1. The Golden Rule - generosity, love and mercy
read 6:27-36
This is one area where we can all improve. It's so natural to "look out for number 1", to hold on to what we have with a death grip, and if anybody crosses us, Look Out!... as Smeagol says in Lord of the Rings, "We be nice to them, if they be nice to us!" Anybody at all can do that. The challenge comes when we are insulted, beaten up, ignored, the times when anyone would tell you that you have every reason to kick the ever-loving snot out of whoever did that to you. Jesus turns that idea on its head and says that vengeance is the easy way out. Anyone can get revenge, but it takes a different kind of strength not to. Anyone can "do unto others as they have done to you", but do you have the courage to buck that trend and start a better one?
2. A Good Measure - exponential rewards
read 6:37-38
How often are we quick to pick out someone's faults, the reasons why we're better than they are, what they should be doing differently for us to accept them? God sees that, and Jesus says that our reward is paid out using the same measure that we use, only more so. If we deal out judgement and condemnation, guess what we're asking for? If we offer forgiveness, God offers us forgiveness... *Guess what? I don't enjoy saying this because I struggle too and it's hard to think about it this way, but if we don't forgive the little others have done to us, then we cease to accept the forgiveness God offers to us, which is far greater. We cheat ourselves in the long run by holding on to bitterness. And if we give, whether it be blessings, money, time, to help others, who is more able to help us than God? We often get the impression that the more we get, the more "blessed" we are: I've been blessed with this car, or video game, or new pair of shoes. But Jesus says that the more you give, the more blessed you are. Totally the opposite of what anyone else would say. To put it one way:
Are you willing to do what it takes, to give what it takes, in order to get what you need so you'll have what it takes to be who you need to be?
3. "2 X 4 Face" - keeping it real
read 6:39-42
This is pretty straightforward. Don't be a hypocrite! If you're doing something wrong and you recognize that someone else is doing it wrong as well, that's one thing. If you ream them out, and try to help them, but do nothing to change your own life, you won't end up helping yourself OR them. It'll be like having a 2 X 4 in your eye, and telling someone about the sawdust that's in theirs. It's utterly ridiculous. JUST DON'T DO IT!!!
4. You Can Fool God None of the Time
read 6:43-45
Have you heard the expression, "you can fool all of the people some of the time, and you can fool some people all of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time"? Well, you can never fool God. And eventually who you really are will come out to those around you too. We like to make masks to hide behind and pretend we're something we aren't, but Jesus says that, try as we may, it'll never work, because: the fruit we produce shows what kind of tree we are. What we say and do gives us away.
5. Building a Life's Foundation on the Rock
This is why I love the name of the drop-in, "The Rock". I see its purpose as providing a foundation for life.... but back to the Scripture...
read 6:46-49
Obviously, the guy who built the firm foundation on the rock made the better choice. Although both of the men built a house (a good thing), and both hit some real bad weather (a part of life), his house stood firm, while the other one was instantly and completely destroyed. If we don't have a solid foundation, the storms of life will come and we won't be ready for them. What we need is to come to Jesus, hear His words... wait, even the foolish man did that... oh right, and put them into practice. That means:
- understanding who Jesus is and why we need Him
- understanding what we need to do about it... and
- doing it.
That's not just becoming a Christian and then everything will be fun and games. First of all, the storms come no matter what, and your foundation is tested, and second, there's also living like a Christian, which means living like Christ. Sound simple? Yes. Sound easy? No. But...
What is ever easy that's worthwhile?
Saturday, September 24, 2005
God: Unseen But Not Unknown - Joshua 3-4
How many of you have ever seen God? How many of you believe He exists? Why? If you haven't seen Him, why do you believe in Him? What are some reasons?... It's a good idea to challenge your faith, ask some questions and ponder the answers, so your faith can grow. Take time for yourself to consider why you do or don't believe in God. For myself, even though I've never actually seen God in physical form with my eyes, I've seen the result of His work, I've seen His effects everywhere. I know of at least 2 people personally who God cured instantly of drug addiction, and in the case of one of them, I knew him before, during, and after, and I've seen a remarkable change in his life. He's now looking to go into youth work, and the other one is a youth pastor now. As for the love of God at work, this afternoon I was at the wedding of one of my friends, and you all know Greg, who's getting married in October. For another example, look at the Live 8 concerts for poverty, the emergency relief after last year's tsunami, and the current disaster in New Orleans. The effects of God's work, and His love, are evident even on the lives of those who don't acknowledge Him. God works not only through miracles, but also through everyday, seemingly mundane circumstances.
