Remind Americans how You divinely led Christians to set sail and settle this land for Your glory. Show us, too, O Lord, how to be grateful and respectful to the men and women who came before us, sacrificing their lives and futures, braving and suffering hardship, to establish this land for Your glory so future generations could live free. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
8 But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Therefore, since we have now been justified [declared free of the guilt of sin] by His blood, [how much more certain is it that] we will be saved from the [a]wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved [from the consequences of sin] by His life [that is, we will be saved because Christ lives today].
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
The lonely—widows, orphans, prisoners, homeless
Psalm 68:5-6 Amplified Bible
5 A father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows, Is God in His holy habitation. 6 God makes a home for the lonely; He leads the prisoners into prosperity, Only the stubborn and rebellious dwell in a parched land.
The lonely—widows, orphans, prisoners, the homeless—the sinner without Christ as their Savior, what can be done to ease their sense that no one cares?
Ultimately, God in his love is our dwelling place. As “a father to the fatherless,” he adopts us as his children. He defends the widow, cares for the orphans, sets the lonely in families, frees the prisoners, and puts a new song in their mouths.
When God led Israel through the desert wasteland of the Sinai Peninsula after freeing them from Egypt, he scattered their enemies and refreshed his weary people with manna from heaven and quail. And in his law he made special provisions for widows and orphans, for foreigners, visitors, all who were poor.
To be a part of the people of God, the church of Christ, heirs of the promise, recipients of salvation—this is a great, great blessing. There are people who think and believe of Christ’s church as boring, divided and a waste of time.
They go to worship once or twice and soon give up – they are not refreshed.
But they miss the fellowship that they could enjoy—the fellowship of all who share in God’s deep love and grace, made possible through Christ’s sufferings for all who believe. God’s caring people have a heart for those who are suffering.
Are we following God’s example, caring with His compassion for others today?
“Exactly, what in the hell has God ever done for me?”
“Exactly, what in the hell has God ever done for me?”
That question was the response I heard from the homeless veteran sitting in my office, who curtly delivered it as I offered him a place to recover from alcohol. I tried to strike up a conversation about our veterans programs, spiritual things.
“Let me tell you this,” the man went on. Getting emotional, the man said to me, “I laid on a battlefield in Vietnam, bleeding. If anything could atone for my sins, it was my own blood as I lay there in a country I did not care enough it existed, nearly dying in a jungle swamp for a country that obviously didn’t care for me!”
It was hard to decide which was more shocking: The pain this fellow carried for some many decades, or his apparent indifference to God. We ended up having a fairly cordial conversation, he seemed genuinely touched as I thanked him for serving as he did. I asked him to grasp God has proven His love; The Father demonstrated His love by sending the Son, Jesus, to set us free (Romans 5:8).
I do not know if he believed me or ever got around to believing in God as he left the program after only a month, long enough to get another temporary job. I heard several years later that he had been shot, killed on the streets in robbery.
Homelessness, loneliness, abandonment, betrayal are hardened prisons for the souls to survive – they are hardcore, ruthless, merciless environments to live in.
There’s no sense of safety, or freedom, no sense of confidence or independence, no reason for anyone to have any measure of faith in anyone but your own self, limited to no reason to believe in God in a place where you know that if God was about being God, loving and having compassion on everyone, why am I a wreck?
Why is everything and everyone and everywhere around me a prison, a wreck, an uncaring, dispassionate, soulless, mocking, scornful mass of humanity, is there any reason for anyone to believe in God and the freedoms He promises?
As Independence Day approaches and we thank God for the hard-won freedoms this country enjoys, because so many were willing to give their everything, up to their very lives, to lay the foundation of a radical dream, of founding a nation under the providence, protection and care of God, with liberty, justice for all.
A Declaration of Independence, a one of a kind Constitution To set a standard of true liberty and independence and freedom for everyone for the last 248 years.
It is also important to point out the freedoms we have through Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ’s life giving sacrifice, on the Cross gives each of us these five liberties:
1. Freedom from the guilt that all inherit.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:22, “In Adam all die.” Physical death — and the risk of spiritual death — are universal realities because of the sin we inherit from Adam and Eve. In Christ, we are forgiven, not condemned, promised a home in heaven, and set free from guilt. (Romans 8:1 – 4)
Escape from Bondage
8 Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior]. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do [that is, overcome sin and remove its penalty, its power] being weakened by the flesh [man’s nature without the Holy Spirit], God did: He sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful man as an offering for sin. And He condemned sin in the flesh [subdued it and overcame it in the person of His own Son], 4 so that the [righteous and just] requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not live our lives in the ways of the flesh [guided by worldliness and our sinful nature], but [live our lives] in the ways of the Spirit [guided by His power].
2. Freedom from sinful deeds we personally commit.
We have all known the right things but done the wrong things. Sinful actions not only put a big wedge between us and God, but they also result in numerous negative repercussions. Confessing Christ as Savior, He forgives our sins, and the indwelling Holy Spirit can give us the strength to overcome temptations.
Romans 7:14-20 Amplified Bible
The Conflict of Two Natures
14 We know that the Law is spiritual, but I am a creature of the flesh [worldly, self-reliant—carnal and unspiritual], sold into slavery to sin [and serving under its control]. 15 For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled and bewildered by them]. I do not practice what I want to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate [and yielding to my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. 16 Now if I habitually do what I do not want to do, [that means] I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good (morally excellent). 17 So now [if that is the case, then] it is no longer I who do it [the disobedient thing which I despise], but the sin [nature] which lives in me. 18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh [my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. For the willingness [to do good] is present in me, but the doing of good is not. 19 For the good that I want to do, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want to do, I am no longer the one doing it [that is, it is not me that acts], but the sin [nature] which lives in me.
