Have you ever seen a mustard seed? It's tiny and round. Jesus said over in the book of Luke "And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea'; and it would obey you." Wow. That's some serious faith!
We attend our places of worship every Sunday or at least most of us do! It's very easy there to practice our faith and say that we have faith. Here are a few questions to ponder:
1. What about when the checkbook says you have little left and you need to tithe?
2. What about when your job is on the line?
3. What about when a family member finds out horrible news?
Faith it's the biggest 5 letter word i the entire Bible and in the dictionary. Also in the new testament Jesus said, "Faith without works is dead. James 2:26. It means that we must put some action to that faith. No, I"m not talking about "name it claim it theology." Never in my Christian faith have I believed that I can say God I believe you're going to give me money and then dollars start falling from the sky. I don't believe that is scriptural at all. That is my own personal belief. I"m talking like tithing when we should despite what the check book says. It's God at work. He promised to provide for our needs. Faith, such a big word and so easy to practice on Sunday morning! If we all just had a little more faith huh?!!! Trust me, I'm in the boat with ya!
Here's an anagram I saw on Faith several years ago and it's never left me. I felt led to share it with you today!
F-orsaking
A-ll
I-
T-ake
H-im
So, I would like to challenge you to put your Sunday morning faith into practice all week long! Go ahead, trust God! He knows your need, He's just waiting on us to exercise a little faith!
Let's pray:
Dear Lord,
It's so easy to trust you on Sunday mornings while I sit in my pew. Your word says faith without works is dead. Help me to put my faith into action during this week. Most importantly let others see Jesus in me. In Jesus' Name I pray-Amen
Monday, December 5, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
When God says wait and things don't go your way!
Prayer! It's our direct communication with God! I don't know about you, but I've been guilty of asking God for stuff on an emergency basis and expecting Him to answer me right then and there. In my opinion, it's really sad. It must truly break His heart. On Sunday mornings we go to church and we give God all of our burdens and we expect Him to answer us on a dime depending on how dire we feel our situation is. Here's the other real clincher, you know God's Holy Bible?!!! Do you know that normally most folks have to dust it off to bring it to church on Sunday because it's the only day it ever gets read? Oh How we must break the heart of our merciful Savior.
Recently God has been speaking to me about these people in the new testament that I know very well. He keeps bringing it up in my life. I mean like about 12 times in the past year. He's speaking to me on different issues and using two different stories with the same people. So, I thought, why not...Let's have a quick look at it together.
The first scripture reference is: John 11:1-44. Yes, it's the whole chapter but there's so much to be found in those verses. There's a couple of verse I want us to look at though. Take a good look at verses 17-18....The first fact is:
Let's tie all this together! Remember those emergency prayers we pray on Sunday mornings?!!! Remember that Bible we are sometimes guilty of grabbing just on Sunday morning?!!! Jesus is always in the neighborhood! He's a prayer away and he's never to early, never too late but He's always on time! If you find yourself in a difficult situation, please know that He knows all about it, He'll show up at the appointed time and in just a way that His Father gets the glory.
Take a listen at the song below and let it bless you!
Let's Pray:
Father, thank you that you hear and answer prayer even when it's not in ,my time frame! Help me to see that when you're 4 days late you're always just on time! Forgive me for my emergency prayers expecting you to answer on a dime. Help me to be more like Jesus every day! In Jesus' Name I pray-Amen.
Recently God has been speaking to me about these people in the new testament that I know very well. He keeps bringing it up in my life. I mean like about 12 times in the past year. He's speaking to me on different issues and using two different stories with the same people. So, I thought, why not...Let's have a quick look at it together.
The first scripture reference is: John 11:1-44. Yes, it's the whole chapter but there's so much to be found in those verses. There's a couple of verse I want us to look at though. Take a good look at verses 17-18....The first fact is:
- Lazarus had been dead for 4 DAYS. That would've made Jesus 4 Days late to the average human.
- Bethany was A FEW MILES DOWN THE ROAD from Jerusalem. Jesus was RIGHT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD practically.
Let's tie all this together! Remember those emergency prayers we pray on Sunday mornings?!!! Remember that Bible we are sometimes guilty of grabbing just on Sunday morning?!!! Jesus is always in the neighborhood! He's a prayer away and he's never to early, never too late but He's always on time! If you find yourself in a difficult situation, please know that He knows all about it, He'll show up at the appointed time and in just a way that His Father gets the glory.
Take a listen at the song below and let it bless you!
Let's Pray:
Father, thank you that you hear and answer prayer even when it's not in ,my time frame! Help me to see that when you're 4 days late you're always just on time! Forgive me for my emergency prayers expecting you to answer on a dime. Help me to be more like Jesus every day! In Jesus' Name I pray-Amen.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Beyond Sunday Morning: Let's talk about the Tongue
Words! We use them to communicate! They can either be helpful or harmful. There's one truth about words; once they leave your mouth you can't take them back. Over and over in my young life I've heard them! I've often used words that I honestly wished I could take back.
