Let us examine our ways and test them and let us return to the LORD

Let us lift up out hearts and our hands to God in heaven and say:

We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven.

Lamentations 3:39-42

Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert.  Lamentations 4:3

I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed. for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."

The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him to the one who seeks him;

it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

It is good for a man to break the yoke while he is young

Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him.

Let him bury his face in the dust there may yet be hope.

let him offer his cheek to the one who would strike him and let him be filled with disgrace.

For men are not cast off by the Lord forever

Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.

For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.

"Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you.

I will discipline you but only with justice;

I will not let you go entirely unpunished."

Jeremiah 46:28

Since you trust in your deads and riches, you too will be taken captive

Jeremiah 48:7

Every man is senseless and without knowledge;

every goldsmith is shamed by his idols.

His images are a fraud;

they have no breath in them.

They are worthless, the objects of mockery;

when their judgment comes, they will perish.

He who is the Portion of Jacob is NOT like these,

for He is the Maker of all things

including the tribe of his inheritance

the LORd Almighty is his name.

Jeremiah 51:17-19

Now, if I were them, I don’t think I’d be making up excuses for my bad behavior to the God of the universe, how about you?

When wrongs that you know are the product of your own fault are noticed and questioned by someone else, is your first reaction to think of someone else to blame to avoid trouble? Most people would say yes. But what about when it’s you that’s on the receiving end of the blame, doesn’t it just make you want to defend your innocents?

When Christ died, he took the blame for all of our sins. For yours, and mine. He was innocent, blameless, and yet he died a painful death so that we may have eternal life with him in Heaven instead of going to everlasting torment in Hell. Keep in mind, not once did he declare his innocents.
Would you even consider doing something like that for anyone? I can’t say that I would.

To blame others for our actions is not being responsible for ourselves. God will one day hold each of us accountable for every single word, action, and thought we ever had here on Earth. And you know what? You won’t be able to blame anyone else for your wrongs but yourself. (Scary thought right?) But God's Word says that it's true.
So, do you have a flaming tongue? An evil heart? How about a deceitful attitude? You’ll be held responsible for each one when you meet Jesus, but through prayer and reading the Bible, you can overcome each of these and be on your way to victory.

Take a moment to reflect.
1. Can you think of some times when you blamed someone else for your own faults? How did it make you feel knowing you were in the wrong? (Guilt, shame?)
2. Read Genesis 3. Notice the repercussions that were taken against Adam, Eve, and the serpent for their actions.
3. List some consequences that have followed your actions of blaming others for your wrongs.

Pray with me.
Jesus, please help me to take responsibility for all of my thoughts, words, and actions. Help me not to blame others when I’ve been in the wrong. Lord convict me each time I feel urged to let someone else take the blame for my sins. Thank you for caring for me so much that you as the blameless perfect Son Of God would die for me.

Amen

Read: Acts 2:42-47

Reflect: Next week I will be using this passage as the theme passage for my sermon again, and I will be highlighting our core values of Worship, and Discipleship.

Prayer: for the church, for others, and for myself

Hymn: “Blest Be the Tie That Binds”
Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.

Before our Father’s throne
We pour our ardent prayer;
Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
Our comforts and our cares.

We share our mutual woes,
Our mutual burdens bear;
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.

When we asunder part,
It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart,
And hope to meet again.

Closing Prayer: Heavenly Father, I have encountered You through Your Word today. Help me to live in the truth of Your Word as I seek to serve You this day. Amen.

My most poignant memory of that song was when I was five years old and a tornado touched down in our area. The winds blew our milking parlor apart board by board, the rain beat upon our home's windows, and the power lines failed. Mom armed herself with candles, chocolate chip cookies, and Kool-Aid as she directed her three young children into our damp basement. We sang Why Worry When You Can Pray? at least a dozen times. She then led us in prayer. We prayed for my dad, who was caught in the storm, we asked God to keep us safe in our dark basement, and we thanked and praised Him for His protection and love. The aftermath of the storm was cleaned up within a few weeks, but the impact of Mom's spontaneous prayer service has endured.

Worry. It can rob us of sleep, initiate stress headaches and stomach troubles, and consume our thoughts. When we think about our fears and failures, health and wealth, tests and trials, family and foes, problems and pressures, responsibilities and realities, it seems an almost justifiable worry list. Until, we look at the truth of God’s Word.

In Scripture, not only does God call worry by its name – sin (Matthew 6:34) – He provides a way to eliminate it from our lives – prayer (Philippians 4:6)! Prayer is a two-way process: speaking and listening. God invites us to speak or talk to Him about anything, at anytime, in any place. He also desires that we listen, having big ears toward the things He continually speaks to us through His Word and His Spirit.

How do you and I learn to pray? Mother Teresa said, “By praying . . . If you want to pray better, you must pray more.”

If your life is filled with struggles and even prayer is a struggle. Don’t worry about it. Choose to pray!

Looking Up Again...

