When we are in trouble, to whom do we turn? Our neighbors, our friends, our spouses cannot possibly help when we have no strength to go one more step. So who can rely on? That's right, God! As Asa realized that God is there to give him the strength that he needed when he was outnumbered in battle, so should we rely on Him.
And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, rather with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let no man prevail against thee.
II Chronicles 14:11
Note that Asa declared that God is so great and that He has so much power over everything: "Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, rather with many, or with them that have no power". All that he had to do was to rest in Him: "for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude". In other words, as long as we are doing God's will, we need only call on Him, and He will give us strength.
Amen!
Thank you for joining me this morning. May God bless and keep you and yours always!
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Monday, December 9, 2013
Alignment with God
Today, we are going to discuss how to align yourself with God. Notice that I a did not say "how how we can get God to align with us". Think about it: most of us are from the 'Me Generation'. One thing that people of that generation are known for is manipulating situations to benefit themselves. We want something, we pray for it, we automatically think that God should blessed us with exactly what we want. Then, when we don't receive it right away, we get angry with God, sometimes to the point of turning our backs on Him. Sound familiar? I would venture to guess that nine people out of 10 have, at one time or another, found themselves in exactly that situation. This lesson will aim to show us why we should align ourselves with God, instead of the other way around.
We take our lesson from Matthew 20, verses 20 through 23. This is a story about a mother who believed that her two sons deserved to be seated at the right hand side and at the left-hand side of Jesus in His kingdom (vs 20, 21). But Jesus, knowing what His future held, asked the sons, "Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with" (vs 22)? They hadn't a clue what Jesus was about to go through; the persecution and the crucifixion that He would experience was to much for any man.
This shows how a mother tried to have Jesus align with her wishes. In vs 22 and 23, Jesus asks the sons the two very important questions. When the sons answer, "We are able" (vs 22). In vs 23, He tells them how it's going to be. "You will indeed drink from My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with", meaning that the boys will go through persecution (drink from My cup), and they will be baptized (receive the Holy Spirit). But, and here's the catch, "To sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those whom it is prepared by My Father" (vs 23).
This short story is just one example of how God gently guides us back into alignment with Him. So the next time that you think that you "deserve" something, instead of getting mad at God when you do not receive it, try thanking Him. He, more than likely, just saved you from a lot of heart ache.
Thank you for joining me today. God bless you and keep you until next we meet.
We take our lesson from Matthew 20, verses 20 through 23. This is a story about a mother who believed that her two sons deserved to be seated at the right hand side and at the left-hand side of Jesus in His kingdom (vs 20, 21). But Jesus, knowing what His future held, asked the sons, "Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with" (vs 22)? They hadn't a clue what Jesus was about to go through; the persecution and the crucifixion that He would experience was to much for any man.
This shows how a mother tried to have Jesus align with her wishes. In vs 22 and 23, Jesus asks the sons the two very important questions. When the sons answer, "We are able" (vs 22). In vs 23, He tells them how it's going to be. "You will indeed drink from My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with", meaning that the boys will go through persecution (drink from My cup), and they will be baptized (receive the Holy Spirit). But, and here's the catch, "To sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those whom it is prepared by My Father" (vs 23).
This short story is just one example of how God gently guides us back into alignment with Him. So the next time that you think that you "deserve" something, instead of getting mad at God when you do not receive it, try thanking Him. He, more than likely, just saved you from a lot of heart ache.
Thank you for joining me today. God bless you and keep you until next we meet.
Sunday, December 8, 2013
The Beatitudes ~ Matthew 5:8
Yesterday, we started a lesson on the Beatitudes. This was from a message that my pastor, Kevin Schmidt, gave at my church a while ago. We covered Matthew 5:3 – 7, and today we will cover vs 8. This should be a relatively short lesson, and we will cover the rest of the Beatitudes at a later date.
vs 8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
We will be focusing on the word 'pure'. When we hear this word in connection with us, we know that we cannot possibly be totally pure. This may make us uncomfortable or even give us feelings of shame. If you do not know God, you may not care whether or not you are pure. You may ask yourself how do I be completely pure. The answer to that question lies, of course, in God's Word. We are now going to use what we have learned yesterday to open our eyes to God's expectations.
Matthew 5:3 uses the phrase 'poor in spirit' to refer to those who recognize that Jesus is the only way to see God. This tells us to be spiritually humble.
In vs 4, Jesus tells us, "Blessed are those who mourn…". This refers to those who are sensitive about sin; to those who realize that when we sin, we hurt God. In other words, in order to be pure, we must recognize our sins, but more important then that, we must try not to send in the first place. Of course this is an impossible task, but to be aware of our actions before we act makes it easier.
vs 5 tells us simply to surrender our hearts to God. This is perhaps the first, and most important, step to becoming pure.
vs 6 tells us to hunger and thirst, or to seek God's Word. This, we do in exchange for righteousness.
