NEVER DISAPPOINTED..Saturday

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."
 Hebrews 10:23

     It is impossible to make it thorough life without some disappointments.  People disappoint us, circumstances disappoint us, broken promises disappoint us.

     There is One person who will, however, never disappoint us.  That is God.  What we must learn to do is seek God.  He is in control of every situation in the world and in our lives.  He has already been in the future and so can be trusted to walk with us into it.  We must learn to not give up but look to God with the eyes of faith.  

     

In this broken world with broken people, God alone is our hope, our light, and our salvation.  His love for us in His Son, Jesus, has proven this.  He has never broken a promise.  He alone is faithful.

     Want to count on something in this world?  Cling to the cross of Jesus Christ and God's amazing grace.

Written by 

Carol  Steficek

"Free Will" Part 3 of 4...Thursday

7/31.14
If you would like to reread Parts 1 and 2 of this series here is the links...

1. http://paintgodintoyourday.blogspot.com/2014/07/free-willpart-1-of-4.html
2. http://paintgodintoyourday.blogspot.com/2014/07/free-willpart-2-of-4thursday.html

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We are Gods hands and feet he can do nothing without us.  He could not give back to man this earth without sending his son to die for us.  Do you not see the great sacrifice?  Do you not see what he did for us, he loved us so much he went to the cross took upon himself sickness, disease, poverty and death.  He gave back to us power and authority, he gave back to us our lives. 

FYI  I did not list all the scriptures, because I challenge you to set out and seek out this truth for yourself.  See what a mighty God we truly serve.

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Psalm 138:2 (New King James Version)
I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

If God is really that sovereign, why pray? Why did Jesus spend so much time teaching on faith and prayer if we are just to accept everything as God's sovereign will anyway? It would be a waste of time to bring any petition before a God who just does what he wants anyway. But watch the news tonight and you'll see that the will of God does not automatically get done in the lives of sinners or saints.

If you believe that the will of God just automatically gets done, consider that 2 Peter 3:9 and 1 Tim 2:3-4 (among other places) say that God wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Not all men get saved or come to a knowledge of the truth, so the will of God is not done in their lives. Therefore, the will of God does not automatically get done. God is willing to heal all diseases, too, but that will is not automatically done. The ones who get saved are the ones who believe for it. The ones who are healed supernaturally are the ones who believe for it. The principle is the same.

God does indeed do as he pleases (Psalm 115:3), but the devil does things that do NOT please God, and the Son of God was manifest to destroy the devil's works (1 John 3:8). This verse proves that things happen that are the will of Satan and not the will of God. For example, billions of people will end up in hell. That isn't God's will. The idea that just because something happens, it's God's will, is ludicrous. Just wait until you get sick next time and see if you really think it's God's will.

The Bible is full of people who prayed and changed things. Israel would have been destroyed if Moses had not stood in the gap. Thank God, Moses did not just say, "Okay, Sovereign I AM, you said that you would destroy them in an instant, so let your sovereign will be done." God extended Hezekiah's life 15 years after a prophet of God prophesied his immediate death -- because of Hezekiah's prayer!

You cannot read the Bible much without seeing numerous instances of prayer changing not only things but also changing how God was going to deal with a group of people. God would have spared Sodom for the sake of 10 righteous people just because of Abraham's prayer! This is totally contrary to the whole idea of a "sovereign God" who is little more than the Greek mythological Fates sitting up there determining who gets lucky and who gets the shaft today.

Written by
Kathryn Hanson

"Triumphant In Praise"...Wednesday

7/30/14.

                                                         ...Best medicine for the spirit of heaviness     

Have you ever had those days you were down and out and felt blah and ready to go home to be with Jesus? I certainly have and it is no fun. What I have discovered is that my whole focus is inward. I began to dwell on my past mistakes and all the stupid things I have done and said. As I do that things began to spiral down very quickly and a deep heaviness sets in.

God's word tells us in Isaiah 61:3

"The garment of praise

for the spirit of heaviness."

So the remedy for that spirit of heaviness is to began to focus outward onto Jesus praising Him and thanking Him for all that He has done. As we do that wholeheartedly the spirit of heaviness is replaced with joy, peace and righteousness. So look onto Jesus with great praise and thankgiving and throw off that spirit of heavinesss!!

In His Radical Love,

Sandy Billingham

Reach for the Goal...Tuesday

7/29/14 

Football season is almost upon us. For those of you who enjoy the game as much as I do, you are most likely eagerly awaiting the first pre-season game. Hopefully, all the hard work your team has endured while at training camp pays off and leads to the play-offs.

During training camp football players need to work very hard. They endure many long days and oftentimes experience broken bones, torn ligaments, bruised shins, and other bodily injuries. Christians are a lot like football players. New babes in Christ who think that following Jesus will be like a walk in the park may find themselves terribly disappointed. Christians are not immune to trials and tribulations, persecution or pain. Jesus even made it clear that we would suffer to some extent. Trials and tribulation tests our faith, makes us stronger, and causes us to lean upon God.

 James 1:2-4 says, 

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 

for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 

And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, 

lacking in nothing.”

Each time a football player practices or plays in a game, he must wear protective gear; shoulder pads, mouth guards, and helmets, to name a few. Christians also need to put on spiritual armor every day; the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness. We are constantly in a spiritual battle and must take advantage of the tools God has given us to keep the enemy at bay.

Ephesians 6:11 explains, 

“Put on the whole armor of God, 

that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”

Football players are always in the spotlight. The news media loves to disclose a player’s personal life to the public. Christians are always in the spotlight too. Non-believers are constantly watching us, waiting for us to stumble. The lost are looking to follow somebody. Although we are not perfect, we must do our best to set a good example, to make the non-believers start to wonder, and to lead the lost in the right direction.

