Thurs Devo: Opening the Seals

We’ve been studying recently in Revelation the worthiness of the Lamb, Jesus, to open the 7 seals of the scroll. What’s in the scroll, though, and what are the seven seals? Revelation chapter 6 begins to describe each seal as it is opened. Each seal seems to reveal preliminary events leading up to the culmination of God’s plan for redemption and justice.

Revelation 6:3-4 & 7-8        ³ When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” ⁴ Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword….

⁷ When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” ⁸ I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

God only allows this fourth rider power over ¼ of the earth. He doesn’t let the rider wipe out everyone and everything. I think this indicates how patient God is. Even though God is just and sovereign, He is also slow to anger and abounding in love. As each seal is opened, only part of God’s wrath is unleashed. Each seal or event could be seen as warning signs of worse judgment to come. God holds back the full force of His wrath and continues to give people additional opportunities to recognize God, repent of their sins, and turn to Him.

How are you and I comforted, knowing all power on earth is subject to God’s timing and control? 

Alice 

God Will Take Care Of You

But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, son of My friend Abraham,  I have taken you from the ends of the earth. I have called you from its farthest parts, and said to you, ‘You are My servant. I have chosen you and have not turned away from you.’ Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will give you strength, and for sure I will help you. Yes, I will hold you up with My right hand that is right and good.  Isaiah 41:8-10

As I start my devotions for the New Year, I realized something that many of you may have already acknowledged.  2015 was a hard year!  I know that I had my challenges, but when I recall a lot of the pain and suffering many of you have had to endure, my troubles seem to pale in comparison. Some people I know have even begun to question where God fits in their lives or even if He exists.  When you hear the conversation circle around that fact, you know things have been tough.  We all get knocked down at some point, and yes, the life we live can at times be discouraging.  But today, I want to follow along the verse of 1 Thessalonians 5:11; to encourage you and build you up by assuring that God is still God, and He is with you.

God is with you each and every step of the way.  The challenges and suffering you may have faced last year will not last, and the uncertainty and fear you may be dealing with shall not endure. God knows exactly where you are, and wants you to know He has not forgotten you.  David wrote in Psalm 23:4, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid for you are close beside me.  Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” These are words of encouragement whether in good times or bad.  For those of you who may be in a time of prosperity, let this be a time to pause and reflect on the blessings God has given you, and for you to ask what you are doing for God.  Deuteronomy 8:11 says, “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today.”

The New Year is a time to reset and look ahead at what God has in store for you.  We have been saved through Christ so that we will one day live with Him in Heaven. Thus while we may have uncertainty in our lives, we can be assured that God is always with us. What can you do to focus more on God’s promises and less on your current situation?  How can you in live by 2 Corinthians 5:7 where you walk by faith and not by sight?  My prayer for you today is no matter where you are and what you are going through; keep the words of an old gospel hymnal in your mind and heart;

Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you;

Beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you.

God will take care of you,

Through every day,

O’er all the way;

He will take care of you,

God will take care of you!

Amen.

Tues Devo: Prayers for friends

Colossians 1:9-12 “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.” (NASB)

Hello,

In reading through the first chapter of Colossians, this section really jumped out and challenged me in  terms of how I pray for my friends who are believers. There is nothing surface here – the items brought to the Lord are entirely related to their relationship with Him. When you look at the list, you may notice:

·         Consistency – never ceasing to pray

·         Whole Mental Circle – knowledge, wisdom and understanding

·         Execution – walk in a manner worthy of the Lord

·         Active Growth – Increasing (knowledge), Strengthened (power)

·         Grounding – giving thanks to the Father (recognize source)

How are we as believers praying for one another? I know I am short of this model – and am looking forward to praying more completely for my friends.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

Thurs Devo - Valuable Gift

What was the most valuable gift you received this year? What’s the most valuable gift you’ve ever given or received?

Nine years ago on Christmas Eve, Joe surprised me with an engagement ring! Besides being the most valuable material Christmas gift I’ve ever received, I gained Joe as a partner for life!!! The latter is priceless.

Did you know God considers you and me precious and valuable? Jesus purchased us back as a valuable gift for God.

Revelation 5:7-10     ⁷ He [the Lamb] went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. ⁸ And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. ⁹ And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
    and with your blood you purchased for God
    persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
¹⁰ You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
    and they will reign on the earth.”

