Read Philippians 1:2-7
Who do you know as well as Paul knows the Philippians? People that you can say like Paul does about his friends in Philippi that they are partners together in the gospel?
Paul's words come across as great encouragement to the Philippians. He's confident of their faith, filled with joy because of their commitment to Christ and recognizes that God isn't done with the Philippians.
Friends, it's important for all of us to have a Paul in our life and be a Paul to someone else. We all need people to encourage us and partner with us and contend with us for the faith in Jesus Christ. This world throws a lot of discouragement and distraction when we want to live obedient to the word of God. So who is it you know that's cheering you on? Who is it you now that's celebrating when you're celebrating and praying with you when you need prayer? All of us are in this together and we need one another. God repeats Himself over and over with commands for us to come alongside one another as brothers and sisters in faith so that the word and work of God will be carried on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Pray this week for the people in your life. Thank God for those who have been like Paul to you and ask God to show you who you can be like Paul to.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Impossible?
Read Mark 10:27
Jesus' disciples were perplexed. Ever felt that way when something doesn't make sense? If so then you know exactly how the disciples felt this day when speaking with Jesus.
He was answering the rich young man's question, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" After realizing what stood between him and eternal life and what Jesus required of Him, he went away said because he loved his great wealth more than God. What about us? What's in our life that we love more than God? Honestly.
Jesus makes it perfectly clear - inheriting eternal life on our own IS impossible. But He goes on to let everyone know - WITH GOD nothing is impossible.
Praise Him, thank Him and commit to Him all that you have. Nothing compares to His glorious riches offered to us by His amazing grace. And love Him for making the impossible, possible in Christ alone.
Jesus' disciples were perplexed. Ever felt that way when something doesn't make sense? If so then you know exactly how the disciples felt this day when speaking with Jesus.
He was answering the rich young man's question, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" After realizing what stood between him and eternal life and what Jesus required of Him, he went away said because he loved his great wealth more than God. What about us? What's in our life that we love more than God? Honestly.
Jesus makes it perfectly clear - inheriting eternal life on our own IS impossible. But He goes on to let everyone know - WITH GOD nothing is impossible.
Praise Him, thank Him and commit to Him all that you have. Nothing compares to His glorious riches offered to us by His amazing grace. And love Him for making the impossible, possible in Christ alone.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Release
Read Acts 4:23-31
Peter and John had been arrested because of their faith and upon their release some interesting things happened. First, they were not deterred from praising God. They opened in prayer, praising God and then recalling David's words and how the nations plot against the King of Kings. They remember Herod and Pontius Pilate conspiring against God's holy servant Jesus. What a great description of Jesus - holy servant! It's who we are called to imitate by the power of the Holy Spirit.
And then as they continued praying, after asking God to perform miraculous signs and wonders, the place where they were meeting was filled with the Holy Spirit and the word of God was spoken boldly.
Friends, let's be ambassadors for the release and power of the Holy Spirit in our world today! We have God's power living in us, so let's not waiver or cowher to the plots and plans of man. But instead let's be men and women committed to abiding in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit so that the truth of God may be made known everywhere.
Peter and John had been arrested because of their faith and upon their release some interesting things happened. First, they were not deterred from praising God. They opened in prayer, praising God and then recalling David's words and how the nations plot against the King of Kings. They remember Herod and Pontius Pilate conspiring against God's holy servant Jesus. What a great description of Jesus - holy servant! It's who we are called to imitate by the power of the Holy Spirit.
And then as they continued praying, after asking God to perform miraculous signs and wonders, the place where they were meeting was filled with the Holy Spirit and the word of God was spoken boldly.
