Looking Into the Word

Week Eleven

Looking into the Word

God has given us his Word, the Bible, to guide us through this earthly life. Jesus is the Word of God. The Bible tells us in John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”

In Genesis we see that God spoke everything into existence. It was his Word that made all things. How amazing that is. God did not make things with his hands, he did not have to craft the world, but he spoke and it became. I often get a mental image of God just imagining something and then speaking and it becomes reality. How powerful is his Word? More powerful than we can even imagine.

I heard a saying once that I have never forgotten. The Word of God is like a lion, we don’t have to defend it, we just have to let it out of its cage. Everytime we speak God’s word over a situation, we claim the promises that are within that word and it becomes reality. That is an amazing concept. 

God gave us his Word in the Bible. I have heard it said that Jesus shows up in every chapter of the Bible somewhere, if we look for him there we can find him. The Bible is not just words written on paper and put in book form, it is the inspired Word of God. The men who penned the Bible were not just writing historical events, they were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write specific accounts. Most of us who have taken different Bible classes can agree that the same word that we didn’t understand last year, now makes sense to us. We can read a passage every day and find something fresh and new each time we read it.

Since God’s word is alive, it seems to speak to us differently each time we read it. And God’s Holy Spirit helps us recall his word when we really need it. Sometimes we can be in a situation and not know what to do, then the Spirit of God can speak to our hearts and share a scripture that helps us through the trial. In Daniel we read about three young men who refused to bow down to a foreign god. They were put into the firey furnace, but before they were thrown in, they said this, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:17-18. They refer to Psalm 27:1-2 “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.” The spirit of God reminded them of a promise. And as a result, Jesus showed up in the furnace with them. When they came out, they didn’t even smell like smoke.

When we ask God’s Holy Spirit to teach us from the Word some wonderful things happen. Our eyes see things in a new light. Our ears hear the voice of God leading us where he wants us to go. Our hearts are encouraged and amazed by the way God has worked his plan over the ages. Our spirits convict us of sin in our lives and direct us to repent and seek forgiveness. 

The more we read God’s word, the more we want to read it. He has placed in us a desire to know him better, but we can never get to the end of his word. It is eternal. The Word, Jesus, was with God from the beginning and will be with God long after everything else is gone. When we look into the Bible we can get a glimpse of God from the beginning. His heart is there for us to see, his love is there for us to know, his wisdom, his creativity, his mercy, his grace, his power and might are all displayed there. But most importantly his glory is there, shining above all else. 

I have been spending time with the Lord nearly every morning now for more than 15 years. I think I have a good relationship with God, but no matter how much I read and know the word, I still long to read more and know him better. We can never get to the end of God. 

The Word of God not only reads like a good novel, with many beautiful stories and historical accounts, but it also has depth to it. When reading the Bible over and over we begin to see how all the accounts interact with one another. The story of Ruth is a beautiful illustration of Jesus as our kinsman redeemer, the bridegroom of the church. The story of Joshua is a wonderful example of Jesus leading us into the Kingdom of God, destroying the enemies who would seek to imprison us. 

We see ourselves in the shortcomings of some of the notable saints. We realize that God has always chosen the least likely candidates to be leaders. The Bible gives us such hope for ourselves. As we read the accounts over and over we have new insights because our faith is growing and maturing with each passing year. 

The Word of God gives us instruction in our daily lives also. Just as Solomon said in Ecclesiates 1:9b, “there is nothing new under the sun.” The promises of God are as good today as the day they were given. The wisdom that God gives is available today just as it was during the rule of King Solomon. Psalm 119:105 tells us, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Try God on this. Ask him a question, he has every answer. 

From financial responsibilities, family structure and work ethics, God’s word will help us. His word can help us through difficult physical pain and grief that comes with the loss of a loved one. All we have to do is open his word and look. Seek guidance from God when you have a problem, instead of running to friends for advice, ask the maker of heaven and earth.

We are instructed in Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” How can the word of Christ dwell in us if we don’t read it and know it? In order for something to become a part of your life and dwell in you, it has to be something that you live with daily. You can’t just read your Bible for 10 minutes during a worship service and expect to have enough of the word in you to sustain you all week. It must be a daily routine, somehow, someway you have to allot God’s word time every day to have it become part of you. 

