No Go; No Lo

 March 1, 2024

Friday

I know that God is always present. But is God always with me.

I have been in committee meetings when there were people who were present but they certainly weren't with me. Presence and support are two different things when we speak of the Lord being with me.

When in seminary a student told one of the professors, "No go, no lo." They had just read the Great Commission. The professor agreed, "No go, no lo."

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:19–20, KJV 1900)

While the Lord seeks after us so that we will be brought to a saving knowledge of Christ, He does not join us in those things that displease Him. The example that I often use when I consider this is the story of the Prodigal Son. The father in that story let the son go and do the things he shouldn't do. The father did not join the son. However, that doesn't mean that he wasn't present with him. The son was evidently on the father's heart for he kept looking for him to come home.

So, I can get very far away from the Lord but He will never be far from me. He will not join me when I walk from Him but He will keep me on His heart. If I want His manifest presence working in me, I must join Him in what He is doing through me.

Joshua was assured that God would be with him as He did what God commanded. There is no doubt that this is true even though God needed to tell Joshua.

   “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”” (Joshua 1:9, NASB 2020)

Sometimes I want to overlook the command preceding the promise. Yes, God is always present, but, no, He is not with me in my disobedience.  

So, today I have one focus. I will be obedient to all that God has said and what He will say to me during the day. I will be aware that He is with me in everything He commands.

Today is going to be a great day!

The Lord Is in This Day

 February 29, 2024

Thursday

As a student at Golden Gate Seminary I was tasked to keep a record of what I did all day. I recorded my quiet time and all the activities of the day. At the end, I was supposed to answer the question: "Where was God today?" Often, I didn't know.

It is easy for busy people to forget what their main objective is. I can't tell you how many times I have been thinking on a problem while I was driving and missed my exit. I can't tell you how many times I walked right passed people who needed me without noticing they were there. But how could I miss the Lord?

I wondered about that for a long time and later concluded that He was with me always but I was so concerned about the work I was doing that I didn't include Him. Even having a quiet time every day didn't keep me from forgetting the Lord. Today, I still keep a "to do" list. I must not let that list become my master. It should be a tool to keep me on track. I must always submit myself before the Lord in each item I must do.

Where will the Lord be today? He will be in all that I do if I remember to look for Him. He will be guiding, encouraging, correcting, warning and teaching me through these things I believe He wants from me.

Just as God equips me to be a pastor, He equips each of us to do whatever profession we have chosen. He expects us to make disciples regardless of the profession and He uses us to do so. It may be that your work will bring someone to know the Lord. It may be that you will be able to rescue someone who has strayed far from the Lord. Be assured, your work provides for your family. He is in that work.

So, don't get so busy that you miss the Lord today.

“But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; but only one thing is necessary; for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”” (Luke 10:41–42, NASB 2020)

God Shows Up Unexpectedly

 February 28, 2024

Wednesday 

Many years ago, I went to the hospital to pray for a child who had an inoperable brain tumor. After praying and waiting to hear of the biopsy the surgeon was doing, the father came out obviously stunned. He said, "The surgeon says he got it all."

"What does that mean?" I replied.

The dad said again, "He got it all."

I was confused so I asked for clarification, "I thought this was just a biopsy."

"It was," the dad said hesitatingly.

"So, what part of inoperable do I not understand?" was my question. "Isn't this a good thing?"

The dad looked up and finally smiled, "I can think of nothing better."

We didn't expect God to show up but He did.

“Now a man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. Jesus, upon seeing this man lying there and knowing that he had already been in that condition for a long time, said to him, “Do you want to get well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. Now it was a Sabbath on that day.” (John 5:5–9, NASB 2020)

Thirty-eight years is a long time to wait. Maybe the man had given up hope. Yet, Jesus showed up and healed him. It was unexpected.

Maybe you have waited a long time for the Lord to do something. Maybe today is that day. I can't say if it is or not but I know that most of the things the Lord has done for me and those around me came unexpectedly.

Keep looking for Jesus and you will find Him. Keep seeking Him and see how He shows up unexpectedly.

We Follow Jesus Today

 February 27, 2024

Tuesday

The news media is infamous for predicting catastrophe. In the 90s, they predicted that the baby boomers were not saving as they should. They warned that this generation would be poor in their retirements. I just read a new article that calls them the wealthiest generation ever, having amassed $78 trillion in assets. 

It doesn't seem to matter what the topic is, doom and gloom is the theme. The weather, politics or the economy are going down fast and there is nothing we can do! Or so, they say.

I guess we can conclude that we gravitate toward these stories or the news media wouldn't produce them. Disaster sells. Evidently, good news doesn't.

I see articles popping up frequently telling us that the Church is on its way out. The articles promote why people are leaving churches. They lament over the decline in church attendance. They predict a faithless population. Can these stories be written to ease the guilt of those who have left the church? Are they there to tell those who have left that they are now in the majority and shouldn't feel so bad about leaving? Even some of the Christian authors don't attend church now. They think they are better for leaving church out.

These articles assume that God has nothing to do with what is going on in the world. They assume that He is not working anymore. They assume that He has stopped building His church. I believe what they assume is absolutely wrong.

Elijah came to the Lord to claim that he was the last follower of God. He was trying to point out that even though no one else followed, he did. Now, his complaint was that he could not be expected to carry on by himself. He might as well die now for when he was gone, it was over anyway. What Elijah didn't know depressed him.

God told him:

“Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”” (1 Kings 19:18, NASB 2020)

God was still being followed by people other than Elijah. God's word would continue. Faith in Him was not dead. God was sustaining those who did not follow Baal.

Yes, church attendance is down. Yes, there are less people calling themselves Christians. Yes, there are now "churches" who have no faith springing up. That's now what is important to us. We have a vital relationship with Jesus. We have the Holy Spirit living within us. We have a Father who cares for us deeply. Our responsibility is to follow Him.

When Peter pointed out what Jesus wanted for one of the other disciples Jesus said:

   “Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”” (John 21:22, NASB 2020)

  Our concern is not what is going on in the world or even with other Christians. Our concern is whether we are following Him.

We follow Him today because it is in His hands always. We may just be the 7,000 God is holding back for Himself. That's because we follow Him.

Repentance Is the Key to Forgiveness

 February 26, 2024

Monday

None of us can undo anything we have ever done. However, we often forget our accomplishments and dwell on our failures. Many of us only listen to our criticisms and disregard our compliments.

