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."
29 Ascribe to the Lord, O [a]sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory [b]due to His name; Worship the Lord in [c]holy array.
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.
One of the most powerful ways to till the soil of the heart is through worship.
Authentic worship is a powerful exchange of God pouring his love out on us and us giving him our hearts in return.
In worshiping through music, our hearts naturally become soft and receptive to God’s presence and love as we encounter his goodness and engage in a reverent adoration of the only One who is completely, utterly, worthy of our affections.
God created music with an innate ability to affect us at our core.
Psalms, Music, have the power to fill us with peace, joy, and anger; it can cause tears to well up in our eyes and even make the most mundane events beautiful.
Martin Luther said, “Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us.”
By consistently engaging in worship through beautiful music, we each provide a framework for the Holy Spirit both to till the soil of our hearts and to fill us with the seeds of God’s presence and perfect character.
The Bible is brimming with admonishment to worship through song.
Paul tells us in Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
Hebrews 12:28 says, “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.”
Scripture is so clear about the importance of worship because God longs for us to be a people marked by consistent reminders of his unconditional love.
He longs for us to live in response to his presence and his greater plans, rather than mightily struggling through life by placing our trust in the world over him.
God longs to reveal his heart to you in worship.
He longs to show up, meet us in our rooms, our prayer closets, cars, workplace, in the outdoors as we walk and bike and hike in creation, and houses of worship.
We were created to encounter all the fullness of God and engage in the cyclical act of giving and receiving love throughout our days.
When we worship here on earth, we posture our whole heart towards eternity.
Making the willful choice listen for the voice of God, to give your affections to the One you will spend eternity with, you also discover your purpose for which you were made: to live in unhindered communion with your heavenly Father.
If you feel like the soil of your heart is more rock hard than tillable, your life isn’t marked by the fruit of the Spirit or you can’t escape from a temptation—simply take some time and pick up the Word of God, encounter God in worship.
God’s presence is wholly available to you today.
His love and grace are steadfast towards you.
May your time in guided prayer be marked by the awareness of, nearness of, and power of the Holy Spirit as you encounter the unconditional love of God.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Guided Prayer:
1. Meditate on what Scripture says about worship through music and reflect on how beautiful music moves your heart.
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100:1-5
“And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.”1 Samuel 16:23
2.Engage in worship in whatever way moves your heart.
Receive the presence and love of your heavenly Father and give him your heart in response. Remember the importance of giving and receiving love in worship.
“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!” Psalm 57:7
“I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” Psalm 13:6
3. Journal about the effects worship has on your heart.
Reflecting on and writing down the things God is doing in our lives helps us to actualize that which is often left internal and forgotten.
Psalm 104:33 says, “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.”
Until your life is devoted to worshipping God, you will never find total rest.
When we give ourselves to the things of this world it repays us with stress, burden, and cares rather than unconditional love.
It’s only in devoting yourself to God alone that you will find satisfaction and reciprocation for your love.
Live today in full devotion to God.
Do everything as an act of worship.
And find that God repays your adoration ten fold by pouring out his wealth of affection over you.
May today be filled with the presence, power of God as you give, receive, love.
Psalm 29 The Message
29 1-2 Bravo, God, bravo! Gods and all angels shout, “Encore!” In awe before the glory, in awe before God’s visible power. Stand at attention! Dress your best to honor him!
3 God thunders across the waters, Brilliant, his voice and his face, streaming brightness— God, across the flood waters.
22 And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the [a]world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”
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.
Sower, Seeds, Soils
Jesus begins this Parable of the Sower with a farmer scattering seed.
The seed is good seed, the message of the kingdom of heaven.
The seed falls into many different soils: pathway soil, rocky soil, thorn-infested soil, and good soil.
Though Jesus carefully explains this parable to his disciples, we still wonder about many things.
What exactly does it look like when the seed, the message, falls on good soil and produces a crop, “yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown”?
The reader, the listener, wants to know if they are the good soil, they are then working the other soils and so producing the bountiful harvest Jesus describes.
Throughout his ministry Jesus gives many clues on what a life that produces a significant harvest might look like, but we can also consider the mission Jesus claims in Luke 4:18: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.”
Because we are called to be like Jesus, his mission is our mission and the Holy Spirit has been given to us, so we are called to go out to work and do the same.
Tilling the Soil of the Heart
Today, we’ll look at a vital spiritual practice to all those seeking to grow in God: tilling the soil of the heart.
Jesus spoke in Matthew 13 of two different types of soil—hard and soft.
God longs for us to till the soil of our hearts that we might be receptive to the seed of his Word and bear fruit.
Today, may our heart become more responsive to the presence, will, and love of God as we learn a bit more cultivating good soil with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 13:22-23 Amplified Bible
22 And the one on whom seed was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the worries and distractions of the world and the deceitfulness [the superficial pleasures and delight] of riches choke the word, and it yields no fruit. 23 And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands and grasps it; he indeed bears fruit and yields, some a hundred times [as much as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty.”
The concept of good and bad soil is something Jesus’s listeners would have easily understood well.
Planting in good or bad soil meant having food or going hungry. It meant having money or not. For their agrarian culture it was a matter of survival.
While Jesus’s parable might not have as direct a correlation to us, its principle remains just as relevant.
We all have spiritual soil.
Through our mindsets and postures of the heart we can receive the seed of God’s Word which will in turn yield life-giving fruit.
Or, we can allow the soil of our hearts to become hardened by the messages of the sinful world to make us unreceptive to the powerful work God in our lives.
It’s incredibly important for us to understand God never forces his desires on us, but that He waits patiently—beckoning us to open our hearts fully to him.
He gently shows us his love, whispers his perfect plans to us, and waits for us to trust and surrender and with the grace of God, we can till the soil of our hearts, living receptively and surrendered to his loving kindness and perfect will.
If we will work, if we will look inward and acknowledge before God a hardened heart, to cultivate a willing heart, God will mold and shape us into children free from the cares of the world and empowered to live Christ-like, fruitful lives.
The question though always remains: Take time today to assess our own lives?
What parts of your heart are hard to God?
Where do you feel unreceptive to his goodness?
Where do you need to say yes to God today in a fresh, transformative way?
The season of Lent is just around the corner, God is calling you to a lifestyle of trust and surrender that He might lead you to green pastures and still waters.