Years ago, when I was a "baby" Christian, I didn’t understand this concept of daily devotions. I would go to church on Sunday, ask forgiveness, pray a little and maybe read a few chapters in my Bible. Then the rest of the week I lived my life the way I wanted to and I just couldn’t understand why God was allowing some things to happen in my life. I was not being faithful to him and he was letting me live my life the way I chose to. 

Now I realize that I need to speak to him about everything I do. Every decision I make should be a result of asking him what to do. Right down to making phone calls, picking out my clothes for the day and I’m really trying to consult him with my eating habits now. He really wants to take an active part in my life, but I have to actively seek him and ask for his advice.

With his word dwelling in me it is easier to know the right thing to do. I still don’t do everything right, but I’m a work in progress and I truly do want to be an obedient child.

If you haven’t read the Bible through from cover to cover, I urge you to do so. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you, get into a Bible study group. If you are not a reader borrow the CD version or cassette tape version from your local library or church library. There are so many ways to get fed on the Word and so many versions that are understandable. It will amaze you and you will  never be the same.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for your Word. Thank you for your Holy Spirit. Thank you for Jesus Christ. We want to know you better and there is no other way to know you more than through your Word. Bless you God for inspiring those who wrote the Bible. How wonderful that you would give us your Word in a form that we would understand. Thank you for all those who have translated your Word and put your Word on different forms of media for us. How amazing that you would be able to reach so many people in so many different ways and that you would use one spirit to do so. We praise your Holy name and we thank you in Jesus name. Amen

God is multi-dimensional

Week Ten

Have you ever wondered how God can be so many places, know so much, how he could be able to work miracles? Our brains just cannot begin to fathom his vastness and yet we keep trying to understand him. We want to know him, we seek him, we want to know him in terms that we can understand. It is impossible, but yet we are to seek him. When we realize that we could never know all there is to know about him, we can be content to see glimpses of him. We can better understand him by knowing his character. We can see his heart by knowing Christ.

Jesus, God incarnate, Emmanuel, God with us. The more we know Jesus, the more we know the one who sent him. The Bible tells us that God is our creator, the sovereign ruler of the universe that he created, that he is our judge, our provider, he is wise, he is our protector, our savior and that God is spirit. 

I guess if we see God working within our lives, that is a good place to start. When we woke up today it was obvious that this would be a new day. The earth was still revolving around the sun and the planets were still in their orbits. The God who created the universe was still in control of the universe, he was still keeping the planets and stars on their courses and we could get up and begin our day. There is a certain amount of trust that we have in God and don’t even realize it, most of the time.

God has put each one of us where we are on this earth. We had no choice of who our parents would be, what continent we would live on, what color our skin would be, if we would be deformed or our brains would be functional. God did the choosing.

Psalm 139:13-16 says, “You made my whole being; you formed me in my mother’s body. I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well. You saw my bones being formed as I took shape in my mother’s body. When I was put together there, you saw my body as it was formed. All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was one day old.” We need to look at ourselves as God looks at us.

God provides for our needs each day, his word doesn’t tell us that he provides for everything we want, but the things that we need. When we see little children starving in other countries, when we see our neighbor without a coat, when we see a co-worker who doesn’t have lunch money, when we know someone in the hospital, or in jail God expects us to meet their needs. He uses the followers of Christ to be his hands and feet, his voice and he uses us to provide for the needs of people in need.

God is all knowing. Everything on heaven and earth was created by him. He knows every element, he knows how everything is made because he provided the necessities and the knowledge to make all of it. Computers, cars, appliances, buildings, all things - he has the answers for these things that are broken, misplaced, in disrepair and malfunctioning. If you have a problem with something mechanical, ask God for the wisdom to fix it. If your computer keeps crashing, ask God to show you what the problem is. He really does know the answers and he would love to show you what to do to fix the problems that arise in your life. There is nothing that he can’t do! Sometimes he may tell you to seek professional help, but he will give you an answer to your question.

God wants to take care of us and protect us from the evil one. Jesus specifically asked the Father to protect us. “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name - the name you gave me - so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.” John 17:11-12.

When we become Christians, we are under the protection of God the Father because Jesus has asked the Father to protect us. Why do we live as if the enemy had control over our lives? He cannot touch us. Remember Job? God would not let Satan take his life. Satan had to ask permission from God to afflict Job. We need to remember that God is sheltering us, his hand is covering us and we are his.

