Adoption July 31, 2017

John 1:12-13New International Version (NIV)

12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

We live in a time and culture of rights. "It's my right to ___." Just fill in the blank. But we don't have a right to be God's child. We are given that right by God's grace. This right came to us at great cost to God. Jesus' came to earth, lived, died and was raised from the dead. We receive this grace through faith: God gives us new birth as we trust in Jesus as Lord and we are baptized and reborn through the power of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-7; Titus 3:3-7). To be born of God, to be born from above, to be born "again" is the gift of adoption into God's family and brings us all the rights of heirs in God's house (Galatians 3:26-29; Galatians 4:1-7). So let's not take this grace, this blessing, this adoption, this right for granted! We are God's children right now (1 John 3:1-3). Let's give thanks for this grace and live like we belong.

Thought for today: Do I honor my “adoption”?

This Little Light Of Mine July 30, 2017

Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Our life will not be neutral. We will either point others away from God or show them that allegiance to God is important. Let's make an intentional effort today to shine the light of God's holiness and grace in all we do and say.

Thought for today: Do my actions and words make my belief attractive?

You Just Have To Do It July 29, 2017

Psalm 119:93 (NIV)

93 I will never forget your precepts,
    for by them you have preserved my life.

Much like the rules parents have for young children — don't drink what's under the cabinet, don't play in the street, don't walk out from behind parked cars... — God's guidance is not to restrict us, but to protect us. His commands, both positive and prohibitive, are for our protection and perfection. By them we find life and have it preserved. (The Old Testament Law had all sorts of cleanliness laws that did not make any sense at all until thousands of years after they were written when we began to understand bacteria and viruses. All through these years, the Israelites were preserved by God's command when they had no real understanding why God had given the laws in the first place.)

Thought for today: Do I follow the rules?

Stay Focused July 28, 2017

Philippians 3:14 (NIV)

14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

The way to walk a tightrope is to keep ones sight on the goal, never looking down to the ground nor over our shoulder at what is behind. The way to walk with Jesus is to keep our eye on the goal, his victory waiting for us when he returns, not on the ground (our failures) and not what is behind (our accomplishments). The goal of the Christian walk is to keep walking toward Jesus until we walk with him in heaven.

Thought for today: Am I easily distracted?

Anchors Away July 27, 2017

Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

With all the great heroes of the Bible, both big and small, we can do God's work with confidence. But to boldly go where he wants us to go, we must first be willing to let go of the sin that entangles our lives, distorts our vision, enlarges our doubts, and robs us of our spiritual vitality and stamina.

Thought for today: Am I willing to let go of the things that bind me?

Only Believe July 26, 2017

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

While the road ahead of us may be clouded with questions and concerns, we can look back and see the many ways God has acted in our behalf to get us to the places we need to be. But more than just us, we see his work through history and we can take assurance that his promises are true and his victory in us is assured.

Thought for today:  Can I trust God enough to wait on Him?

Without Works July 25, 2017

Psalm 119:60(NIV)

60 I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.

Obedience is faith put into practice. Without action, James 2 reminds us that our faith is not real. So without arguing, let's quickly obey, even when we don't fully understand why because we've seen God's love demonstrated to us in Jesus, and we've seen the protection that his will has for us when we obey him.

Thought for today: Do I actively engage in faith without works?

Is Generosity A Fault? July 24, 2017

Psalm 112:5 (NIV)

5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
    who conduct their affairs with justice.

Generosity is love expressed in practical ways with joy. Generosity and justice are two character traits more needed in our selfish world. They come from a heart touched by grace and from a Father who is gracious.

Thought for today: Am I generous?

Never Out Of Sight , Out Of Mind July 23, 2017

Matthew 19:14 (NIV)

14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Jesus' love for children in an age when they weren't highly regarded is a powerful reminder. It is a reminder of God's love for what the world often abuses or abandons. We are called to love the unloved, the forgotten, the abused and neglected. Why? Because that is what Israel was in Egypt and that is what Jesus was at Calvary and that is what we were without grace (Romans 5:6-11). How can we claim to know salvation and not share it with others who need that grace!? How can we claim to be Jesus' disciples and not show love for those the world forgets?

Thought for today: Do I remember the “forgotten”?

What About You ? July 22, 2017

Matthew 16:15-16 (NIV)

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

There is no other name under heaven that can save us (Acts 4:12). We are to confess Jesus before men, knowing that when we do, we can be sure he will confess us before the Father in heaven. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, our Savior and Lord. We may not know all the theological gravity behind those words — after all, Peter didn't when he confessed Jesus as Christ — but we can make a commitment to know him and follow him until we do know more. Jesus asks us to open our hearts to his lordship and begin the journey toward fuller knowledge and experience of him.

Thought for today: Do I seek to expand my knowledge of God? Is my worship a ritual?

The Center Of It All July 21, 2017

Psalm 119:30 (NIV)

30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
    I have set my heart on your laws.