There is abundant life for you in store in these days as you cultivate good soil.
“Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!” May the Holy Spirit help you look honestly at the true postures of your heart today as you enter into a time of guided prayer.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Guided Prayer:
1. Take some time to receive God’s presence.
Open your heart to feel the peace and rest that comes from encountering him.
“My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you ways in which you aren’t fully open to God.
How are you not fully saying yes to God?
In what ways are we living our life apart from the leadership, presence of God?
Where don’t you fully trust him?
Where aren’t you bearing the fruit of the Spirit?
“But the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
3. Confess those things to God.
Receive His love and forgiveness as you repent and turn away from hardness of heart and spend time resting in God’s presence and experiencing the new found peace that comes from having your heart more surrendered, receptive to God.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
Tilling our hearts into good soil is an important daily exercise.
The more often you do it, the more you’ll realize the need to have good soil.
Having our hearts fully open to God takes the mundane and makes it wonderful.
It takes sunsets, conversations, prayers, work, and church and fills them with life, value, beauty, and joy.
Take what you’ve learned today and continue to put it into practice.
Choose to live a life positioned to receive all that God has in store for you.
May your day and your days ahead be marked by the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus, thank you for your Word! Thank you for your Spirit! I pray that my life will produce an abundant harvest for you, and that I may serve in your 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.
107 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary 3 And gathered from the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the [a]south.
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.
Beauty Lost and Restored
One way for us to understand the beauty that God created is to understand its opposite: the ugliness, sorrow which comes from being separated from God.
Because of our sin, this world is not the way it ought to be.
Sin has brought hardship and ugliness into our lives and into this world, though God designed it all to be beautiful.
We know that God has restoration in mind because we don’t feel “at home” in a world broken because of sin.
We are homesick for a world of peace and beauty.
We are homesick to be with God.
When we’re stuck in brokenness and facing the ugliness of this world of sin, we feel homesick for God’s world of goodness and beauty.
Psalm 107 points out the sorrow and longing of this homesickness.
The world can feel like a wasteland, providing no place where people can rest, no place where they can settle and be at peace.
But the Lord, whose “love endures forever,” (verse 1) offers redemption.
The Lord hears his people cry out in their trouble caused by sin, and he delivers them from distress.
God brings them to a place where they can settle and live in peace.
“He satisfies the thirsty soul and fills the hungry with good things.”
Psalm 107:7-9 New American Standard Bible 1995
7 He led them also by a [a]straight way, To go to [b]an inhabited city. 8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, And for His [c]wonders to the sons of men! 9 For He has satisfied the [d]thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.
From throughout the Psalms, ultimately we know that all of life’s goodness and beauty will be restored when Jesus comes again, and, all of our thanks be unto God, the new life he provides us even now gives us hope for eternity with God.
Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.
A Psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd, I [a]shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside [b]quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death, I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You [f]have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.
Tilling the Soils of Our Hearts: Thankfulness
Thankfulness is one of the most powerful tools in making our hearts both soft to the seed of God’s word and filled with abundant joy.
Thanksgiving aligns our thoughts and emotions with the reality of God’s goodness in a world wrought with lies about the character of God.
It breeds joy and trust rather than entitlement and negativity.
With each declaration of thankfulness you dig a shovel into the hard, rocky soil of your heart and churn it over until it becomes receptive to the fullness of God and filled with the fruit of the Spirit.
The Bible is laden with commands to be thankful.
Ephesians 5:20 tells us to be “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
But my favorite command on thankfulness is Psalm 107:1, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”
You see, it’s important to understand that the Bible doesn’t suggest that we give thanks, but rather commands us to always be thankful.
And in God’s command he reveals his heart.
We learn in Psalm 107 that our thankfulness is meant to be a response to the steadfast love of our heavenly Father.
Thankfulness is meant to be the overflow of remembering, encountering and mulling over how our God is abundantly faithful and filled with unconditional love for us.
I used to read Scripture commanding me to be thankful and think,
“Sorry God, I know I need to be more thankful. I know I’m so provided for and loved. I’m sorry for not thanking you more.”
But after meditating on Psalm 107:1, I realized that my lack of thankfulness is a symptom of not spending enough time encountering God’s wonderful character rather than a core issue in and of itself.
Tilling the soil of my heart through thankfulness requires that I set aside time to simply experience God’s goodness and love. Because everything he does is by grace, my natural response to his character will always be one of thanksgiving.
Take time today to reflect on the faithful and loving character of your heavenly Father. Allow his goodness to cause great thankfulness to well up within you.
May your time in guided prayer be filled with truly transformational encounters with God, may they cultivate good soil that bears the fruit of an abundant life.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Guided Prayer:
1. Reflect on the faithful and loving character of your heavenly Father.
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” Isaiah 40:28
“This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” Psalm 18:30
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:1-5
2. Now respond to God’s character with thankfulness.
Take Scripture and thank God for who he is.
Look at your life and thank God for any good gifts he’s given you. Allow his goodness to stir up thankfulness within you.
“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” Psalm 107:1
3. What changed in your heart as you engaged in thanksgiving?
Journal about the power of thankfulness. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see how God is at work in your life today and offer thanksgiving in response.
If you start to feel your heart begin to harden because of something that happens today, simply reflect on the goodness of God and give thanks.
Negativity and sin have an incredibly harmful effect on our hearts.
Decide to put away any form of slander, impurity and anything negative at all, and instead focus on the goodness of what God is doing.
Choose to love today and align your thoughts and emotions with faith and trust in who God is.
To walk in relationship with God is to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit at all times.
If you get off track for a bit, simply ask the Spirit to lead you back to the perspective and posture of heart he desires for you!
God’s grace is abounding and powerful.
He longs to walk in relationship with you all day today.
May your day be filled with peace, joy and a passionate pursuit of bringing his kingdom to earth all around you.
Lord, we feel alone and homesick for you and for your peace when we struggle with the hurt and brokenness of this world. Pray! Bring us all near to you, we pray. 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.
4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the [a]saints; 6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective [b]through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you [c]for Christ’s sake. 7 For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the [d]hearts of the [e]saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
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.
Time for a little pep talk from the Lord through the sharpest two edged sword in all existence, which is His Word for His Children – God has heard enough of us!
