Shelter from the Storms
Life can deliver some pretty horrendous ‘storms’. Storms of nature can often be survived, by taking shelter inside or under sturdy structures that will not succumb to the powerful forces of nature.
Psalm 55:1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take my refuge, until these calamities have passed by. (NKJV)
The storms and troubles that beset us as humans can be many, and we might flounder and seek guidance from wrong sources. When we are overwhelmed by the ‘stuff’ of our lives and we feel we have nowhere to run to, or anyone to turn to, let us remember that God can and does offer us complete spiritual and emotional safety and protection. To receive this we need to welcome Him into our lives and trust Him. We need to cover ourselves with His armour each and every day, giving thanks for all that we have – family, friends, homes and work.
I am lax at times, in doing this – but as my day struggles to begin I quickly realize that I have allowed myself to become distracted with a myriad of routines that quickly devour the peace of each day, if I allow them to.
I then quietly settle my thinking and focus on donning the helmet of salvation; the breastplate of righteousness and the belt of truth. I ‘place’ the shoes of the gospel of peace on my feet and pick up the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit, take a deep breath and THEN begin my day again; this time with right thinking and with God’s purpose. (Ephesians 6:10-20)
Prayer: Father God, in our efforts to be good and faithful, we sometimes get caught in the deluge of lifes’ storms. Help us to seek and find the right shelter; discern best help as well as, the safest place to be that we might be protected from all that is not of You. In Jesus Name. Amen
Patricia Day
http://pepeprays.wordpress.com
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Why Can’t We All Just Gel Along?
“ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
If I were to ask you, who said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand”, the vast majority of you would answer Abraham Lincoln, and you would be correct. In fact, those words came from a speech Lincoln made against slavery over 150 years ago.
What you may not realize is that Lincoln wasn’t the first person to utter those words. The thought actually came from Jesus who once said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.” (Luke 11:17)
While Lincoln was not particularly known as a religious man, he certainly recognized that biblical principles apply to everyday circumstances that life brings our way. They spoke truth to Lincoln then and they should speak truth to Christians today
.
One of the greatest threats to Christianity is coming from within our own walls. Our own denominational beliefs, and more importantly the energy we devote to promoting those beliefs, are dividing Christians across the world. For example, the Baptists believe in eternal security. In other words, if you are truly saved, you cannot lose your salvation. The Methodists, however, do not believe in eternal security. To the Methodists, salvation depends upon continual repentance. Without it, salvation is not assured.
I’m not going to cast judgment on either point of view, although I share one of them. The real question is does it really matter which denomination is right? Live for Lord, pray for forgiveness and do your best to walk in his light, and you don’t have anything to worry about!
We spend a lot of time and energy defending our church doctrine rather than defending the Gospel that saved us. Why don’t we just hold all these thoughts and see what Jesus says about them when we get to heaven? What time we have left should be spent trying to make sure our family, friends and neighbors know Jesus!
If you go to church, someone is going to try to drag you in the argument. Don’t fall for it. Remember these biblical principles when others are trying to get you to take sides on issues that really don’t matter:
1. Love your neighbor as yourself: Jesus once told us that there were two (New Testament) commandments on which all the Law and Prophets hang. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)
2. Do not judge: The Scripture here is pretty clear. Frankly, it should scare us a little: “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” (Matthew 7:1-2)
3. Don’t Throw Stones: This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. To those who were about to stone an adulterous woman, Jesus said, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7) It’s a reminder to me that the only way we should look at the sin in someone else’s life is through the sin (and forgiveness) in our own lives.
In my life, I’ve attended about every kind of church you can shake a stick at. I’ve loved them all, and in each one I’ve found and come to love God-fearing Christians that I will see again in heaven.
Regardless of what church you attend, remember, God isn’t as interested in style as he is in substance. Worship him, seek to learn more about him through his Holy Word, walk in close fellowship with him, and enjoy the light of his glory.