God is our savior, He died for us because he chose to do so. 1 John 4:14 says, “and we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.” John 3:16-17 clearly states, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” What a marvelous God to choose to save everyone in the world. In return all he asks for is our belief in him. 

God didn’t just send a representative from heaven, he came to earth himself in the form of Jesus. He left behind a glorious home, he willingly elected to take on humanity and become like one of us. The difference was in his sinless blood. Jesus’ mother did not conceive him in the conventional way, but she was inseminated by God himself. The Holy Spirit of God made Mary pregnant. In every way Jesus was human, except for his perfect blood. This blood was the necessary sacrifice to take away the sins of the world.

God is a spirit. Jesus told the woman at the well that God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship him in spirit and in truth. How can we do this? If we truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God, if we really want the God of the universe to dwell within us, we can invite God’s spirit to enter our hearts and be the voice that we listen to. Romans 8:9 says, “True believers are not controlled by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.” It is a choice we make to invite God to speak to us. God uses his spirit to communicate with believers. 

1 Corinthians 2:9-12 tells us much about the spirit of God. “However, as it is written: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him, but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.”

What better way to know God better than to communicate with him through his Spirit. If you have never invited the Holy Spirit of God to speak to you, please do it today.

It is impossible to understand everything about God. He is indeed multi-dimensional and beyond that, he is all encompassing. He knows that we will never understand him fully, and he doesn’t expect us to. He just wants us to grow in our knowledge of him and to seek him daily. He wants us to have a relationship with him. 

I truly believe that he is eager to show us more of himself - as much as we are able to grasp. As we see him more clearly, we want to see more of him. In all loving relationships we grow into a deeper and more intimate knowledge of one another through trust and faithfulness. The more that we see we can trust someone with our hearts, the more of our hearts we want to share. The more that we know they will be faithful, the more faithful we become. The thing about a relationship with God is that he can always be trusted, he is always faithful. People will let us down, but God will never let us down.

Heavenly, Holy God,

We know that you are powerful and mighty, that you are wise and creative and we want to know you more. We want to understand you better. The only way that we can communicate with you is through your precious Holy Spirit. We have accepted Jesus Christ as our lord and savior, we know that he died for our sins, but we know that there is so much more to know and so we ask your spirit to speak to our hearts today. Tell us what direction to take, speak to us clearly to know what you want us to do today. We ask your spirit to teach us through your word, through Christians that teach us, through the world around us. Fill us to overflowing, let us know so much of you that we cannot hold it all. Only you can do this and we long to glimpse you in our lives today. Because of Jesus, we pray. Amen

Unless a Seed Dies

Week Nine

Unless a Seed Dies

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” John 12:23-28.

The only way that we could ever experience eternal life was for Jesus Christ to die. As long as he was living on the earth and walking among men he was able to do mighty acts under the power of the Holy Spirit. But he was a man and could only be in one place at a time. It was only in his dying that the Holy Spirit was able to dwell in men who believed in him and bring eternal life to each person on earth who believed. This Holy Spirit enabled God to be wherever men and women of faith were. The seed, Jesus Christ, died so that he could produce more seeds to accomplish more for the Father and the kingdom of God.

We also can accomplish much for the kingdom when we die to self and live for Christ, the resurrected Lord of the universe. It is the dying to self that is difficult for us. We want to be our own bosses, we like to think that we know what is best for ourselves and others and many times refuse to live for God.

When we finally understand that we are kingdom people, we are all working for the common good of mankind, that God wants to direct our paths, then we can surrender to his will and our seed will die. In so doing, we will grow into trees of righteousness and produce much fruit for God. We become more and more what God created us to be and less and less what we think we ought to be.

This is a process, it is a daily surrendering of ourselves to God. I used to think it was a one time deal, we surrender and then just go on our own ways again. It begins like that, but it needs to be a daily dying to self. The more we practice doing this, the easier it becomes. The more we see God working through us, the more we want him to work through us again and again. The more we realize that we are not in control, the more we want to give the control to him.

Jesus knew that the Father had mens' best interest in mind and he knew that unless he died on that cross, men would forever be lost. Remember when Jesus told his disciples to take up their cross daily and follow him? He was speaking to us, the cross is a reminder to daily die to our own selfish desires and do the things that Christ would do.