Here I am looking to the heavens again.

"I am not my own".

I revisit the concept that it is not about me. Yet...still...I remain in resentment!

" If any man come to me and hate not...." ~ Oswald Chambers writes...To say " I have not my own" is to have reached a great point in the deliberate giving up of self.

The deliberate giving up of self...I know this is required of me, to give myself to the Lord, for His good service. I believe I do my best, however I end up right here, again, dealing in anger. They tell me it is a process.

Chambers continues ~ " The Holy Spirit expounds in the nature of Jesus to me in order to make me one with my Lord, not that I might go off as a showroom exhibit."

The process. I must conquer this resentment phase. The boiling of my blood, regardless of the knowledge that this is not what I am to do...regardless of the fact that I am not comfortable in my skin when feeling this way...So around this mountain I go...

I pray...Psalm 141:4

Lord I thank you that I "do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice deeds of wickedness with men who do iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies." I thank you that with Christ in me I can resist these feelings of self centeredness and self involvement. I resist and send back to the pit of hell all that is not of Christ in me. In the Mighty Name of Jesus, Amen.

As I look up to where my help comes from I realize that anger and resentment has the qualities of wicked delicacy...While it does not feel good and well within me...it still rises to the top in richness of emotion and vindication...

So easy it is to ask self...what about me, why me, why is always me...me...me...me...self sings while skipping off into the whirling dirvish of entitlement.

I resist and Look up...again...I do nothing alone!

Blessings All.

For those of you unfamiliar with iPods, the Nano is about 2 inches wide by 1 1/2 inches tall, has a clip that fastens to your clothing and the unit charges itself and downloads music from your computer via a USB port that plugs into the computer/laptop. Nano does not have a screen, so you cannot see which track is playing but you can store a very large music inventory on this small device (I currently have over 4 hours of music on mine). If you want to spend more and can carry a larger unit there are several versions of the iPod available with a stronger menu of features.

The one knock on iPods are that you can only download music from iTunes, iTunes is downloadable for free and you can nearly any song from any artist for 99 cents; you can also purchase entire albums, podcasts (iTunes versions of popular radio broadcasts - this is a great resources as well as you can listen to radio sermons and commentaries that you may have missed through the day). When you purchase songs on iTunes or transfer music into the appropriate format you can organize your music to your liking.

The first few songs on my iPod are selections that directly thoughts to specific aspects of my prayers.
1) Novacain For No Reason - Nodes of Ranvier
This is an instrumental song with a strong emotional drive that always grabs my attention, for me it is the perfect means to start getting focused.
2) Deteriorate - Demon Hunter
Deteriorate plays like a prayer with a strong mood and lyric, the overall tone is very somber but there are heavier elements as well. I've liked Demon Hunter for some time but it was my wife that turned me on to how cool this song is. "Give me a soul that never ceases to follow despite the infection within..."
3) I Want To Be Just Like You - Phillips, Craig & Dean
Not my usual genre but the song is perfect in tone and lyric to focus my thoughts in praying for my sons. "Lord I want to be just like you, because he wants to be like me."
4) Cinderella - Steven Curtis Chapman
This song brought tears to my eyes before I even learned of the Chapman families recent tragedy. If you have kids, especially a young daughter, this song will certainly help you to keep a good perspective on the short amount of time before your children will be up an on their own.
5) Anyone Else But You - The Moldy Peaches
Currently my wife's favorite song so this assists to direct my prayers to her and our relationship. It's definately quirky and not your typcial love song but it is perfect for us.
6) Bro Hymn - Pennywise
Perhaps not your first thought for a prayer inciting melody, but it is a hymn and it reminds me to pray for my good friends.
7) Pitiful - Blindside
Oh man, if you've never listened to the lyrics for this song it is a very honest narrative and has a definite convicting quality.
8) Lullaby - Ghoti Hook
Another honest entreaty.
9) Fall - Slick Shoes
Clearly intended as a personal prayer with clear conviction and an upbeat tone which helps turn my focus towards entering the day.
10) Ascend - The Famine
If you like your music hurdcore then you will certainly relate to the whole package. This song incites a fighting approach to the day and deals with returning to Christ.

In my Nano this segment of music is at the beginning of my playlist, I can use it for my devotional times or even in the truck when I am driving to work (even on trips). I have found this designation to be very helpful as it is readily available for use when needed. For those that are iPod/MP3 owners, you will find this resource easily incorporated into your lifestyle. If aren't familiar with the technology, don't let this deter you, the Nano is fairly inexpensive, iTunes is free to download (once loaded onto your computer the songs can be played from your desktop/laptop, which is also a handy place for devotional times) and integrating the two is user friendly.

