Deep With Him Comes from Within

John 4:7&29 

7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”

29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 

What a lonely and lost lady ran into at the well of Jacob changed her life forever.  Approaching a familiar well, she carried much more that an empty water jar.  Guilt, shame, exclusion escorted her into the presence of a Savior.  Even though she was at the well to draw refreshment from the pure water below, what she actually needed was an appointment with a master surgeon.  Jesus was at that well that day to be just that.  Christ is always interested in digging out the sickness that so easily grows inside of our lives.  Our culture by default bombards our flesh with webs of sin that so easily prevent us from having a growing healthy relationship with Christ.  The women at the well discovered that there was someone that knew the darkness inside that her lifestyle had produced and Jesus desired to dig it out.  Just like a surgeon that can see and remove the many times invisible sickness’ that keep our bodies in submission, Jesus wants us to allow Him the opportunity to look deep within us.  When we do, He will reveal our condition and with our permission dig it out for good. If we want to be deep with Him, He needs to look deep within.

Pray this prayer as Jesus is waiting for you at the well of your life:

Jesus, without your cleansing power the weight of my guilt and shame furthers the distance between You and I.  God look into my mind and heart and reveal the sickness that needs to be removed.  God remove them.  Help my actions and my mind be clean and close to you this day.  Amen

BR

Is There More to a Tongue than a Ring?

“ But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean’.” –Matthew 15:18

The Pharisees of the Old Testament looked the part of being holy.  They were dudes that popped their collars when it came to looking religious.  However, Jesus described them as white washed tombs that were clean on the outside but dead and cold on the inside.  Squeeze a sponge and what comes out is what’s inside.  Kick a bucket and the contents splash out.

Questions for you:

What is flowing out of your heart and my heart through our mouths?

Do we express thankfulness for what God is doing in our lives and how our parents, teachers, employers, and friends take care of us and enrich our lives?

Do we speak words of encouragement to those that are run down by life?

Do we choose not to enter into a conversation that is tearing down someone’s character?

Do our words reflect a passion for God to move and work in everyday and crisis situations?

When someone hurts us, do we make sure we tell everybody who will listen?

What level of pain or discouragement does it take for us to curse?

  We have to pay attention to our hearts.  The book of James says about a ship’s rudder, “Although they are so large and are driven by winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body that makes great boast.” James 3:4-5

 As Christians, God has cleaned our hearts of the punishment and guilt of sin.  Today, use your clean heart to reflect the freedom from sin that God has injected into it and show your world what it means to live through Christ.  Do not be like the old religious leaders who looked good on the outside but were rotten on the inside!

-BR 

“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing.  My brothers, this should not be.”- James 3:9-10

Fried Rice Please

2 Corinthians 3:17, 18-4:1

 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.

Last night, my husband and I ate at a Japanese restaurant.  While we were watching the food getting cooked, and we were once again waiting patiently with self-control for our rice and meat, I thought about the first time ever we had ate at a Japanese restaurant.  The place we had eaten at several years ago was pretty expensive.  When we had sat down with our family and we were looking at the menu prices, we began figuring up how much money we were going to have to spend for our meals.  The particular restaurant we were at charged $3.00/person extra for fried rice.  Since we had never eaten at this type of restaurant, we decided that we would all just eat the white rice which did not cost any extra.

We were really entertained as we watched the cook prepare the food in front of us.  However, as we were watching, the rice that was being cooked for the other people at our table smelled super good.  We watched the eggs being added, then the onions, and the garlic, and oh it looked delicious.  We sat there and watched as the cook distributed the rice evenly to everyone but us.  Our mouths were literally salivating as we could almost taste how good it would be based on the smell.  It was at this time that the waitress brought our rice to us.  We each got a bowl full of plain, no-frill, boiled white rice.  As we were leaving the restaurant, my husband and I decided that never again will we order just the white rice.