I went to visit a country music song writer a long time ago. He wasn't at home because he had gone to Nashville to sell some new songs. His wife said, "We've been living on his last hit for too long." This happens to anyone whose last great accomplishment was their claim to fame far beyond its shelf life. Reasonable people know that living on your accomplishments too long is unreasonable.

Yet, there are many people who believe that beating themselves up for their sins is the righteous thing to do. They believe that self flagellation will result in some sort of absolution. Since it doesn't, they beat themselves up forever. Sometimes reasonable people don't know that this is unreasonable. Some of them are doing this to themselves.

So, today I am reading this scripture:

“And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners.”” (Luke 5:31–32, NASB 2020)

The light came on and I realized something I should have realized a long time ago. The key to forgiveness is repentance. The reason we continue to feel guilty is because we expect to undo the things we have done wrong to realize our forgiveness. That will never happen. It is in the past that can never be changed. What we have right now is a realization that repentance is the evidence of forgiveness.

Jesus said in relation to sinners that He didn't come to heal the healthy but the sick. Healing means that you no longer have the effect of the sickness. Repentance is no longer having the effect of the sin.

In other words, we have not realized our forgiveness if we continue in our sin. The fact that we aren't doing what we did before is realizing our forgiveness. We can say confidently, "I know that I am forgiven because I don't do that any more."

Now think of what was said when people were urged to be saved from their sins. 

   “Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38, NASB 2020)

Repentance is necessary for salvation. It turns from the sin because it is forgiven. Once we repent we are free to follow the Lord without the encumbrance of our sins.

So, if you are one of those who beats himself up for the sins of the past, rejoice in the fact that you have repented of those sins. Know that you have been forgiven for you would not have the Holy Spirit in you if you didn't. Know that He is moving you away from a life of regret to a life of hope.

Repent for you have been forgiven.  

Will I Act Like Jesus Is My Lord Today?

 February 25, 2024

Sunday

Recently, my wife and I went to Paris. I went with no small amount of trepidation. I had heard that the French were rude, especially to those who don't speak French. I don't speak French. I tried to learn some French words before I left. I tried to understand their customs. I failed miserably. I expected to receive the wrath of the French people.

I was so pleasantly surprised to find the French courteous and friendly when I arrived. Not many of them spoke English. I stumbled through the French phrases I learned and they were very forgiving. My personal encounter with the French was very positive.

But that experience can go the other way too. There are people who have a reputation for being kind that have sorely disappointed me. They were rude and short with me. They had a persona of cheer, kindness and loving everyone when they presented themselves publicly but privately that simply wasn't who they were.

This is not a new phenomena. People have presented themselves as one thing while being totally different for a long time. Thus, you have Jesus warning of the scribes and Pharisees.

“Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses. Therefore, whatever they tell you, do and comply with it all, but do not do as they do; for they say things and do not do them. And they tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as their finger. And they do all their deeds to be noticed by other people; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the seats of honor in the synagogues, and personal greetings in the marketplaces, and being called Rabbi by the people.” (Matthew 23:1–7, NASB 2020)

The scribes and the Pharisees wanted to look good above all else. They wanted to present themselves as the most righteous of all. Surely, no one knew the scriptures like the scribes. No one appeared to keep the law like the Pharisees. They said the right things but they simply did not do them.

But before I throw any more rocks at the scribes and Pharisees, I might look at my own life. Am I really the person who presents himself as knowing Jesus to those who see me behind closed doors? Am I loving and sacrificing toward my wife? Do those in the church office know me to be caring? I must say that I am not, some of the time.

Maybe I need to spend more time in front of the mirror and less time throwing rocks at others.

But today, I can be who I need to be. Today, I can present the character of Christ. Today, I can make that decision. So, I do. Today I will be the person I need to be with those who see me behind the facade that I too often present publicly. I will have the character of Christ because the Holy Spirit lives in me. I will concede to the Spirit rather than pretending I am like Christ. I will be because of Him. He is and will change me.

Will you join me in this?

This week's sermon: https://prentis.podbean.com/e/prayer-for-a-nation/ 

Get in the Fight

February 24, 2024

Saturday

So many times I have been asked to read the following scripture at a funeral:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;” (2 Timothy 4:7, NASB 2020)

So, I read it without saying anything. These people are grieving and they certainly don't need a criticism from me about the life of the one whom they have lost. But inside, I am thinking, "When did this person enter the fight?" 

They had very little evidence that they walked with the Lord. They attended church sporadically, their speech did not reflect one who walked with the Lord, they were frequently disagreeable and they were totally illiterate on the Bible. (Of course, this doesn't mean that they hadn't become a deacon.) Saying these words may comfort those who are grieving but they tell nothing about the one who died. The person didn't fight, didn't finish and didn't keep.

The next verse defines what needs to be strived for:

   “in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8, NASB 2020) 

Those who have loved His appearing will be awarded the crown of righteousness. This doesn't come to those who simply agreed that Jesus was the Son of God. Acknowledging a fact does not reflect a life of obedience. I will agree that Putin the the President of Russia but that neither makes me a Russian, nor does it reflect any obedience to him. Those who have said that Jesus is Lord with their mouths but never showed it in obedience have proven that they did not consider Him Lord. They had no fight to fight, no course to run and no faith to keep. 

I can do nothing for those who have died. You can't either. But you can enter the race. You can do more than say that Jesus is Lord. You can act upon Him being your Lord. 

That means that you will not take the easy route. You will fight when you don't want to. You will run when you are tired. You will keep that faith when it would be much easier to renounce it.

And for what? The eternal rewards that come with the crown of righteousness.

I hope that your family can genuinely have 2 Timothy 4:7-8 read at your funeral. They can have it read because it is your testimony.

This week's sermon: https://prentis.podbean.com/e/prayer-for-a-nation/ 

The Touch of Jesus

 February 23, 2024

Friday

   “While He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” And He reached out with His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately the leprosy left him. And He ordered him to tell no one, saying, “But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.” (Luke 5:12–15, NASB 2020)  

Can you imagine having a disease so insidious that it meant that you could have no social interaction with family and friends? This disease was such that you couldn't worship with others as it slowly ate away at your body. This was the case of leprosy during the first century.

Maybe you don't have leprosy but you are in deep need of healing. You have had hurts that are covering you. Maybe new hurts are made frequently. It could be a husband that beats you or a boss that bullies you. It could be a wife who berates you or a child who will not let you parent.

