"Knock Out" Roses!!!

“O Sovereign LORD, you are God!

Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.”

2 Samuel 7:28 NIV

Today the garden is beautiful. I am at peace. God speaks to me in so many ways as I walk the garden paths and enjoy every species of flowers. In the garden of my heart the flowers know no season. You see tulips blooming in spring, summer, fall and winter. I imagine that the gardens in heaven will be that way as well. Everything blooming beautifully every day all for our pleasure! There will be no weeds to pull and no flowers to dead-head. Pruning for continued bloom will not be necessary. There will be nothing but beautiful gardens every day for all eternity. Enjoying my heart’s garden is all about the joy that Jesus has planted in my heart. Inward peace and joy are two of the many “good things” that God has promised to his children.

On this beautiful trip to the garden I am totally stopped in my tracks. Before me stand several bushes of gorgeous, bright red “Knock Out” Roses! Today I want to rename them, “Knock Your Socks Off” Roses! Or “Take Your Breath Away” Roses!  All of my flowers are lovely, but these, are beyond lovely!

My thoughts begin to wander toward Jesus, who is altogether lovely. “His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely. This is my lover, this my friend,” Song of Songs 5:16 NIV The words of the Father are sweet. Especially sweet are his promises. Like the “Knock Out” Roses, God’s promises take my breath away because over and over again he has proven himself faithful to me. “…for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23b NIV

The Bible is our source of Truth. When reading the Bible we find comfort, wisdom, guidance, and strength. The promises of God are words full of love and hope! These are words we can trust forever and ever. These wonderful words bring comfort and preserve our very life. “My comfort in my suffering is this; your promise preserves my life.” Psalm 119: 50 NIV 

We can trust the words of God because he does not and cannot lie! God is Truth and there are no lies found in truth.

 

“He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind.” 1 Samuel 15: 29 NIV

“…a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,” Titus 1:2 NIV

“Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.” Hebrews 6:17-18 NIV

“You have kept your promise because you are righteous.” Nehemiah 9:8b NIV

Oh Yes, today these gorgeous “Knock Out” Roses remind me of all the faithful promises of God that are found in his Word. There are promises for salvation, God’s grace, and our acceptance before him. There are promises for deliverance and guidance. God has given us promises for our spiritual growth, promises regarding his love for us and for those we love. We find promises in the Bible for peace, spiritual maturity, and promises for receiving God’s power. God’s Word gives us promises regarding holiness and fellowship. Promises for discerning God’s will, victory over sin, and eternal security. There are promises regarding hearing and answering our prayers. There are promises regarding our dedication, our stewardship, our work, and our obedience. In God’s Word we find promises regarding our witness and promises to protect us from Satan. If we search we will find promises of God’s faithfulness to us and promises of hope and eternal life. All of these promises are for everyone who puts their trust in Jesus Christ.

I have been told that there are over 3,000 promises in the Bible. I am absolutely sure that I do not know them all! That number makes me wonder what I am missing. Today I am faced with the truth that I cannot trust a promise of God that I do not know! That is why I am making my way to the garden bench. But before I go I take another moment to once again enjoy those incredible “Knock Out” roses! As I smell their sweet fragrance, I pull out of my pocket a little book that contains a collection of many of God’s promises. I want to read each promise and soak in the truth of all that God has for me today and every day. I want to learn what God has promised me and then store that promise in my heart so that I can claim each of his promises in my time of need. I want to learn to lean on every promise that God has for me. I want to rejoice and hope as I find strength and comfort in all of the faithful promises of God. Today, I remind myself, Paula, never forget, God can be trusted because he cannot lie. God is a promise keeper!

Questions:

1. How many of God’s 3,000 promises do you think you are familiar with?
2. What promises do you know?
3. Do you wonder what promise you may be missing out on?
4. Have you ever purchased a “Promise Book” from a Christian Book Store?
5. Do you feel challenged to learn more of God’s amazing promises?

