We are really good at throwing our crises to God. It seems we are constantly asking Him to fix our situation, destroy our enemies, or make a way where there is no way. Now frankly, that is the best thing you can do with something you can't deal with. God is our Father. He cares about every situation in our lives. And He is a miracle-worker. He can do what no one else can. But if God is only your 9-1-1, you are not in a healthy relationship with Him. We may spend hours or days in a struggle praying and asking God for a miracle, but how much time do we spend praising Him when He answers our prayers? I think we need to consider how our thanks-giving compares to our miracle-asking. There are multiple stories in Scripture that give us examples of how we should respond to God's miraculous activity in our lives. One such story is found in Exodus 15. God's people had been delivered from Egypt through 10 powerful moves of God. Then they get to a place where they are facing a sea in front of them, and the world's most powerful army behind them. It seems like there is only death in both directions. Have you ever been in a place where you were doomed if you went forward and doomed if you went back? Like us, many of the Hebrews panicked. They had forgotten God's mighty hand bringing them out of the land of Egypt, but they apparently didn't exercise faith to believe that He would work in their present crisis. Others prayed. They chose to believe that God would not bring them to something He would not bring them through. God opened the waters of the sea and they walked across on completely dry ground. When they arrives safely on the other side, they looked back and God was crashing the Red Sea on their enemy, the Egyptians. After seeing this they sang the following song... I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; He has thrown the horse and its rider into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. The Lord is a warrior; Yahweh is His name. He threw Pharaoh’s chariots and his army into the sea; the elite of his officers were drowned in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. Lord, Your right hand is glorious in power. Lord, Your right hand shattered the enemy. You overthrew Your adversaries by Your great majesty. You unleashed Your burning wrath; it consumed them like stubble. The waters heaped up at the blast of Your nostrils; the currents stood firm like a dam. The watery depths congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said: “I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil. My desire will be gratified at their expense. I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them.” But You blew with Your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. Lord, who is like You among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders? You stretched out Your right hand, and the earth swallowed them. You will lead the people You have redeemed with Your faithful love; You will guide them to Your holy dwelling with Your strength. When the peoples hear, they will shudder; anguish will seize the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the chiefs of Edom will be terrified; trembling will seize the leaders of Moab; the inhabitants of Canaan will panic; and terror and dread will fall on them. They will be as still as a stone because of Your powerful arm until Your people pass by, Lord, until the people whom You purchased pass by. You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of Your possession; Lord, You have prepared the place for Your dwelling; Lord, Your hands have established the sanctuary. The Lord will reign forever and ever! (Exodus 15:1-18) Do we sing as well as we scream? Are we as quick to rejoice as we are to retreat? Does God hear our worship as loudly as He hears our worry? Does the world notice that we throw up our hands in holy praise as high as we throw up our hands in hopeless panic? Today, call out to God in your time of need. Do it with faith. But when God delivers you, be a great thanker. Sing your favorite praise song... or make up your own. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. Did you ever miss out on something because your were in the wrong place at the wrong time? It happens. Sometimes there was no way you could have known that there was a prize to win, but other times it was just because you weren't paying attention, or following the rules well enough. Every Tuesday night I join with the Bridge Ministry to offer the homeless and poor of Nashville a meal, groceries, clothing, and most importantly the Word of God through a full worship/evangelistic service. After the closing prayer, and before the grocery line begins, there is a giveaway. We give one tent, one sleeping bag, and one bicycle to the people with winning tickets. These tickets are acquired when they get their meal before the service. Usually a faithful volunteer named Scott will reach into a bag and call out a number from the list of tickets given out that night. When a person hears their number, they come forward to receive their gift. Brother Scott will usually call out the number several times if a winner does not respond right away. But eventually, if no one comes forward, he will simply draw another number from the bag. He does this until he has a winner. People may not respond to their number for various reasons. But usually it is because they either left the service to head home, or because they have already moved to the grocery line which is basically too far away to hear their number. If they remain in the 'sanctuary' area, they will hear their number. Last night after the giveaway was completely done, a woman came to the front and said, "I have one of the winning tickets. How do I get my prize?" I asked her, "Why didn't you come forward when he called your number?" She responded, "I couldn't hear him." I said, "Well, he always calls it out several times before moving to the next number." She said, "Well, I was back there by the groceries. I said, "Oh... yeah... you need to be in a place where you can hear your number if you want to win the prize." Every week people are told that if they want to win, they need to remain in the area where they can hear their number... but inevitably, some will leave. This lady walked away disappointed because she missed her opportunity. I turned to Brother Scott and said, "Now there is an illustration if I ever saw one." He smiled and said, "There's a sermon there for you." I stopped and said, "There is a devotional for tomorrow morning." So here is the spiritual application. Jesus once told a story of a rich man who lived a life of pleasure. Outside of his house was a poor man named Lazarus who was in great physical need. The rich man cared nothing for the poor man, and Lazarus would eat the scraps thrown from the rich man's house. Both men died. The rich man's soul went to a place where there was torment and pain, but Lazarus went to a place of paradise. They could see each other, but neither could get to the other place. The