For an example of this, look at Joshua 3 & 4. The people of God, the Israelites, are about to enter the land God has promised to give them. But first there's the little matter of crossing a river. Oh yeah, and the river is flooding it's banks at the moment, so good luck! Anyway, God tells the people through Joshua thatthey will walk across the river! On the riverbed, too, not wading or swimming through a fast-moving flooded river. Here's what happened:
read Joshua 2:14-17
That sounds pretty miraculous! However, some scholars have called it a natural occurrence, saying that a rockslide or mudslide from heavy rainfall blocked the river upstream, so there really was no miracle. But, that being the case, it's all the more remarkable that God would lead them to the water just as it was ceasing to flow. But it gets even more remarkable:
Read Joshua 3:10-18
The water stopped for just as long as they were in the river!
Get ready, because God can turn the ordinary into extraordinary in your life too, as you're watching for evidence of Him.
For an example of this, look at Joshua 3 & 4. The people of God, the Israelites, are about to enter the land God has promised to give them. But first there's the little matter of crossing a river. Oh yeah, and the river is flooding it's banks at the moment, so good luck! Anyway, God tells the people through Joshua thatthey will walk across the river! On the riverbed, too, not wading or swimming through a fast-moving flooded river. Here's what happened:
read Joshua 2:14-17
That sounds pretty miraculous! However, some scholars have called it a natural occurrence, saying that a rockslide or mudslide from heavy rainfall blocked the river upstream, so there really was no miracle. But, that being the case, it's all the more remarkable that God would lead them to the water just as it was ceasing to flow. But it gets even more remarkable:
Read Joshua 3:10-18
The water stopped for just as long as they were in the river!
Get ready, because God can turn the ordinary into extraordinary in your life too, as you're watching for evidence of Him.
Finding Your Second Wind in Life - Isaiah 40:27-31; 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 16
There are times in everyone's life when they feel exhausted, as if they've done all they can do and have no strength left to do any more. When that happens to us, we have two options: to give up, quit, and accept our weakness and discouragement; or to find new strength and encouragement and continue to press on. In a race this is often called "finding your second wind", and it can mean the difference between winning the race and coming in dead last or possibly not even finishing. How can we find our second wind in life just when we feel like giving up?
read Isaiah 40:27-31
God gives us that strength and encouragement, both physically and spiritually, that we need when we feel like we're at the end of our rope. Because He is God and has an unlimited supply of strength to draw from, we can always be confident in coming to Him, no matter how often we need His strength. When we put our hope and trust in God, 1 Corinthians 4:8-9 gives a remarkable picture of the difference He makes:
read that
You can see that although the difficulties aren't getting any less, the ability to overcome them is greatly increased, because we're no longer relying on our ability, but God's. As human beings, we naturally tend to become weaker, but when our strength is in God, it's not based on our humanness and the weakness that inevitably follows. We can stay strong because He stays strong. That's why Paul can say this in 1 Corinthians 4:16:
read that
That daily renewal is important, especially bcause the closer we are to God on a daily basis, the more often we're being filled with His strength. When we're constantly filled with His strength, we're living from a position of strength, and it's far easier to fight the physical, mental, and spiritual exhaustion that we inevitably face. It's easier because you know just where to go to "find your second wind"... or your 3rd or 4th or 100th... strength overcomes weakness, and encouragement replaces discouragement, and you can finish the race strong.
read Isaiah 40:27-31
God gives us that strength and encouragement, both physically and spiritually, that we need when we feel like we're at the end of our rope. Because He is God and has an unlimited supply of strength to draw from, we can always be confident in coming to Him, no matter how often we need His strength. When we put our hope and trust in God, 1 Corinthians 4:8-9 gives a remarkable picture of the difference He makes:
read that
You can see that although the difficulties aren't getting any less, the ability to overcome them is greatly increased, because we're no longer relying on our ability, but God's. As human beings, we naturally tend to become weaker, but when our strength is in God, it's not based on our humanness and the weakness that inevitably follows. We can stay strong because He stays strong. That's why Paul can say this in 1 Corinthians 4:16:
read that
That daily renewal is important, especially bcause the closer we are to God on a daily basis, the more often we're being filled with His strength. When we're constantly filled with His strength, we're living from a position of strength, and it's far easier to fight the physical, mental, and spiritual exhaustion that we inevitably face. It's easier because you know just where to go to "find your second wind"... or your 3rd or 4th or 100th... strength overcomes weakness, and encouragement replaces discouragement, and you can finish the race strong.