The Heart of the Matter
Is God at work in your life restoring your heart? Come talk to a mentor.
“Blessed is the one who always trembles before God, but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.” (Proverbs 28:14)
Did you know that the month of February is “American Heart Month”? Cardiovascular disease claims the lives of nearly 500,000 American women a year. In an effort to raise awareness, the American Heart Association created a campaign to dismiss myths pertaining to heart disease. Prior, many believed heart disease was an “old man’s” disease. However, it is actually a number one killer amongst women. Unfortunately, even with all this awareness, many women remain in the dark regarding vital facts pertaining to heart disease.
Likewise, our spiritual hearts are in need of assessment and attention as well. In Jeremiah 17: 9-10 we read, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure…I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” It is crucial that we seek God on a regular basis regarding the condition of our hearts. It is unwise for us to lean on our own assessment. We must rely upon His Holy Spirit to probe, guide, and lead us into truth, knowledge, and revelation, which then will reveal the true condition of our hearts.
Several characteristics of an unregenerate heart is evil (Genesis 6:5) rebellious (Jeremiah 5:23), perverse (Proverbs 11:20), wicked (Proverbs 6:18), callous (Psalm 119:70), hard (Ephesians 4:18), dark (Romans 1:21), unrepentant (Romans 2:5), and far from God (Mark 7:6).
A regenerate heart is one that: cries out to God (Psalm 84:2), seeks God (Psalm 119:2, 10), loves the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:5, Mathew 22:37), praises the Lord (Psalm 9:1), rejoices in salvation (Psalm 13:5), is grateful to God (Colossians 3:16), obeys God’s law (Psalm 119:34), is pure (Mathew 5:8), is sincere (Hebrews 10:22), loves others (1 Peter 1:22).
Thankfully, God, our Great Physician, knows the condition of our hearts and offers a great exchange. In Ezekiel 11:19 we read, “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.” Through conviction, repentance, and correction our hearts become pleasing to God. As we seek to maintain a pure heart, live in obedience and uprightness, then we reap a healthier life in Christ, which brings honor and glory to God.
Heavenly Father, I pray that you would search my heart. I do not desire a stubborn unreceptive heart. Holy Spirit, guide me into truth so I can dispel any falsehood. In Jesus name, Amen
Question: When was the last time you went to God for a heart checkup?
Storm Damage
Isaiah 4:5b-6 – God’s own glory will be like a huge tent that covers everything. 6It will provide shade from the heat of the sun and a place of shelter and protection from storms and rain.
Late last year, a series of severe storms left our backyard and park area littered with broken limbs and , torn from two very large poplar trees in our garden. There were pieces many feet in length down to some just a matter of inches – large and small and all sizes in between. Fortunately no damage was caused to property or to humans, as these pieces were torn from the trees and slung out onto the lawn areas away from our homes and late in the day so people were indoors sheltered from the storm.
Much like sin; which enters our hearts and minds with a destructive force. It tears us apart, littering our spirits with the debris of wrong choices and bad-decisions, often leading us into lifestyles that destroy all that is good.
Exodus 18:19 – Listen now to My voice; I’ll give you counsel. (NKJV)
Isaiah 40:29 – The LORD gives strength to those who are weary. (CEV)
We might not always have the wisdom to live life without error – we after all, are not perfect beings; but we can choose to live differently by striving to be God-driven and Jesus-spirited. He is always ready to assist us and shelter us, if we call upon Him; and our footsteps can be guided by Jesus, Son of God in the everlasting Way.
Prayer: Father let us heed the signs you send when we are considering entering ‘stormy relationships and lifestyles’, gather us up, tidy our thinking and our actions, and let us grow more in Your image, standing erect and strong like a tree freed of all that is broken.
Patricia Day
http://pepeprays.wordpress.com
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Rahab Was More Than A Prostitute
“Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, ‘Go, view the land, especially Jericho.’ So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.” (Joshua 2:1)
We often name our children after some of the heroes in the Bible: Joshua, Caleb, Ruth, Sarah. Yet we never hear of a child named Jezebel or Rahab for obvious reasons. Who in the world would name a child after a prostitute?
