Thursday, August 01, 2013
Some great words about Jesus – Praise Him.
Written by Tim Wood on Aug 01, 2013 in - No Comments
He came from the Father to be born of a woman. He put on humanity so that we might put on righteousness. He became the Son of Man that we might become sons of God.
He was born contrary to the laws of nature, lived in poverty, was reared in obscurity, only crossed the boundary of the land once in His childhood. He had no wealth, no formal training, His relatives were common folks and not influential.
In His infancy – He startled a king. In His boyhood – He puzzled the scholars. In His manhood – He ruled the course of nature.
He healed multitudes without medicine and made no charges for His services.He never wrote a book yet all the libraries in the country could not hold the books that have been written about Him. He never wrote a song, yet he has furnished the theme for more songs than all the songwriters combined. He never founded a college, yet all the schools together cannot boast of as many students as He has. He never practiced psychiatry, and yet He has healed more broken hearts than doctors have healed broken bodies. He never marshaled an army, drafted a soldier, yet no leader ever made more volunteers.
He is the Star of astronomy, the Rock of geology, the Lion and the Lamb of zoology, the harmonizer of all discords the healer of all diseases.
Great men have come and gone yet He lives on. Herod could not kill Him, Satan could not seduce Him, death could not destroy Him and the grave could not hold Him. He is the chief among ten thousand, the lily of the valley, the bright and morning star. He is wonderful counselor, almighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of peace. He is Jesus Christ the King of kings, the Lord of lords and my Savior.
Written anonymously – But very true!
Friday, July 26, 2013
What do you do when your life seems to be shaky? It could be a shaky day or week or month. What do you do when things seem to be falling apart? Some people take matters into their own hands. Some people put their heads under the covers and hide.
Let me suggest to you another course of action – Psalm 62. This Psalm was written by David when his life was at the lowest. He lost his son Absalom and his heart was broken. He found stability in God. He found refuge in God. He found hope in God. I want to show you some verses that will help us find stability when life seems to be shaky.
Verses 1-2 – My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. David found stability in God being his salvation. God would deliver David from danger. God would be his fortress, his rock. God will be the same for us.
Verses 5-6 – Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. David’s hope came from God. Our hope does not come from our bank account, our education, our career, our health or any other thing this world has to offer. Our hope is in God alone. The more I hope in God; the more stability and rest my soul experiences.
Verses 11-12 – One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done. God will reward us! God is strong and He is loving. Can you think of a better combination? Not only is God able to do anything, but God loves me. God has my best interest in his heart.
If you’re facing difficulty today, if you’re facing a shaky time in your life, know that God is your deliverer, God is your hope, God will reward you because He is loving and strong. Say with David in Psalm 62, “My soul finds rest in God alone…I will not be shaken!”
Thursday, July 18, 2013
I was watching a speech delivered by Robin Roberts on ESPN last night. I was inspired. I had no idea how much adversity this woman has been through. Needless to say, I don't watch Good Morning America. I was inspired by her speech because her attitude was so positive. There is something contagious about a positive attitude. I know this woman has deep faith in Jesus because it leaked out in her speech. It showed in her countenance. It radiated in her smile. And, her sister was a few rows back giving all the glory to God. Her hands were raised, her eyes were filled with tears and the joy of the Lord was in her heart. Two statements by Roberts were especially inspiring to me. She said, "When life give you a mess turn it into a message." That requires an attitude change. She also said, "When fear comes knocking on your door, let faith answer it." That requires an attitude change.
Chuck Swindoll wrote, "I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day to day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitude is right, there's no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me." (Strengthening Your Grip).In order for me to change my attitude I've got to renew my thinking.
Romans 12:2, "Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him." (Contemporary English Version).
1. Let God change the way you think. Focus on Him. Get His Word into your brain every day.
2. View setbacks as detours, not dead ends. Followers of Jesus just don't face adversity, they embrace it. They know it leads to future success. They know God takes the negatives and makes them positive. People of faith take a mess and make it a message.
3. When you're afraid, praise God until your faith builds. Praising God not only ushers in His presence, it turns back our enemy.
4. When your heading into a battle, visualize yourself winning in God's strength. The victory is mine because the battle is the Lord's!