Relationships - an analogy
Imagine you're dating someone (requires a bigger imagination for some than others). You love them, and you know they feel the same way, but most of the time, they don't even talk to you... and when they do talk to you, they don't listen to anything you have to say. Sometimes they go so far as to avoid you altogether. In fact, all of last week they had you blocked on Messenger. How fast do you think that relationship would grow? Or maybe the question I should be asking is: how long would it last?
Communication is vital in all relationships. Not just dating or married relationships, but with friends and family as well. It's no different with God. A lot of times we don't realize that God even wants to have a relationship with us, and when we do, we don't know how to make that realtionship grow and work. After all, isn't God way up in heaven and we're down here on earth?
Since God is omnipresent (He can be everywhere, He is not limited by physical boundaries), He has the power to be in heaven and also with us. When Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would come onto/into us (Acts 1:8), He was talking about the Spirit of God, the essence of who He is (rather than the physical form as Jesus was) being here with us. So even though we can't see God's physical form, we can still know that He is staying close to us, and wants a relationship with us. That being said, how do we get into and stay in a close relationship with Him?
1. Talk to Him - put simply, prayer.
Not just asking Him for stuff, but talking to Him like you would a friend, telling Him about the crappy day you had, the girl you like, or even just how you're feeling in general. He cares about all of it. And be honest. It's not like He'll think less of you for telling Him something He knows anyway. God appreciates honesty.
2. Listen to Him - ALSO PRAYER
A conversation isn't just one-sided, at least not a good one. Sometimes we're so busy talking at God that we fail to hear Him when He wants to answer us, and that always means we lose out. We need to take time to listen. Wait for an answer after asking a question. Wait for His guidance in a situation. Even if you don't get the answer that you're hoping for, or if it takes longer to come, at least you'll have been able to...
3. Spend Time With Him
No matter what the relationship, if it's important, you'll make time. One way is to read the Bible, which is His Word to you, that's also a good way to listen to Him. Another closely related way to get to know Him is to...
4. Spend Time With His Family - other Christians
You can learn about God from others who know Him, plus it shows you care about what He cares about, people.
Communication is vital in all relationships. Not just dating or married relationships, but with friends and family as well. It's no different with God. A lot of times we don't realize that God even wants to have a relationship with us, and when we do, we don't know how to make that realtionship grow and work. After all, isn't God way up in heaven and we're down here on earth?
Since God is omnipresent (He can be everywhere, He is not limited by physical boundaries), He has the power to be in heaven and also with us. When Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would come onto/into us (Acts 1:8), He was talking about the Spirit of God, the essence of who He is (rather than the physical form as Jesus was) being here with us. So even though we can't see God's physical form, we can still know that He is staying close to us, and wants a relationship with us. That being said, how do we get into and stay in a close relationship with Him?
1. Talk to Him - put simply, prayer.
Not just asking Him for stuff, but talking to Him like you would a friend, telling Him about the crappy day you had, the girl you like, or even just how you're feeling in general. He cares about all of it. And be honest. It's not like He'll think less of you for telling Him something He knows anyway. God appreciates honesty.
2. Listen to Him - ALSO PRAYER
A conversation isn't just one-sided, at least not a good one. Sometimes we're so busy talking at God that we fail to hear Him when He wants to answer us, and that always means we lose out. We need to take time to listen. Wait for an answer after asking a question. Wait for His guidance in a situation. Even if you don't get the answer that you're hoping for, or if it takes longer to come, at least you'll have been able to...
3. Spend Time With Him
No matter what the relationship, if it's important, you'll make time. One way is to read the Bible, which is His Word to you, that's also a good way to listen to Him. Another closely related way to get to know Him is to...
4. Spend Time With His Family - other Christians
You can learn about God from others who know Him, plus it shows you care about what He cares about, people.
God is Our Hope and Strength - based on "When I Go Down" by Relient K
You can find the song lyrics here:
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/relientk/whenigodown.html
(I prefer to go straight to the band website for lyrics, if not there, a linked website, but if there's none, lyric sites such as this will do... it's just all those unrelated popups are annoying...)
