In The Wilderness July 14, 2016

Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV)

26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

When the Israelites left Egypt, the Egyptians saw God’s power displayed as He brought about their release. For forty years, however, the Israelites lived in the desert lacking faith and power, complaining, and longing to return to Egypt. When the Israelites finally crossed the Jordan River, God once more displayed His power. When the Amorite and Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan enabling the Israelites to cross over, their hearts melted and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites. (Joshua 5:1) Joshua then reinstated two Covenantal ceremonies: circumcision and the Passover. All of the sons of the Israelites were circumcised as a mark of the Covenant with God. When this was done, the reproach (shame, disgrace) of their time in slavery in Egypt was removed as they finally left the desert and moved into the Promised Land.

Wilderness Christians are like the Israelites – unable to display God’s power because of their self-reliance. Wilderness Christians end up going around the same mountain again and again because they do not trust God.

Are you a wilderness Christian? Do you find yourself waking up in the morning thanking God for the day or complaining? I fell under conviction recently as I awoke each morning complaining about something that was on my mind. I sensed the Lord saying to me, “Joanne, as long as you start your days complaining, you will stay in the wilderness; the wilderness is a place of defeat, not victory.” Since that day, I now begin each day with a word of thanksgiving to God. Start your days with a prayer of thanksgiving and see how quickly you will leave the wilderness and enter into the Promised Land.

Thought for today: What am I grateful for?

The Good Fight June 13, 2016

1 Timothy 1:18 (NIV)

18 Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well,

Paul writes in his letter to Timothy to fight the good fight. He tells him to do this by loving from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. (ITimothy 1:5) Love is one of the keys to fighting the good fight. It is a powerful weapon against all evil. Brennan Manning says, “In every encounter we either give life (love) or we drain it. There is no neutral exchange.” Love is a way to fight the good fight. It helps us to resist the evil one who plants seeds of destruction. Another way to be strong in power and resist the “devil’s schemes” is to put on the full armor of God daily. (Ephesians 6:10-18) The disciples of Christ had to fight hard to hold on to their faith amidst the persecution and trials of being a Christian. Paul, however, describes the fight as a “good fight” – one worth fighting for, one worth giving your life for.

Are you tired of the “good fight”? Have you sought to live a godly life but feel like a failure? Remember that Jesus never came to make us perfect. He came as the perfect sacrifice to draw us to Himself and make us holy. Swimming against the tide of society in a post-Christian world can be tiring, but the fight is worthwhile and the rewards are great. Jesus puts it this way: In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

(John 16:33)

Thought for today: How do you know you’re fighting the good fight?

Confession June 12, 2016

Nehemiah 9:2-3 (NIV)

2 Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. 3 They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God.

The Israelites were convicted of their sin and rebellion against God as they heard the Word of God read. They spent the next quarter of the day in worship and confession of their sins! The formation of a new man began to take place as the people worshipped in one accord and confessed their sins. 

Collaborative worship and confession draws God’s people together and bridges the gap between a holy God and sinful man. It is interesting to note that just as Nehemiah had modeled repentance to them by confessing his own sins and the sins of his forefathers (Nehemiah 1:6), the people now confessed their sins and the sins of their forefathers. As God’s people, we are called to identify not only with the sins of our forefathers, but our sins as well, and seek God’s forgiveness. During their time of confession, the Israelites remembered that the Lord had been gracious and forgiving to them throughout the centuries: But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. (9:31)

When we acknowledge and turn away from our sins in repentance, we begin to see clearly the goodness of the Lord and His mercy toward us.

He never forsakes us even though we forsake and turn away from Him. I am reminded daily of how easily I turn from the Lord and how gracious and merciful He is to take me back when I return. We are like sheep that easily go astray, but we have a Great Shepherd who leads us back to safety. (Isaiah 53:6)

Thought for today: What keeps me from seeing God’s grace?

God’s Power June 11, 2016

2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV)

15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Often we are confused about whether or not something is from God.

We long to know God’s will, and we long to discern if something is of God.

A Pharisee named Gamaliel figured out this dilemma. The Sadducees made the Apostles appear before the Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish court, to be questioned by the high priest concerning their bold preaching of the gospel.

The priests had given the Apostles strict orders not to teach about Jesus, but the Apostles disregarded their orders. God told them to “Go, tell the people the full message of this new life,” and the Apostles obeyed. The Sadducees were furious with them, but Gamaliel simply said, “If it is from God, you will not be able to stop them.” This is a great guideline or test for us when we are uncertain if something is of God. We simply need to remember that if the activity is of human origin, it will fail. If it is of God, it will prevail.

