A Prayer for Our Time

As I was doing my daily Bible reading the other day, I was in Psalms, reading the words of David as he was hiding from King Saul and his soldiers. They were out to kill David. I had been reading this section of the Bible for several days. Many of David's prayers seemed to be similar. This prayer, however, seemed to jump out at me!  This is what I read.

    

      "Break the power of wicked and evil people;punish them for the wrong they have done until they do it no more."  Psalms 10:15 | GNT.   

Perhaps it stood out to me because of all the terrible news I've been hearing lately: police officers being shot for no reason, refugees fleeing their homeland because the war has taken their jobs and the ability to feed and cloth themselves, people selling body parts of aborted babies. Oh, the HORRORS!

I feel like we are living in a nightmare. Why do these people not see that what they are doing is wrong?

Then I begin to wonder, " What can I do? I have no contact with these people and I have no control over them."  Enter God's Word, prayer of David. "break the power of wicked and evil people..." David was being pursued by wicked and evil people, and his response was to pray. Just PRAY! We are powerless to defeat evil on our own but we know the One who is all-powerful! He can defeat these evil, wicked people. But He's waiting for us to pray. Not just a "Lord I need your help and I need it right now!" kind of prayer but a "Lord, I am your servant and I know You are in control and if it is your will, please defeat these evil people. Punish them so they won't do it any more" kind of prayer.

So instead of allowing all the bad news get me down, making me fearful, I am going to the God-of-angel-armies in prayer. 

     "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."   2 Chronicles 7:14 | NIV

I must first acknowledge my own sin!  I must humble myself before God. That means I give Him control and He is in charge of my life, whether I like it or understand it or not. I must ask to be forgiven and turn from my own wickedness. (Let's  be honest. We all have a little streak of evil deep down inside. We try not to let it out or let it show but, given just the right stressful situation, it just might rear its ugly head!) Aren't you glad that God is faithful to forgive us no matter how evil our sin?

If every believer would follow 2 Chronicles 7:14, then we could be free to pray David's prayer found in Psalms 10:15. This is the ONLY WAY our country, our world, can change! Dear Lord, let it begin with me. 

Will you join me?

     

5 Minutes with Jesus

https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/27863-take-five-with-jesus

I LOVE this new promotion to spend at least 5 minutes each day with Jesus! So often we are busy, busy, busy and we feel like we just don't have time for Bible study and prayer. We put God on the back-burner, so to speak. But ...5 minutes? Everyone can do that. Even me!

I just want to encourage everyone to try it! It might mean reading your Bible while you eat your breakfast or lunch. It might mean praying ( eyes open!) while driving to work! You could even let the kids pray in the car, on the way to school. What a great way to send them off every morning, armed with the Spirit of Truth and with Jesus on their minds! This could truly transform not only your attitude for the day, but also your family's attitude.

Remember those old acronyms - F.R.O.G. and WWJD? Fully Rely on God and What Would Jesus Do? Maybe we should bring those back to life. They might just help our children focus on Jesus this school year.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."
         Ephesians 6:10-13 NIV

Summer's Nearly Gone - Press On!

Nearly 2 months have gone by since my last post. It's not that I forgot, but instead, that I was not able. This summer has been a whirlwind of activity, mostly involving travel both near and far. My summer began with Bible School at home. Then I had the opportunity to see dear friends in Hungary and to make new friends in Croatia. I was blessed to share the love of Jesus with many people along the way. I learned how to live with no cell phone and very little Internet. I drove hundreds of miles on very little sleep and, upon arrival, sang and talked to a group of senior adults about my travels. After driving back home, I was asked, at the last minute, to lead music at a revival my husband was preaching. (No, HE isn't the one who asked.) I am humbled that the Lord chose to use me this summer! I have experienced Him in ways that I never could have if I were anywhere else. 

Finally, I am at home! I have about a week with no real commitments! That sounds wonderful because I am worn out, completely spent, dog-tired and I can't seem to get enough sleep. I know I need to write this blog, but I don't really know what to write about. It's like I've been used up and I'm on "empty",  both physically and mentally. Spiritually, I'm on "full"! 

