FAITHFUL LOVE AND TRUTH

Mondays get a bad rap while Fridays get all the love.   Can I just tell ya something?  Life can be overwhelming for all of us regardless of which day of the week it is.  

We all have those days where nothing seems to be coming together like we planned.  And, our own perspective is highly influential in how we experience our day from the moment we wake up.

Our spiritual life is not immune to the kind of stinking thinking which can turn your day from a positive to a negative experience.  The instant discouragement begins to creep up on our outlook, we look away from God.  Satan then takes the opportunity to whisper lies in our ears.  We may be tempted to begin to think God asks too much of us and expects us to be a perfect, well-behaved Christian who never who never gets to have fun. Again... stinking thinking. And, ultimately, when we know God, we know better.

Consider the life of David, a man who God said was a man after His own heart.  David knew God's ways show faithful love and truth to those who chase after Him.  David was far from perfect and a sinner like the rest of us.  But, the longer David walked with God, the more convinced he became that God keeps His promises and knows what is best for us.  David knew God to be a promise keeper regardless of the difficulties or failures he faced in life.  God's commandments, plans and purposes for us, and timing are always the best.  God always has His best in mind for each of us.  

These biblical truths and principals are part of the nature and character of God.  The longer we walk with God, the more clearly we see that everything He does is done in a perfect love because God IS love.  

His faithful love and truth are beyond question or doubt.  Could that be said about our faithfulness to Him?  The depth of our faith is tied directly to our level of humble surrender to God's faithfulness.  We must allow a vulnerability within ourselves by taking our focus from ourselves and our own preferences and trusting in the faithful love and truth of God.

Prayer
Father, from the 10K foot view, I know in my heart that your will, your plans and purposes for me, and your timing are always way better than anything I could ever cook up on my own.  Give me the courage to trust in your faithful love and truth every day.  Amen.

#Missions #Evident #MásDeTi 

All the Lord’s ways show faithful love and truth to those who keep his covenant and decrees. -- Psalm 25:10 CSB

FACING OUR GIANTS

Don't you love it when a little dog goes after a big dog, yapping away, seemingly unfazed by the fact that the bigger dog is 5 or 6 times or more it's size?  The big dog usually just stands still looking amused as the little ankle biter attempts to appear ferocious.  I always wonder where that all that courage comes from.

To be honest, if I were there that day, watching young David head out to face that big Sasquatch - Goliath, I would have thought he was a complete fool.  

Watching that poor little fella challenge the Philistine giant with no armor and only a slingshot, coming in at roughly 1/3 the size and height of Goliath, would have been comical and sad...initially, that is.  That is what everyone present would have thought including Goliath.  Goliath stood there looking amused...initially, that is.

It turns out young David was not as naive and ill-equipped as everyone thought.  He was well aware of who and what he was facing.  But, David had some inside information as he faced his Goliath.  David knew the strength of God, how to access that strength, and that Goliath and his weapons were no match to it.  Interesting to note however, that even David underestimated the strength of God.  He brought 5 stones with him when God only needed one!

Can I just tell ya something?  Whatever Goliaths you face in your life, never underestimate the power of God within you!  Whether it is a broken relationship, a financial struggle, a health concern, an addiction, a temptation, etc. it is no match to power of God.  

As Christians, oh hallelujah, we are walking around packing heat with the supernatural power of God's Holy Spirit living within us!  

Your Goliaths are too big for you to face alone.  That is why you need Jesus the savior.  Do not listen to the lies of Satan when he whispers in your ear that your Goliath is too big or unbeatable.  Remind him how this all goes down in the end and remind yourself that you are a child of God.  Turn it over to God.  That battle is His, not yours.

When we can trust God like David did, we will see that God is more powerful than any giant we will ever face.  We must keep our eyes on God and the things of God.  

Prayer
God in heaven, You are my strength.  I am absolutely blessed beyond what I deserve.  You not only pursued me for an eternal relationship but You also sent your own Holy Spirit to live inside me.  Forgive me for losing sight of the power within me.  Give me the courage to turn it all over to You each day.  Amen.