All of us have experienced times when it seems like we've dug ourselves a hole we can't get out of. All of us at some point can identify with the words in the chorus:
When I go down I go down hard
And I take everything I've learned and teach myself some disregard
When I go down it hurts to hit the bottom
And of the things that got me there I think if only I had fought them
We try to live a good life, and when we fail and do something we know is wrong it takes away our momentum, we lose focus and start slipping back into the same hole we were trying to climb out of. Sometimes we try to pretend it's not happening:
And I just pray my problems go away if they're ignored
But that's not the way it works
No that's not the way it works
We can't just ignore our problems and hope they go away. We have to take positive action, and that starts by acknowledging that we're the ones who got ourselves into this mess:
Then and there I confess
I'll blame all this on my selfishness
Yet you love me and that consumes me
And I'll stand up again and do so willingly
That's the next step. To want to get out of the hole we've dug, and to commit to doing that. God's love gives us the strength to do that when we need it most, when we feel our own strength fail. He has the power to pull us out of the holes we dig, and so we can put our hope in Him:
You give me hope, and hope it gives me life
You touch my heavy heart, and when You do You make it light
As I exhale I hear Your voice
And I answer You, though I hardly make a noise
And from my lips, the words I choose to say
Seem pathetic, but it's a fallen man's praise
Because I love You... Oh God, I love You
And life is now worth living if only because of You
And when they say I'm dead and gone it won't be further from the truth
We can hear the hope in the words... We can see ourselves getting out of the holes we are in, and living life the way it was intended to be lived. When we realize that God is our hope and strength and we trust Him to save us from the holes we dig ourselves, then we too can sing:
When I go down I lift my eyes to You
I won't look very far cause You'll be there with open arms
To lift me up again, to lift me up again...
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/relientk/whenigodown.html
(I prefer to go straight to the band website for lyrics, if not there, a linked website, but if there's none, lyric sites such as this will do... it's just all those unrelated popups are annoying...)
All of us have experienced times when it seems like we've dug ourselves a hole we can't get out of. All of us at some point can identify with the words in the chorus:
When I go down I go down hard
And I take everything I've learned and teach myself some disregard
When I go down it hurts to hit the bottom
And of the things that got me there I think if only I had fought them
We try to live a good life, and when we fail and do something we know is wrong it takes away our momentum, we lose focus and start slipping back into the same hole we were trying to climb out of. Sometimes we try to pretend it's not happening:
And I just pray my problems go away if they're ignored
But that's not the way it works
No that's not the way it works
We can't just ignore our problems and hope they go away. We have to take positive action, and that starts by acknowledging that we're the ones who got ourselves into this mess:
Then and there I confess
I'll blame all this on my selfishness
Yet you love me and that consumes me
And I'll stand up again and do so willingly
That's the next step. To want to get out of the hole we've dug, and to commit to doing that. God's love gives us the strength to do that when we need it most, when we feel our own strength fail. He has the power to pull us out of the holes we dig, and so we can put our hope in Him:
You give me hope, and hope it gives me life
You touch my heavy heart, and when You do You make it light
As I exhale I hear Your voice
And I answer You, though I hardly make a noise
And from my lips, the words I choose to say
Seem pathetic, but it's a fallen man's praise
Because I love You... Oh God, I love You
And life is now worth living if only because of You
And when they say I'm dead and gone it won't be further from the truth
We can hear the hope in the words... We can see ourselves getting out of the holes we are in, and living life the way it was intended to be lived. When we realize that God is our hope and strength and we trust Him to save us from the holes we dig ourselves, then we too can sing:
When I go down I lift my eyes to You
I won't look very far cause You'll be there with open arms
To lift me up again, to lift me up again...
Sower, Seeds and Soil - Mark 4:2-20 (read first)
Everyone here is like one or another of these types of soil, and sometimes we can see bits of more than one kind in ourselves... (but that doesn't give us a reason to go around treating people like dirt...) We need to ask ourselves what kind(s) of soil we are like, and how we can improve to become like the good soil.
The first kind of soil is the path. It's packed down from years' worth of footsteps, and the seed doesn't even penetrate it. This is like someone who hears God's Word but doesn't believe it, doesn't have faith, there is no acceptance of the truth, it's as if they hadn't heard it at all.
The second kind of soil is the rocky ground. When the seed enters, it doesn't take root deeply, and the few roots that are there are weak and bring little life at best. This represents someone who does accept God's Word, but it's more of a fad than faith. They expect God to make everything easy for them, and when He doesn't, they turn away for something else.