Why are we so hard on ourselves, why are we so hyper critical and so dramatic?
What kind of things do you say about yourself?
Do you speak well of yourself, or are you so hyper-critical of your appearance, your weight, your intelligence, your talents, your skills, your finances and your education level, car you drive, every other aspect of who you are as a person?
I used to be so hyper-critical of myself that one day the Holy Spirit spoke to me;
“How dare you continually talk so badly about yourself after the good work I’ve done inside you. Don’t you know you are fearfully and wonderfully made, how marvelously I created you to be in Jesus Christ? Quit speaking so negatively of yourself, for God’s sake, start acknowledging every good thing that is in you.”
I didn’t realize how badly I was speaking of myself until the Holy Spirit brought it to my attention.
But after He spoke to me, I started noticing every time something evil slipped out of my mouth about myself, I was stunned to see how many times I did it!
I became painfully aware my own mouth had become one of my worst enemies.
I became acutely aware that my own thoughts were hard at work against me.
With the help of the Holy Spirit, I made a decision to quit speaking such foul things and to start aligning my mouth with what God’s Word declared me to be.
Paul said we need to speak good things about ourselves!
In Philemon 1:6, he said,
“That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.”
Today I want to especially draw your attention to the part of the verse that says,
“…May become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.”
Even though God has done great things in you and has planned a powerful future for you, it is up to you to activate His blessings in your life!
This is why Paul says,
“That the communication of your faith may become effectual.…”
The word “effectual” is the Greek word energeo.
It is where we get the word energy.
However, in this verse, the word energeo carries the idea of something that has suddenly become energized or activated.
Paul’s words could actually be rendered, “That the communication of your faith may become energized and activated.…“
Let me give you an example to help you understand what this word energeo means in the context of this verse.
An vehicle may be filled with enough fuel to drive a long distance, but it won’t go anywhere until someone puts the key into the ignition, then turns the key.
The moment that key is turned, the spark plugs are sparked, which fires up the engine.
Once the engine has been activated, the potential in that car is ready to be unleashed – all we need to do is back it out of our driveway, step on the gas!
The car always has the capability of moving, but if it is never activated, it sits silent in the driveway.
No matter how much fuel is in the tank or how much horsepower that car possesses, its power and potential will never be realized until someone turns the key in the ignition and decides they are going to actually drive it away.
Now let’s apply this to you.
In Philemon 1:6, the apostle Paul writes that “every good thing” has been placed in you by Jesus Christ.
Think of it – He saved you, healed you, redeemed you, and protected you.
He has given you a sound mind; He has given you the mind of Christ; He has imparted gifts and talents to you; and He has planned a future for your life that is simply echelons beyond glorious.
You are loaded with phenomenal potential that is just waiting to be activated!
You may say,
“Yes, well, I know that the Bible says I’ve been given all those good things, but I don’t feel like any of that is true about me! I feel like such a defeat. Even though the Word says I’m healed, the reality is that I feel sick. Even though God’s Word says I have a sound mind, I continually feel like I do not have any control of my thought life. And in spite of the fact the Bible says God has blessed me with gifts and talents, I feel like a dope who has nothing to offer to this world. There is an impassable gap between what the Bible says about me, what I feel about me!”
My friend, you are like a car that is loaded with enough fuel and horsepower to get anywhere you need to go.
But for that potential in you to be released, you have to hold the right key in your hand – you have to insert it into the ignition and you have to activate it.
Furthermore, (being repetitive) it isn’t enough for you to just possess the key.
You have to put that key into the “ignition” and turn it so the latent potential that resides inside you will be ignited.
When you turn the key in the ignition, suddenly all the potential you possess in Jesus Christ is supernaturally ignited, activated, energized, released inside you!
Believe in Yourself as God Believes in You!
So what is the key that sparks all the good things God has placed inside you into becoming an outward reality?
What is the key that causes all that God declares about you to become manifested in your life?
How do you “turn the key in the ignition” so that the great work God has done inside you is activated and released?
Paul says, “That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.”
The word “acknowledging” in this verse holds the answer to the questions above.
This word is from the Greek word epignosis, which describes a well-instructed, intensive, deep knowledge of the facts.
The word epignosispictures a person who knows his facts like a professional.
This is a person so sure of his information that when he speaks, he does so with confidence and boldness.
He has no reason to be ashamed or to fear that others may accuse him of being incorrect because he is well instructed, has an intensive, deep knowledge of the facts.
But how did he obtain such knowledge of the facts?
No one becomes this knowledgeable accidentally.
To become astute requires study, meditation, digging deep into truth, and applying oneself to know the facts inside and out.
The result of this hard work is such a thorough knowledge of the facts that a person has a strong confidence regarding what he says or writes.
Now Paul uses this same idea when he says we are to “acknowledge” every good thing that has been placed in us by Christ Jesus.
Of course, this means we are to confess the truth about ourselves – but before we can confess the truth, we must first know the truth!
As the word epignosisdepicts a well-instructed, intensive, deep knowledge of the facts, Paul is letting you know it is essential for you to possess:
a knowledge of exactly who you are in Jesus Christ.
a knowledge of what Jesus has purchased in your redemption.
a knowledge of every good thing that God has placed in you by Jesus Christ.
a knowledge of all these truths that is so concrete and so unshakable that you are immovable in what you think and believe.
Don’t know the facts of who you are in Jesus Christ?
It’s time for you to get serious about digging into the Bible until you know these truths like a professional.
The truth about who you are in Jesus Christ is the key to your victory.
You should study, read, listen to teaching material – in other words,
you should use every available resource to discover what God’s Word says you’ve been given in Jesus Christ.
This knowledge is the key that will set you free.
However, merely possessing the key won’t activate these realities in your life.
You must put the key into the ignition and turn it, sparking these truths into manifestation in your life!
A key in the ignition switch does no good unless it is turned.
Likewise, the truth in your life does no good until it is spoken!
The moment we open our mouth and start confessing the good things that are in us by Jesus Christ, a supernatural connection is made between your faith and all that Jesus has deposited inside you.
At that moment, the gifts and treasures God has placed inside you become supernaturally activated.
The confession of your mouth – your acknowledgement of the truth – is what sparks these spiritual blessings, causes them to become operative, activated, and manifested realities.