Interestingly, Rahab was an Old Testament harlot who was vaulted in the New Testament for her faith. That’s right! She was mentioned right up there with Abraham, Noah, Joseph, even Moses. In Hebrews 11, often referred to as the Faith’s Hall of Fame, references are made to all of these famous Biblical characters and many more, including Rahab the harlot. “By faith,” Hebrews 11:31 reads, “the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not.”
Obviously, Rahab enjoys an important place in the New Testament, not because of her profession, but because of her faith. The early chapters of Joshua explain why Hebrews and James accord her such honor.
After the death of Moses, God appointed Joshua to lead 2 million freed slaves into the Promised Land, but it did not come without great struggle or help along the way.
Word had reached Jericho about how the Lord had dried up the Red Sea to help the Israelites in the swift departure from Egypt; and how Moses and his army utterly destroyed the Amorites. Fear now gripped this city located just inside the Promised Land and 11 miles from Jerusalem.
Joshua’s first test of leadership was Jericho. It was the only way into the Promised Land. In preparation, he sent two spies to Jericho to conduct reconnaissance and report back on what they saw. When they arrived, they sought refuge in the home of Rahab largely because strange men entering the home of a prostitute would not generate very much in the way of concern.
The king of Jericho, however, received reports that the two spies had arrived in Jericho under cover of darkness. “Behold,” he was told, “men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.” (Joshua 2:3) He immediately dispatched his soldiers to search the home of Rahab. But Rahab hid the two spies on her roof and told the king’s men that the two men had left the city before its gates were shut for the night.
Rahab’s courage allowed Joshua’s spies to ultimately report back to their new leader and as we all know from the childhood song, “Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down.”
Rahab and her family were spared death because of her act of courage. More importantly, the reason she is so esteemed by in the New Testament comes from what she said to the two spies. “The Lord your God,” she told the two spies, “He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.” (Joshua 2:11) In spite of the gods that Rahab and her fellow citizens worshipped, Rahab knew and professed that the Israelites’ God was the real deal. She proved her faith by her works.
The message here is that although faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, real faith must have works. In other words, our faith is not and cannot be viewed as some private treasure that only we can enjoy. It must be shown for others to realize that it, too, is the real deal.
Allow your faith to show up in the lives of others through service to your church and community. The Gospel can only be advanced by the expressions of love we show in the ways we serve others. There is simply no better way to win the lost for Christ.
Recall Notice!
I loved this message. I received it in an email from a friend. I do not know the origin but I pray that the words will give each of us ‘food for thought’ and ‘plant a seed’ and cause us to reflect on our hearts and spirits.
The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units
manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious
defect in the primary and central component of the heart.
This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units
code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of
the same defect in all subsequent units.
This defect has been identified as “Subsequential Internal
Non-morality,” more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is
primarily expressed.
Some of the symptoms include:
1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion
The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this
defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free
of charge to correct this defect.
The Repair Technician, JESUS, has most generously
offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of
these repairs. There is no additional fee required.
The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R.
Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through
the REPENTANCE procedure.
Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair
Technician, Jesus, into the heart component.
No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will
replace it with:
1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self control
Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E. (BEST Instructions
Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the
use of these fixes.
WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit
without correction voids any manufacturer warranties,
exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous
to list, and will result in the human unit being permanently
impounded. For free emergency service, call on Jesus.
DANGER: The human being units not responding to this
recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The
SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to
prevent contamination of that facility. Thank you for your attention!
- GOD
P.S. Please assist where possible by notifying others of this
important recall notice, and you may contact the Father any
time by ‘Knee mail’!
Because HE Lives
May the Lord Bless and Keep you.
