Believe God

Youth Devotional

January 3: Believe God

 

Reading:

Genesis 3:1–6 (NKJV) ¹ Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” ² And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; ³ but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” ⁴ Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. ⁵ For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

Reflection:

In this passage of Scripture we learn that the first man and woman listened to the lie of Satan rather than the truth of God. Satan suggested that God had set up rules not to protect them from pain, but to keep them from pleasure. Eve convinced herself that there were some benefits in disobeying God. The food tasted good, the food looked good, and the food would help her gain knowledge that she did not have. All of that was true, but not completely true. Although sin can be pleasurable it is not completely pleasurable. The consequences of her decision would lead her to also receive the pain of the judgment of God for her sin, the pain of guilt for disobeying God, and the pain of the shame she would feel in not obeying God.

You cannot disobey God and expect to receive the blessings of God. Sin leads to pain that is greater than the temporary pleasure it yields. When someone disobeys God they also like Eve influence others to disobey God making things worse for everyone. Sin has a way of multiplying. Satan never tells the whole truth. God always tells the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

 

Response:

1.      How did Satan convince Eve to disobey God?

 

 

2.      Why should you always believe God?

True Devotion

Youth Devotional

January 2: True Devotion

 

Reading:

Acts 2:42 (NKJV) And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Reflection:

It is important to eat the right kinds of foods and drink plenty of fluids to stay physically healthy. You can eat “junk” food from time to time, but if you neglect a healthy diet including eating your fruits and vegetables your physical body will suffer.

There are four things that marked the spiritual health of the early church and are important for our spiritual growth. They were devoted to the Word of God, the Fellowship with other believers, Worship of God, and Prayer. These four commitments can help you grow spiritually as well. The apostle’s doctrine has now been written down for us in the Bible. Fellowship with other believers is available to us every week as we worship Christ together. The “breaking of bread” was a way they described receiving what we call the Lord’s Supper. This symbolic event is practiced by the church to remember all that Jesus has done for us in providing payment of our sin and providing a righteous life to earn our righteous standing before God. Reading and hearing God’s Word is listening to Him. Praying is simply our way to speak to God. Prayer is an important part of spiritual health both privately and publically.

 

 

Response:

1.      What are four essential things for your spiritual growth?

 

 

 

2.      What can you do to make sure you grow spiritually?

 

Youth Devotional:

Made in the Image of God

Reading:

 Genesis 1:26 (NKJV) Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

 Reflection:

Mankind was created by God like every other creature and created thing, but he was not created in the same way and was not given the same purpose. All of mankind, both men and women, are made in God’s image. Being made in the image of God speaks of the fact that mankind has some characteristics that directly reflect the nature of God more than any other creature. For example, man intelligence, hope, mercy, love, kindness, and he knows right from wrong.

Since mankind was created in the image of God, then we also bear a responsibility greater than that of any other creature on earth. Our passage of Scripture explains that God gave man “dominion” over every other created animal. This dominion is includes the responsibility to care for other creatures, but also manage their use. God created the Earth to display His glory and He created mankind to show His glory in the care and control of these resources. So from the beginning we learn that we are stewards of God’s resources and should use them to glorify His name.

1 Corinthians 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

 Response:

1. What is the main way that humans are different than all other creatures?



2. What does it mean to be made in God’s image?

Illuminated by the Spirit

Below is a sample from one of my favorite devotionals. One of the benefits of the electronic media is that you can now have free access to a wealth of material. Some of that information is really beneficial. For years I have purchased and read various devotional books. It is helpful to get a positive theological thought for the day from a trusted source. For the last couple of years I have received those devotionals electronically in my email inbox daily.

Drawing Near can be viewed at http://www.gty.org/Resources/Devotionals and they also give you an opportunity to enroll in their email list. In addition, the entire resource can also be viewed on Google Books http://books.google.com/books?id=COaJ90FJQt8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=drawing+near&hl=en&ei=tPVCTNm_M4T58Ab4l6HkDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

"That you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Pet. 2:9).

In the natural realm, darkness can be a debilitating and frightening thing. The story is told of a missionary who was on board ship one dark night when suddenly he was awakened by the frantic cry of "Man overboard!" Immediately he arose from his bunk, grabbed the portable lamp from its bracket, and held it at the window of his cabin.

He couldn't see anything, but the next morning he was told that the flash of his lamp through the porthole emitted just enough light to enable those on deck to see the missing man clinging to a rope. They rescued him seconds before his strength would have given out. The light had shone just in time to save the man's life.