rich man asked for relief from his torment, but was told that there was to be none because of the life he lived apart from God. He then asked if someone from paradise could go back into the realm of the living to warn his family members about the torment that awaits those who live life without caring for God and others. Here was the response from Abraham, the spokesman in paradise... "They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them." The rich man replied, "No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent." But Abraham told him, "If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead." (Luke 16:29-31) People have plenty of opportunity to receive what God has for them. God has done everything in His power to offer eternal life to everyone. He calls, and calls, and calls. He has given nature, which tells of the glory and salvation of the Lord. He has given writings through history which tells us of His great acts throughout generations, including the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. He speaks through people in our lives on a regular basis. He even speaks directly to each person. He has called your number many times. If you don't respond and receive the prize, it isn't God's fault. It isn't anyone else's fault. It is because you decided you would rather be somewhere else seeking something else. Today, God will continue calling you. Please be in the right place, and respond to His call. He wants to give you much more than a sleeping bag or bicycle. He wants to give you a clear and deep relationship with Him. He does not call out to people who cannot answer. He has both given you the ability to respond, as well as the opportunity. You aren't just holding a number. God knows your name. He calls it out. Listen for your name... and respond. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. Today I just want to post a few of the thoughts from one of Jesus' closest friends regarding the love of God and the believer. John was arguably the closest disciple to Jesus during His earthly ministry. Here are some very encouraging and challenging words... Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and His love is perfected in us. This is how we know that we remain in Him and He in us: He has given assurance to us from His Spirit. And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent His Son as the world’s Savior. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God—God remains in him and he in God. And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. In this, love is perfected with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, for we are as He is in this world. There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because He first loved us. (1 John 4:7-19) This is a very short devotional. It probably only took you about 90 seconds to read it. So here is an idea... Find a statement in this passage and take a few minutes to memorize it and think on it throughout the day. I'll put a few below in case you want to do this. "Let us love one another, because love is from God" "Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us" "If we love one another, God remains in us and His love is perfected in us." "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God—God remains in him and he in God." "There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear" Today, know that God loves you, and that He has given you the capacity and the ability to love others. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. It has been said that two things are sure in this life... death, and taxes. Well, let me add a third. Temptation is a guarantee. Every person has to face temptation. It is a chance to do the wrong thing, and draws on the fact that we are fallen creatures in a fallen world just waiting to break God's rules. A temptation is defined as a strong desire or enticement to have or do something wrong. Eve was tempted to have the fruit God said they were not to eat. Cain was tempted to kill Abel. Samson was tempted to cut his hair. David was tempted by someone with beautiful hair. Judas was tempted with money. Everyone is tempted. Jesus was tempted. Jesus never gave in to temptation. He is the only one who has consistently said "No" to it. Both sinners and Christians are tempted. Both can say "No" to temptation. But only Christians have the spiritual nature and power to withstand every temptation that comes their way. If a person is not a Christian, they are being ruled by darkness, and eventually as a principle of slavery they will do what they are told by their master... sin. Sometimes people get the wrong idea when they come to Christ. They may think that life becomes easy, especially in this area of temptation. Some may even believe that temptation will end. But this is not true. In fact, it is very possible that for the Christian the temptations will increase in amounts or in strength. After all, the enemy has to work harder against those who are now under the authority of God. So God will free you from the penalty, pollution, and power of your former life of sin. But He does not make you exempt from temptation. This is an important concept to remember, so let me put it this way. God will completely deliver you from things you will have to continue to say "No" to. That may sound contradictory, but it is not. This is about being in the world but not of it. Like I said, even Jesus had to deal with temptation during His earthly experience. No exemptions from temptations. But there is deliverance and power... and promises. One of the promises from God to the believer is this... No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13) Here are four things we know about temptation from this verse written to Christians. 1 - Temptation is against you. It overtakes you, which means it is chasing you... which means it is behind you. As a new creation in Christ, your natural desires are guided by God's divine desires. Evil comes from Satan. We have desires that God gave us. These have been corrupted in the fall. As Christians we are still in a world that is distorted by sin. So the enemy attacks our natural desires to get them to go against our Godly desires. The Bible tells us, "No one undergoing a trial should say, 'I am being tempted by God.' For God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone. But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death." (James 1:13-15) 2 - You are not special. You get tempted just like everyone else. Don't wear the special badge. The guy sitting next to you at work is tempted just like you... perhaps in different areas of life, but his temptations are just as dangerous as yours. And don't try to play the 'Woe is me... I am human, but Jesus was divine' card. The Bible says, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15) He didn't give into the temptation, but He was tempted just like you. 3 - God is controlling temptation. In the life of the sinner, temptation comes and goes as the Devil sees fit. As a Christian, God