The WWJD (what would Jesus do) bracelets are a reminder to think about the situations that we face daily and decide what Jesus would do, then we can respond to those situations in our lives, living as Christ would, being obedient to the Father.

Jesus even asked to be delivered from his hour of dying, but in obedience, he knew what God had asked him to do and that he had to go through the pain, endure the hardship, but on the other side of the cross was eternal life.

When we are seeking God’s will, when we truly want to be Christlike, we will hear God tell us what to do. Most days it may be very small little things, other days it may be a big leap of faith, but no matter what he asks us to do, it is a promise that some fruit will be the result. We may not see the fruit of our obedience in this life, but sometimes he lets us see the results of our dying to self.

Years ago God placed on my heart to share the gospel with my sister-in-law, Mary. It was difficult to do because it meant that I had to die to myself, become Christ to her and tell her about how much God loves her. (My personal belief is that is it is harder to minister to family members than total strangers). I would send her devotional books and ask that she read them along with me each day.

Her only response at the time, was that she did not want to give up her friends and her lifestyle to follow God. I continued to pray for her, but stopped pushing the issue. A few years ago, she shared with my husband and myself that she has been born again. She said now I know what you were trying to tell me years ago. The seed was planted, but it was up to God to plow and fertilize her heart to be able to see that seed sprout. Mary has gone on to be with the Lord now and I thank Him that I He placed her on my heart so long ago.

Many times God has asked me to go visit someone in the hospital and pray with them. This is a difficult thing for me to do, because I am not naturally drawn to sick people or those I really don’t know well. But if God has asks me to do it, I die to myself and let him use me. I haven’t really seen the fruit of those seeds, but someday I will. God would not ask us to do something if there was not going to be some fruit from it.

When you ask God for opportunities, he will definitely give them to you. One day I asked Him to use me to be a blessing to others. With only $5 cash in my purse, I was shopping on my lunch hour. As I stood in line to check out, I saw a man come through the store who was obviously homeless. The duct tape on his shoes and his unkempt appearance gave him away. It was a cold snowy day and I am sure he was in the store to get warm. God told me to give him the $5 I had in my purse. I had to get out of the check out line, follow this man through the store, and be ready to give him the money and speak of God’s love to him.

This is not something that I do very often, but it was such a strong urge that I knew I had to do it. I was able to approach him and offer him the $5, as he looked into my eyes I simply said, “God loves you.” That was all that God asked me to do. I sacrificed my lunch that day, but I sowed a seed for Jesus. I don’t know when I will see the fruit of that seed, but I have God’s assurance that anything he asks me to do will produce fruit.

When God asks you to do something that requires death to self, just do it. If God asks you to do it, He will also provide you with the grace to perform the task. This is another one of those things that gets a little easier the more you do it. Soon you get to the point where you don’t care what others may think of the things you do, when you know that the God of the Universe wants to use you, it is indeed an awesome honor and responsibility.

Holy God,

We just want to thank you for the precious, sinless blood of Jesus that paid the price for the salvation of the world. How amazing that you would love us enough to die for us. In return for that gift, may we offer ourselves to you this day and ask that you use us to bring blessings to others. May we be seed sowers, may we die to ourselves today to bring glory to you. You don’t ask us to lay down our lives, but we willingly give our lives to you to use to increase your kingdom. It is in the name of Jesus that we come to you today. Amen.

Fruit of the Spirit

Week Eight

Fruit of the Spirit

Until a few years ago, I wasn’t even sure what the fruit of the spirit was or how we got it. But the Lord is teaching me daily how to develop this fruit. If you think about fruit and how it is formed, you will understand this process a little better.

First a tree has to be mature enough to bear fruit. If a tree is too little, it cannot stand up under the weight of the fruit. So new Christians and those who are not really growing in the faith probably aren’t ready yet to produce much fruit. That is okay, it is the natural progression that produces the fruit.

That being said, those Christians who are mature in their faith, those who have been walking with the spirit for years should be producing much fruit by now. If you are a mature Christian and you aren’t producing fruit, then something is wrong.

What exactly is the fruit of the spirit? In Galatians 5:22, 23 we find out. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” This fruit is the works that take place in us when we let the spirit of God control our lives.