I'm sure the apostle Paul felt that way many times. He was always going somewhere, too, it seems. Maybe I now understand a little better what it means to "press on". A couple of times this summer, I was so exhausted that I felt I just couldn't continue. Once, I even had a short emotional breakdown. It happens. Our body and mind are connected. When one suffers, so does the other. Over the years, I have learned that crying does a woman good. (I suspect it would be good for men, too!) It's an emotional release, like pulling the plug to let out the steam. Once those emotions had been released, I found I was able to "press on" and do what I needed to do. 

If your summer has left you feeling spent, I want to encourage you to rest, spend time in God's Word, spend time crying out to Him in prayer and don't leave those emotions bottled up! It could cause an explosion! We put a lot of emphasis on being physically healthy, and that's good, but we must put in just as much time becoming healthy both mentally and spiritually if we want to be all that God wants us to be!  

"12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14 | NIV

The First Sunday of June

Today is the first Sunday of June. Many people are beginning a vacation. Some are going to the beach. Some are going camping. Some are traveling to another city or town to have a little adventure. As for me, I am a Christian and a pastor's wife., so I am doing what I do almost every Sunday. I am going to church. This is a wonderful thing! I have been going to church most of my life and I have always found it enjoyable. But, as I have been sitting here, thinking about it, it has come to my mind that Sundays and church are not for my enjoyment. Yes, I really said that!

God's Word teaches that Sunday (our Sabbath) is to be a day of rest and a day dedicated to worshipping God. So let's see how I'm doing. Rest?  Yes!!! I need a good nap today. What about worship? Well...what is worship, really? Is it going to church? Is it listening to a sermon? Is it singing songs about what Christ has done for us? Well, yes...and no. Those things are often parts of a worship service, but true worship is when we take time to offer ourselves completely and without reservation to God. It's a time to acknowledge the He is God and WE are NOT. It's a time to say, " Lord, Here I am. Use me for Your glory. Make me into whatever you want me to be. You are the potter and I am the clay."

So, did I worship today? Yes. It was brief and probably not all it should have been, but the day isn't over! How about you? Did you rest and worship today? If not, it's never too late, even if it's already Monday!

The Road to God

We live in a culture that tells us that all roads lead to God; It doesn't really matter which religion you adhere to, as long as you believe in something or someone. Personally, I believe in Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God,  spoken of in the Bible. I disagree with the idea that all roads lead to God. Why?

I believe that the Bible is God's word to us. Many people believe that. However, I find more and more often that those who say they believe the Bible is true do not even know what it says! For example: "God helps those who help themselves." - that's NOT in the Bible!  Here's another one -" We are all God's children." No. We are all God's creation. Only those who believe in His Son, Jesus, are called His children.  The following excerpt from the Bible, from the book of Galatians, says this:

   "26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith," - Galatians 3:26 | NIV

As you can see, it clearly states that faith in Jesus is how we become children of God. 1 John (that's near the end of the New Testament) explains that we must accept Jesus in order to reach God.

   "22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life."          1 John 2:22-25 | NIV

So I ask you, where do you stand with God? Do you believe in God but prefer to bypass Jesus? These  verses clearly show that this approach to God will not work. If you deny Christ, you are essentially denying both God the Father AND His Son, Jesus. Instead of bypassing Jesus, He should be the center of our worship and in the center of our lives.

Proverbs 3:5-10 CEV says, " 5 With all your heart you must trust the LORD and not your own judgment. 6 Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow. 7  Don't ever think that you are wise enough, but respect the LORD and stay away from evil. 8 This will make you healthy,and you will feel strong."

Choose Jesus!

Doing Life

In the last two weeks, I have been out of town four times, been to church six times, prepared a lesson on missions for the children, put together two photo slideshows for presentations and I've dug up a flower bed! That's only the highlights. Life is busy. Life is jam-packed full of "stuff I HAVE to get done."

I stay tired. How about you? What are you doing in this life that takes up your time?

We, as believers in Jesus Christ, often get so busy "going and doing life" that we forget that it is important to keep growing in our faith. This morning, God used His Word to remind me that doing life is good, but it's not enough. 