allows you to be tempted only according to what you are able to withstand at this time in your faith walk. Satan sets you up for failure by overwhelming you with temptations. God does not want you to fail. So He manages the temptations... He filters them, if you will. God is controlling temptation from His end so we can combat temptation on our end. James tells us, "Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." (James 4:7-8) 4 - You have an escape. Every temptation that comes to the believer has an escape hatch. If Satan sends you a temptation, God includes an escape door... EVERY TIME. You do not have to give in to temptation because you can ALWAYS get out of the temptation. God is just good like that. Even Cain was told by God before he killed his brother Abel in jealousy, “Why are you furious? And why do you look despondent? If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:6-7) Temptation is real for everyone. Those who have not been reborn in Christ will have a tougher time with it, and are actually doomed to fail. Christians will have to deal with more sustained bombardment from their true enemy, but they also have supernatural power to withstand it, and a God who is managing the battle. Today, if you are a believer, know that God is with you. Do not fear temptation. Face it in faith, knowing that Christ knows your battle, and is fighting with you. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. It is Sunday again. Millions are getting ready to 'go to church' and worship with other believers. Many more millions are not... for various reasons. There is one group that has an excuse to not go to church. It is those who are sick and cannot go. I'll even give a pass to those who are taking care of the sick people. Okay... I understand that there needs to be police officers, and fire fighters out there. But you get the point. Many millions are on their boats or on the golf course, or sleeping in, or reading the newspaper, or watching cat videos. Everyone seems to have a 'legitimate' reason to avoid church. One of the most common complaints about church and favorite reasons for not going is, "I've been hurt be people there... and I don't need that in my life. The church should be a peaceful place of healing and kindness, not a place where people hurt you." This makes a lot of sense to the person who doesn't want to go to church. But it only makes sense if you don't think about it. Here are a few things to consider when using or hearing this excuse to not go to church... Understand The Church - Arguably, one of the reasons the Church exists is as a place for people who have been hurt and who are hurting. It would be like not going to a hospital because there is so much sickness and disease there, or not going to a restaurant because there are so many hungry people there. "I don't go to restaurants because there are hungry people there. A restaurant should be a place where people are not hungry." Well... yes. And hungry people go to restaurants so they can be filled and changed from a hungry person to a nourished person. The Church is a place where hurt people, and people who hurt others go to be made well. The Church Does Not Have A Monopoly On Hurt - And is there a place you can go where you will not run the chance of being hurt by others? I'm trying to think of a business, organization, institution, or cultural framework in which I have not been hurt or run the risk of being hurt. The government hurts people, but you still pay your taxes and go to get your driver's license. Teachers and other students hurt people, but you don't stop sending your kids to school, and you still go to college. Family members can and do hurt each other, but you don't run away from home, do you? And when you go into work tomorrow, I'm sure you will be sitting next to people who are hurtful at times. In other words, we don't write off and avoid every place where there is the potential for hurt. Don't Be A Hypocrite - Are you judging yourself with the same standard you are judging church people? Are you suggesting that you've never hurt anyone? It has been said that, "Hurt people hurt people." We've all been hurt. We all have the ability to hurt others. Sometimes we hurt others by accident. I wonder how many people have stopped being a part of the Church because they were hurt by someone who didn't even try to of know they hurt the person. Sometimes people hurt others on purpose. I know this has turned some people against the Church. But is it fair to judge a whole organization based on one incident? Have you ever hurt anyone? Would you want others to judge your whole existence based on that situation? It is impossible to put that many people into a spiritual environment that is supposed to be at war with darkness and at the same time providing a safe place for enrichment and not have someone getting hurt. The Church is a body. Paul expands on this metaphor... For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. For we were all baptized by[c]one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. So the body is not one part but many. If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted. And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? Now there are many parts, yet one body. So the eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” But even more, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are necessary. And those parts of the body that we think to be less honorable, we clothe these with greater honor, and our unpresentable parts have a better presentation. But our presentable parts have no need of clothing. Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. (1 Corinthians 12:12-26) Sometimes some parts of the body hurt other parts. This happens in your own body, right? Sometimes your foot doesn't clear the corner of the base of the dresser. Do you cut your foot off? Do you avoid the bedroom because of the dresser? Or do you nurse the toe back to health and learn to walk more carefully? Paul, who wrote that to a church that was full of hurtful and hurting people, was himself hurt by church people, many times... certainly more deeply than you've been hurt. But he didn't quit the church. Jesus was a great example in so many ways. He didn't just tell us we had to join an organization called the Church, He Himself was hurt repeatedly by the very ones He put over the Church, and one of His disciples even betrayed Him to be killed. And you get upset because someone looked at you a little sideways when you sat down in the pew? Today go to church... even if your walk in late. Do not let a little (or a lot of) hurt you may experience keep you from the health that will undoubtedly come your way as the various parts of the body take care of you. There is no hurt in the church greater than the healing in the church. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. |
AuthorMy name is David, and I want to know God more, and help other people find Him. Archives
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