Maybe you have lost someone whom you loved with all your heart. The hole that is left is reopened each time you see something that belonged to that person. The hurt continues because you can't make this person come back.

Maybe you keep these hurts close to your vest. You don't tell other people. You needed to break off relationships because you are afraid they will discover your hurts when you are supposed to be the Christian that has everything going for yourself. You need to be healed but you don't know where to go. There is no healing for what you have.

Like I said, you probably don't have leprosy but doesn't what you have feel like it just a little? Take the steps you need.

This man with leprosy sees Jesus. This is the first step. You need to see Him. He cannot be the person you only learned about in Sunday School. He has to be present right in front of you. You must see Him in all that He is. You must know that He can heal you.

The man humbles himself before Jesus for he fell down begging. When you are desperate you will fall down begging. You will humble yourself. This man's disease knew no cure. He was covered with it. Humility is at the heart of answered prayer.

The man makes no demands. He offers a simple statement. "If You are willing, You can make me clean." Many translations say he asked for healing. He did, but the word also means to be made clean. Maybe I am stretching a point but I believe there is no accident in this word having two meanings. There is a difference between being healed and going back to what you were doing and being cleansed. The cleansing created the healing. 

Of course, Jesus could see the leprosy with His eyes but Jesus sees more that with His eyes. He sees the hurt on the inside. Jesus healed other people without touching them. Jesus touches a man who could not be touched. If a holy man touched one with leprosy, he became unholy. But Jesus is more than a holy man. He is God. God cannot be made unholy so that the unholiness was forced to leave the man. The man needed to be touched to be healed from his leprosy and to be healed from his hurt.

Maybe you need to be touched by Jesus. Today you cry out that you want healing from your hurt and you want to be touched by Jesus.

And He does.

Jesus wanted the man to be declared clean by the priests and to make an offering for his healing. It wouldn't be that only Jesus knew that the man was healed. It wouldn't  be that just those watching would know that the man was healed. The world knows this man was healed. There was evidence.

The joy of being healed should never be kept to yourself.

Years ago, I led a prayer meeting in which a lady named Margaret said she had a tumor behind her eye which would require surgery. She was probably going to lose sight in that eye. We laid hands on her and prayed that she would be healed.

The next prayer meeting Margaret took over. She had gone to the doctor to get an MRI right before the surgery. The tumor was gone! You cannot imagine the joy and the exuberance this lady had in telling us of the power of the Lord. She was healed and she knew who healed her.

I said to someone the next day, "Wow, Margaret was telling everyone of her healing. She really took over last night."

That person replied, "You should have seen her at Krogers!"

If you are healed, tell somebody! It really is part of the healing.

This week's sermon: https://prentis.podbean.com/e/prayer-for-a-nation/ 

Defend Your Faith

 February 22, 2024

Thursday

I recently went to Paris. I learned some basic French words before I went on the trip in order to minimally function there. The language is quite beautiful. Thirty percent of English comes from the French language. It didn't take very much effort to speak a little French. Of course, I had to accept what I was learning as the meaning of the sounds I was to speak. I had no basis to refute most of what I learned. 

I grew up in an area of Texas with many Czech people. Some of the people mainly spoke Czech and being around them meant that I learned several Czech words. This gave me opportunities to play tricks on those who did not know any Czech. When someone asked how to greet a Czech I instead taught them to say, "May I have a kiss?" They would repeat these sounds with me until they were proficient enough to "greet" a Czech. Of course, the Czech knew the joke and didn't react violently. Words must be true or they will mislead.

The strangest thing is happening in the world today. We can't seem to agree on what is true. Much of that comes because there are so many lies that the truth can't be discerned. Many voices saying different things will confuse anyone. We can't agree on what is happening. We can't agree on what is right and wrong.

Too often we cope with this by saying that we are right and everyone else is wrong if they don't agree with us. There are many flaws with this if we have no reason for saying this other than we believe it. Many people think of their faith in this way. They simply say they believe it and are genuinely afraid someone will ask them to defend it. Thus, they often nod their heads at whatever is being said. Being silent allows them to quietly go along without defending the faith.

It was much easier when most people accepted faith even if they had none. They knew what was right and wrong and they were the silent ones. This allowed the rest of us to claim faith without having to defend it. We didn't expect people to defend the faith. They didn't need to. We didn't teach them to defend the faith. They didn't need to. People accepted what was right and wrong just like I accepted the sounds given to me had the French meanings I was taught. I didn't question it. I didn't think I needed to.

Today, you must learn to defend the faith as the people of the first century did. Christianity was foreign to them. The right and wrong of Christianity was foreign to them. The percentage of people who accept Christianity is becoming more and more like the first century. One report says that only 3% of Americans attend church weekly. The claim is that 57% of Americans claim they attend church. That answer may reflect all those who at some time attended while the earlier percentage concerns those who attend church every week. Regardless, we will be challenged to defend our faith.

So, let's take that challenge. As Elijah would challenge the prophets of Baal, let's defend our faith. Let's note the truth in our faith. Let's walk with our Lord and see Him working so that we have testimonies of our faith. Let's be a people who can stand when challenged.

   “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, but with gentleness and respect;” (1 Peter 3:15, NASB 2020)  

This week's sermon: https://prentis.podbean.com/e/prayer-for-a-nation/ 

Alone? Not Me!

 February 21, 2024

Wednesday

When you read Facebook, it appears that all your friends are living large or they are asking for money. No one seems to go through a tough time that makes them feel all alone. Truthfully, those stories would probably kill Facebook. We have enough problems without reading others. In fact, we don't even want to bother others with our problems. Their our own problems. And we especially don't want to tell those problems to the people who are living large.

The process of holding our problems close to the vest makes us feel all alone. The devil wants us to feel all alone. He can tempt us more easily when we feel all alone. 

It isn't like we haven't cried out to God. He just hasn't shown Himself to us. He hasn't spoken up when we are all alone.

Our church starts each worship service with prayer. We pray that we will see His manifest presence. That means we want to see evidence of His presence. We know He is present but many times we can't see Him. We know He is working but many times we can't see that work. We pray that we will see His presence.

I am sure that many of the people who attend our worship services feel all alone. They want to see God work in their lives. They want to see His manifest presence. Some of them may have given up. They are simply attending out of habit. Those who are genuinely praying to see God's presence are opening their eyes to seeing Him. Maybe some of the people who feel alone will also pray to see His manifest presence. If so, they will.

The truth is that God is with you. He is always with you. There is no place to hide from Him. He is there even when you go through the worst of trials. He is with you in the fire.

“Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up quickly; he said to his counselors, “Was it not three men that we threw bound into the middle of the fire?” They replied to the king, “Absolutely, O king.” He responded, “Look! I see four men untied and walking about in the middle of the fire unharmed, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!”” (Daniel 3:24–25, NASB 2020)

Elijah had been faithful in praying that there was no rain for three and a half years. He had been faithful in eliminating the prophets of Baal. He is immediately threatened by Jezebel. He runs and thinks he is alone. God asks him what his problem is and he says that it is time to die for he has been faithful and he is all alone. 

If Elijah was truly all alone, who was he speaking to? If we are truly all alone where are our prayers going? Why would we be praying if we really thought we were all alone?

We feel all alone when our senses can't see God. We want to see a miracle. We want a sign but He doesn't give it to us. How many times have we already seen God work? Does He really need to do one more sign for us?

We feel all alone because our feelings tell us we are. Was it our feelings that caused us to believe in Him? Was it our feelings that revealed His presence in the past. No! It was our spirits that revealed the presence of God. It is always our spirits.

You will find God as your read the Word. You will see Him working in the past and know that He is able to do all that He has done today. You will see that He has a pattern of what He does and you will know that He is still working.

You will find God when other believers who know what you are going through pray for you and give you words of encouragement. Sometimes this is miraculous as has happened to me when people I have not known give me a word from God. They have told me that God will bless me when they could not have known my circumstances. It had to be God who told them. My spirit immediately rejoiced!

You will find God in the ways that He brings you through your difficulties. You were drawn close to Him when you had those difficulties. The circumstances around you reveal that God is working. Patience is what you need. He is working.

Then you will say, "I was never alone." Praise God!

This week's sermon: https://prentis.podbean.com/e/prayer-for-a-nation/ 

Be Faithful, No Matter What

 February 20, 2024

Tuesday

“There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. These men, O king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods, nor do they worship the golden statue which you have set up.”” (Daniel 3:12, NASB 2020)

I have preached so many times, "You may need to stand up for your Lord today." The truth is that we stand or don't stand for our Lord every day. These three young men didn't say, "You know the king is requiring us to bow down to him. Let's not do that." They were faithful to the Lord before Nebuchadnezzar made his decree. They only needed to continue to be faithful.

If we think that standing for the Lord is something we might do someday, we will not be able to stand. We stand for the Lord when no one bothers us. We continue to stand for the Lord when they do. If standing for the Lord isn't who we are, then we simply can't stand when things get tough.

Standing for the Lord often means that we don't participate in the things that would displease the Lord. It means that we hold onto Him rather than the things this world tempts us with. It may mean that we don't succeed like others. We may not get promoted when we fail to attend a work party that compromises our principles. We may be shunned by other when we don't watch what they watch. We may even be laughed at. None of this is easy.

Maybe we think it was easy for Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to continue faithfully hoping they wouldn't get caught. Why would we think that? If it's not easy for us, why would it be easy for them? They determined that they would do as they always did.

There was a time when this was easier. There was a time when Christian principles were expected. There was a time when Christian living would be the best way to be promoted in your work. Those days may have ended but the need to continue in these principles remain.

Determine that you will be faithful today no matter what.

This week's sermon: https://prentis.podbean.com/e/prayer-for-a-nation/

No Problem Too Big

 February 19, 2024

Monday

“And He said to them, “Because of your meager faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”” (Matthew 17:20, NASB 2020)

I suppose many people take this scripture out of context and think that they can believe anything they want to believe hard enough to make it happen. That puts us in the place of God. We are the ones who make everything happen if that is the truth. No, that's not what it means.

Faith comes from evidence. The evidence is seen in God's word. His message to you is what you put your faith in. The first step of faith is God's revelation. What does His word say? You can put your faith in that. What has He revealed to you through His word? You can put your faith in that. What is He telling you to do now? You must put your faith in that.

Putting your faith in something means that you will orientate your actions around what you believe. If you believe your car won't start, you will likely call a mechanic or at least try to fix it. If you believe the road is closed, you will make a detour. What you believe is not only what you say but what you do.

Faith the size of a mustard seed is huge. The seed is small, but the results of such faith moves mountains. A mountain was a metaphor for a problem that seemed immovable. These problems seem to capture us and bring us down. They seem inescapable. Faith believes beyond the circumstances that are visible and realizes that God loves us, knows about our problem, has a solution and will walk through the problem with us. The mountain is therefore thrown into the sea.

So, if you have a problem that is so big that there seems to be no solution, remember your faith. What you believe about God will reflect your actions concerning this faith. And if you have the faith, just as large as a mustard seed, you will see this mountain thrown into the sea.

This week's sermon: (You will need to copy and paste): https://prentis.podbean.com/e/praying-in-the-spirit/

When God Trusts You

 February 18, 2024

Sunday

Sometimes you are on your own. There is no one visible who will back you up. No visible is there to give you advice or direction. And then, sometimes that One who is invisible doesn't seem to act either. It is at a moment like this that you act on your faith. It is at a moment like this that you cling to the revelations you have been given. You apply them to the moment.

Too often, the message from the church is that there will be something supernatural that will happen when things are going wrong. God will again split the Red Sea, cause water to come out of a rock and rain manna from heaven. While God certainly could do that, most of the time He doesn't.

We operate most of the time in a very natural way. We remember those times when God supplied, healed, and revealed more of Himself to us. We lean on what we have learned of His character.

Paul writes to the Corinthians and tells them that he has asked Apollos to come help them. They truly needed a spiritual leader like Apollos. However, Apollos couldn't come for some time. So Paul writes:

1 Corinthians 16:13–14 (NASB 2020) ¹³ Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. ¹⁴ All that you do must be done in love.

These are the words they needed to hear. They needed to watch that they didn't fall into apostasy or sin, they needed to stand firm and act like strong men. They needed to act in love.

These are exactly the problems we have when we head out on our own. We are tempted so we stand strong in the faith. We forget who we are so we decide beforehand that we will be strong and act in love.

Maybe today you will not know God's manifest presence. You may pray, but God is silent. You may believe you can't make it, but you can. Sometimes God expects us to act without a miracle. Sometimes He is silent because He trusts us to do the right thing.

So, do the right thing today!