3. Freedom within ourselves over personal struggles.
If we are willing, God’s Spirit can even help us overcome sinful habits that may have held us in bondage for years. Whether the issue is gnawing remorse over past bad decisions, feelings of worthlessness, emotional pain from abuse, or just fear about tomorrow — Jesus gives us peace within. The Gospel is our way to an abundant peace with God and is also the key to peace with ourselves.
4. Freedom from judgment that is ultimately coming.
Jesus is in the process of restoring a broken world. “Eschatology” is an 85-cent word that refers to what the Bible says about “last things.” One day, the entire world and universe will be made brand-new (Revelation 21:5). Just as there is a global, universal eschatology — Jesus gives us a joyous personal eschatology. This fallen world is under judgment, but Jesus has made the believer exempt.
5. Freedom to face eternity—our soul’s final destiny.
“It is appointed for people to die once — and after this, judgment.” – Hebrews 9:27
We may not want to or like to think about our own pending mortality, but it is unavoidable. There is a date that we will leave this world, and God knows when that date is. It is very freeing, liberating to know that we are ready to face God!
Several years ago, I was asked to visit the neighbor of a friend who had been arrested and put in jail. As a minister of the Gospel, requests like this come along more than you might imagine.
It is an honor to do such things, and when people find themselves in the deepest of valleys, with prison bars between them and their independence, they are very often quite open to allowing Jesus Christ to become Lord, Savior of their lives.
The facility was very bleak, with rough gray concrete everywhere and seemingly endless hallways of bars and flaking paint. Not surprisingly, an air of gloom and hopelessness permeated the place, and reflected on the faces of all the inmates.
The particular jail where I visited the inmate in question had a very small, dark courtyard in the middle of the building. There were a few concrete squares in an otherwise dirty, rain soaked and muddy courtyard.
Suddenly, I noticed a small flower growing up against the concrete wall in one corner. It was the only bit of vegetation in this otherwise dank, lifeless place.
Invisibly, some minimal breeze had carried a seed over the roof and into this small open area within the prison facility. The bleakness of the surroundings made that one little flower all the more vivid to those who cared to notice.
When you think of the prison bars, bondage, sufferings, and entanglements that permeate this world, the freedoms that we have through Savior Christ appear all the more precious. Jesus is the flower of beauty in a muddy place.
Luke 4:16-21 Amplified Bible
16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the Messiah), Because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent Me to announce release (pardon, forgiveness) to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed (downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy), 19 to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the favor of God abound greatly].”
20 Then He rolled up the scroll [having stopped in the middle of the verse], gave it back to the attendant and sat down [to teach]; and the eyes of all those in the synagogue were [attentively] fixed on Him. 21 He began speaking to them: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing and in your presence.”
Jesus absolves the guilty, the homeless sinners, who are imprisoned by sin. The heart and soul cries out in silence, longs for freedom — and finds it in Christ.
Acts 4:8-12 Amplified Bible
8 Then Peter, filled with [the power of] the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people [members of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish High Court], 9 if we are being put on trial today [to interrogate us] for a good deed done to [benefit] a disabled man, as to how this man has been restored to health, 10 let it be known and clearly understood by all of you, and by all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you [demanded be] crucified [by the Romans and], whom God raised from the dead—in this name [that is, by the authority and power of Jesus] this man stands here before you in good health. 11 This Jesus is the stone which was despised and rejected by you, the builders, but which became the [a]chief Cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation].”
For there is salvation in no one else, no other name under heaven … Acts 4:12
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Lord, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:25-26). May I reach out with your love to people who are lonely. In Jesus, Amen.
Psalm 42 Amplified Bible
Book Two
Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.
To the Chief Musician. A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of the sons of Korah.
42 As the deer pants [longingly] for the water brooks, So my [a]soul pants [longingly] for You, O God. 2 My soul (my life, my inner self) thirsts for God, for the living God. When will I come and see the face of God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 4 These things I [vividly] remember as I pour out my soul; How I used to go along before the great crowd of people and lead them in procession to the house of God [like a choirmaster before his singers, timing the steps to the music and the chant of the song], With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a great crowd keeping a festival.
5 Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become restless and disturbed within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence. 6 O my God, my soul is in despair within me [the burden more than I can bear]; Therefore I will [fervently] remember You from the land of the Jordan And the peaks of [Mount] Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep at the [thundering] sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. 8 Yet the Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song will be with me, A prayer to the God of my life.
9 I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10 As a crushing of my bones [with a sword], my adversaries taunt me, While they say continually to me, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you in despair, O my soul? Why have you become restless and disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, The [b]help of my countenance and my God.
13-18 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
19-20 And don’t forget to pray for me. Pray that I’ll know what to say and have the courage to say it at the right time, telling the mystery to one and all, the Message that I, jailbird preacher that I am, am responsible for getting out.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Warfare of any kind doesn’t normally involve just individuals; it engages whole communities. This is also true with spiritual warfare. In spiritual battle, we are to be righteously concerned not only for ourselves but for all of God’s people.
Christians need to have a global perspective of who is at the forefront of the spiritual battles with the forces of evil. It is not uncommon to pray for people who are ill, who are facing hardened times, or who live in an environment of persecution. Prayers for people in physical need can be heard in many places.
It is less common to pray for someone’s spiritual well-being. But in this world, as Paul puts it, “our struggle is … against the spiritual forces of evil” (Ephesians 6:12). And when spiritual warfare is a big part of our daily experience, it is very difficult for any of us to legitimately claim that we have a sense of well-being.
So we all need each other’s prayers always.
Praying in the Spirit for others is itself a faith-building exercise. It involves giving of ourselves for the benefit of others who are part of the body of Christ.
We may not know precisely the nature of the battle, or the piece of armor that is most needed in a situation, but we know of the struggle—and that is sufficient reason to pray. It is an unselfish and blessed thing to do. Praying this way is also an exercise in obedience because we’re each instructed to be intercessors for all.