Have you ever felt as if you were stranded on a ship, in the middle of the night, during a raging storm? Did you feel as God had abandoned you, leaving you in the hands of Satan who was just waiting to destroy you? That’s not a good feeling. Sometimes, God places us on ships of our own, with fellow companions we call friends, right in the middle of a storm to help our faith in him grow. Though we may be out in the middle of a stormy sea, God is never far. By clinging to the Word of God, and by faithfully calling on him for help, not one of us will parish. He will serve as our lifeline, pulling us close to him and lifting us out of the deep dark waters of life. He wants us to call out to him during this time, giving him the opportunity to do what he died to do, save us.

Take a moment and reflect:
List of 3 items
1. Read Acts 27. Can you think of a time when you could relate to the way Paul and his companions may have felt?
2. Paul had a dream where an angel of the Lord spoke to him; this comforted him giving him strength. What did it take for you to notice God’s holy presence in your situation?
3. List the ways he brought you out of the storm. How did you feel when it was over?
list end

Pray With Me.
Lord, I know I will face many storms in my life. Please give me the strength to face each of them, and to prevail. Help me to keep my eyes on you, and allow you to lead me out of the waters and into the shelter of your arms, instead of depending on my own failing strength.

Amen

Empowered by God’s Inexhaustible Strength
By Dr. James MacDonald

Category: Relying on God

Ever feel wasted?  Ever dealt with circumstances or people that have left you totally drained and lacking energy in your service for God?  I have. Although I try hard to support and encourage people, there are times when it seems like everyone in the world needs my attention.  Don’t get me wrong—I love to help.  But sometimes you get to the point where you can’t talk to one more person; there’s nothing left to give.  You need a strength that transcends your own.

 Colossians 1:11 offers such strength.  In it Paul prays that believers would be strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.  This verse says that we should rely not upon our own strength but upon God’s inexhaustible supply.

 This is not a one-time deal. The original wording implies continuous need and continuous supply.  God does not come and say, “Need some strength?  Here’s a booster shot.  Now come back in a year.”  It’s more like an IV with a continuous flow—God continuously gives us the strength we need.

 The phrase according to His glorious power could be paraphrased, “empowered from God’s inexhaustible reservoir.”  There is never a time when you come to God, and he says, “I’m kind of short right now.  Could you come back on Thursday?”  His resources for us are limitless.

 When do we need strength the most?  Notice the purpose given at the end of the verse: for all patience and longsuffering with joy.  We need God’s strength so we’ll be patient during trials.  Now patience is not rocking-chair acceptance: “Oh well. Here we go again.” It’s more like a soldier: an active, unrelenting endeavor so I won’t quit, so I won’t run, so I won’t fail. 

 I remember seeing on the news once the devastation caused by a tornado: whole neighborhoods were just leveled.  A college student came forward, obviously devastated, with a pile of rubble that had been his home in the background.  His parents had been in bed when the tornado hit, and it had picked them up and thrown them across the street.  They were found dead in each other’s embrace.  The reporter asked the young man what he thought of all the people who were helping him, and he said, “I think that God is good.”  Then they said, “This must be so hard for you. What would your parents want for you now?”  He looked right into the camera and said, “My parents would want me to walk by faith and not by sight.” Patience is the God-given ability to remain under something, no matter how hard it gets. 

 Sometimes it’s not the circumstance but the people.  Whereas patience is getting through difficult circumstances, longsuffering is dealing with difficult people; it is virtue in the face of provocation.  Job went through a major trial and lost everything except the one thing he should have lost—his wife!  She is the worst wife in the Bible.  While Job was trying to bear up under everything, she said, “Hey Job! Curse God and die!”  What kind of a wife is that?  We need strength not only to get through difficult circumstances, but also to handle the difficult people in our lives in a way that honors Christ.

 So if you are up against circumstances or people that are draining your strength and leaving you wasted, don’t rely on your own strength.  Rely on God’s, and then you’ll have all the strength you need.

3 Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
4 Say to those who have an anxious heart,
"Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you."

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
7 the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

And as I've been studying various chapters in Isaiah, I'm making a link between God's vengeance and our redemption.  Isaiah 54:17b says, following the encouraging passage that was part of that devotional today, "This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord."  You can have one or the other - God's vengeance or God's vindication.  Eternally, you cannot have both.  It is amazing to see a small bit of the riches we have in Christ. 

In verse 4 of Isaiah 35, there is a call for the believer to "behold" his God and to expect his salvation.  Yet sandwiched in between those two ideas is this idea of the "vengeance" and "recompense" of God.  How does it fit in?  I think that it fits in because the believer:

1) trusts in the will, sovereignty, and providence of God;
2) trusts in the goodness of God;
3) has assurance of his salvation;
4) which results in joy in the Lord and;
5) a view of God that gratefully receives God's vindication through Christ Jesus. 

Vengeance
Dictionary definition - Infliction of punishment in return for a wrong committed; retribution.  With force or violence; greatly; extremely; to an unreasonable, excessive, or surprising degree.
God hates sin.  And he has every perfect right to hate sin.  Therefore, the punishment for sin (which is death and eternal wrath) is never too great.  God's vengeance is deserved, but it can never be unreasonable or excessive.  His vengeance has been stored up and reserved for those to whom He will say "I did not know you" when His recompense is fully accomplished. 

