Monthly Archives: April 2016

April 15, 2016 · 5:56 AM

Grace For You

  
I’ve always heard that grace was defined as God’s Redemption At Christ’s Expense. We use grace mainly to talk about God’s ability to cover our sins. Grace is that and more. It’s God’s ability to show us mercy and favor as well. In the days of the New Testament, you will read where Paul used it like that as a greeting and as a way bless those as he ended his letters. Grace is a complex word and idea that we don’t fully understand.

What I do know is that God’s grace is deeper than any sin you’ve committed and stronger than any pain you feel. I like to tell people, “I’ve hit rock bottom in life before, but I’ve never hit the bottom of grace.” No matter how deep my sin or struggles have taken me, I’ve never found the bottom of God’s grace. It has been sufficient for everything I’ve been through and done. I can promise you, it’s enough for what you’ve done and are going through.

Today, I’ve compiled some of my favorite verses on grace to give us a deeper understanding of grace

1. We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.
Acts of the Apostles 15:11 NLT

2. But if it is by grace (His unmerited favor and graciousness), it is no longer conditioned on works or anything men have done. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace [it would be meaningless].
Romans 11:6 AMP

3. May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with everyone.
Revelation 22:21 GNT

4. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
Romans 6:14 ESV

5. GOD is good to one and all; everything he does is suffused with grace.
Psalm 145:9 MSG

6. Timothy (insert your name here), my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 2:1 NLT (parenthesis is mine)

7. He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:7 AMP

8. Let us have confidence, then, and approach God’s throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it.
Hebrews 4:16 GNT

9. Generous in love—God, give grace! Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record. Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry. I know how bad I’ve been; my sins are staring me down.
Psalm 51:1-3 MSG

10. But He said to me, “My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 AMP

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April 14, 2016 · 5:30 AM

Lasting Motivation

  
In a training class, I was recently taught that there are three basic motivations: compliance, identification, and internalization. As I learned more about them, it made me realize that many people approach Christian living using one of these three motivating factors. When I explain them, you will realize where you’ve been and where you fall now in these with your approach to living like Jesus. I’ll include the Parable of the Sower, from Matthew 13, to show the end result of each of these.

The first one, compliance, is where many people initially fall. The motivation is “Do it, or else!” There’s a constant threat living over you that if you don’t do it right, you’re done for. As long as you’re at church or church people, you live the way you should. When you’re away, you go back to how you want to live. Living like this is like the seeds that fell on the footpath. The birds came and ate them up. Trying to live a double life ends in failure. No one wants to try to live like Jesus if there’s a constant threat being held against them.

The second one, identification, is where you see someone else’s life, you identify with the end result, and you want to be like them to get their blessings. You’ll be motivated to do some things like join a small group, go to church on Wednesday, or even give your tithe, but what you’re missing is how to live that way consistently. To me, this is like the seed that fell in shallow soil. They sprout up quickly, but can easily wilt under the hot soon because they lack deep roots.

The third one, internalization, is where you take to heart what you hear and do whatever it takes so that the changes become who you are. This is the only one that produces long lasting change because it’s a change in your heart and mind. It’s like the seeds that fell on fertile soil. It will grow and reproduce thirty, sixty, and hundred times what was planted.

Your desire to follow Jesus shouldn’t be because you are afraid to go to hell. That will only last so long. It also shouldn’t be because you want the same blessings someone else has. When they don’t come quickly, you’ll give up. Your desire to follow Jesus should come because you met Him, want a relationship with Him, and will follow Him because of your love for Him. When you do that, your mind changes and so does your life. It’s what’s described in Romans 12:2, “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (NLT). When you internalize what Jesus did for you, your life will reflect it in your living.

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April 13, 2016 · 5:30 AM

The Lord Is My Shepherd

  
Psalm 23 has to be the most memorized chapter in the Bible. Like me, you may have memorized it as a child. If you’ve seen any funeral in a movie or TV, you’ve definitely heard it being read. When something like that is ingrained in us, we tend to glaze over it when we hear it. We know we know it, so we don’t really pay attention to what it’s saying. If you stop and think about it, there are some powerful truths just in the first few verses.

