Day 3 - Week 85 - Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

"Week" 85 has been stretched out a bit through these days of Christmas celebration.  I hope you have had a time of joy in remembering Christ's birth and sharing God's gift with family and friends.  While this Christmas was certainly not one that we will look back on as our happiest, we did have moments of comfort and joy...primarily by knowing that we have a Savior, who is Christ the Lord!  Only because of Him can we know that this life is just the beginning of our eternal existence with Him...Hallelujah!

Now, going back to our Great Commission as given to us by our Jesus...we are to go, we are to teach, and we are to do it with power, the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.  When we try to do God's work within our own strength, our own power and our own design, we will never accomplish what He has planned for us. 

Read what A. W. Tozer has to say about Acts 1:8

"Ye shall receive power."  By those words our Lord raised the expectation of His disciples and taught them to look forward to the coming of a supernatural potency into their natures from a source outside of themselves.  It was to be something previously unknown to them, but suddenly to come upon them from another world.  It was to be nothing less than God Himself entering into them with the purpose of ultimately reproducing His own likeness within them...

This power is to come upon powerless men as a gentle but resistless invasion from another world bringing a moral potency infinitely beyond anything that might be stirred up from within.  This power is sufficient; no additional help is needed, no auxiliary source of spiritual energy.
 

Do we, as Christians living in 2012, now about to be 2013, have the promise of this same power? I most certainly believe we do.  I believe that the Holy Spirit gives us exactly what we need, when we need it, to further the Kingdom of God.  Not anything more, not anything less.  If we need a miracle for His glory or for the saving of a soul, I believe He will empower us with miraculous abilities.  If we need to be able to speak to a group of people that in normal circumstances we would have nothing in common with, I believe He will give us supernatural insight into a commonality in which we can approach them that will enhance our ability to share His good news.  I believe that when we truly empty ourselves of self and allow His Spirit to fully move within us, we are amazed at what can happen...and, sadly, I believe that we don't allow that to happen nearly often enough. 

More often, we charge ahead working "for God" within our own power doing what we see needs to be done, rather than allowing the Spirit to move us so that we can work with God in the divine providence of His plans.  When we do so, we can never expect the supernatural results that would be in store under the Holy Spirit's direction.

The disciples waited and the promise came true.  They, under the Holy Spirit's power, rocked the world with the message of Jesus Christ.  They preached in Jerusalem, they preached in all Judea, they preached in Samaria, and through their devotion and dedication the message is still going throughout the world...to the ends of the earth.  Who would have thought that a mismatched group of twelve largely uneducated and impoverished Jews would be able to accomplish such?  Truth is, they didn't...God did.  His Holy Spirit empowered them to do the work that was needed...they just surrendered and allowed Him to have total control over their lives. 

What could happen if we did the same?  We often think our world is too far gone, too out of control for true revival...when we think such things, what are we saying about God's power?  God's power turned the world upside down 2,000 years ago through one group of twelve...

Let's get serious about our commitment, let's get serious about surrender, and let's join with God in the things He is going to do in the coming year.

Day 2 - Week 85 - Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

"Acts 1:8 is the key that unlocks the door of Acts and the gates of Christian history."  - Robert J. Morgan

The Book of Acts, most often thought to be authored by Luke through inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is the book that documents the first days of the Christian church.  It is a fascinating account of how a band of few revolutionized the world by the message of grace and hope brought by Jesus Christ. 

Robert J. Morgan in 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart, shares some wonderfully insightful thoughts about Acts 1:8:

Acts 1:8 represents the last known words of Jesus during His earthly ministry.   Verse 9 indicates these are the Lord's final words before being "taken up."  Luke 24:50-53 says Jesus ascended to heaven while blessing His disciples, but His words of blessings aren't given.  Acts 1:8 are His final words as they were recorded for us.  Shouldn't His last command be our first concern?

Morgan's last sentence is convicting, isn't it?  "Shouldn't His last command be our final concern?"  How serious do we take Jesus' last words?  Just like in Matthew 28:19 where we are told to "Go", Jesus now tells us to be His witnesses...testify to everything we know about our Jesus.

What do you know about Jesus?  Tell it.  Do you know that He is God's Son?  Do you know that He came as a baby, born of a virgin?  Do you know that He spent 33 years here on earth telling us, and showing us, who our God really is?  Do you know that He took your sins to the cross because He loved you so much?  Do you know that He rose again, proving God's power over death?  Do you know that you share in that resurrection power and that because of Christ's blood covering your sins that you will share eternity with Him in the presence of God the Father? 

These are the things we can know and that we can testify to because of the Holy Spirit's power in our lives.  He has given the Holy Spirit to us to assure us of everything we know to be true and to empower us to share it with others.

Don't stifle the Holy Spirit's promptings...be Christ's witness just as He asked you to be...to the ends of the earth!

 

 

Day 1 - Week 85 - Are we spreading the Word?

Lots of buzz going round regarding December 21, 2012...just 4 days away.  According to the Mayans, this could be the day that we see an end to the world as we know it.  Personally, I've never been convinced that the Mayans were the most intelligent civilization that has ever existed, so I'm not correspondingly not convinced that they alone, among all peoples of all times, knew the exact day the world would end.  Also, as a believer in the Word of God as revealed in Holy Scripture, there's this verse that keeps ringing in my ear..."But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."  Matthew 24:36.  So, come Friday, December 21, I suspect that we will see the day come and go without anything outstanding occurring.  You see, I figure any day could be the day of Christ's return, other than one that someone is predicting.  Man's predictions pretty much rule that particular date out in my book.  So December 22, December 23, maybe even December 20, I'm not so sure about! 

I've made the comment recently that while we cannot know the day or the hour, it sure seems like the times are giving us signs that we are drawing closer to Christ's return...does that excite you?  It should!  As Christians, we should be anxiously awaiting that glorious day when we look up and see our Savior descending to gather His own unto Himself.  I want to be able to throw my hands up and say, "Take me Lord Jesus!"  Knowing that we will leave this world and all of its uncertainty for an eternity governed by the love of God where we will have no fear, no sadness, and where we will bask in the radiance of Jesus Himself!

