Breaking Bread

Acts 2:46-47.  Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread from home to home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.  And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

One of the key features of the early church was they made fellowship with God and each other their primary focus.  By building relationships with one another, they grew spiritually and God blessed them individually and as a whole.  These are people who had given all their earthly possessions to further the mission of the church so they could wholly concentrate on God in their lives.  Their ability to make God their treasure instead of earthly wealth is not only admirable, but really mind-blowing.  As Christians we are called to continually refocus on God and living His will in our lives.  This call is challenging, though, because our human essence gets distracted with the world and feelings of inadequacy.

Today as you meditate on this Scripture, think about what it means to put God first in your life.  Challenge yourself to put God first, and write down how you intend to do that.  Pray for guidance to follow His will for you.  Pray also for God to bless our church and the development of our connection groups.  Praise Him for having a plan and intention far greater than anything we can imagine.  Reaffirm to God your willingness to be used by Him in building this critical ministry in our church.

His Truth

John 8:31-32—Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.”

Freedom in this passage refers to freedom from the oppression of sin.  Sin takes the form of anything in our lives that separates us from God.  Sometimes those things might be obvious—it is clearly a sin to murder or to engage in an affair, for example.  Other times, though, sin is not so obvious.  A person could have great intentions for glorifying God, but along the way get lost or take personal credit for what God has done.  When we study the Bible and Jesus’ teachings, we stay tethered to God and His purpose in our lives.  It is harder to lose sight of God if we pop in for a visit every day.  The only way to overcome the separation that sin creates is to continually return to Scripture so that we reinforce and build upon our relationship with the Lord.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, thank God for loving us enough to send His Son to cover us in grace.  Pray for peace and intention as you continue growing in your personal relationship with Him.  Ask Him to reveal Himself to you in special ways so that you are reminded of his constant presence.  Lift up praise that you know His truth.

Banish Ignorance

Acts 3:17-18—“And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.  In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets that his Messiah would suffer.”

In this passage, Peter and John attribute Jesus’ crucifixion to the ignorance of the people.  After performing a miracle, Peter and John call upon the crowd to repent and turn from ignorance into the light.  Have you ever interacted with a person who has just enough information to be dangerous?  We all know the kind of person who already knows it all, is not interested in hearing a different perspective, and jumps to judgment based on fragments of disconnected information.  Even today, our churches remain at risk of ignorance, and it’s critical that each member develop a close and knowing relationship with the Lord.  The Enemy infiltrates through weaknesses, and ignorance is one of the greatest weaknesses humans possess.  As a child, one of the ways I was taught to combat ignorance was through Bible Study.  In the summers, I learned the Pledge to the Bible during Vacation Bible School, and those words remain a reminder of my responsibility to remove any ignorance by studying God’s Word and building relationship with Him.

As you meditate on this Scripture today, consider making this pledge: I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word.  I will make it a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and hide its words in my heart that I might not sin against God.  Praise God today for giving us His Word as a guide in our daily lives.  Ask Him to provide you the disciplined spirit to grow in your knowledge of His Word and His ways.

Saying Yes to God

Acts 2:42-47—They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.  Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.  All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.  Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.  And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

When the people of God join together, the miracle of His blessings is beyond anything we can imagine.  The amazing thing about God is that He does not expect us to work miracles for Him.  On the contrary, He asks us to say yes to Him so that He can work miracles through us.  At New Covenant, I believe God has HUGE plans for us, and I believe part of that first step is coming together as a tight-knit church family.  By forming connection groups, we are creating the infrastructure for God to work through us as a church.  We don’t have to see the full vision right now, and we don’t need to be overwhelmed by a God-sized task.  We have already done the most important thing—we said "yes!"  He is in charge of unfolding the rest. 

Today as you meditate on His Word, take a moment to give thanks to God for blessing our church with strong leadership and individuals who repeatedly say “yes” to His call.  Thank God for giving you and the other facilitators the heart, courage, and energy to say “yes” to beginning connection groups.  Pray for God to bless our efforts and for Him to continue revealing His plans for our church.  Open yourself up to His call and reaffirm your willingness to say “yes” to Him.

