Walking in the Spirit

How many of us are tired of being shut in, unable to gather with our church families? I know I have missed those gatherings tremendously! So as things start opening up again, our church has decided to go back to Biblical times and meet in our homes. Small gatherings, yes, but still together in worship. And learning God's Word together. Its different - more intimate and personal. Each of us contributes to the discussion. And I feel like I'm learning more about God and His Word.

Today we talked about the greatest Commandment: loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This is what I learned:

To love God with all our heart means to trust Him completely. To love Him with our soul means to commit to Him and seek Him first. To love Him with our mind means to let His Spirit guide our thoughts - shut out distractions and focus our thoughts on the things of God. And loving Him with our strength is using our abilities and talents to serve Him and others.

These things operate together in a cycle - the more we trust God, the more we seek Him, the more we focus on Godly things, the more we serve, the more we trust Him.... round and round.

I encourage you to seek Him, trust Him, focus on Him, and use the gifts He gave you to serve.

So we all know that things are in a state of uncertainty right now. Shelter-in-place orders, quarantines, isolation - these things can produce anxiety, depression, and what is commonly referred to as "cabin fever." As believers, how do we combat these feelings? Psalm 18:2 says this -

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." And Isaiah 40:31 -

"but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." But my favorite of these is John 16:33 -

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

God is our Rock - the solid ground upon which we stand in faith. He gives us a spirit of endurance so that when we trust in Him, our strength and energy are renewed. And Jesus, whose Holy Spirit dwells in the believer, assures us that these times of uncertainty will pass because He has indeed overcome the world!

"Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.' " -John 6:35

When you're growing up, you often butt heads with your parents and siblings. And when you talk to other rational people about the problem, they typically tell you that your family loves you and they want what's best for you. But it's not the same as hearing it from the source.

As adults(those of us who ARE adults), we have so many more worries than we did as children and often times we wonder if we're going to make it through the tough times. The people we surround ourselves with may tell us, "pray and God will help. Pray and He will provide." And they are of course right, but sometimes we don't believe it in the moment.

"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." -Proverbs 16:9

Have you ever had a plan that just didn't go the way you planned? Of course. And that's because it might not have been the time for those plans. God establishes our steps. He knows His timing is the best for us. He is like a parent holding their child's hand to keep them from crossing the road without looking first.

As humans, once we've set plans they become out main focus. We want to achieve them no matter what and often we don't give anything thought to the dangers they can have to us, not only physically, but spiritually. So, God makes sure we are safe by establishing our steps with His timing and understanding.

Answered Prayers. Answered prayers are what makes God real to some of us. They give us power and take us from a dry world to one teeming with life and joy. And God answers our prayers, even if we don't know it and even if it isn't the way we expect.

"“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." -Matthew 7:7‭-‬12

The Bible tells us to ask and we shall receive, to seek and we will find, and to knock and the door will be opened for us. All we have to do is ask. It couldn't be more simple than that. And when we feel like our prayers weren't answered in the way we wanted/expected them to be, we should remember that God does what is best for us and he gives us the gifts that are good and right and just so long as we just ask.

"So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." -Revelation 3:16

Some of you may have noticed that I have been pretty absent from this blog lately. Well, the verse above explains it. I have been pretty lukewarm in my faith. I'm not saying I don't still have my faith, I do! But I haven't been as on fire for God as I used to be. And I don't want to bring Him less than my best which is what I've been doing.

I could make excuses, but I won't. Instead, I will tell you that I am working in it. I am spending more time in the Word and in prayer. I can't say I'll be back to posting everyday but I will try and post at least a couple times a week until I am back to my normal self. Thank you!

February 13, 2020

So it's Groundhog Day... and Super Bowl Sunday. But instead of using either of those events, I'm going to base our devotion today on the message that our pastors (all 3 of them!) passed along to us this morning. I hope y'all are ready - because for many of us it's time to move!

When Jesus called His disciples, He simply said to them, "Come, follow me." When Matthew was called, and Jesus was having dinner at his house, many sinners and tax collectors attended. When He heard the Pharisees ask why He would eat with such as those, Jesus replied, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:13-13).

If you admit to being a sinner, you are called. The Lord has placed a calling upon you to serve and to spread the Gospel. He wasn't looking for the religious leaders - He chose the misfits to do great things. The disciples weren't scholars; they were common men. Moses was a member of Pharoah's household; David was a shepherd boy - the least of his brothers.

Satan will whisper to you that you can't. You aren't qualified. But God doesn't choose the qualified - He qualifies those He chooses! Isaiah 6:8 says this: "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'”

January 22, 2020

We mentioned in last week's post that our enemy attacks our minds. He tries to invade our thoughts and corrupt them - even to causing us to question the goodness and nature of God. So we have to isolate parts of our mind (or soul) to take those negative thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ. Philippians 4:4-8 says:

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

So we have to train our mind to praise - rejoice - even when we don't necessarily feel God working in our lives. Our circumstances change, but our God never changes! He is constant, good, faithful, and unwavering.

We should train our minds in patience. Wait upon the Lord, and place others before ourselves. Allow the gentleness we possess overflow from us.

We need to train our prayer. Certainly we all have cares and concerns, but don't let them become worries. The more we worry, the further our minds are from God. And finally, we have to train our purity. Fill up your mind with the Truth, which will leave no room for evil, fear, confusion or doubt.

There are 2 promises for us to stand on in this battle: that God will never leave us, and that He works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).

January 5, 2020.

It's Christmas Eve! I love Christmas. I love giving gifts to the people I love, just as God loves us so much He gave us the ultimate gift. Luke 2:8-14 says:

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.'”

The shepherds were afraid when the angel first appeared, but then rejoiced at the good news, and went to see this newborn Savior for themselves. Then they spread the good news! That is our mission, too - to spread the Gospel far and wide so others will come to know Jesus and have a relationship with Him.

As we celebrate His birth, remember that it isn't about the gifts we give or receive here; Christmas is about the gift of Salvation that God gave to us.

December 18, 2019

This is a great song anytime, but especially during the Christmas season. Isaiah 9:6 says:

Do you know that when you call upon the Lord for salvation, you are covered by His divine protection? Psalm 91:14-16 says:

"Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”