A Walk Through Revelation - Part 4

Ruins of Ephesus (creative commons image)

Letter #1
To the Church in Ephesus - Revelation 2:1-7

¹“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. ² I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. ³ You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

⁴ Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. ⁵ Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. ⁶ But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
⁷ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

In this, the first of 7 letters to the churches, Jesus tells John to write a letter to "the angel of the church of Ephesus."  The word angel here means messenger.  First, Jesus commends the Church in Ephesus for several things... 

• Their deeds, hard work and perseverance
• That they cannot tolerate wicked people
• They carefully test those who claim to be apostles, but are not - exposing their deceipt
• They have endured hardships for their faith and have not grown weary

These things still please God today - are they a part of your life?

Next, Jesus tels them one thing that he is disappointed in them for...

• They have lost their first love

Remember when you first heard the gospel - that God love you so much that He sent His only Son to die on a cross in punishment for your sin, so that through forgiveness, you could be restored to a right relationship with God and live forever in Heaven with Him for eternity?

Remember how you felt - the love and gratitude that flowed in your heart? The joy? The clean feeling of a newly washed sinner? The excitement of telling others? The deep intimacy you felt when talking to God in prayer?

What about now? Do you still love God every bit as much as you did the day you were saved? Or have you let your love grow dim...even cold? What can you do to stir it up again...or to see that it never grows dim? (Read verse 5)  What happens if you don't return to your first love? (again the answer is in verse 5)What do you think it means to have your "lampstand" removed from its place?

After admonishing the church in Ephesus, Jesus again commends them because they "hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate."  Doesn't hate seem like an awfully strong word for Jesus to use. Notice that He didn't say He hated the Nicolaitans, but that He hated their practices. It's the same today. God loves everyone, but He hates the sinful practices of mankind. Want to know more about the Nicolaitans and what they were doing that Jesus hated so much?  Click here to dig a little deeper.

Jesus closes this letter with the following...

⁷ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

What do you think the phrase "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the spirit says to the churches"? 
What do you think it means to be victorious as Jesus meant it?

Jesus said that if we are victorious, He will give us the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God (Heaven). The Tree of Life was first mentioned in Genesis 3:22-24...

²² And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” ²³ So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. ²⁴ After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

What happens when someone eats from the tree of life? Why would God not want man to eat of the tree of life after having eaten from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil? (You can read the whole story in Genesis 3.)  

For believers who are victorious in maintaining their first love for Jesus/God, we see that He gives us the right to eat from the Tree of Life, which is now in paradise (Heaven). What do you think will happen when we eat from this tree?

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit say... 

Prayer:

Father, thank you for showing us some things that please you. We understand that doing these things do not assure us a place in Heaven, for it was the life, death and resurrection that purchased our salvation. Doing these things are a result of our love and devotion to you. Help us to be busy doing those things, which you would have your children doing until we are with you in Heaven. God, help us to keep the fire of our love burning bright for you. Make us aware of sin so that when we fall, we will repent and return to the things we did at first. We look forward to the time when we can be with you forever in paradise. Thank you for making that possible! Amen

Want to know more about Ephesus?

Read the book of Ephesians - CLICK HERE

Ancient Ephesus - CLICK HERE

Watch a video about Ephesus...

What did you think about this study?

What was your "take-away" thought?

What do you plan to do as a result of studying this letter to the Ephesian church?

Please post your thoughts in a comment below.

 

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A Walk Through Revelation - Part 3

John’s Vision of Christ

⁹ I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. Revelation 1:9

John states again who he is - a brother and companion there different areas...

• In suffering. There was great persecution of Christ followers in that day.  John, himself was a prisoner and exiled to the island of Patmos to live out the rest of his days for, as he puts it - the word of God and the testimony of Jesus, for he spent his day doing just that - preaching the word and his testimony - what he saw Jesus do and heard Jesus say.
• In kingdom. John had worked along side other believers to further the kingdom of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• In patient endurance - this is the one that trips me up. I am not very patient when it comes to enduring hardship, so I admire John's ability to be patient and consistent in his work for God under great duress.