Grace Covers That

Romans 6:14—For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Sin is anything that separates us from our relationship with God.  As Christians, we are called to be diligent in building our relationship with God.  It is easy for us to get distracted with life, and anytime we forget to seek God first, we are separating ourselves from Him.  We each have our own obsessions.  Mine happens to be work.  I know beyond doubt that God has called me to the work that I do.  Even so, my work still can become a distraction.  My family waits patiently for me whenever I immerse myself into a project.  They stand by while I give my time to my students.  They celebrate my successes with me.  Even though they are happy and thankful that my work is meaningful and provides for us, they also feel sad that it takes away from my time with them.  Sometimes, my projects fill me up so that I can connect more meaningfully with them.  Other times, I am so drained that I have nothing left to give them.  I think in my relationship with God, this effect gets magnified, and I’m constantly called to reassess, reprioritize, and refocus on Him. 

Today as you meditate on this Scripture, give thanks to God for His great mercy in removing sin from our lives.  Rejoice that we are eternally connected to Him because of what He did—not because of anything we have done.  Make a list of those things in your life that distract you and interfere with your relationship with God.  Ask Him to take control over those areas.  Pray for diligence in building your relationship with Him.  Make a commitment to daily renew your connection to Him by prioritizing Him in all areas of your life.  

Finding contentment in what God has provided

Philippians 4:10-13—I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.

In this passage, Paul is giving thanks to the church at Philippi for sending him an offering.  In his thanks, it is important for him to show gratitude while at the same time reassuring the church that he does not depend on their contributions because God always provides for his needs.  In our lives, we should strive for a similar contentment.  Just yesterday I was able to reunite with a dear friend whom I see only a couple of times a year.  Over the last four years, I have seen her endure significant family struggles involving her role as step-mother to two children whose birth mother suffers from severe mental illness.  There have been times when it seems like she and her family just cannot catch a break.  Last night as she was catching me up on the latest, she shared with me how they had run into some walls with the court system back in May.  During that time she had reached out to her father to complain and vent about how terrible their situation was.  She confessed that she was starting to doubt God because she could not see Him in the midst of their circumstances.  Her dad challenged her to shift her focus to those things that were going the right way instead of concentrating on those things that were not working out.  Last night, my friend listed off countless blessings, opportunities, gifts, and abundance that God had provided even in the midst of saying no to some of her specific requests.  She is in the process of learning contentment, and she feels blessed that her father was able to point her in that direction.

Today I challenge you to shift your focus and find contentment in your life.  Ask God to reveal Himself to you in whatever your circumstance.  Stop concentrating on what you want or what you don't have and begin thanking God for what He has provided.  Ask Him for understanding so that you can rejoice in all that He has provided you. 

Renew Your Mind

Romans 12:2—Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

We live in quite a flawed world, don’t we?  Right now, wars are raging, our jails our overcrowded, and we have a crisis in many social institutions, including government and education.  In the meantime, we grow increasingly disconnected from other humans because of this high-tech digital age demanding so much of our attention.  The American culture stands out as one of the largest consumer economies on the planet.  If we see it, we want it—the bigger the better.  These are the ways of the world we live in.  As Christians, though, we have a responsibility to be non-conformists.  We are supposed to shine Jesus’ light for the world to see.  We fulfill these obligations by making a commitment to daily renew our minds and live according to God’s will. 

Today as you meditate on His Word, pray for a renewing of your mind.  Ask God to reveal His perfect will for your life.  Identify those areas in your life where you might feel content conforming to the ways of the world.  Pray that you would be transformed in your spirit, and ask for courage to live as a Child of God in this world.  Pray also for our world leaders, today, that they would act wisely and humanely.  Ask God to influence their actions according to His purpose.

A New Creature

2 Corinthians 5:17—So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

Pastor Francis Chan has said, “Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers.”  Christians are called to live counterculturally, and often our decisions will seem odd to the people around us—even other Christians.  The challenge, of course, is that we are not called to live as if we are superior to unbelievers.  Oh contraire!  We are called to love each other with the love Christ showed for us.

Today as you meditate on this Scripture lift up a prayer of thanksgiving for the new creature you have become in Christ Jesus.  Ask God to continue revealing His purpose in your life.  Say yes to His calling and take note of the God-sized dreams He is placing in your heart.  Consider keeping a prayer journal so you can go back and see how God has moved in your life to use you according to His will.  Allow yourself to be His light in this world.