Let's apply this to Sunday morning! Normally we're asked how we're doing by some sweet sister or brother in our congregations! A majority of the time we say we're ok, but are we really?! Sunday happens to be satan's favorite day of the week. He makes sure that husbands and wives get at odds with each other and by the end of it all there's sure to be some hurtful words spoken. He'll even let the kids get in an uproar. Satan is not dumb. However, week after week we put on our smiling faces and exclaim that we are simply fine even after just having a HUGE uproar in our families on the way to church.
Now let's share God's Word together and see what it has to say about the tongue.
You're at work and a person comes in and is just as needy as can be. It's early and you aren't a morning person to begin with and your first encounter is with this person who is needy. Their attitude is horrible and they are in a hurry. Our human nature is to be snippy with them. It's our flesh and old sinful nature that wants to hop right back in the driver seat and just blast them away. However, God's word says, " But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger" James 1:19
So, this week I would like to encourage you to pray that God will guard your mouth and that He will use you to encourage people this week instead of using hurtful words to tear them down or to discourage them.
Let's Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Hallowed is thy name.! God thank you that your mercies are new each morning. Great is thy faithfulness to me oh God. Lord your word says that I should be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger. So, Lord that is my prayer this week. Help me to use encouraging words this week so that others can see Jesus in me. I love you Lord. In Jesus' Name I pray-Amen
Let's apply this to Sunday morning! Normally we're asked how we're doing by some sweet sister or brother in our congregations! A majority of the time we say we're ok, but are we really?! Sunday happens to be satan's favorite day of the week. He makes sure that husbands and wives get at odds with each other and by the end of it all there's sure to be some hurtful words spoken. He'll even let the kids get in an uproar. Satan is not dumb. However, week after week we put on our smiling faces and exclaim that we are simply fine even after just having a HUGE uproar in our families on the way to church.
Now let's share God's Word together and see what it has to say about the tongue.
- Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. Proverbs 21:23.
- Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Psalm 34:13
- A time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;Ecclesiastes 3:7
You're at work and a person comes in and is just as needy as can be. It's early and you aren't a morning person to begin with and your first encounter is with this person who is needy. Their attitude is horrible and they are in a hurry. Our human nature is to be snippy with them. It's our flesh and old sinful nature that wants to hop right back in the driver seat and just blast them away. However, God's word says, " But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger" James 1:19
So, this week I would like to encourage you to pray that God will guard your mouth and that He will use you to encourage people this week instead of using hurtful words to tear them down or to discourage them.
Let's Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Hallowed is thy name.! God thank you that your mercies are new each morning. Great is thy faithfulness to me oh God. Lord your word says that I should be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger. So, Lord that is my prayer this week. Help me to use encouraging words this week so that others can see Jesus in me. I love you Lord. In Jesus' Name I pray-Amen
Monday, November 7, 2011
Beyond Sunday Morning: Let's Talk About Temptation!
It's another week! Sunday morning is gone and now it's time to enter the mission field! Every day we actually enter the mission field but it's what we do and what others seeing us do that either points them to Jesus or leads them in the other direction.
Today we're going to talk about a dirty word called Temptation. All of us face temptation. Jesus even was tempted by Satan. In Luke 4:1-13 Jesus is in the wilderness for 40 days and Satan does everything he can to tempt Jesus. He tests Jesus' deity and calls on Him to perform different miracles to include turning stone into bread. Finally, Jesus speaks, "Jesus responded, the scriptures also say, Do not test the Lord your God." Jesus resisted Satan by quoting the Bible!
Now let's look at something that's more relevant to you and I today. Temptation can come in many forms. It can be food, television, pornography, gossip, the internet. Satan never paints an ugly picture. He makes it real appealing and then he begins to whisper lies to us such as, it won't hurt to do it just once. You probably won't even get caught. The devil is full of schemes and he knows exactly where we are weak. So, I encourage you to do exactly what Jesus did. USE GOD'S Word on Him and He will flee (James 4:7). Also in the new Testament is the full armour of God. Also being properly armed will be of great benefit! Ephesians 6:11-18.
So this week as you go about in your mission field I pray you will use God's Holy Word to resist temptation!
Let's Pray:
Heavenly Father, thank you for another day to worship and serve you! Lord, even you experienced temptation during your earthly ministry. Help me to put on the full armour of God so that I can resist the devil when he comes around to tempt me. Thank you that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and that greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world! Help me to be a true light to those in darkness in the current mission field you've placed me in! I love you Lord!
In Jesus' Name I pray-Amen
Today we're going to talk about a dirty word called Temptation. All of us face temptation. Jesus even was tempted by Satan. In Luke 4:1-13 Jesus is in the wilderness for 40 days and Satan does everything he can to tempt Jesus. He tests Jesus' deity and calls on Him to perform different miracles to include turning stone into bread. Finally, Jesus speaks, "Jesus responded, the scriptures also say, Do not test the Lord your God." Jesus resisted Satan by quoting the Bible!