Prayer:

Dear God,

We live in a world where promises are no longer sacred. Men used to signify their word by a simple handshake. Today people sign documents only to have them nullified. Men and women promise to love and cherish each other forever only to desecrate their holy vows. People think nothing of lying in the name of self-protection. God, living in this world of broken promises has taught me not to trust others. Forgive me for not trusting you. Heavenly Father, I want to embrace your Holy Words! Renew in me a trusting heart that believes all you say is true and is mine. God, I am reminded that many of your promises are contingent upon my love for you and my obedience to you. I pray that I will not be found guilty of expecting you to deliver your part of the promise when I have failed to do my part. Your promises are precious. Thank you for so many promises, promises that will stand forever because you can be trusted. Without a doubt God, I praise you because you are a promise keeper!

In your Son’s name I pray. Amen.

How Many Peeps Are You Responsible For?

“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;”

Psalm 91:4a

Being a mother is not for the faint of heart! Being a mother calls for strong stomach when children are sick and diapers need to be changed. Being a mother calls for gentle love but also tough love. Being a mother means forgetting the life you used to have and finding joy in butterfly kisses, giggles, and making the 1,000^th peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Being a mother means washing your son’s favorite shirt three times a week and having a tea party in the middle of making dinner. Being a mother means tucking our peeps in at night under sweet smelling covers, keeping our family safe, teaching values, and praying with our children. Being a mother means worrying about our children when they are late and when others are unkind to them. Being a mother means loving unconditionally forever. Most mothers would give their lives for their children.

Sometimes the pressures of motherhood can get the best of us. Even having one child to care for can be overwhelming, not to mention mothers with six or seven, or ten or twelve children. And what about that mom’s who has twins, triplets, or even quintuplets! Every one of your children is your precious peep, and your responsibility!

God always knows what is going on in your kitchen, the laundry room, the family room, the car, your backyard, the emergency room, the parent teacher conference, the soccer field, the college dorm, the newlywed’s home, and the whereabouts of that son or daughter who is living far away. But somehow we tend to forget that important fact. The fact is most mothers belong to a sisterhood that never ends. They are known as the “Worrywarts!”  Worrywart moms have moved way beyond concern and plopped down in a chair of nervous hypertension! Worrywart moms have a gross of paper bags delivered to their door weekly so they can keep breathing! For most moms hyperventilating is the norm! We tend to forget that God loves our children more than we do.

As mothers, some days we are proud of our children’s accomplishments. Other days we are embarrassed by their behavior. Some days are great and all is going well. Other days it seems that life has exploded in our child’s face. We hate when people are mean to our children and we hate when they are treated unfairly. We never know what to expect. We love our children unconditionally, and we pray.

On the good days we give thanks. On the bad days we cry out to God. Sometimes we even wonder if God fell asleep on the job or took a vacation from our child’s life. I assure you the answer is no, God is very present in our life and in the lives of all those we love. Sometimes we cannot see him or feel him, but still, if we pray, and sometimes even if we don’t, God is still watching over those we love and loving them more that we do. How is that possible? I do not know.

Being a mother calls for strength and courage. Sometimes we feel that we cannot do this enormous job alone. So we wave the white flag of surrender and humbly approach God and admit that we need His help. Much to our surprise we find out that we are not super mom, but God has known that all along.

Now, instead of us tucking our child into bed, God says, “I am here. Tonight I will tuck you into bed.” I will cover you with my feathers of comfort and in me you will take refuge and find peace and rest.” He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;” Psalm 91:4a Can you imagine being under the wing of God, completely covered by his warm blanket of feathers. Dare to feel him; he is holding you so close that now you can hear his heart beat in love for YOU.

Being a godly mother is an extremely high calling. I am reminded that God never called anyone in the Bible to do anything without promising that he would be with them. I would encourage you to give God your stress. Give God your exhaustion. Give God your concerns. Give God your dreams for your children. Give God your fears for your children. Give God your anxiety and insecurities regarding your children. Give God your failures and short comings as a mother. Now listen…..shhhhhhhhh……hear his heart beat in love for YOU because now you are safely covered by his feathers. Good night and sleep tight.

Questions:

1. What is your greatest challenge in being a mom?
2. Are you trying to win an Oscar for being the “Best Mom in the World”?
3. Do you believe there is any room for mistakes as a mother?
4. When was the last time you and God had a serious talk about your job assignment?
5. Are you comforted to know that God wants to cover you with his feathers and give you his peace?