This week's sermon: (You will need to copy and paste): https://prentis.podbean.com/e/praying-in-the-spirit/

Be a Part of God's Miracle

 February 17, 2024

Saturday

Mark 10:27 (NASB 2020) ²⁷ Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

Jesus has just seen a rich man turn Him down. He told them it was as hard as a camel going through the eye of a needle as for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Many commentators have come up with an explanation of a door in which camels would crawl through to enter a city that had closed its gates. The problem is that Jesus related this to impossible. It may have been humbling for a camel to get on its knees to go through this door but it certainly wasn't impossible. Therefore, the rich must experience a miracle to be saved.

Most of us who can read this blog must admit that in the world, we are the rich ones. To have access to computers and the time to use them is a luxury. The truly poor have no luxuries. They look to Jesus for they have no where else to look. We could see many ways to go. We must be miracles.

God used the people around you and your circumstances to bring you to Himself. He moved His creation so that you would come to know Him. He placed those who would speak to you about Himself in your path. He preserved your life to have the moment you would be brought under conviction. He made your realize that you had a choice to receive Him. You are His miracle.

You are also one of His miracle workers. No, you don't perform the miracle but you are a part of it. You are the one who will tell one of your rich friends about Jesus. You will see them come to know Him and know that when it seemed impossible, God made it happen.

People think that one miracle for God is more spectacular than another. That is like saying that one miracle was harder for God than another. Walking on water is no harder than feeding 5000 with only a little bread and fish. Splitting the Red Sea is no harder than making a blind man see. Bringing about the salvation of a rich man is no harder than enabling a crippled man to walk. Maybe they seem impossible, but they aren't with God.

Do you have someone who just will not give his or her heart to the Lord? You have prayed and shared with them. You continue to do so but it seems more impossible than ever. But it isn't. Continue to pray. Continue to use those opportunities to tell them. Be a part of God's miracle.

This week's sermon: (You will need to copy and paste): https://prentis.podbean.com/e/praying-in-the-spirit/

To Lay Down Your Life

February 16, 2024

Friday 

We are all created in the image of God. We have indelible characteristics that God has and were given to us in creation. God created us out of His love. He desired fellowship with His creation. We were not inconveniences to Him.

Therefore, others cannot be inconveniences for us. We are not acting in our God-given image when we consider others as bothers rather than blessings. Fellowship with each other is necessary for us to be close to God for we are closer to Him when we act in our God given characteristics.

How much does God want to have fellowship with us? That can be seen in what He is willing to do to have that fellowship. Jesus said, 

John 15:13 (NASB 2020)¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.

Jesus laid down His life to heal the rift between us and God. This is the only way we could have fellowship with Him.

Laying down our lives for others is inherent in us. Maybe that's why the Bible says that it is more blessed to give than receive. As the heart of the Grinch was so small at Christmas, so is the Christian whose only concern is himself or herself. There is no true satisfaction in feeding the monster of self.

Thus, the one who amasses the greatest amount of money, gadgets, houses, accolades or physical conquests is truly ever satisfied. They lack satisfaction because they weren't created that way. That trait comes from the world which promises so much and delivers so little.

So, today is a day to lay down your life, put the inconvenience of others aside and live in the trait God created you with. Do your best to make someone smile today. Do your best to change someone's life for the better. It will draw you closer to them and to God.

Praise God that Jesus laid down His life for you!

This week's sermon: (You will need to copy and paste): https://prentis.podbean.com/e/praying-in-the-spirit/

The Plans God Has for You

 February 15, 2024

Thursday

Jeremiah 29:11–13 (NASB 2020) ¹¹ For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

God has a future planned for each of us. We don't have to accept it. We can do our own thing. But does that make sense when God has plans for prosperity and not disaster?

Many people think that freedom means you can do whatever you want. This definition of freedom can lead to other forms of slavery. Freedom is being released to do what you really need to do. It is no longer being under the slavery of something that forces you to act. God gives us that freedom.

Some people think cats climb trees to escape danger. Others think they do so because it is fun and they can. Yet, a cat can get himself in a place where he is too scared to come down. His fun or protection has become slavery for it keeps him from doing what he needs to do. The cat needs someone to rescue him.

In our "freedom" we do things for safety and fun that can get us in places we don't need to be. Our freedom can get us into crushing debt. Our freedom can ruin our marriages. Our freedom can lose our jobs. Our freedom can kill us on the highway. We accept the freedom God gives us and we have a future and a hope.

This scripture does not assure us that we will be millionaires. It assures us that God has plans that are for our good. It assures us that today in God's hands is better than today in ours. It tells us that we can pray, seek God and find Him today.

So, today place your life in His hands. He always has your best interest in His heart.

This week's sermon: (You will need to copy and paste): https://prentis.podbean.com/e/praying-in-the-spirit/

More Love than You Have

 February 14, 2024

Wednesday

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (NASB 2020 ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. ⁵ It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, ⁶ it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; ⁷ it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

I have never understood what people meant when they asked, "Am I in love?" What do they think love is?

Love is a decision. It is often preceded by a bunch of other decisions. These decisions are found in listening, watching and caring. They are found in time and relationships. Ultimately, they are not the realization that you are in love but that you have decided to love.

If love is merely an emotion, it will be unreliable. It will not be patient when it needs to be patient. I will not be kind. It will be jealous. It will be all the negatives of what love really is. Love must be a decision that is backed up with determination.

Some people are easy to love. Some are almost impossible. Everyone is hard to love sometime. That doesn't mean we quit loving. It means that we get more determined. Then, we look at the definition of love found in these verses and ask, "Am I loving this person?"

I read this scripture at many weddings. The couple thinks they can love like this on their own. They try to live their lives in the original love that they had for each other and it doesn't work. They wonder what is wrong. They have no recognized their own inability to uphold the love that they thought they had. They thought their love was like this scripture naturally. It isn't.

This is the love that comes through Jesus Christ. He loves when we aren't lovable. He loves when we do things that hurt Him. His love is supernatural. It is the love that we must have. It doesn't matter if we are loving a spouse, a brother or sister or a co-worker that no one can stand. 

Eventually, natural love runs low. It may even run out. It depends on too many circumstances to be reliable. The love that God has given us changes us to love like He loves if we will allow ourselves to be loved.

Tell the Lord of the love you would like to have for those you are supposed to love. That love will increase in His love. Tell the Lord of someone you need to love but don't. The Lord will give you that love.

Love has nothing to do with whether or not a person deserves it. Love is from God for God is love.