¹⁰ On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, ¹¹ which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.” Revelation 1:10-11 NIV

Interesting that even though John was in exile, he kept the Sabbath. I love how he says he was "in the Spirit" on the Lord's Day. I wonder how many of us are "in the Spirit" on the Lord's Day...or is it pretty much like every other day with the exception of church in the morning? Anyway, John was so in tune with the Lord that He heard Jesus' voice speaking directly to him.

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¹² I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³ and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man,^[a] dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. ¹⁴ The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. ¹⁶ In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. Revelation 1:12-16 NIV

What a sight that must have been! Is that how you picture Jesus? Quite a transformation from what he must have looked like when he walked the earth with John and the other disciples. Read that description again slowly and picture exactly what Jesus looked like. Amazing!

Notice the phrase "like the son of man."   This is a cross reference to a passage of prophecy in the book of Daniel. It was part of a vision Daniel had of heaven. 

Here's that passage from Daniel ...

¹³ “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,^[a] coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. ¹⁴ He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14

Notice again the reference to "one like a son of man" in referring to Jesus. A footnote to this passages states...

*The Aramaic phrase bar enash means human being. The phrase son of man is retained here because of its use in the New Testament as a title of Jesus, probably based largely on this verse.

Isn't it amazing that the book of Daniel was written 605 years before the birth of Christ and yet Daniel and John both have similar visions of heaven?

 

¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.  Revelation 1:17-18

I'm sure I would have had the same reaction as John did - falling at Jesus' feet as dead - dropped, flattened - terrified. I love how Jesus reaches out and touches him, then reassures him, telling him not to be afraid. He then goes on to reassure John of his identity. How stunned John must have been to see Jesus again. Thrilled, but humbled to the core to be standing in the presence of the Savior.  Notice that Jesus holds the keys of death and Hades. For followers of Christ, that means we need never fear death or Hades, for death ushers us into the presence of God in Heaven and Hades will never be our destination!

¹⁹ “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. ²⁰ The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. Revelation 1:9-20 NIV

Jesus gives John instructions. He is about to dictate letters to the seven churches. We'll begin to look at those letters next, with the first to the Church in Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7) As we read through these letters, let's glean from them what pleases the Lord and what he does not like.

Prayer:
Father, thank you for this book. For this incredible glimpse of what Jesus looks like in Heaven and for what we are about to read. Help us to see in the letters things that we can incorporate into our lives that please you and point out things in our lives that we should change with your help. Amen 

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A Walk Through Revelation - Part 2

John,

To the seven churches in the province of Asia:

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”
    and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
    and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”
So shall it be! Amen.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”  Revelation 1:4-8 NIV

*creative commons image

John begins to pen a letter to the seven churches. This is the general opening, but we'll see later that Jesus had something specific to say to each church individually, for He knew them intimately...knew what was going on in each of them and wanted to give them individual instruction...just as He knows each of us intimately and wants to communicate with us on a one-to-one basis.

He greets them with grace and peace, then tells who the letter is actually from - the one "
who was, and who is to come, (God) and from the seven spirits (also translated the seven-fold Spirit - the Holy Spirit)before his throne, and from Jesus Christ."

Here, we see the Trinity - the three-in-one - God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. All three distinct, all three God. This is puzzling to many people and Bible scholars have come up with many ways to explain it. I can't explain it. It's beyond my comprehension, but I believe it.  There are three facets to God. 

I don't have a problem believing what I don't understand about God. I don't understand how He could love me so much that He sent Jesus to die for my sins just to restore a right relationship with Him either, but I am eternally grateful that He did it. I don't understand how He can forgive me when I keep sinning even after I've received salvation through His Son, but he does...and I am grateful. There's much that I don't understand about an Almighty God who created the universe with just a word from His mouth, but I live in that world and I am grateful. Let's not get hung up on trying to understand with our pea-sized human brains, all the ways of our God. Let's just accept that we can't comprehend it all, let's focus on the parts that we can fully comprehend, trusting God to take care of the rest. And let's agree with John, that this amazing God deserves all the "glory and power for ever and ever! Amen."

Now, back to the scriptures.

Verse 7 is a prophecy (a statement of some future event).

“Look, he is coming with the clouds,”
    and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
    and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”
So shall it be! Amen.

