When I read the word sometimes I ask: "God what are you saying to me?"
It can be a frustrating practice, especially when it doesn't feel like anything I'm reading at that time directly applies to my life. But it is encouraging to know that He wants me to do this. Part of knowing God is seeking Him out.
Psalm 85:8 says "I will listen to what God the LORD will say; ..."
Jesus said of listening to God and inviting His Spirit: "Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7-8
"Do not be anxious for anything but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philipians 4:6
When I do this, I don't necessarily get answers I like, or answers right away, but He consistently meets with me through the Spirit. Even better: I get to know Him better! God hears prayer. Let's not give up.
What type of person is God speaking to in prayer? Everyone!
Jesus' Parable of the Lost Son is a story Jesus told about one son who was welcomed from a distance and one who was called to even though he was near. The story shows us that God welcomes repentant sinners and calls hard-hearted older brothers to prayer and celebration. The story is that one of the sons takes his inheritance early and loses it all in wild living. He eventually comes back to the father and the delighted father celebrates his son's return. Everything is returned to the son that had been lost and a celebration is thrown. God welcomes back sinners and will speak to even the most rebellious person if invited to in prayer.
Even more amazing though is that the hardened older brother [which I have been the most] is also called to by the father:
" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'" Luke 15:31-32
Jesus was dead but He is alive. He is bringing the dead to life and bringing the lost home all around us. He is enough reason for us to celebrate God's goodness and expect Him to speak with us personally through the Word.
Lord, let neither sin and rebellion nor bitterness or envy ever harden my heart to your voice.
1.16.2016
1.15.2016
God's Favorite Song
What do you think might be God's favorite Psalm?
I know this is not a legit question (all his words are perfect), but it's an interesting thought to start a day. It leads to other questions like "which of my thoughts have been pleasing to God?" or "what kind of song does God enjoy and want me to sing?" These are all valuable for Christians who are called to meditate on whatever is good, noble, admirable and praiseworthy.
Psalm 84's Main Points:
1. God's presence is unimaginably wonderful, welcoming and secure.
2. The LORD makes it clear when we are near him that he is worthy to be praised.
3. The LORD gives favor and honor to those whose walk is blameless.
4. God gives us light and protects us.
5. The person who trusts in the LORD is forever blessed.
I know this is not a legit question (all his words are perfect), but it's an interesting thought to start a day. It leads to other questions like "which of my thoughts have been pleasing to God?" or "what kind of song does God enjoy and want me to sing?" These are all valuable for Christians who are called to meditate on whatever is good, noble, admirable and praiseworthy.
Psalm 84's Main Points:
1. God's presence is unimaginably wonderful, welcoming and secure.
2. The LORD makes it clear when we are near him that he is worthy to be praised.
3. The LORD gives favor and honor to those whose walk is blameless.
4. God gives us light and protects us.
5. The person who trusts in the LORD is forever blessed.
1.14.2016
End of Faith
1 Peter 1:3-9
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
1.13.2016
Intermediaries
Intermediaries: throughout God's story there are people (individuals or groups) who seem to stand in for the whole world, with dual purpose:
A) to represent the world before God AND
B) for God to demonstrate who He is to the world through the intermediary.
The position that the intermediary took before God:
Adam --> disobedience and sin
Noah --> faithfulness
Abraham --> faithfulness
Israel --> rebellious and stubborn
Christ --> holy
What God brought to the world through the intermediary:
Adam --> judgment and death (essentially an end to sin) entered the world
Noah --> mercy
Abraham --> righteousness through faith
Israel --> signs of His power and love
Christ --> God's presence with humanity
This is an incomplete list of intermediaries and a huge simplification of each intermediary's story but I thought it was a helpful way to think of the whole story of God and the fulfillment that Christ brings at the culmination of the story.
Psalm 80:16-19
"Your vine [Israel] is cut down, it is burned with fire;
at your rebuke your people perish.
Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
the son of man you have raised up for yourself.
Then we will not turn away from you;
revive us, and we will call on your name.
Restore us, LORD God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved."
A) to represent the world before God AND
B) for God to demonstrate who He is to the world through the intermediary.
The position that the intermediary took before God:
Adam --> disobedience and sin
Noah --> faithfulness
Abraham --> faithfulness
Israel --> rebellious and stubborn
Christ --> holy
What God brought to the world through the intermediary:
Adam --> judgment and death (essentially an end to sin) entered the world
Noah --> mercy
Abraham --> righteousness through faith
Israel --> signs of His power and love
Christ --> God's presence with humanity
This is an incomplete list of intermediaries and a huge simplification of each intermediary's story but I thought it was a helpful way to think of the whole story of God and the fulfillment that Christ brings at the culmination of the story.