#Missions #Evident #MásDeTi

David said to the Philistine: “You come against me with a sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Armies -- 1 Samuel 17:45 CSB

AROUND THE NEXT CURVE

We live out in the country, roughly 30 minutes north and south from communities big enough to support 24-hour grocery, late night fast food, pizza delivery, etc.  We consider it a luxury and a blessing to live where we do.  We use the phrase "going to town".  City folks never say they are "going to town".  There are multiple routes you can take from all directions to get to our home.  But coming or going, every option requires you to drive several miles down winding, curvy, hilly, narrow blacktop country roads.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

Those country roads can be quite a challenge when you are not familiar with them, especially at night.  If you make a wrong turn in the dark, there are no street lights to help you find your way.  

Every time you approach another curve, your headlights shine straight ahead into the dark.  The road curves but your headlights do not.  You can see what is on your side of the curve but not what is on the other side.  The other side is dark and unfamiliar.

Can I just tell ya something?  That's exactly how we feel when we approach the next curve in life.  We see what is right in front of us but not what is around the next curve.  And, there will always be another curve to approach as we travel the road of life.  

Maybe that is how Moses and Joshua felt as they readied themselves to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land.  They could easily see what was on their side of the Jordan River.  But, the Canaan side was unknown.  Moses told his people not to fear, reminded them that God would be with them, and that He would never leave them or forsake them.  

Just like Peter, when he walked for a moment on water, we take our eyes off Jesus and things immediately begin to go south.  In order to rely on the promises of God, we must keep our eyes on Jesus.  We will never "walk on water" in the abundant life God has in mind for us if our focus remains on ourselves, our preferences, and our circumstances.  We must be willing to stand up, step out of the boat, in order to "walk on water."  It is only when we stay focused on Jesus that we can fully experience the reward, satisfaction, and fulfillment of a life surrendered and sold-out to Jesus.  

Oh hallelujah!  What is around that next curve is of little consequence or concern when you keep your eyes on Jesus!

Prayer

Father, You have promised that You will always be with me and that You will even go before me.  Please forgive me for losing sight of Your promises.  Give me the courage today to keep my eyes on You and Your ways and to not concern myself with what is around the next curve.  Help me to be who You created me to be.  Amen.

The Lord is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged. -- Deuteronomy 31:8 CSB

#Missions #Evident #MásDeTi

VISION FOR THE MISSION

God gave Nehemiah a great burden in his heart for Jerusalem.  God gave Nehemiah vision for the mission of restoring the crumbling walls. The moment he heard of the distress of his city, he began praying, fasting, and seeking God's will.  Following God's lead, Nehemiah traveled to Jerusalem, surveyed the ruined walls, and devised a plan for their rebuilding.  At first, Nehemiah did not tell anyone what God had put in his heart to do. But when the moment felt right, he revealed his plan, mobilized the people, and chased hard after the vision of God until this kingdom building project was completed.

Have you recognized a need in your church, neighborhood, community, country, or even the world?  Have you prayed about a specific burden on your heart?  What kingdom building ministry has God placed in your heart?  What doubts and lies of discouragement is the enemy whispering in your ear?

Can I just tell ya something?  Christian, when we focus our efforts on working for our Creator, it is not a personal ambition.  It is a vision for the mission God places on our hearts.  It could be any one of a million things - maybe to become involved in foster care, a ministry for the homeless, friendship evangelism, reaching out to young single mothers, mentoring troubled youth, planning a cross-cultural missions trip...I could go on and on.  

What burden on your heart keeps coming to your mind?  What has God put in your heart to do?  What is your next step in response to God's call on your life?  What can you do today to make your vision a reality?  Nehemiah began praying, fasting, and seeking God's will.

One thing is for certain and actually quite evident.  There is a step we can take toward both first discovering God's vision AND then having the courage to take the first steps.  Our first step is to take our eyes off of ourselves and our own comfort zone and put our eyes on God and the things of God.  #MásDeTi

Prayer
Father, thank You for giving me a vision for the mission!  What an enormous blessing that You would even acknowledge my presence!  Forgive me Father for allowing the lies of discouragement to discourage me and lead me away from Your will for my life.  I commit to You and your plans and purposes for me.  Give me the courage to step out of the boat and to walk on water for Your glory!  Amen.