The above are steps to becoming pure. First we must surrender our hearts to God, then recognize that Jesus is the only way to live our lives. We must be aware of our sins, and "nip them in the bud". In other words, we must stop them before they start. Lastly, we must keep reading our Bibles every day. We need to thirst for God's Word at all times, good and bad.
Other verses to read:
Matthew 5:48
Romans 12: 1, 2
Psalm 24:3 – 6
Thank you for joining me for this lesson. May God bless and keep you until we meet again.
vs 8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
We will be focusing on the word 'pure'. When we hear this word in connection with us, we know that we cannot possibly be totally pure. This may make us uncomfortable or even give us feelings of shame. If you do not know God, you may not care whether or not you are pure. You may ask yourself how do I be completely pure. The answer to that question lies, of course, in God's Word. We are now going to use what we have learned yesterday to open our eyes to God's expectations.
Matthew 5:3 uses the phrase 'poor in spirit' to refer to those who recognize that Jesus is the only way to see God. This tells us to be spiritually humble.
In vs 4, Jesus tells us, "Blessed are those who mourn…". This refers to those who are sensitive about sin; to those who realize that when we sin, we hurt God. In other words, in order to be pure, we must recognize our sins, but more important then that, we must try not to send in the first place. Of course this is an impossible task, but to be aware of our actions before we act makes it easier.
vs 5 tells us simply to surrender our hearts to God. This is perhaps the first, and most important, step to becoming pure.
vs 6 tells us to hunger and thirst, or to seek God's Word. This, we do in exchange for righteousness.
The above are steps to becoming pure. First we must surrender our hearts to God, then recognize that Jesus is the only way to live our lives. We must be aware of our sins, and "nip them in the bud". In other words, we must stop them before they start. Lastly, we must keep reading our Bibles every day. We need to thirst for God's Word at all times, good and bad.
Other verses to read:
Matthew 5:48
Romans 12: 1, 2
Psalm 24:3 – 6
Thank you for joining me for this lesson. May God bless and keep you until we meet again.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
The Beatitudes ~ Matt. 5:3-7
Today, not only did I read my devotional by Millie Stamm, I listened to a lesson given by my pastor, Pastor Kevin Schmidt of Grace Baptist (a fundamental Baptist church). He covered Matt. 5:3-8 which, as most of you know, are the first six verses of the Beatitudes. As I listened with an opened heart, for this is what I prayed for before my lesson, I realized that, even though I have accepted the Lord, I still have a lot of work to do on improving my heart to make me acceptable in the presence of God, and I must do it now...today, right at this moment.
Most of us think the same way. As long as I accept Jesus, live a good life, pray at supper and go to church on Sunday morning, I am good. After all, I am a flawed human. What can God expect? The answer to that burning question is: EVERYTHING! We can find what is expected of us in the book of Matthew, specifically Matt. 5:1-12, or as it is commonly known as The Beatitudes.
We are only going to study the first five verses today. So here we go.
vs 3: Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Let's look at the phrase 'poor in spirit'. I used to believe that, because the word poor is used, this verse refers to those who have not received the Lord. This is as far from the truth as possible (and we all now that God's Word is the truth). The truth makes a lot more sense. 'Poor in spirit' actually means spiritually humble, or to put an even finer point on it, those who recognize that Jesus is the only way to get a clean heart.
vs 4: Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
This simply means those who are sensitive to sin, who realize that when we sin, we hurt God, will be blessed. We need to be aware of our actions and stop ourselves from hurting God, and ultimately ourselves.
vs 5 Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
Meaning if we surrender to God, we shall inherit everything.
vs 6 Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness;
For they shall be filled.
If we seek the Lord, our God, in the search of righteousness, we shall have everything that we need.
vs 7 Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
This one is not hard to decipher. If use show mercy to your fellow man, God will give you mercy.
We will wait to cover verse 8, for it is a long lesson, as well.
May God bless you and keep you always.
Most of us think the same way. As long as I accept Jesus, live a good life, pray at supper and go to church on Sunday morning, I am good. After all, I am a flawed human. What can God expect? The answer to that burning question is: EVERYTHING! We can find what is expected of us in the book of Matthew, specifically Matt. 5:1-12, or as it is commonly known as The Beatitudes.
