Reflecting

Today is the day before Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 6:29. For me, I like to reflect on what it means. God is a great and awesome God. He is a Father to the fatherless, a defender of widows and orphans, our Deliverer and our Provider. For those that are parents, you can understand how it might be that He wants to care for us, because we also want to care for our children. We are all God’s children, and He wants to care for us. That is why He gave us the earth. That is why He wants us to prosper and be in good health. All the very best is what our heavenly Father wants for us. That is why He set up the Feasts, the Feasts of the Lord. These Feasts are for us to help us stay on or get back on track.

Reflecting on such things is good.

Prayer
Father, we praise and thank You for all You do. Please help us to be prepared for our lives ahead. In Jesus name. Amen.

When Loving People Gets Tough

There are times when things are good in interactions with people, and these are a great blessing to us. There are also times when interactions with people, even between brethren, are not so good. These are tough times. In John’s first letter we get some advice, some instruction, about what to do in these times. We are to love these people anyway. We are to love them because that is how we know we have the love of God in us. That is how we know we are His. If we let ourselves hear God’s voice, we can hear the right loving thing to do. It will likely not be something our flesh likes. there will be that part of us that wants to rebel against the loving thing to do. That will be our flesh. I encourage you to resist this temptation of the flesh, and do the right loving thing. This is what pleases God. This is what keeps us in the path of keeping God’s commandments. This is what brings peace.

Today, if you have something that you need to do to love someone that has been less than kind to you, I encourage you to do that, and receive the blessings and the peace of God that He has in store for you.

Prayer
Father, we praise and worship Your Holy Name. Thank You for always giving us a path to loving those that love us and those that do not. Help us to walk in that love toward others. Help us to show Your love to the world. Please help us to stay on the right path. In Jesus name. Amen.

Something To Consider About Gathering Together

In Hebrews 10:25 we see a scripture that is often quoted that says we are not to keep ourselves from assembling or coming together to meet with other believers. There are other places in the scriptures that talk about the topic of the benefit of being with others of the faith. It can help us to stay the course, to keep moving forward, to try to live our lives in the Messiah. It is this possibility that is the point of today’s writing. When we say it can help, that also implies it may not help.

If we back up to verse 24 we something that is not often quoted but is equally important and comes before the direction to not forsake gathering together. In verse 24 we are instructed to consider each other in a manner that brings out love and good works in us all. This instruction defines what should be happening when we come together. But is it? I have personally experienced (and hear from many believers) times at various churches where the actions of the believers are more like the kids in the “in crowd” in school than loving adult followers of the Messiah. The characteristics of the environment that provokes believers to love and good works is one in which each and every person is made to feel like they belong. For example, do we all have the same opportunity to share our gifts, or are some held back, singled out for restriction, or even perhaps the the subject of much discussion by “concerned Christians” just trying to “keep everyone up to speed so they can pray” for certain individuals? How often are people encourage to break bread together? Are there some that are never invited to anyone’s house? Do our actions bring opportunity for joy in the hearts of our fellow believers, or just one more rejection? Sadly enough there will likely be people that read these words and become upset that I would infer that such things happen in church. If that is you, I encourage you to wake up, because there are many people in many churches with these very feelings, feelings of being cast down, of being rejected, of having the ability to add value but not given the opportunity. If there are any at your church, you may not know it, but God knows, and He will always set things right, and when He sets it right, it can be a bit more abrupt. These words are not meant to condemn, it is a call to repentance by all (including me), for it is likely that to some degree we have all fallen short in provoking others to love and good works. I know I could do a better job of it. I know together we can all do a better job of it, but we must do it together.

Prayer
Father, we magnify You as the Most High God. We love and praise You for who You are, and how You are. We are so fragile Father, and we are around others that are fragile as well. It seems hard sometimes not to do something that causes harm, that causes people to want to separate themselves from the assembly. It just seems like it should not be hard to cause each other to be provoked to love and good works. Please help us today, Father, to find our way to the place where who we are, how we are, and what we say provokes others to love and good works. In Jesus name. Amen.

Even Money Cries Out

Many have heard the story about the rocks crying out the truth of God. In Luke 19:39-40 we see the disciples praising Jesus in a way that is declaring Him to be God. The pharisees ask Him to rebuke them. He responds by saying that if they hold their voice, event the rocks would cry out. The point is everything, even the creation, longs to have Jesus praised as God. Why?

When we out loud declare Jesus to be God, we are in a way declaring judgement. We are setting things in right order with our voice. Even creation longs for things to be right. We will discuss this more in future posts. There is one other place where something cries out that is worthy of discussion.

In James 5:3, James says that the money of the rich that oppress the poor will cry out. It will cry out against its owners. When It cries out, it will result in their judgement for greed and for oppressing the workman by holding back their wages. The money that is gotten by oppressing the poor knows better.

God calls us to love our brother, and provide for his needs when we can.

