The Greatest Invitation of All

Devotional for 4/15/11

“For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world

that He (even) gave up His only begotten (unique) Son,

 so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him

shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal life.

The book of John Chapter 3 verse 16

~ Amplified Bible

What do you do when you’ve missed something? How do you feel? This morning I walked into Church and was greeted by a friend. He told me that “they” had missed me the night before. I was puzzled and asked him “where”? He then informed me that one of my closest friends had been given a Surprise Party for her 60th birthday.

I didn’t know what to say except, “I wasn’t invited”. He hurriedly went on to tell me that there had been some problems with the email invitations that had been sent out. Instantly I felt tears come to my eyes and an overwhelming sense of sadness enveloped me.


It took me nearly all of the Worship Service to get my focus back on the Lord. I participated in the last song, but I still felt as if I had (literally) just lost my best friend. As I processed through my feelings I realized some things.


I realized that although a big part of my sadness was because I felt totally left out, that wasn’t the deepest place of my sorrow. The deepest part of my sorrow came from the place that I had missed an opportunity to celebrate my dear friend, and her life. I had missed the opportunity to show her my love. I had missed the opportunity to tell her how much her example had impacted and influenced me in my own life through the years that I had known her. I had missed the opportunity to show her how deeply I felt about her, simply by showing up.


As I continued to sort through all of these feelings, I felt the Lord beginning to speak to my heart. He reminded me that there would come a day when He would come back and gather those whom He loved to Himself. He reminded me what a glorious day that would be… except for those who will be left behind.
He reminded me that those same feelings of being “left out” and “left behind” would be felt by many. There will be many who realize that they too, were “too late” to participate in the joy of that occasion. On that day there will be no “going back”, there will be no “rewinding” of time, there will be no second chances. The event will be over, and they will have missed it.


There is a difference though, between me and my friend’s Party, and what will take place when Jesus returns. In my case, there had been no invitation received. In the second coming of Jesus, all have been invited. No one has been left out, not one. When Jesus died for us on the cross, we each received an invitation to accept and embrace the sacrifice that He has given to us. He died in order to make a way for each of us to be reconciled with the Father.
How will we respond to this, the greatest of all invitations? Will we accept it? Will we be able to participate in the joy of that day when we will be once again reconciled with our Savior? And, if we do decide to accept that invitation for ourselves, will we then go out and tell others that they also have been given this great invitation?

It will be a sad day, this day when others will be left behind. Perhaps we will know some of those people. Perhaps some of those people will be those whom we have worked with, or lived next to. Perhaps some of those people will be those whom we have loved and cared for very deeply. Let us think about these things today, in order that we might spread the word, and be able to help lessen the number of those being left behind, tomorrow.

Thank you, Lord, for the invitation of reconciliation that you have given to each and every one of us. Thank you that it is your will that not one would be left out, or be left behind. Help us to live out your heart for others, in a tangible way, in our own lives. Please cause us to be effective in our efforts to minister to those around us… and help us to remember that although we are imperfect, that you can and will work perfectly, in and through. Have your way in all of us and fulfill your will. In Your precious, powerful and holy name we pray Jesus, Amen.

Written by Beverley A Napier

Written Sunday April 10, 2011

Dogs of Our Lives

DEVOTIONAL FOR APRIL 14, 2011

 

“I promise: I will walk her, feed her, wash her, and take care of everything she needs, Mom, please?” my 11 year old daughter pleaded with big round eyes. There was already one older large dog in our house and an 18 month old Rottweiler would be a rambunctious addition. I also knew I was just another in a long line of parents who had heard those same promises.

That dog went everywhere I went. If I was cooking, she was under my feet. Even when I left the room for a few seconds, she followed to keep her eyes on me. There are now 2 gray hairs on our dog’s neck. Her thick black fur is still shiny but a few more gray hairs on her snout and a couple of gray eyebrow hairs have me thinking: what is happening to my baby girl? She still runs and plays like a youngster, occasionally. But she gets up and down more slowly. She looks to see why I’m calling her before she disturbs herself. She’s 9 now, young for a child, a bit older for a dog. Sienna is quite a spritely 63 year old if we count her in dog years A few pounds crept on her frame over the winter. My reaction to her aging process: pampering. I give her more treats. Pet her more often. Make sure her beds are vacuumed. When she whines I look to see what’s up. What does she need? What is she looking for? I still get impatient. I snap at her, telling her to go lie down when she whines at the door to go outside for the fifth time in a row - so she can sniff the air, bark at a squirrel, and let the neighborhood know she’s on guard- all in 60 second rotations.

She’s watching right now, as she lies near me. Looking for someone she loves to come up those stairs so that she can greet them with joy and hind end wagging. My husband would remind me she’s a dog - not a person - but he can’t trick me. He’s just as likely to lie on the floor and talk to her as he scratches her tummy as he is to tell me to stop spoiling her.