This prophecy tells us that Jesus is coming again and when He does, every eye will see Him...everyone alive at the time and those who "pierced Him" - those that are dead. How can that be? I don't know, but I believe that God is able to make that happen. Why would all people on the earth mourn because of Him? I believe that's because the only people left at this coming of Jesus will be those who rejected Him as Savior.  (Notice it says ALL people will mourn. I don't think Believers would mourn if they saw Jesus coming with the clouds.) The rest of mankind - those who did embrace Him as Savior will have been take out of this world in what we have called The Rapture. Though those words "the rapture" do not appear in the Bible, that's what we call the great "catching away" spoken of in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

John ends this passage of scripture with a direct statement from God, Himself...

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Notice that this is the same wording John used to tell us who this message was from - the one who "is, and was and who is to come."

God confirms this by giving John a direct quote to use, confirming that this message is straight from His heart to His people.  Let's do what our first study said and "take it to heart."

Tomorrow we will look at Revelation 1:9-19 - go ahead and read it so that you will be familiar with the passage and be able to share some of your thoughts. I invite you to comment on each post in this study.

Prayer:
Father, we thank you for loving us enough to send us a personal message, for letting us know what the future hold and for confirming that this message is directly from you. Thank you for opening our hearts and minds to your message. Amen

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A Walk through Revelation - Part 1

Today I'm starting my walk  through the book of Revelation. I've read through it before, but that was a long time ago. Decided to read it again to remind myself of the wonders of Heaven and the future of mankind. 

"The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."  Revelation 1:1-3 NIV

 There are many accounts, in the Bible, of God sending an angel to deliver His message to a man or woman.  I can't imagine what it would be like to suddenly encounter an angel...a real angel.  Call me a skeptic, but all these stories you hear today of people encountering angels...well, I just don't know if I believe them.  But the Bible - I believe.

If I did see an angel, I'd most definitely react the way many in the Bible did - falling on my face, terrified. 

The next thing that strikes me about the opening of this book is that those who read aloud the book of Revelation are blessed and those who hear it (read out loud) are blessed...if they take to heart what is written in it.  It's interesting that there is a special blessing for reading it out loud and hearing it out loud.  It's also interesting that it's not enough to just read it - we must take it to heart. The Free Dictionary defines the phrase "take it to heart" as to consider something very seriously or take criticism seriously and be affected or upset by it.

God wants us to take His word to heart. To seriously consider what it says and what it means to us. Even if what it says is upsetting, we must realize that this is truth. It will happen. Knowing that should cause us to think about the ramifications of what we're about to read in Revelation. How should it change the way we think and the way we behave? Our goals?

So, as we journey through Revelation - the book of our future - let's take it to heart. Please feel free to share with us through comments to this and future posts, what you are thinking and feeling about what we're reading and learning.

(Note - I know that sometimes this invites comments by people who are only interested in stirring up controversy and anger. Those posts will be deleted.  However, posts that ask honest questions or doubts will be posted and addressed to the best of our ability.)

Prayer:
Father, we ask that you open our heart, spirits and minds to understand and receive what you have for us in the book of Revelation. Let us take it to heart. Show us how to apply it to our lives and our behavior. Amen
 
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Feeling a bit wilted?

 "...whoever refreshes others will be refreshed." Proverbs 11:25

 Wouldn't you love to be refreshed right now?

Sometimes life can get so tedious. Get up, go to work, clean the house, laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, running the kids around, doctor appointments....it's the same routine day after day after day.

photo courtesy tekla (Traute Klasser), rgbstock.com

A weekend, or even a day away from the ordinary plodding of life can work wonders toward refreshing our spirits, but what if you can't get away? What if you can't afford a vacation or even a weekend get-away? What if the responsibilities of your life won't let you take even a day for yourself? What then? How do you get that much needed refreshing?

The secret's in the sauce.  Just kidding. The secret's right there in our verse for today - Proverbs 11:25...

"whoever refreshes others will be refreshed."
There's something about refreshing others - blessing others - encouraging others that brings a refreshing to our own souls.  It's God's principle of sowing and reaping in action. When we give to others, God honors our generosity and we will reap exactly what we sow.  After all, a farmer doesn't get spinach when he sows corn seeds, does he?

So, if you need a little refreshing, go out there and intentionally refresh others. Share a smile, a helping hand, a word of encouragement and God will see to it that you are refreshed, yourself.