5. Weed out self-doubt by preaching to your soul. I don't need self-talk, I need God talk. David was an expert at this. He said to his soul, "Why so downcast O my soul. Put your hope in God. My flesh and my heart my fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
6. Instead of worrying about the past and being anxious about the future, focus on the now. Your greatest influence is today! God said in Deuteronomy 33:25, "your strength will equal your days." I can't change yesterday. I don't know about tomorrow. But today, I can walk in the strength of God.
May the God who give endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other as Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6
Thursday, July 11, 2013
I often find myself needing a spiritual shot of adrenaline. Psalm 103 is just what the Good Doctor above orders.
This Psalm reveals to us God's great compassion on His people. It's full of grace. It's full of mercy. It's full of love. Three things that I need to know and hear consistently.
The whole Psalm is fantastic. I want to walk you through a few verses (6-18) and point out seven liberating truth about God.
Liberating Truth # 1 - God helps those in need. (Verses 6-7)
The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel.
Are you needy? The answer is YES. Whether we realize it or not, all of us are in need and God is working His righteousness and His justice on our behalf. What a great place to start experiencing liberation.
Liberating Truth #2 - God gives us what we don't deserve. (Verse 8)
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
In God's compassion He receives me. In God's grace He pardons me. God is slow to anger so he is patient with me. God loves you more than you can ever possibly imagine.
Liberating Truth #3 - God will never treat us like we treat others. (Verses 9-10)
He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever, he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
We can harbor grudges against each other. We can repay and eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But God will bless us even when we don't remember him. I forget to pray but God still feeds me. If I fall, He will pick me up. I can disappoint and fail but He still calls me His child.
Liberating Truth #4 - God removes and forgives all my sin. (Verses 11-12)
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
We know more about the magnitude of God's love than even the Psalmist who wrote this. We now know that the heavens are way higher than what we can see with our eye or the most powerful telescopes. God's love and forgiveness is so great that our sins should never be able to haunt us. God has removed our sins! Let's live like it.
Liberating Truth #5 - God understands my weakness. (Verse 13)
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.
I remember when our children were small and they would grow tired of walking. I would pick them up and carry them for awhile. Parents do that for their kids. They carry them. I see God knowing I'm weak and tired and our Heavenly Father picks us up and carries us.
Liberating Truth #6 - God remembers that we are dust. (Verses 14-16)
For he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
Life goes by quickly, doesn't it? One day we're young and the next we're feeling our age. A little wind blows us off course, mentally and physically. God knows that and it's liberating to know that our only hope is the One who made us!
Liberating Truth #7 - God love and faithfulness links me with eternity. (Verses 17-18)
But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children - with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.
Our life may fade but God is everlasting. We are mortal but God is eternal and He shares that eternity with us and our kids, and their kids...Liberating!
We're richer than we think, we are more blessed than we know and we have more than we realize. God knows me through and through and He loves me anyway. That's liberating! Rest in Him. Take refuge in Him. Keep trusting Him.
Bless the Lord, O my soul. Let all that is within me, bless His holy Name.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
We live in a world that has access to a ton of information instantly. But, we are not wiser people. We are not walking wisely.
Wisdom is seeing things from God's perspective. Wisdom is seeing God in every day ordinary events. In order for us to see God and see things from God's perspective, we need the Word of God to guide us. I love the Wisdom literature found in the Bible. Like the book of Proverbs. Warren Wiersbe wrote this about Proverbs, "The theme of Proverbs is wisdom, the right use of knowledge. This wisdom is more than an intellectual pursuit; it also involves devotion to the Lord. The wise person fears the Lord, trusts Him, and seeks to obey His will. The wisdom described in Proverbs is like a spiritual sixth sense. It enables you to evaluate circumstances and people and make the right decisions in life."
Paul wrote this about wisdom in Ephesians 5:15-16, "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."
Be very careful means to think things through. It's all encompassing. As followers of Christ we should demonstrate Godly wisdom in our relationships, our finances, our business transactions - every area of life. The New American Standard translates this verse this way: Be careful how you walk, not as unwise but as wise men.
Walking wisely means I follow God's plan. Walking wisely means I obey God's word. I walk with God and His Spirit leading the way. Walking wisely means that when I am faced with a decision I ask, "What's the wise thing to do?" Not, what do I want to do, but what would God have me to do.