I have stepped on her, tripped over her, shut the door on her snout and yet she still loves me. Not just a please feed me kind of love. She has a “I will follow you everywhere you go” kind of devotion. I believe God made dogs for our pleasure and comfort. They are often living examples of love and loyalty. It’s amazing how God can use anything in our lives, including our pets, to teach us values that He holds dear.

Proverbs 3:4-12 (The Message)

Don't lose your grip on Love and Loyalty.

Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart.

Earn a reputation for living well

in God's eyes and the eyes of the people.

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

don't try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

he's the one who will keep you on track.

Don't assume that you know it all.

Run to God! Run from evil!

Your body will glow with health,

your very bones will vibrate with life!

Honor God with everything you own;

give him the first and the best.

Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over.

But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline;

don't sulk under his loving correction.

It's the child he loves that GOD corrects;

a father's delight is behind all this.

How can I tie love and loyalty around my neck?

• Is it by choosing to accept others as the imperfect struggling
beings that they are?

• If I let go of my expectations will I be releasing the power
that disappointment has over me?

• Will forgiving people remove the burden of pain and rejection
from my shoulders?

Dear Father!

I cannot figure this out. What I begin to understand I know I cannot do on my own. Please God, help me to hold on to love and loyalty. Please cleanse me from all unrighteousness: those habits, thoughts, and routines that keep me from living in the fullness of truly accepting Your unconditional love and forgiveness. I do not mean to resist or resent your discipline - I know that You love me and want the best for me. Please help me to accept Your correction and begin to walk in the Truth you are showing me.

In Jesus name, Amen

Written by Mary M. Wilkins



Heart Alignment

Sometimes things just don't go the way I think they should go and I tend to not have a good attitude about it. Other times I may grumble and complain about certain situations. And then again a brother or sister in the Lord might rub me the wrong way and I may not be loving them as God has called me to.


That is when the Holy Spirit gently nudges me and reminds me that I have heart issues. In 1 Samuel 16:7 it tells us that "For the Lord does not see as man sees us; For man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."


When I am having heart issues, I am not walking in God's joy, peace and love, but I am walking in my flesh. The Holy Spirit brings that conviction and tells me it is time for a heart alignment. I can then come to the Lord and ask for forgiveness and He is faithfull and just to forgive me and purify my heart.

Matthew 5:8 says "Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God."
I desire to walk away from heart issues and walk with a pure heart. That is the best place to be!


Blessings,
Written by Sandy

Word of Truth

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
John 17:17

=========================================================

The Greek word translated "truth" is aletheia, which most closely resembles our English word "reality." It means "the manifested, unconcealed essence of a matter." A living, saving faith depends upon the premise by man that God is true in His being and character. The truth forms the basis for a person's conversion.

Consider this: There is a Personal, Living, Almighty God whose ways and laws are reality in spite of the way things may appear to our senses (II Corinthians 5:7). They are intrinsically right and true. Therefore a person who is honest, who is willing to speak the truth, who will acknowledge and submit to it when he sees it, will eventually be converted to be like God.

We are God's workmanship (Ephesians 2:10). God, as Creator, is making us kings and priests to administer and teach a way of life based upon revealed truth. Because He desires to share and perpetuate what He is with an entire Family of children bearing His characteristics, He cannot have anybody in His Family who does not embody truth as Jesus did.

"You shall not bear false witness" thus has far-reaching spiritual applications. It is not a commandment that we can carelessly ignore as being insignificant compared to other "more important" ones. The word "bear" indicates "spread", "carry", "render," and "give." At first, it seems to involve only perjury or gossip, but other Scriptures show it covers giving a false witness, example, or impression under any circumstance, including hypocrisy and self-deception. It includes the giving of testimony (verbally or by example) in any case that tends to produce injury. The ninth commandment regulates man's relationship to other men much as the third commandment does in man's relationship to God. This commandment directly involves faithfulness and loyalty in our mouth and example for God before men.

Submitted by : Annie

IN THE GARDEN

The roses in our yard are already in bloom! As I gaze at their beauty I am reminded of a song which is dear to my heart. It describes those intimate times of fellowship which we can experience with the Lord. I just wanted to share this song.

I Come To The Garden Alone Hymn

I come to the garden alone

 

While the dew is still on the roses

And the voice I hear falling on my ear

The Son of God discloses.

Refrain

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own;

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice,

Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,

And the melody that He gave to me

Within my heart is ringing.

Refrain

I’d stay in the garden with Him

 

Though the night around me be falling,

But He bids me go; through the voice of woe

His voice to me is calling.