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”
Ephesians 6:18-20Amplified Bible
18 With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all [a]God’s people. 19 And pray for me, that words may be given to me when I open my mouth, to proclaim boldly the mystery of the good news [of salvation], 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. And pray that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly and courageously, as I should.
Prayer reveals three facts:
When we pray we recognize, first, the existence of an invisible kingdom.
We would never pray at all if we did not have some awareness that someone is listening, that there is behind the realm of visibility an invisible kingdom.
It is not far off in space somewhere; it is right here. It surrounds us on every side. We are constantly in touch with it, though we do not always recognize it.
It lies behind the façade of life, and all through the Scriptures are exhortations to take heed of this, reckon with it, deal with it, and acknowledge that it exists.
The second fact prayer reveals is that we Christians have assurance, confidence that the kingdom of God is immeasurably significant, that it affects our lives directly, that the visible things which are happening in our world are a direct result of something happening in the realm of invisibility. Therefore, if you and I want to change the visibilities, you and I must start with the invisibilities.
Third, our prayers play an essential part in bringing God’s invisible power to bear on visible life. God answers prayer. Prayer is purposeful and powerful; it is not pitiful and pathetic pleading with only a rare chance it might be answered.
No, it is powerful. God answers! Prayer is an essential link in the working of God in the world today. Without it he does not often work; with it, he certainly does.
These three facts are all revealed in the matter of prayer.
But we must immediately add God answers prayer according to his promises.
This is so necessary to say today, for there is a very vague but widespread concept that God answers any kind of prayer, that no matter what you want or why and when, where and how you ask for it, he commits himself to give it.
This, of course, results frequently in disappointments and gives rise to the widespread belief that prayer is ineffectual. The truth is, God answers every prayer which is exclusively based upon a promise of God and the Will of God.
1 Kings 3:6-14 Amplified Bible
Solomon’s Prayer
6 Then Solomon said, “You have shown Your servant David my father great lovingkindness, because he walked before You in faithfulness and righteousness and with uprightness of heart toward You; and You have kept for him this great lovingkindness, in that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today. 7 So now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of David my father; and as for me, I am but a little boy [[a]in wisdom and experience]; I do not know how to go out or come in [that is, how to conduct business as a king]. 8 Your servant is among Your people whom You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. 9 So give Your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart [with which] to judge Your people, so that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge and rule this great people of Yours?”
God’s Answer
10 Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 God said to him, “Because you have asked this and have not asked for yourself a long life nor for wealth, nor for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to recognize justice, 12 behold, I have done as you asked. I have given you a wise and discerning heart (mind), so that no one before you was your equal, nor shall anyone equal to you arise after you. 13 I have also given you what you have not asked, both wealth and honor, so that there will not be anyone equal to you among the kings, for all your days. 14 If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and My commandments, as your father David [b]did, then I will lengthen your days.”
This is what Paul means by his reminder we are to pray at all times in the Spirit.
In the Spirit!
Many will take this phrase as though it describes the powerful emotions we should have whenever we pray.
They think it is necessary to be greatly moved before prayer can be effectual.
Now this is possible at times, but it isn’t essential to the effectiveness of prayer.
And it is certainly not what is meant by this phrase, in the Spirit.
Praying in the Spirit means to pray according to the promises which the Spirit has given, and the character of God which the Holy Spirit has made known.
God has never promised to answer just any prayer, but he does promise to answer prayer in a way that he has already carefully outlined for each of us.
When you learn to pray on this basis, you and I will discover that exciting and unexpected things are constantly happening, and that there is a quiet but an indescribably mighty power busy at work upon which you can steadfastly rely.
As you and I learn to pray in this way, you find there is put at your disposal a tremendous weapon, a mighty power to influence your own life and the lives of others, especially as it relates to withstanding the hard attacks of the enemy.
Take some time to pick up your Bible and make a list of the promises of God.
How can those promises you identified will surely transform your prayer life?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 138 Amplified Bible
Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Favor.
A Psalm of David.
138 I will give You thanks with all my heart; I sing praises to You before the [pagan] gods. 2 I will bow down [in worship] toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word together with Your name. 3 On the day I called, You answered me; And You made me bold and confident with [renewed] strength in my life.
4 All the kings of the land will give thanks and praise You, O Lord, When they have heard of the promises of Your mouth [which were fulfilled]. 5 Yes, they will sing of the ways of the Lord [joyfully celebrating His wonderful acts], For great is the glory and majesty of the Lord. 6 Though the Lord is exalted, He regards the lowly [and invites them into His fellowship]; But the proud and haughty He knows from a distance.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. 8 The Lord will accomplish that which concerns me; Your [unwavering] lovingkindness, O Lord, endures forever— Do not abandon the works of Your own hands.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
21 For to me, to live is Christ [He is my source of joy, my reason to live] and to die is gain [for I will be with Him in eternity]. 22 If, however, it is to be life here and I am to go on living, this will mean useful and productive service for me; so I do not know which to choose [if I am given that choice]. 23 But I am hard-pressed between the two. I have the desire to leave [this world] and be with Christ, for that is far, far better; 24 yet to remain in my body is more necessary and essential for your sake. 25 Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that your rejoicing for me may overflow in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.
27 Only [be sure to] lead your lives in a manner [that will be] worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I do come and see you or remain absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit [and one purpose], with one [a]mind striving side by side [as if in combat] for the faith of the gospel. 28 And in no way be alarmed or intimidated [in anything] by your opponents, for such [constancy and fearlessness on your part] is a [clear] sign [a proof and a seal] for them of [their impending] destruction, but [a clear sign] for you of deliverance and salvation, and that too, from God. 29 For you have been granted [the privilege] for Christ’s sake, not only to believe and confidently trust in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30 [and so you are] experiencing the same [kind of] conflict which [b]you saw me endure, and which you hear to be mine now.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
In today’s verses Paul tells his readers that he found ultimate meaning not in the length of his life but in his life of connectional relationship with the Lord.
