Read Malachi 1:6-14
"I'm doing the best I can" is a phrase uttered in virtually every relationship we can think of. It's said between husband and wife, parent and child, teacher and student, employer and employee, coach and player. Think about it, it's a saying we utter without giving it the thought it really demands. To say "I'm doing the best I can" is a bold statement. And it's a statement many followers of Christ might not want to admit we make, but whether we say it out loud or simply believe it inside, the truth is we don't always give God our best.
The prophet Malachi points out the imperfect sacrifices of the priests and people, demonstrating the content of their hearts. The people weren't sincere and Malachi confronted this attitude with the Word of God which was clearly calling for unblemished sacrifices and sincere hearts.
Malachi tells us in Malachi 1:6-14 how God feels when we give less than our best. God is the best of the best so what He wants from us, deserves from us is simply the best. Read this passage, then meditate on how all of us are called to give God our very best. Our very best attitude and effort in every way possible. Remember what God says in v. 14 - "For I am a great King" and "My name is to be feared among the nations."
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
The Compassionate God
Read Psalm 86
It never matters how often we deal with it, it always stings. The death of a loved one is never easy and always we're in need of being consoled when we lose a loved family member or friend. God shows us in Psalm 86 we have a God who understands, a God we can turn to in all our difficult times and a God who always offers His great compassion and grace.
Psalm 86 reminds us that we can always turn to God in our time of need. No one is immune from needing God's help when we're facing difficult times. Take time and read Psalm 86 and reflect on how this prayer of David just might reveal your need to come before God and rely on His goodness, His forgiveness, His compassion.
Allow this Psalm to penetrate whatever it is you are facing this week and be reminded that God will answer you in your time of trouble because as verse 13 says "great is your love toward me."
It never matters how often we deal with it, it always stings. The death of a loved one is never easy and always we're in need of being consoled when we lose a loved family member or friend. God shows us in Psalm 86 we have a God who understands, a God we can turn to in all our difficult times and a God who always offers His great compassion and grace.
Psalm 86 reminds us that we can always turn to God in our time of need. No one is immune from needing God's help when we're facing difficult times. Take time and read Psalm 86 and reflect on how this prayer of David just might reveal your need to come before God and rely on His goodness, His forgiveness, His compassion.
Allow this Psalm to penetrate whatever it is you are facing this week and be reminded that God will answer you in your time of trouble because as verse 13 says "great is your love toward me."
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Focused Ministry
Read Acts 6:1-8
It happens in every ministry - people complain. In Acts 6 we catch a glimpse of the complaining going on between widows who were feeling like they were not being treated fairly. So the Twelve apostles gathered the disciples to devise a plan so they could remain focused on their ministry.
The plan - let us do what we have been called to do; so in the meantime let's choose seven men, known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom who will take over this responsibility of serving food to the Grecian and Hebraic Jews. They did this so their ministry of prayer and ministry of the word would continue.
Check out the results of their plan - "the proposal pleased the whole group" and the word of God spread as the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, while a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
Focus yourself on the ministry God called you to and remember the results will draw people into commitment and obedience to Him.
It happens in every ministry - people complain. In Acts 6 we catch a glimpse of the complaining going on between widows who were feeling like they were not being treated fairly. So the Twelve apostles gathered the disciples to devise a plan so they could remain focused on their ministry.
The plan - let us do what we have been called to do; so in the meantime let's choose seven men, known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom who will take over this responsibility of serving food to the Grecian and Hebraic Jews. They did this so their ministry of prayer and ministry of the word would continue.
Check out the results of their plan - "the proposal pleased the whole group" and the word of God spread as the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, while a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
Focus yourself on the ministry God called you to and remember the results will draw people into commitment and obedience to Him.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Message of Clarity
Read Matthew 9:1-8
All of us would agree, at least from time to time, that reading the words of Jesus recorded in the gospels often leave us scratching our heads. Case in point is Matthew 9:1-8. A man who is paralyzed is brought to Jesus and His response leaves us confused. After seeing their faith Jesus says, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." Can you imagine hearing these words and thinking what was that all about?! I mean seriously why does He tell this man His sins are forgiven. What's that all about? Is it because of this man's sin that he was paralyzed is a question that comes to mind.
Yet Jesus doesn't leave us hanging for long. In verse five and six He explains. Tells those charging Him with blasphemy that for Him it's just as easy to say your sins are forgiven as it is to say get up and walk to a paralyzed man. He was giving them a sign, healing a man physically to show that He can do so much more than what's physical. He can heal us of our sin.
Don't miss the last verse. Matthew 9:8 tells us the crowd praised God for what Jesus had just done. This is so important - that not one of us neglects to praise God for His amazing gift, forgiving our sins!
All of us would agree, at least from time to time, that reading the words of Jesus recorded in the gospels often leave us scratching our heads. Case in point is Matthew 9:1-8. A man who is paralyzed is brought to Jesus and His response leaves us confused. After seeing their faith Jesus says, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." Can you imagine hearing these words and thinking what was that all about?! I mean seriously why does He tell this man His sins are forgiven. What's that all about? Is it because of this man's sin that he was paralyzed is a question that comes to mind.
Yet Jesus doesn't leave us hanging for long. In verse five and six He explains. Tells those charging Him with blasphemy that for Him it's just as easy to say your sins are forgiven as it is to say get up and walk to a paralyzed man. He was giving them a sign, healing a man physically to show that He can do so much more than what's physical. He can heal us of our sin.
Don't miss the last verse. Matthew 9:8 tells us the crowd praised God for what Jesus had just done. This is so important - that not one of us neglects to praise God for His amazing gift, forgiving our sins!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Who?
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.
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 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.
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