Refrain

Written by Charles Austin Miles

Shared by CF

FAST FOOD MENU

Devotional for Sunday, 4/10/11


When you walk into a fast food restaurant, you are confronted with a wide array of menu items. So many choices! In addition you can often choose a combination of things for a complete meal at one price, then you also have to decide whether to "gigantic-size" it or not. On top of that you can have them hold certain toppings, or add others, possibly for another nominal fee of course if it is cheese. AND there are even "secret menu items" at some fast food places that are not on the menu but are sometimes posted on-line or customers simply know about them by word of mouth or from past menu lists. Decisions, decisions! And it is all a matter of personal preferences and choices.

Some people want to make choices about the Bible, which parts to believe and use, and which parts to "hold" or ignore, or twist to their own liking. God's word is not a fast food menu - we can't pick and choose what we want and don't want today, add things that aren't there, or use something printed there but change it to "have it your way"! But it is easy to fall into this trap, often without even realizing it. This is not new, of course.

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
2 Timothy 4:3 NIV

Passages in the Bible are better understood when they are read in context. Though we often take small snippets from the Bible and build lessons or devotionals on them, we need to understand that the whole of Scripture is given to us by God, and anything that appears at first to be a contradiction is simply our misinterpretation or misunderstanding. We need to remember that God's entire word is true. Even Jesus himself attests to that:

... Your word is truth. John 17:17 NIV

Even though the Bible was written by the hands of human beings, they were inspired by God himself. We can read it with confidence, knowing that it is the word of our gracious God, meant to give us hope and direction. We can use the words of Scripture to guide us in our life.
All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV

But the most important aspect of God's true Word is that it shines the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world by the power of his Spirit!

We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:19-21 NIV

So when we read and study the Bible, it is good to remember not to "super-size" parts of it at the expense of dropping other parts from the "menu", or change certain items to suit our likes or dislikes or to match our preconceived notions, or ignore parts in order to be politically correct or accepted by others. The scriptures are all true and worthwhile to study, not to decide IF they apply to us but to understand HOW they apply to our lives, and to witness to our Lord and Savior.

Written by Jan Andersen

No Respecter of Persons

For the Lord your God God is no respecter of persons! This is good news! I have found myself in an ongoing discussion about equal rights…actually special rights and benefits for those who seem to have the cards stacked against them…specifically affirmative action laws, entitlement programs, etc. As I thought about the many variations of views on the topic, I realized that you can’t please everyone. The more you try to, the more people you find who are not satisfied.

I personally believe that there should be no actions, laws or programs that give special benefits to people. Of course, the argument will inevitably be that without the help there will always be some who suffer from not having a fair chance due to these “cards” they were dealt in life.

I asked myself how God sees the whole issue and remembered that He is not a respecter of persons. Every single man and woman is on equal footing with God. It might not settle the debate of legislating special rights, but it’s comforting to know that in His kingdom, there truly are equal rights.

God has the same unconditional love for each and every one of us and will never play favorites with anyone for any reason. I love that. I love that it doesn’t matter what home you were born into, what culture you were raised in, or what time period or geographical location you happen to live in. It has nothing to do with your intelligence, how many years you’ve trained in a seminary, or how skillful you are at communicating with the Almighty. You could be a model citizen, or a criminal. You could fit the world’s mold of beauty or be completely disfigured. Got disabilities? It makes no difference to God. You don’t need any references. You don’t have to have your “i”s dotted or your “t”s crossed on an application. He makes Himself accessible for anyone at any time to come to Him just the way they are.

On the flip side, no one will get into the Kingdom as a result of their credentials or because they’ve had a much more difficult life and should get some sort of break. He does expect everyone to make their own effort to come to Him, and their own choice to follow Him. He gives every single individual a chance to accept His forgiveness after they humbly confess that they’re a sinner without giving excuses for their sin such as, “Well, it’s not my fault that I have so much anger in me. Just look at what’s happened in my life,” or, “I know I shouldn’t act this way, but this is just the way it is in my family, so I can’t help it.”

Bottom line, God gives everyone the choice to choose Him and make Him their Lord and Savior, but He expects them to make that choice by their own free will. He does not make it for them, and likewise, nobody can make the choice for anyone other than themselves. Everyone will stand before Him on their day of judgment…even the ones who don’t believe that they will.

What a wonderful aspect of God that He does not show partiality or favoritism to anyone. I may not live in a perfect world, and more and more it seems that the laws of my own country are further and further from what I’d like them to be. Don’t we all have certain inalienable rights endowed by our Creator such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Doesn’t that mean that the pursuit of happiness is a right given to us by God not by government? I suppose that we’ve strayed quite a bit from the original intent of our Founding Fathers in the area of rights. Progress in equal rights is good, but “special” rights go over and above what is necessary. Never the less, I’m only here for a little while. My eternity will be spent with a God who is equal and fair in all areas.

is God of gods and Lord of lords,

The great God, mighty and awesome,

who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.”

Deuteronomy 10:17

Amie Spruiell 4/8/2011