In the spiritual realm, darkness is even more devastating because it represents sin with all its disastrous consequences. First John 1:5-6 says, "God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth."

Unbelievers are characterized as children of darkness. They are enslaved to Satan, the prince of darkness, who blinds their minds so they don't see the light of Christ's glorious gospel (2 Cor. 4:4). They love darkness and reject light because they don't want their evil deeds to be exposed (John 3:19-20).

Christians, however, have been called out of darkness into God's marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). That refers to God's taking the initiative to save us. As an unredeemed sinner, you could never have turned from darkness on your own because you had neither the ability nor the desire to do so. God had to grant you saving grace and the illumination of His Spirit so you could recognize truth and respond accordingly.

That blessed privilege is known only to Christians. What a joy--not only to recognize God's truth, but also to walk in it daily!

Suggestions for Prayer:

Thank God for illuminating your mind and enabling you to see spiritual truth. Pray diligently for others to be so illuminated.

Living Righteously

" And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." (Romans 13:11-14, NKJV)

The apostle Paul concludes his admonition to submit to governmental authorities and to treat your neighbors with love by giving both the motivation and the means to accomplish this task. Notice the motivation is that “salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” The salvation he is referring to is the final culmination of salvation which is living in the eternal state with God as a sinless glorified being. When fighting temptation, remember through Christ the battle is already won. Christ will return very soon and you will enjoy the fullness of salvation. Jesus said, "“Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”" (Revelation 22:7, NKJV). Jesus is coming soon!

In Romans 13 Paul also gives the means to accomplish to accomplish this task. Notice two things in verse 14, 1) Put on Christ and 2) Make no provision for the flesh. To put on Christ is to practice a daily renewal of your mind. "…be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:23-24, NKJV). Making no provision for the flesh is to not allow sinful thoughts to linger in your mind. "But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death." (James 1:14-15, NKJV)

Lord by your grace may we truly live in expectancy of your return.

" He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20, NKJV)

Regarding Iniquity

"If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear." (Psalm 66:18, NKJV)

Perhaps one of the reasons we do not see more answers to prayer is that prayers are often made without a consideration of our personal righteousness. For example, we may be praying for God to help us in a particular area and yet we still harbor bitterness towards someone that hurt us. At the conclusion to the model prayer Jesus said, "“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:14-15, NKJV). Daily confession of sin (1 John 1:9) should be accompanied by unconditional forgiveness to those who have harmed us if we expect that sin to be forgiven by God.

Even personal conflicts that do not have a clear offending party need to be dealt with appropriately if we expect to be in communion with God. In His sermon on the mount Jesus admonished, "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift." (Matthew 5:23-24, NKJV) If this principle was practiced on a regular basis we would either have empty churches or churches full of worshiping folks empty of hypocrisy.

Fortunately most people I know that are submissive to the Word of God and responsive to the conviction of the Holy Spirit are quick to forgive and fast to repair broken relationships. Yet there is still a third area in which we can be guilty of harboring iniquity. It is hard to see our own faults. Sometimes we are not consciously aware of our sinfulness. David prayed, "Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:12-14, NKJV)

Oh Lord search my heart today.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24, NKJV)

The Source of Faith

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17, NKJV)

 

I appreciate the fact that a number of television and radio commentators respect Christians who place their faith in Christ. Generally they acknowledge that someone has a right to their belief system and seldom will challenge any particular ideology. It is usually said that faith is a personal decision based on the life experiences of the individual. Scripture contradicts that notion.

True Faith is not derived from the mind of man, but is a supernatural revelation of God. Moving from unbelief to belief is not simply a matter of weighing the evidence or considering all the facts. The weight of the evidence is clearly on the side of Christianity (Heb. 11:1). People do not see the significance of Christ because they are spiritually blinded to the truth. Paul reminds us that"… the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them." (2 Corinthians 4:4, NKJV)

So how do people go from unbelief to belief? Paul continues, "For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:5-6, NKJV)

God has chosen the foolishness of preaching to convict and convince people of the truth of the gospel and the reality of Christ (1 Cor. 1:21). So the challenge for those who believe the Gospel is to trust the power of the Gospel and to proclaim its truth with gentle dogmatism. Because "…faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17, NKJV)

 

Oh, Lord grant us faith to believe in the life changing power of your truth.

