Monthly Archives: March 2015

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March 16, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Faith & Hope, Holy Spirit, Knowing Him, Temptation & Sin

THE DEVIL NEVER TAKES A HOLIDAY

Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’” [Luke 4:9-12 (NLT)]     

Satan seeks out those most susceptible and appeals to them. Alone and weak from hunger after forty days in the wilderness, Jesus was vulnerable to temptation and Satan exploited his needs (just as he does ours). Rarely does temptation wear a label identifying it as such. It may be wrapped in a pretty package and even, as Satan did, use scripture to support it. Jesus recognized Satan and his offers for what they were and refuted each temptation by returning to the word of God.

Our character is continually being tested by the temptations in our lives. Satan doesn’t even take off on Sunday; he’s busy “twenty-four/seven/three sixty-five.” How then can we resist? Like Jesus, we must rely on God’s word for guidance. Knowing scripture, however, isn’t enough. After all, even Satan knows scripture. We have to live our faith and follow God’s word. We must pray for guidance. We must stand strong in our commitment. Finally, we must be alert and learn to recognize temptation when it stands before us.

Lord Jesus, may your Holy Spirit keep us alert and strong as we face the continual temptations and challenges of daily life. Stay with us; guard, guide, and reside within us.

“Abide With Me” [Henry F. Lyte (1847)]
I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came. [Luke 4:13 (NLT)]

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March 14, 2015

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Bible Stories, God's Grace & Love, God's Promises, Thanks & Praise, Trusting God

YOU PROMISED!

Yes. I’ll stay with you, I’ll protect you wherever you go, and I’ll bring you back to this very ground. I’ll stick with you until I’ve done everything I promised you. [Genesis 28:15 (MSG)]

Moses said to God, “Look, you tell me, ‘Lead this people,’ but you don’t let me know whom you’re going to send with me.” … God said, “My presence will go with you. I’ll see the journey to the end.” [Exodus 33:12a,14 (MSG)]

In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you. [Joshua 1:5 (MSG)]

“I promise I’ll be there.”… “I promise nothing bad will happen.”… “I promise I’ll pay you.”… “I promise I won’t be angry.”… “I promise I’ll get it done in time.” We all make promises; usually, we truly mean to keep them. Sometimes, however, we break our promises. Perhaps we didn’t even try; maybe, we tried but just not hard enough. We may have tried our very best but simply didn’t have the ability or means to fulfill our promise. Sometimes, circumstances totally beyond our control defeat us. Whatever the reasons, our promises are often broken.

God, however, has no limitations when He guarantees something. Unlike you and me, God is absolutely true to His word; He will never break a promise. Moreover, unlike you and me, He is entirely able to fulfill every one of his promises! There are no things beyond his ability and no circumstances he cannot control.

God made promises to Jacob, Moses, and Joshua: He would not leave them. That same promise was repeated by Jesus and made to us. He is with us in the valleys and on the mountain tops, in times of plenty and famine, in times of joy and sorrow. As our captain, He’ll never abandon ship; as our shepherd, He’ll never leave his sheep; and as our Heavenly Father, He’ll never forsake his children.

Thank you, God, for never leaving us alone; no matter what the circumstances, you are always with us. Help us to truly trust your promises and your mighty power to keep them so that we truly rest in the peace of your presence.

God never made a promise that was too good to be true. [Dwight L. Moody]

I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age. [Matthew 28:20 (MSG)]

When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee—God can’t break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable. We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God. [Hebrews 6:17-18 (MSG)]

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March 12, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, God's Plan, Obedience, Trusting God, Wisdom & Guidance

DETOURS

This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. [Isaiah 48:17 (NIV)]

detoursDSC01393WEBIn yesterday’s message, I compared God’s guidance to our car’s GPS. They both know where we are and can guide us in our journeys. Personally, I love the soothing voice of our navigation system. When we ignore its advice, it never yells or calls us names. A gentle voice just calmly corrects us by saying, “Make a legal U-turn.” Moreover, the GPS will eventually adjust to accommodate our plans if we decide to take a different route. On our way to Florida, for example, because of warnings posted about a back-up due to an accident, we exited the interstate to avoid an hours-long delay. A quick look at the map indicated that we could take a detour and get back on the interstate south of the pile-up. At first the GPS kept gently telling us to turn around so we simply muted the voice; we knew what we were doing even if it didn’t. Eventually, the navigation system agreed with our plan and directed us back to the interstate our way.

God, however, isn’t so obliging when we choose to go our way instead of His. One, we can’t mute His voice. We can try to ignore him, but we can’t mute Him. Two, He’s the one who decides whether or not we take detours. He’s not going to adapt His plans to accommodate us. Moreover, God’s correction is rarely as gentle as a soothing voice suggesting a legal U-turn. When they ignored God’s directions, Jonah ended up in the belly of a great fish, Balaam’s donkey gave him grief when an angel blocked their way, and Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt. Finally, unlike the GPS, which we can turn on and off at will, God is always there and He expects obedience. He wants us to hear, trust, and submit to His plan, not ours.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. [Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)]

 

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March 11, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, God's Promises, Trusting God, Wisdom & Guidance

OUR NAVIGATION SYSTEM

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The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. And the Lord did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people. [Exodus 13:21-22 (NLT)]

We were in the middle of a heavy rainstorm on an unfamiliar interstate, nearing the interchange where we were to exit. When the GPS told us to take the next right, we did and westward we went only to realize we were on a two-lane road, not the divided highway we were expecting. The soft voice of the GPS told us to keep going west while I franticly tried to figure out where we were. Within minutes, having made enough turns that we weren’t sure how to return to the interstate, we decided to continue trusting the reassuring voice of our GPS; after all, it hadn’t steered us wrong yet. It seemed to know where we were going even if we didn’t. When told to turn north, we obeyed, believing that the satellite in the sky knew more than we did. Lo and behold, what should we find but the road we’d been trying to find! In spite of feeling like we’d wandered way off course, once I figured out where we’d been, it was clear we’d actually taken the most direct (if slightly unconventional) route.

