| Archive - February 2007 Love in ActionPosted Feb-28-07 06:21:31 PST Elijah was a man, just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for 3 1/2 years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth, and someone should bring him back, remember this: whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
James 5:17-20
The book of James emphasizes faith in action. Right living is the evidence and result of faith. The church must serve with compassion, speak lovingly and truthfully, live in obedience to God's Word, and love one another. The body of believers ought to be an example of heaven on earth, drawing people to Christ through love for God and each other. If we truly believe God's Word, we will live it day by day. God's word is not merely something we read or think about, but something we do. Believe, faith, and trust must have hands and feet - ours! The only way a difference will be made here on earth in our decrepit society is by becoming one body through Christ, which is the church. The church needs to come together as never before in order to do God's will. Don't you think that it is long enough we have sat on the sidelines in the name of political correctness? We are so careful not to offend anyone, or to push our religion onto another. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, but by me." He didn't say, "Don't offend anyone. Be nice. Be careful of other people's feelings. Show tolerance." Indeed, "They will hate you because of Me." It seems to me that we are playing by the world's rules. Let's see what God will do once we begin playing by His.
Share you faith today like you mean it,
God Bless you,
J.H. Prayer WorksPosted Feb-26-07 06:06:18 PST Is anyone of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil, in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
James 5:13-16
The Christian's most powerful resource is communion with God through prayer. The results are often greater than we thought were possible. Some people see prayer as a last resort to be tried when all else fails. This approach is backward. Prayer should come first. Because God's power is infinitely greater than ours, it only makes sense to rely on it - especially because God encourages us to do so.
God Bless you,
J.H. Bless One AnotherPosted Feb-24-07 07:59:22 PST "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him the 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."
Matthew 7:9-12
The child in Jesus' example, asked his father for bread and fish - good and necessary items to sustain life. If the child asked for a poisonous snake, would the wise father have granted his request? Sometimes God knows we are praying for "snakes" and does not give us what we asked for, even though we persist in our prayers. As we learn to know God better as a loving Father, we learn to ask for what is good for us, and then He grants it. Christ is showing us the heart of God the Father. God is not selfish, begrudging, or stingy, and we don't have to beg or grovel, as we come to Him with our requests. He is a loving Father who understands, cares, and comforts us. If humans can be kind, imagine how kind God, the Creator of kindness, can be. Verse 12 states what is commonly known as the Golden Rule. In many religions it is stated negatively: "Don't do to others what you don't want done to you." By stating it positively, Jesus made it more significant. It is not very hard to refrain from harming others; but it is much more difficult to take the initiative in doing something good for them. The Golden Rule as Jesus formulated it is the foundation of active goodness and mercy - the kind of love God shows to us every day. That is the kind of love that we are to learn and to share with one another. That is the foundation of the church.
God bless you,
J.H. The PowerPosted Feb-23-07 06:09:31 PST When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. "By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through Him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see."
Acts 3:10,16
In his excitement, the formerly crippled man began to jump and walk around, praising God! And by seeing this, others were also awed by God's power. Do not forget to thank people who help you, but also remember to praise God for his care and protection. Jesus received the glory for the healing of the crippled man, not the apostles. In those days, a man's name represented his character; it stood for his authority and power. By using Jesus' name, Peter showed who gave him the authority and power to heal. The apostles did not emphasize what they could do, but what God could do through them. Jesus' name is not to be used as a type of magic - it must be used in faith, and faith alone. When we pray in Jesus' name, we must remember that it is Christ himself, not merely the sound of His name, who gives our prayers their power.
God Bless you,
J.H. Let GoPosted Feb-22-07 06:05:48 PST But My people would not listen to Me; Israel would not submit to Me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. If My people would but listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways, how quickly I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes!
Psalm 81:11-14
God let the Israelites go on, blindly, stubbornly, and selfishly, when they should have been obeying and pursuing God's desires. In the same way, God lets us continue in our stubbornness to bring us to our senses. He does not keep us from rebelling, because He wants us to learn the consequences of our actions. He uses these experiences to turn us away from greater sin to faith in Him. God has promised through His Son, Jesus, that if we would only believe, we will be more like Him: humble, meek, giving, kind, compassionate, with courage and strength. If we would but acknowledge Him and believe. That is all that it takes. Let go and let God today.
