Sunday, September 7, 2014
Getting Ready for Christmas
Waiting on Jesus, part 18: who to trust
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Lesson from the battlefield, part 17: The way to prosper
Every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and prospered. (2 Chronicles 31:21 NASB)
Hezekiah prospered, but it was not simply because of the terrific actions he took. Hezekiah was obedient to the law and commands of God and he consistently sought God. Every action was taken with a heart wholly devoted to God. As a result of whole-hearted obedience, he prospered.
When we hear "prosper", we instantly think of money. Certainly Hezekiah had riches. There other ways of prospering, however. Peace, unity, and harmony in a nation is a form of prospering. Freedom from dangers without and within is another form of prospering. One way a family can prosper is through strong relationships and godly children.
For our churches to "prosper" in this same way, lives must be changed. When churches prosper, people are drawn to Jesus and they become transformed by the Spirit of God. That is the prospering. For that to happen, those of us who are leading by service must be obedient to the commands of our Lord and work with whole hearts. We must offer whole-hearted obedient service.
Is there any area in which you are less than obedient? Have you given your whole heart to the Lord? If you church, your family, your nation are going to prosper, whole-hearted devotion is necessary. What better place for that to start than with you?
Waiting for Jesus, part 19: Stay or Go?
Waiting on Jesus, part 17: thinning the Crowd
Friday, September 5, 2014
Friday Night With Friends: The Joy of Kissing by Mamie Hollis, apprentice wonder puppy
Waiting on Jesus, part 16: believing the unbelievable
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Lessons from the battlefield, part 16 : Delayed Revival
2 Chronicles 30:15 b “The priests and Levites were ashamed of themselves and consecrated themselves, and brought burnt offerings…”
Verses 2 and 3 in this same chapter tell us that Passover had to be delayed because not enough priests were consecrated. Revival was delayed because the God-appointed leaders were not faithful to keep the sin out of their own lives. Once they saw the people racing to repentance, the priests were convicted about their delay and they, too, repented.
It is not easy to stay faithful in the midst of our busy, over-extended lives. The priests probably thought they were fine in comparison to the nation that had given itself over to idolatry. Their standard of comparison, however, was not the world around them. Their standard of comparison was the law, and they were sadly lacking.
The standard by which we live is grace and our model is Jesus Christ. Compared to the world in general our lives may look pretty good, but compared to Jesus we are all miserably failing. Is there anything in your life that might delay revival? Are you so faithful and clean before the Lord that your heart is prepared to serve at a moment’s notice?
Revival is coming, dear ones, and God is going to move. Don’t let your heart be the cause for delay. You don’t want to miss a thing He has planned. Let Him make your heart like His today.
Waiting on Jesus, part 15:
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Lessons from the Battlefield, part 15: struggle spots
The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD. Now many people were gathered at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very large assembly. They arose and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and cast them into the brook Kidron. (2 Chronicles 30:12-14 NASB)
The hand of God was on the people to obey. As they gathered for the Passover, even before the feast began, they collectively began to cast away the altars on which they had worshipped idols. Don’t misunderstand this principle. Cleansing requires more than just confession. They did not just confess that they had idols; they removed them from their land and destroyed them.
What are the places of idolatry in your life? What are the things with which you struggle over and over again? What are the areas in which true, lasting victory seems elusive? Are you tired of dealing with the mess in your heart? Are you sick of the distraction of sin (either wrong attitudes or wrong actions) that prevents you from truly worshipping with a whole heart?If so, today is a perfect day to do more than repent. Ask our Lord to help you cast away that sin that has beset you so long and remove it completely from your life.
Every Christian has some area or “struggle spot” that is a difficult one for them. None of us are spared. Even our Lord was tempted. Victory comes only when we willingly allow our Lord to work in us to bring cleansing and lasting victory to our "struggle spots".