Sometimes we feel hopelessly lost in life. We can’t return to where we were and we’re not sure where we are. Moreover, we don’t know where we should be headed and, even if we did, we don’t know how to get there. When the Israelites escaped Pharaoh, God led them with a pillar of clouds during the day and a pillar of fire at night. Sometimes, however, His guidance isn’t quite that obvious; nonetheless, He is there leading us. We just need to stop and study our map (the Bible), pray and listen for his voice. While, it’s not easy to cede control to an impersonal voice in the car, it’s even harder to cede control to an unseen God. We have to be like the Israelites: trust and follow, and He will lead us to the Promised Land!

God shall be my hope, my stay, my guide and lantern to my feet. [William Shakespeare]

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” [Psalm 32:8 (NLT)]

With your unfailing love you lead the people you have redeemed. In your might, you guide them to your sacred home. [Exodus 15:13 (NLT)]

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March 10, 2015

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God's Grace & Love, Joy, Knowing Him

TOTALLY IMPARTIAL

For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed. [Deuteronomy 10:17 (NLT)]

When my father-in-law was a salesman, he would occasionally encounter buyers who wanted special favors, gifts or even kick-backs to purchase his product. Grandpa always refused. He knew that if a buyer would accept his bribe, the untrustworthy man would probably accept his competitors’ bribes as well. Fortunately, God isn’t like those dishonest buyers. What kind of god would we have we could buy or bribe our way into heaven? What kind of god would we have if he only granted forgiveness or salvation to the highest bidder?

My uncle used to call me his “favorite youngest niece.” I always felt so special, being his favorite, even when I realized that I was his only “youngest” niece. My sister, of course, was his favorite “eldest niece!” He was an impartial, yet loving, man. God, like my uncle, is loving and fair and everyone is His favorite, as well. There are no “teacher’s pets” in His classroom! What kind of god would we have if he had favorites: those who were prettier, smarter, funnier, or more talented? What kind of god would he be if he allowed his favorites to adhere to different guidelines or push their way to the front of the line?

Thankfully, our God can’t be bought. After all, what could we possibly give Him that isn’t His already? Fortunately, our God doesn’t play favorites either. He disciplines and forgives, blesses and loves each of us each as if we were His favorite and only child.

God loves each of us as if there were only one of us. [Saint Augustine]

Remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites. [Ephesians 6:9b (NLT)]

Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites. [Colossians 3:25 (NLT)]

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March 6, 2015

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Church & Worship, Holidays & Holy Days, Love & Works, Prayer, Sharing Our Faith

RADICAL LOVE – WORLD DAY OF PRAYER 2015

Jesus washed their feet and put on His coat. Then He sat down again and said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? [John 12:12 (NLV)]

My husband had an elderly aunt who clipped recipes continually and often sent them out to family. Her kitchen was filled with assorted recipes, recipe books and a beautiful array of pots, pans and other cooking utensils. The kitchen and equipment, however, were in pristine condition because they’d never been used. Although she read recipes, she rarely stepped into the kitchen and never cooked. Prayer without action is a bit like my husband’s aunt reading recipes and never doing anything with them. We can sit in our comfy chairs and pray about all sorts of things but never get up to do anything about our concerns. Prayer and action, however, are inseparable. If we care enough to pray about it, we should care enough to do something about it. My husband’s aunt didn’t have to become a gourmet chef like Mario Batali or Julia Child but she could have tried cooking something. We’re not necessarily called to become Mother Teresa or David Livingstone, but God expects us to do for others what He has done for us.

Today women, men and children in more than 170 countries will celebrate the World Day of Prayer. The motto of the World Day of Prayer organization is “Informed Prayer & Prayerful Action.” Materials for today’s celebration, prepared by the WDP Committee of The Bahamas, ask us to consider Jesus’ words to the disciples after washing their feet: “Do you understand what I have done for you?” The women of The Bahamas describe Jesus’ action as an act of “radical love.” They point out that such radical love comes from humility, compassion and commitment. God’s radical love is not inert and unmoving; it is dynamic. God’s radical love is not self-centered; it is selfless. God’s radical love reaches out and draws others in. God’s radical love gets off its knees and takes action.

The women of The Bahamas call for prayers and action regarding issues of special concern to them: domestic abuse, HIV/AIDS, women in the workplace, the environment, and immigrant and migrant workers. There is no shortage of issues that beg for prayer and action. Join with our sisters (and brothers) in Christ in both prayer and efforts toward justice, peace, healing and wholeness. Let us always remember Jesus’ radical act of love and follow his example.

We exalt your name for every opportunity given to us to minister to the poor and to wash the feet of the weary. …Open our eyes to those who are in need of a gentle touch, a listening ear, a word of comfort or a healing presence. Jesus, we are amazed by you. How deep and radical is your love for us! Teach us how to be more like you, and to model your radical love and gracious hospitality to all of your children. Amen. [From World Day of Prayer 2015]

Christ alone can save the world, but Christ cannot save the world alone. [David Livingstone]

You call Me Teacher and Lord. You are right because that is what I am. I am your Teacher and Lord. I have washed your feet. You should wash each other’s feet also. I have done this to show you what should be done. You should do as I have done to you. [John 12:13-15 (NLV)]