SET APART BY GRACE

By looking at you, can anyone tell that you are a follower of Christ? Is it evident by the company you keep? Your actions? What you eat? What you wear? How you talk? The way that you walk? Or are you a chameleon that blends in with the world around you? What makes you so different?
As disciples, we must first remember that Christ makes us different. We are set apart and united with a destiny that was promised to Abraham many generations ago…“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you…and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12: 2-3 NIV).  And Christ is that promise realized, so to be witnesses of Christ's Grace is a responsibility that we must not take lightly.  God is not playing, so why do we?
Some of us may find ourselves falling into worldly patterns, making decisions and doing things that are not reflective of our faith. How we vote in an election, the extra change we received that we should have given back, the television shows we love…all may be things that do not set us apart as God's chosen.
But we must remember that we have been blessed, and that blessing has put us in opposition to the world and things of the world. Spiritual warfare is a real and serious matter that we often overlook as only a small part of our walk. But it is the walk; we are soldiers fighting in a battle that has been ongoing since before the fall of Adam! So we must gather our gear and walk proudly in our faith because the enemy of God is busy having his way in this world. So as Christ's disciples we must show the world that God is busy too! Let us don the Full Armor of God and be recognized for whose we are!

Prayer: Father God please watch over us as we stand and fight in Your name. Protect us as we speak out against injustices in our homes, communities, and governments. Go with us as we spread Your word of love to people without any. Let Your hand be upon each of us as we do Your will in our lives and that what we do is a reflection of Your true nature. In Jesus’ name we pray! Amen!

Read more about God’s protection for believers in Ephesians 6:10-20

THE ULTIMATE PROVIDER

Times are hard, and some of us are struggling to make it on a day to day basis. Companies are closing their doors, houses are in foreclosure, and making ends meet is next to impossible for some. Prices continue to go up; but the salary remains the same if you are blessed enough to have a job in this economy. Unemployment remains constant and there is little hope in the government to fix it. We have troubled hearts and minds, and we often look to the world to offer some relief.  Though we each suffer through our own circumstances and have our own individual needs that we want God to rectify, are we faithful enough and obedient enough to allow His will to be done?  We look to God to be faithful so we call out “Jehovah-jireh,” expecting God to provide. But are we doing everything that God has asked of us? God is willing and able to provide for each of us, but we must be mindful of the part we must play.

But we can forget about the fairy dust being sprinkled on our circumstances; God’s provision does not work that way. There is a relationship that must exist, one that is built on love, faith, trust and obedience. God has the means to provide our every need. There are a million ways He can provide for us that we cannot begin to fathom (see Ephesians3:20).  Our job is to love Him, have faith in Him, trust Him, and obey His commands. We must learn to put God first in all things, and God will bless our efforts.

Consider Abraham, he shows what it means to put God first. Abraham loved God, and he trusted Him enough that he willingly turned over his only son Isaac, expecting God to make a way (see Genesis 22:8-11). He was so confident of God’s provision, that he told his servants to wait for his and Isaac’s return (see Genesis 22:5). Abraham stepped out on faith, was obedient to God’s instruction and he trusted that God would provide a lamb for the sacrifice. Even if it meant that Isaac would be the offering; he trusted God enough to sacrifice what was already promised him (see Genesis 13:15-16).

Yes God loves us, yes He wants to provide for us; but it takes something on our part as well. We must trust in Him, lean on Him, obey His commands and allow Him to work it out through us. We must put God first, even in the face of losing what we hold dear to our hearts. It may be the eleventh hour, but we must count on God to see us through, and provide for us as only he can! 

Prayer: Father God, thank you for the blessings and provision that you continually give us. Please forgive us for our disobedience when you have called upon us to move. Help us to be more faithful in our walk with you and let Abraham’s offering of Isaac be an example to us all as we seek your provision; for his testimony is the ultimate lesson in faith. Oh God, we love you and exalt your holy name! We stand in awe of your holiness and perfection. Continue to lead and guide us as we seek your face in all things, and it is in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 NIV
Read Genesis 22:1-18 to understand what it means to trust in God’s ability to provide.

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!

 

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:13-16

 

13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:13-14

God and His Word made it simple for us to come to Him with our requests. Employ the following approach and let the Holy Spirit guide you along the way…

• Always give thanks
• Ask for guidance and healing
• Confess all sins and repent
• Offer up praise
• Pray God’s Word back to Him
• Ask in the name of Jesus
• Believe that He hears
• Be ready to respond accordingly

SINGLE & SAVED, BUT SATISFIED?

We are living in the 21^st century, a time when every carnal desire can be fulfilled if there is a willingness to seek it out. Pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry, people jump in and out of bed and relationships with each other without a second thought; and marriage is put on a pretty platter like a decadent dessert enticing us with the promise of deliciousness, but lacking the truth of the weight it holds. Not to mention the lure women have on men with overexposure of their girly parts and men’s willingness to lead women into the ways of unrighteousness. The world wants us to believe that satisfaction can only be found through sex and excess. So how can anyone be single, saved and satisfied amidst all of this?