2 Peter 1:3-12 | CEV

3 We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God's own power, when we learned he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. 

4 God made great and marvelous promises, so his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.

5 Do your best to improve your faith by adding goodness, understanding, 

6 self-control, patience, devotion to God, 

7 concern for others, and love. 

8 If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what you know about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful. 

9 But if you don't grow, you are like someone who is nearsighted or blind, and you have forgotten that your past sins are forgiven.

10 My friends, you must do all you can to show God has really chosen and selected you. If you keep on doing this, you won't stumble and fall. 

11 Then our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will give you a glorious welcome into his kingdom that will last forever.

12 You are holding firmly to the truth you were given. But I am still going to remind you of these things. 

Have you ever heard the phrase, "If you're not moving forward, you're going backward"?  I think that's what verse 9 is really saying. It is important for us to continually grow in our faith. 

So you may be thinking that your day is already full and your cup of life is already running over. How are you supposed to find the time? Well, that is something I have been asking myself for years!  Little by little, the Lord has shown me ways to grow in Him. Let me share just a few of these with you.

    * In the morning, either before you get out of bed, or while you're in the shower or getting ready to face the day, say a prayer. Ask the Lord to speak to you and teach you and use you that day. Ask Him to let you see people through His eyes and motivate you to do something small to brighten someone's day.

    * If you exercise, you can read your Bible, pray or listen to Christian music while you get fit. ( I am writing this blog while riding my recumbent bike!)

    * As you're driving down the road, listen to a Christian radio station or some other source of Christian music. This really keeps me focused on Christ and on listening for God's voice as He speaks to me through a song or a word from someone on the radio. (There's nothing wrong with other kinds of music. I like just about all of them! BUT, you don't need a steady diet of them. It is highly unlikely that you will hear God's voice while listening to "She thinks my tractor's sexy!")

    * As you are stuck in traffic, waiting at a light or waiting in line at the store, instead of getting frustrated and being vocal about it (I've been that person more than once!), pray silently for the people around you! If you must be vocal, be an encourager! Say something others may want to hear. If you can, allow that person who's really wound up tight to go in front of you in line! 

These are only a few things you can do. I'm sure you can think of other ways you can connect with Jesus during your day.  The MOST IMPORTANT things are prayer and reading God's Word. You may think you don't have time to read the Bible every day. Not true. If you have a smart phone or email, you can have scriptures sent to you. How easy is that???? If you aren't into technology, you can get a devotional booklet for free at many Baptist churches or you can just open your Bible and read a few verses before turning on the television or even before bed. It doesn't have to be a LOT, but you need to include prayer and Bible reading each day.

Personally, I don't EVER want to be moving backward because that means I would be moving further away from God. I want to be growing closer to Him and becoming more like Him every day.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Are You Ready?

This week my husband has been the guest preacher at a Bible Prophecy revival. I listened as he preached his sermons, imparting his understanding of the events the Bible describes as signs of the end of this world, as we know it, and the beginning of the reign of Christ. One of those signs is the rapture of the church, of those who believe in Christ. The rapture is going to be the moment in time when every believer on earth will disappear, being instantaneously transported to heaven, to be with the Lord.  Although there is much debate over when this will happen, I have always understood that there would be a rapture.

On our way home from the revival, I was doing some reading online. I came across an article in which the author says there will be no rapture of the church. He goes even further to say that IF there were to be a rapture, that it would be the "evil" people who would be taken, not believers. Wow! That really threw me for a loop! He cited scriptures to back up his claims.

After thinking about it a while, I decided that, at this point, I'm not going to worry about who's right and who's wrong. After all, none of us knows for sure! Only God knows exactly what's going to happen and how it will all play out. My responsibility is to be ready.

When my life on this earth comes to an end, whether I'm raptured out of here or get hit by a car tomorrow, I know for certain that, in the twinkling of an eye, I will be alive in the presence of the Lord.

You may wonder how I can know this. I know it because I have chosen to follow Christ, not only in word but with my whole heart! His Word, the Bible says,"to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." Because I believe the Bible, I have confidence in my eternal future.

What about you? Are you ready?