The only thing that should keep us praying for the delay of Christ's return is the fact that there are those who we have still not yet reached with the message of Jesus and His gift of salvation for them.  And then there are those who have heard the message, but for some reason or another, have still not accepted Jesus into their hearts as their Savior ready to cover all of their sins with His blood.  Unless we are actively working in one of these avenues, evangelizing those who have never heard or convincing those who have heard of the importance and the urgency of their acceptance of Jesus into their lives, we are not showing that we really love people.  For if we really love people, and we know that Jesus is coming some day, either in the sky or when He calls each of us to come home individually, we sincerely want them to know their eternal future.  Just as John wrote in 1 John 5:13, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life."

No, I do not believe Friday, December 21, will be the last day of this world of ours...but I do believe that Jesus is coming back, and due to many things going on in our world and how they align with the word of prophecy in the Bible, I believe that time is growing closer.  So we must get passionate about the Great Commission.  We must go, tell and teach! 

Reviewing....

Faith: Trusting God and Resting in His Word (12)
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift."
Ephesians 2:9 "Not by works, so that no one can boast."
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."
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."
Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Romans 1:17 "For in it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith."
Psalm 56:3 "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."
2 Chronicles 16:9 "The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."
Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

The Great Commission (4)
Matthew 28:18 "Then Jesus came near and said to them, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth."
Matthew 28:19 "Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
Matthew 28:20 "Teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.  And remember, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

The verse we add this week explains how and why we will be compelled to carry out Christ's Commission:

Acts 1:8  "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

The Holy Spirit gives us the power and the pressure to take Christ's message out and into all corners of the world.  Without the Holy Spirit within us, we will have neither the compulsion nor the spiritual wisdom to carry out Jesus' command.  It is His Spirit, living within us, that gives us the opportunity, gives us the ability to see the opportunity, and gives us the compulsion not to let the opportunity pass.  But we must be paying attention to the Holy Spirit's prompting within us, and surrender our pride, our discomfort and our inabilities to His power to do His will.   We need to allow Him to prove His absolute ability to do amazing things through us, despite of us! 

Pray to be used by God, pray for His Spirit to open up opportunities for you to share His Word, to share the story of what God has done for you, and pray not to miss one of those opportunities that may mean another person walking on the streets of gold!
 

Day 3 - Week 84 - Matthew 28:20 "Teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

The Great Commission...so what is it? 

"Go, therefore, making disciples of all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you."

1.  GO --- requires action.  We can't be isolated, we can't just be "comfortable Christians" going to church and Bible study and never getting outside of our circle of "safe" friends.  We must get out and GO...we may have to stretch ourselves a bit.  GO-ing may mean that we go to events that aren't customary for us; it may mean starting a conversation with someone that we think we have nothing in common with; it may mean really getting to know the people we work with.  GO-ing doesn't necessarily mean making a mission trip to a distant country...it may, if that is where God calls us...but it may mean just opening our eyes to where God wants us to GO tomorrow, even if it wasn't on our schedule...GO-ing may mean "GO-ing" out of our way, or "GO-ing" the extra mile.

2.  Make disciples --- testimony.  This is the hard part...this is the part where we have to rely on Jesus' promise of always being with us.  For we cannot make anyone a disciple on our own.  This is the work of the Holy Spirit within us, and the Holy Spirit at work in the other person.  We cannot convince anyone to accept the good news of Christ's saving work on the behalf of mankind.  It is only through the Holy Spirit prompting us at the right time, and us responding to the prompting to share with the person that the Holy Spirit is preparing to hear our words, that hearts can be open to the invitation to discipleship.  When this happens, we will share the wonderful gift of knowing that Jesus lived, died and rose again...all for us, so that we can know that we have forgiveness of our sins, and with that forgiveness the ability to be presented to God as His children.  As His children, we have a home prepared for us for eternity, a very certain future.

3.  Teaching them to observe everything that Jesus commanded.  The Great Commission doesn't end with just giving people the great news of Christ's forgiveness and our salvation...we are to teach what Jesus commanded.  Why?  If we are forgiven, and if we are saved, what else matters?  Can't we just leave our new convert with the Good News and call it "good"?  I think a lot of "discipleship" has ended there, without any subsequent teaching of what constitutes a true disciple of Christ.

What did Christ command of His disciples? 
John 13:34  "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."
John 15:12 "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."
John 15:17 "This is my command: Love each other."

And as Paul summarized in Galatians 5:14, "The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

True Christian discipleship is an exhibition of God's love for people.  We must love others, sacrificially, as Christ did.  We must be ready to give up our comforts to show others that there is something more important to us than "us".  This is where Christ-followers truly become counter-cultural --- if we are following Christ, people are our treasure, materialism loses its power.

Go - share in the power of the Holy Spirit - teach...

...let's do it!  Empower us Lord Jesus to go out and share You!

Day 2 - Week 84 - Matthew 28:20 "Teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

We attended a special Holiday Memorial Service at our church this evening, designed to comfort families who have lost loved ones through the year and who will be facing the holidays confronted with the sadness and emptiness that such loss brings.  We wondered if we could do it, if we could sit and hear our Michael's name called out, without breaking down into tears.  And we started not to go...but we did...and our daughter-in-law did, and our grandchildren did, and our other children did...and we all honored Michael with our presence and thanked God for the comfort that we received from those around us.

Was it difficult?  Yes.  But the songs, the prayers and, I think, most importantly, the hugs from those who pastor us and from others who are going through similar times of hurt and grief, made it a very good evening for all of us.  We left knowing that we are cared for, by God, and by God through people.  His love for us was truly felt.

I couldn't help but think, "You are always with us."  Even when we feel separated, even when we feel disconnected, God is with us....always.  Satan will try to tell us He is not....He is.  Satan will try to tell us that God is through with us....He isn't.  He is with us, always.

I need to hear this, and I thank God that He reminds me.  I need to feel this, and I thank God that He puts arms around me, arms of fellow Christians who are moving at His prompting to let me know, He loves us.

Our valley is deep, and it seems a long journey.  But I know He is walking with us.  And God is letting me know that He is never leaving, and that this journey will bring growth and insight.  I am praising Him in advance for what will come...maybe one of the lessons to be taught is that we are to always remember that He is with us, always. 

Hanging on to Him, He carries us through.