We are only going to study the first five verses today. So here we go.
vs 3: Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Let's look at the phrase 'poor in spirit'. I used to believe that, because the word poor is used, this verse refers to those who have not received the Lord. This is as far from the truth as possible (and we all now that God's Word is the truth). The truth makes a lot more sense. 'Poor in spirit' actually means spiritually humble, or to put an even finer point on it, those who recognize that Jesus is the only way to get a clean heart.
vs 4: Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
This simply means those who are sensitive to sin, who realize that when we sin, we hurt God, will be blessed. We need to be aware of our actions and stop ourselves from hurting God, and ultimately ourselves.
vs 5 Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
Meaning if we surrender to God, we shall inherit everything.
vs 6 Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness;
For they shall be filled.
If we seek the Lord, our God, in the search of righteousness, we shall have everything that we need.
vs 7 Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
This one is not hard to decipher. If use show mercy to your fellow man, God will give you mercy.
We will wait to cover verse 8, for it is a long lesson, as well.
May God bless you and keep you always.
Friday, December 6, 2013
He is Always With Us ~ ALWAYS!
In my devotion today, Millie Stamm covered one of God's promises to us. It is proceeded by a command to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19, 20) I have italicized today's promise so that we can discuss this wondrous gift from God.
Today, for an example, I will share part of my testimony to show how faith in God's promises can be spread around the world. First, I must explain a little about myself. At the age of ten I had a stroke. It affected my right arm and leg. Soon, with a lot of support from my family (with which God had blessed me), and a lot of hard work on my part, I got about 90% of the use of my leg back. However, I chose not to work on getting the use of my arm back, so I never did. I tell you this not to gain your pity, for I despise it as much as I do criticism about my different ability, but to give you some insight into my heart. I chose to work hard, and God blessed me with the use of my leg again; but I chose also to ignore my arm and paid the consequences for the rest of my life. God did not give me the stroke because I had sinned or was a bad person. He allowed it to make me strong and to give me a chance to rely on Him.
As a result of my childhood, which could not have been more full of love and support, I have always had medical problems, or trials, if you will. My last major one, a broken hip, which required numerous surgeries, finally landed me in a wheelchair (something that I have fought against for all of my life). But, as Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Isn't that a wonderful thought. God loves us so much that He will use all circumstances for good. The good that my trials brought me was that they made me a stronger person. But, besides that, they gave me a chance to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." (Matthew 28:19), even with my restrictions. God put me into situations which allowed me to witnessed to people who were without hope and searching for something, someone in which to believe. Most of these situations were as a result of my trials.
So you see, we can all spread God's word and no matter what, He is beside us giving us the strength to see it through...always!
May God bless you and keep you until the next time we meet.
Today, for an example, I will share part of my testimony to show how faith in God's promises can be spread around the world. First, I must explain a little about myself. At the age of ten I had a stroke. It affected my right arm and leg. Soon, with a lot of support from my family (with which God had blessed me), and a lot of hard work on my part, I got about 90% of the use of my leg back. However, I chose not to work on getting the use of my arm back, so I never did. I tell you this not to gain your pity, for I despise it as much as I do criticism about my different ability, but to give you some insight into my heart. I chose to work hard, and God blessed me with the use of my leg again; but I chose also to ignore my arm and paid the consequences for the rest of my life. God did not give me the stroke because I had sinned or was a bad person. He allowed it to make me strong and to give me a chance to rely on Him.
As a result of my childhood, which could not have been more full of love and support, I have always had medical problems, or trials, if you will. My last major one, a broken hip, which required numerous surgeries, finally landed me in a wheelchair (something that I have fought against for all of my life). But, as Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Isn't that a wonderful thought. God loves us so much that He will use all circumstances for good. The good that my trials brought me was that they made me a stronger person. But, besides that, they gave me a chance to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." (Matthew 28:19), even with my restrictions. God put me into situations which allowed me to witnessed to people who were without hope and searching for something, someone in which to believe. Most of these situations were as a result of my trials.
So you see, we can all spread God's word and no matter what, He is beside us giving us the strength to see it through...always!
May God bless you and keep you until the next time we meet.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Jabez's Prayer
This lesson is from my devotional, Meditation Moments by Millie Stamm.
And Jabez called on the God of Israel, "Oh, that thou wouldest bless indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that though wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!" And God granted him that which he requested.
1 Chronicles 4:10
Though we do not see Jabez in the Bible more than this one verse, theologians believe that Jabez is truly the prayer warrior. First, we see him ask God to bless him. Now, ordinarily we would say that this alone is a selfish prayer way to pray. However, Jabez knows that without God's blessings, he cannot bless others. He then asks Him to "enlarge [his] coast". Here, Jabez is praying that God bring more people into his life that he might lead them to Him. Jabez prayed lastly that God would guide him and keep him from evil.
This prayer is near and dear to my heart. I truly admire Jabez and love this prayer.
Thank you all for joining me today. May God bless you and keep you from evil.
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