Are you faced with a decision to make? Have you prayed and sought the will of God and still are unsure? There are some practical ways to line up with the will of God. Using the analogy of navigation lights, you must line up the range markers in order to stay in the channel. To stay in the channel of God’s will, there are several markers that are helpful:

It will line up with Scripture.

Circumstances will line up.

The peace of the Lord will be your plumb line.

There are other ways to line up with the will of God, but these three are significant as you seek to know God’s will. Sometimes you are still unsure if it is God’s will, but there are no apparent roadblocks. At times like that, I often choose to step out in faith, trusting that the Lord will turn me back if I am on the wrong path: Trust in the Lord with all of your heart; lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.

(Proverbs 3:5) At other times I wait on the Lord until I have more direction:

The Lord is faithful; if you seek Him you will find Him. (Jeremiah 29:13)

Thought for today: Does what I do fall in line?

Miracles In Action July 10, 2016

Ephesians 3:10 (NIV)

10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,

Matthew 14 and 15 recount the miracles of Jesus feeding the five thousand and the four thousand who had come to hear Him teach. We also read in these chapters the accounts of Jesus walking on water and stilling the storm. The response of the disciples was to worship Him and to proclaim,

Truly You are the Son of God! (Matthew 14:33) Paul describes the insight he has into the mystery of Christ made known to Him by the Spirit of God in Ephesians 3:3: Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is the mystery made known to be by revelation. He preaches not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. (I Corinthians 1:17) Paul knew that God’s grace was at work through the cross. 

Understanding the power of Christ demonstrated through the cross and the resurrection enables us to grab hold of the power demonstrated in the kingdom of God. Throughout the gospels we read about the miracles Jesus performed. Jesus told His disciples that when He came to earth God’s kingdom had arrived. Evidence of that kingdom was seen in signs, wonders, and miracles.

As believers, the kingdom is within us; therefore, the power of the kingdom is the power of Christ within us. As we read the stories of the miracles written so long ago, let us keep in mind that the same power that was demonstrated then is available to us now if we open our “kingdom eyes” to see and believe.

Thought for today: Am I reflecting on the grace that was extended to me and do I extend that gift?

Love Covers July 9, 2016

1 Peter 4:8 (NIV)

8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

In this passage from I Peter, Peter exhorts the believers to love each other deeply because love covers a multitude of sins. Eugene Patterson’s The Message puts it this way: Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it.

Love makes up for practically anything. It goes on to say, Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless – cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it; if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and He’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything – encores to the end of time. (I Peter 4: 7-11) What an incredible description of love in action! Amidst the suffering of the persecuted Church, Peter is challenging them to love and reach out with God’s grace to all! This passage of Scripture has challenged me over the years because when I am suffering, it is difficult for me not to be self-centered! Yet our God, in the person of Jesus Christ, loved us so much as He walked to the cross; He loved us so much as He suffered on the cross;

He loved us so much as He forgave us on the cross. What a love divine! As His disciples, we are called to love by forgiving and by serving. In so doing,

God will be glorified.

Thought for today:

Meditate on these words: Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Do you love as if your life depended on it? Are you aware that your love covers a multitude of sins? 

Hard Work July 8, 2016

Ephesians 4:11-16 (NIV)

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Paul, discussing unity and maturity as goals of the church, describes Jesus Christ as the Head who holds the body (joined by supporting ligaments) together. The body of Christ must grow, building one another up as they work together. The body of Christ must be determined to work together to accomplish the common goal of building God’s kingdom. As Nehemiah gathered the people together, he knew that although he was the leader, he was dependent on God to give him direction. As he motivated the people of Jerusalem to action, he reminded them that the “gracious hand of God” was upon him. (Neh 2:18) He trusted God to lead them, but he knew that it would take the faith of the people, plus determination and hard work, to rebuild the wall. James describes faith in action: In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 3:17) As the body of Christ, we must be determined to work hard demonstrating our faith in God and be determined to follow the call of God. The people of Jerusalem knew that the Lord had sent Nehemiah and the supplies they needed to build the wall.

Now it was time to put their faith to action.

Are you connected to a body of believers? God ordained believers to work together, encouraging one another to use our gifts for His glory. For years I did not realize the value of being joined with the body and the support that is offered through this connection to other believers. I remember praying as a team for someone when I came to understand the importance of the

“supporting ligaments.” My team partner could minister to this individual from her own experiences, and I marveled at how the Lord worked through her. I was able to fill in the gaps with the gifts that the Lord had given me.

I knew that day that God had a purpose in sending out the disciples “two by two.” Determination and hard work are needed to fulfill our calling, but without working with others as part of the body of Christ, it is easy to burn out. All of us are called to prepare God’s people for “works of service,” and in so doing, we will all reach the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Thought for today:  Am I connected in fellowship?