I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem.  -- Nehemiah 2:12 CSB

FAITH OR FEAR?

From the 10K foot view, we would likely all agree that those things in our lives which often lead to the most anxiety or fear are only a possibility of an unknown future.  It is often the fear of the unknown which can cause the most stress in our lives.  It is what lies just beyond what we can see which can bring on fear and anxiety.  Even when we are right in the middle of a difficult situation, we are likely most concerned about an unknown future.  What should I do next?  How long will it last?  How will it impact my future plans?  What will so-and-so think?  What if this...what if that?

Can I just tell ya something?  The way I see it, there are two ways to face our unknown future.  We can face it with faith or we can face it with fear.  The writer in Hebrews referenced the example of the faith of Moses.  Moses was raised with a silver spoon while watching his Hebrew people suffer as slaves.  As Moses made plans for his future, he relied on his faith as he looked ahead to the reward.  He faced his future by relying on faith instead of by running in fear.  His perspective was heavenly, not earthly.  In faith regarding his future, Moses gave up the riches of Egypt in order to gain the reward of eternity.

When we are tempted to allow fear of an unknown future to grab hold of our perspective, we ought to allow faith to guide us into a heavenly perspective.  A heavenly perspective is seeing life the way God sees it and trusting in Him to be with us regardless of what our future holds.  A heavenly perspective is also a constant awareness that as Christians and co-heirs with Jesus, this place is not our permanent home.

What it will take in order to develop a more heavenly perspective is actually quite evident:  We must take our eyes off of ourselves and put them squarely on God and the things of God. #MásDeTi

Prayer

Father, forgive me for allowing the fiery darts of Satan and the distractions of the world to allow fear and anxiety to creep into my heart.  Please help me keep a heavenly perspective in this temporary place which is not my home.  My hope, because of the cross, is the anchor for my soul.  Oh hallelujah!  I set my eyes and my heart on eternity with You Father!  Amen.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter and chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin. For he considered reproach for the sake of Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, since he was looking ahead to the reward. -- Hebrews 11:24-26 CSB

ARE YOU TOO NICE?

Some people are too nice.  Are you too nice?  Some people are SO nice!  How nice are they?  Some people are so nice, it keeps them from a saving knowledge of Jesus.  

Some people are so nice, they know they are nice because they are trying very hard to BE NICE.  They have a standard in their mind for what they think is NICE.  They live what the world would call a "moral" life.  They support charity efforts.  They treat others well.  They are good neighbors.  Maybe they regularly attend church services or even occasionally read the Bible.  Many also assume God must surely be pleased with them.

Can I just tell ya something?  They may be missing THE key element to the equation.  They may lack the one thing they must have to please God.  That one thing is:  FAITH.  The Bible essentially says you can be the nicest person in your family, behave in public better than anyone in your neighborhood, or even memorize the entire Bible.  But, with or without that "good" behavior, you will not please God without FAITH.

HAVING faith is not only about believing God exists but also about chasing hard after God and His Biblical standard for living.  According to the Word of God, it is not enough to BE NICE or to TRY to BE a nice person.  It is not enough to simply acknowledge God exists.  James 2:19 tells us even the demons believe God exists!

The key, not only to a future eternity in Heaven with the Creator but also to the greatest reward, satisfaction, and fulfillment in life today is:  FAITH.  God has promised to reward those who seek Him, His plans, and His purposes for their life.  

You hold the key to the promises of God.  You hold the key which unlocks everything God has in mind for you both in the abundant life of today and of the eternity with Him in your future.  That key is your faith.  One step we must take toward a deeper faith and relationship with God is simple and quite evident:  We must have more of God and His ways and less of ourselves and our ways.  #MásDeTi


Prayer
Dear Lord, help me find a deeper faith in the midst of the chaos. I long for a deeper desire and ability to see You, hear You, talk to You, worship You, and give thanks to You. In that effort Lord, I pray I will draw nearer to You and that my faith will deepen as I gain a greater understanding of who You are.  Amen.


Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. -- Hebrews 11:6 CSB

DO THEY SEE GOD IN US?