This evening, Brother Ryan preached from Galatians chapter 6.  It was a reminder that we need to not give up in serving God.  Let’s not grow weary from doing good.  Just like my husband and I will never settle for white rice, I don’t want to settle for a mediocre life.  A.W. Tozer says about this, “And that cowardly questioning : “Does it pay? What’ll it cost? Is it fun? Is it popular? Is it convenient?” All that, you’ve got to trample under your feet and you’re going to have to obey the Word which said, ‘Let us go on unto perfection.”

Let’s stop counting the costs and just run after the blessings and joy that comes from following whole-heartily after God.

-RB

 Galatians 6:9 

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

 

May God Rule in Our Midst

“Your kingdom come.  Your will be done  On earth as it is in heaven.”  (Matthew 6:10)

In heaven, God’s will is the only priority. A word from God brings angels to do His bidding, immediately and without question. Jesus instructed us to pray that God would accomplish His will in our world in the same way. This means that God’s purposes would be preeminent in our homes, our businesses, our schools, our churches, and our governments.

Jesus taught His disciples to pray that God’s purposes be carried out in the world around them. In modeling how they should pray, Jesus was teaching His disciples how to share God’s heart. He demonstrated this again at Gethsemane when He prayed “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matt. 26:39). It is as we seek God’s kingdom on earth, and not our own purposes, that we gain the same mind as our heavenly Father. We become co-laborers with God by praying faithfully in agreement with His desires.

As you seek the Lord’s will, He will guide your praying. He will invite you not only to pray, but also to become involved in His activity as He answers your prayer. If He places a burden upon you to pray for an individual’s salvation, that burden is also His invitation to join His activity in that person’s life. Prayer will prepare you to be a servant through whom God can bring about His will on earth. Pray that the Lord’s absolute rule on earth will begin in your life. Then watch to see how God uses you to extend His Lordship to others.

-BMI devotion

Rainy Days

Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.  Hosea 6:3

I just love a rainy day! Especially a stay-at-home rainy day!!  I like to sit and look out the window as the rain pours down from heaven and just meditate on God and His goodness.  For some reason, rain just reminds me of God.  It reminds me of His provision, His faithfulness, and His power over all creation.

However, I am not always so grateful for the rain-especially when I am in a hurry to get somewhere.  The rain just slows everything down.  No matter that we need the provision of the rain; no matter that God has seen fit to send the rain; I just don’t always appreciate it when it is inconvenient for me!

I believe there is a spiritual application that can be made here.  Sometimes God has to “rain” certain circumstances into our lives to get our attention.  Whether it is the loss of our health, the illness of a loved one, loss of a job, or a major disappointment, God some times has to allow things to pour down on us before we will slow down and pay attention! But just like when the physical rains slows us down when we are in a hurry to get to our destination, the rain of trials can often seem to slow us down on our path to where we think we need to be going.  But maybe we need to stop and pay attention to what God is doing.  Although trials are never pleasant, I believe we can experience peace and continue to enjoy God when the rain comes, IF we are situated in His will.  Just like we can sit inside and watch the rain pour down through the window of our home and feel safe and secure, we can experience security in the storms of life if we are resting in Christ.

Maybe you are in a place where you are sitting in your spiritual living room, looking out the window and basking in the rain of God’s blessings.  Or maybe you feel like you are drowning in a sea of trials.  I would challenge to you stop and thank God for the rain of His blessings even if they do not seem to be blessings at the time!  God always knows best, and He never denies us any good thing, nor does He give us more than we can bear. -ja

 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp. He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.  Psalm 147:7-8

Need a Friend?

None of us wants or were created to go through life without friends.  God even calls us to be His friend.  Here is a story that could really change the way we treat others.

Last year Rhonda moved from a small Midwest town to Chicago.  She didn’t want to leave her hometown, but her dad got a job offer he’d been waiting to get for years.  Rhonda left behind close friends, a great youth group, a good school, and 14 years’ worth of memories.