Do Not Conform

1 Peter 1:13-14—Thereafter prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed.  Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance.

 

The book of 1 Peter is a letter that Peter wrote to a group of newly converted Christians living in the region of Asia Minor.  Most of these people were considered outsiders and were held as slaves by non-Christian pagans.  These individuals could expect to be persecuted and punished for their beliefs, and even so, Peter was calling them to live faithfully.  As followers of Christ, we are expected to be transformed and interact with the world around us on a different level, even when we aren’t accepted by others.  The world is not going to change and our problems will not disappear just because we believe in Christ.  What does happen is that we become equipped to better handle the shortcomings of the world.  We understand that our time on this earth is temporary, and our faith has the power to free us from whatever worldly desires enslave us.  Whether we desire success, wealth, or acceptance by the world, our salvation in Christ means that we don’t need to rely on the world to meet those needs.  Remember, God has created each of us uniquely for a special and particular purpose.  He intended for us to learn spiritual lessons and grow in ways that can only take place on Earth in preparation for eternal life with Him.  Accepting that purpose requires discipline and a conscious decision to listen to God’s direction in your life above whatever personal desires you may have.

Today as you meditate on this Scripture, pray that God would reveal His purpose in your life.  Thank Him for choosing to create you for your special purpose.  Recommit to His purpose for you and reset your mind to leave behind your own plans for the greater ones He has laid out for you.

Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God!”

Take a moment today as you begin your quiet time to read Psalm 46 in its entirety.  Tumultuous times are described in the first verses, and God is identified as a refuge and steadfast source of strength in trouble.  Throughout the ages, nations have warred with each other—it’s really nothing new.  Yet, any time people go to war, it takes an emotional toll not only on the countries involved, but on the entire world.  How can we not be sad at the number of people dying every day?  How do we not question senseless acts, like the shooting down of commercial airlines?  How is it possible that countries at war can agree to cease-fires for humanitarian needs, but then pick those weapons back up to bully their way through whatever other disagreements they have?  God’s promise, though, is that he is present.  He is in the midst of everything—He feels our troubles and pains.  So, even though we might not understand why certain things are happening in the world around us, we can find comfort in knowing that God is always present, right in the thick of things.

As you pray, think about those areas of your own life that feel unsettled—those thoughts that you just can’t quiet.  Pray for peace and quiet.  Ask God to reveal His presence to you so that you truly know He is God.  Today also lift up prayers for those living in war zones.  Ask God to comfort them and meet whatever physical needs they have today.  Pray for wisdom, tolerance, and patience in the leaders of those nations at war. Ask God to guide them to a path of peace.

Anchor Yourself to God

Micah 6:8—He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

The first time I read this Bible verse, I was in my early 20’s and going through one of those times when the whole world feels upside down.  The words of this verse hit me with the force of the universe, and it made my world come into focus.  It also instantly became one of my “anchor” verses.  Anchors are those Bible verses that we memorize and call upon for comfort, direction, and guidance—a memory verse, if you will.  As a child, I memorized lots of Bible verses , so I have lots of anchors to lean on. Sometimes a song or hymn would lodge the Word of God in Heart, other times it might take rote memorization.  This particular verse stays with me because it reminds me that it really does all boil down to something as simple as this: do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God. 

Today as you meditate, think about the anchor verses that speak to you.  The Word of God is what enables you to walk humbly with Him, so tuck His Word away in your heart.  Pray that you would recognize justice today and do what you can to achieve justice in the world around you.  Ask God to open your heart to kindness, both receiving it and giving it.  Finally, thank God for choosing to love you and wanting to build an intimate relationship with you.

Praising God During the Storm

Psalm 42:11—Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.

When we are suffering greatly in our lives, it can be difficult to lift up praise to God.  For one thing, we might be feeling angry or like our circumstances are somehow God’s fault.  We might be feeling lonely and separated from God.  Perhaps we are feeling ashamed of our circumstances.  Whatever it is that we are feeling, though, God knows it—He feels our pain; He abides with us and in us so that we are never alone. 