Psalm 80:16-19
"Your vine [Israel] is cut down, it is burned with fire;
at your rebuke your people perish.
Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
the son of man you have raised up for yourself.
Then we will not turn away from you;
revive us, and we will call on your name.
Restore us, LORD God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved."
1.12.2016
The Remedy for Stubbornness
My family is stubborn. They used to call my Dad "hard-head". There is a true story about when he was a teenager a kid from the other side of a wall in their housing project through a brick over the wall that hit my Dad on the forehead with no damage to my Dad's head. You should have seen the brick! I definitely inherited stubbornness and can be very strong-willed, convinced that I'm right. God's word is the only remedy to my stubbornness.
Why do we read and share the story of God with each other and with the world?
Psalm 78
"so the next generation would know them [God's commands and stories of his power],
a children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget His deeds
but would keep His commandments.
They would not be like their ancestors,
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to Him.
...
they willfully put God to the test,
by demanding the food that they craved.
...
In spite of all this they kept on sinning,
in spite of His wonders they did not believe.
...
Again and again they put the Lord God to the test."
As the Psalm's story continues: ultimately God saved even the stubborn hearts of Israel and caused His presence to dwell among them.
Lord Jesus, let your word soften our stubborn hearts and cause your presence to dwell even with us.
Why do we read and share the story of God with each other and with the world?
Psalm 78
"so the next generation would know them [God's commands and stories of his power],
a children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget His deeds
but would keep His commandments.
They would not be like their ancestors,
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to Him.
...
they willfully put God to the test,
by demanding the food that they craved.
...
In spite of all this they kept on sinning,
in spite of His wonders they did not believe.
...
Again and again they put the Lord God to the test."
As the Psalm's story continues: ultimately God saved even the stubborn hearts of Israel and caused His presence to dwell among them.
Lord Jesus, let your word soften our stubborn hearts and cause your presence to dwell even with us.
1.11.2016
God Is to Be Feared
If at the end of my life I do not fear God then my life has not fulfilled its purpose.
Psalm 76
"Surely it is you who are to be feared.
Who can stand before you when you are angry?"
There are many fears we can have in this world. As during much of the world's history, including the time Psalm 76 was written, there are wars and rumors of wars. Many fear powerful military leaders who don't seem to have the world's good as their goal. Some fear terrorist extremists. Even amidst the endless comforts and luxuries of modern America we fear loss, social isolation, condemnation of others, and most of all one day we will all fear death. We will look back and wonder if we've lived for the right things. We know now that we were meant for something more than what this world offers. We ought to search for God now. Searching for God now will cause us to fear Him and honor Him in everything we do. Fearing God helps us to know His love and His salvation more fully. Fearing God helps us to see how precious and gracious is the gift of pardon for our sins that we've received in Christ Jesus.
Though it is comforting to know that God rules over all the chaos, but Lord, let Your matchless power cause me to be more in awe of You and aware of you day by day until the end of my days.
Psalm 76
"Surely it is you who are to be feared.
Who can stand before you when you are angry?"
There are many fears we can have in this world. As during much of the world's history, including the time Psalm 76 was written, there are wars and rumors of wars. Many fear powerful military leaders who don't seem to have the world's good as their goal. Some fear terrorist extremists. Even amidst the endless comforts and luxuries of modern America we fear loss, social isolation, condemnation of others, and most of all one day we will all fear death. We will look back and wonder if we've lived for the right things. We know now that we were meant for something more than what this world offers. We ought to search for God now. Searching for God now will cause us to fear Him and honor Him in everything we do. Fearing God helps us to know His love and His salvation more fully. Fearing God helps us to see how precious and gracious is the gift of pardon for our sins that we've received in Christ Jesus.
Though it is comforting to know that God rules over all the chaos, but Lord, let Your matchless power cause me to be more in awe of You and aware of you day by day until the end of my days.
1.10.2016
Word of God
Scriptures from Jan's Sermon Today: Reasons to Resolve to Read the Bible Daily in 2015
Proverbs 4:18
"The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day."
1. The Word of God Saved Us
1 Peter 1:23-24
"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable through the living and enduring word of God ..."
James 1:18
"He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all that He created."
Romans 10:17
"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message and the message through the word of Christ."
2. The Word of God Sanctifies Us
John 17:17
"Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth."
3. The Word of God Gives Us Joy
John 15:11
"I have spoken to you so that you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."
Proverbs 4:18
"The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day."
1. The Word of God Saved Us
1 Peter 1:23-24
"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable through the living and enduring word of God ..."
James 1:18
"He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all that He created."
Romans 10:17
"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message and the message through the word of Christ."
2. The Word of God Sanctifies Us
John 17:17
"Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth."
3. The Word of God Gives Us Joy
John 15:11
"I have spoken to you so that you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."
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