Love is one of the most important ways that people know we are Christians. The new testament speaks continuously about the love we should have for one another. God so loved the world, Jesus loved us enough to die for us, the Spirit loves us and longs to dwell in us. We should exhibit this same love toward those God puts in our pathway. If we look at others with God’s eyes, we will see that everyone is a person of worth to God. He wants them to know that he loves them. How can we show that love? What can we do or say to someone today to let them know that God loves them? Who showed us the love that God had for us? What did someone do or say to us to let us know about that love?

Joy is something that is lacking in so many Christians and I can’t put my finger on why. We have so much to be joyful about, the very fact that we will spend eternity with God, the promises of God that he is with us always, the hope that we possess and the very fact that we are children of the king of the universe! What is so hard about being joyful?

Yet, if you go into any church on Sunday morning, the folks sitting in the pews and the choirs look so serious and as if they were baptized in vinegar. Why do we take ourselves so seriously? I am just as guilty as anyone else - how do we get the joy of the Lord into our worship services so that those who have never experienced God will know that he is not a mean God, but one who wants us to be joyful.

Being joyful is not the same as being happy. Happiness depends on circumstances going on in our lives. Joy is something that is deep inside us. We can be joyful just as Christ was joyful. Even as he went to the cross the Bible tells us that he knew that what he was enduring was going to bring about the salvation of all mankind and he had joy for the end result of his sacrifice. Our joy may not always be evident, but it should always be present in our hearts.

Peace is a fruit that should be obvious to everyone we come in contact with. If we are fretful and worry about everything how can we be a witness to the fact that God is in control and that he will provide for all our needs.

How can we become peaceful in the midst of problems? Every time we find ourselves losing our peace, we need to call upon God. Our prayers should focus on him and the very fact that he is a God who is able to bring order out of chaos, he is a God who is able to calm every storm, he is God who is able to give us words of peace when those around us are speaking words of anger and hatred. Turn to him to find peace.

Patience is a fruit that seems hard to develop. When we have the least patience that is when we can develop this fruit. My own experiences with patience have been in traffic, I use the opportunity to pray for those in the cars around me. That they would make it safely wherever they may be going. I pray for folks in the store while I am waiting in checkout lanes. I pray for little children who are crying and upset when I really want to join them by being upset also. I have found that being in the middle of situations that require patience is the perfect time to pray. I turn to God to find patience.

Kindness is a character trait that seems to come easier than most. When we are truly trying to be Christlike we know that being kind is one way to be like him. This is a fruit that is obvious to everyone and most non-Christians point out this fault very quickly when they know you are a Christian. If you have family members or co-workers who know that you are a Christian, they will tell you very quickly if you have done something unkind. It usually sounds like this, “Why did you say (or do) that? I thought you were supposed to be a Christian!”

Goodness rates right up there with kindness. It is not possible to always be good, but that is a goal that every Christian aims for. How can we be good? And what exactly is goodness? It is a conscious act of the will. We have choices in everything we do, we can choose to do things in a good way or a haphazard way. Example, making a bed. We can choose to make the bed in a good way as if Jesus himself were going to sleep in that bed, or we can choose to throw the covers up so that it looks okay on the outside, but maybe not so good underneath.

We have the ability to do good every day in all we do. Of course, our good works do not get us into heaven, but our good choices can make a difference here on earth.

Faithfulness is a fruit that requires time. A person can be faithful for years and then decide that they want to live a different lifestyle and abandon the old ways. Faithfulness is not wavering, it is a decision to stick with the Lord no matter how hard life gets, to believe his word no matter what others think or say, to stand up for our beliefs no matter if it means that we are persecuted for our faith. Faithfulness is a fruit that endures, it doesn’t spoil or rot. This is a fruit that others will see in you and want to have themselves. This is a fruit that we need to share as often as possible.

Gentleness is a fruit that comes with humility. To be gentle we must first be humble. Many of us equate gentleness with being a doormat or being wishy-washy. But Christ was a gentle man, he was not pushy yet he spoke with authority. He was not violent yet he is the king of kings. Jesus was mild mannered yet he turned the world upside down with his teachings. If we are to possess gentleness, we need to remember that our words should be chosen wisely, that our actions should reflect our adoption as sons and daughters of the king of the universe, and that our faith should be practiced daily, not just when we are in church.