Prayer:

Dear God,

Thank you so much for allowing me to experience the awesome privilege of being a mother. I am reminded today that you have entrusted your children to me. They are not really my children because I know they belong to you. Heavenly Father, help me to find joy every day in serving those you have given me. Father, protect them from the hard things in life but more than that protect them from the evil one. I pray that all of my children would fall madly in love with you! Help me Lord to lead my little ones to you. Help me to trust you when they leave the nest. When they are adults help me to be faithful in praying for them daily, not out of duty but rather out of love. Lord, I pray for those women with empty arms. Fill that hole in their heart with your love and other opportunities. God, I thank you that I am your precious child and that you love me unconditionally. Help me to listen for your heartbeat of love every day, all day, and all through my anxious nights. Remove every anxious thought from my mind and replace those thoughts with peaceful slumber.

In your Son’s name I pray. Amen.

This week's post is written in loving memory of my wonderful mother and my mother-in-law, both godly women who were amazing ladies of influence on my life.

Practice Praise!

“Praise the LORD!

How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him.”

Psalm 147:1 NIV

For me the garden of my heart is a very special place. I love this place because it is here that I am able to speak my concerns to God in prayer. I have noticed that most of my prayers are for my own breaking heart, my fears, and my personal material needs. I also bring before God the needs of my family and friends. Prayer is the place that I ask for mercy and guidance for our country and its leaders. This place of solitude is where I pray for my church and for missionaries around the world. It is here that I ask for favors and blessings. All of these requests are usually first on the agenda. To my shame, some days I rush into God’s presence with my list of needs and wants and forget to ask God to search my heart and show me any wicked ways that may be lurking in my life. I am so self-centered in my prayers that I forget to confess my sin. Just as I am about to rush out of the garden and on to my responsibilities for the day, I quickly offer up a quick sentence of gratitude for all of the countless blessings God has given to me. Many times I forget to speak even one word of praise or worship to my God and Savior.

I don’t know how this happens but time and time again I forget to offer up my praise to my wonderful Lord. I forget to worship the God of the universe and the Lord of my life. I forget that the reason I even exist is for me to enjoy God and for him to enjoy me. This is only accomplished thorough praise and worship. How is it that I can repeatedly forget to worship God? I rush into his presence like a greedy child and then back out again. Wasn’t that the greatest sin of the Israelites?  They were worshiping useless idols who couldn’t hear or speak let alone answer their prayers. Is it possible that my most dangerous idol in this world is myself?

One of my very first reasons to praise and worship God should be because of the many ways God continues to take care of me and all those I love. Intercession for others is very important and because God’s power is released when we pray he listens, hears, and answers my prayers for others as well. He does all this over and over again with or without my praise and worship! I am certain that God wants me to bring before him all things but I know that he is especially happy when I praise him.

So why then is it important to practice praise? Praise is a part of my worship. The Bible says, “Praise the LORD! How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him.” Psalm 147:1 NIV Praising the Lord is good, pleasant and fitting. Today I am thinking that praise is my sweet sacrifice that I should offer up to God everyday, all through the day. Praise brings him pleasure. How amazing is that? Me, a mere mortal, I am capable of pleasing my creator simply by offering up words of praise.

Why is this so hard for me to grasp? For one thing, I have a very short attention span and I forget that I should do this. This is why I need to make an effort to practice praise. The more I practice praise the more spontaneous my praise will become. Eventually praise will become a natural, loving response.  

Personal praise often makes me uncomfortable, but it is still nice to receive, especially when I have spent a lot of time and effort doing something for others. Praise is one way that others affirm to me that I am appreciated. Who doesn’t like that? I think that sometimes praise makes me feel uncomfortable because it really does not belong to me. You see, all praise really belongs to God. He is the one who has made me. He is the one who as gifted me. He is the one who gives me the strength to serve. He is the one who continues to give me breath so that I might be used by him. It makes no difference if I am writing or praying, cooking meals or folding clothes, none of this would be possible without God supplying me with all I need to accomplish my tasks.

The Bible is full of words of praise for God. Since God has inspired all the words that have been written in the Bible it seems to me that he is giving me a written example of how I am to respond to him in praise. I may as well face it, God wants my praise. God deserves my praise.