Jesus reminded us to "pick up your cross daily and follow" him. The way of truth is a daily choice. To not seek to intentionally put him at the center of our life, the top priority in all of our decisions, is to slip a little bit further away from the life he calls us to lead. Any decision made without consciously seeking to please him is a decision to place him at the periphery of our lives. So let's set our heart on him. Let's choose his way, the way of truth, the way of life, and set our hearts on doing his will.

Thought for today: Do I seek Him/His guidance?

Embrace The Grace July 20, 2017

1 John 1:7 (NIV)

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

As we seek to please God and trust in his grace, more grace is supplied — we are given relationship with each other. And while Jesus' death was "once for all," its cleansing power goes on and on as long as our hearts are tuned to his grace and our hearts seek to walk his path.

Thought for today: Do I acknowledge grace in its entirety?

Fear Puts Life On Pause July 19, 2017

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

10 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.

Fear saps our will power and leaves us feeling depleted and hopeless. Yet very few of us have ever experienced a defeat so complete and bitter as the one God's people faced when Isaiah shared this message of hope. The preservation of Israel through their horrors to the time of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead when all appeared lost, the triumph of the Church through centuries of persecution and opposition are all powerful reminders that underneath us are the everlasting arms of a mighty and loving God who will ultimately bring us to share in his eternal victory.

Thought for today: Do I give in to fear?

Praise Is What We Do! July 18, 2017

Psalm 119:7 (NIV)

7 I will praise you with an upright heart
    as I learn your righteous laws.

Praise is integrally connected with our character. So for us to worship God, the intent of our hearts and the effort of our lives must show the determined desire to know and live his will. While we will never do this perfectly, grace covers us as we seek to live for his glory. But that grace must never be used as a pretense to excuse spiritual laziness or intentional weakness.

Thought for today: Does God consistently hear me praise?

The Message July 17, 2017

Romans 1:16 (NIV)

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

For the rich and poor, young and old, weak and strong, thin and heavy, there is still just one message and one name and one story that makes the eternal difference. That one message, story, and name are announced in the gospel — God's good news to the world in Jesus Christ. God's good news of life in the story of Jesus Christ is The Story and The Message and The Hope for all.

Though for today: What is my message?

Where God Dwells July 16, 2017

Colossians 2:9-10 (NIV)

9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.

If you had known Jesus' address in Nazareth along about A.D. 20, you could have gone to that house and said, "God lives here!" While the doctrine of Jesus being fully God and fully man — fully God yet having emptied himself of all of his divine privilege (Phil. 2:5-7) — is nearly impossible to fully understand, it is the awesome reality of grace. God chose to be like us because we could not be like him. God came down to us because we could not ascend to him. In Jesus, God came to us in fullness so we could be full in him.

Thought for today: Would God be at home with me?

Feeling Dirty July 15, 2017

James 1:21 (NIV)

21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Isn't it true! When we find ourselves caught in the clutches of the moral filth of our culture, we find the Word of God boring and irrelevant. Yet even in those moments when Satan uses sin to harden our hearts, God's Spirit calls us to change at a level deeper than just the mere understanding of the words of Scripture. Thank God for his Spirit which can use his Word like a surgeon's scalpel and do the needed surgery on our hearts.

Thought for today:  Do I allow worldly opinion to become my opinion?

Obedience July 14, 2017

John 15:10 (NIV)

10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

Love is not just a feeling. Love is action. For believers, the action that most shows our love for Jesus is for us to be obedient to his words, his will, and his example.

Thought for today: Do I follow and set an example?

Exalted July 13, 2017

Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV)

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

When Jesus is exalted, when his name is praised and his glory confessed, God is honored and blessed. Praise be the glorious name of Jesus of Nazareth, our great Messiah the Christ, Savior, Son of God, and conquering King!

Thought for today: Do I exalt God or do I use words like luck, Karma and opportunity?

Seeking God July 12, 2017

Matthew 4:4 (NIV)

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Like Esau, we get so diverted by the mundane things of life and the growling of our bellies, we forget the longer range view of things. God's Word, his written Word the Bible, his demonstrated Word in Jesus, and his proclaimed Word in the Gospel are what can sustain us eternally. This is the living bread we seek.

Thought for today: Do I allow things to distract me from seeking God?

He’s Familiar July 11, 2017

Jeremiah 32:17 (NIV)

17 “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

In the immense expanse of our universe, with its billions upon billions of stars, where our own tiny blue planet is but a small speck of sand on an inestimable seashore, God knows us each personally. Such knowledge it too wonderful to be true, and yet it is! God has shown us his love in Jesus to remind us that he not only knows us, but he cares for us and longs to bring us to himself.

Thought for today: Do I embrace the connection?

God’s Work July 10, 2017

Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

God finished his creation work in the world in 6 days. He sustains it with his powerful word. He is still working on us and in us and he will continue to work his will in us to his glory (see Philippians 2:12-13) until Christ comes to take us home!

Thought for today: Do I hinder God’s work?

His Power July 9, 2017

Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Of all the names for God in the Bible, this is my favorite: "Him who is Able to Do Immeasurably More." Our God is the same God who parted the Red Sea and fed 5,000 on a green hillside with only a couple of sardine sandwiches. He longs to do more than we can ask or imagine! Unfortunately most of us haven't really given him much of a challenge with our wimpy dreams and shallow prayers. Let's dream big dreams for God. Then hang on for the ride that is more than we can even imagine!