This week's sermon: https://prentis.podbean.com/e/praying-in-the-spirit/

You Will Not Be Shaken

 February 13, 2024

Tuesday

Psalm 16:8 (NASB 2020) 8 I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

I have been driving my wife to work for several weeks because of her shoulder surgery. She isn’t allowed to drive herself per doctor’s orders. Some mornings the car windows fog up from the inside soon after I clear the frost from the outside. Of course, I don’t like waiting for the defroster and take off before it is clear. But when the rising sun hits the windshield, I can’t see the road right in front of me. I must stop, wait a few minutes for the windshield to clear, then go on.

The Lord is always present. I do not cause Him to be with me. However, the Psalmist is saying he has set the Lord continually before himself. It isn’t that the Lord wasn’t always present. Each of us must clear out the place in front of us so that we can see Him. It is just as dangerous to go on with our lives without the Lord before us as to have a foggy windshield that won’t let us see the road ahead.

Most days, we don’t have anything that will shake us. The Psalmist says that he continually sets the Lord before himself. He doesn’t know when there will be something that will come to shake him. He is prepared for the shaking days before they arrive. And they will arrive someday.

The Lord is at his right hand. He is there to protect the Psalmist. He is there for us as we prepare our day with the Lord before us.

Neither you nor I know if today is a shaking day. We don’t know what it will bring even if we have some trepidation in what we expect for the day. So, now is the time to acknowledge the Lord who is with you. Now is the time to see Him. Now is the time to know His strength is with you.

And if today is a shaking day, you will be prepared. You will not be shaken.

Strength and Courage in the Waiting

 February 12, 2024

Monday

Psalm 31:24 (NASB 2020) 24 Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who wait for the Lord.

I never liked to fish. You bait the hook, throw it in the water and wait for a fish to bite. I never liked waiting on something to happen that I couldn’t cause to happen. I liked the idea of cutting sticks of dynamite in half, lighting them and tossing them into the water. You caused the fish to float to the top and you just scooped them up. (I never actually did this but I heard that it could be done.) Now, that’s fishing!

Waiting for the Lord is more than doing nothing until He does something. Waiting for the Lord is making sure that I am not trying to do the work that He must do. I must not try to change people. That’s His job. I must not try to plan Him out of the work that He does.

Each time I have led a mission trip, something has not gone as planned. It seems that no matter how careful I was to plan, the plans were soon scrapped to do something else. Nothing of the Lord’s work would have been accomplished if I had insisted that we follow my plan. I had to give it up and let Him have control. Great things happen that way.

Strength does not come from me. I am strong when I am weak. So, to be strong I accept my weakness and act in my weakness. I take courage in acting in this weakness because I have seen the Lord use my weakness to do amazing things.

God does not share His glory. He cannot stand those who in their pride say, “I did this.” So, He allows people to act in their own strength and get their own results. They may say, “I did this,” but what they have accomplished will be only what a human can do.

Today, I will wait upon the Lord. I will respond to His every command with His strength. I will have courage because He has never failed to do what He has decreed. I take comfort in this.

When I Am Really Strong

 February 11, 2024

Sunday

2 Corinthians 12:10 (NASB 2020) 10 Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

People have been declining the Lord’s call because of their weaknesses for a long time. Moses said that he couldn’t talk very well. Gideon said he was the least of the least. Peter even told Jesus to depart from him because he was such a sinner. Yet, God continues to call the weak.

Many times I have heard from motivational speakers that we should lead from our strengths. While I would agree that we should serve through our gifts, leading from strength doesn’t match what the Lord can do. The problem with strengths is that we often don’t depend on the Lord’s strength when we act with our strengths. We get exactly what can be gotten with only our strengths.

I am afraid we think we have done much when we have done only what our strengths allow us. We amass fortunes, build huge church buildings and gather crowds out of our strengths. We see people changed by the power of the Lord with our weaknesses. Our weaknesses force us to rely on God’s strength.

Are you feeling weak? Good. The Lord can make use of you. You will not become so enamored with your own voice or looks or physique that you will depend upon yourself. You will humbly walk with God because you have no other strength. You do not count victories because of what you have done. You see His victories.

You may not have a parade in your name nor will the church name a building after you, but you will have the satisfaction that what has been done has been done by the power of the Lord. You may not even know the full extent of what has been accomplished because of your faithfulness. Does that matter? Not a bit! It wasn’t about you anyway.

Listen to the Lord’s calling rather than the voice that says that you can’t do what He calls you to do. Act in His strength. One day you will stand before the judgement seat of Christ and all that has done in His strength will be awarded to you. The rest of the stuff will just be burned up.

Abound in Hope

 February 10, 2024

Saturday

Romans 15:13 (NASB 2020) 13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Life can beat on you until you are numb. You become like a boxer who can no longer block the relentless blows, so he just takes it. For those on the outside, it appears that he no longer feels them. There was a time when referees didn’t step in to defend the defenseless boxer. They just kept taking in the hits until they finally fell down. These boxers were standing on willpower, not on consciousness. They had been knocked out several moments before. The last command the legs got was to stand, so they stood.

Each of us has gone through a time when several bad things happened at once. We may even have caused some or all of them. It seems like we can’t catch our breaths. One blow after another comes. This is when many people become hopeless. They have no hope left. The diagnosis was devastating, the chemo and radiation were exhausting and with no energy or emotion left  we wake up to a new day to have the same things happen again. Who can blame a person who has gone through this for being hopeless.

Hopelessness is natural when things go so wrong but it does not need to be inevitable. Those who know Jesus know the God of hope. He is the One who will fill the otherwise hopeless with joy and peace. Hope abounds when joy and peace prevail. This comes by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The scripture above is a prayer. It is said by Paul for people he has never met. He knows what is going on. He knows they could find themselves in hopelessness. He prays that they will be filled with joy and peace in believing. This comes as a Christian puts his or her feet on the ground again. The Christian remembers the foundation of faith. The Christian remembers the love of Jesus and what He has done. And by the power of the Holy Spirit in each Christian abounds in hope when there was no natural hope left.

Is this a prayer you need to say for someone you know today? Is this a prayer you need to say for yourself. Do you need to say, “Lord, things are going so bad I don’t have any hope left. I remember that Jesus loves me. I remember that there is no greater love than the love He has for me. I know You know where I am and what I am going through. Let me abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit?”

Pray that prayer for someone or even for yourself for God is truly the God of hope.