To be fair, what the world often sees in us in our day to day is what appears to be a devoted Christian who is serving God.  However, they are often NOT seeing God.  Why would that be?  Are we sure to give God the glory?  Are we giving God the proper recognition for the motivation we have to serve Him?  Are we only attempting the things we know WE can accomplish?

Can I just tell ya something?  If all we are ever willing to do, in our service to God and His Kingdom, are those things which we can accomplish in our own strength, there is no God to see in us in the way we are living.  Listen Christian, Jesus didn't die on a cross for you so you could work very hard to build up a big portfolio of good works you can accomplish without His help.  Only God takes up the cross and dies for others.  We must regularly take an inventory of our lives and ask ourselves the question:  What am I doing for the world to see God at work in my life?

The call of God on our lives is something which is greater than smiling and behaving in public.  It is more than showing up to church.  It is more than raising your hands during worship.  It is more than wearing Jesus t-shirts.  Who does our Creator say we are?  He says we are His witnesses, the salt of the earth, the light of the world, and His ambassadors... and much more!

Jesus challenged us, as followers of Christ, to deny ourselves, to take up his cross, and to truly FOLLOW Him.  We are to reach out and take His nail-scarred hand and not ever let go.  Though that is often easier said than done in our natural human condition, one step which we must take is quite evident:  Each day we must choose more of God and less of ourselves.  #MásDeTi

Prayer
Father, in my salvation I invited Jesus as my savior and for You to be my Lord and Master.  Forgive me for grabbing the wheel back.  Forgive me for even trying to sit in the front seat.  Help me Lord to get in the back seat and stay there.  Help me Lord to be sensitive the lead of Your Holy Spirit within me and the courage to follow where You lead.  Amen.

Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them,“If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it."
-- Mark 8:34-35 CSB

OUR LEGACY

You could say we each have two legacies.  One of the legacies is the one we are born with.  WE INHERIT a legacy from our parents and family.  It is a legacy which is left to us and the one which we have zero control over.  We do not have the ability to turn back time or to reshape the lives of those who have gone before us.  The other legacy is the one WE LEAVE behind.

We are absolutely able to heavily influence the legacy we leave behind.  There are several areas of life which may become the focal point in the legacy which is left behind when we are gone.  The legacy left behind could be centered in our career choices, achievements in business, real estate investments, etc.  That legacy may instead be centered in hobbies, athletic ability, artistic or musical talent, etc.  For most who identify as believers and followers of Christ Jesus, it is a legacy centered around family and faith.

I have the ability to influence what will stand out in the memories of me and my life, in the minds of my children, grandchildren, and maybe even a few great-grandchildren. However, I am not likely to know what my great-great-grandchildren and beyond will know about the legacy I leave behind.  Can I just tell ya something?  What they know about me they will know thru the stories they hear about me.  How humbling to consider whether or not they will know and tell the stories themselves of how I lived to testify to God's grace in my life.  Whew!  Got me.... got something in my eyes on that one.

So, let me ask you:  What do you think your legacy will be after you are gone?  As I study God's Holy Word, I see that one step we must all take to to ensure our legacy will point others to Jesus is quite evident:  We must have more focus on God and the things of God in our lives and less focus on ourselves.  #MásDeTi

Prayer
Father, help me to be who You created me to be.  Give me a soft and pliable heart that I might seek and receive what I need to have revealed about You, about me, and about the steps I need to take to look more like Jesus.  Help me to remain mindful of the legacy I am leaving behind that it might bring glory to Your name and not my own.  Amen.

But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace. 

Acts 20:24 CSB

BUSYNESS MERIT BADGE

For many years, I had a standard initial response to the question:  "Hi, how are you?"  In that beginning chit-chat, catching up with someone I had not spoken with for a while, my first response most often had something to do with how incredibly busy I had been.  It was a simple conversation starter model which would then segue right into a whiny list of all the things which had been keeping me so busy.  

As is often the case in my life, I first became aware of this habit when I noticed this model being used by others.  I realized that some people were using that approach on me every time I ran into them.  We were essentially having the same conversation every few months.  We would both whine about our busyness as if in a competition, in a short and superficial interaction.  