Thought for today: Do I utilize God’s power to its fullest potential?

He Is Still In Control July 8, 2017

Psalm 138:2 (NIV)

2 I will bow down toward your holy temple
    and will praise your name
    for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
    that it surpasses your fame.

For Christians, God's temple is one of two related things: either the Christian's body (1 Cor. 6:19-20) or the group of people who make up his Church (1 Cor. 3:16). Because of the flaws in people who make up our churches, many are hypercritical of their hypocrisy. But God's Church is precious to him, and should be to us. Anyone who destroys his Church through division will be utterly destroyed. God's faithfulness to his people is seen in his preservation of the Church through all the ravages and persecutions of history and his patience with the flawed people who are in his Church. But, God is still the center of the Church and he alone is to be exalted. The Church is still to be governed by his Word and not just their own will.

Thought for today: Can I walk away from dissent, leaving God to reveal himself?

God’s Protection July 7, 2017

Psalm 18:30 (NIV)

30 As for God, his way is perfect:
    The Lord’s word is flawless;
    he shields all who take refuge in him.

God is a shield whose Word can be trusted. His way is not only true, but it is also life-giving. But, we must take refuge in him if his flawless word and his perfect way are going to be blessings and his presence is going to bless us as our shield. Our allegiance, reliance, and dependence must be voluntarily placed in him and lives must be committed to living by flawless word.

Thought for today: Am I completely committed to the word?

Everlasting July 6, 2017

Matthew 24:35 (NIV)

35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

What do you have that will last? Not much — the love you have for God and his children, the praise you offer him, and the Word he has spoken to us through his Spirit, the prophets, and his Son Jesus. Invest in these things and you will never be without lasting truth, blessing, and hope!

Thought for today:  What are you investing in?

Praising God July 5, 2017

Isaiah 12:4 (NIV)

4 In that day you will say:

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
    make known among the nations what he has done,
    and proclaim that his name is exalted.

It is wrong to think God's love for the nations began only with Jesus and the Great Commission. Remember Jonah's preaching to save Israel's great enemy, Nineveh? Remember the precious story of Ruth, a foreigner grafted into the lineage of King David and ultimately Jesus the Messiah? God loves all people and wants them to come to share in his grace. As Christians, we are his salt and light. We are here to touch all the peoples of the world and beckon them to come back to the one Father who truly loves them.

Thought for today: Is my life an invitation/imitation to my God?

gods In Our Lives July 4,2017

Psalm 33:12 (NIV)

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people he chose for his inheritance.

What is the god of our culture and our nation? Certainly our God is the LORD, Yahweh, King of Israel and Redeemer of the lost. He is King of all nations. But he is not necessarily God of our nation. We are far from "one nation under God." But we can pray for revival to sweep our land. We can repent for not placing him first in our own lives. He has promised to respond if we will humble ourselves and seek him. Let's do that beginning today!

Thought for today: What do I allow to guide my actions ?

How Tall Do I Stand ? July 3, 2017

Proverbs 14:34 (NIV)

34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
    but sin condemns any people.

Wow, what an indictment. When we vote our pocketbook more than character and when we excuse the indiscretions, infidelities, and illegalities in the leaders of both political parties, we have reached a very sad state indeed! But before we rant and rave about the sad state of morality in our public officials, let's make sure we're honest in our own daily lives — that we don't say cruel things about others, that we remain faithful to our marriages and our purity vows, and let's make sure that we expect of ourselves higher standards than we do of others.

Thought for today: What is the moral standard of measure for my character?

Heart’s Protection July 2, 2017

Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NIV)

9 The heart is deceitful above all things
    and beyond cure.
    Who can understand it?

10 “I the Lord search the heart
    and examine the mind,
to reward each person according to their conduct,
    according to what their deeds deserve.”

Jesus told us that what is in our heart ultimately works its way out into our public life. The great wise man of Proverbs told us to guard our heart because it is the well spring of our life. Jeremiah wants us to know that God knows our heart. At Heartlight, we want to stress the importance of what goes into our hearts because it really makes a difference in what goes on inside our heart. Invite the Lord into what you do and think and read and watch and hear. Ask him to remove deceit and help you see if what you are doing is really worthy of your time and interest.

Thought for today: Does everything have access to my heart?

A Matter Of Pride July 1, 2017

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NIV)

16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Pride does go before a fall! Try balancing these two truths: "I must not be prideful, but I must understand just how much God values me." It's not easy. Satan can use our self- denigration, what I call the worthless worm syndrome, to discourage us and keep us from using our gifts and knowing our value to God for Kingdom work. On the other hand, pride takes God out of the picture and attributes any contribution to God's Kingdom to us and not to God. To be both bearer of the image of God and part of fallen humanity is more than a theological issue; it is the daily struggle of being a disciple. But we maintain the proper balance by praising the One who made us his child and adopted us into his family.

Though for today: Do I know, honor and celebrate my worth?