God Bless you,
J.H. PrayPosted Feb-21-07 05:57:34 PST Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
Jeremiah 33:3
God assured Jeremiah that he had only to call to God and God would answer. God is ready to answer our prayers, but we must ask for His assistance. Surely, God could take care of our needs without our asking. But when we ask, we are acknowledging that He alone is God and that we cannot accomplish in our own strength all that is His domain to do. When we ask, we must humble ourselves, lay aside our willfulness, and worry, and determine to obey Him. The world is yet to see it in full, what God is willing to do in response to prevailing prayer. "With God, all things are possible."
God Bless you,
J.H. It Is GoodPosted Feb-20-07 06:00:53 PST It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre, and the melody of the harp. For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord; I sing for joy at the work of your hands. How great are your works, O Lord, how profound your thoughts!
Psalm 92:1-5
During the Thanksgiving holiday, we focus on our blessings and express our gratitude to God for them. But thanks should be on our lips every day. We can never say thank you enough to parents, friends, and especially to God. When Thanksgiving becomes an integral part of your life, you will find that your attitude toward life will change. You will become more positive, gracious, loving, and humble. Be as anxious to praise him as you are to petition him. The Bible says it's a good thing. It is also the right thing. "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."
God Bless you,
J.H. Wake UpPosted Feb-19-07 09:46:49 PST I have made you, you are my servant; O Israel, I will not forget you. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you. Sing for joy, oh heavens, for the Lord has done this; shout aloud, O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the Lord has redeemed Jacob, he displays His glory in Israel.
Isaiah 21-23
Praise the Lord! A God who will do all of that is certainly worthy of our attention. Whatever problems arise, He is the answer. God said that we should serve our Creator. Idolaters do the opposite - serving or worshiping only that which they have made rather than the One who made them. Our Creator paid the price to set us free from our sins against Him. By contrast, no idol has ever created anyone, and no idol can redeem us from our sins. Remember that idols can be whatever we set our mind to: our spouse, ourselves, our jobs, money, things; you name it, we can worship it. All of our attention, time and energy is spent in the achieving of these things that can do nothing for us. If we know that God is all-powerful and all-knowing, why do we not take Him at His Word? Why do we make silly decisions that hurt us and hurt those around us? The answer is simple. We acknowledge God, but we do not put Him first in every area of our life. We talk the talk, so those around us can say we are good, dedicated people, but inside we know what our battles are and we stay stuck in our muck through one simple cop-out: "I'm not ready yet. When I'm ready, then I will start doing the right thing." Oh really? And in the meantime, your actions have real consequences that you will not see the significance of until it is far too late. And even through all of that, God still loves you. It's time to wake up and smell the coffee.
God bless you,
J.H. Praise HimPosted Feb-18-07 10:43:14 PST But may all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; May those who love Your salvation always say, "Let God be exalted!"
Psalm 70:4
This short psalm was David's plea for God to come quickly with His help. Yet even in his moment of panic, he did not forget praise. Praise is important because it helps us remember who God is. Often, our prayers are filled with requests for ourselves and others, and we forget to thank God for what He has done and to worship Him for who He is. Don't take God for granted and treat him as a vending machine, going to Him only when we need to get something from Him. Even when David was afraid, he praised God. If God is not "real" in your life, you are not looking for Him in the right places, or perhaps you are not looking for Him at all. Sometimes, when we are in the midst of doing something we know we are not supposed to, we actually pray less because we don't want God to notice us and we actually try to "hide" from Him, just as Adam and Eve did in the garden once they had taken the fruit from the tree. God knows you better than you know yourself. He knows what you have done; He knows what you are thinking; and He knows what you are capable of doing. Your actions grieve the heart of God just as the disobedience of a child grieves the heart of a parent. At times, God's discipline is delayed and we think we have somehow escaped unscathed, only to find out later on that our decisions have real and true consequences that God allows us to endure for our own good. If we would praise and pray fervently through our times of struggle, we could see ourselves as God see us, and He would supply us with the conviction and courage to do what is right.
God Bless you,
J.H. Knowing GodPosted Feb-17-07 09:07:09 PST Great it is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit. The Lord sustains the humble and casts the wicked to the ground. Sing to the Lord with Thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp. He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.