There are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs. You can read a chapter a day and know that you are reading God's wisdom into your life. And as you're reading it you can put into practice by walking in that Godly wisdom. I want to encourage you to start adding the book of Proverbs to your devotional reading. Read the chapter that corresponds to the day of the month. Let's start getting more of God's wisdom into our brains.
The greatest good in my life is to walk in the wisdom of God. Do you believe that? Will you walk wisely?
Thursday, June 20, 2013
One of the most common distinctions for God is the Bible is helper. The Hebrew name if Jehovah Ezer. There are over 200 references in the Bible that describe God as our helper. I suppose He knows we need help.John Lennon wrote a song called, "Help". In one verse he writes,
"When I was younger so much younger than today, I never needed anybody's help in any way. But now those days are gone and I'm not so self assured, Now I find I've changed my mind and opened up the doors. Help me if you can I'm feeling down, and I do appreciate you being round, help me get my feet back on the ground, won't you please, please help me."
Everyone needs help. Whether we're feeling down or need to get our feet back on the ground, we all need someone to help us. Are you looking to God to help you? Are you trusting Him?
Psalm 63: 7 -8 says, "Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me."
God will help us our responsibility is to cling to Him. Here are some verses that teach us of God's continual help in our lives.
Deuteronomy 33: 26 - There is no one like the God of Jeshurun (Israel), who rides on the heaven to help you and on the clouds in his majesty.
The picture here is that God moves to help us. He rides on the heavens to come to our aid.
2 Chronicles 14:11 - There is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. O Lord you are our God; do not let man prevail against you.
God will help us when we feel overwhelmed, when we feel powerless. The key words here are "we rely on you."
Psalm 121:1 - 2- I lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
God will help us when we look to him, when we lift our eyes to him. Too many times my eyes are on my troubles when my eyes should be on God. This Psalm teaches us that God's eyes are always on us.
Psalm 28:7 - The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
We trust in God to help us. Psalm 46:1 teaches us that God is an ever-present help in trouble.
Martin Luther wrote a song about help too. Luther wrote about God's help. Luther's song may not be as popular as Lennon's, but it's more true and helpful. Luther's song is called "A Mighty Fortress is Our God".
In the very first lines he captures the essence of God's help in our lives:
A mighty fortress in our God
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper He amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.
Thank you God for Your ever present help!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
When Joshua and the Israelites were about to enter the promised land, God gave them some encouraging words to ensure their prosperity and success. They were camping on the edge of God's blessing and needed a little push of encouragement to enter in. Do I need encouraging words from God so that I can be prosperous and successful? YES! If Joshua needed them, we do too.
So what were the words God gave to Joshua to ensure his success and prosperity?
We find them in Joshua 1:8 - Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
We find them in Joshua 1:8 - Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
God gives Joshua (and us), three keys to prosperity and success (no, this is not an infomercial).
1. Speak the Word of God - don't let the Book of the Law depart from your mouth. Who am I supposed to speak it to? Mainly, to yourself. Speak God's word into your life. Into the day your facing. Into the struggles you may have. Into the celebration you are enjoying. Whatever you are facing at this moment in your life, you can speak the Word of God into that situation. Speaking the Word of God presupposes that I read the Word of God. Don't let God's word depart from your mouth and you will have God's success and prosperity.
2. Meditate on the Word of God. Meditation is a quiet contemplation of God's spiritual truths. It's mulling over what you read in God's word. It's focused thinking. Meditation requires that I "unplug" for a few minutes and engage my mind on God - "Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10. Bill Gothard said, "In order to meditate, we need to memorize, visualize and personalize."
3. Practice the Word of God - the last part of God's encouragement says,"that you may be careful to do everything written in it." It's interesting that in the structure of the sentence, the word meditate precedes the command to obey. God knows that the more I think and ponder and ruminate on His promises, the more likely I am to obey. We need to be careful here because it's possible to just know and not act on that knowledge. Jesus said, "Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock" (Matthew 7:24). Divine wisdom is not knowing, it's knowing and doing.
Friend, be encouraged today. God has a battle plan for all of us who feel like we are camping on the edge of God's blessing. It's a tried and tested plan. It's the key to His success and prosperity in my life. Will you speak, meditate on and practice the Word of God in your life? If you will, you will experience His success and prosperity.