I pray that this blog - Refreshed by the Word - will be one source of renewal for you. Please, God - let it be so.

What brings a refreshing to your spirit? Share that with us in your comment.

Blessings,
Jan

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Lord, Show Us Your Glory

What is the glory of God?

 “Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” Exodus 33:18 (NASB)

This is the first mention in the Bible of the glory of God. Moses praying to see God. What believer doesn’t want to see the beauty, majesty and splendor of God in all his radiance and brilliance?

The Old Testament word for glory can be translated as a unique beauty, majesty or splendor that sets a person or object apart from all others. The New Testament word for glory signifies a radiance or brilliance. The glory of God is not an outward appearance, but the beauty, the radiance of His Spirit – the splendor of who He is and what He has done.

God could not, however, fully grant Moses’ request, for no man can see God and live, so He led Moses to a cleft in a rock and there placed His hand over Moses as His glory passed by.

After this encounter with the glory of God, Moses glowed so brilliantly that he had to wear a veil over his face when in the presence of others. The glory of God is not an outward beauty, it’s His greatness and His goodness and it can only be found in His presence. The more time we spend with God, the more we will reflect His glory.

~~~

Prayer: Father, Like Moses, we long to see you in all your glory. As you reveal yourself to us, may our spirits reflect you to the world around us.

Dig Deeper:  Read Exodus 33 & 34

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Face-time with the Mirror

Let’s take a good look at the way we’re living.

Let’s return to the Lord.

Lamentations 3:40 (nirv)

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles
FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When the New Year rolls around, our tendency is to review the past and set goals for the future. There's nothing wrong with that, but what about the here and now?  After all, we don't live in the past or the future.  If we do, that's a great topic for a different post, but today I want to look at the present.

Our focus verse in Lamentations says "Let's take a good look at the way we're (we are) living..."  right now.  In this moment, today, does our behavior and our thoughts reflect someone who is dedicated to living life for the Lord? Or does it more closely resemble living for ourselves or in sync with the way the world lives?

It's easy to fool those around us...to live one way before them and live an entirely different way when we're alone and no one is watching.  It's even easy to fool ourselves sometimes, but the Lord is watching 24/7. He knows our hearts, our attitudes, our thoughts and our coverups. We're not fooling him.

So, this is a perfect time to take a good look at the way we're living.  A little honest face-time in the mirror is in order. Some self-examination, some contemplative knee-time before the Lord, asking His opinion.  But don't just do this at the change of the calendar year. Do it on a continual basis, asking ourselves if the way we're living is leading us closer to the Lord or further away from Him. And if the answer is the latter, then the last part of our focus verse comes into play. "Let's return to the Lord."

Make this an ongoing practice in 2014 and you'll find that you don't stray too far before the Holy Spirit reminds you to turn around and head back to your First Love.

Have a Blessed New Year!


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2014 - Fear or Faith?

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  Isaiah 41:10

It's New Year's Eve. One of my personal traditions at this time is to take stock of the previous years, counting my many blessings, reviewing my choices, confessing any sin and looking forward with excitement to the coming New Year.

For me the New Year smacks of potential, adventure and opportunities. A sense of anticipation stirs in my spirit. I feel like a runner waiting for the starting gun to go off, but I know that for others, the New Year brings feelings of apprehension, anxiety and fear.  Many are facing financial crisis, a terrifying diagnosis or an uncertain future for whatever reason.

My heart aches for them. Especially those who don't have a vibrant relationship with the Lord. Where do they find their strength? Where do they turn for help? How do they face the future without His peace in their heart and the assurance that He will uphold them through all of life's troubles.

I tried it...going life alone. It wasn't fun. I messed it all up. Then the Father called out to me, gently drawing me to Himself. I surrendered and He filled me with the most incredible sense of well-being. It was His peace that surpassed all understanding. My life did not become a bed of roses. All my problems did not disappear, but I no longer have to go it alone. He has been with us every step of the way and He will do the same for you, my friend.

Just reach out to Him. This would be the perfect time to do that. Invite Him into your life and step into 2014 in faith, not fear, knowing that He is upholding you with His mighty right hand.

God bless you and Happy New Year!


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I've got a secret!