The third soil is full of thorns, that choke the life out of the seed. This person accepts God's Word, but ends up doing nothing with it, because worry, materialism, and greed tie their hands. There's always so much to do/get/buy/consider... we worry instead of trusting God to supply our needs when we live this way.
The fourth soil type is the good soil. This is the person who accepts and has faith in God's Word. No matter what comes up, their faith and trust is in God, not only do they grow, but they do something productive, they multiply, they show the Word to others.
How can we become more like the good soil? Well, we could use a cultivator... that would end up with a bunch of bloody cultivated Christians (literally)... but it would be far more productive not to. We need to have an active faith, think about what and why we believe, focus on God rather than worrying about everything, and DO something about it.
The first kind of soil is the path. It's packed down from years' worth of footsteps, and the seed doesn't even penetrate it. This is like someone who hears God's Word but doesn't believe it, doesn't have faith, there is no acceptance of the truth, it's as if they hadn't heard it at all.
The second kind of soil is the rocky ground. When the seed enters, it doesn't take root deeply, and the few roots that are there are weak and bring little life at best. This represents someone who does accept God's Word, but it's more of a fad than faith. They expect God to make everything easy for them, and when He doesn't, they turn away for something else.
The third soil is full of thorns, that choke the life out of the seed. This person accepts God's Word, but ends up doing nothing with it, because worry, materialism, and greed tie their hands. There's always so much to do/get/buy/consider... we worry instead of trusting God to supply our needs when we live this way.
The fourth soil type is the good soil. This is the person who accepts and has faith in God's Word. No matter what comes up, their faith and trust is in God, not only do they grow, but they do something productive, they multiply, they show the Word to others.
How can we become more like the good soil? Well, we could use a cultivator... that would end up with a bunch of bloody cultivated Christians (literally)... but it would be far more productive not to. We need to have an active faith, think about what and why we believe, focus on God rather than worrying about everything, and DO something about it.
Motivation - Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 (read first), 31-34 (read at end)
What you do can be very important, but far more important to God is your reason for doing it. The attitudes and motives of the heart are what God sees. Although it's impossible to do something you know is wrong with proper motives, you can do something you know is right with improper motives. Take the examples we just read in Matthew. Jesus says that the hypocrites give to the needy, pray, and fast. These are good things. In fact, Jesus expects that we will do these things. Notice the language: "when you give... when you pray... when you fast..." Not if, but when. His issue is not with what's being done, but with how and why it's being done. The hypocrites do these things to glorify themselves, to make themselves look better. We should do them too, but to glorify God, and to lift Him up. When we are focused on God, what we do becomes more meaningful, and He is pleased with it. We can trust Him to take care of our needs, to reward us and bless us, because that's what He promises to do.
Religion Wars: Revenge of the Sabbath OR Lord of the Sabbath: Authority of the King - Mark 2:23-28
The Pharisees had it all figured out. They liked their rules, and they liked imposing them on others. They were sure that God was on their side with this one. Surely picking food off the stalk was "work", and work was forbidden on the Sabbath, s how could someone claiming to be God Himself violate His own rule?
Jesus sets them straight and tells them what it's really all about. The reason God created the Sabbath was for the benefit of humans. Was He so exhausted after 6 days of creating that He couldn't lift a finger? No, He knew that it would cause havoc in our bodies, minds and spirits if we didn't take time to rest. Just try and go 7 days a week and in a few weeks at most, you're tired, irritable, and worn out. God wanted to spare us that.
The same goes for the other rules that God has given us.Rather than restrict us and spoil our fun, they guide us into the freest, most productive and enjoyable lives we can live. Without those guidelines, we are "free" to try whatever we want, to hurt ourselves and others, to wander aimlessly.
But with God's laws, we are free to reach our full potential. Skillet expresses this well in their song Suspended in You:
http://www.panheads.org/music/
(go to the disc "Hey You, I Love Your Soul", and click on the track "Suspended in You")
Jesus sets them straight and tells them what it's really all about. The reason God created the Sabbath was for the benefit of humans. Was He so exhausted after 6 days of creating that He couldn't lift a finger? No, He knew that it would cause havoc in our bodies, minds and spirits if we didn't take time to rest. Just try and go 7 days a week and in a few weeks at most, you're tired, irritable, and worn out. God wanted to spare us that.