Casting Crowns produced an inspirational song a few years back called Praise You in this Storm.  Take a moment today and worship the Lord through song as you watch the video and listen to the words of this song.  You can even sing along if you like.  Thank God for His abiding presence in your life and pray that you might always praise His name whatever season of life is upon you.  

Shattered Glass: Seeking God When Life Falls Apart

Psalm 42:4-6a—These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I went with the throng, and led them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.  Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me?  Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.

Sometimes it seems like our universe can do a complete 180 in the blink of an eye.  It’s entirely unsettling when we are moving along beautifully in our lives and then suddenly the entire world has shattered around us.  That’s exactly what happened to me a few years ago, just before moving to Savannah.  We were living in Florida and everything was about as perfect as it could get.  My career was going well, my family was healthy, my friends were faithful.  And then one day, my career was snatched out from underneath me.  During that time, I felt so confused, and I kept wondering how it happened.  How was it possible that Wednesday morning I was on my way to a promotion and by Wednesday afternoon I was being told I had utterly failed.  My brain, my body, and my soul did not know how to process it, and I kept thinking about those wonderful times before noon on Wednesday trying to understand how my world had turned so dark.  Then one day, about three weeks later, an overwhelming sense of peace settled in all around me, and suddenly I understood that I was being prepared for something bigger, a particular mission God had in place for me and my family.  It was about two days after that peaceful feeling that I was approached about moving to Savannah.  Had my world not turned upside down, I would not have been where I needed to be to get that offer.  And even if I had gotten it, I probably would not have taken the risk at all.  But God knew all along what He was preparing in me, and He used all things, even the painful things, for His Honor and Glory.

Today as you pray and meditate on this Scripture, think about where you are in your life and thank God for all He has used to bring you there.  Can you genuinely say thank you for even difficult times?  If you struggle to thank Him for the adversity you have endured, pray for understanding and a grateful spirit to grow within you that you might joyfully thank Him for even the most difficult times you have passed through in your life.  Pray that you might always trust in His plan for your life that He will work everything together exactly as it is intended to be.

Thirsty for God?

Psalm 42:1-3—As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, “Where is your God?”

In this passage, the psalmist is expressing a deep anguish because he feels far away from God.  In the midst of an illness, he has had to endure the skepticism of those around him, and he feels like God is not with him.  Despite feeling so alone, the Psalmist calls out to God, and he seems to trust that God will return to him. 

Sometimes in life we are faced with great adversity.  There are times when our pain is so great, we might struggle to see God in the midst of it all.  In those times, it’s natural to call on God and beg for comfort and understanding.  But why wait until a time of great despair to long for connection with God?  Do you crave God and call out to Him, when everything is going perfectly in your life?  When life is wonderful, it’s easy to forget about longing for God because we start to feel like we don’t need Him. 

As you meditate on His Word today, call upon the Lord just like the psalmist did so many years ago.  Ask God to create in your soul a longing for Him and unquenchable thirst for intimacy and connection with His Spirit.

What am I doing here? Meditations on 1 Kings 19.

1 Kings 19: 9—At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there.  Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

The story of Elijah is one just about anyone can relate to.  He had been doing exactly what God had called him to do, and he was doing a really great job.  But the people in his community were not happy with him.  In fact, they despised his work so much that they wanted to kill him.  Elijah got scared and fled into the wilderness.  There, the Lord revealed himself to Elijah and He asked him, “What are you doing here?”  What a profound question...

Sometimes we need space, time alone, to regroup and think about what we are doing and ask ourselves, “What am I doing here?”  Are we following God’s will for our lives?  Are we trusting him above all else, even when the world is critical of what we are doing?  I still remember the day I realized that by following God I was inheriting the disapproval of so many around me.  Sometimes that included the disapproval of my family and other Christians who did not understand God’s calling in my life.  There were times I felt lonely, afraid, and sad just like Elijah.  I even questioned whether I was really following God.  At the end of the day, though, God always revealed Himself to me, and I learned to rely on that.  C.S. Lewis once said, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”  God has made each of us uniquely for another world-His world.  When we let ourselves experience a relationship with Him and follow His leadership in our lives, we have nothing to fear in this world. 

As you mediate and pray on the Scripture for this week’s message (1 Kings 19:1-13), ask God to reveal His will for your life.  Thank Him for His steadfastness and reliability.  Resolve to follow His direction even when the world questions you.