2 Timothy 2:15 reads, 

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, 

a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

Football players strive to get the ball over the goal line and score a touchdown. The ultimate desire is to be victorious in the game. Christians have a goal to achieve as well. They desire to win the race and be victorious. They long to hear, “Well done my child, enter in.”

Finally, like football players, Christians must work together in order to be successful. A quarterback cannot win the game by himself, nether can a wide receiver, or a running back. They must all work together. Let us do our best to be great “team” players that work together, lift each other up, and set good examples so that we may reach our ultimate goal.

Written by

Storm Hendrickson

Fellowship of the Men: Been There, Done That....Monday

7/28/14

"Hey, I want what you guys have," the man addressed the small group of men who were gathered in the church foyer. The men looked at him, then at each other, and one of them said, "Go on the next mission trip. We'd be happy to have you."  

The outsider's expression and voice had clearly communicated his hunger for camaraderie and friendship. I recognized his loneliness and asked my husband later if they would be including him in their group. He explained that they weren't actually a group that went out for pizza or bowling. When they crossed each other's paths (such as in the church foyer on Sunday mornings) they spent a few minutes in fellowship. 

Feeling for all of us who have felt left out and wished we belonged, I pressed my husband and asked, "I understand that but I think the 5 minutes of chat over a cup of coffee would give him (or anyone) a sense of belonging." My husband's brow scrunched up trying to process my psychological thinking. Then it went smooth and he proceeded to tell me a story.

Once upon a time 64 people went on a mission trip to build a house for an orphanage. There were jobs for everyone. Some people did laundry for the team. A few more cooked meals to fill all of the hungry mouths. Many more hands did lots of little things to help those with more skills to build the house. All day long, sunup to sundown many men and some women labored together to build a house that would become a home to 20 rescued children.

The project manager had planned for a certain amount of work to be accomplished each day in order for the house to be done in 2 weeks. On day 2, the sun set before the work for that day was done. Eleven men stayed on at the house and kept working until late into the night. They pushed past their hunger, making do with beef jerky and other snacks. They fought off fatigue by encouraging each other. When the eleven finally crawled into bed in the wee hours, only their bodies were complaining. They were satisfied.

It was a God-sized vision to build a 4,500 square foot house in such a short time. During the day the team accomplished a lot, and each night the eleven would stay and finish the day's work. There were no prizes, no awards, no personal gain, just the satisfaction of knowing that what they did mattered.

"So you see," my husband concluded, "We aren't friends because we go to the same church. We have something else in common. We have been there, and done that." I was silent as he continued, "So I can invite the new guy to join us as we stand around and visit. But the connection we have with each other is probably what he's really hungry for and there's only one way to get that."

So much for my psychology, of course, we all know that veterans have an understanding of each other that the rest of us do not. Even as a mom, I haven't bonded with every mom I have met. It takes more than the similarities we have with each other to make a connection that will lead to satisfying fellowship.

Two people are better off than one,

for they can help each other succeed. 

Ecclesiastes 4:9 NLT

Dear Lord, thank You for reminding me that it is up to me to reach out and be there for others. It is up to me to get out of my comfort zone, and do the something for someone else. Please help each of us to recognize what You are calling and encouraging us to do. Please give me ears to hear, and courage to step out. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by
Mary M. Wilkins

BROKEN...Sunday

7/27/14

Sometimes we may feel utterly broken.  We may have great plans for our future, with years of preparation and expense, yet in the end they seem to have failed. We wonder if we have gone down the wrong path.  Perhaps we have been married and thought we were doing the right things, yet it seems destined to fall apart.  We may feel rejected or like we failed somehow.  Or maybe we have an activity that continually pulls at us and keeps us from doing the things we ought to be doing.  It may be so strong that it is an addiction.  Then the more we try to stop it, the worse it becomes until we have sunk so low we feel we can never get back up again. When we feel broken we may feel as though we are worthless and discarded.  Feelings of brokenness can be devastating.  

I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery.  Psalm 31:12 NIV

But our Lord and Savior never throws us away.  He can use us when we are broken.  In fact, when we are in our weakest most defeated state, sometimes then we are most useful for his purposes.  We learn and grow through our trials.  As we turn to him and lean on his strength and power to carry us through, we witness to his great mercy.  When he heals our wounds and lift us up again, we have a unique perspective and can reach out to other broken souls.  No matter how shattered we feel, God still loves us and has use for us.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  2 Corinthians 12:9a NIV

There is beauty in our brokenness.  When God puts us back together again, he is like a stained glass artist.  Individual shards of colored glass may appear useless and even dangerous, but soldered together in a pleasing pattern by a master at his craft they become a beautiful piece of art.  And when God shines forth from within us, it is then that we are most beautiful.  Praise God for my brokenness!

Dear Father Creator in heaven,  We thank you for making us so beautiful, even in our broken state. Help us to see that even in our weakness we are loved and can be useful as we shine your light to the world. Use us to your glory.  In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

written by 

Jan Andersen

MAKE MUSIC...Saturday

                                                                                                                                                                

"I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart...
may they sing of the ways of the Lord..."
Psalm 138:1a, 5a

     Martin Luther once said that music was next to godliness.  This may very well be true.  Music lifts the soul and brings us into the presence of God.

     Whenever I feel discouraged or need something to perk me up, I turn on some good classical music.  When I feel down and sluggish, I turn on some good jazz.  When I want to praise the Lord and share my feelings of joy with Him, I turn on some good religious choral music.

     Music does indeed lift us beyond ourselves and helps us to soar above all of earths cares as we lose ourselves in the melody or the lyrics. 

     The Lord want us to find joy in the lives He has given us.  One good way to do this is enjoy the gift of music.  Praise the Lord!

Written by

Carol Steficek