Quoting David Livingstone one more time,

"For would you like me to tell you what supported me through all the years of exile among people whose language I could not understand, and whose attitude toward me was often hostile?  It was this, 'Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.' On those words I staked everything, and they never failed."

Day 1 - Week 84 - Continuing on with our Directions!!

We are now starting WEEK 84 --- before you know it, our journey will be finished.  But I hope we will continue putting God's Word into our hearts on a regular basis.  As I've said before, I know that I will be going back and reinforcing so many of these verses, firming them up in my memory, as I know so many of them have slipped through the cracks of my aging brain!  At first that really bothered me, that not all of them were staying put, but I became content with knowing that I'm adding Biblical thoughts and principles to my head through this process, and if I need to go back and review and reinforce later on, that's just fine.  Feeding my brain with the Words of God has been just what I have needed, and I plan to stay on this diet the rest of my life!

Let's do a quick review of our recent weeks:

Faith: Trusting God and Resting in His Word (12)
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift."
Ephesians 2:9 "Not by works, so that no one can boast."
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."
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."
Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Romans 1:17 "For in it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith."
Psalm 56:3 "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."
2 Chronicles 16:9 "The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."
Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

The Great Commission (4)
Matthew 28:18 "Then Jesus came near and said to them, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth."
Matthew 28:19 "Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."


This week we'll add the third of our four verses regarding the Great Commission...the directions Christ gave us, as His disciples, before He left this earth.

So far we have Matthew 28:18, the affirmation of Jesus' authority to commission His followers.

Matthew 28:19,  Our "marching orders"...go and make disciples...everywhere.
Now adding on Matthew 28:20, "Teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.  And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.". 

On the previous post, I included a quote from David Livingstone, the Scottish missionary-explorer to Africa.  Robert J. Morgan includes this entry from Livingstone's journal dated on January 14, 1856 (almost exactly 100 years before my birth on January 13, 1956!) which shows his dependency on the words of Matthew 28:20...

I felt some turmoil of spirit in the evening a the prospect of having all my efforts for the welfare of this great region and in teeming population knocked on the head by savages tomorrow...But I read that Jesus said, "All power is given unto Me in heaven and on earth; go ye, therefore, and teach all nations...and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."  I took this as His word of honor and then went out to take observations for latitude and longitude, which I think were very successful.
 

Morgan adds, "The promise of God's presence is a potent reality for every Christian worker.  It was originally given to the eleven disciples on a hillside in Galilee; and it is so deeply impressed on one of them---Matthew---that he chose to end His Gospel with these words rather than by recording our Lord's ascension into heaven or the promise of His return.  What a joy to practice constantly the presence of the Lord!"

I am with you always...what a promise!  What a comfort!  What a God!  He is with us...what have we to fear?






 

Day 3 - Week 83 - Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

"If  a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"  David Livingstone

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."  Jim Elliott

"There are three indispensable requirements for a missionary: 1. Patience 2. Patience 3. Patience."  Hudson Taylor

"The greatest form of praise is the sound of consecrated feet seeking out the lost and helpless." Billy Graham

"There are four things that we ought to do with the Word of God - admit it as the Word of God, commit it to our hearts and minds, submit to it, and transmit it to the world."  William Wilberforce

The above are quotes by disciples of Christ who took the Great Commission very seriously.

David Livingstone was an Scotchman who forsook his comfortable home in Glasgow in order to take the Gospel to Africa as a medical missionary in the mid-1800s.  He once said, "I place no value on anything I have or possess except in relation to the kingdom of Christ."   He spent from 1840-1873 devoted to bringing the joy of Jesus to the interior of Africa.  Many of the time he spent away from his wife and five children.  He died an English hero, buried in Westminster Abbey.  Did he consider his commission to service to God a sacrifice?  Not at all, even though he sacrificed much of what we would consider the "good life."

Jim Elliot was a young man who graduated from Wheaton College in 1949.  While at Wheaton, Jim felt such a compulsion to share the Gospel with those who had not come to know Jesus that he would take the train into Chicago and spend the afternoon at the train station, ready to share with anyone that he could the good news of salvation.  Eventually, Jim felt called to travel to Ecuador to take God's Word to the Quichua Indians and specifically the Waodani tribe that lived in the deep jungle interiors.  Jim and the other missionaries of Mission Aviation Fellowship spent months preparing and learning as much of the Waodani language as they could from a young Waodani woman who came to them for help.  The Waodani's were an extremely violent and vicious people who had been cut off from society for centuries.  But Jim and his team were "commissioned" to take the Word to them, and they took their commission deadly serious, as they were massacred by the tribe upon their second arrival.  But the seeds planted on their first meeting, as well as with the Waodani woman whom had converted to Christianity through her relationship with the team, brought salvation to this tribe who now serves as light in the dark Ecuadoran jungle. Steve Saint, son of Nate Saint who was the pilot for Mission Aviation Fellowship continues to work with the Waodani's.  He calls Mincaye, one of the tribesman who killed his father, one of his closest friends.  "I came to speak God's carvings," Mincaye says, as Steve translates from Wao tededö into English. "Carvings" is the term the Waodani use for the Bible. "God tells us to teach the other people."  Disciples making disciples.

Billy Graham is a household name in the United States and in many other parts of the world.  He has been the primary proclaimer of God's Word in the 20th Century.  His evangelical crusades have brought the word to millions of people.  He has said, "My one purpose in life is to help people find a personal relationship with God, which, I believe comes through knowing Christ."  From the late 1940s up until today, he continues to stand for the Gospel.  He has spent the majority of his life away from his family in order to ensure that others have the opportunity to know that they are loved, forgiven and saved through the blood of Jesus.  He knew his commission, and he fulfilled it.

These three, Hudson Taylor and William Wilberforce quoted above, along with many, many more dedicated evangelists have responded to the Great Commission with absolute dedication and resolve. 

Have we all been called to commissions of this magnitude?  Probably not.  But we have all been called.  Are we taking our commission seriously?  Do we realize that eternal futures are at sake?  Or are we too self-minded to care enough for others to ensure that they have the knowledge necessary for them to understand the love, joy, and peace that is available to them? 

I pray to love others more, and to be ready to share, at any opportunity, the reason for the hope that I have within me.