Deuteronomy 32:43 – “Rejoice, O nations, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance on His adversaries.”
Nahum 1:2 – “A jealous and avenging God is the Lord; the Lord is avenging and wrathful.  The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies.”
Romans 12:19 – “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

Recompense
Dictionary definition - To return an equivalent for; to give compensation for; to atone for; to pay for.
Recompense works both ways.  Recompense for evil is paid to those who have not turned to Christ.  Their reward is what they craved - the fruits of sin.  Yet the recompense of God works in the opposite direction as well.  Because of Christ's perfect sacrifice, believers in Christ are given vindication and victory - the fruits of faith in Christ and living for God's glory and purposes. 

The believer, honoring God and esteeming Him above all else, doesn't trivialize or downplay the vengeance or recompense of God.  Without the vengeance of God, there would be no need for the recompense of God.  And without the recompense of God, there would be no hope for salvation.  While the believer senses, in part, the sincerity and seriousness of the vengeance and recompense of God on the unbelieving, he can also rejoice in his vindication. 

Vindication
Dictionary definition - To clear, as from an accusation, imputation, suspicion, or the like; to afford justification for; justify.
This is simple - we need not be cleared of suspicion, accusation or imputation, but of the actual act!  We did it and we're guilty - it is a fact.  And on our own, we could not plead our case for mercy.  The only way out is to plead the blood of Christ on our behalf, and to accept God's justification on our account.  And by Christ's blood, God is pleased to give full pardon.  This vindication which covers the believer is the source of great joy and rejoicing! 

Isaiah 35:4
"..."Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you.""

Jesus Had Problems Too
By Dr. James MacDonald

Category: Attitudes, Character, Problems, Relying on God, Spiritual Life

“When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” 1 Peter 2:23

True or false?  Most of the challenges we deal with in life are people problems.  Sometimes we cause them, sometimes others cause them. Often it’s a combination of the two. 

Fact #1: If you could remove all that conflict from your life, everything would be much easier and simpler.  No misunderstandings, no harsh demands, no hurt feelings, no fights or complaints or criticisms—nothing. 

Fact #2: That’s never going to happen. 

As we go in-depth into the life of Christ this week in the broadcast series, Just Like Jesus, we’ll see one point hammered in every chapter.  Jesus knew about people problems.  So what can we learn from how He faced them?  As usual, you’ll hear a more thorough discussion of this in the message, but we’ll put one major truth on the table right here.

As Jesus got ready to hit the road in His public ministry, He chose twelve men to go with Him.  Do you remember that scene in Mark 3:13-19? “And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him and he appointed twelve . . . Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James; Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean . . .”And then look who gets a verse all to himself—  “Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him” (v. 19). 

Don’t let the horror of that last verse slip by you.  From studying the other gospels we know that Jesus spent an entire night in prayer before He chose His disciples.  Yet here we see Him choosing someone who is going to betray Him.  Jesus made a very deliberate choice—to look into Judas’ face and embrace him, knowing the role Judas would play in his death.  Why would Jesus do that?  Because He came to be our example.  He wanted to help you and me deal with that kind of rejection in our lives. 

Do you know that kind of pain?  Have people said or done hurtful things to you?  Has somebody you loved and trusted done something horrific to you? Maybe you live with this banner of ugliness over your life, and wonder, “How could I ever have victory over that?”  Jesus’ example can help answer that. 

“When his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, ‘He is out of his mind.” (Mark 3: 21)

His family—the ones He had grown up with: His neighbors, His uncles, His best customer at the carpentry shop said, He’s crazy.  His family and friends showed up 30 miles from their home in order to yank Him out of the public eye.

Imagine how painful it was for Jesus to be so completely misunderstood that the people He thought loved Him most would try to shut down His ministry?

So how do you deal with something like that? 

Let’s first heed the flashing warning signal.  The danger in betrayal is that you become discouraged.  You think, I can’t take this anymore and pull back from relationships.  No one will ever do that to me again.  I’ll just be distant from everyone.  I might be lonely, but I won’t be hurt.  Well, I know what that’s like; Christ certainly knew all about that too. 

The solution for that is trust. When something unexpected and difficult comes into your life, get on your knees and say, “God, I don’t know why you’ve allowed this, but you’re a good and faithful God and I trust you.  I believe that nothing comes into my life but for your good purposes.  Lord, I want to find the good in it, and I want to bring glory to you in this situation.”  As quickly as you can, get to that place of humble submission and speak those powerful words, “God, I trust You.”

It was Charles Spurgeon who said, “It is not to be imagined that the God who has been so faithful to me in the last six trials I’ve gone through, will now abandon me here on the seventh.”  God would never do that. 

The key that unlocks the door of victory is, “God, I trust You.” 