In the first verse, we read, “THE Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack” (AMP). Think about that. The Lord watches over you personally like a shepherd watches sheep. He makes sure that you are fed, protected, and on the right path. You have everything you need in Him. There’s no need to panic today because your shepherd is watching over you making sure you have everything you need.

Verse two says, “He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.” God knows we all need times of rest and refreshing. We are constantly on the go, looking for greener pastures. God says to us, “Follow me and I will give you rest.” You don’t have to go looking for them, you just have to be willing to be led by Him. You have to give up your rights and submit to the authority of your shepherd. When you do, you will find the greener pastures and rest you’ve been looking for.

Verse three confirms that by saying, “He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him–not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake.” Not only does God refresh you, He restores you. He gives back what has been taken from you. He also leads you into the paths of life that please Him. He does all of this not because you’ve done anything. He does it because He loves you and cares for you.

Even if you’ve been the sheep that has gone astray or fought against being shepherded, we know that God loves you enough to find you where you are, in the condition you’re in, to lovingly bring you to the fold. He doesn’t wait for lost sheep to find Him. He’s proactively looking for you because He knows your life will be better with His flock. He will leave 99 to find just one sheep. That’s the kind of shepherd we have. He gives us everything we need, He leads us to restful places, and He restores our lives. We just have to be willing to be a part of His flock.

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April 12, 2016 · 5:30 AM

The Body In Harmony

  
I recently attended United Cry in Washington, DC. It was a multi-generational, multi-denominational, and multi-cultural group of Christian ministers who gathered together to join in prayer and repentance for our nation. It was a beautiful thing to see the Body of Christ working together. There were no discussions of doctrinal differences or jokes being made at the other’s expense. There were charismatics, liturgicals, blacks, whites, Asians, non-denominationals, small churches, and mega churches joined together in harmony with a single purpose: to pray for repentance and revival.

It reminded me of the church I worked at in Cairo, Egypt. There were over 15 denominations represented and more nationalities than that in one church. It was called a microcosm of Heaven. It was incredible to be on staff and watch as people from various backgrounds, denominations, and nationalities worked together to further the Kingdom. The Body of Christ can function as one and these two prove it.

Psalm 133:1 says, “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!” (NLT) It is possible for us as believers to focus on what we have in common, instead of what divides us, and to live in harmony. I Corinthians 13:13 says, “But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.” We do have differences, but so does a hand and a foot. They have different functions, but are apart of the same body. It’s time that we as believers started to live in harmony and work together to win this world for Jesus. It will take all of us doing our part to handle the coming harvest. Will you be one who differentiates body parts or will you be one working in harmony?

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April 11, 2016 · 5:55 AM

Wait Patiently

  
Have you ever felt like you were meant for more than you’re doing right now? Does it feel like God has been ignoring you or isn’t keeping His promise to you? It’s hard to wait for God to put you where He promised to place you. It’s even more difficult to feel stuck in the mundane when you know there’s more to what God has promised to do in your life. So what do you do? Will you give up on your calling? Will you try to force your way into it by making things happen yourself? Or will you wait patiently?

When I think of giving up on my calling, I’m reminded of the Prodigal Son. He was tired of waiting for his inheritance. He didn’t think the day would come when he could be in charge of his father’s household. So he did the unthinkable. He asked for his inheritance and decided to show his father he was capable on his own. After he squandered his inheritance, he had too much pride to go to his father to admit he wasn’t ready. After a lot of time slopping hogs and living destitute, he made his way back to his father’s house.

When I think of trying to force my way into my calling, I think of Abraham. God had called him to be the father of many nations with descendants as numerous as the stars. After 25 years, he gave up and decided that he would fulfill it himself. He took his wife’s maid and got her pregnant. God revisited him to remind him the promise was going to come through his wife. Because he rushed things, he created an Achilles Heel for his descendants that remains to this day.

When I think of waiting patiently, I think of David. God called him to be king while he was tending sheep. David understood that he wasn’t ready to fulfill his calling even though he had been called. He looked at where he was and saw that God could use his current situation to help him be better at his calling. Even though the fulfillment of his calling was many years later, he stayed faithful where he was until the right time came.