Knowing how valuable you, your prayers and your service are to God, what priorities and goals will you set for this New Year?

Happy New Year!
Alice

Right Here and Now

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.  Ephesians 3:16-19

As people, we spend a lot of time focusing on what’s ahead.  Some of us get caught up into the past.  Very rarely do we focus on the here and now.  We too often look at our own spiritual growth and development and usually say one of two things.  One, we look to God saying, Lord, please do something for us to understand your will for our lives or remove this barrier that is in front of me.  Those who dwell in the past become depressed because the past represents the old you; the one who sinned and always said or did the wrong thing at the wrong time.  However, there is a select few who get it.  They realize the future is what God holds for them and the past is what God forgave them of.  What matters most is that we are thankful to God in the here and now, and He removed the chains that held you up in the past and liberated you to go forward into the future.

God loves you exactly where you are, and has done everything in your life to put you in position to do great things right now.  If you are like me, you might look at your life and ask what God sees in a sinner like me.  I know I still am subject to sin, but I am far from the person I used to be when Christ saved me.  Through His grace, I am given the opportunity to humbly get back up and learn in my quest to do better.  That is what growth is.  It is messy, painful, and often unwanted.  Paul in today’s verses prays for us to both embrace the transformation that we are undergoing and appreciate it today.  Through it all, we come to find achievement, maturity, and greater understanding of God’s will for our lives.  Your failures through God’s love and grace help shape you.  They do not however define you.  Furthermore if you are too focused on the future as to how you will get better, you may miss on what God is trying to show you right now.  If we know God is all knowing and all powerful and we trust in Him completely, would it make sense that you are right where God wants you right now?  All that has happened occurred because God allowed it to.  Our goal is to embrace the person we are now; flawed but loved by the Almighty God who is the only one who is perfect.

God has put you right where you need to be today.  You may not be where you want to be, and you might not be happy with how you got here.  But today, God is what He has always been in your life; present and with you every step of the way.  So as Paul hopes, let us all experience Christ love in its fullness so that we will realize today that we can do anything!  How can you focus on the here and now more?  What will you do with the strength God has given you?  My prayer is that rather than dwelling on the past or focusing on the future, we pause and embrace the person God has made you right here and now.  Amen and may you have blessed and Happy New Year!

Tues Devo: Hope

Romans 5:1-5 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (NASB)

Hello,

As we get ready to cross into the New Year, the concept of hope is talked about or referred to quite often. We gear up for the next year and think about where we will improve, look for what may be in store, and hope it is better than the last year (even if the last year was good as well). The problem is that we have begun to use a different word for hope. We seem to make is synonymous with “wish” or “dream” – but that is not the way this is looked at here in scripture. Here hope is seen as what is to come, but what is not in question. As you look at the cascade of events in these verses the reason they lead to hope is that by going through tough times in full reliance on God, we begin to see things more clearly from His perspective. We are more in step with what He desires and walk more closely with Him. As we do that, we remember who He truly is, that His end game is perfect and will come to pass and that He wants what is best for us in that perspective all along the way.

Where is your hope going to be placed this new year?

Will Hill

Thursday Devotional - Who is Worthy?

Last week we saw how God is worthy of all praise and honor. Is there anyone else that is worthy? Will we ever be worthy?

None of us are holy or righteous. The only way we can be seen as holy and righteous in God’s eyes is to believe in Jesus’ work on our behalf (His death, resurrection and exaltation). Philippians 3:9…not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

So, will we one day be worthy, as well? I don’t think so. Worthy means morally upright and fully deserving. We are holy and righteous because God has consecrated and justified us by His grace and mercy through the blood of Jesus. However, we will never be fully deserving.

The next passage in Revelation points out that there is no one on earth or in Heaven that is worthy. 

Revelation 5:1-7       Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. ² And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” ³ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. ⁴ I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. ⁵ Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁶ Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.⁷ He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.

Only triumphant Jesus, the Lamb slain for us, is worthy before God!

Let’s celebrate today and tomorrow the real reason for the season – Jesus was sent as a baby to be slain on a cross for you and me! He deserves and is worthy of our focus and praise!!!