I woke up this morning and opened my eyes to find the Presence of God filling my room. It was as if He'd been sitting there, waiting for me to wake up so we could spend some time together and talk about what's been on our hearts. We did that and then He sent me on my way to face whatever the day might hold, with the assurance that He will be right here beside me all the way.

What a wonderful way to start the day!  It reminded me of a song from long ago, The Secret, which was actually a musical version of a poem by Ralph Cushman. Here's the poem...

"I met God in the morning"

 

I met God in the morning
when the day was at its best,
And His Presence came like sunrise,
Like a glory in my breast.

All day long the Presence lingered,
All day long He stayed with me,
And we sailed in perfect calmness
O'er a very troubled sea.

Other ships were blown and battered,
Other ships were sore distressed,
But the winds that seemed to drive them,
Brought to me a peace and rest.

Then I thought of other mornings,
With a keen remorse of mind,
When I too had loosed the moorings,
With the presence left behind.

So, I think I know the secret,
Learned from many a troubled way:
You must seek Him in the morning
If you want Him through the day!

That's the secret, my friend - You must seek Him in the morning, if you want Him through the day.

Does that mean that if you miss your time with Him in the morning that He won't be with you throughout the day? No, He promises us that He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6) and that He will always be with you (Matthew 28:20). 

The problem is that when we rush into our day without spending time with Him, we go through the day forgetting that He is with us. We struggle, needlessly through the day on our own.

So, do yourself a favor - start the day right by seeking Him in the morning. When you open your eyes tomorrow morning, just know that He has been waiting for you. Talk with Him.

Q. Have you ever spent a morning with God where His Presence was so real you could feel it?

Q. Have you ever rushed into the day and found yourself totally stressed out before you remembered to talk with God?

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Are You Missing the Point of Prayer?

 Prayer changes things us!

photo credit: mendhak via photopin cc

Prayer changes us on the inside, alters the way we think about things, what we think about and our attitudes toward things. The point of prayer is not to get things from God, but to open ourselves up to Him - to get to know Him - to allow Him to change those things in us that hinder our spiritual walk with Him.

Point to Ponder: Do I spend way more time in prayer trying to get God to change my circumstances or allowing Him change my character?

 
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What Penn Gillette (atheist) thought when someone gave him a Bible.

 What do you think avowed atheist, Penn Gillette thought about the man who gave him a Bible. Did he get angry? Tell the guy off? Laugh in his face?  Watch this video and find out...

The key was the man's sincerity, his caring attitude and his conviction that if a man is lost, the love of Christ within us should compel us to reach out with the truth.

Maybe we should care more about a man's destiny than what he might think of us if we shared our faith in a loving, non-confrontational way.

What do you think? Would you reach out to an atheist in love?

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Honest to God

photo courtesy mimwickett, rgbstock.com

"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires." Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)

You can be honest with God. He already knows your thoughts, your attitudes and your intentions, so just go ahead and open up to Him. He can handle it.

Often we're the ones who don't really know what's inside us. We pick up the Bible and as we read, we become aware of ugly thoughts, ungodly desires and bad attitudes that are lurking under the surface. God's word reveals this to us, not to condemn us, but so that we can openly confess these things to God and ask Him to forgive us and to change those things in us that are not pleasing to Him.

What freedom there is in knowing that we can be ourselves with God! We can tell him when we are hurt, angry, jealous or confused, knowing that He will lovingly listen and begin to work in our hearts as we trust Him and submit ourselves to Him.

Father, thank you that we can come to you with complete transparency, that we can share those things that are held deep within and that you will hear us and love us still. Thank you for your word, which reveals those things that hinder our spiritual growth. We ask that you change those things and replace them with Christ-like characteristics...for your glory, Lord. Amen

What things are you afraid to confess to God? Has God revealed things about yourself as you read His word that surprised you? Take time today to get honest with Him and let Him fill your heart and mind with godly thoughts and attitudes.

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Her Name is Katie

Today I met Katie. I don't know her last name or much about her. She was standing outside Chic-fil-a in 105 degree weather. Her face was bright red, her eyes dull and her clothes dirty. She didn't ask for money or something to eat. In fact she moved away from our car as we approached and went to stand up against the building.

"Do you think she's okay?" I asked my husband.

"I don't know," he said.