There Is No Fear in Love

 February 9, 2024

Friday

1 John 4:18 (NASB 2020) 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

We live in a world that seems to want to scare us. Each night the news tells us of a new existential threat. (They love that word.) Nutritionists tell us that everything we eat will kill us. (The safest practice is to starve to death.) We are covered up by shootings, mass shoplifting, road rage, and just plain meanness in every news break. It is easy to be scared of going outside.

Maybe this is why people seem to be hermits who don’t know their neighbors beyond their names. They are suspicious of nearly everyone they meet. They are afraid of being scammed, having their identity stolen or simply getting ripped off over something they have bought. The safest action is to buy everything online, shut the doors as soon as the home is entered and not go to the door if someone knocks. (Maybe there is a market for “Not Welcome” mats.)

How did we get this way? Maybe its because we don’t know perfect love. Or at least, we have forgotten perfect love. 

We will never know perfect love by observing how most people love one another. Some people have amazing love, but few have given themselves over to perfect love. Jesus who has loved us more than anyone on earth has, shares His love with those who will accept it. His love enables people to love like He loves. His love establishes a sacrifice that lays down life.

Those of us who are believers should accept Jesus’ perfect love today. This is not salvation. This is an identification with Christ. This is an observance of the power of the Holy Spirit within us. This is allowing Him to fill us. 

Once we know His perfect love within us, we have our fears fade away. We know we are forgiven and have no punishment ahead no matter what we have done. We know that our future is with Him even if we are facing death. We know that He loves us in the struggles we have ahead.

Then, there is nothing to fear. This perfect love has cast out fear.

Don't Let Your Heart Be Troubled

 February 8, 2024

Thursday

John 14:1–4 (NASB 2020) 1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be. 4 And you know the way where I am going.”

These scriptures seem to mean less to many people who read them. Could it be that living longer makes people disbelieve in death? Someone who dies in their twenties or thirties is an anomaly. People take notice. Those who die in their eighties or nineties are expected to die. It hardly makes a ripple in concern for those who are only in their forties. Yet, everyone must come to the realization that one day each one of them will die.

People continue to repeat that which soothes them when they were young. Maybe they have told themselves that they are good and will go to an eternal place of rest. Maybe they have told themselves that death will be like before they were born. Non-existence wasn’t so bad then and it won’t be so bad later. They have no idea of the judgement awaiting them. That’s just stuff the religious people try to scare them with.

For centuries people have people have used excuses for living without a relationship with God. O yes, they ran to church after 911 but that was temporary. They wanted protection; they certainly didn’t want the Lord. They were like the people who want the doctor to write them a script even if it won’t do they any good. They will take it for a short time. That ends as soon as the symptoms are gone.

But as believers we have an assurance made by God. He will go prepare a place for us and will come back for us someday. He wants us to be where He is. We know where that is.

While today you might not be thinking of dying, you should be thinking of living. We live like we have forever because we do. Our forever is found in His presence and we need to start by recognizing His presence now. Then, when that someday comes, we will be ready to go with Him. What a sweet future we have.

An Anchor of the Soul

 February 7, 2024

Wednesday

Hebrews 6:19 (NASB 2020) 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable and one which enters within the veil,

I flew for the first time in 1975. I worked for a bank and I went to Maine to repossess a car. (Yes, the bank will come for it even if you can get it to the moon.) I flew out of DFW, made a brief stop at ORD and changed planes in BOS. (I am just showing off as I use these codes.) I flew Air New England from Boston to Lewiston, Maine. The plane had no door between the pilots and passengers. The pilots didn’t pay much attention to flying. We did not maintain a level altitude. We went up and down. I am surprised that some of the passengers didn’t get sick. I was almost sure that the pilots capricious attitude for flying would cause us to ditch somewhere in the water. I kept my eyes on the shore because I wanted to know which way I would swim.

Christians should keep their eyes on the hope that we have in Jesus. All that we have in this world will end some day. It will mean nothing to us. The only thing that matters is our relationship with our Lord. The hope He has given us in our salvation is sure and reliable.

The hope we have in Jesus puts all of life in perspective. It becomes an anchor that we can depend upon. As an anchor keeps a ship from bashing into a rocky shore, our hope keeps us from the damage we can receive in a storm. With each crisis we can say that we have a home in heaven. We have someone who has loved us enough to die for us. We have someone who will provide. We have someone who wants us to walk with Him. We have a friend who will never leave us. We have a sure future.

Sometimes it seems like the problem right in front of us is the most important thing in the world. We think each crisis is a terminal event when it will only be temporary. We worry about it so that it affects every area of our lives. We need to remember that our hope is not in this crisis. Our future is not ultimately determined by this crisis. Our destination will not be affected by this crisis. The love the Lord has for us will not diminish because of this crisis. The crisis is a storm that would bash us against the rocks if it wasn’t for the anchor. The anchor is the hope we have in Jesus. It will hold.

Jesus went beyond the veil of the Temple to be the sacrifice that we needed to establish our relationship with the Lord. That won’t change. We can count on it, count on it, count on it!

A Proof of Things Not Seen

 February 6, 2024

Tuesday

Hebrews 11:1 (NASB 2020) 1 Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.

We must be careful when we read a verse like this one. Some will want to say that faith comes out of wishes. They will say that believing will cause things to happen. Thank God this is not true! Imagine the chaos in the world.

Each of us knows that children cannot have everything they wish for. We call a child who gets everything wished for spoiled. This child is hard to live with. This child expects everything to be as he or she wishes even if this will cause harm. This child is the center of his own universe. This child will be lonely.

God loves us far too much to give us everything we wish for. He has a plan for each of us. That plan is beyond what we could wish for. That plan is the best we can have.

Faith comes from a word from God. He makes a promise or a statement that we can count on. We choose to believe it. We receive His word into our hearts. We pray with thanksgiving that God will accomplish what He has already said. Our prayers do not cause God to act against His will. Our prayers agree with God in His will.

Faith becomes the calm stream that runs through our hearts. We believe and watch God act. We believe when we don’t see Him act. We believe because He has never let one of His promises fail. He will not do so now.

The proof of things now seen is that calmness that flows through our hearts as we believe when it doesn’t seem possible.

I remember the aunt of a little boy who had an inoperable brain tumor standing in front of a church saying that God had told her that this little boy would grow up to be a godly man. I wanted to rush forward and say, “Don’t say that. It’s impossible!”

However, I was there when the father of the boy said that the surgeon who was only supposed to be taking a biopsy of the tumor had removed the whole thing. I should have known: when God says something is going to happen, it must happen. That little boy is a grown man today.