Paul, feet shackled, wrote this letter from a prison. He didn’t know what his future held, and yet he trusted the risen Christ to carry him through any trial.
For Paul, even while chained and imprisoned, to live in the Lord and serve him in whatever capacity God entrusted him with is wonderful. And to die in the Lord is blessed, for death itself could not rip him away from his Savior’s care.
As we all face up to the inevitable which is our own mortality, that of our loved ones, our hope is rooted inside the everlasting grip our Savior has upon his own.
God might grant us a longer or shorter life. But to be truly fulfilling, worthy, our life in the world, but not of the world, but the cross, must be focused in Christ.
Living for Christ in the present age can get extremely difficult at times.
Rather than living for Christ, it can be easy to do the alternative — to live for ourselves or our own wants and desires.
Paul tells us in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
It should be our heart and souls most sincere desire to follow Paul’s example, be able to echo these same words, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
In our greatly challenged stressed day to day lives, we need to continually pray, continually ask ourselves, are we truly living for Christ, or living for ourselves?
This is a difficult question for all of us to answer, yet there can only be growth if we are brutally honest with ourselves and then make the appropriate changes.
Breaking the Mold and Living for Christ goes against the teachings of the world.
The teachings of the world tell us to “live our best life” or to do all we can for our own ultimate pleasure and happiness.
Our wildly reckless abandon, our endless pursuit of pleasure and happiness will only end up leaving us physically and spiritually torn, worn out, and exhausted.
The things of the world may bring fleeting happiness, but this happiness will quickly fade away, and we will feel empty again. Only in the Cross of Christ are we given the lasting joy of knowing Him and having a relationship with Him.
The Bible tells us that the “god” of the world is Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Since Satan is the “god” of this world, the world’s teachings are not in any kind of correct alignment with the Bible.
The world teaches us that lying, being selfish, and immoral acts are all normal or that we should do anything that is allegedly “true” to ourselves. As one can see, these teachings do not come from the Bible. If we are going to truly live for Christ in this present day and age, we are going to have to have a radical change.
When we stop giving into the lies, start truly living for Christ, we are going to break the mold of the world. No longer wanting to live according to the world.
Rather, we will simply want to live for Christ, serve Him with our whole heart.
Living for Christ is no easy task, yet it is something that we must strive for each day. We cannot make a difference for Christ if we are living according to the standards of the world. As Christians, we are called to stand out from the world.
From within His Beatitudes, Jesus teaches each of us, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
As Jesus tells us, we are to be the light of the world. We cannot be the light of the world if we are “hiding in some darkened corner, under old tiny baskets, living abundantly in the darkness of the world’s teachings, conforming to its rules.”
Romans 12:2 tells us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:1-2 Amplified Bible
Dedicated Service
12 [a]Therefore I urge you, [b]brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be [c]transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].
The Lord wants us to discipline ourselves, abstain from our conforming to the pattern of this world, to instead be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
We can be transformed by the renewing of our minds by reading the Bible, meditating on its truths, teaching and applying its teachings to our daily lives.
If we choose to conform to the pattern of this world, we cannot properly live for Christ. Living according to the pattern of this world will only result in a broken relationship with God, sin, and shame. As believers, we have the permanent indwelling Holy Spirit, who guides, helps, and convicts us (John 14:26, 16:7-13).
He will help us walk in the right path if we listen to Him (Galatians 5:16-18).
Unfortunately, as we will inevitably do, when we turn two deaf ears to the Holy Spirit, our hearts can become cold and calloused to the point that we no longer feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit. It is vital that we get disciplined, never let ourselves get to the point where we no longer feel the Holy Spirit’s conviction.
The Father and Jesus have given us the great gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit within our hearts, and He is there to help us live for God. In fact, the Holy Spirit is God because He is the third member of the Trinity. Therefore, when we are turning our deaf ears to the Holy Spirit, we’re turning a deaf ear to God Himself.
This is a very dangerous and high risk business and a road that is hard to return from. We cannot truly live out our all in all for our Savior Christ unless we are walking in the Spirit, allowing Him to shape and mold us to reflect Jesus better.
Surrendering Everything for Christ, Living for Christ, means that we have to be willing to make hardcore sacrifices, give up everything, however much value we assign to those, to follow Him, including all of our hopes, dreams, and desires.
Jesus tells us boldly, “In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples” (Luke 14:33).
Luke 14:25-35 Amplified Bible
Discipleship Tested
25 Now large crowds were going along with Jesus; and He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not [a]hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life [in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God]—he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow after Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] cannot be My disciple. 28 For which one of you, when he wants to build a watchtower [for his guards], does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to finish it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is unable to finish [the building], all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish!’ 31 Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one who is coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else [if he feels he is not powerful enough], while the other [king] is still a far distance away, he sends an envoy and asks for terms of peace. 33 So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not [carefully consider the cost and then for My sake] [b]give up all his own possessions.
34 “Therefore, salt is good; but if salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear and heed My words.”
In other words, we have to be willing to give up everything in order to follow Jesus and serve Him.
Christ can never be “second best” in our life. He has to always come first.
Placing Jesus as our number one priority each day is crucial for living for Him.
Whenever we place anything above Christ in our lives, it becomes an idol.
Even good things can become idols if we place them above Christ, such as marriage, family, or friends, material possessions, places of employment.
While it is deeply desired, great to be married, have a family, and have friends, we should never place them as being more important than God in our lives.
Choosing to live for our Savior Christ is something that we have to do each day intentionally. This means we should always be ready and willing to go out of our way to help someone else in our lives or to help out at our local church, a local ministry, or even to just help a neighbor who needs help carrying in groceries.
We do not have to be a missionary or an ordained pastor to live for Christ.
If we’re indeed authentic Christians, we can all live for Christ in our daily lives.