I started to back out of my parking space, all the while watching her in my rear view mirror. I started to pull away. "Do you think she's hungry?" I asked as I drove away slowly.

"Pull around and ask her," Lee said.

So I did. The answer was "yes".  

I parked the car and joined her on the sidewalk.  As I approached her she asked, "What makes you so nice?"

One word flew out of my mouth, "Jesus."

"Let's go inside and get you some dinner," I said.

She stared at me. "I can go in with you?"

"Of course you can. Why wouldn't you?"

"I don't want to embarrass you," she said. My heart broke.

Inside we ordered her dinner, then made our way to a cool booth. We chatted a bit while poor Lee waited in the car.

Her name is Katie. I'd judge her to be in her mid to late 60s. She's smart, articulate and interested in others...and she's homeless. She asked questions about me, my family, where I'm from. She told me her story briefly, further breaking my heart.

I kept thinking about my poor husband waiting outside in the hot car. I had to leave, but I really wanted to sit and talk with my new friend more. When I told her I had to go, she said, "When I asked you why you were so nice, you said Jesus...would you pray for me before you go?"

That had been my intention all along.  We prayed. "Your good at that," she said.

I shrugged, "God's easy to talk to."

"You've been praying for a long time," she said.

I nodded, then stood and gave her a long hug. "I'll be praying for you every day, Katie, and anytime I'm in this area, I'll be watching for you so that we can share a meal and have a chat."

Her response..."Thank you for hugging me."

I drove away with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. My husband says I (we) did what Jesus would have done, but I wish we could have done more. I wish, like the Good Samaritan, I could have taken her to an Inn and paid for her care. I wish I could have taken her to a doctor to have the sores on her legs tended. I wish I had room to invite her to stay with us until we could find a home for her, but our second bedroom is already in use by someone else we're helping.

I wish I could really do what Jesus would have done. He might have healed her on the spot.

The only thing I can do is pray for her daily, trusting that Jesus will help her...or give me the means to help her if I see her again.

If you think about Katie after reading this, please mention her to God in prayer. I know this precious woman will never leave my mind and my heart. I wish I could have done more.


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Trusting God When There's Not Enough Money

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

You know what I'm going to enjoy most about Heaven...well, being with God, of course, but second most, I'm going to enjoy not having to worry about money.

Seems like every time I turn around something needs repaired - car, truck...today it was the home air conditioning unit.  It would be wonderful if we had a well-stocked savings account when these things happened, but we don't. We're like millions of other people who just barely make it on our paycheck.

We've downsized until there's not much more we can cut out. We live frugally, shop at second-hand stores for most of our clothes and everything else. Shop at the least expensive grocery store in town, don't go out much and haven't been on vacation in 6 years.

Still, life keeps throwing these things at us. We've never really had credit card debt...until now. I hate putting things on a credit card, but what can you do when it's 107 degrees outside and your air conditioner breaks down? It would be nice if wages kept up with the cost of living, but even our employers are struggling.

Do you feel guilty about credit card debt? I do. The Bible talks about not being in debt to anyone and how the borrower is slave to the lender. Our pastor frequently encourages us to get out of debt, to live on less than we make, to save for emergencies, but how do you make that happen when you've already cut back to the bare bones and you're still just barely making it?


So, today the repair bill for the air conditioning unit added $669.00 to the credit card. Sigh...  I am not happy about that, but I can't imagine what it would be like not to have a card to put it on. We're facing 5 more months of triple digit temperatures. That's torture enough without having a place to escape from the heat.

Yep, sure looking forward to Heaven, where we won't have to deal with money, but until then, I will cling to the verse that says my God shall supply all my needs. I will trust Him, I'll keep giving my tithe and I will not let this stress me out. I'll take one day at a time, knowing that He is with me and will be with me through it all.

How about you?  How are you doing? Are money problems stressing you out? Do you find it difficult to trust God with your finances?

Father, we thank you that you have promised to meet our needs. You see that we do not spend frivolously and that we are faithful in giving. We rest in your loving care and trust you to bring in the money to pay down our debt as we apply ourselves to working our jobs and being wise with our spending. Thank you for the peace that settles in our hearts, displacing worry. We trust you. Amen


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Pray Believing

"Men may, and often do, pray without faith (though this is not true prayer), but it is not thinkable that men should have faith and not pray. 