God has also given us a beautiful world to enjoy. The beauty of his handiwork is his special gift that often leaves us breathless! Romans 1:20 tells us that God has given us nature to invoke our praise, leaving us without excuse when it comes to knowing him. I had to learn to pay attention to nature. I was surprised to discover that nature summoned great levels of praise within my spirit. Praising God as I enjoy nature outside of the garden has become free and easy for me, yet praising God in the garden seems to still be severely lacking.

Today I am recalling that when I do remember to praise God when I enter the garden I seem to experience a more joyous time of prayer. Instead of my usual pattern of constant requesting, my time now becomes a sweet time of fellowship. My praise to my Father is what fosters our relationship. Praise frees up my heart to express gratitude, praise positions me for submission, and praise helps me take my focus off myself and places my eyes on God.

Why is it that when I position myself correctly before God it always comes back to me a thousand fold? Just as we love our parents, our mates, our children, our friends, God loves us. When we hear words of affirmation that are free of requests we then bend over backwards to do more and more and more! Why would I give my Lord and Savior any less? As I reflect on this truth I am challenged to be more diligent about practicing praise.

Questions:

1. Do you sometimes feel inadequate in expressing your praise?
2. How do you feel about knowing that your praise is a pleasing sacrifice to God?
3. Do you see advantages in making praise a significant part of your prayer time?
4. As you grow in your walk with the Lord do you find yourself praising God more throughout your day?

Prayer:

Dear God,

Sometimes I feel totally inadequate in my ability to praise you. Words escape me. So from your Holy Word I want to pray prayers of adoration back to you. God, today and every day hear my praise. I pray that it will be a sweet smelling sacrifice to you.

“I will praise you, O LORD with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.” Psalm 9:1-2 NIV

“Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.” Psalm 115:1 NIV

“I praise you, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14 NIV

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

Isaiah 6:3 NIV

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is, and is to come.”

Revelation 4:8 NIV

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”  Revelation 5:12 NIV

“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,” Revelation 19:1 NIV

God, with all my heart I praise and worship you!

In the name of Jesus Christ I praise and worship you. Amen.

Shaking the Heavens and the Earth

“This is what the LORD Almighty says:
‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth,
the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations
and the desired of all nations (Jesus) will come,
and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty.”
Haggai 2:6-7 NIV

All of nature obeys God, it is only people who continue to put their fingers in their ears and flippantly and sarcastically say, “La, la, la, la, I can’t hear you!” It is only people who try to negotiate with God for their will over his will. It is only people who walk away and pretend to believe that God does not exist. It is only people who hear but choose to disobey.

I am amazed at the enormous love of God. I am baffled by his patience with mankind, and I am in awe of God’s mighty power, yet gentle ways.

“The LORD said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”      1 Kings 19:11-12 NIV

The God of the universe, the Creator of all people in every nation, continues to cry out to all humanity. It seems that if I were god I would choose to trash this place and start over; BUT GOD chooses to redeem people and will someday restore this earth.

Sometimes it seems that when catastrophe strikes, these acts of God are not acts that would come from a loving God. It seems that he is an angry God. It appears that God is trying to teach mankind a lesson. It is often viewed as punishment for our sin. What if it is neither of the above mentioned scenarios? What if it is God loving mankind so lavishly that he uses natural disasters as an attempt to get our attention in a BIG way? Maybe we shouldn’t be looking at the storm but listening for his gentle whisper.

I believe that God whispers his love daily in our ears. Often we refuse to hear, believe, and obey until his still small whisper becomes louder. Sometimes the volume of our busy lifestyle is turned up to deafening levels that make it very hard for us to hear the whisper of God. It appears that God is often forced to pick up a megaphone and shout, “The great ‘I AM’ is here, in the wind, in the rain, in the earthquake, and in the waves. Now the question is…are you there?” In the devastating storms of nature and in personal storms within me I must find a quiet place so that I can hear God’s message of love that comes in a gentle whisper. The message is, “I love you, I will care for you, I will get you through this tragedy, all I want is for you to trust and love me.