Jesus said it.  He often withdrew from conflict in order to put it in His Father’s hands.  Peter testified that “When he [Jesus] was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).  Because He was confident that the Father knew what He was doing, Jesus was able to rest in that place of trust and continue on in victory.

Every time Jesus was seriously attacked in His character and conduct, Jesus simply moved on.  He never offered a rebuttal—not once. Instead, He absorbed the criticism and went back to work.  He knew His mission and wouldn’t be distracted from doing it.

Jesus understands people problems. He also knew how not to let people’s hurtful actions get Him down. It is this: keep entrusting yourself to your heavenly Father who knows all about it.

Category: Problems, Relying on God, Sin / Suffering / Satan

"There he came to a cave and lodged in it.  And behold, the word of the Lord came  to him, and he said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" … And he said, "Go  out and stand on the mount before the Lord."  And behold, the Lord passed by,  and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks  before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the  wind an earthquake, but the Lord was  not in the earthquake. And after the  earthquake a fire, but the Lord  was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in  his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave." 1 Kings  19:9,11-13                       

True  or false? The Bible never talks about godly people who battled depression.

                            If you were  around last week for our visit with Elijah under the juniper tree, then you  know that answer is false. In 1 Kings 18-19 (as well as other places), God not  only pictures for us people who were depressed, but from their lives He also  shows us the way out of depression. If you remember, the difference between  people is not the intensity of the  things that we go through, but how we choose to deal with those circumstances. We  talked last week about the three steps that take you down into depression and I  promised you that this week we’d look at five steps to getting out of that valley  and on to victory.

That is exactly  what Elijah did—he got out of the valley. How? He met God and let Him change him. Let’s look at Elijah’s choices in detail.  Ask yourself if these are decisions that you too need to make:

1. Let God  confront you. In 1 Kings 19:9, Elijah’s frame of mind drove him to a cave.  Alone and exhausted, Elijah was asleep in the cool blackness when God spoke to  him. Elijah, what are you doing here? Stuttering with lame excuses, Elijah didn’t have a good reason for isolating  himself. Notice that the Lord didn’t get angry or judgmental of His servant; He  just ministered grace to him. I love that.

2. Let God  reveal Himself to you. Once He comforted Elijah, God showed Himself strong. Go stand outside, Elijah. “And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the  mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord  was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And  after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord  was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.” Did you hear where God’s message was  communicated? In the quiet and the un-spectacular. We live in a day when people  clamor, Make my eyes go wow, God, and then I’ll believe in You. But  Elijah had seen the wild stuff and he was like, whatever. When God whispered to him in a still, small voice: It’s Me, Elijah. It’s going to be OK. You  can trust Me, thenElijah came  around.

3. Let God provide for you. Finally, once Elijah  was in a place where he could receive help, God supernaturally sent food and  rest. If you’ll let Him, God will nourish you too with His Word or through a  friend or through a piece of wisdom that He brings to mind and you’ll feel  yourself getting stronger.

4. Immediately do what God says. God gave  Elijah the very specific instructions to  leave the cave. Verses 15 through 17 can be paraphrased, Get up, man. Get on with life!

5. Get  involved with people again. After all this, God sent Elijah back to  civilization. God said, I have reserved seven  thousand people in Israel  who have never bowed to Baal who are as faithful as you are. Go back and get  with those people. 

Which of these  five steps up to victory do you need to take?

                           
• Do you need to trust God with some hard things  in your life? By trusting Him, you also let Him confront you with the truth.                            
• Are you looking for God to show up in some  dramatic way and heal you? Listen instead for His whisper.                            
• Are you seeking out God’s provision in His Word?  Be open to receiving nourishment from God’s Word and God’s people.                            
• What is God saying you need to do to get back  into life again? Whatever it is, do it immediately.                           
• Are you getting back with people again? Ask God  to give you the courage to begin today.                      

What Do You Do When...
By Dr. James MacDonald

Category: Relying on God

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Psalm 51:17

James 3:2 says that we all fall in many ways. It’s true, isn’t it? No one could ever say, “Well, I’ve never failed the Lord.”

But what do you do when you’re confronted with your sin? God uses a messenger, a friend, a circumstance or His Word to point it out to you and suddenly you’re looking in a mirror that shows you, “You’re like this. This is the problem.”

What you do then is one of the most critical moments in your life.

Because we all do fail the Lord, the issue then becomes, how do I respond when my sin is revealed to me? That is the great dividing line in all of humanity.

On the broadcast this week, the life of King Saul is under the microscope. We meet him today at a pivotal moment when he is confronted with his sin. Tragically, rather than admitting what he did was wrong, he attempts a major cover up. First Samuel 15:15 says that he first blamed it on the people. Then, he rationalized, ‘Yeah, I did most of that, but then I sacrificed to the Lord.’

In essence Saul’s strategy was, I’ll do what I want and then I’ll ask for forgiveness.