The biblical formula is "the prayer of faith." Prayer and faith are here bound together by the little preposition of, and what God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Faith is only genuine as it eventuates into prayer. 

When Tennyson wrote "More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of," he probably uttered a truth of vaster significance than even he understood. While it is not always possible to trace an act of God to its prayer-cause, it is yet safe to say that prayer is back of everything that God does for the sons of men here upon earth. One would gather as much from a simple reading of the Scriptures. 

What profit is there in prayer? Much in every way. Whatever God can do, faith can do, and whatever faith can do prayer can do when it is offered in faith. An invitation to prayer is, therefore, an invitation to omnipotence, for prayer engages the Omnipotent God and brings Him into our human affairs. Nothing is impossible to the man who prays in faith, just as nothing is impossible with God. 

This generation has yet to prove all that prayer can do for believing men and women."

 ~ AW Tozer

 God would not ask us - command us to pray unless He had every intention of answering prayer. Why then, do we sometimes feel that our prayers have gone unanswered?

Perhaps it's because we did not pray in faith, believing that He would answer.

Or, perhaps He answered, but we did not like the answer. Let's admit it, we want God to answer our prayers the way we think is best. 

Complete healing...and fast.
Loved ones saved...today.
Finances sorted out...yesterday.

And when that doesn't happen, we assume that God hasn't heard or answered.

Sometimes His answer is "no," because He wants us to walk through the difficulty in order to learn more about His all-sufficient grace or because He us using the trial to shape our character more into the image of Christ.

And we have to be okay with that - He is, after all...God.

Read God's word, see what things are in His will, then pray with faith, believing...but don't stress if the answer is "no," because He is building a greater faith in you than you know.

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Build-Your-Own-World Games

You've seen them - all those games out there where you build your own world, farm, amusement park, zoo, etc.

You usually begin with a blank slate, then start adding landscaping, buildings, furniture, animals and more. You keep improving your world until you put the last piece in place and consider it perfect.

Some may think that God created the world like that. He began with a blank slate then added the heavens and earth, sky, then dry land, plant life, heavenly bodies, sun, moon & stars...then he stood back and said, "Hmmm...what else would look cool here."

So he added all sorts of fish, birds and flying insects and after that all the creatures that live on dry land. He game all of them the ability to reproduce.

Once again he stood back and wondered what more he could add to his world. Maybe something in his own image that could talk, reason, choose...so he created man and plunked him down as the finishing touch of his masterpiece and called it all good.

THIS IS NOT THE WAY IT HAPPENED!

Ephesians 1:4 says...

Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. (MSG)

 God didn't create us to inhabit the Earth...He designed the Earth to sustain us - because he had already conceived us in his mind as the focus of his love.

If that doesn't make you feel special, I don't know what will.

Next time you take a look at the world around you, mountains, oceans, flowers, animals, plants that grow food - take a moment to consider that all that was placed here to sustain your life because God loves you. You were not an afterthought in creation - you were the FIRST thought!

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Are you a fan or a follower?

photo credit: Scott Ableman via photopin cc

"My concern is that many of our churches in America have gone from being sanctuaries to becoming stadiums. And every week all the fans come to the stadium where they cheer for Jesus but have no interest in truly following him. The biggest threat to the church today is fans who call themselves Christians but aren't actually interested in following Christ. They want to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it requires anything from them." (quote from Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman)*

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23

Salvation is free, but that doesn't mean it doesn't cost something.

It cost Jesus his very life, the surrendering of his human will to the will of the Father. It cost him time as he ministered to the throngs that followed him day and sleep as he prayed through many a night. It cost him acceptance - the religious leaders scorned him and the secular leaders plotted his demise. It meant giving his all for those who would reject him and ridicule him . Yes, it cost him plenty, but he was willing to pay the price for those who would believe and receive him, for those who would fall in love with him and enjoy a restored relationship with the Father through him.

And then he tells us that if we want to be his disciple (a Christ follower), we must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily and follow him.