Sadly, many people who know the truth remain in bondage because they never align their mouths and thoughts with the truth.
Instead of speaking what God says about them, they ridicule themselves, put themselves down, and speak badly of themselves.
They possess all the potential that God has placed inside them, but they never experience that potential because their mouths have never been sparked and activated turning those spiritual blessings into becoming manifested realities.
To make these truths real in your life, you have to put the key in the ignition switch.
The key is the Word of God.
The ignition is your mouth.
The key is turned in the ignition when you open your mouth and start to speak the truth.
The good things in you are activated the moment you start confessing the truth.
The way to make these blessings real in your life is to 1) thoroughly know them through diligent study; 2) put these truths into your mouth; and 3) speak them out loud!
That is how you turn the key in your ignition and energize these truths until they begin to manifest in you!
You see, it’s time for you to stop speaking so badly about yourself.
Instead, you need to open your mouth and start acknowledging who you are in Jesus Christ!
By acknowledging the basic truths of what you have been given in Jesus, you will release so much divine energy that it will radically transform your life.
The recognition of these spiritual treasures that reside within you will pick you up, lift you high, and carry you right over into the realm of victory you desire!
So quit talking negatively about yourself, and begin to bring the words of your mouth into maximum agreement with the truths God has deposited in your life.
God’s Word says you’re healed, so begin to say you’re healed.
God’s Word says you have the mind of Christ, so begin to say you have the mind of Christ.
God’s Word says you’re blessed, so begin to say you’re blessed.
You turn the key in the ignition by getting your mouth into agreement with God’s Word.
Psalm 46:10-11 New American Standard Bible 1995
10 “[a]Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the [b]nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.
As you cease striving so completely hardcore against yourself, start speaking what God says about you, all your potential will start becoming a manifested reality!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 139:1-18 New American Standard Bible 1995
God’s Omnipresence and Omniscience.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
139 O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know [a]when I sit down and [b]when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. 3 You [c]scrutinize my [d]path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. 4 [e]Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all. 5 You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in [f]Sheol, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will [g]overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” 12 Even the darkness is not dark [h]to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.
13 For You formed my [i]inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will give thanks to You, for [j]I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. 15 My [k]frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; 16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.
17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.
Lord, I know I have a bad habit of speaking badly about myself. When I hear my own words, listen to my own thoughts, even I can tell it’s wrong for me to speak, to think, so badly, so lowly about myself. Renew my thoughts for You have done a great work in me, and I have kept myself bound by the words of my mouth. Pray! Forgive me for speaking so wrongly, for allowing myself to remain imprisoned in self-defeat. I am truly repentant for these actions, and I ask You to forgive me, to give me the power to change my behavior. Holy Spirit, I can only do this by Your power, so I am asking and expecting You to empower me to make these changes in my life and in my mouth!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
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.
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the [a]sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the [b]sky and over every living thing that [c]moves on the earth.”
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.
Following my Cardiologists orders, every morning, for the last six and a half months, I have stepped on top of a weight scale to weigh myself to make sure that I was not retaining any extra fluid following my Triple Bypass Surgery.
Every morning, before I step on the scale I have to look at myself in the mirror and stare at a six plus inch surgical scar where they cut through my sternum.
Staring back at me is the wonder of it all, the “new” image of a Child of God.
With all that has happened, my image of myself has changed dramatically.
However, what has not changed one bit is that God still sees me as His Child.
Sometime today, you should take a few moments to look at yourself in a mirror.
When you do, don’t look for wrinkles or gray hairs or for things you don’t like about yourself -try to ignore whatever blemishes you see, and, while looking at yourself, say out loud, “I am not how I see myself, I am made in God’s image.”
We were made to look like God—not physically, but with the ability to love, to choose, to forgive, to communicate, to connect, to relate, have relationships.
Psalm 8:5 tells us we were made “a little lower than the angels and crowned … with glory and honor.”
Psalm 139:14 adds we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God himself.
Perhaps it’s difficult for some of us to convince ourselves, believe we’re special.
Maybe other people have made you feel that you are insignificant and worth very little or maybe you are in a stage of life in which you feel useless.
Perhaps financially you are not able to effectively support your family even though you are working two jobs, you are medically unable to do the things you previously did or want to do – and these truths negatively effect your self image.
If so, despite what those truths are, what those facts of life may present, you need to know you are special no matter what—because you bear God’s image.
Because we are made in God’s image, He always cares about each one of us.
Isaiah 49:15-18 New American Standard Bible 1995
15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. 16 “Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me. 17 “Your [a]builders hurry; Your destroyers and devastators Will depart from you. 18 “Lift up your eyes and look around; All of them gather together, they come to you. As I live,” declares the Lord, “You will surely put on all of them as [b]jewels and bind them on as a bride.
Isaiah 49:16 says that we are engraved on the palms of God’s hands.
He wants to use each one of us in His goal of renewing His creation.
Embrace Your Identity as a Child of God
Genesis 1:26-28 Names of God Bible
26 ThenElohim said, “Let us make humans in our image, in our likeness. Let them rule the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the domestic animals all over the earth, and all the animals that crawl on the earth.”
27 SoElohimcreated humans in his image. In the image of Elohim he created them. He created them male and female.
28 Elohim blessed them and said, “Be fertile, increase in number, fill the earth, and be its master. Rule the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that crawl on the earth.”
In the Ancient Near East, it was believed that images contained the essence of that which they represented.
In fact, ancient kings would put images of themselves in places in order to claim their territory, control, and rule in those places.
So, the fact that you were created in the image of God means that you are meant to bear God’s essence wherever He has placed you.
You were designed to represent God and act on His behalf in this world.
You were created to display God’s character and nature to the world in desperate need of Him.
We were created in God’s likeness.
We typically think of the terms “image” and “likeness” as the same thing.
But image typically means essence—God’s character.
Likeness means a physical similarity.
In other words, somehow, you look like God!
Isn’t that an incredible thought?
Before you did anything right or good before you were even born, God designed you to resemble Him.
That should give you a sense of great dignity.
You are not a mistake.
You are not an afterthought.
In fact, it’s been said that a great work of art is a masterpiece when the artist puts themselves in the art.
In the same way, you are a masterpiece of God’s own making.