The same goes for the other rules that God has given us.Rather than restrict us and spoil our fun, they guide us into the freest, most productive and enjoyable lives we can live. Without those guidelines, we are "free" to try whatever we want, to hurt ourselves and others, to wander aimlessly.
But with God's laws, we are free to reach our full potential. Skillet expresses this well in their song Suspended in You:
http://www.panheads.org/music/
(go to the disc "Hey You, I Love Your Soul", and click on the track "Suspended in You")
The Day of the Lord - 2 Peter 3
About a month or two ago, we did a devo on "the year of the Lord's favour", and Rick asked a number of pretty deep questions about "the day of vengeance". I'd like to focus a little bit on that this week.
Jesus tells the disciples when He is leaving them that He will return, and bring His family (the church) home to heaven with Him. He has prepared a place for those who believe in Him, so when the end of the world comes, we won't meet our end.
verse 9
- the reason that God doesn't just take us all now is because He is patient and merciful. He would rather not have anyone be destroyed, that's why He offers us all every opportunity to change and accept Him.
- as His agents on earth; we are called to be about His business. We are to make Him known to people who don't know Him, giving them every opportunity to turn to Him and have life... God uses us to snatch others out of the fire.
verses 13-15a
- God's patience leads to salvation, ours and others'. Although He is the one who saves us, it takes a conscious decision and choice on our part to be at peace with Him.
verses 17-18
- God has made us safe and secure in Him, but we can fall from safety, so we need to be careful to guard ourselves by growing in Gid's grace and the knowledge of Him.
Jesus tells the disciples when He is leaving them that He will return, and bring His family (the church) home to heaven with Him. He has prepared a place for those who believe in Him, so when the end of the world comes, we won't meet our end.
verse 9
- the reason that God doesn't just take us all now is because He is patient and merciful. He would rather not have anyone be destroyed, that's why He offers us all every opportunity to change and accept Him.
- as His agents on earth; we are called to be about His business. We are to make Him known to people who don't know Him, giving them every opportunity to turn to Him and have life... God uses us to snatch others out of the fire.
verses 13-15a
- God's patience leads to salvation, ours and others'. Although He is the one who saves us, it takes a conscious decision and choice on our part to be at peace with Him.
verses 17-18
- God has made us safe and secure in Him, but we can fall from safety, so we need to be careful to guard ourselves by growing in Gid's grace and the knowledge of Him.
This Post Is Probably Out of Order
Hey guys, this devo I have seperate from my others, so it's not in order, I'm just gonna put it here.
"Raised in Harlem" - Jesus raises Jairus' daughter from the dead and heals a sick woman.
(the title comes from the scene in the DVD we watched, HERO, where Jesus [Michael Tait] raises Jairus' [T-Bone] daughter from the dead)
text found in Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:22-43, and Luke 8:41-56
- equality of the high and lowly
- equality of the religious and the outcast
- the woman had been bleeding for as long as the child had been alive
- it was in God's plan to heal the woman and raise the girl, even 12 years earlier, when Jesus was most likely still working as a carpenter with Joseph
- both miracles involved faith
- Jairus and the sick woman were both desperate
- Jesus healed both, though medical science could do nothing
- friends saw a hopeless situation, they laughed at Jesus, but He saw the finished product, He saw her living again...
- do we laugh at Jesus?
- are we desperate for Jesus to bring life?
- do we have faith that God can do what seems impossible?
*Jesus works right on time, even if it seems 12 years late (the woman) or 12 minutes late (Jairus). He knows His plans, we don't.
- do we get impatient when God doesn't do what we want when we want it?
"Raised in Harlem" - Jesus raises Jairus' daughter from the dead and heals a sick woman.
(the title comes from the scene in the DVD we watched, HERO, where Jesus [Michael Tait] raises Jairus' [T-Bone] daughter from the dead)
text found in Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:22-43, and Luke 8:41-56
- equality of the high and lowly
- equality of the religious and the outcast
- the woman had been bleeding for as long as the child had been alive
- it was in God's plan to heal the woman and raise the girl, even 12 years earlier, when Jesus was most likely still working as a carpenter with Joseph
- both miracles involved faith
- Jairus and the sick woman were both desperate
- Jesus healed both, though medical science could do nothing
- friends saw a hopeless situation, they laughed at Jesus, but He saw the finished product, He saw her living again...
- do we laugh at Jesus?
- are we desperate for Jesus to bring life?