Self-Control is the hardest fruit to develop because it means we give up control of our lives to the Holy Spirit. We let God take over control of our lives and use us so that he may be glorified. Self-control means telling the flesh no over and over again. The flesh may want something 50 times a day, but we have to continue to say no. Eventually, the flesh will get tired of asking.

An illustration can be found in not giving in to anger. If someone points out that I have made a mistake at work, my first reaction may be to tell them off or to point out one of their mistakes. My defenses go up when I am attacked or when I view something as an attack. But, if I stop before I react and ask God to help me respond, I am showing self-control. Eventually this becomes a habit, when we feel our defenses go up, we automatically ask God for help. We turn to him for help in controlling our emotions.

Ultimately, we turn to God for help in each one of these areas and he will help us grow and develop the fruit. His spirit wants us to become just like Jesus and will not stop doing a work in us. I have heard it said that we should all be “fruity Christians”. The type of Christians that others pluck our fruit all day every day.

Heavenly Father,

We do want to grow and be loaded with the fruit of your spirit. Help us daily to become more Christlike and to exhibit this fruit in our lives. May we remember to ask you for help as we grow in these qualities and may we be spiritual fruit trees to glorify you. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Mustard Seed Faith

Week Seven

Mustard Seed Faith

When the disciples failed to heal a boy who was demon possessed, they asked Jesus why they couldn’t drive the demon out. Jesus replied, “Because you have so little faith.” He said, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain. Move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:19-21)

Again in Matthew 21:21-22 Jesus told his disciples, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

In Luke when the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith, he replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” (Luke 17:6)

Faith, how do we get it? It grows with exercise, it follows God despite the circumstances, it involves endurance until the end, it is the way God works through people.

Faith comes from seeds that are planted deep within our spirits. Each time we encounter a person who has faith, it is possible for them to plant a seed inside us and that seed grows with each encounter of other people of faith. It increases more and more. When we surround ourselves with people who want to share their faith, people who have experienced God moving in their lives, it comes out in words, in actions, in their demeanor. That touches a place within us that longs to have the same type of faith and that encounter strengthens our faith.

This faith that grows and increases will continue to grow if we tend it, water it, intentionally putting ourselves in situations with others of deep faith and soak up what they have until one day, without our even knowing it, we have become ‘a mustard plant’ with others learning from our experiences, hearing our stories of faith and wanting to be near us so that they may grow in their faith.

I think Jesus had hoped that his disciples had been with him long enough to have increased their faith. But, the disciples had not yet received the Holy Spirit and that kept them from possessing faith to the degree that Christ had it.

How does obedience to God increase our faith? When we know God, we know the things that he expects from us. The only way we can really get to know God is through his word. It is an instruction manual for us as we live our lives here on earth. Each time we do something that he asks us to do, our faith in increased.

A few years ago I was praying for a girl in my church who had been in a terrible accident. Her mother needed a care giver because the lady who had been helping her had quit. I was just asking the Lord to send someone to her and he spoke very clearly to me, not in an audible voice but in my spirit, he said “you call her”. I came up with every excuse possible why I couldn’t do it, but the spirit would not let me alone until I called her. It would require only a few hours each day to get Rachel up, dressed, fed and ready for the school bus. Easy enough, but then her mother told me that Rachel had to have a shot each morning and I knew that was one thing I could never do. Sorry God, I guess you’ll have to find someone else - wrong! When I told God that I couldn’t give her shots his response to me was, “I will give her the shots, just let me use your hands.” I had to do it and every day for nearly two years I took care of Rachel.

God used me in a mighty way to minister to not only Rachel but her mother as well. Because of my obedience my faith grew so much over that time.

God taught me through TV ministers that I would watch before I had to get Rachel up each day, he taught me through the devotional time I had with Rachel each morning, he taught me through Rachel’s ability to see angels all around us and her childlike faith that shared these things so easily. He taught me that sometimes life is very difficult, but he is with us through every trial, every heartbreak, every ache and pain. Yes, my faith increased through my obedience to him.

If you hear the voice of God speaking to you to do something, no matter how big or small the task, respond in obedience. Your faith will increase. Remember Abraham, when God asked him to take Isaac up the mountain and sacrifice him. Don’t you think that when the angel stopped Abraham from killing his son, and God provided the sacrifice, that Abraham’s faith increased one hundred fold that day?