Patricia Day
http://pepeprays.wordpress.com
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Tragedy Always Helps Us To Realize We Have Souls
“The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.” (Psalm 34:22)
Recently, a Charlotte museum welcomed a US Airways Airbus A320 the just three years earlier went down in the Hudson River in New York City. You remember it. It is the reason why so many of us pray more fervently when we board an airline today. It pointed out to me just how right the Apostle James really was when he wrote, “You do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away”. (James 4:14)
When they boarded their flight, there was really nothing remarkable about any of the 157 passengers. Like most of us, they were simply going about the business of their day. Flying to destinations unknown for a business appointment, or to see a family member; returning to school; perhaps going on a well-deserved vacation.
But as they entered New York airspace, all of that changed as the pilot notified the air traffic controller, “We are minimum fuel, sir.”
“You’re declaring emergency at this time, time is 22:57,” the air traffic controller responded. “I need souls on board and when you arrive.”
“157 souls on board,” the pilot declared. “We have exactly 38 minutes of fuel remaining.”
“38 minutes of fuel,” the controller acknowledged. “That is an emergency.”
What an interesting exchange during a dramatic turn in events. Suddenly ordinary was extraordinary. Passengers turned into “souls”!
The truth is these passengers weren’t headed to destinations unknown. They were headed into eternity. We don’t often see this spiritual truth as dramatically portrayed as it was in this exchange, but every day we leave our homes whether for work and play, we are headed towards eternity.
Our country enjoys more freedom that any country in the world. We treasure our right to free speech, but will not invoke it when it comes to sharing our faith with others. I find it strangely ironic that hundreds of thousands of Americans have died defending that right. Yet, we will not exercise it to help save one life. Our silence is deadly.
We need to keep in mind that our friends may look like us, but there is something different about them on the inside. Jesus analogized this principle in the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares in Matthew 13. He acknowledged that they both look alike on the outside and actually grow side by side. But he promised that the day would come when they would be separated and judged, not by their outward appearance, but by what they had on the inside. “He who has ears, let him hear,” Jesus said. (Matthew 13:43)
Billy Graham once said, “God will never send anybody to hell. If man goes to hell, he goes by his own free choice. Hell was created for the devil and his angels, not for man. God never meant that man should go there.”
We need to see our friends, neighbors and coworkers for what they are. They are “souls” and as such are headed for eternity, just like us. The only difference is they may have a different destination because they are making a wrong choice.
Shrinking Back
Are you ready for a bold challenge to stand for God? Check out http://thelife.com for a prayer that will change your life.
“For, ‘In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.’ …‘But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.’ But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.” (Hebrews 10: 37-39)
We met in Starbucks. She was just passing through town and it was a treat to get together in person. As usual, we jumped in at the deep end and wanted to share what God was teaching us these days. As she raised requests I suggested we pray. Quietly, with open eyes, I asked God to meet the needs of her life.
We talked more and then she said she wanted to pray for me. With not so quiet a voice and with eyes pressed closed and hands grasping mine across the table she lifted her heart to our Heavenly Father. And I felt my heart shrink back. Could she pray a little quieter or a little less intensely? I am ashamed to say I felt a twinge of embarrassment enter my heart.
Very shortly after that God put a book in my pathway that challenged just this very thing in my life. In essence I was denying Christ. I thought of Peter and how easy it was for him to deny Jesus on that night of Jesus’ death. Then in my own devotions I read these words,
“For, ‘In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.’…‘But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.’ But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.” (Hebrews 10: 37-39)
It took me by surprise that I could find myself in that same position as Peter found himself in…only I was in Starbucks where there was no threat at all to my faith or my life. How good God is to reveal the very nature of our hearts to us when we feel we are being “faithful” followers. What a challenge it is to grow in our boldness in following our Lord and Savior.
Today, whether you are a quiet Christian, a bold witness, or somewhere in between why not join me in asking God to fill you with a greater boldness and more courage to stand in persevering faith? One never knows when in this world we will be called upon to stand firm. We need to be determined not to shrink back. God will help us as we ask Him to.