Salvation is free, but being a Christ follower will cost us, just as it did Jesus. It will mean total surrender to his purposes for our lives, laying our will aside for his will. Ministering to others who may or may not appreciate it. Sharing the message of God's love even if it means that those who hear will ridicule us and toss the message back in our face. But we will sacrifice, and we'll do it for those who will hear and receive the message and invite Christ into their lives. For those who will then carry the message to others, that they will come to know forgiveness and restoration through Christ.

Surrender - that word has come to have a negative connotation today. Giving up, giving in, defeat, failure, but that's not what happens when we surrender to God. We lose nothing when we surrender to Him...and we gain everything. Doing life our way usually ends in despair and destruction. Surrendering to the One who love us immeasurably and has wonderful plans for our lives can never be a bad thing. It brings freedom, confidence, peace, joy and strength through the hard times in life.

We're never alone when we walk with Christ, so let this be the day when you surrender to the One who created you to the One who gives purpose and meaning to your life. Surrender and walk in freedom.

How? Simply pray (talk to God) and let Him know that you are His for life.

God is not looking for fans...He's looking for followers. Men and women that will humble themselves and seek His face. Fall in love with him. Surrender their lives, then allow God to use them to reach others.

Is that you?

Are you a fan or a follower?



*Recommended reading:
 

Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus
by Kyle Idleman


Are you a follower of Jesus? Don't answer too quickly. In fact, you may want to read this book before you answer at all. Consider it a 'Define the Relationship' conversation to determine exactly where you stand. You may indeed be a passionate, fully devoted follower of Jesus. Or, you may be just a fan who admires Jesus but isn't ready to let him cramp your style. Then again, maybe you're not into Jesus, period. In any case, don't take the question---Are you a follower of Jesus?---lightly. Some people don't know what they've said yes to and other people don't realize what they've said no to, says Pastor Kyle Idleman. But Jesus is ready to clearly define the relationship he wants with his followers. Not a Fan calls you to consider the demands and rewards of being a true disciple. With frankness sprinkled with humor, Idleman invites you to live the way Jesus lived, love the way he loved, pray the way he prayed, and never give up living for the One who gave his all for you.

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Do we really believe this?

As I listened to a sermon this morning based on the 23rd Psalm, I was blown away. I've been a Christ follower for over 35 years and I've heard and read Psalm 23 many, many times. It's a beautiful passage of scripture that flows with poetry, with beauty - it's comforting, peaceful and reassuring. But today I discovered the challenge hidden within it's verses. See if you can spot it.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

So where's the challenge? 

The challenge is found in living

as if we really believe the promises

of this passage. 

Do we really believe that we lack nothing?

If so, why do we whine about what we don't have?

Why don't we just trust that whatever we need, God will supply?

Why are we afraid to give generously?

Are we afraid that if we do, God will punish, rather than bless by not giving us what we need?

Do we really believe that God will guide us along the right path?

If so, why do we wrack our brains trying to figure out our next move?

Why do we stress and lose sleep over what we should do?

Why are we afraid of the future? 

Do we really believe that God is able to prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies?

That He could give us enough peace and protection to be able to sit down and enjoy a meal in the midsts of  a dangerous situation?

If so, why are we afraid to minister to the homeless, to those who live in crime-ridden areas, to those who are in prison, to those in foreign countries?

Are we really convinced that God will protect us?

Do we really believe that God will anoint us to do any work He calls us to do?

If so, why do we hesitate when He calls us to step into a leadership position?

To teach a Sunday School class? To lead a Small Group?

Why do we shrink back when He prompts us to reach out to the seemingly unreachable?

Seriously...do we really believe the Word?

With God for us, who can stand against us?

What can they do to us?

Kill us?

Oh, please...don't make us go to Heaven!

This morning, my eyes have been opened.

I'm praying that I never again let fear keep me from doing something brave for God.

I'm praying that I never again let my perception of lack keep me from stepping out in faith.

I'm praying that I never again allow well-meaning people talk me out of doing something outrageous for the One who loves me, protects me, provides for me, equips me and anoints me.

I pray that I will take Him at His Word, for when we are bold enough to do that, to live like we believe it, the world will sit up and take notice...not of us, but of our Almighty God.

God's promise is this...

Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Believe it!

And live like you believe it!

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