Friends, let's be ambassadors for the release and power of the Holy Spirit in our world today! We have God's power living in us, so let's not waiver or cowher to the plots and plans of man. But instead let's be men and women committed to abiding in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit so that the truth of God may be made known everywhere.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Sheep Listen
Read John 10:22-30
You may or may not think so, but sheep are interesting. Think about it - they become so familiar with their shepherds voice that when they hear it they listen. And Jesus uses this truth to explain to a gathering of Jewish people that they in fact are not His sheep. How does He know this? Well of course because He's God, but also because He already told them He was the Christ and they didn't recognize His voice. See if they were His sheep they would have known He was their shepherd, their Messiah.
Now for many of us we have already identified Jesus as our Shepherd so we know His voice and we follow Him. But at times for all of us we confuse His voice for someone elses. And it's at these times we have to learn to block out the noise and really focus on the voice of God. Because if we don't we are following another shepherd and that shepherd doesn't have our best interest in mind.
Take time and consider areas of your life where you are hearing and following Jesus' voice. Isn't it wonderful to know God is with you, guiding and navigating you through the turns of life? But then take some additional time, and this really requires focused attention, and consider areas of your life where you aren't hearing and following Jesus' voice. Question - how's that working out for you? All of us need this reminder that we can only hear God's voice if He is our shepherd. Let's listen to His voice and follow Him.
You may or may not think so, but sheep are interesting. Think about it - they become so familiar with their shepherds voice that when they hear it they listen. And Jesus uses this truth to explain to a gathering of Jewish people that they in fact are not His sheep. How does He know this? Well of course because He's God, but also because He already told them He was the Christ and they didn't recognize His voice. See if they were His sheep they would have known He was their shepherd, their Messiah.
Now for many of us we have already identified Jesus as our Shepherd so we know His voice and we follow Him. But at times for all of us we confuse His voice for someone elses. And it's at these times we have to learn to block out the noise and really focus on the voice of God. Because if we don't we are following another shepherd and that shepherd doesn't have our best interest in mind.
Take time and consider areas of your life where you are hearing and following Jesus' voice. Isn't it wonderful to know God is with you, guiding and navigating you through the turns of life? But then take some additional time, and this really requires focused attention, and consider areas of your life where you aren't hearing and following Jesus' voice. Question - how's that working out for you? All of us need this reminder that we can only hear God's voice if He is our shepherd. Let's listen to His voice and follow Him.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Example of Ezra
Read Ezra 7:10
This one short verse says a lot about this man Ezra. It tells us he was a man devoted to the study of the Law of the Lord. But it tells us more. It tells us he was a man who was devoted to the observance of the Law of the Lord. And then it tells us one more thing, he was devoted to teaching the decrees of the Law of the Lord in Israel.
Imagine for a moment your name was going to be included in the Holy Scriptures. Think about that for a minute. What would you want it to say about you? Would it say the kind of things that were written about Ezra? Now take another moment and consider not what you would want it to say, but what would it actually say based on how and what you have devoted your life to? Would you be thankful for what was written about your devotion or would you prefer your name be left out because your devotion was placed in the wrong places.
Ezra's life with this one little verse gives us a great example of what and how we should devote our lives. Let's commit ourselves to full devotion. Full devotion to studying the word of God; full devotion to obeying the word and then full devotion to sharing the truth of God.
This one short verse says a lot about this man Ezra. It tells us he was a man devoted to the study of the Law of the Lord. But it tells us more. It tells us he was a man who was devoted to the observance of the Law of the Lord. And then it tells us one more thing, he was devoted to teaching the decrees of the Law of the Lord in Israel.
Imagine for a moment your name was going to be included in the Holy Scriptures. Think about that for a minute. What would you want it to say about you? Would it say the kind of things that were written about Ezra? Now take another moment and consider not what you would want it to say, but what would it actually say based on how and what you have devoted your life to? Would you be thankful for what was written about your devotion or would you prefer your name be left out because your devotion was placed in the wrong places.
Ezra's life with this one little verse gives us a great example of what and how we should devote our lives. Let's commit ourselves to full devotion. Full devotion to studying the word of God; full devotion to obeying the word and then full devotion to sharing the truth of God.
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