Merry Christmas!
Alice 

True Grit

Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,
    I will not be disgraced.
Therefore, I have set my face like a stone,
    determined to do his will.
    And I know that I will not be put to shame.
He who gives me justice is near.
    Who will dare to bring charges against me now?
Where are my accusers?
    Let them appear!
See, the Sovereign Lord is on my side!
    Who will declare me guilty?
All my enemies will be destroyed
    like old clothes that have been eaten by moths!  Isaiah 50:7-9

You ever go through a daunting task or situation where at one point you could either fail to overcome or seem too tough?  I had a task like that where it just never seemed to be where I wanted it to be, and the mounting pressure built as the deadline approached.  For a bit, it seemed it would never get done, but I remembered something I had heard at a conference talking about how sometimes you have to use feeling that is hard to define but necessary to just get it done.  Some describe it as toughness, but the word they used was grittiness.  So rather than resign myself to just dealing with my potential failure, I dug my heels in and fought with grittiness never giving in to the voice that it could not be done on time.  Low and behold, I had completed my task when I needed it to be done and ahead of schedule.

Being a servant of God sometimes will require us to fight through some tough situations.  A question was asked in my bible study about when to let go of something.  Is God testing us to be vigilant and ‘gritty’ or does He want us to go another way?  Only through prayer can that be answered, but when it comes to being faithful servants as Ephesians 6:11 would suggest (Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes), we must always stand for Him.  This is what Isaiah conveys in today’s verse.  Because we confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior, we have God on our side.  Thus, we should be comfortable embracing this choice.  When times might seem tough and the pressure seems to mount, we must show our own ‘grit’ to stand for God and His will for our lives.

No one said serving God is easy.  Jesus said, “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:14 - NIV)  When you are weary from the struggles in your life and following God feels more like a burden than a blessing, remember to find strength in Him, who can carry you through anything.  Do not give in.  Dig your heels in, and find that something in you that is God inspired and keep fighting.  What challenge are you facing today that needs God’s inspired strength?  What situation can you handle better knowing God has your back?  My prayer is that when challenged with worldly suffering and conflict, we respond with God inspired true grit.  Amen.

Tues Devo: Joy, part 3

Matthew 2:13 “Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.’” (NASB)

Hey – that verse sounds like lots of joy! As we have looked at joy being found to be most full in the presence of God – let us not miss the fact that the enemy wants to steal our joy from us. Whatever he can do, he will to keep us separated from God. He tried to use Herod to steal the joy while Jesus was yet an infant, and he continues today to do things that will take our joy away. This isn’t always by introducing the obviously evil, sometimes it is done by him in introducing the things that look good or fine on the outside – but are truly intended to distract us from the presence and will of God.

Jesus knew the plan to come for His life on earth, and knew that He would have to die. The enemy would try and use that to steal the joy from folks, but Jesus knew that was just temporary  - and His presence again will bring a joy that cannot be taken away from us. Jesus goes through this discussion in John 16 – with verse 22 saying “ Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” (NASB)

Have a joyful day!

Will Hill

A Promise of Hope

Just last week, I posted "Bring It."  While I do know the end of the Bible and the major concepts within the middle, I don't know the details of the next chapter as I'm going through this study of Ezekiel.  I'm slowly pondering and praying about each chapter as I'm going through it, and only focusing on one chapter each week.  I found it rather poignant that the next chapter of Ezekiel includes these verses:

33 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. 34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. 35 They will say, “This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited.” 36 Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the Lord have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’  Ezekiel 36

Yes!  We are told the end of the story.  This brings up a concept I hadn't heard before.  I had heard that our bodies will be restored at the resurrection, but I hadn't heard that the ruins would also be rebuilt.  The desolate land would be cultivated again.  Think of it, everything around us will be restored to reflect God's glory.

It'll be a wonderful day when we see that.  I remember a few members of our church visited New York City years ago and specifically found one of the first churches from our denomination.  The church had been long closed, bought and renovated, and was now a pizza parlor.  While it was a beautiful pizza parlor with stained glass windows, it was still very troubling to the members of the congregation that visited the site.  Honestly, I wasn't that upset by it.  I didn't have the whole story as to why the church closed, for all we know the church had outgrown that location in NYC and had relocated to a larger site.  The building itself is not important, what we do as Christians is what's important.

Still, the verses reiterate that what is torn down, or refurbished into a pizza parlor, can and will be rebuilt by God.  Nothing is impossible for him.  What man has made, God can certainly make, reshape, and improve upon.