God has trusted us each with our own spiritual gifts and talents, skills, and gifts, and He wants us to use these things to be able to serve Him and others.
Each in our own unique capacity has the ability to do great things for Christ, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, financial status, or relationship status.
Living for Christ can be quite difficult, yet living for Christ is always worth it because we are serving our great Savior and Redeemer.
Why Does This Matter?
Why should this matter?
What possible difference can it make?
What possible difference could I make?
Even if the end result is as minimal as it can get-say only .01% , as much as 100, God will be the One who will plant the seed of the change, nurture it to fullness.
Philippians 2:1-4 Amplified Bible
Be Like Christ
2 Therefore if there is any encouragement and comfort in Christ [as there certainly is in abundance], if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship [that we share] in the Spirit, if [there is] any [great depth of] affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same [a]love [toward one another], knit together in spirit, intent on one purpose [and living a life that reflects your faith and spreads the gospel—the good news regarding salvation through faith in Christ]. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves. 4 Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
If you have been living for Christ for a while now, as you are familiar with the difficulties, trials, and hard times that come along with living for Christ, yet it is vital you continue to live for Christ even when it’s hard and even when it hurts.
Maybe at the end of our lives, we’ll be able to echo Paul’s words, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
2 Timothy 4:3-8 Amplified Bible
3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold, 4 and will turn their ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and man-made fictions [and will accept the unacceptable]. 5 But as for you, be clear-headed in every situation [stay calm and cool and steady], endure every hardship [without flinching], do the work of an evangelist, fulfill [the duties of] your ministry.
6 For I am already being [a]poured out as a drink offering, and the time of [b]my departure [from this world] is at hand and I will soon go free. 7 I have fought the good and worthy and noble fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith [firmly guarding the gospel against error]. 8 In the future there is reserved for me the [victor’s] crown of righteousness [for being right with God and doing right], which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that [great] day—and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved and longed for and welcomed His appearing.
Ralph Waldo Emerson and his son were struggling to get a calf to step into the barn. They tried poking, prodding, pushing, but the calf would not move.
Suddenly a servant girl shuffled by, and by thrusting her finger into the animal’s mouth, she rather easily lured him into its stall inside the barn.
The business world is built on the device of promise of reward for productive work. After a week’s hard work, we receive the reward of a paycheck.
We may also receive other benefits, such as health insurance and vacation time. Work that will be rewarded gets done.
God uses the promise of reward to motivate Christians as well.
Heaven, the gift of everlasting life in the presence of the eternal God, is an awesome reward for all who serve God. When the work is strenuous, the obstacles are foreboding, and our courage is waning, God reminds us of the reward we will receive in heaven.
Picture the crown of righteousness that God wants to place on your head.
Imagine the throne being prepared for you to reign with Christ.
Visualize the banquet table where all of God’s family will feast forever.
But the reward is also a gift; it’s already been earned for us by Christ.
And as he offers it freely, we already begin to live the new life that we’ll receive fully in God’s presence. The reward of the life to come summons us to give our best sacrifices, very best fruits of our labor, and to win the race here on earth.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 103 The Message
103 1-2 O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name! O my soul, bless God, don’t forget a single blessing!
3-5 He forgives your sins—every one. He heals your diseases—every one. He redeems you from hell—saves your life! He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown. He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal. He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence.
6-18 God makes everything come out right; he puts victims back on their feet. He showed Moses how he went about his work, opened up his plans to all Israel. God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he’s rich in love. He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him. And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins. As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear him. He knows us inside and out, keeps in mind that we’re made of mud. Men and women don’t live very long; like wildflowers they spring up and blossom, But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly, leaving nothing to show they were here. God’s love, though, is ever and always, eternally present to all who fear him, Making everything right for them and their children as they follow his Covenant ways and remember to do whatever he said.
19-22 God has set his throne in heaven; he rules over us all. He’s the King! So bless God, you angels, ready and able to fly at his bidding, quick to hear and do what he says. Bless God, all you armies of angels, alert to respond to whatever he wills. Bless God, all creatures, wherever you are— everything and everyone made by God.
And you, O my soul, bless God!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
17 Never repay anyone evil for evil. Take thought for what is right and gracious and proper in the sight of everyone. 18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for God’s wrath [and His judicial righteousness]; for it is written [in Scripture], “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Peace That Is Possible
The Bible is a wonderfully practical book.
Its wisdom is both rich and realistic, the longer we live, the more meaningfully we hear it speaking to our every situation.
As we age, many of us will realize that our parents were often correct in their warnings and wisdom; and as we walk by the light of God’s word, so it will be proven right in time, every time to this and to us and subsequent generations.
Paul displays this timeless, realistic wisdom here.
On one hand, this sounds overly simplistic: just try to be at peace with everyone.
It’s not difficult to understand.
But that is not all he’s saying.
The instruction is preceded by two qualifications: “if possible” and “so far as it depends on you.” The implication is clear; that it may not always be possible!
Paul is not providing a loophole here.
He’s not telling us to be at peace so long as we can control our temper or hold in our emotions, but otherwise we’re free to harbor bitterness. His call to us is to ensure that any ongoing conflict in our lives is in spite of us, not because of us.
The responsibility for ongoing animosity must never be traceable to reluctance for reconciliation on our part.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Amplified Bible
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. 18 But all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ [making us acceptable to Him] and gave us the ministry of reconciliation [so that by our example we might bring others to Him], 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people’s sins against them [but canceling them]. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation [that is, restoration to favor with God].
20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us; we [as Christ’s representatives] plead with you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God. 21 He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].
But even if, as Christ’s Ambassadors, we’ve done our part, we need to realize that there will always be two situations in which peace may not be possible.
One is when the other party is unwilling to be at peace with us.
We may be dealing with someone intent on harming us and with no interest in resolving the conflict.
In that situation, it may not be possible to change that person or prevent their cruelty—but it will be possible for us not to fight back.