Ephesians 2:10 New Living Translation
10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
We were created with purpose.
Psalm 138 English Standard Version
Give Thanks to the Lord
Of David.
138 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; 2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.[a] 3 On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.[b]
4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth, 5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. 6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. 8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Have you ever noticed that everything God made was for a purpose?
The sun, moon, and stars were created to light the skies and govern the days and nights.
The land was created to produce vegetation, and those plants were created to bear fruit.
Even water was created with a purpose—to keep us alive and to teem with living creatures.
Similarly, you were created with a specific purpose in mind.
If you don’t yet know your purpose, God is not trying to hide that from you.
Ask Him for help and guidance.
Ask your community what they think your purpose might be.
And start living on purpose, with purpose, and for a purpose.
We were created with goodness and blessing.
Psalm 139:13-18 English Standard Version
13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[a] Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.
When God created man and women, He spoke a blessing of goodness over them.
Don’t ever believe the lie that God is withholding goodness from you or that you have to pry blessing from His hands.
He pronounces blessing and favor freely and abundantly over all who call upon the name of Jesus.
So spend time with Him, enjoy Him, and live on a mission for Him.
You will find that His goodness and His blessing are yours in Christ.
We were named by God.
Genesis 5:1-2 New American Standard Bible 1995
Descendants of Adam
5 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them [a]Man in the day when they were created.
What’s also implied in the above verses is what God creates, He names.
Genesis 5:2 reminds us that God named humankind when He made us.
And throughout scripture, we see God naming or renaming His creation.
In the ancient world, a person’s name was wrapped up with distinguishing characteristics about them or who they would become.
Also, to name something meant you had authority over their destiny.
As a follower of Jesus, God is your Namer—which means that even when the world tries to tear you down, you have been irrevocably named God’s own.
God has named you, which means He declares his unique authority over your life, His good and perfect plan for you, and His power to make all things work for your good.
Worship Him today – Hold your head high, child of God – Walk tall.
You were created with such wonder.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 8 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord’s Glory and Man’s Dignity.
For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.
8 O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have [a]displayed Your splendor above the heavens! 2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established [b]strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
3 When I [c]consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have [d]ordained; 4 What is man that You [e]take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? 5 Yet You have made him a little lower than [f]God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! 6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 All sheep and oxen, And also the [g]beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
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 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, [a]anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer [b]offered in faith will [c]restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, [d]they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective [e]prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
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.
Life is filled with highs and lows.
Navigating the terrains of our ups and downs of life can be a OMG challenge.
Thankfully the Bible gives us some insight on how to approach our hardships and our joy.
God doesn’t leave us on our own in either season -in our lives, there is no struggle that He is not present for or celebration He doesn’t know about.
What does God say about the hard times?
The enemy of our souls continuously wants to speak the lie of aloneness in our ears when things start to feel and act like so much more than we can handle.
We become paralyzed in the belief that no one is there to support us, thoughts of guilt or shame may stop us from being open about our struggles, and the idea that no one can understand what we are going through can keep us stuck alone.
Without the availability and resources and support of others or a strong grasp on God’s love for you in those hard moments, hopelessness can begin to set in like an ugly fast spreading disease, like plaque building in your hearts arteries.
The Bible tells us that “hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12).
This is precisely why the Bible instructs us to turn to God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in prayer when things fall apart and we suffer.
Psalm 13 New American Standard Bible 1995
Prayer for Help in Trouble.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
13 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Considerand answer me, O Lord my God; Enlighten 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 in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
When we begin to connect with God through prayer and study of his Word, hope can return to our hearts!
We are reminded that we are loved and never alone.
God gives us the strength we need to share our stories with others that can support us, further breaking the chains of aloneness and hopelessness.
When you are in a season of suffering, bring it all to Jesus… bring all of the frustration, desperation, loneliness, or anger and lay them at the feet of Jesus.
Luke 18:1-8 New American Standard Bible 1995
Parables on Prayer
18 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, 2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. 3 There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘[a]Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ 4 For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will [b] give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will [c]wear me out.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge *said; 7 now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, [d]and will He delay long over them? 8 I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [e]faith on the earth?”
God is not repelled by honesty.
He already knows the state of our lives and hearts.
You will not offend God with your sin or doubt.
He pleads with us saying please come to me first.
He loves you so much that He died to take away your sin and pain.
In seasons of joy, sing praises to your God!
We can get so caught up in our own pleasures that we take the good for granted and only turn to God in hardship.
God invites us back to be in his presence in both our seasons of joy and seasons of suffering.
When prayers are answered, when a milestone is achieved, or when the sunset takes your breath away, or your kids knock it out of the park, when your spouse does something special like says “I Love You!” take a moment, give God all glory.
It is Overcoming! It’s our ability to see God in the joy-filled seasons that helps prepare us for the times and seasons of suffering and despondency.
If we don’t have the ability to notice God’s grace, provision, and kindness when it is directly in our faces, how will we recognize God at work when life is heavy?
We need that ledger available in our minds of all the ways God has already come through for us to lean on when doubt, worry, or when suffering enters our lives.
Acts 17:24-28 New American Standard Bible 1995
24 The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and [a]exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’
What season are you in now?
Are you barely keeping it together or are you loving every minute of life?
Either way, God is there, and He wants you to look to Him in each and every season of life brings your way.
Acts 17:28 says it like this “For in him we live and move and exist.As some of our own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.”
He is our source of life, but even more than that, God wants to do life with you.
Remember to faithfully offer prayer and praise in both your joy and suffering.
Romans 12:9-13 New American Standard Bible 1995
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; [a]give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,13 contributing to the needs of the [b]saints, [c]practicing hospitality.
Joyful hope and patience in affliction go against the grain of our own natures.
Despair and self-pity come much more easily.
In times like that, it’s important to turn to God in prayer.
We pray for many reasons: to thank God for blessings, to praise God, to confess sins, to seek God’s guidance.
In addition, we pray to ask God for help.
Asking God for help may be the most natural prayer of all.
Sometimes God answers our requests for help exactly as we ask, sometimes not.
Either way, the Bible calls us to be faithful in prayer.
Prayer—thanking, praising, confessing, asking for help—connects us with God.
Prayer builds relationship.