Without a doubt, we are living in days when God is shaking the heavens and the earth. Yes, it is Biblical truth. “Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Mark 4:41b NIV God’s Word also tells us that, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All of theses are the beginning of birth pains.” Matthew 24:7-8 NIV. These visible birth pains are heavenly signs that our deliverance is near. A mother knows that birth pains only increase! After the birth pains comes the wonderful moment when we deliver our child. The first must usher in the last. God too, wants to deliver his children.

God loves humanity so much that he desperately wants to get our attention. He is shaking the heavens and the earth. Be still and know that he is God and that he loves you. Listen for his gentle whisper. The “desired of all nations” is coming again, but first he is shaking the heavens and the earth.

Questions:

Have you considered the fact that God is speaking to all of humanity through, tornados, hurricanes, volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other violent storms?

Do you see this as a divine act of God’s punishment or a divine act of his love?

How well are you listening to this very visual voice of God?

Have you asked God to allow you to hear his gentle whisper before he finds it necessary to send a turbulent storm into your life?

Prayer:

Dear God,

I know that not all of the storms that come into my life come because I am not listening. You told us that in this life we would have trouble. God, I am so thankful that no matter the reason there is a storm in my life you are with me and you do faithfully whisper words of comfort to my heart. Help me remember that you are NOT the storm, but that you lovingly use storms so I might hear your gentle whisper. Protect me from being so devastated by the storms in my life that I miss your whispers of love that come to sustain me during and after the storm. God, help me to remember that all of nature obeys your voice and so must I.

In your Son’s name I pray. Amen.

Generation Next

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you,

persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven,

for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Matthew 5:1-12 NIV

I am privileged to know many fine young adults who are deeply in love with Jesus Christ. Many are living a life of trust, obedience and self sacrifice as they serve Jesus Christ. I am blessed when I meet young people who love the Lord and make every effort to live godly lives. It gives me great joy when I see members of the next generation serving God and passing their torch of faith on to others, especially their children.

However, I am troubled when I meet people, especially young adults who seem to be totally uninterested in God. Some attempt to be neutral regarding spiritual matters. It seems that they are adopting the world’s views on spiritual matters and are becoming more and more tolerant of sin. This next generation is bombarded by so many distractions. There appears to be a selfish falling away from God because of a false set of beliefs. These beliefs come straight from the lies of Satan. This type of thinking is found in every generation; however it seems that with each new generation faith is becoming less and less important.

Some people don’t believe in God. Others believe in God but their need for God has been pushed back into a corner as they wait for a more suitable time. Some people profess to know God but are not interested in walking daily in a personal relationship with God.

Oh that everyone would understand the teachings of Jesus! Everyone needs to know that we are blessed when we know we have a need of God and when we choose to walk with him, because if we do, we will have a home in heaven.

When believers mourn the sin in this world God promises to comfort us and when we show compassion toward others, we are told that we will inherit the earth.

Jesus teaches that those who hunger and thirst after God and his ways will be filled.

We are blessed individuals when we show mercy to others because God will then show mercy to us.

The Bible says that blessed are those who continue to examine their hearts before God and allow him to create within them a clean heart and right spirit, for they will see God.

Happy are those people who are peacemakers, because they will be called the sons and daughters of God.

If you find that you are persecuted because you obey God and live in a way that honors God, know that the kingdom of heaven is yours.

If people insult you, say false things about you because you are a precious child of God, you have reason to be happy. This type of opposition is a sure sign that you must be doing something right. God promises that the kingdom of God will be your reward in heaven because you stand for him and his truth.

However, many people do not understand the teachings of Jesus. They do not understand that the formula for eternal happiness and joy is based on accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and then aligning their life with the teachings of Jesus found in Matthew 5:1-12.

I for one am saddened by lukewarm Christians. It seems that the faith of every generation gets weaker and weaker. I pray that “generation next” will wake up and realize they are being lulled to sleep by Satan. Good Christian families have taught their children the way they should go, but still these parents seem to be loosing the battle regarding their children embracing Jesus and faithfully following him. The lure of the world is far more appealing to “generation next” than pursuing an active and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Grandparents are realizing that their grandchildren are next to clueless about the things of God. Grandchildren are learning from their parents that the world and all it seemingly has to offer is becoming far more attractive to “generation next-next” than Jesus Christ.