Each of us have one of these three choices in our lives. I personally believe God is getting us ready for our calling in the mundane. Psalm 78:70-72 says, “He chose his servant David; he took him from the pastures, where he looked after his flocks, and he made him king of Israel, the shepherd of the people of God. David took care of them with unselfish devotion and led them with skill” (GNT). The skills David learned while watching sheep gave him the skill to be the best at his calling. What skills are you learning now that will help to fulfill yours? The right choice is to wait patiently for God to move. Just keep tending sheep in the mean time.

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April 8, 2016 · 4:30 AM

Revival

  
Tomorrow marks the 110th anniversary of the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles. It was the last great, sustained revival in the US. I know there have been several revivals since, but none have had as profound an impact on culture and society. I believe it is time that revival came to us again. George Wood recently said, “Culture reflects religion.” If that’s true, and I believe it is, we are in desperate need of revival in the Church.

This weekend, there will be two major prayer gatherings to pray for revival. One will be at Azusa Street (You can watch here) and the other at the Lincoln Memorial  (You can watch here). I will be attending the one in Washington, DC. I believe if we will humble ourselves, pray, and repent for the sins of the nation, God will bring spiritual healing through revival. I’d encourage you to join with us and pray this weekend.

To help, here are some verses about revival.

1. Won’t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you?
Psalms 85:6 NLT

2. I am the high and holy God, who lives forever. I live in a high and holy place, but I also live with people who are humble and repentant, so that I can restore their confidence and hope.
Isaiah 57:15 GNT

3. Then will we not depart from You; revive us (give us life) and we will call upon Your name.
Psalm 80:18 AMP

4. When the humble see it they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive.
Psalms 69:32 ESV

5. In your faithful love, O LORD, hear my cry; let me be revived by following your regulations.
Psalms 119:149 NLT

6. O Lord, I have heard of what you have done, and I am filled with awe. Now do again in our times the great deeds you used to do. Be merciful, even when you are angry.
Habakkuk 3:2 GNT

7. And now, for a brief moment, grace has been shown us by the Lord our God, Who has left us a remnant to escape and has given us a secure hold in His holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
Ezra 9:8 AMP

8. I have heard all about you, LORD. I am filled with awe by your amazing works. In this time of our deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by. And in your anger, remember your mercy.
Habakkuk 3:2 NLT

9. And afterward I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. Even upon the menservants and upon the maidservants in those days will I pour out My Spirit.
Joel 2:28-29 AMP

10. Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT

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April 7, 2016 · 5:42 AM

The Joy Of The Lord

  
People draw their strength from many things. In sports, you’ll often hear of a team who had a big comeback to win. They will draw on that later in the season and it will give them strength to keep trying the next time they’re down. In business, many companies draw their strength from how much they have in the bank. If a company invests in themselves and their future along with a big bank account, we would say that’s a strong company.

For us, there’s inner strength and outer strength. Outer strength comes from lifting weights and exercising. Inner strength is much different. You can be strong on the outside, but weak on the inside. You can’t exercise anything to become strong on the inside. When adversity comes, many people tend to worry and become anxious. Some just try to weather the storm. Those with an inner strength seem to be able to handle anything though.

When my life was flipped upside down and the storm wouldn’t seem to quit, I remember just trying to make it through each minute. I thought if I could survive that minute, I could survive the storm. As I lay in bed one night, I remembered a song from my childhood. I began to sing softly, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” I sang it over and over. I was reminding myself that on my own, I didn’t have the strength to survive, but through God’s strength I did.

As I read Psalm 84:5, I think about those long, sleepless nights. The Psalmist wrote, “What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord” (NLT). He knew that you can find joy in the midst of your pain and suffering if you find your strength in God. That strength comes first by handing Him your problem. Admiring you can’t do it on your own is the first step. When we give it to Him, the sufficiency of His grace washes over our life and we find strength in Him.

From my experience, the storm will not end when you do that. What changes is how you see the storm and how you respond to it. God can give you His joy in the midst of sorrow. He can give you the strength to walk on water even when the storm rages if we keep our eyes on Him. The strength of the Lord will not fail you in your time of need. It’s something you can rely on over and over no matter how bad things get. Don’t try to go through your storm alone. Find your strength in the Lord and let Him provide you with the shelter you need.