Now let's look at something that's more relevant to you and I today. Temptation can come in many forms. It can be food, television, pornography, gossip, the internet. Satan never paints an ugly picture. He makes it real appealing and then he begins to whisper lies to us such as, it won't hurt to do it just once. You probably won't even get caught. The devil is full of schemes and he knows exactly where we are weak. So, I encourage you to do exactly what Jesus did. USE GOD'S Word on Him and He will flee (James 4:7). Also in the new Testament is the full armour of God. Also being properly armed will be of great benefit! Ephesians 6:11-18.
So this week as you go about in your mission field I pray you will use God's Holy Word to resist temptation!
Let's Pray:
Heavenly Father, thank you for another day to worship and serve you! Lord, even you experienced temptation during your earthly ministry. Help me to put on the full armour of God so that I can resist the devil when he comes around to tempt me. Thank you that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and that greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world! Help me to be a true light to those in darkness in the current mission field you've placed me in! I love you Lord!
In Jesus' Name I pray-Amen
Monday, October 31, 2011
From Sunday Morning Service to Monday Morning Blues
Sunday, it's the day where we Christians (those of us who have a relationship with Jesus Christ) go to church! We go to Bible Study, worship, and then normally home to spend time with family, friends or loved ones! It's our day of rest too!
While at church it's easy to smile and say all the right things! People will pass us in the hall headed into worship or Sunday School and ask us, How are you? 90% of the time we'll say oh I'm fine or good! We're around people with whom we have a common bond on Sunday mornings! It's real easy to reflect Jesus at our places of worship. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE WEEK?!!!
Today we'll look at a case of somebody in the New Testament whose walk normally matched their talk until one day their faith was challenged! In Mark Chapter 14 Jesus celebrates the last supper with His disciples, then he says to Peter in vs 30. "Peter, Jesus replied, "the truth is this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." Then in vs 31 Peter speaks. This is where He says He'll stand up for Jesus....."No!" Peter insisted. "Not even if I have to die with you! I will never deny you!" And all the others vowed the same. Fast forward to verses 66-67. Peter encounters a servant girl who worked for one of the high priests. She says to him, "You were one of those with Jesus, the Nazarene. In verses 68-71 Peter denies Jesus three different times. You see it was easy for Peter to give "lip service" if you will to Jesus and tell him he would never deny Him, but it was when His faith was called into question that he faltered.
Now let's apply this to our week. It's quite easy to sing Victory in Jesus on Sunday Morning, but what about on Monday morning when you are headed to work and your tire goes flat? Let's suppose you have a rude customer. Trust me we've all had them and it's not always easy to act like Jesus when somebody is being rude to you. The real question becomes even on Monday morning: DO others truly see Jesus in you?!!!
Here's a verse for you to carry with you this week: Phillippians 2:5 "Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had."
Let's pray:
Heavenly Father thank you for this day. Your word says This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. Lord, it's so easy to be a Christian in the pew on Sunday mornings. Today I pray that you would help us to have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. It is my sincerest prayer that others can truly see Jesus in me this week. I pray all this in Jesus' Name-Amen
While at church it's easy to smile and say all the right things! People will pass us in the hall headed into worship or Sunday School and ask us, How are you? 90% of the time we'll say oh I'm fine or good! We're around people with whom we have a common bond on Sunday mornings! It's real easy to reflect Jesus at our places of worship. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE WEEK?!!!
Today we'll look at a case of somebody in the New Testament whose walk normally matched their talk until one day their faith was challenged! In Mark Chapter 14 Jesus celebrates the last supper with His disciples, then he says to Peter in vs 30. "Peter, Jesus replied, "the truth is this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." Then in vs 31 Peter speaks. This is where He says He'll stand up for Jesus....."No!" Peter insisted. "Not even if I have to die with you! I will never deny you!" And all the others vowed the same. Fast forward to verses 66-67. Peter encounters a servant girl who worked for one of the high priests. She says to him, "You were one of those with Jesus, the Nazarene. In verses 68-71 Peter denies Jesus three different times. You see it was easy for Peter to give "lip service" if you will to Jesus and tell him he would never deny Him, but it was when His faith was called into question that he faltered.
Now let's apply this to our week. It's quite easy to sing Victory in Jesus on Sunday Morning, but what about on Monday morning when you are headed to work and your tire goes flat? Let's suppose you have a rude customer. Trust me we've all had them and it's not always easy to act like Jesus when somebody is being rude to you. The real question becomes even on Monday morning: DO others truly see Jesus in you?!!!
Here's a verse for you to carry with you this week: Phillippians 2:5 "Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had."
Let's pray:
Heavenly Father thank you for this day. Your word says This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. Lord, it's so easy to be a Christian in the pew on Sunday mornings. Today I pray that you would help us to have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. It is my sincerest prayer that others can truly see Jesus in me this week. I pray all this in Jesus' Name-Amen
Saturday, October 15, 2011
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