Denying Ungodliness

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.  Titus 2:11-14 (NKJV)

Although Christians desire to live godly lives too often their behavior betrays their belief. Even the Apostle Paul admitted to struggling with living a righteous life. He stated in Romans 7:18-19 "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice." The distinction that Paul made in Romans was that even after a person is made new in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) he still may struggle with what theologians call remaining sin (Rom. 5:20). Remaining sin is that part of unredeemed humanity referred to as the flesh that remains till death (Rom. 6:6). In Christ the believer is given the ability to overcome the weight of sin.

In Titus 2:11-14 Paul points to the key to living a godly life. It is the grace of God. It is God’s grace (unmerited favor) that grants salvation, and salvation does more than enable someone to enjoy the hereafter. God’s grace is powerful enough for the Christian to live a powerful godly life in this present age. The writer of Hebrews admonished us to “… come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16, NKJV) Those who desire to live godly must develop a thirst for His grace and serve Him with the strength He provides (1 Peter 4:11).

John Newton captured this concept well and shared it with us in the third verse to Amazing Grace.

Through many dangers, toils and snares we have already come.

 T’was Grace that brought us safe thus far and Grace will lead us home.

Oh Father cause us to rely on your Grace now and forever more. Amen

Don't forget to check with headquarters!

Joshua 9:3-4a But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors.

This morning I was reading through Joshua in daily Bible reading. This passage has always been interesting for a number of reasons. God had told the children of Israel to conquer the land and eliminate the people who lived in the land which would become Israel. The people who lived in the land would receive judgment from God through the people of Israel.

All things were going according to plan, when the inhabitants of Gibeon came up with an ingenious plan to foil the exploits of Israel. Gibeon who was really in a nearby community pretended to be people from a distant land. The text says that they purposely disguised themselves and their provisions in order to request a peace compact between them and Israel. The plan worked and Israel was prevented by covenant to destroy this people.

The ultimate reason why Israel was fooled is because they forgot to consult God. Joshua 9:14 “Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the Lord.”

You may be facing a difficult situation or something may confront you directly that you did not expect. Regardless of the circumstance be sure to check with headquarters before making a decision that can have a lasting impact on you and your family.

God will hear from you 24/7 through prayer.

God will speak to you 24/7 through His Word.

Worthy Worship

Every morning of my life I spend with God in prayer and Bible reading and personal worship. There are times when I am impacted by this personal encounter with God more than other times. I wish every time I addressed God in prayer or heard from Him through reading His Word were so great that it would impact me for days. Perhaps due to my remaining sinfulness I am not always privileged to have such an impactful experience. So when private time with God is a moving experience it is even a more joyous occasion. Such an occasion happened today.

This morning was spent with God in His Word, with Him in prayer, and with Him in song. I usually do not engage in song during my private times with God. This morning was different. After clearly seeing a vision of Christ through His Word, I felt like singing praises to His name. Kory Welch’s rendition of “All Creatures of Our God and King” helped me voice my response to God in praise. I am not sure how many times that song looped on my IPod, but my heart was transfixed on the glory of Christ as I pondered the Scripture’s portrayal of glory. My praise was brought to Him in prayerful words sung back to Him as I loosely followed a glorious melody of a great hymn.

My prayer for you is that you would taste and see that the Lord is good! Give yourself a regular opportunity to personally worship God. You know, God might even show up to meet you!

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" (Psalm 34:8, NKJV)

"And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord," (Ephesians 5:18-19, NKJV)

Pray Always Again

Last Wednesday I closed our evening prayer service with a challenge to pray on a more frequent basis. We should set aside specific times of prayer on a regular basis, but I was calling for us to live in a conscience state of prayer. Practically this means to pray before, after and even during all activities of life. For example, before you turn on the television pray, as the program continues pray, and when the program concludes pray.

The prayer may be like this, “Lord thank you for television.” Or, “lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil.” The prayer may be, “You are an awesome God, this glorious world is just a shadow of your glory.”

The point of the matter is to incorporate prayer as a regular part of your life. There are a number of practical benefits to living life in constant prayer. Below are a few of the benefits that immediately thought of, and I am sure you could add more.