When we ensure that we are not contributing to the conflict, we are pursuing peace “so far as it depends on” us.
The other obstacle arises when the terms of peace are incompatible with principles of holiness, truth, and righteousness.
The writer of Hebrews had such a situation in mind when he instructed his readers, “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
Hebrews 12:14-16 Amplified Bible
14 Continually pursue peace with everyone, and the sanctification without which no one will [ever] see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of God’s grace; that no root of resentment springs up and causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; 16 and [see to it] that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.
These are not two disjointed instructions; our striving for peace and for holiness must definitely, unequivocally, not take us in separate directions.
The pursuit of peace is not to become the pursuit of peace at any price.
Some of us need to take care that our distaste for conflict and confrontation does not lead us to pursue peace at the cost of our integrity and righteousness.
One cannot change a heart; that is the Lord’s business.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 Amplified Bible
26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My ordinances and do them.
One must not compromise their integrity; that is the Lord’s chief concern. But God is giving you, me, an imperative, as much as it is up to us, that we pursue peace. Do you or I need to be prompted by this command to temper our words, change our behaviors, or make the first step toward repairing a conflict, today?
God Will Speak, God Freely Gives His Gift of His Peace
Psalm 85:8-13 Amplified Bible
8 I will hear [with expectant hope] what God the Lord will say, For He will speak peace to His people, to His [a]godly ones— But let them not turn again to folly. 9 Surely His salvation is near to those who [reverently] fear Him [and obey Him with submissive wonder], That glory [the manifest presence of God] may dwell in our land. 10 Steadfast love and truth and faithfulness meet together; Righteousness and peace kiss each other. 11 Truth springs from the earth, And righteousness looks down from heaven. 12 Indeed, the Lord will give what is good, And our land will yield its produce. 13 Righteousness will go before Him And will make His footsteps into a way [in which to walk].
Peace is a commodity that can only be found with time spent seeking the face of God. The world can’t offer us peace because it has nothing in which to place its hope, trust, and security. Kingdoms come and go. Leaders move in and out of power. What cultures and societies value changes like the passing of the tides.
Our only constant is God. He has been, is, and forever will be the Creator, Sustainer, and Lord of all. All authority has been given to him. He governs the change of seasons. He thwarts the plans of our enemy. And He longs to offer total and sustained peace to all who will place their full hope and trust in him.
Isaiah 26:3 says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
Our God has peace in store for us in every situation if we will choose to keep our mind stayed on him and trust him.
The world says that peace can only come when you’ve worked your fingers to the bone and have finally attained all you want. You can only have peace when you have enough money, friends, the right job, or the right spouse. You can only have peace if friends, family, bosses like you. Peace as negotiated with enemies.
James 4:7-9 Amplified Bible teaches us …
7 So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people]. 9 Be miserable and grieve and weep [over your sin]. Let your [foolish] laughter be turned to mourning and your [reckless] joy to gloom.
God’s way is to draw you into himself and offer you peace in the midst of your circumstances. He doesn’t want you to wait until everything gets worked out before you can have rest—we submit yo Him, he’s offering you rest right now.
Psalm 23 says,“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul . . . . You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (Psalm 23:1-3, 5).
God longs to prepare a table for you in the midst of whatever trouble surrounds you. He is calling upon each, every one of us to keep our minds stayed on him no matter what may lie before us. And he is asking us to seek his face, not ours and find our rest in him rather than toiling and striving for a circumstantial peace.
Romans 8:6 says, “To set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”
Romans 8:5-8 Amplified Bible
5 For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh [which gratify the body], but those who are living according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit [His will and purpose]. 6 Now the mind of the flesh is death [both now and forever—because it pursues sin]; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace [the spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God—both now and forever]; 7 the mind of the flesh [with its sinful pursuits] is actively hostile to God. It does not submit itself to God’s law, since it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh [living a life that caters to sinful appetites and impulses] cannot please God.
It’s by the Holy Spirit alone that you and I will find abundant life and true peace.
Stop looking for your fulfillment in the things of the world. Stop asking the world to offer you what it never had to begin with. Look toward your heavenly Father for the peace that surpasses all understanding. May you be filled with rest and peace today as you spend time in prayer seeking the face of God.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Guided Prayer:
1. Meditate on the truth that God is your sole source of peace and rest.
Allow God’s word to mold and shape your perspective.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.” – Psalm 23:1-3
“To set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” – Romans 8:6
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” – Isaiah 26:3
2. Where have you been running to for peace?
Have you had much peace and rest in your life lately? Acknowledging your past pursuits will help you make present changes.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
3. Seek the peace coming from placing your hope and trust in God alone.
Ask the Spirit to fill you with peace in the midst of your circumstances. Let your requests be known to God, and receive the peace that comes from casting your burdens on the loving and capable shoulders of your heavenly Father.
“The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:5-7
You will be robbed of peace as soon as you turn your trust away from God and begin to live in your own strength.
The only source of consistent peace is keeping your mind stayed on God.
You can trust in the reality of God’s desire and ability to help you.
You can wait on him if he tells you to wait.
You can move when he tells you to move. Offer your understanding, actions, and emotions to him, and allow him to be sovereign Lord over them all today.
Psalm 29 Amplified Bible
The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.
A Psalm of David.
29 [a]Ascribe to the Lord, O [b]sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty and majesty of His holiness [as the creator and source of holiness].
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders; The Lord is over many waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; The voice of the Lord is full of majesty. 5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; Yes, the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, And Sirion (Mount Hermon) like a young, wild ox. 7 The voice of the Lord rakes flames of fire (lightning). 8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; The Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the Lord [c]makes the doe labor and give birth And strips the forests bare; And in His temple all are saying, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sat as King at the flood; Yes, the Lord sits as King forever. 11 The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
13 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long must I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart day after day? How long will my enemy exalt himself and triumph over me?