So, faith comes from a word from God. A word from God never fails. 

Whom Should I Dread?

 February 5, 2024

Monday

Psalm 27:1 (NASB 2020) 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom should I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom should I dread?

Our lives are secure if we know Jesus. The life that He gives cannot be taken away from us. This verse helps us remember that the physical life we have right now will end. It will end in what we consider early for some. Others will have a very long physical life. No one ever stops existing.

Jesus said that the good will have a resurrection of life and the bad will have a resurrection of judgment. (John 5:28-29) So, when Jesus said that He came to give us life abundantly, He wasn’t addressing the fact that each of us die. He was speaking of giving us true life that cannot be taken away.

The abundant life floods us with love. We know God’s love and we love others. We are given confidence before the Lord. We know that we can go to Him at any moment with our needs, our fears and even with our failures. We can confess and remove the distance we have created between Him and us. We can know Him more and more and be so full that we forgive as He did. This is the life that cannot be taken from us.

That life has given us light. Anyone who has gotten up in the middle of the night knows what it is like to hit their little toe on a piece of furniture. This happens because the light was not turned on. Light illumines our path. It shows us where to go. He is the light that goes with us. Life comes from walking with this light. He saves us by being the light of direction for us.

The enemy wants to steal this life and can even make us believe that he can. He wants to steal our joy. He wants to take away our peace. He wants to make us believe that this physical life is the only one we will ever have. He wants us to believe that it is better to walk with him than with the Lord.

But when we continue in the walk with the Lord. We have nothing to fear. God’s love nor presence will ever leave us. We just need to open our eyes. Our hearts know the truth when we listen.

There is truly no one nor anything we need to dread. Our God is greater than anything or anyone we encounter. This true today and every tomorrow.

Your Hand in His Hand

 February 4, 2024

Sunday

Isaiah 41:10 (NASB 2020) 10 ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will also help you, I will also uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

I never watched Survivor on tv. I didn’t feel like I needed to. A Baptist preacher can be voted off the island at any business meeting.

Someone I went to college with was fired from four Baptist churches. There were no moral issues. He just stressed following Christ and did not bow down  to the people who had been at the church for a long time. That will do it for in some churches.

I have not had that problem. Maybe I did bow down to some people. However, I know the ones to whom I didn’t. They celebrated my leaving. Honestly, it was a shock to find that most of my opposition came from people inside the church. I was naive to think it would come from outside.

Everyone faces adversity. It may be a boss who has something against you. It may be a neighbor who is determined to get you to sell your house. It may be a co-worker who throws you under the bus at every opportunity. It may be someone you supervise who only does what you tell them to do. These confrontations will strain your faith and the way you walk in your faith. 

Today, take a breath. Realize that you have nothing to fear because the Lord is right here.  Know that you are inadequate to take on those who oppose you. Know He will strengthen you if you will let Him. Rely on His had to hold you up. 

Meditate on this scripture. Read it so that you emphasize a new word each time you read it. Think what that says to you. Appreciate what that means to you. And relax. Many times we are fighting battles that the Lord wants to fight for us. Let Him work on the other people who oppose you.

Put a little praise in your life today. Praise God for being who He is. Praise Him for giving you His strength. Praise Him for holding you up. Revel in being His. He does all this because He loves you. That should be enough to make it through this day and beyond.

God Is for Us

 February 3, 2024

Saturday

Romans 8:31 (NASB 2020) 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

Many of us can say, “I know some people who are against me.” Yes, but that isn’t what this scripture means. There are those against us but they will not prevail.

Is God for us in everything? Does God aid us in our sinning? Of course not! God is for us by disciplining us when we sin. God is for us by allowing us to fail. God is for us when everything goes wrong. Three verses before this one we learned that God works everything for our good. This certainly doesn’t mean that everything is good nor that everything that happens to us is good.

This book also asks if we should sin more so that we can see more grace. The answer is clearly that we shouldn’t. There are consequences for sin. We must endure those consequences. They may look as if God isn’t for us. But God still is. Consequences help us remember not to do what caused those consequences again. They will help us walk with God. They often drive us to seek His presence.

Even while serving in churches, I have not always walked closely with God. I have done what Joshua did when he didn’t seek the Lord before he made a treaty with the Gibeonites. Just as God’s people faced the consequences of that decision, I have faced the consequences of not seeking the Lord. God let me make these bad decisions and face the consequences because He was always for me. He gave me a testimony of His grace and forgiveness. That didn’t mean that the consequence were fun. They were as strong as I needed to remember the bad decisions I made without seeking the Lord.

So, no one nor anything can make God go against us. He is for us when we  obey Him and He is still for us when we don’t. We learned to walk by falling. Falling caused us to strive to stay on our feet. We learned to walk with God by the consequences when we disobey. They cause us to try to walk closer and closer to Him.

We don’t need to see only good things happening to us today to know that God is for us. He is always for us through the good and the bad.

Be Strong and Courageous!

 February 2, 2024

Friday

Joshua 1:9 (NASB 2020) 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

We can apply this to the work the Lord has called us to do. It requires that we listen and know what the Lord has commanded us to do. This is a calling that is made to all Christians. It is not the same calling for everyone. It is particular to each of us. Some of us are called to be Sunday School teachers who go beyond the literature our denomination sells us. These are the people who challenge the status quo. They are not determined to declare it wrong; they are determined to make sure it is right. They will receive opposition because they challenge rather than blindly accept what has always been said.

Some are called to be those who gather people around to do special tasks the Lord wants done. They lead people. They are opposed at times because there is always someone who thinks they can do a better job. It takes courage to stand up when others are attacking. It takes strength to stand up when someone challenges with what they think is a better idea. The command of the Lord must stay in the forefront when leadership is challenged.

There are some who are commanded to reach people who have no interest in the Lord. They call believers names and make fun of them. Yet, it is important to realize that God loves them just as much as He does the believers. God wants them to walk with Him too. This takes courage to ask and tell the story of the gospel. It takes strength to weather the criticisms, dismissals and ridicule.

We all must realize that the flesh is opposed to the Spirit. It will not be easy doing what the Lord has commanded. There will be moments that quitting seems to be the best for everyone, but we remember that the Lord commanded and we go on.

Sometimes when everything seems to be going wrong we also need to remember that just because we can’t see the Lord doesn’t mean that He is not present. He is.

If obeying His commands were easy, every believer would obey. But remember that obeying His commands is the only way to walk with Him.