But there are some things you can’t recover from. We like to kid ourselves by rationalizing, I’ll do my thing until I get what I want and then I’ll tell God I’m sorry and He’ll receive me back. Will God forgive you? Yes, but you will bear the consequences of that decision for the rest of your days on earth. Did God forgive Saul? Yes, but Saul lost his opportunity to be king and nothing would change that. We live with our choices.

You say, “Well, what should I do when I realize I’ve sinned?” Unlike Saul, when you see your sin, be broken about it. Deal with it God’s way. Welcome His deepest work within you. Choose sincerity over religious ritual. Choose repentance over rationalization. Choose brokenness over boasting. Choose a right relationship with Him over your own pride.

God waits for that moment when He sees you turn around. When He sees your repentant heart, He runs to you and loves you.

This could be your moment right now.

God’s Will is 98% About Who You Are
By Dr. James MacDonald

Category: Change, God Can Use You, God's Word, Relying on God, Your Walk With God

As a pastor, I often hear questions about God’s will.  “What does God want me to do?” is the most common, but there are others: “Where does God want me to live?” “Who does God want me to marry?” “What job does God want me to take?”  

 This may come as a surprise to you, but the Bible doesn’t spend any time on that stuff.  God’s focus isn’t so much on the externals; He wants to change the inner you.  He says, “If I can change you into the person I want you to be, you’ll know where you’re supposed to go, and you’ll know who you’re supposed to marry, and you’ll know where you’re supposed to work.”

 God’s will is 98% about who you are.  Don’t believe me?  Need some evidence?  Check out the words of Paul: “You ought to walk [to] please God . . . for you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.  For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:1-3).  You can’t get much more clear than that!

 The word “sanctification” comes from a root word that means “to make holy.”  Sanctification is the process by which God takes sinful people and makes them holy.  (It’s not really as churchy as it sounds.)  Holy is a great word; it means “set apart” or “distinct.”  It means “different from the sinful world around us.” It means being like God.  “This is the will of God, your sanctification.”  That’s what God is doing—He’s trying to sanctify or change you.

 Choose to believe the truth that God is changing you, and you should clear up a lot of confusion. Next time you wonder about what you are seeing or experiencing and struggle to know what God could be up to, just say to yourself, “He’s changing me,” and you’ll be right.  Next time disappointments or heartaches come (maybe you’re in the midst of them right now), try to recognize that God Himself is holding the hammer and chisel.

 But why?  Why is He so stuck on this matter of change?  Here’s the hard truth that sets people free: God’s bottom line doesn’t have anything to do with you or me or any human being.  This whole universe is not about us; it’s about Him.  God does not exist to fulfill our purposes; we exist to fulfill His purposes.  The reason why you are here is because God wants to demonstrate His power and splendor through your life, and if you realize that you are not doing it very well, then you truly understand why He wants to change you.  He wants to get you to the place where no matter what happens to you or what you go through, you trust Him and follow Him and are committed wholly to His goodness. And so He’s coming after you, and He’s trying to change you.  Let Him do His work in you, and watch Him display His awesomeness through you. ]]> http://trulygodsgrace.wordpress.com/?p=141 Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:20:12 +0000 trulygodsgrace http://trulygodsgrace.wordpress.com/?p=141

When You Feel Lost
By Dr. James MacDonald

Category: Problems, Relying on God

Have you ever been really lost?  Like I-don’t-where-I-am-and-I-don’t-know-how-I-got-here lost?  In the fall of 1979, I was leaving my home in Ontario, Canada, and heading off to college in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  The car was packed, but I was kind of nervous about the trip; I had never driven that far before.  My dad put his arms around me, prayed, and then said, “This is really simple.  You take the 401 to Detroit.  Cross over the bridge, get on I-75, and head straight to Chattanooga—you can’t miss it.”

Well I got in the car and took off.  All I was thinking was I-75 . . . I-75 . . . I-75.  So I shot across the bridge from Canada to Detroit and jumped on I-75.  About two hours later I started to wonder why I hadn’t seen Toledo yet.  I was going by signs that said I-75, so I thought, “I’m on the right track.”  All of a sudden, I noticed the top of the sign.  It said, “NORTH.”  You know that creeping feeling that comes over you, but you don’t want to believe it?  Then I saw a sign for Bay City, Michigan, and realized that I was two-and-a-half hours north of Detroit, headed for the Upper Peninsula. I was so discouraged.  It is an awful thing to be so completely and utterly lost.

This is an example of confusion.  Confusion results when I am unable to connect my perception with reality.  It can hit us in one of four areas; each one is progressively worse.