- do we have faith that God can do what seems impossible?
*Jesus works right on time, even if it seems 12 years late (the woman) or 12 minutes late (Jairus). He knows His plans, we don't.
- do we get impatient when God doesn't do what we want when we want it?
Psalm 23 Devo
In a way, we're all like sheep, and this psalm draws some parallels to our lives and those of a flock of sheep...
verses 1-3a
Like the shepherd does for his sheep, God makes sure that all of our needs are met. He knows where to take us so that we can grow and are strengthened. Sometimes we like to stay in one spot because we're used to it, but He knows that before long all the grass will be eaten up, so He wants us to keep moving, following Him.
verse 3b
The point of living a righteous life is not to show off how good we are, but to glorify God. If we follow His leading, we'll know which paths to take.
verse 4
No matter how difficult or dangerous our circumstances, God is there to protect us. We can take comfort in the fact that He is well able to take care of us.
verse 5
God will pour out His blessing on us to such an extent that even those who hate us will have to acknowledge that we are blessed, it will be evident to all.
verse 6
As we stay in Him, His goodness and love will fill our lives, and we'll be able to have an ongoing relationship with God Himself.
verses 1-3a
Like the shepherd does for his sheep, God makes sure that all of our needs are met. He knows where to take us so that we can grow and are strengthened. Sometimes we like to stay in one spot because we're used to it, but He knows that before long all the grass will be eaten up, so He wants us to keep moving, following Him.
verse 3b
The point of living a righteous life is not to show off how good we are, but to glorify God. If we follow His leading, we'll know which paths to take.
verse 4
No matter how difficult or dangerous our circumstances, God is there to protect us. We can take comfort in the fact that He is well able to take care of us.
verse 5
God will pour out His blessing on us to such an extent that even those who hate us will have to acknowledge that we are blessed, it will be evident to all.
verse 6
As we stay in Him, His goodness and love will fill our lives, and we'll be able to have an ongoing relationship with God Himself.
First Post In 2.5 Months
Yes, I'm back, and I've got a whole bunch of devo posts to do, so bear with me. I hope to get a whole lot done in a fairly short period of time, so lots of reading material for everyone (and lots of blogwork for me, yay!)... rather than skip to the next post, I'll start my first of the devos on this post, so without too much further ado...
Obeying God, Whatever the Cost - Daniel 6
(start by reading Daniel 6:1-4)
Daniel had it pretty good at this point in his life. He had the blessing of God, and the favour of the king. He had power and influence, and his enemies couldn't dig up any dirt on him. But then, some difficult circumstances came around which forced Daniel to make a choice.
(read Daniel 6:5-9)
Now right here Daniel could have done three things:
*stopped praying to God for a month (...after all, it's only a month, God will understand, He's concerned for my safety)
*continued praying, but in secret (...they can't catch me if they can't see me, it's not that I'm really ashamed of God)
*continued praying openly for all to see (no compromise)
(read Daniel 6:10)
This is where it really gets interesting. The king tries to save Daniel but is unable. Finally, even he realizes that only God has the power to save Daniel now.
(read Daniel 6:11-20)
Now we see how God comes through when Daniel needs Him the most, and Daniel is able to talk to the king about God.
(read Daniel 6:21-28)
We need to follow Daniel's example, obey God no matter what, and trust that He is able to take care of us.
More posts to follow shortly...
Obeying God, Whatever the Cost - Daniel 6
(start by reading Daniel 6:1-4)
Daniel had it pretty good at this point in his life. He had the blessing of God, and the favour of the king. He had power and influence, and his enemies couldn't dig up any dirt on him. But then, some difficult circumstances came around which forced Daniel to make a choice.
(read Daniel 6:5-9)
Now right here Daniel could have done three things:
*stopped praying to God for a month (...after all, it's only a month, God will understand, He's concerned for my safety)
*continued praying, but in secret (...they can't catch me if they can't see me, it's not that I'm really ashamed of God)
*continued praying openly for all to see (no compromise)
(read Daniel 6:10)
This is where it really gets interesting. The king tries to save Daniel but is unable. Finally, even he realizes that only God has the power to save Daniel now.
(read Daniel 6:11-20)
Now we see how God comes through when Daniel needs Him the most, and Daniel is able to talk to the king about God.
(read Daniel 6:21-28)
We need to follow Daniel's example, obey God no matter what, and trust that He is able to take care of us.
More posts to follow shortly...
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