We serve a big God, a God who is mighty and powerful, a God who wants to bless us and wants us to be a blessing to others. Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” God will hear the prayers of those who are obedient, those who want to increase their faith. Ask and it will be given unto you.

As your faith increases, start sowing mustard seeds everywhere you go. Those seeds will begin to grow and those you have witnessed to will have their faith increased and begin to sow seeds themselves. It is an amazing way that our faith spreads to others.

Holy God,

We are like the father in the Bible who wanted Jesus to heal his son, he cried out, “I do believe, help thou my unbelief.” We want to believe, we want our faith increased. Speak to us right now and tell us what you would have us do. We will obey and trust you to use us not only in the big events of our lives, but also in the small, mustard seed deeds that are done out of obedience to you. Enable us with the power of your Holy Spirit and because of the blood of Jesus. Amen

Week Six

The Church is One Body

The church is referred to in the Bible as the body of Christ or the bride of Christ. This isn’t referring to a denomination, but all true believers whoever they are and wherever they are. Anyone who accepts the gift of grace that God has offered by believing that Jesus Christ came to earth in the form a man, that he was fully God and fully man. Believing that Jesus willingly died on the cross for the sins of all mankind. Believing that he rose from the dead and that he is coming back for all those who believe in him. That is the church.

As a body of believers how do we fit together to be the one body that Christ intended us to be? Who am I within that body? This is the mystery that Paul talked about in the new testament. Each believer has a part to play in the building of the kingdom of God. It is up to us to find out what God’s plans are for us.

When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, he sends his Holy Spirit to live inside us. The Holy Spirit gives each one of us a gift to be used to glorify God. God never expects us to be someone we aren’t. He wouldn’t expect us to do anything out of character for us. Instead, he uses each one of us, right where we are to be Christ to those around us.

His ways are perfect and as the Psalmist said, “For you created my inmost being: you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16

It is up to each one of us to discover what our gift is and how God wants us to use it to strengthen the body-the church.

That is the purpose of each gift, to edify the body. These gifts are not given for personal gain, they are not given for us to profit from or misuse, but always only to glorify the Father and to become more Christlike. Romans 12:5 tells us that each member belongs to all the others.

It has taken me years to find my gifts. I didn’t even know that God would use me to edify the body for years after I became a Christian. This whole Chrisitanity lifestyle is a process and the sooner we start to move forward, the quicker the process goes.

If you are new in the faith, I urge you to take an inventory of your life and maybe take a spiritual gifts test to help you define what your passion is.

For years I carried burdens around with me not knowing how to unload them. God had given me the gift of intercession, but I didn’t know that was what I had. I just knew that at times the weight of the world would press on me and I felt so responsible for fixing everything. I could hardly stand the pressure. When I finally realized that the burdens were placed in my heart so that I could pray for those people and intercede on their behalf, it was the most wonderful day of my life.

Suddenly I knew that God had a purpose and a plan for my life. God didn’t expect me to fix anything, Jesus had already done that. All that he wanted me to do was to bring requests to him. He just needed me to stand in the gap for those who either couldn’t pray for themselves or maybe those who didn’t even know that they needed prayer.

We are on a journey to find out what it is that Christ wants us to do. Once you understand your place within the body, there is such joy in fulfilling your purpose. It is not a chore, it is not an impossibility, it becomes a passion within you.

How can we know where we belong? Sometimes we have to step out and try something on to see if it fits. Your spirit will tell you almost immediately if you are in the wrong place doing the wrong thing. If something seems like a chore, like it is taking all you have to perform a duty - then it probably isn’t a gift you have.

Until recently I always thought of the body as parts that we could see, like eyes, ears, legs, etc., but in reading a book on prayer, I heard Peter Wagner put it another way. He referred to intercessors as glands in the body. You don’t see them, but they are vital to the function of the body. We all understand that glands are important. Anyone who has ever had swollen glands knows that they play a major part in fighting infections and keeping the body healthy. So it is with intercessors, you may not see them, they may not be visible parts of the body, but they are important.

Find out what your gifts are and you will be on your way to becoming all that God intended you to be. There are spiritual gifts tests you can take. Pray and ask the Father to reveal your gifts to you. What do you have a passion for?