Many individuals have plans to get their spiritual life together when everything else is in place. They are convinced that they do not have time for religion or a relationship with God. There is so much to do. If something has to go it is God. Because God is not in their face like their boss, their spouse, and their children, they stuff him to the bottom of their life. You see, God calls individuals to follow him, however, he does not demand obedience. At least not yet!

Many people in the next generation believe in God but do not live their life in obedience to God. Many have made a confession of faith but lack a relationship with Jesus Christ. Most feel an urgency to get ahead on earth instead of planning for eternity. Others boycott church attendance because they believe churches are filled with hypocrites instead of believing that that church is the perfect place for a hypocrite so they can receive help for their eternal soul.

Others worry about money instead of learning to trust God for their provision. Many have a selfish love for money. Their greed keeps them from giving to God or others. People also hunger for self gratification, success and power, instead of cultivating a desire to glorify God. Many have a huge quest for knowledge but no interest in God’s Word which is full of wisdom and knowledge.

Some people are all about fun and parties but have no need to fellowship with believers who, believe it or not, have been known to have fun and enjoy life. There also seems to be a loathing for government, but there is no acknowledgement regarding the fact that the corruption of government is a direct result of ignoring God’s laws and his commands.

Many disregard marriage and sanctity of life instead of embracing what God teaches as a pattern for godly living and that every life is to be valued as precious. Many believe that things will get better here on earth, when in fact the inhabitants of this planet are on a downward spiral and that decline is because most people do not have respect or love for their Creator and his creation.

Some believe that good people go to heaven rather than believing that it is only saved people that go to heaven. A great many people believe that there is a heaven but no hell, when actually hell is a very real place. Others believe that Jesus is coming again but do not believe that it may be in their lifetime, when in fact it may very well be in their lifetime.

Many believe that they have plenty of time to get their spiritual life together when they get older, finish having fun, finish their education, get married, get their nest egg established, get their children in elementary school, high school, and out of college! Yet, these same people are completely ignorant of the fact that we are living in the last dispensation of time before Jesus returns. Every day that passes places us one day closer to Jesus’ return. Time IS of the essence!

Some believers do not believe that they may be required to experience any type of tribulation. However, many believers may be asked to do some very unethical things in order to survive the demands of the government and those who do not comply with those demands will be persecuted. Most of “generation next” see no need to read and study God’s Word. Therefore, they will be found unequipped to face this type of temptation, pressure, and perhaps even persecution.

People continue to ignore the fact that now is the time to do their homework in the school of faith. Knowing what God’s Word says is so important. It is the Word of God that will equip all of us so that we may not be found lacking our time of need. We are told to hide God’s Word in our heart so we might not sin against him.

Some members of “generation next” have a false belief that the faith of their parents will sustain them in their times of need. The truth is that everyone needs his or her own grip on faith. After the death of their believing parents they will be left empty handed with nothing to pass on to their children because the flame of faith has been extinguished in their own hearts. Many children and grandchildren take for granted the prayers of their godly parents and grandparents, when in fact it is because of those prayers that God is merciful to them and continues to call them to come to him and be in a loving relationship with him. They lack understanding that a relationship with Jesus Christ is far better than anything that the world has to offer.

The next generation, as well as all people must believe that nothing is more important in this life than their relationship with Jesus Christ. All believers and non-believers must sit up and take note, this life matters! What we do here on this earth will affect the quality of life we have now as well as in eternity. Believers will not only have a home in heaven but in addition, they will be judged on how well they lived their life on earth and this will affect their eternal reward. Hearing Jesus Christ say, “Well done” will not have anything to do with your salvation but it has everything to do with how well you lived your life on this earth.