• The first is physical confusion.  This is where you can’t connect what you see with your perceived location, and you’re asking “Where am I?”  That is pretty easily solved.  You just turn the car around, get some directions and then get where you are supposed to be.
• Worse than physical confusion is what I would call emotional confusion.  Emotional confusion occurs when you can’t connect what you are feeling with what is happening.  You are asking yourself, “Why am I feeling this way? I shouldn’t be, but I am.” Have you ever felt like that? Kind of emotionally disoriented? That is more difficult to solve.
• But it is not as bad as mental confusion.  Mental confusion occurs when you connect your identity with reality. People who struggle with this may actually have to be hospitalized.  They are asking the question, “Who am I?”
• But the worst is spiritual confusion.  Spiritual confusion happens when I can’t connect what is happening with my sense of who I know God to be.  I am not asking, “Why do I feel this way?” or “Who am I?”. I’m asking “Who is God?  The God that I know would never let this happen.  The God that I know would never act like this.”  It’s an awful thing, and if you let it go on for a long time, you’re going to be in deep weeds.

How do I meet God in confusion?  Here are four truths that can act like a spiritual compass, to help us meet Him when we feel lost. 

First of all, God always has a plan for me.  He is not surprised about anything.  He has never paced the floor.  He is in complete control, with His feet up.  You can rest in the knowledge that God has a plan for you.

Second, God’s timing is always perfect in my life.  He has never been late; He has never been early; He is always right on time.  Now we don’t see God’s perfect timing when we are in the midst of it, because our sense of timing is right now.  But do you have a story that shows how God’s timing is perfect?  If so, rehearse it and let it encourage you in the situation you are facing today.

Third:  I have nothing to fear.  Since God has a plan and His timing is always perfect, I have nothing to fear. Now that doesn’t mean that I automatically avoid all the painful stuff in this life.  It just means that when it is all over, I’ll say, “Good job, Lord. Great plan.”  There is not one person in heaven saying, “Bad plan.”  Every one in heaven is going, “Great plan, God! Even the tragic events turned out for Your glory.”  Let that thought nourish your heart.

Fourth, I’ve got a lot to learn.  Too often I am not good at trusting God.  I want to handle it myself.  I want to push ahead.  I think I know better.  We must humble ourselves in the midst of painful circumstances, realizing that they are tools that God can use to accomplish His good in our lives and in the lives of those we love.

So if you feel like you are lost, it is not to late to turn the car around.  Just follow God’s directions, and you will find Him. 

I went running yesterday, and after a long while,  I needed to walk for a bit to catch my breath.  But when would I stop running and start walking?  Well, I looked at the road ahead and set a mental marker.  After I reached the marked place, I would start walking.  Problem was, I could never reach that mark because as I got closer to it, my mind tricked me into thinking the mark was just as far away as when I first set it.  I was literally running toward a moving target.  What got me out of that rut?  I had to identify a fixed target -- a fence.  When I did that, I finally reached a place where I could begin my rest.

How easy it is for us to take a similar approach to setting goals.  We might think, "I will be happy when this thing happens," or "I will have made it when I achieve such and such goal."  But will happiness or success really be ours after we reach that self-established milestone?  Will we rest content then?  Hardly.  The pleasure will last briefly, and then we will develop a desire to reach our next goal.

Real rest lies with Christ.  When we lead a life hidden in Christ, it is like setting a fixed target.  Rest in Christ is real and attainable, not illusory.  Let us fix our eyes on Christ, the true marker of peace and contentedness.

22 You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters,*Love each other deeply with all your heart.*

Observation:

Sincere love involves selfless giving. a self centered person can't truly love. God's love & forgiveness free you to take your eyes off yourself to meet others needs.

Application:

Christ sacrificed his life to show how much he truly loves us. Because of his sacrifice for us, we can love others by following his example and giving of ourselves sacrificially.

Prayer:

Father, Please help me to give to others as you have given to me, I know that I may not be able to fully do all that I want right now as I am not financially in a place where I can do so. However, continue to guide me as I give of my time serving  others and sharing my time and my talents. In your name I pray, Amen 

1 "Comfort, comfort my people." says your God . 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins."

Observation:

God was telling Isaiah to speak tenderly to comfort Jerusalem. They still had 100 years of trouble before Jerusalem would fall, followed by 70 years of exile.

Application:

We may not escape adversity, but when life seems to be falling apart we can ask God to comfort us.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for the comfort of your words and grace to which I can turn to when I need comfort, there is something wonderful and peaceful about reading your word when all hope seems to be lost. Even when sometimes the only comfort I may feel at the time is in the knowledge that someday I will be with you. Thank you for placing people in my life whom I can turn to who follow your word as well. In Jesus name I pray, Amen

I’ve often wondered how much of my day is spent doing things that won’t even matter to me tomorrow. Or how much of my time was I doing something that should’ve taken up far less time then it actually did. On the other hand, how little of our time is spent doing things to make a difference either for ourselves, or others?

God says that we are to use our time wisely. So then why do so many of us who wish to honor God in all that we do, find ourselves being totally unproductive more then not?

I think that answer lies in today’s worldly approach. We’re taught by media and society that we can spend as much time as we want, on anything that we want because more time will always follow. When you finish one thing, you can just move on to the next project, right?

What if you were wrong?