            Chicago was a brand-new world.  In Baxter, everyone knows everybody else.  In Chicago Rhonda felt invisible.  The first month she cried all most every night.

            Even when Rhonda’s family found a church with a big youth group, things didn’t improve.  Nobody in the group really reached out.  They were so into their own little circle of friends, they barley notice Rhonda.

            At about the same time, however, a group of kids at school began reaching out to “the new girl.”  One called himself an atheist.  Two of the girls claimed to have had abortions.  Another guy had a police record.  None of them loved God or went to church.

            When Rhonda’s parents expressed concern about her choice of friends, Rhonda  explained, “Well, they may be a little bit on the wild side, but at least they treat me like a person.  I’d rather hang out with them than with those strangers in the youth group.”

God makes himself known best through relationships.  Love, peace, happiness, acceptance; all are shown best when we live out our faith to others, especially friends that are new or struggling.  Take time to read Psalms 1 as you choose to make a friend feel loved today. It is the small things that can make the biggest difference.  Make the Godly choice of Godly friends.

-BR

Oh, the joys for those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join with scoffers.  But they delight in doing everything the Lord wants, day and night they think about the riverbanks, bearing fruit each season without fail.  Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper. Psalms 1:1-3

 

Why Bother?

“Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.'” John 6:68-69 (NIV)

If the following two statements were true, which would cause you the most anxiety?

You have no money.

God is not real.

When my pastor asked that question during a sermon on finances, my heart did a funny jump. God not real? Just the thought of it made me feel sick. Kind of like when you wake up from one of those eerily-real nightmares and have to convince yourself it was only a dream.

The sermon continued, but the question haunted me. And I wondered what other people thought. Which statement made them queasy?

A few days later, I posed the question to a young college student I know. He paused before answering, then said: “If the second were true, it would make my life a lot easier.”

His honesty touched me deeply. But my heart hurt over the reality of his world. My young friend was raised a Christian, and I knew it was hard for him to hold to his beliefs with so many temptations facing him. I wondered how many times he came close to giving up his faith. Did he ever think, Why bother?

Oh, how I longed to tell him all the reasons why Jesus was worth everything he had to give up. But it wasn’t the right time. In that honest moment, it was right to let him know I understood the hardship of following Jesus. I’d been where he was.

Days later that conversation continued to challenge me. My young friend’s faith was defined by rules he had to obey. And I wondered if I had represented Jesus to him in that way. Did people watching my life see Christianity as a list of don’ts, can’ts and won’ts? Did they not see the joy? The thought of it made me want to change. Immediately.

My desire is to represent Jesus as compelling, intriguing and appealing. I want God’s kindness to shine through me rather than my unkind judgment. After all, that’s what drew people to Jesus.

His compassion, generosity and love caused men and women in the New Testament to willingly walk away from careers, reputations, possessions and power. People gave up everything to gladly and joyfully follow Jesus. In the face of persecution. In spite of hardship. Disregarding their desires for things of this world.

It hit me that I don’t want a why-bother faith. I want to live a what-better faith, which is what the Apostle Peter saw when he evaluated his faith.

A time came when some people decided it was too hard to follow Jesus. Jesus asked His disciples if they wanted to leave too. Peter boldly answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

In other words, what could be better than following Jesus?

-Proverbs 31 Ministries

Matthew 11:28-30 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Where is Your Honor?

⁴Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Matthew 16:24

The fourth Olympic Games were certainly the wettest and probably the most contentious in history.

Held at a new 68,000-seat stadium in the Shepherds Bush section of London, the 1908 Games were played out under continually rainy skies and suffered from endless arguments between British officials and many of the other countries involved–especially the United   States.

“The Battle of Shepherds Bush” began almost immediately, when the U.S. delegation noticed that there was no American flag among the national flags decorating the stadium for the opening ceremonies. U.S. flag bearer and discus champion Martin Sheridan responded by refusing to dip the Stars and Stripes when he passed King Edward VII’s box in the parade of athletes. “This flag dips to no earthly king,” Sheridan said. And it hasn’t since.