Day 2 - Week 83 - Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

In Robert J. Morgan's book, "100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart", he recommends understanding the five great components of the Great Commission to better enable memorization. He lists the five components as:
 

1. Power

"The Great Commission begins with Christ's assertion of authority over heaven and earth. He has the right to send us even to those who don't invite us to come. We're authorized to go with the full backing of His unlimited power and authority."

I love that "He has the right to send us even to those who don't invite us to come." Jesus' authority overrides etiquette. We don't have to wait for an invitation...but where we go, we are to go with His grace, mercy and compassion.

2. Purpose

"We're to make disciples...A disciple is someone who confesses Christ as Lord, is actively growing in His Word, and is fully committed to His purpose of making other disciples."

If we allow it to be, the above should be convicting to those of us who have been Christians for a long time. Are we still showing the evidence of being disciples? Are we still actively growing in God's Word? Are we fully committed to His purpose of making other disciples? Or have we grown complacent in our discipleship. We certainly can't be enthusiastic about going out and "making disciples" if we aren't actively being disciples.

 

 

3. Place

"Our zone of ministry is the world: 'all nations.' Jesus predicted the gospel would be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations before He returns."

There is nowhere in the world that we are not to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No place should be beyond our concern. Whether we are physically going, or enabling others to go through our financial and prayer support, we should be passionate about the spread of the Gospel throughout the world.  With that being said, we should also be passionate about the Gospel being conveyed to every person living within our neighborhoods, our cities, our states and our country.  In fact, our immediate surroundings should be our primary place of influence.  It's sometimes easier to send money to others to spread the Gospel to the far corners of the world, than it is for us to take the courageous step of sharing our faith with the person who lives at the end of our block.
 

4. Plan

"Disciple-making involves two simple steps---baptizing and teaching.  Baptizing implies we've shared the Gospel and led someone to receive it.  Then we must teach that person."

"Discipleship isn't just a matter of book learning, but of lifestyle transformation."

 

Making a disciple does not end when you hear the person you've been talking to make their own personal profession of faith...that's just the beginning of their discipleship, and of your discipling of them.  To disciple means that you're willing to invest the time and energy that it will take to teach this new convert of what it means to be a Christian, and how their life is going to impact others, and that they too are to be passionate about discipling. 
 

5. Presence

"Just as Jesus began His Commission by asserting His power, He ended by promising His presence.  He'll abide with us always, to the end of the age.  He's a very present help, a Friend who sticks closer than a brother, and the unseen Partner in all our efforts for His Kingdom."
 

We never have to fear striking out on our own when we begin the adventure of discipline others.  Jesus has commissioned us, He has authorized us, and He is with us, always.  Whenever we have fears, doubts or uncertainties, we are to remember that He walks with us, that He is encouraging us, and that He is pleased when He hears us sharing Him with someone else.

Our lives here on earth, once we have become a Christian, are to be focused on discipleship...our own discipleship and making disciples of others, near and far.

Day 1 - Week 83 - Back after THANKSgiving!

I hope you and your family had a wonderful time of thanksgiving this past week.  Our family enjoyed a good times of eating, visiting and just "hanging out."  It was good to have our daughter and son-in-law here from Tulsa, and always fun to be around grandkids.  But most of all, it was good to take time to realize just how much we truly do have to be thankful for.  Even though the past months have been the hardest of our lives, we realize that God has blessed us with loving family, wonderful friends and so many people who have kept us in their prayers.  I know these prayers have made, and continue to make, a difference in our lives as we slowly, ever so slowly, make progress in this healing process that we will continue to go through.  And most importantly of all, we always give thanks that we have a Savior who, out of His love for us, took all of our sins with Him to the cross, died and through the power of God the Father, rose again.  Because of His testimony, we are assured of eternal life where we will never suffer the pain of death.  Hallelujah...that is cause for THANKSGIVING every day of every year!

Now, back to the Great Commission...remember our last verse?  It's been a few days since we've practiced it, so...do you remember?  Remember that before we can accept a commission, we need to be assured of the authority of the one issuing the directive!  So Matthew 28:18..."Then Jesus came near and said to them, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.'"

We are following the One of supreme authority.  Are we ready to receive His commission to us...it follows His statement of authority in the very next verse:

Matthew 28:19  "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

Jesus entrusted the message of salvation to a band of uneducated nobodies, simply telling them to "Go"...if we stay seated, if we don't get up and move, if we stay in our comfort zones, we will miss the opportunities to make disciples. 

It is very easy for us to avoid the commission to be makers of disciples, excusing ourselves by saying that "evangelism is not our gift"...but Jesus didn't put that caveat in His commission.  He didn't say, "For those of you gifted to evangelize, you go and make disciples...."  No, He said it to every one of His group of vagabond followers who would "Go" and who would turn the world upside down.  None of them ignored His commission to them.  None of them failed Him.  They did it.  They went. 

What's your excuse?  It doesn't count.  "Go!"

Day 3 - Week 82 - Matthew 18:16 "Then Jesus came near and said to them, 'All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.'"

Who do you view as your authority figure?  Your boss?  Your parents?  Your teachers?  Government officials?  Judges? 

All of these are definitely authorities in our lives.  But who is your ultimate authority?  If it is anyone other than Jesus, the Son of God, you have misidentified your commander in chief.  For Jesus has been given ALL authority, not only over our earthly lives, but also over our eternal lives. 

Consider these verses...

Matthew 10:32  "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven."

Matthew 15:16-17  " 'But what about you?'  he asked. 'Who do you say I am?'  Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."   Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah..."

John 20:31  "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

1 John 5:5  "Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."

Surrendering to the fact that Jesus is the authority over our lives is the faith step that takes us from mortality to immortality.  Here it is that we begin our "rebirth" into the realization that we were made for something more than this earth alone, we were designed for eternity, and Jesus is ready to begin to open our eyes to all of His truth.

When we recognize Jesus' authority over us, His Spirit comes to live within us.  His Spirit is now ready to teach us because we have put ourselves in a position of submission to His will over us.  Until this happens, the Holy Spirit will not force Himself upon us as unwilling participants.  We have to submit with our hearts to the authority of Christ.  

ALL authority has been given to Him...in heaven, on earth.  ALL will eventually acknowledge Him as King....