Remember Paul. He set the standard for living single, saved, and yes…satisfied (see 1 Corinthians 7:7). He did so by being of service to the Kingdom of God! He preached the word of God to all who would listen; he planted churches, he mentored those that would come after him, and he wrote most of what would become the New Testament. He was busy doing His Father’s business. Paul set a standard for all of us to admire, especially for those of us that are single.

It sounds simple enough, right? Of course Paul did not live in this century! He was not faced with the enticement that singles face today. Sex sells and it is everywhere we look; we are tempted by the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of carnality. Commercials use sex to sell potato chips, beverages, appliances and anything else. Turn on the radio and we hear about sexual enhancement remedies; go to work and we hear the latest sexcapades from co-workers. Turn on the computer and a pop-up ad leads to a pornography site. Sadly enough even children are exposed to the pressures of sexuality at an early age. But fortunately God is bigger than our temptations; and He is our refuge (see 1Corinthians 10:13).

But if the temptation is still too much to bear, Paul suggests marriage as an alternative (see 1 Corinthians 7:9).  The Bible does not say it is better to live together and pretend to be married, it does not say it is better to ‘get some’ just this one time; and it does not say that it is better to take matters into our own hands. Paul is specific about this…it is better to marry than to burn with passion. He did not say to rush out and get married either. The purpose we have as single people in the Body of Christ is to remain steadfast in our service, be prayerful, feed on the Word of God and establish an ongoing relationship with the Father. There is plenty to keep us busy as He prepares us to be married; if it is in His will to do so. We must remember that as followers of Christ, our bodies are temples that should not be defiled by carnal desires (see 1 Corinthians 6:18). The Bible says that our bodies are not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord! Marriage is the only place that God honors sex (see Hebrews 13:4).

There is so much pressure put on singles to be married, in a relationship, or to participate in some type of sexual activity that it is no wonder so many are left unsatisfied and longing for something more. Singleness is often equated with loneliness or being alone, as if satisfaction cannot be found without a mate. We must ignore the standard for living that is set by worldly people, and embrace the standards set by God. He said that He would never leave nor forsake us, so that lets us know that we are not alone. Being single is not a death sentence and it does not mean that life is unfulfilling; the fulfillment we seek can only be given by God and He is eager to be there for us in our weakness (see Isaiah 41:10).  Being single is a blessing for those willing to serve and spend time in the presence of God without interference. Besides, if we need someone to love, to spend time with, to talk to and embrace; there is someone worthy of meeting…His name is Jesus and guess what? He is single too!

Prayer: Father God we call upon you asking that you would keep us in the midst of the pressures we are facing. Temptation is all around us, enticing us, tricking us, and causing us to move outside of your will. Lord, please forgive us for falling short and failing you. Remind us that our bodies are temples and we were bought with a price, the blood of Christ Jesus. Help us to be satisfied in our service so that it does not matter that we are single. Draw us nearer to you so that your love can flow through us and make us whole. You are worthy of all the praise and honor, because you are the ultimate mate for each and every one of us. Your unfailing love and devotion is deeper than anything that mere mortals can provide. We pray these and so many other blessings in Jesus’ name, Amen!

Read 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 & 7:6-9, 25-40 to be clear about the expectations of being single in the Body of Christ.

ENDEAVOR TO ENDURE part 3

Timing is Everything! We use this phrase because it is appropriate for many facets of our daily lives. It works for that parking space that opened up just as we turn the corner, the thunderstorm we avoid because we spent an extra few minutes at work, or when we discover a lump before it becomes cancerous. However, being at the right place and at the right time is something that we maintain little control over, especially when we are chasing our dreams and we acknowledge that God has a purpose for our lives.
We know what we want; we eat, pray, sleep, think, play, dream, plan and hustle toward our goals every day. We wait on that tipping point that will put us at the forefront of our dreams coming true.  The wait can be overwhelming, because within that wait is redirection, rejection, and failure. We become anxious and begin to forge our own outcomes, which could lead to unforeseen consequences.
Consider Abraham and Sarah; God promised Abraham that he would father nations (see Genesis 12:1-3, 15:2-5). Instead of waiting on God, Sarah formed her own plan which resulted in Abraham fathering Ishmael with her maidservant Hagar (see Genesis 16:1-4). God ultimately came through on His promise and Isaac was born to Sarah and Abraham (see Genesis 21:1-5); but the result of their decision to help God continues to play out on newsreels today. What we learn is that God’s timing is what matters most while we wait on our miracle to happen.
When we know God, accept His will for our lives, listen to His guidance, and move when He says so, then we can readily wait on His timing. We must remember that God is in control, He knows what is best in all things, even when we mess up (see Isaiah 40:30-31). Our timing is flawed but the Bible teaches us to trust God’s perfect timing (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). If God has set us on the path, He will continue to light the way . God has equipped us to endure all things, so when His time is right, nothing can stand in the way!

Prayer: Thank you Father God for your abundant blessings, even for those we have not received yet. We praise you for knowing what is best for us and when we are able to handle it. Let each of us move forward in the race that you have set before us and finish in a manner that is pleasing to you. Forgive us for trying to regulate your timing, and please let your will be done in each of our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Read for Ecclesiastes 3 for further insight.