We may not be in an Olympic flag ceremony, but everyday we chose to dip our thoughts and actions to the world.  The American athlete refused to dip his flag because there is only one king worthy of this type of praise and honor, and that King is Jesus Christ.  When we give in to selfish actions like pride, lust, hate, anger, we have dipped our spiritual flag to ourselves.  When we make our lives about us, we fail to make it about the real king, Jesus.  Take a few moments and make a stand today against the things that glorify us and dethrone Christ.  I challenge you to refuse to dip or give in to anything that is not of God.

      I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength.

²      Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;

      My God, my rock, in whom I will take refuge;

      My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.

³      I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised:

      So shall I be saved from mine enemies. Psalms 18:1 -3

The Lord Guides

And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not (Isa. 58:11).

We find the concept here of the Lord being a guide. Let us look at the definition of what a guide is. The dictionary defines a guide as a person who leads a traveler to a destination and explains everything along the way. The guide will normally accompany the person traveling to the end of the trip.

This explanation makes complete sense when speaking of thoughts expressed in the Word of God. The Bible tells us that we are strangers and pilgrims in this land; it is not our home. The Lord guides us in every path, leading us until we reach our destiny. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth (Heb. 11:13).

In looking at this Scripture, there are questions that we can ask regarding it. The first question is, who does the Lord guide? While there is an easy answer to this, still yet there is a deeper explanation that can accompany it.

Of course, the Lord guides the believer. He guides those who have surrendered their lives to Him and have obtained forgiveness for their sins. He is the guide of those who are truly following Him. If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour (John 12:26).

It is clear then as to whom the Lord is guiding. He is guiding those that follow Him as Lord and Savior. There is also a second question that needs to be answered. To what is the Lord guiding His followers?

There are many men who have claimed godliness. They have had many followers. Some of these men were false prophets who have taken their followers on terrible journeys with even worse endings.

However, we know the Lord only has our best interest at heart. He desires for us to live a fruitful life in His kingdom on earth. He must be trusted to lead us in the right direction. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him (Matt. 7:11)?

As individuals, our journeys with Christ may take different roads. Some may stay in their hometowns their whole lives, working for the Lord there. Others may go all around the world for Jesus, being used in various ways. Our ultimate destination will be the same. Heaven awaits every true believer.

Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven (Matt. 7:21).

-sbc.net devotion

Thought for Today:

Fasting and prayer with a submissive heart is honored by God.

Learn to be Quick

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice.  Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities.  Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

 ~ Psalm 51: 7-12

The other day I had to complete a task that I have been putting off for quite some time.  I had to wash my wife’s car.  Now I didn’t delay this task because I thought it was unimportant, but because the car was filthy and hadn’t been washed in a long time.  Black sap from the trees in our yard had covered the top of the car and I knew it was going to be hard to get off.  So I set off to complete this task.  About an hour and a half later, the job was finally finished.  I was sure proud of my great feat and I began to pat myself on the back.

When I got home, my wife admired my work and thanked me for it.  Then she told me that we can’t let the car get as filthy as it was.  We had to stay on top of keeping it clean.

As I began to think about what my wife said, God began to show me something from this experience.  Too often we as Christians allow the filth of this world to settle in on our lives.  We allow its sticky, grimy sin to cover our lives and we fail to clean up this filth.  In this Psalm, David pleads with the Lord to forgive him of the trespasses he has committed against God.  When you read this Psalm you can just sense David’s anguish and his intense desire to be forgiven of his sin.

We need to learn from David about how we should handle the sin in our lives.  We shouldn’t sweep it under the rug.  We shouldn’t allow it to erode our relationship with God.  Learn to be quick when dealing with sin.  The longer we put it off the harder it is to clean it up.

-DA 

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

~ 1 John 1:8-9