Philippians 2:9-11  "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

 

Get all excited go tell everybody that Jesus Christ is king!
I said get all excited go tell everybody that Jesus Christ is king!
Get all excited go tell everybody that Jesus Christ is king..
Jesus Christ is still the king of kings!

Let's get excited about our King...when we do, the Great Commission becomes our natural commission.  When we are excited about our news, we will be excited about sharing this wonderful, good news.  We have a great King and He is over all!   If we aren't excited, we should be...if we aren't excited, Holy Spirit please revive us to a spirit of excitement...light Your fire within us!

Hallelujah, Thine the glory...Hallelujah, Amen.  Hallelujah, Thine the glory, Revive us Again!
 

Day 2 - Week 82 - Matthew 28:17 "Then Jesus came near and said to them, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth."

"The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed." ~ Hudson Taylor.

Many of you will know who Hudson Taylor was, but many of you may not.  Hudson Taylor was the great evangelist to the Chinese.  He was born in 1832 and went to his heavenly home in 1905.  Hudson Taylor took the Great Commission seriously, spending 51 years of his life in China, spreading the gospel.  If it were not for Hudson Taylor's passion for spreading the Word of God, the church would likely not have a presence in communist China.  But because of the seeds he planted long ago, there remain faithful Chinese Christians...many of whom have been persecuted and imprisoned for their faith. 

Listen to the true zeal of Hudson Taylor's words... "If I had a thousand pounds, China should have it—if I had a thousand lives, China should have them. No! Not China, but Christ. Can we do too much for Him? Can we do enough for such a precious Saviour?"

That's the kind of zeal we should have...to carry in our hearts the impetus that Taylor carried, knowing that even though we can never do enough for such a precious Savior, we will give everything we have to show Him our gratitude.  And since Jesus' parting words to His followers were the commission to take the message of His love and forgiveness to the world, that is what He wants most from us as His followers of today as well.  It is the one thing that we can do that truly shows Him that we have listened to His words, that we have accepted His call, and just like His disciples, we are responding to His request to follow Him. 

Jesus, through His obedience to the cross and through His resurrection from the dead, declares His authority in heaven and on earth.  He is in the glorified position of authority, with everything and everyone under His command.  We either respond in submission or rebellion.  If we have claimed Him as our Savior, why would we want to do anything other than what He asks of us? 

Then why aren't we?  I know that many of us will say that we are not gifted evangelists.  Jesus didn't seem to give anyone an exemption, did He?  We are all called to share our faith...to go and make disciples. 

 

"Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere...go tell it on the mountain,

that Jesus Christ is born!"

 

Day 1 - Week 82 - On to the Great Commission!

We finished up our twelve verses of faith, and now we embark on the next leg of our journey.  It's a short leg - just four verses - all centered on the commission that Jesus gave to all who follow Him in faith to spread the gospel throughout the world.   I don't know about you, but I am feeling a greater compulsion than in the past to speak of my faith.  Maybe it is a part of getting older and not being as concerned about what people may think of you, and maybe it is growing in conviction of faith and realizing the urgency of letting people know that there is reason for hope, and that reason is named Jesus. 

What holds us back from sharing our faith?  Fear?  Fear of what?  Disapproval?  Well, would we rather have the disapproval of people or of our God?  Jesus has commissioned us to spread the Word...it is our job as His followers.  How are we doing?  How am I doing?  I know I have missed many opportunities, and that makes me very sad and it also makes me more determined not to miss future opportunities.  So maybe I'll become known as a "Jesus Freak."  I hope so!  Reminds me of the dc Talk song....

What will people think
When they hear that I'm a Jesus freak
What will people do when they find that it's true
I don't really care if they label me a Jesus freak
There ain't no disguising the truth

 

Let's throw away our fear and let's get bold in our witness.  Time is running out for someone you know, for someone I know.  Let's not miss the opportunities we are given...we have no assurances that we will have others.

 

We'll drop off the sections of verses on the Holy Spirit and on Joy to make room for our verses on The Great Commission:

Faith: Trusting God and Resting in His Word (12)
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift."
Ephesians 2:9 "Not by works, so that no one can boast."
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."
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."
Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Romans 1:17 "For in it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith."
Psalm 56:3 "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."
2 Chronicles 16:9 "The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."
Hebrews 11:6  "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

The Great Commission

Matthew 28:18  "Then Jesus came near and said to them, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth."

I can hear you saying, "That does not sound like a verse on spreading the Word to the world to me."  Well before someone accepts a commission, they need to know that the person sending them out on the mission to be accomplished has the authority to do so.  We need to be confident that Jesus is the One with the authority to send us forward.  When we have that confidence, we will not hesitate to do what He asks of us.  He is our commanding officer...we are His foot soldiers!  Let's march!

Day 3 - Week 81 - Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

"Here are four reasons faith is necessary for pleasing God.

1. Faith brings salvation to our lives.  As we've seen in previous verses, we are saved by grace through faith.
2. Faith brings motivation to our work. The main theme of Hebrews 11 is that faith leads us to do things for God we would never otherwise do.  It motivates, fuels, and drives our labor.  The very next verse (v. 7) tells how Noah, by faith, built an ark to save his family.
3. Faith brings rest to our souls.  When we're temped to fret and fear, we discover that God has given us multiple promises and assurances for every contingency in life.
4. Faith brings excitement to our future.  We look forward by faith to a city whose builder and maker is God (vv 10, 16)."

                                  From 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart, by Robert. J. Morgan

Our faith pleases God, and without faith we cannot please Him.  Our faith shows that we have come to the conclusion that God does, indeed, exist.  If we didn't believe God existed, we would not be coming to Him, would we? 

I think it is very pleasing to God when he sees one who has been trying to figure life out, trying to figure out who is in control, to finally come to Him in belief, no matter the road that they have taken to get to that point.  In fact, I think sometimes the longer, the more twisted the road that brings someone to the acknowledgement of God's existence, the greater the pleasure God has in their arrival.

It brings to mind the verses in Deuteronomy 4:27-29, "And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you.  And there you will serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.  But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Whoever you are, wherever you are, God is asking you to seek Him...to sincerely and honestly seek Him.  When you do that, you will find Him, you will believe that He exists, you will have found faith.  And He will be pleased.