Psalm 147:5-9
Sometimes we feel as if we don't understand ourselves - what we want, how we feel, what's wrong with us, or what we should even do about it. But God's understanding has no limit, and therefore he understands us completely. If you feel troubled and don't understand yourself, remember that God understands you perfectly. Take your mind off of yourself today and focus on God. Strive to become more and more like Him. The more you learn about God and His ways, the better you will understand yourself. After all, He created you. A lot of confusion as to what happens to our prayers would clear up if we could only give a little more time in praising God. "Praise the Lord." Heavenly Father, I praise You for health and happiness, for family and friends, the joy of your service, your Word, the Church, and most of all, for salvation and the baptism of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
God Bless you,
J.H. Keep ClosePosted Feb-16-07 06:01:01 PST I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. But you, oh Lord, be not far off; oh my Strength, come quickly to help me. I will declare Your Name to my Brothers; in the congregation, I will praise you.
Psalm 22:17-19, 22
It is a great insult to human dignity to rob a person of everything, even his clothing, leaving him naked and destitute. Jesus would suffer this humiliating experience on the cross. Most of us will never know the shame and suffering of being penniless and virtually naked in a public place, as many of the Jews experienced during the Nazi Holocaust or even the homeless on the streets of our cities today. But most of us would feel equally exposed and naked when some sin, secret or not, would be uncovered. At that time, we will need to cry out with David, "oh my Strength, come quickly to help me." David would praise God in the congregation, because his private deliverance deserved public testimony. God wonderfully delivers us in the quiet moments when we are hurting, and we must be prepared to offer public praise for His Love.
God Bless you,
J.H. Pray for UnityPosted Feb-15-07 06:07:25 PST "Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you have sent me and have loved them, even as you have loved me."
John 17:21-23
Jesus' great desire for His disciples was that they would become one. He wanted them unified as a powerful witness to the reality of God's love. Are you helping to unify the body of Christ, the church? You can pray for the Christians, you can avoid gossip, you can build others up, you can work together in humility, you can give your time and your money, you can exalt Christ with your life, and you can refuse to get sidetracked by arguing over divisive matters. When are we going to stop waving church labels in each other's face and just worship the Lord? This is what Jesus prayed for long ago. He is the way, the truth, and the life - He is the answer, the difference; He is everything. Let us follow Him together.
God Bless you,
J.H. Thanks and PraisePosted Feb-14-07 06:01:27 PST One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet, and thanked Him - and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."
Luke 17:15-19
Not only was this man a leper, he was also a Samaritan - a race despised by the Jews as idolatrous half-breeds. Once again, Luke is pointing out that God's grace is for everyone. Jesus healed all the lepers, but only one returned to thank Him. It is possible to receive God's great gifts with an ungrateful spirit - nine of the ten men did so. Only the thankful man, however, learned that his faith had played an important role in his healing; and only grateful Christians grow in understanding God's grace. God does not demand that we thank Him, but He is pleased when we do so. And He uses our responsiveness to teach us more about Himself. We all go to Him in prayer, but how many times do we returned to Him with thanks? And we hear a lot about prayer lists, but when was the last time you heard of a praise list? It is a good and honorable thing to give thanks unto the Lord. Give thanks today.
God bless you,
J.H. Give ThanksPosted Feb-13-07 06:12:11 PST Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:19-20
When you feel down, you may find it difficult to give thanks. Take heart - in all things God works for our good if we love Him and are called according to His purpose. Thank God, not for your problems, but for the strength He is building in you through the difficult experiences of your life. You can be sure that God's perfect love will see you through. There's a lot to be said about talking to yourself, and then there is a great deal more to be said about talking to God. Every day will be a better one if we do both.
God Bless you,
J.H. ThankfulnessPosted Feb-12-07 06:03:22 PST Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so - those He redeemed from the hand of the foe, those He gathered from the lands, from East and West, from North and South.
Psalm 107:1-3
Thankfulness to God should constantly be on the lips of those whom He has saved. "Let the redeemed of the Lord say . . ." God has done so much for us, and we have so much for which to thank Him. He wants us to tell everyone all that He has done. These verses are not so much a mandate to witness as a declaration that when we live in God's presence, we will not be able to keep His glorious experience to ourselves. Give him thanks today for what even seem to be times of going backward. Tomorrow, you may discover that in His wisdom, these moments were actually advancements. "All things work together for good to them that love the Lord." What has God done for you? Share it with someone today.
God Bless you,
J.H. Sing a New SongPosted Feb-11-07 08:50:30 PST Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise His name; proclaim His salvation, day after day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples.