Dear Holy God,

You are so awesome and so wise. You have given each one of us the ability to serve you in special ways and you are the one who gave each of us different gifts. We praise you for the wonderful way you give us what we need and we pray that today, you will show us what we can do to serve you in spirit and in truth. May we become the people you designed us to be and may we glorify you in all that we do. Thank you for being a God of such diversity and such amazing love.

Show us just where we belong in the body of Christ and empower each of us to do the work we were created to do. These things we ask through your Holy Spirit and in the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen

Grains of Sand Multiplied

Week Five

Grains of Sand Multiplied

In Genesis 22:17 God told Abraham, “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.”

We, as believers in Christ, are those grains of sand, we are descendants of Abraham. How numerous are we? How many Christians are there in the world, how many have gone on before us? How many are there alive right this second? Each one of us who has ever looked for the Messiah, the Anointed One and found him is one of those grains of sand.

We refer to Abraham as our ancestor and are numbered as one of his descendants.

When we think that we are each equivalent to one grain of sand, it doesn’t seem like much, but if we are all put together we can become a beach, more and more of us can become an ocean bottom. It is awesome to think what can happen if we all work together. It all started with one grain of sand, one faithful man, Abraham.

His faith has begat multitudes. Abraham never saw his descendant, Christ, but his faith was so great that he believed without seeing. He believed what God told him. We are to be like Father Abraham and continue to grow new people in the faith. We are to share our faith and help others become like us, children of the king.

How awesome it is to think about one grain of sand working to make believers out of those around us. If we really ponder it, one grain of sand can really be an annoyance, if you have sand irritating your skin, it can rub you raw, one grain of sand is all it takes to make a pearl of great value inside an oyster. One grain of sand can cause problems if you have it in your gas tank or if it gets in your eye or your sandal.

One little tiny grain of sand can do a lot for the Lord, if that grain of sand is one of Father Abraham’s children. Do you remember a Christian that would not leave you alone, but kept speaking the word of God to you? My mother was like that to me. Sometimes I would get so irritated with her, her answer for all of lifes’ problems was Jesus. As a child and a young woman it seemed old fashioned to me - I just didn’t get it.

I thank God for her persistence now, and I find myself being the same way with my own children and grandchildren. We have to continue being that grain of sand that never gives up.

This is the way that the Good News of Jesus Christ is spread. My mother taught me, I taught my children and I am teaching my grandchildren as well. The message is a solid one.

In Deuteronomy 6:4-9 we read an account of God telling Moses what he expected from his children, the Israelites. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

This means, that we are to live and breathe the will of God. He wants to be in our hearts all day, every day. How very amazing that is. And we are to share what we know of him and his goodness with our children and those around us.

Jesus gave us similar commands in Matthew 22:37-40. “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Father Abraham understood these commandments nearly 400 years before Moses received them and nearly 2,000 years before Jesus spoke them. God was speaking to Abraham directly and he understood what God’s plan was. Abraham knew what God required of man. That is why his faith was credited to him as righteousness. He believed without ever seeing the promise.

How much greater our faith should be, having seen the promise. How much greater our faith should be having God’s written word at our fingertips. Why are we lacking the kind of faith that Abraham had? What can we do to honor him? If we look to Hebrews 11 we can get an idea of just what those who have gone before us had to endure to bring us into the kingdom.

The definition of faith is “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.” Heb. 11:1-2 Do we have that kind of faith? If we do, then we need to pass it on no matter what the cost. If we are certain of eternal life because of our belief in Christ, then who are we telling about this ‘Good News’? Lets continue to multiply that ocean bottom until the whole world knows.

Heavenly Father,

We want to be multiplied, we want our faith to be like the faith of Abraham. Your word tells us that because Abraham believed, it was accounted to him for righteousness. That is the kind of faith we want, we want to believe that whatever you say will happen, will happen. You told Abraham that you would bless him and that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. This promise is still being fulfilled and we want to thank you. Thank you for being a God of such provision and such love that you have called each one of us to believe as Father Abraham believed. Thank you for your undying, eternal love. Thank you for coming to earth in the form of Jesus Christ and dying for our sins. Bless you Lord, you are mighty and awesome. Thank you for being so wonderful. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.