 

Day 2 - Week 81 - Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

"Without faith it is impossible to please God..."

What is foundational to a life that is pleasing to God?  Faith.  Faith is where we start.  Faith as small as a mustard seed, but faith just the same.  Faith that says, "I believe, help my unbelief."  And faith as exhibited through those mentioned earlier in Hebrews 11: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sara, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, and Samuel.  If you want to know what lives of faith look like, go back and read their stories.  Were these people perfect?  Were they infallible? Nope - they all led lives that contained moments of weakness and rebellion.  But they  all looked to God through eyes of faith in Him.

Where are we tonight?  In the United States we are watching election results.  The race is so tight that no matter who you voted for, you cannot be assured of a victory.  But in whom are you placing your trust?  Where is your faith?

If your faith is grounded in any one person, if your faith is grounded in any human plan or device, you have no assurances for your future.  For any person can prove untrustworthy, any human plan can prove absolutely fallible.  There is no one who can give you the ultimate confidence that your future is secure.

But if your faith is in the Creator of the Universe, if your faith is in the One who is the Alpha and the Omega, who knows the beginning, the present and the future, then you can persevere through uncertain times, because your faith is placed in the One who is certain.

Rejoice in your faith...He is in control, He has always been, He always will be.



 

Day 1 - Week 81 - Let's look around and see where we are!

Here we are, starting our 81st week of our journey.  We haven't tracked our progress along the Appalachian Trail in quite some time.  Have any idea where we are? 

Well, with 80% of the trip behind us, we are passing through Vermont, just about to cross over into New Hampshire.  We have been hiking through the Green Mountains of Vermont, aptly named, don't you think?  Beautiful, beautiful pictures of nature...never forgetting the Creator behind these pictures!

Yes, the northeast is a beautiful place, just as so many of the places we have come through.  And God's Word is full of beautiful places...we have travelled through so many beautiful places of His Word, places of promise and places of assurance, places that encourage us and places that comfort us.  This week we'll add our last verse in our 12-verse section of "FAITH" verses.  Faith - the intangible that makes all the difference in our life---the difference that makes all the places we travel through, places of beauty.

Let's review and then let's add one more verse of faith....

The Holy Spirit's Role in our Lives (6)
Ephesians 5:18 "And don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled with the Spirit."
Ephesians 5:19 "Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making music in to the Lord in your hearts."
Ephesians 5:20 "Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Ephesians 5:21 "Submitting to one another in the fear of Christ."
Galatians 5:22 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."
2 Timothy 1:14 "Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you...guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us."

Joy: God's Kind of Happiness (12)
Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"
Philippians 4:5 "Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near."
Philippians 4:6 "Do not worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."
Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."
James 1:2 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds."
James 1:3-4 "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you will be mature and complete, lacking nothing."
1 Thessalonians 5:16 "Rejoice always."
1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray constantly."
1 Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."


Faith: Trusting God and Resting in His Word (12)
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift."
Ephesians 2:9 "Not by works, so that no one can boast."
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."
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."
Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Romans 1:17 "For in it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith."
Psalm 56:3 "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."
2 Chronicles 16:9 "The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."

Our final "FAITH" verse is a great one, it is so basic, and yet speaks volumes.  Let it settle in to your heart, and explore it with me this week.


Hebrews 11:6
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

 

Day 4 - Week 80 - 2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."

Our age of modern technology allows us some wonderful things...as well as some not so wonderful things!  But, like many of you probably, I get some daily Bible verses via e-mail, or messages via Facebook, that bring God's Word, or good thoughts to me throughout my day.

 

Yesterday, my Facebook had a "God Message" for me...and these particular messages are always prefaced with, "On this day of your life, Janice, we believe God wants you to know..."

 

Now, I really don't believe that wherever this post originates from receives a specific message from God to direct specifically to me.  But some days, it is strange how applicable they are to where I am and what I am going through at the time.  (More than likely, everyone who reads these thoughts feels the same way!)

 

But yesterday's "message from God" was,

 

"Faith is not necessary when you know how things are going to work out, - that's knowledge. It's in the time of unknowing that having faith is what sees you through to the other side. Faith is what gives you strength. Faith is that light in your heart that keeps on shining even when it's all darkness outside. Now is the time to keep that faith alive!"

 

That's a great definition of faith and it was the affirmation of faith that I needed...to be reminded that I don't have to know how things are going to work out, I have faith in my God that He will work them out; that He will get us through to the other side; that He is my strength; and that He is the light that shines in my life no matter how dark my surroundings may be.

 

I praise God that He, through His Holy Spirit, keeps faith alive in me...I will praise Him all the days of my life.  He is faithful, even when I am unfaithful (2 Timothy 2:13), He never leaves me nor forsakes me (Hebrews 13:5), and I will rely on Him.

 

 

Day 3 - Week 80 - 2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."

Sometimes God strengthens us in very humorous ways. 

Sometimes He does it in ways that we would never expect.  Like the other night....

We have a black cocker spaniel, Tux.  He's a good dog, a really good dog.  Robert and I had never had a dog all our years of marriage until 3 years ago when I decided it was time.  We went to the SPCA and found Tux.  Sometimes we wonder why in the world we acquired this little black dog of ours, and sometimes we are very glad that we have him. 

Tux spends a lot of time outside, but in the evenings he is inside with us.   Even though we have welcomed him into our home, he is not welcome in our bedroom and we do not allow him to sleep in the house unless he is crated. (I do not like waking up to morning surprises!)  So in the summer time, and as long as the weather allows, Tux would prefer to sleep on our patio, on his pillow, than inside in his crate. 

Well the other night we had a freeze warning, and Tux was forced to bed down in his crate.  He went in, reluctantly, I went to bed and thought all was well.  It was.  Until about 1:30a when I started hearing him rattle his crate door.  Rattle, rattle, rattle...silence...good, he's stopped.  Ten minutes later, rattle, rattle, rattle, rattle, silence...finally, he's stopped.  This went on for hours, really.  But I was determined that I was not going to get up and let him out or he would never get readjusted to sleeping in his crate.  A miserable night, except for the lesson.