3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; Give light (life) to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, 4 And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.
5 But I have trusted and relied on and been confident in Your lovingkindness and faithfulness; My heart shall rejoice and delight in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Being too hard on yourself can cause immense pressure and toxic stress.
Of course, not all stress is bad.
Stress can be good for you, but when you put pressure on yourself to live up to certain expectations and you don’t, this stress can become toxic, affecting your mental and physical and spiritual wellbeing.
It creates confusion and uses up your energy resources, throwing off your balance, much like putting too much pressure on an object can throw it off balance.
Pressure is a force, and if you are going to apply force in any direction, why are you applying directing it against yourself? Why not apply it in positive, uplifting direction? Why not make a .001% extra effort to turn this pressure around into your biggest fan, encouraging, instead of discouraging, your every step?
To do this, recognize the need for change, it is important to recognize the main signs you are putting too much pressure on yourself, what to do about them:
1. “I Didn’t Get ‘X’ Done.”
Often, we tend to focus on what we haven’t done instead of what we have accomplished, then get stuck feeling guilty, frustrated, edgy, and like a failure.
When you feel yourself falling into this way of thinking, stop and say or write down what you have done. Remind yourself of what you have achieved, and that there will be time to get the rest done tomorrow.
2. “I Have to Have it All Together.”
So many of us feel like we must have it all together all the time, but this denies our humanity and the fact that we all make mistakes, mess up and get things wrong at times.
When you feel like this, remind yourself that no one has it all together.
And try not to compare your life to what others are doing, because the way you think and act, and your experiences, make you completely and utterly unique!
You will never be able to be anyone else but you, and you are amazing, and even unique, however, even if you are not uniquely perfect all the time. No one is!
3. “I Must Succeed.”
It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking we must always succeed at something or achieve something to be worthy of attention. When you feel like this, remind yourself that God defines your own success based on His Standard, not yours!
God alone knows there is always something you can do that no one else can do.
4. “I Cannot Make a Mistake.”
Even though we all make mistakes, it is easy to think we shouldn’t mess up and we need to get things right all the time.
But it is critically important to recognize our failures are often as important as our successes, and teach us important life lessons that help us grow as a person.
So, next time you start beating yourself up over a mistake or two, ask yourself what this experience has just taught you and to focus on how you have grown.
5. “I Let Everyone Down.”
Sometimes, it is easy to feel like we always let people down and like we are just failures. Here, it is important to remind yourself that we all fail at times, that your failures help you grow, and that, at the end of the day, life is unpredictable.
We can’t always control everything to make sure things turn out well, because so much of life is out of our control. Also, remind yourself that trying your best is the only way forward, even when it doesn’t work, meet the minimal standard of your own definition of success, because you will learn and grow as a person.
6. “I Feel Exhausted All the Time.”
We often take on so much and expect ourselves to do so much that we quickly find ourselves stressed out, overwhelmed and full blown full bone exhausted.
If this sounds like you, do a lifestyle check, and ask yourself:
Do I take enough breaks to recharge?
Do I give my brain and body time to rest and reset?
Am I having enough fun?
Do I take time to take care of my mental and physical health?
See what you can change in your life to give yourself the time you need to rest! This is so vitally important for your mind, brain and body and spiritual health.
7. “I Can Hardly Smile Anymore.”
It is too easy for humanity to get into a pattern of living where we are so laser focused on what needs to get done that we forget how to enjoy life, which can have an impact on our wellbeing.
If you find yourself smiling less and forgetting why you are working yourself so hard, take a step back, pick up a bible and pray upon ways to enjoy life again.
Watch something funny, spend time with a loved one, or do something that makes you smile again! You can even deliberately schedule this anywhere into your day so you don’t forget to give yourself a break, take the time to enjoy life.
8. “I Need to Do Everything Perfect All the Time.”
If you find yourself emotionally “holding onto” “bear hugging” the mistakes you’ve made, noticing more of the finite details of what, where, why, how you have done wrong than what you’ve gotten right, and getting anxious when you do a good-but-not-so perfect job, you may have fallen into the perfectionism trap, where you can’t come to accepting all your weakness’ or anyone else’s.
If this sounds a little too much like you, take the time to notice when you do this, and remind yourself that there is a difference between wanting to achieve certain things and thinking you need to do everything perfect all the time.
Remind yourself that mistakes and learning are a necessary part of life, and that you can work hard and harder, if you take some breaks, set up self-boundaries.
And, when you find yourself spinning into outer space, thinking more and more about what you got wrong, remind yourself of what you have gotten right too!
9. “I Am Not Good Enough.”
Take the time to observe and analyze your internal conversations and dialogue.
How do you speak to yourself?
How do you think of yourself?
If you are using a lot of negative, pessimistic language to describe yourself, take the time to work on the way you think about yourself.
Consciously observe and write down your critical self-talk and how often it’s happening. Then, work on creating re-conceptualized statements to counter this negative way of thinking and change the way you speak to yourself.
For example, change
“I wish I could be as good as…” to “I will never be able to live up to someone else’s example of success because I am unique and define my own success.”
This will take time to become a habit, so make sure to practice it every day!
The Happiness of Abundant Life
John 10:11-18 Amplified Bible
11 [a]I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd [b]lays down His [own] life for the sheep. 12 But the hired man [who merely serves for wages], who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away; and the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The man runs because he is a hired hand [who serves only for wages] and is not concerned about the [safety of the] sheep. 14 I am the Good Shepherd, and I know [without any doubt those who are] My own and My own know Me [and have a deep, personal relationship with Me]— 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father—and I lay down My [very own] life [sacrificing it] for the benefit of the sheep. 16 I have [c] other sheep [beside these] that are not of this fold. I must bring those also, and they will listen to My voice and pay attention to My call, and they will become [d]one flock with one Shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My [own] life so that I may take it back. 18 No one takes it away from Me, but I lay it down voluntarily. I am authorized and have power to lay it down and to give it up, and I am authorized and have power to take it back. This command I have received from My Father.”