If you know the Lord, keep praying for those who don’t know him. Pray also for those who do know him, but are choosing to love their sin more than they love God. Pray expectantly for God to show up in the lives of those who need to choose him over this world. God’s Holy Spirit is able to convict. He is able to draw people to him in many ways. God is able to orchestrate the life of the one you are praying for. Ask him to put people in their path that will influence them for Jesus. Pray that God will create within them a curiosity for his Word. Pray that God would remove the scales from their eyes and that he will give them understanding of the Scriptures. Keep praying! Do not grow weary in doing the good work of prayer. Our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, our brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces and nephews, and our friend’s children are blessed because many people are praying for them. The people we pray for continue to be spared, protected and called because we pray! God is always faithful to us. It is important that we remain faithful to him all our days! Blessed are those whose God is the Lord. Blessed are those who pray! Praying is of eternal significance. God’s power is released when Christians pray. We may never see the answer to our prayers but that does not mean that those prayers were ineffective. Because we continue to pray God will continue to work long after we leave this world. Our prayers will out live us!

I am so thankful for those of “Generation Next” who are walking in a deep personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If you are one of those believers I want to encourage you to continually raise the bar in your own spiritual life as you learn from God’s Word. Remember, Jesus taught us that those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who are merciful and pure in heart, those who are peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for his sake are promised much! Continue to take the risk to love God with all your heart. It is the path of happiness in this life and in the life to come. Also, pray for and share with others of your generation what God has done in your life and how you love walking with Jesus Christ. Share with them the peace and joy that you are experiencing now and your hope for eternity. God bless you for your faithfulness to the One who loves you lavishly!

Questions:

How would you describe your current relationship with God?
Where do you think you need to be?
What keeps you from pursuing a deep relationship with God?
Do you think that ignoring God will be worth it in the end?
If you are a believer, are you praying for “generation next”?
How can you to prepare yourself, your family, and your friends for what might prove to be difficult days ahead?

Prayer:

Dear God,

My heart continues to be heavy for “generation next” and for all people who do not know you. I pray for those who are lukewarm in their faith. For those who are trying to live with one foot on earth and the other foot in heaven. Father, I pray for those who are seemingly not convicted of the sin in their life. I pray they will become convicted of the fact that they no longer hear the voice of your conviction. I especially pray for those who were raised in Christian homes yet have walked away from their faith. Call them back. Draw them near. Create a need for you in their life. Put believers in their path to influence them, speak to them as only you can Lord. I pray for all believers to raise the bar in their own life as a means of preparedness for difficult days that may lie ahead. I pray that we all would hide your Word in our hearts so we will not sin against you. God you are loving, merciful, and compassionate. Because of your loving character you continue to delay your return because it is not your will that any should perish. Father, I also know someday soon you will return and your mercy and compassion for those who are not walking with you will end and those who are not walking with you will be left without excuse. Father, prepare all of us for the days ahead. Thank you for your promies for those who walk with you in daily faithfulness.

In your Son’s name I pray. Amen.

Change Me From The Inside Out

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may
receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16 NIV

I spent the first thirty something years of my life trying to please God and I was going about it from the outside in. In my early-thirties and forties I begin to learn that God wanted to change me from the inside out.

I put a lot of effort into trying to be good, do church work, and have good “Christian” habits. I saw religion and life as having many rules to keep as a means of gaining God’s favor. I became a rule keeper. As a result, I became very judgmental of others who I believed were not keeping the rules!

Over the years I became increasingly fearful of breaking a rule myself and then dying and waking up in hell. There was no joy in my spirit. Did I love God? I believe I did. However, I didn’t spend much time learning about him or his ways because I was very busy doing church work and trying to keep the rules. Judging others also took up a good bit of my time. I was not a joyful Christian.

I so wanted to be perfect for God, but down deep in my spirit I know that I was pathetically imperfect! I was so in need of understanding the grace of my Savior. I took pride in the fact that I was a pretty good person but still I worried that I was not good enough to make it to heaven. My desire was to please God perfectly, rather than walk daily in an imperfect personal relationship with him.

I didn’t go to the garden of my heart much during those years. I felt the pull but lacked the desire. Then God gently spoke the words, “I have more for you than this”. I begin to wonder what it was that God had for me. I was still fearfully and franticly trying to serve God. One day I was listening to a sermon and this amazing scripture came into my heart. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 NIV

Next God gave me a second scripture, “…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:22-23 NIV

Wow! What I heard now was that I did not have to fear meeting God. He welcomed me into his presence. He said come to my throne it is a throne of grace. I learned that grace meant that I deserved to die because of my sin and imperfection, but God sent his Son to take my place on the cross. Jesus Christ bore the sin of the entire world. He was the only One who could appease the Father through the shedding of his blood so that I could be redeemed. God’s Word teaches that Jesus was able to do this because he was perfect. I knew without a doubt that I was not. I was lucky if I got home from church without blowing it! This amazing grace was sounding sweeter all the time. So through this scripture I came to realize that God says, “Come dear daughter, do not be afraid.” Come with confidence because you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. You have been cleansed. What I have for you now is nothing but mercy and grace. Come and receive it in your time of need.