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April 6, 2016 · 5:30 AM

Godly Counsel

  
We all need counseling from time to time. We need the wisdom of a trusted friend, advisor, or professional. Whoever we get it from. It’s important that the counsel we receive lines up with God’s Word. The Bible is full of wisdom that can provide insight and give direction in just about anything we face. The book of Proverbs alone is full of wisdom and great insight into how we should think and make decisions.

As King, David was often in need of counseling. He wanted to make the best choice. If he couldn’t find someone to give him godly advice, He went straight to God for help. In Psalm 16:7, David wrote, “I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me” (ESV). David took what God said and put it in his heart so that even at night, he dreamed about what to do.

The thing about counsel is, its worthless unless you follow it. You can listen to it, dream about it, and think about it all you want, but nothing in your life will change until you do something with it. So many times, we get good, godly advice, but we are afraid to act on it. People who are like that are like those who admired the Brooklyn Bridge when it was built. They stood on the edge and admired it, but were afraid to walk across it. It wasn’t until P. T. Barnum walked his elephants across it.

God’s Word, like the Brooklyn Bridge, is strong and can be trusted to handle whatever you’re going through. Listen to the advice and counsel that comes from Him. Put it deep in your heart so that it becomes a part of you. Trust your heart too. God has given us the Holy Spirit to help us discern what is right. It’s not a sign of weakness to need or to get counsel. It shows strength to admit you don’t know everything. Just make sure the people you’re getting it from know God’s Word.

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April 5, 2016 · 5:30 AM

Go Without Going

  
When I read Mark 16:15 where Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, (NLT)” I get excited and want to grab my passport. I want to spin a globe, put my finger on it, and go immerse myself in that culture so I can be the hands and feet of Jesus. To many of you reading this, that is the scariest thought you could ever have. You have no desire to leave home, and that’s ok.

So many think that the only way to fulfill the Great Commission is to leave home and to go. I believe there are at least two other ways you can “go”. One way is to send your prayers for those who are around the world winning the lost to Christ. Having lived over seas in a missions capacity, I can honestly tell you that you can feel the prayers. You know at that moment that someone is praying for you. Those people who pray will inherit a reward for those souls as well.

Another way you can go without going is to give to those who go. It costs more than you think to be in full time missions. Beyond housing and living expenses, they have to create and print literature, deliver it or mail it, visit various parts of the country, and so many more things that require money. If you can’t or won’t go, give to those who will and are. You will reap where they reap.

In I Samuel 30, David and his men were chasing an army that kidnapped their families and burned down their town. A couple of days into the journey, about 200 men decided they couldn’t go any further. The rest caught the other army, fought them, and recovered everything and more. When they got back to the 200, they didn’t want to share. David said in verse 24, “We share and share alike – those who go to battle and those who guard the equipment.” He set the precedent that all of us involved, in whichever way we can, will receive the reward. 

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April 4, 2016 · 5:30 AM

Before You Start

  
I, like you, have a pretty busy day and week ahead of me. From the moment I woke up I started thinking of all the things I need to do to accomplish everything today. My mind races to find solutions to scheduling conflicts, deadlines, and how to be in two places at once. I’ve got a to-do list a mile long and a very short time to accomplish it. With all of that happening, do I have time for God?

It’s tough not to put God on a back burner on busy days. He’s the easiest one to “reschedule”, but He’s the last one I need to reschedule. “He’ll understand”, I reason in my mind. “I’ll read my Bible and pray later,” I tell myself. The truth is that I won’t have the time later either. If I don’t make Him a priority right now, I won’t make Him one later. If I don’t slow down now and take time to reflect on Him and His Word, I won’t do it.

God told David in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” David was a king and I’m sure he had a lot on his plate too. He would cry out to God in times of need and celebration. He would throw those 911 prayers up to Heaven like you and I often do. “God, I have a lot to do today. Help me to get it all done”, is what we pray. God wants more than that. He wants us to stop, take a moment and spend some time with Him.

In the world we live in, it’s easy to mix up the temporary with the eternal. It’s easy to reverse their importance. Today, stop, breathe, meditate on His Word, and thank Him. Rest in His arms before you do anything else. Give Him more than a 911 prayer and truly thank Him for another day of life. Thank Him that you even have things on your schedule. Know that He is God and really that’s what matters more than anything else I’ll accomplish today.

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