What if you only had five minutes left to live. What would you do with it? How would you spend those last minutes here on Earth? These questions can be answered one of two ways. First, you could be honest with yourself, and really think about what you would do. Or you could do what so many people would do, and concentrate on what you would like to do in those last minutes, knowing you’d probably never really do them.

Time is not unending, that’s just a fact. One day, though no one knows when, time will stop. The world will end and no one will have anymore time to do, or think about doing, anything. So while we do have that precious time, let’s make the best of it, and honor God’s very request. After all, we want to make the most difference while we can, don’t we?

Reflect on this.

1. If God were here with you in person for one day, would he be proud of you for the way you spend your time?

2. What are some areas in your life where you know you could use your time more wisely?

3. Write down some daily activities that you partake in, and then figure out which ones could be shortened so that you can spend that time more productively.

4. How could you use that extra time for either your or someone else’s good? (List some hobbies or events you could partake in.)

Pray with me.

Dear Jesus, please help me to spend the time I’m given more wisely. Help me to honor you with my days here on Earth, and to eliminate the activities that are unworthy of so much of my time. Help me to make a difference with every second you bless me with.

Amen

"It's just a couple drinks, relax." "It's just sex, everyone's doing it and if you loved me you would too." "All the cool people smoke, don't you want to be cool?"

How many times have you heard or even said these words? I'm just a young female, and let me tell you I've heard every one of those lines more times than I care to admit. Today's world is filled with peer pressure, temptation, and bribery. It's not easy making it in this mean world as a young Christian, and especially as a female. I know that it's equally hard on the guys (if not harder), but as a female I can only speak from my own perspective.
So with the way things are, and without the hope of it getting any better before Christ’s return, how do we make it?

The answer isn’t what you might expect, and it’s surely not the human’s natural response, but it is the only way.
Turn to God. Yup, I said it. (Ok I wrote it.)

God is the only way you can make it without falling prey to all of the nonsense in this place today. His word tells us that in the end times, things have to get worse before he will come back for his people. That’s exactly what’s been happening, isn’t it?
Rape, murder, theft, drugs, violence, all of that has increased in the past years, and all of it was predicted in the Bible over 2000 years ago.
By staying right with God, and getting to know his word, we can resist all of the temptations that try to snatch us from the path of grace. God never let’s us be tempted past what he knows we can handle, and he always provides the way out of it.
Don’t believe me? It’s in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 10:12-13. “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is
Faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

I know first hand that temptation is a major temptation. (No pun intended.) Everyone wants to be somebody, everyone wants to be liked, respected, and highly praised. But have you ever stopped to wonder why? I mean, why does it matter what “everyone else” is doing? At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter anyway. None of those so called “friends” are going to like or respect you anymore than they would have if you had taken that drink or smoke. God’s the only one we should be trying to please, and when everyone goes home, and it’s just you and him there, do you think he cares about who has the biggest high or hangover? I can assure you that he doesn’t.
Temptation comes to us in more ways then just these things listed. In fact those are just a couple. Anytime you get that gut feeling that “maybe I shouldn’t be here” or “I definitely don’t want anyone to know I’m doing this” then that’s your cue to stop and consult your conscience.

So, next time you’re out at that big oal party that everyone’s going to be at, and you’re going to try to be somebody that everybody likes, or when you’re alone with the love of your life (that you’re not married to), stop and ask yourself this question before you do anything. Is what I’m about to do pleasing God, or my friends? This question was asked by my pastor during one Sunday service, and it’s been burned in my brain ever since so I’m passing it along to you in hopes it’ll help you too.

Take a moment and reflect.
1. What are some ways that you feel tempted or pressured by your friends to do certain things that you know are wrong?
2. . How could you respond better the next time so that you please God instead of your friends?
3. What do you think are the main reasons you give in to peer pressure? (To feel accepted? To avoid being talked about?)
4. Think of some things that you could do to replace putting yourself in tempting situations. (Play video games with real friends instead of that party. Stay in group settings instead of being alone with your partner.)
None of these are things you’re going to just be able to do automatically. They weren’t for me either. But after seeking help from God and a strong will, you will soon learn to stick to the things that really matter in life. And though it may seem like it now, I promise you that drinking, drugs, and sex aren’t those things.

Pray with me.
Lord Jesus, I know that temptation is daily going to be a part of my life. Please keep me from giving in and cracking against all the pressures I face. Help me to resist temptation, and turn to you instead of worldly pleasures to make me feel loved and accepted. Thank you for loving me, and for always providing a way out of situations that I know I can’t face on my own.
Amen

Here are some scripture verses I found that relate to this topic. I hope you find them helpful the next time you find yourself in a tempting situation.

Matthew 6:13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.
Matthew 18:7 “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.”
Matthew 26:41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
1 Corinthians 10:13 “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”
James 1:12 “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

Memorize as many of these verses as you can. Pull them from your mental filing cabinet as needed!