God says, “Paula, I am happy when you serve me but serving me is not what allows you to stand before me unafraid.” So now draw near. I see your sincere heart, so come in full assurance believing that your heart has already been sprinkled with the blood of Jesus and you are cleansed from sin. I want you to stop second guessing your position before me. Enough of the trembling knees, the sweaty palms, and the thumping heart. Be at peace my child. Your entire body has been washed clean with pure water. Your clothing of filthy rags has been covered by my precious Son’s blood. You are free to sing and dance. You are free to express your joy. No more doubt. I want you to hold unswervingly to the hope that you profess. Do you know my child why you can do this? It is because I the Lord your God have given you this promise and I am faithful.

From that moment on I released all of my doubt, knowing full well that God keeps his promises! I am eternally his and he is mine. You see, that day God changed me from the inside out. My heart was washed clean, my thinking was set straight, my heart was overflowing with joy, and my mind was experiencing His perfect peace. Did I walk perfectly? No. Did I walk confidently? Yes!

Questions:

Have you ever struggled with your standing before God?
Do you ever doubt your salvation?
What part of the above verses fit you?
Are there any parts that do not fit?
If you have been washed clean by the blood of Jesus should you fear standing before him?

God’s forgiveness is free but he does ask that we show our love and gratitude to him by being obedient. Our salvation is never taken from us. It is a free gift. We are sealed for eternity. But God’s peace and joy are only present in our life when we obey his commands. As believers we ARE accountable to God for our behavior. Every day we must ask God to search our hearts and reveal sinful behavior and attitudes that are in need of being forgiven and changed. God has forgiven and saved us from the sin that we were born with. Still, as a believer, we must continue to confess to God our sinfulness.

We are dust. We are NOT perfect people. However, God continues to forgive and sanctify us every day when we ask him for his hand of forgiveness. On any given day I find myself experiencing sinful attitudes, words, deeds, and responses. When I confess my lack of trust and my lack of obedience, God graciously forgives me over and over again. Be honest, none of us do all of those things perfectly!

Sinful responses are the warts of imperfection that have attached themselves to the surface of my heart. They are not mistakes, they are sinful behavior. I must confess that behavior to God. God has forgiven me and I am saved for all of eternity. Nonetheless, I MUST choose to walk in a loving relationship with my Savior. I do this by holding myself accountable for my daily behavior. In my life there is room for confession every day. Un-confessed sin distances me from my Savior. It gives Satan a foothold in my life. As a believer my goal is to improve in my walk with the Lord every day. With the help of the Holy Spirit I want to learn to overcome the things in my life that tend to drag me down. I want to choose to respond as Jesus would. It is my responsibility to fall deeper in love with Jesus every day so that I will love him more than I love my sin. I want my obedience to Jesus to be out of a heart of love rather than obligation or fear. My original sin has been forgiven and I am sealed for eternity, but what about the life that is sandwiched in between? This life counts and someday I will stand before Jesus and give an account of how well I lived it! Without a doubt, my daily sanctification is indeed God changing me from the inside out. I am a work in progress and there is always room to climb higher as I press toward heaven.

Prayer:

Dear God,

Thank you that you make your ways known to all of us who are seeking you. There are times when we do not have it right but you are faithful to teach us and to keep your promise to restore us when we sin. I am so thankful that you view my life as a work in progress. I know that I have been created in your image and that in eternity I will be complete in you. When I am tempted to work to gain your favor, help me to remember that I already have your favor because I am a child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Yes Lord, please continue to change me from the inside out. I know that I am a work in progress and I thank you that there will always be opportunity for me to climb highter as I press toward heaven.

It is in the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.