Prayer strengthens the bond between God and us.
When you have a good connection, a good friendship, good relationship with someone, hopefulness and patience become a bit easier, especially when that invaluable connection someone, is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 42 New American Standard Bible 1995
BOOK 2
Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.
For the choir director. A [a]Maskil of the sons of Korah.
42 As the deer [b]pants for the water brooks, So my soul [c]pants for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and [d]appear before 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 remember and I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go along with the throng and [e]lead them in procession to the house of God, With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.
5 Why are you [f]in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? [g]Hope in God, for I shall [h]again praise [i]Him For the [j]help of His presence. 6 O my God, my soul is [k]in despair within me; Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan And the [l]peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. 8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, 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 [m]because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you [n]in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? [o]Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The [p]help of my countenance and my 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.
19 So then those who were scattered because of the [a]persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way [b]to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the [c]Greeks also, [d]preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The [e]news about them [f]reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off [g]to Antioch. 23 Then when he arrived and [h]witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with [i]resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; 24 for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable [j]numbers were [k]brought to 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.
“God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.”[1]
1 William Cowper, “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” (1773).
In the life of the early church, it was the persecution of the congregations in Jerusalem—the only churches on earth at that point—that caused the gospel message to reach further and faster than would have happened without those first Christians being forced to flee their city.
As the believers were scattered throughout the cities of Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, the gospel was spread to the “Hellenists”—the Greeks—in the region, and we read in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles that many came to believe.
However, we also read that when news of these Gentile conversions got back to the church in Jerusalem, it was not immediately welcome.
Up until that point, the gospel’s expansion had been almost entirely among the Jews-now the word was coming back that Greeks were becoming Christians too.
This confronted the church with a new development that they were not quite ready for.
What was happening?
Should they smile at it or frown over it?
Who could they send to handle an encounter such as this?
It should not surprise us that they chose to send Barnabas.
While not everybody in the church can cope with new, different opportunities, Barnabas was an encourager and a man who recognized God’s redeeming work in others, even when it was surprising or strange (see Acts 9:26-28).
Sure enough, Barnabas recognized that what had happened to the Hellenists was the work of the Lord, and he expressed gladness at the display of God’s grace, encouraging the new believers with the exhortation we all need: to just continue in the grace of and to remain resolute, true to God with all our hearts.
If we have lived our lives attempting to channel the Spirit of God into our own little concrete trenches, having determined that this way or that place is the only one in which God will work, we should reconsider what God’s Word says.
As God always continues to expand His kingdom and always pours His Spirit out upon the people we least expect to be included in it, we have the opportunity to respond with the kind of resolute enthusiasm that Barnabas here exemplified.
While the gospel message is unchanging, our world and times are changing constantly-yet God always continues to call people to Himself “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” (Revelation 7:9).
We should always expect Him to surprise us—to work in ways we had not predicted and in a time-frame that is always going to be different from ours.
And when He does, we need to be ready to be like Barnabas, “full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” (Acts 11:24), rejoicing in the new works of God, always ready to be a part of them, and always encouraging others to continue in His grace.
The Lord’s Mysterious Powerful Hand
Acts 11:19-21 English Standard Version
The Church in Antioch
19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists[a] also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
The Jewish leaders hoped that by persecuting the church of Jesus Christ, they would extinguish people’s faith in him.
But persecution caused the Christian faith to spread like wildfire.
Believers who were scattered did not leave their faith behind in Jerusalem.
Wherever they went, they talked about their newly found faith in Jesus Christ.
And we read that by the Grace of God – “a great number of people believed.”
What was the reason for this widespread growth of the church?
Our reading for today, Acts 11:21 says that “the Lord’s hand was with them.”
The same is true for us today.
The mission of the church is to spread the good news of Jesus all over the world.
But how do we do that?
In whose name and whose power are we trying to win the world for Christ?
Today we too often put so much emphasis on programs, facilities, strategic planning, other church-growth strategies we often forget the most important “strategy” in evangelism, church growth: it is the power of the hand of God.
How can we expect lasting results if our presentation of the gospel is based on our own strength and planning?
Only if we resolutely choose, we decide to live and directly, steadfastly serve our neighbors under the power of the Lord’s hand can we be effective tools of God.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Dear Lord, as we come before you today, we ask that you open our eyes to see the encouragement and grace that you have bestowed upon us. May we be filled with gladness and joy as we witness your love and mercy in our lives. We pray that you would give us the strength and courage to remain steadfast in our faith, with a total purpose of heart to always remain near to you. Help us to seek you in all that we do, and to trust in your guidance and wisdom. May we be a light to others, sharing your grace and love with those around us. We ask all of this in your holy 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.
16 And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” 17 And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 Then he *said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19 Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man *said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be [a]complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.
23 And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
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 kingdom of God is eternal.
It’s the ultimate reality, when everything will be good at last.
Surprisingly, though, the kingdom is also right here, right now—wherever Jesus is present in the flesh or by the Spirit.
We can see that in Matthew 19.
A rich man who comes to talk with Jesus is very interested in having eternal life—that is, life in the kingdom of God.
But does he really want that kind of life?
When Jesus tells the man, “Sell everything, give to the poor, and follow me,” the man can’t do it.
He can’t take those three steps.
It’s really hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.
That’s what Jesus says.
And He means more than entering the eternal kingdom in the future.
He also means living the way of the kingdom right here, right now.
Among other things, the way of the kingdom is selfless and generous.
And the way of the kingdom includes deeply trusting in God to meet every need.
Sadly, the rich man in this story wasn’t ready to live that way.
Not here, not now.
How about us?
Are we ready to live the way of the kingdom here and now?
If not, will you want to live that way in eternity?
Jesus is emphatic: It is extremely difficult for the rich to embrace the radical call of discipleship in the Kingdom of God.
Yes! Jesus is very emphatic with the rich folk, does mean that we who are not counted among the rich will automatically have it that much easier experience?
No! but salvation does not depend on our ability, but on God’s generous grace.
The key point for us, however, is to be reminded about the dangers of wealth and possessions, reminded that discipleship requires great sacrifice from all.
They can become our god, our stumbling block, our choking point, our diversion, and our downfall if they become the things we cannot give up to follow Jesus-from our vantage point, following Jesus’ radical call is impossible.