1. Obey God’s command to pray always (1 Thess. 5:17)

2. Protects you from sinful activity (Matt. 6:13)

3. Creates an awareness of God (Heb. 11:6)

4. Allows you to be thankful (1 Thess. 5:18)

5. Minimizes selfishness (Phil 2:3)

6. Helps to prioritize activities (Eph. 5:16)

7. Reminds you that all things should be done for God’s glory (1 Cor. 10:31)

"praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—" (Ephesians 6:18, NKJV)

Shalom

I just sent an electronic card to a friend of mine. One of the great things about communicating electronically is that you can send cards and letters at the spur of the moment or when you are thinking about someone or a particular situation.

A good friend of mine is dealing with job pressures so I sent him an e-mail of encouragement. In the card I referenced John 14:27 where Jesus said:

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

This is one of those passages that we know is true, yet we have trouble believing. No not trouble believing it to be true in our intellect but rather our in our emotions. In John 14 Jesus was preparing His disciples for life without His direct physical presence. Instead Jesus confirmed to His disciples that He would ensure that they would be directly comforted by the presence of the Holy Spirit.

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." (John 14:16-17, NKJV)

The difficulties that you are experiencing may be very troubling. Jesus has promised to provide peace to His disciples. If you are not experiencing peace in the midst of whatever storm you have to endure at this time I encourage you to call on God and pray that He will enable you to see the sunshine of His smiling face through the storms of providence.

Slow to Anger

Proverbs 19:11 The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression.

This text is one those that is easier to look at than live. There are a number of things to get angry about and perhaps have a good reason. The kids just broke your favorite keepsake or a person cut you off in traffic or any of a number of myriad of events that just get under your skin. Every day there is something that seems to cause you to be angry.
Developing a genuine and increasing love for people and for God will help us to curtail our anger towards others.

"And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”" (1 Peter 4:8, NKJV)

In God We Trust

Proverbs 21:1 (NKJV) The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.

This presidential election seems to be shaping up to be interesting event. At this point it is hard to tell who will come out on top. Some may get a bit discouraged because their favorite candidate is no longer in the running. Or others may feel despondent because they do not see any of the potential nominees as viable.

Regardless of the outcome God is still in control. In the end even if our favorite choice made it all the way to the oval office we certainly would find ourselves disappointed by some of the decisions that are made.

Our currency still retains an excellent motto that reminds us of who is ultimately in charge.

In God We Trust

Anxiety

"“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew 6:25-34, NKJV)

One of the things our church has done to facilitate our growth in Christ is to select a meditation/memory verse. You may notice on the main page to our web site that we list the precious stone of the month. We use a gemstone merely as a memory cue of what is truly valuable, namely God’s Word.

This month we are focusing on Matthew 6:33. In this verse Jesus tells us to make God’s kingdom a priority and then everything will take care of itself. This verse is easier preached than practice. There are so many things in this life that grab our attention. For most everyone challenges often arise that cause us to doubt the goodness of God. We may lose a job and be in a difficult financial position. Perhaps we are struggling in our personal relationships with friends or family. Perhaps we fear that all our best made plans and dreams will never come true.

Jesus’ word to the anxious soul then and now is to seek the kingdom of God first. Perhaps one of the reasons we may be going through a particular difficulty is to cause us to depend less on ourselves and trust more in God. God takes care of the flowers and the birds which are not made in the image of God. How much more will He care for you who are made in His image. How much more will He care for you who have been adopted into His family through the person of Christ. Lift your head up, seek the kingdom of God first today and your anxiety will be a forgotten memory.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;" (Philippians 4:6, NKJV)

Behold the Lamb

"And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission." (Hebrews 9:22, NKJV)

Could you imagine what going to the Temple would have been like for those folks in the Old Testament? No doubt that the scene would not be the clean pristine center of worship that we imagine, but a nasty and bloody affair that would have been difficult to stomach.
I think that one of the purposes of the animal sacrifice was to be disgusted. Those people who witnessed the slaughter of innocent animals not for food but for sacrifice recognized that it was because of their sin that this tragedy occurred. Can you imagine being a parent that had to explain to your children why the beautiful innocent lamb must be savagely sacrificed in front of their eyes? Surely the children protested, “Don’t kill him!”

Sin is awful. Sin is nasty and disgusting. We have a way of masking the consequences of sin, but its ugliness shows itself from time to time on our television sets and far too often in the tone of our conversation.

Our sinful acts are the very things which caused the ugliest bitter sweet sacrifice of all time.
"knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." (1 Peter 1:18-19, NKJV)

Salvation is free because someone paid the price.