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You, the Most High King. Thank You for making creation want to call You King. Thank You for creating the desire within us to serve You. Father, I ask today that the money that has been with held from the poor cry out to You today, and demand justice for the oppressed. Please provide that justice. In Jesus name. Amen.

No Good Thing

My wife and I leave each other little words of encouragement on the mirror we use in the morning. When I got up this morning she had left some verses to the song based on Psalm 84. As I read that Psalm this morning it made me think about my family. There are so many things I have wanted to do for my older children, yet I have not been able to do those things. Today I think about the needs of my family, and how I want to meet those needs. I want to be a good father and husband. Thinking about these things, I thought about verse 11 where the psalmist says that God will withhold no good thing from those that walk uprightly. The word “thing” is in italics, and therefore was added. The word “uprightly” means complete in Hebrew. What is being said is that God will not hold back any good from those trying to walk in His ways. As I read these words, and thought about the thoughts on my mind, I realized that I had a choice to make. Did I believe and trust in God or not?

I can only speak to being a father. It seems to me that a mother would have some similar feelings, but likely different being the mother. I have to ask myself if I am willing to believe and trust God for the good things that my family needs. That can be a tough thing to do, or so was the thought in my mind. I tried to meditate on these things from a father’s perspective. That is when it hit me. God IS the Father. He feels what I feel, but He feels it for everyone. There is no way that He would not want things to go well for us. And He has absolute power to make it so. And, He is on our side! I have decided to believe and trust in Him to provide for my family. My hope is in His mercy and truth, that He will watch over us.

Prayer
Father, You know how I feel even before I open my mouth. You have a heart for all of the people, which is really a little amazing to me. Please help us to be that complete You speak about, to walk uprightly. It seems so easy to mess up, please help us to say and do the right things. In Jesus name. Amen.

Surely

Have you ever felt the pressure of trying to move while keeping life going? Or maybe doing multiple important tasks that all come due at the same time? Opportunity for stress, right? My wife and daughter and I are trying to get moved into my old house in time for her to be able to go to school starting next week. Challenging!!! My wife was praying about it this morning because this is important with our daughter being a special needs 9-year old. She was lead to read the scripture Psalms 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord, Forever. Wow! How about that as a message from God! I want to focus on one word here.

Surely. In this verse this word really adds the punch. It is like God is saying, “What, are you kidding me? SURELY good things are coming your way. How could that even be a question?” I think we can say this of many of the great blessing God has for us. Surely Jesus died and rose again that we might have eternal life. Surely we can be born again if we repent, ask forgiveness, and ask Jesus to be Lord. Surely God is our Deliverer, Savior, Healer King. Surely He has good things for us hear on the earth.

Surely!!!

Prayer
Father, I thank You for the simple messages You give us. Thank You for adding “surely” when You speak about taking care of Your people. Please reach out once again today to Your people, calling them closer to You. In Jesus name. Amen.

The Age We Live In

Yesterday I wrote about the Bear Fruit Films company making a family film in Culver, with the shooting starting next Monday. We are fortunate to have courageous believers in the movie industry willing to take such a stand as to make a film we can take little ones to that is not a cartoon. “Little Savages” will be such a film, shooting now and due to be released in the Spring of 2014. But it also made me stop and think about the times in which we live.

It seems odd to me that such work is so noteworthy. What kind of nation have we become in America, or any nation, that we find it so rare for such a movie to be made? How did we get here? How do we turn the tide and get back to where this type of pursuit is the norm? Well, one thing I know is that at the same time the entertainment industry went so bad, we were having much division and finger pointing in the body of Christ. How is it that churches never get together to share fun times or meals or praise and worship?

Until the body of Christ can act more like a living bride and a severed corps, there is little hope that evil will be turned back in any significant way in America or any country.

Prayer
Father, we ask that You help us to break the barriers between us. Help us lay down our pride. Help us to be the children You meant us to be. Help us to move down that path expediently so that we can become the bride we are meant to be. In Jesus name. Amen.

Do Not Be Moved

Today I was comforted by reading Psalm 62. God is our refuge. If we trust in Him, we will not be moved. Those that bless us to our face but curse us behind our backs will be brought to nothing. They are like a leaning wall and a tottering fence. Should riches come our way, we must not trust in them. God is our defense. It is Him in whom we should trust.

This is good stuff!

Prayer
Father, help us to trust in you. Help us to be the ones You want us to be. Please help us through our times of struggle. Encourage our souls. Help us to be better each day than the day before. In Jesus name. Amen.

Where Do We Spend Our Time?

It is important in life with God that we make decisions. One of these decisions is where we spend our time. God will move His kingdom forward. He wants us to be a part of that. It comes down to one point.

God has given us a great gift in the form of salvation and life. What we can give back is helping spread this to others.

Prayer
Father, please help us do be a part of You moving Your kingdom throughout the earth. We love You. In Jesus name. Amen.

Worship Events

Today there will be no posting as we are having a Community Worship Event! Check out www.wildernessworship.com for more details.