At some point I had the very clear thought, "Don't let his rattling rattle you.  Ignore it."  And when I said it again in my mind, "Don't let his rattling rattle you," I connected it to another area of my life.  I have shared before that during times of grief and the death of someone very close to you, that you are vulnerable to attacks on your faith, doubts arise, and Satan takes advantage of the opportunity to "rattle" you.  "Don't let his rattling rattle you."  The ancient serpent loves to throw his words of doubt and accusation at us, just as the venomous rattlesnake raises his tail and causes us to hear his rattling, striking fear in us.  He uses any opportunity to do this, not just in times of grief.  Any time that we are faced with questions or doubts, his "rattling" can distract us from where our focus needs to be....on God and His faithfulness to us as His children.

God promises that He is always with us, that He never leaves us.  We know that "the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." (1 John 4:4)  We know that God is the ultimate Victor, and that the enemy will be eternally defeated. 

I thanked God that He used Tux in the middle of the night to remind me not to allow the rattling of my enemy to rattle my faith in Him.  To assure me that He is so faithful to me, that He is ready to strengthen me as I commit my heart wholly to Him.

Strengthen me, Lord Jesus.  Strengthen me when I am weak...my heart is yours, but sometimes I feel so weak, so fearful.  I need your strength.  Let me fully commit my heart to You, nothing held back.  Thank You Lord...you have answered my prayer...now strengthen me a bit more, and then a bit more...let my life show a continual increase of my commitment, and of Your strength. 

Day 2 - Week 80 - 2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."

Do you ever need strengthening in your journey of life?  You wouldn't think someone whose heart is fully committed to God would need to be strengthened, would you?  I mean those Christians that I look up to as steadfast and faithful...they don't ever seem to be in need of strengthening...they seem to be continually strong.  But not me.

That's one of the reasons that I find encouragement in this verse...that even though fully committed, we can still need to be strengthened.  Our hearts, no matter how far along we've gone in our journey of faith, still need God's superior strength to enable us to remain faithful during times of duress.  And I'm just starting to think that even those who I view as never lacking in strength, have their own moments of weakness.  But God's eyes are ranging the earth to see those who are in need of Him to come to their aid.  We all have times when we feel the attack of the enemy.

That's actually the context of this verse.  You see, Asa, the king of Judah, was being attacked by Baasha, the king of Israel.  And rather than turning to God for His power, Asa made a pact with the king of Aram to help him defeat Baasha.  Afterward, Asa was reprimanded by Hanani, who told him,

"Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.  Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand.  For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war"  

Asa was reminded that when he had relied on God, his powerful enemies had been defeated...because God is always ready to lend His power to those who are committed to Him.  When we are attacked by the wiles of our enemy (by issues of pride, greed, lust, envy, etc.), we should be wise to turn quickly to God to seek His power, His aid, for any other source will keep us vulnerable, and we will remain at war within ourselves.

But when we recognize our enemy, and call on God as our defender, He is ready and waiting to come to our aid with His supernatural power. Don't you think He moves with the speed of light in response to a call of need from one of His children?  I think that before the words leave their mouth, God is already working on behalf of those who are calling on Him.

Know that God is ready to fight for you...He is your defender...He will strengthen you when you commit your heart to Him.  He is watching and He is ready.  Rely on Him.

Day 1 - Week 80 - I'm putting in one of my favorite verses!

For the most part, I follow right along with Robert J. Morgan's list of verses.  But this week, while we're still in the section of verses regarding faith, I'm substituting one of my very favorite verses in place of the one that Mr. Morgan would have us focus on this week.  Just to be fair, I'll give you your choice if you'd like!  The verse included in our referenced text, 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart, is Psalm 4:8, "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, LORD, make me live in safety."  That's a great verse to remember late at night, and I do appreciate it's assurance, but I just can't get through this section of faith verses without including 2 Chronicles 16:9:

"For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him." (NIV)

or as the Holman Christian Standard Version phrases it,

"For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His."

or again as The Message paraphrases:

"God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to Him."

I love the word picture that this verse paints...I picture God's ever-seeing eyes, constantly scanning the whole globe...watching to see who is being faithful, who is standing for Him in the face of opposition, who is extending His love at the moment that it is most needed.  And when He sees those people, He is there ready to give them the extra strength that their faithfulness is requiring in order for them to continue on in even greater faithfulness. 

Fully committed...that's my goal.  To me, that's the definition of mature faith...full commitment.  No diversions.  Pushing forward toward the goal of being made complete in Jesus.

God's eyes ranging throughout the earth...hopefully finding my eyes focused completely on Jesus.

Don't think you're getting by without a weekly review....here's where we are:

The Holy Spirit's Role in our Lives (6)
Ephesians 5:18 "And don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled with the Spirit."
Ephesians 5:19 "Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making music in to the Lord in your hearts."
Ephesians 5:20 "Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Ephesians 5:21 "Submitting to one another in the fear of Christ."
Galatians 5:22 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."
2 Timothy 1:14 "Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you...guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us."

Joy: God's Kind of Happiness (12)
Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"
Philippians 4:5 "Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near."
Philippians 4:6 "Do not worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."
Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."
James 1:2 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds."
James 1:3-4 "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you will be mature and complete, lacking nothing."
1 Thessalonians 5:16 "Rejoice always."
1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray constantly."
1 Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."


Faith: Trusting God and Resting in His Word (12)
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift."
Ephesians 2:9 "Not by works, so that no one can boast."
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."
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."
Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Romans 1:17 "For in it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith."
Psalm 56:3  "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."
2 Chronicles 16:9  "The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."

 

Day 4 - Week 79 - Psalm 56:3 "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."

Be not dismayed what e'er betide,

God will take care of you.

Beneath His wings of love abide,

God will take care of you.

 

He will take care of you,

Through all the day, o'er all the way.

He will take care of you,

God will take care of you.

 

Civilla D. Martin - 1904

 

 

When I learned the words to this old hymn as a very young girl, they brought such comfort and assurance to me.  Up until this point, I had been a very worrisome little girl, a true hypochondriac, convinced that I would procure every disease that I learned of.  These were the days of Dr. Kildare and Ben Casey, M.D. and I couldn't watch an episode without going to bed convinced that I would die before morning due to the "disease of the week." 