Psalm 96:1-3
The psalmist sings out his praises to God, overwhelmed by all that God has done. If we believe that God is great, we cannot help but tell others about Him. The best witnessing happens when our hearts are full of appreciation for what He has done. God has chosen to use us to "declare his marvelous deeds among all peoples." Praise for our great God overflows from His creation and should overflow from our lips. How well are you doing at telling others about God's greatness? Don't let your religion be a weekend matter for a weekend religion is a weak one. But every day, by work and by life, show forth his salvation. Heavenly Father, I thank you Lord for this day, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Thank you for Your grace and Your mercy. Allow us to recognize everything that You have done for us that we may not boast of ourselves, but reveal to others Your greatness and the necessity of Your presence in our lives. Allow our witness to be strong and clear. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
God Bless you,
J.H. Our Strength in the LordPosted Feb-10-07 07:25:15 PST His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing Love.
Psalm 147:10-11
Fear is a much understood word when it is used in the context of God. Fear does not mean that we cower in the corner, shaking uncontrollably, for fear of God's immediate judgment over something that we have done. Fear simply means that we revere and trust in the Lord; we recognize His authority over our lives. When we were little children, we feared our parents. We revered and trusted them unconditionally. God wants us to return to that childlike trust in our relationship with Him. As we get older and more mature in our walk with Christ, we spend much of our time and effort trying to sharpen our skills or increase our strength. There's nothing wrong with doing so, and in fact, our gifts can be and should be used to glorify God. "Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God." But when we use our skills with no regard for God, they are indeed worth little. It is our fear (our reverence) and trust that God desires. When He has those, then He will use our skills and strength in ways far greater than we can even imagine. Expect to be used by God today. Your gifts have been given you for a purpose.
God Bless you,
J.H. How Do You Handle Prosperity?Posted Feb-09-07 05:59:37 PST When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe His commands, His laws, and His decrees that I'm giving you this day. He lead you through the vast and dreadful desert, the thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end, it might go well with you.
Deuteronomy 8:10-11,15-16
In times of plenty, we often take credit for our prosperity and become proud that our own hard work and cleverness have made us rich. It is easy to get so busy collecting and managing wealth that we push God right out of our lives. But it is God who gives us everything we have, and it is God who asks us to manage it for Him. We must learn to praise God in spite of our circumstances. We must praise God when things are going well and when we are blessed. We must also praise Him when we are down and when things do not go the way we want them to. Winning the desires of your heart is a great thing and a gift from God; but losing, or not achieving that which you thought was yours is also a result of God's timing and sovereignty. At times like this, we must practice patience and wait on the Lord and seek His face. God is not through with you yet.
God Bless you,
J.H. PeacePosted Feb-08-07 07:20:32 PST My heart is steadfast, oh God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul!
Psalm 57:7
David's firm faith in God contrasted sharply with his enemies loud lying and boasting. When confronted with verbal attacks, the best defense is simply to be quiet and praise God, realizing that our confidence is in His love and faithfulness. In times of great suffering, don't turn inward to self-pity or outward to revenge, but upward to God. It's a great day in our lives when our hearts are right with God and our minds are at peace. Out of this experience will come joy unspeakable. It can happen today as we invite the Prince of peace in. "My peace I give unto you." Heavenly Father, I pray for peace that surpasses all understanding for everyone reading this right now. I pray for the ability to make wise choices today about things that concern themselves and their loved ones. I pray that You would speak to their hearts and remove all doubt, worry, and condemnation. I pray You would be with us to comfort us and that we would honor You with our lives today. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
God Bless you,
J.H. We Shall OvercomePosted Feb-07-07 06:11:21 PST "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."
John 16:33
With these words, Jesus told his disciples to take courage. In spite of the inevitable struggles they would face, they would not be alone. Jesus does not abandon us during our struggles either. If we remember that the ultimate victory has already been won, we can claim the peace of Christ in the most troublesome times. Claim that peace today; the peace that surpasses all understanding. Heavenly Father, I pray Your Peace upon Your people today. I pray that they would be able to sense Your Presence in their lives. I pray that they would be able to see You working in the circumstances of their every day. I pray that you break up the routine that we have become accustomed to; that he would shake us gently out of the doldrums of our daily lives. I pray for the extraordinary. I pray for a miracle for those that need, right now in the name of Jesus! Amen.
God Bless you,
J.H. |
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