25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Fortunately, God has provided the Holy Spirit and fellow-Christians.
We all need the guidance of the Spirit and the strength of a dedicated Christian community to yield to Jesus’ call in all areas of our lives, including using our wealth or our poverty and our abundance, lack of possessions to serve others.
A Widow’s Gift
Mark 12:41-44 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Widow’s Mite
41 And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting [a]money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 A poor widow came 0and put in two [b]small copper coins, which amount to a [c]cent. 43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all [d]the contributors to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their [e]surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, [f]all she had to live on.”
Who is the most generous giver today?
You’ve likely heard of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who runs the largest foundation in the world.
You may also know about the generosity of Warren Buffet, who pledged the largest stock donation ever.
Today’s major philanthropists are very rich, their names are very well known.
But when Mark writes about giving, he draws our attention to someone who is poor, nameless, and a widow.
On her way to the temple treasury she follows some wealthy and seemingly generous people.
And guess what?
Jesus says she makes the most generous donation!
He wanted his disciples to see that somehow her gift of two small copper coins amounting to about 1 cent is much more generous than the gifts of the wealthy.
We don’t have to be rich to make a generous donation for the Lord.
True giving means more than simply opening our wallet or writing a big check.
It’s about unlocking the safety deposit boxes of our hearts to God first and then fully trusting him in everything, including our financial well-being or lack of it.
Jesus expects us to be generous when serving him, and he has every right to demand that.
Just a few days after he met the widow, out of his poverty, Jesus gave up his life-his blood-the most generous and loving act of sacrificial giving in all of history.
That’s why he rejoiced about the impoverished widow’s “all I got” generosity.
We can believe he was very grateful for the surplus generosity of the rich folks.
That’s how he calls us to Kingdom Living-to be habitually generous, sacrificial.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.
A Psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd, I [a]shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside [b]quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death, I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You [f]have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.
Our ABBA Father, we praise you for your generous gift of salvation through your Son. Give us the generous spirit of that widow as we live to pour out our gratitude to you.
Only living and Almighty God, I want to worship you with my will, my heart, my words, my hands, my feet and my possessions and my service and money. Please help me to use those incredible blessings you have poured into my life for your glory and the blessing of others. In the name of Jesus, the greatest of all gifts, I pray. 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.
Colossians 3:15-17 New American Standard Bible 1995
15 Let the peace of Christ [a]rule in your hearts, to which [b]indeed you were called in one body; and [c]be thankful. 16 Let the word of [d]Christ richly dwell within you, [e]with all wisdom teaching and admonishing [f]one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing [g]with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the 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 other day the wife heard someone ask another person, “What do you do?”
The person answered by saying, “Oh, I’m just a housewife.”
Perhaps you too have heard someone say, “I’m just a farmer,” or “I’m just a secretary,” or “I’m just a factory worker,” or “I’m just a country preacher.”
In any culture we have our rankings, and our sense of worth is often measured by the work we do.
The more impressive your career, larger your resume, the more letters of the alphabet after your name, the belief is then the more “important” you are.
Celebrities especially get lots of attention when something happens in their lives.
It is indeed a good and wonderful thing to achieve high levels of success – it so means you have worked hard, studied hard, sacrificed much to make your goals in life come alive in your life – that you could make and be a difference maker.
The reality is though, that is not everybody’s story and we can easily become rather discouraged and angry at ourselves and others for their success story.
Thankfully the Word of God for His Children does not measure our worth by how high we have climbed the social ladder or how much education we have.
In Colossians 3:17 we read, “Whatever you do in word or deed do it all in the name of the LordJesus.”
When life on earth comes to an end, what matters is not how high we climbed, but whether we were faithful to the Lord in whatever calling we pursued.
The Word of God from Colossians 3:15-17 says that counts in God’s Kingdom; whether we clothed ourselves with wisdom, gratitude, compassion, humility, patience, and peace and other simple fruitful signs of Christ’s work in our lives.
Thanks be to God our Father that these many diverse signs of fruitfulness are within everyone’s reach no matter what the station in life we find ourselves.
We all have roles to play in the Kingdom of God.
God has something for every single one of His Children to do in His Kingdom.
To the glory of God the Father, there is always going to be mission and ministry.
The Good News is this: today, each and every single one of us have work to do.
In his first letter to the Corinthians, when the apostle Paul instructed the church to welcome Timothy warmly into their community, it wasn’t because young Timothy was trying to make a name for himself, held some honorific or title, or was seeking to become noteworthy.
No, it was simply because young Timothy was called to be “doing the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 16:10).
1 Corinthians 16:7-11 New American Standard Bible 1995
7 For I do not wish to see you now just in passing; for I hope to remain with you for some time, if the Lord permits. 8 But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost; 9 for a wide door [a]for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
10 Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without [b]cause to be afraid, for he is doing the Lord’s work, as I also am. 11 So let no one despise him. But send him on his way in peace, so that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brethren.
The Lord’s work is anything on which we might lay our hands or focus our minds or devote our lives to that is pleasing to God, as we work for Him rather than in order to impress others (Colossians 3:23).
Colossians 3:22-24 New American Standard Bible 1995
22 Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters [a]on earth, not with [b] external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, do your work [c]heartily, as for the Lord [d] rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward [e]of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
This can be within the body of Christ or in service to the world around us.
Paul purposefully includes the phrase “whatever you do” in verse 17 and again here in verse 23.
The “whatever” of Christian service means that in all our endeavors, to the glory of God, in our Savior Jesus’ name and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we should seek to position ourselves to be effectively involved in gospel ministry.
Whether we are helping a neighbor with meals or getting to appointments, or greeting visitors who come through the doors of our church, or volunteering in the community, every type of service is an opportunity to point others to God.
What a privilege it is to know that we were placed here on earth to be involved in seeing unbelieving people become committed followers of Jesus Christ!
Within the body of Christ, we should recognize that our spiritual growth is a result of others’ service to the Lord.
Paul rightly viewed the Corinthians as the result of his labor in Christ’s name, writing, “Are not you my workmanship in the Lord?” (1 Corinthians 9:1).
The very existence of the church in Corinth was due to the fact that the apostle was doing the Lord’s work for which Paul was neither irrelevant nor pre-eminent; rather, he was purposefully appointed to a specific responsibility.