Our Father

"In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." (Matthew 6:9-13, NKJV)

On Wednesday evenings we are continuing in our study on prayer. For the next couple of weeks we will review the pattern of prayer as outlined in the model prayer. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray in Luke 11, Jesus gave them this model prayer also found here in Matthew.

The point of this prayer is not to memorize and recite it, but to use it as a guideline when we pray. It is important to pay attention to the particular attention the elements of this prayer. In this prayer you will find three essential elements to prayer.

· Praise to God
· Penitence of sin
· Petition of God

Praise to God begins with the statement “Our Father hallowed be your name.” Penitence can be found in the request to for forgiveness, “forgive us our debts.” Petition of God can be found in a number of statements including, “give us” and “deliver us.”

This prayer opens with the statement “Our Father.” God is the father of all mankind in that He created everyone (Malachi 2:10). Due to the fall of man God’s sons are condemned (John 8:44) and are now in a sense sons of the Devil. By His grace God has redeemed some and thus they are His chosen sons (John 1:12-13)

If you are one of God’s redeemed and thus chosen sons you can pray every day to God who is truly your Father. As His son you have a unique relationship with God as your father who is perfectly attentive and will listen and answer your prayers according to His will and wisdom which is always good.

Not only is God your father but He is also our father. The “our” mentioned reminds us that as we pray we pray as a community of faith. We are a people of God truly brothers and sisters in Christ whose unique relationship will endure forever.

I encourage you to consider the model prayer this week as a guideline for meaningful prayer.

Peace from Above

" A Psalm of David. Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones, Give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. The voice of the Lord is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The Lord is over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; The voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars, Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes them also skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth, And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!” The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood, And the Lord sits as King forever. The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace." (Psalm 29, NKJV)

This life is often full of tumult and difficult circumstances. We try to find peace in troubled times by looking to things that are around us such as entertainment, food, friends, and family. All of those can be good things but they are not those things which will bring full satisfaction. Things in our immediate surrounding are only meant to be shadows that point to a far more significant source. Instead of looking around us for comfort we should look upward. Focusing on the glorious nature of God will bring our minds more in alignment with the true reality of the universe. This harmonious relationship between God and man is the peace our soul longs for.

"You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You." (Isaiah 26:3, NKJV)

Why have You forsaken me?

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?" (Psalm 22:1, NKJV)

Have you ever felt forsaken by God and alone? Well you are not alone in that thought. In the 22nd Psalm David continues for the next twenty verses pouring out his heart as he feels abandoned by God.

There are times when everything has gone wrong and it seems like God is no longer interested in your well being. This Psalm was quoted fifteen times in the New Testament in reference to Christ’s treatment. In his humanity Jesus cried out “My God My God why have you abandoned me?” (Matt 27:46).

Sometimes we rightly feel abandoned due to the direct consequences of our sin. Other times we may feel abandoned because we live in a cursed earth and are affected indirectly by the circumstances of sin. In either case the solution is to look to God for deliverance.

In verse 22 David declares the answer to his dilemma, "I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You." (Psalm 22:22, NKJV)
Praise is an essential part of prayer to God because it allows us to see the circumstances and the consequences in this life in direct relationship to a good and gracious God who is always in control.

"Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God." (Psalm 42:11, NKJV)

Join us Wednesday evening for our prayer time at LABC and praise God with our community of faith. We will be continuing in our series Growing in Grace. The focus this week is on the elements of prayer.

Salty Christians

"“Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?" (Luke 14:34, NKJV)

In this passage Jesus calls His disciples to consider their effectiveness. The analogy of salt is straightforward. If salt loses its saltiness then it cannot used for its intended purpose. Likewise if a Christian loses their Christ likeness then they have no more effective value.

Becoming increasingly effective as a Christian begins first with becoming a Christian. That is a supernatural experience by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). From our perspective Christ becomes our highest treasure and thus we call on His name. "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10, NKJV). Just as salt must have the right chemical properties of salt to be effective so a person must genuinely be a child of Christ to be an effective Christian.

Around the Dead Sea region in Palestine the salt there is often contaminated and thus can lose its effectiveness. Likewise a genuine Christian may lose their effectiveness because of impurities or sin. Refining our character is not a matter of will power it is Word power. Jesus said "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." (John 17:17, NKJV).

The secret to becoming more like Jesus is by beholding His glory.

"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18, NKJV)