Heavenly Father,
Forgive me for shrinking back when You call me to boldness. May my heart be ever more courageous to stand for You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Question: How can you express greater boldness and more courage as you walk your Christian life?
We Are Sinners, One and All!
“Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)
The story is told about a young child who prayed to ask Jesus to come and live in his heart during Sunday School. When he saw his mother, he proudly told her, “Mama, I asked Jesus to come and live in my heart today and take my skin away.”
His mother chuckled but later realized that her young child was serious. Several days later, he confided his concern to her. “I’ve been waiting, Mama, and I still have my skin.”
You can’t help but smile. But the illustration points to the child-like faith that Jesus suggests we need to possess to come to a saving knowledge of him.
I distinctly remember my own doubt as I weighed my decision to accept Christ. I was not a child, and just like any other adult, I could find any number of reasons to question whether a simple prayer would bring an end to my march to hell. I told my wife, who was my girl friend at the time, “It can’t be that easy.”
Her reply was ultimately what convinced me to take the childlike step in faith and ask Jesus to come and live in my heart. “What have you go lose if you’re wrong? You will have lived a better life for it.”
We are commissioned to take the Gospel story to the rest of the world. In doing so, it’s important to remember that adults will often dismiss salvation as too simple. Sin has so complicated their lives that even under conviction they find it very difficult believing their lives can become free of sin by a simple prayer.
Actually, it is not the prayer that saves them. It is the faith behind it. And the decision to use just a mustard-seed dose of faith with that prayer is the most difficult decision they will ever make. Why? Because it seems childish to believe it will work.
It is also very difficult for people to associate sin with who they are. Most adults believe themselves to be nice people, and to most of them, nice is the only criteria necessary to get into heaven. Sin to them is simply things they did that were wrong. It should not define who they are.
The Bible, however, has an altogether different view of sin. The Old Testament verse that comes to mind can be found in Isaiah. “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6) Isaiah’s point is we are born to sin. In other words, “nice” doesn’t get you into heaven. Unless and until the sinner views sin as something he can never personally overcome, he will never see the need for a savior.
This truth was also stressed by Jesus in a very direct exchange with the Pharisees. “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” Then some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these words, and said to him, “Are we blind also?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.” (John 9:39-41)
Long story short, sin is a killer. Long-time Southern Baptist pastor, Adrian Rogers, put it this way: “It’s not the amount of sin. It’s the fact of sin that damns us.”
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a Mustard Seed
Do you have faith the size of a mustard seed? Do you believe God can use you to impact His Kingdom? We have an awesome opportunity to reach hundreds of thousands of people each month. Will you help us impact this world?
“[Jesus] told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-32)
Jesus told many parables comparing the kingdom of God to something familiar to help people understand what Heaven is like. He said it’s like a tiny mustard seed (Matthew 13:31, Mark 4:30, Luke 13:18); like yeast that works through a large amount of dough (Matthew 13:33, Luke 13:20), and like the seed a man scatters, which grows even though he doesn’t know how (Mark 4:26).
God doesn’t build His kingdom through a complex international strategy with a slick business or marketing plan. It doesn’t make national news. Instead, quietly – starting with one person of faith – it grows and spreads.
It starts with a person like you, who may not possess great communication skills, but who believes Jesus’ sacrifice paid for your sin. As you live in the freedom that forgiveness brings, you influence your husband and your children. The peace and joy displayed in your life changes the atmosphere of your home. Impatience, criticism and selfishness begin to melt away. Friends and neighbors start to notice.
A teaspoon of yeast can make three cups of flour rise. A single mustard seed grows into a plant large enough for birds to sit on its branches. Flower seeds planted in the garden each summer germinate and sprout while we sleep! It doesn’t take much because God does the work. We don’t even have to understand how it works; we just need to surrender our lives to Him.
Holy God, help me to understand what Your kingdom is like. May I willingly allow You to spread Your kingdom through me. Amen.
Question: When have you seen a small step of faith produce something great?