It began to really sink in to me that we all have the same 24 hours per day and 7 days per week.  Also, we are only as busy as we choose to be.  At some point, I began to realize that perhaps the negative connotation in my mind was due to the fact that I myself was a habitual perpetrator of said conversation template!

This perspective sends some messages to others about our lives, especially as Christians.  For one thing, it says, "Me, me, me...check out me.  I'm so productive.  I'm so busy because I'm getting things done."  It is as if busyness is some kind of badge of honor. We use it, even if only subconsciously, to justify why we have not done things maybe we should have.  We say to ourselves "I'll get to that eventually" or "I'll make up for it later." We could use the opportunity to humbly not focus on ourselves but instead share what God has been doing in our life and revealing in our heart.  What a novel concept, right?

Can I just tell ya something?  God knows you are busy when He calls you to His service.  God knows you are busy when He orchestrates a divine appointment, a "chance encounter" with someone who needs encouragement or to hear about the love of Jesus.  When God places these opportunities in front of us, His timing is perfect.  He does know what He is doing.

What was your response to God's call on your life yesterday?  What is God calling you to do today and what will your response be?  One thing which is required in order to be who we were created to be is actually quite evident:  We need less focus on ourselves and more focus on God. #MásDeTi

Prayer
Lord, I know that ultimately Your will, plans, purpose, & timing for me are they best.  I know that ultimately, my surrender and obedience to your call on my life will bring the greatest reward, satisfaction, and fulfillment in life.  Forgive me disobedience and give me the courage to chase hard after You in all things.  Show me the next steps and give me the courage to take those step.  Amen.

15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you live ​— ​not as unwise people but as wise ​— ​ 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil.  -- Ephesians 5:15-16 CSB

OUR DAILY BREAD

A few years ago, I took an evening college Spanish class.  Our classroom was a blend of part-time and full-time students.  It was also a blend of younger 18-21 year olds and then some fully grown adult humans such as myself in the 25-50 age range.  I and the other part-timers had mostly all forked over the nearly $500 in tuition and book fees from our own pockets.  Most of the younger full-time students had their fees paid for them by their parents or through grants and scholarships.  

There was a stark contrast in perspective between those who had to pay their own way and those who did not.  There was not the same sense of urgency, ownership, or personal responsibility.  The professor would give an assignment with a deadline and specific formatting instructions including font size, margins, footnotes, etc.  For the most part, the part-timers followed the instructions as closely as possible, turned them in on time, and hoped for an A.  Generally speaking, of course, of those who had not paid their own way, several would act surprised to find out the paper was due when it was due.  And I watched as they handed in hand-written assignments on lined paper torn from a spiral notebook.  They did not appear to have the same sense of ownership or responsibility.  

There was a similar contrast in my home as a child.  I never considered where the money came from to buy the food which my mother prepared and put on the table.  I did not consider who was responsible for providing for our family.  I just showed up to fill up when mom said dinner was ready.  I simply handed the responsibility for provision over to my parents and did not give it another thought.  My dad's perspective about providing for our family was very different from my own.

When Jesus gave instructions about how to pray, one of things He said we should pray is "Give us today our daily bread."  Jesus was actually presenting a Biblical principal in that statement.  It would have been offensive for me to have doubted my father's ability to provide for our family.  When we doubt God's ability to provide for us (as He has promised to do), it is offensive.  We are to trust Him to meet our every need.

It is not so much a lifestyle of apathy or lack of urgency, ownership, or personal responsibility.  It is instead simply a lifestyle which is dependent and in submission to the Providence of God.  It is a lifestyle which says, "God, I trust You to do Your part.  I hold You to Your promise to meet my needs.  Father, give me today my daily bread."

It all boils down to a simple concept and one which is actually quite evident:  We need more focus on God and His promises and less focus on ourselves and our preferences.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, You have promised in scripture to take the ultimate responsibility for meeting all of my needs.  Help me to be in full surrender and submission to that promise of your Providence.  I trust You to do Your part.  Give me today my daily bread, to willingness to receive it, and the courage to take actual steps in the direction You lead.  Amen.

9 “Therefore, you should pray like this:  Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy.  10 Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  11 Give us today our daily bread.  -- Matthew 6:9-11 CSB