 

I had Christian parents who introduced me to Jesus very, very early in life, and I had started developing my faith due to their influence and the influence of my Lutheran church and parochial schooling.  But when I let the words to this hymn soak into my soul, I started understanding the trust

component of faith.  I started realizing that with God as my Father, and Jesus as my Savior, that I had nothing to worry about.  Years later, when I read the verse in Romans 14:8, I recognized that this verse expressed the realization that I had come to.  "If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord."

 

We belong to the Lord...in the here and now, and in the there and then.  We can trust God...always. 

 

Childhood fears fade, but we find ourselves with adult fears as well.  There is much to fear in this broken world of ours.  But if we know whose hands our lives are being held in, we have nothing to fear.  We know that God is a good and loving Father. 

 

My prayer is that your fears are relieved tonight knowing that God will take care of you, what e'er betide.

 



Day 3 - Week 79 - Psalm 56:3 "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."

I was reminded this evening by Caroline, a young Christian friend of mine (I believe she's 14), that we are told 365 times in the Bible not to be afraid.  And yet, David says, "When I am afraid.."  As many time as we are instructed not to be afraid, our human tendency leans toward fear.  Maybe that's why God tells us so many times not to be afraid, He knows who we are and how easily fear can overcome us.

David follows the statement of his natural tendency with the perfect antidote..."I will trust in You."  No matter what it is that is causing us to have a spirit of fear, when we turn that fear over in prayer to our Father in heaven, He will start turning our minds to Him and bringing to us His peace that passes all understanding.

We have to believe in a God who is truly working all things together for our good in order to have a trust that will overcome fear.  If not, then we still have room to fear, don't we?  If God is not 100% on our side, then we have nothing to combat the many "what ifs" that this life can bring with it. 

But no matter how confusing life's circumstances can be, and how little sense they can make to us, if we have developed a faith that is based in our God who is always good, always loving, always working on the behalf of His children, then we can trust even when we don't understand, even if we can't make sense of things, that He is on our side, and that our lives are still securely in His loving hands. 

I am told over and over again, "Do not be afraid."  But "when I am afraid"...

"I will trust in You."

Day 2 - Week 79 - Psalm 56:3 "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."

"Nine words and ten syllables.  About the same length as your phone number.  But what a life-changing sentence to learn and live!  Notice the opening word---not if but when.  Fear---in its various forms---besets us every day.  And notice what Psalm 56:3 doesn't say:

• When afraid, I will panic or fall to pieces.
• When afraid, I will grow depressed and give up.
• When I am afraid, I will run and hide.

"It says, 'When I am afraid, I will trust in You'---in Your providence, in Your promises, in Your protection, in Your power, in Your peace.  Faith is being confident that God's positives are greater than our negatives, and that His providence is overshadowing our lives.  Faith in a faithful God is the only lasting antidote for debilitating fear."  ~  Robert J. Morgan

When I am afraid...do I trust God's providence, His promises, His protection, His power, His peace? 

When something tragic and unexpected happens, how do you continue to trust in God's protection?

Well, along with trusting in God's protection, you have to pass through the trust of God's providence, promises, power and peace.  For reasons we probably will not see on this side of eternity, loved ones are taken at times when we don't think they should be.  While I am certain that God does not cause these tragedies, I do believe that He determines, in a nano-second, taking all the factors of that point in time into His completely omniscient understanding, that taking them home is the best thing.  He promises us that we will see clearly one day, that He has the power to resurrect those who believe in that power, and that He will give us His peace.

Protection?  I know that we live in a broken world where out-of-control things can happen in an instant.  Where disease can attack quickly.  Where disasters can strike without warning.  Is God going to intervene in these events?  Maybe...sometimes...when He sees that as the best thing.  But I believe that when we pray for the protection of those we love, what God is truly asking us to be seeking is His spiritual protection, just as Jesus asked for His disciples in John 17:15, "My prayer is...that You protect them from the evil one."

We will all die...some sooner, some later...unless Jesus returns for His own before our natural deaths.  When we do, we will leave someone wondering, "Why?  Why now?"  God alone knows that answer.  But what we want to be certain of, and for those we love to be certain of, is that His protection was around us, and that He carried us home.  That is the best protection...because it is eternal.
 

Day 1 - Week 79 - What a verse for the coming week!

Another wonderful night of Bible study with a wonderful group of ladies.  It is such a blessing to study God's Word with women who you know are both seeking a greater knowledge of God, and who truly love each other.

We have spent two weeks on Romans 1:16-17...do you have them down?

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.  For in it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith."

What great assurance these verses should give us...God has provided for all to be saved through faith in His plan.

I praise God for who He is...He is over all.  By Him all things were created and all things were created for His glory.  Including me.  I desire to glorify Him every day I remain on this earth, and then I look forward to glorifying Him in His presence for eternity!  That is the day I see through faith. 

Let's review where we've been and then let's add this week's wonderful verse of assurance!


The Holy Spirit's Role in our Lives (6)
Ephesians 5:18 "And don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled with the Spirit."
Ephesians 5:19 "Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making music in to the Lord in your hearts."
Ephesians 5:20 "Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Ephesians 5:21 "Submitting to one another in the fear of Christ."
Galatians 5:22 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."
2 Timothy 1:14 "Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you...guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us."

Joy: God's Kind of Happiness (12)
Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"
Philippians 4:5 "Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near."
Philippians 4:6 "Do not worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."
Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."
James 1:2 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds."
James 1:3-4 "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you will be mature and complete, lacking nothing."
1 Thessalonians 5:16 "Rejoice always."
1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray constantly."
1 Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."


Faith: Trusting God and Resting in His Word (12)
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift."
Ephesians 2:9 "Not by works, so that no one can boast."
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."
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."
Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Romans 1:17 "For in it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith."

Our next verse?  Back to the book of Psalms...
"When I am afraid, I will trust in You."  Psalm 56:3

Can you get any more direct than that?  Do you have fears?  The past month has confronted me with many times of fear and anxiety.  What is my answer?  I will trust in God.  Why?  Because He loves me...because He knows me...because He has provided for me in the best possible way, He has given me life through Christ.  I will trust in Him.  He is working on my behalf and He is Victory.

When I am afraid, I will trust in You.  Thank You, God, for being totally and absolutely trustworthy.