In our reading Jesus explains that he is our shepherd, “the good shepherd” who “lays down his life for the sheep.”
Jesus also says the purpose of his coming into the world is to give us life in abundance. Unlike the thief, who comes to steal, kill, destroy the sheep, Jesus came so we can experience permanent joy, lasting peace, and eternal happiness.
Once, during a feast in Jerusalem, Jesus stood up and declared, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:37-38).
John 7:37-38 Amplified Bible
37 Now on the last and most important day of the feast, Jesus stood and called out [in a loud voice], “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink! 38 He who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Me], as the Scripture has said, ‘From his innermost being will flow continually rivers of living water.’”
True happiness is in knowing Jesus by experiencing him and enjoying him. This is not just a theoretical or intellectual knowledge. Jesus is the water of life. We need to drink this water. Whoever drinks this water will never be thirsty again.
Jesus quenches our existential thirst, our over abundant hunger for meaning.
Although we may feel like an insignificant speck in the vast universe, Jesus became human, just like us. He, more than anyone, values his creation and gives us an unmatched gift: abundant life, more than we could ever realize.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 27 Amplified Bible
A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.
A Psalm of David.
27 The Lord is my light and my salvation— Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the refuge and fortress of my life— Whom shall I dread? 2 When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though an army encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, Even in this I am confident.
4 One thing I have asked of the Lord, and that I will seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, To gaze upon the beauty [the delightful loveliness and majestic grandeur] of the Lord And to meditate in His temple. 5 For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. 6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, In His tent I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; Be gracious and compassionate to me and answer me. 8 When You said, “Seek My face [in prayer, require My presence as your greatest need],” my heart said to You, “Your face, O Lord, I will seek [on the authority of Your word].” 9 Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor [a]leave me, O God of my salvation! 10 Although my father and my mother have abandoned me, Yet the Lord will take me up [adopt me as His child].
11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me on a level path Because of my enemies [who lie in wait]. 12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, For false witnesses have come against me; They breathe out violence. 13 I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. 14 Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them And health to all [a]their body. 23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. 24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth And put devious [b]speech far from you. 25 Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your [c]gaze be fixed straight in front of you. 26 Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. 27 Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
The proverb writer, presumably King Solomon is very deeply concerned about helping his children build a wise and discerning life, avoiding his fathers errors, avoiding, learning invaluable lessons from his father David’s vast array of wild and severe intrigues which nearly cost him his throne, his family, his very life.
“Listen,” he pleads, “pay attention to what I’m saying.” (verse 20)
Throughout the early chapters of the book of Proverbs we find one plea after another like this.
And in Proverbs 4:23 the writer points out the central issue in all this teaching.
“Above all else,” the writer says, “guard your heart.”
In other words, “Look inside. Search inside, Rummage around, Be concerned about your inner life before you build your external life. After all, your heart, your inner life, ‘is the wellspring of life.’ Your heart shapes who you are.”
Jesus taught this truth also.
He said that a person produces good things when that person has a good heart— that is, a heart focused on living for God.
But if a person has an evil heart, that will show up in the evil things that person does. (See Luke 6:45.)
Luke 6:39-45 New American Standard Bible 1995
39 And He also spoke a parable to them: “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A [a]pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will [b]be like his teacher. 41 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye. 43 For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, [c]on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. 44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. 45 The good man out of the good [d] treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from [e]that which fills his heart.
Throughout the Psalms, the writers encourage and even admonish: be focusing on our “inner life”—the focus and direction of our heart. (Psalms 4:4, 7:10, 9:1, 10:17, 13. 14:1, 17:3, 19:14, 22:14, 25:17, 26:2, 27:1-8, 28:7, 33:11, 37:4, 38:10, 39:3, 40:10, 44:21, 51:10, 53:1, 55:4, 57:7, 61:2, 62:8, 66:18, 69:20, 73:12-14, 73:26, 77:5-7, 78:37, 81:12, 84, 86:11-12, 90:12, 95:8-10, 101, 107:12, 109:22, 111, 119:2,7, 10,11,32, 34,36, 58, 69, 70, 80, 111, 112, 145, 161, 139:23-24, 141:4, 143:4)
Put your heart on the highest possible levels of alert, know that God is coming soon!
Mark 1:1-3 Amplified Bible
The Preaching of John the Baptist
1 The beginning of the [facts regarding the] good news of [a]Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written and forever remains in the [writings of the] prophet Isaiah:
“Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way— 3 A voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, [b]Make His paths straight!’”
And before we start discussing about how we ought to behave and what we all ought to do, let’s simply talk about what’s inside – take a prayerful day or more to take your heart on that rigorous journey through those verses of the Psalms.
After all, it would be a wasted effort to try building a way of life (on the outside) if the heart wasn’t healthy (on the inside) courtesy of the power of God’s Word.
So let’s reach way inside the remainder of this month and continue on for as long as it takes for you and God, Jesus and Holy Spirit to check out our inner life.
In that vigorous effort, let’s remember to also ask for God’s help in guarding it.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 19 Amplified Bible
The Works and the Word of God.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of His hands. 2 Day after day pours forth speech, And night after night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there [spoken] words [from the stars]; Their voice is not heard. 4 Yet their voice [in quiet evidence] has gone out through all the earth, Their words to the end of the world. In them and in the heavens He has made a tent for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. 6 The sun’s rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect (flawless), restoring and refreshing the soul; The statutes of the Lord are reliable and trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true, they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned [reminded, illuminated, and instructed]; In keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can understand his errors or omissions? Acquit me of hidden (unconscious, unintended) faults. 13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous (deliberate, willful) sins; Let them not rule and have control over me. Then I will be blameless (complete), And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, immovable] rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 139:23-24 Amplified Bible
23 Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart; Test me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 