As Christians, we are called not simply to sit and learn but to grow and go, to fish and feed.
God has a place for us, God appoints every believer to particular responsibilities within Christian ministry, mission and service, and all of those responsibilities include working for Him in whatever circumstances and opportunities come our way today; for they do not come by chance but by His divine arrangement.
Saul/Paul admirably modeled this to us through his obedience to God’s call, recognizing that he was “a chosen instrument” who would carry God’s name “before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15).
The work of the Lord was something Paul took seriously.
We should too.
We are all called to honor God wherever we are.
Consider what might change in how you think and what you do if in every moment you asked yourself, “Now, what would Jesus have me do here?
How can I glorify His name and bring Him honor in this exact moment?”
Today, and everyday, you have the privilege of having work to do for Him.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 8 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord’s Glory and Man’s Dignity.
For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.
8 O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have [a]displayed Your splendor above the heavens! 2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established [b]strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
3 When I [c]consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have [d]ordained; 4 What is man that You [e]take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? 5 Yet You have made him a little lower than [f]God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! 6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 All sheep and oxen, And also the [g]beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
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.
35 On that day, when evening came, He *said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 [a]Leaving the crowd, they *took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37 And there *arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and *said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and [b]it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, “Why are you [c]afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
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.
Anyone who has lived for much time at all knows that in life storms will surely come – these are not just the blizzards of winter or thunderous rains of spring.
Sometimes, other kinds of “thunder storms” make their presence felt and then seemingly out of nowhere, we are faced with an unexpected loss, be it our jobs, be it our marriages, a long standing BFF, a grim diagnosis, the painful passing of a loved one, or the sorrow of goodbyes – perhaps we are all here right now.
Looking for answers, looking for some kind of greater truth to sort out the host of negative thoughts, prayerfully turning first to our Bibles, to the Word of God for His Children, we pray to the Holy Spirit for any direction to locate our Jesus.
Mark 4:35-41 New King James Version
Wind and Wave Obey Jesus
35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace,[a] be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How[b]is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
Like the disciples caught in the storm on the Sea of Galilee, going from calm to the storm we can feel overwhelmed by these trials, as if our boat were sinking.
Mark 4:35-36 Easy-to-Read Version
Jesus’ Followers See His Power
35 That day, at evening, Jesus said to his followers, “Come with me across the lake.” 36 So they left the crowd behind and went with Jesus in the boat he was already in. There were also other boats that went with them.
Hearing the Word of God, convincing our hearts and souls toward listening to and choosing to follow Jesus does not insulate us from life’s storms, but we can take comfort from knowing that God promises to hold us fast through them.
He can give rest to our hearts, He may even quiet the very storms themselves.
Mark 4:37-39 Easy-to-Read Version
37 A very bad wind came up on the lake. The waves were coming over the sides and into the boat, and it was almost full of water. 38 Jesus was inside the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. The followers went and woke him. They said, “Teacher, don’t you care about us? We are going to drown!”
39 Jesus stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. He said, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and the lake became calm.
When storms come, we are often tempted to panic first, lose sight of our senses, freeze – or stumble over ourselves, watch the boat fill with water, to doubt God.
The thoroughly panicked disciples, most of them well trained fisherman, quite knowledgeable about the ways of the seas, hard questioned the ability of Jesus to care about them, even though they had each seen His miracles firsthand.
They looked Jesus in the eye with their souls, and they shared meals with Him every day—but when the storm arose, their raging souls took to panic stations of unbelief as if they’d forgotten who He was or what He was capable of doing.
Don’t we often find ourselves there too? As soon as the turbulence hits—as soon as life’s winds and waves rise—our doubts and weaknesses burst forth, and we forget who it is who dwells within us and what He is capable of doing.
God does not prevent storms from coming.
A sleeping Jesus did not prevent the storms from coming, from threatening the very lives of the disciples in his boat nor the lives of everyone else who followed.
But God is a God who is both present through them and sovereign over them.
Jesus not only stayed with the disciples during the storm, stood up in the face of the raging storm but, calmly, quietly, He displayed His full power by calming it.
John 1:1-5 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Deity of Jesus Christ
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 [a]He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not [b]comprehend it.
As God, in the beginning, He was there, He had created the very sea itself.
Why would the sea, resting or raging, ever be a problem for Him?
Mark 4:40-41 New American Standard Bible 1995
40 And He said to them, “Why are you [a]afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
Did Jesus deliberately want them to become fearful?
Did Jesus intentionally want to test their so called confidence in themselves?
We are all quick to admit our allegedly high degree, measures of self confidence.
Our typical mindset is too often “we can be self assured” that we “always know what we are doing and can get through the day and any situation so long as we are not confronted by that moment of sudden upheaval we will survive the day.
But, sometimes, even for us, too, even circumstances that seem hopeless and insurmountable unfold exactly as He has planned – will we notice our Jesus?.
When difficulties, fear, pain persist, we can trust Him to give us a peace that “surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) and bring us through to a place of calm, whether it arrives in this life or only beyond the final tempest of death.
Reading this passage, the first question storming out of our mouths, then should not be “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?
The question, then, is also not “Will storms come in my life?” They surely will.
Rather, we must ask, “When the storms come, will I believe that Jesus Christ is able to deal with them—and will I let Him do that?”
He can lift the clouds of doubt fogging our minds.
He can mend broken hearts.
He can soothe our longings for love.
He can revive weary spirits. He can calm anxious souls.
When we read the Word of God, reassure ourselves with His truth, we see Jesus as the Creator of the universe, the one who calmed the sea, as the one in whom everything holds together, then we too can experience the calming of the storm.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 107:23-32 New American Standard Bible 1995
23 Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters; 24 They have seen the works of the Lord, And His [a]wonders in the deep. 25 For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, Which lifted up the waves [b]of the sea. 26 They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths; Their soul melted away in their misery. 27 They reeled and staggered like a drunken man, And [c]were at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, And He brought them out of their distresses. 29 He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves [d]of the sea were hushed. 30 Then they were glad because they were quiet, So He guided them to their desired haven. 31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, And for His [e]wonders to the sons of men! 32 Let them extol Him also in the congregation of the people, And praise Him at the seat of the elders.
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). 