A Peaceful Spirit

Colossians 3:22-25—Slaves obey your earthly masters in everything, not only while being watched and in order to please them, but wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters, since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong has been done, and there is no partiality.

Do you ever have those periods in your life when it feels like every single relationship is testing you?  This week has been one of those challenging times for me with students, colleagues, and even family.  During those times, it is hard not to lose heart, and it is difficult to show love to people when they are intentionally trying to hurt you.  This passage of Scripture is one of my anchors during periods of adversity.  It reminds me to always do the right thing, no matter how anyone else is treating me.  It also reminds me that I’m not in control anyway.  God is in control of all things, even in chaotic times, and I must never lose faith in Him.

Today as you pray and meditate, thank God for always being in control.  Pray that He would fortify your spirit and build up love in your heart that it would spill forth onto those around you, even when they aren’t ready to love you back.  Praise Him for His perfect plan in your life and pray that He would bring peace to your spirit always.

Loving Our Family

Colossians 3:18-21—Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart.

This Scripture provides a framework for reciprocal familial relationships.  A healthy family is filled with mutual respect, but each member demonstrates that respect in a different way.  Sometimes, though, showing love and respect for the members of our family presents a challenge.  It is easy to lose patience with those that we love because we get to a place that is so comfortable, it is like our filters go away.  We get so secure that our family will always love us that we forget to behave with a loving attitude toward them.  Not only that, but we see all the deep dark crevices of the weaknesses in each member of our family, and they see ours.  The better we know someone, the harder sometimes it is to show unconditional love because we start to make judgments and hold grudges based on past interactions.  We are also afraid of the judgments they make about us.  Sometimes we lose our patience and find it hard to forgive them for being human.

Today as you pray and meditate on this Scripture, consider the relationships in your life.  Give God thanks for blessing you with those relationships in your life.  Ask God to reveal those areas that need your attention.  Pray that He would fill you with a spirit to show His love to the most special people in your life.

Live for Him

Colossians 3:17—And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

God has created each of us uniquely to fulfill a special purpose in His grand design.  Everything we do, even the most mundane chore around the house, has a purpose in God’s plan.  We don’t have to be preachers or missionaries to live our life for God, either.  In fact, if all we ever did was surround ourselves with other believers, no one would ever know the love of Jesus.  We are supposed to take His message out into the world because we aren’t Christians just when we show up to church.  Our status has permanently changed, our passport has been stamped, and our citizenship in God’s kingdom has been secured.  We are fundamentally changed in Christ’s love, and we must demonstrate that in all aspects of our life.

Today, prayerfully consider your daily routine.  Ask God to live boldly in you so that others may see him.  Ask Him to reveal areas where you have shut Him out and invite Him in.  Lift up praise to God through the words of Casting Crown’s Lifesong: May the words I say/And the things I do/Make my lifesong sing/Bring a smile to You/Let my lifesong sing to You/Let my lifesong/sing to You/I want to sign Your name/To the end of this day/Knowing that my heart was true/Let my lifesong sing to You.

He Loves Me

Colossians 3:16—Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.

Do you know how much God loves you?  Deep down inside, in the depths of your soul, do you really believe it?  Before we can show others His love, we must first open our hearts to feeling the love He offers us.  When we learn Scripture, we gain a richer understanding of the love He has for us.  The more we study His Word, the less abstract it is—it will become personal and real to us.  Something we can actually feel.  As Christians we are responsible for showing that love to others, reminding them of Christ’s love for us.  We are supposed to hold each other accountable in a loving way.  Once we know God through His Word and allow ourselves to constantly feel loved by Him, the joy of our souls cannot be contained.  It will bubble out in joyous song enveloping all those around us in the circle of Christ’s love. 

Today as you pray and meditate on this Scripture, lift up praise to God for His steadfast love.  Be still and listen with an open heart ready to receive and acknowledge His love for you.  Let every part of your being flood with the light of His love and bubble over in song.

Peace in Christ

Colossians 3:15—And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.

What does it mean to have the peace of Christ? It means we shouldn’t worry or feel scared—we shouldn’t become paralyzed by the inadequacy of our humanity.  We aren’t in control of what is happening in our lives, but we can rest assured that God is using all things together to bless us, not harm us.  God’s vision is multi-dimensional and far-reaching.  He understands more about what we need than we could ever fathom. 

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, take whatever worries, fears, and anxieties you have to God.  Be explicit when you talk to Him, and tell Him how you are feeling, why you are feeling that way, and ask Him to take control of the matter.  Ask Him to calm your soul and make His presence known to you.  Offer up praise for his abiding presence in your life.

Listening to God

Psalm 19:14—Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Everyone needs a good friend—you know, that person who is a good listener, who remembers what you say, pays attention when you talk, and gives you good advice when you need it.  I’ve been blessed with some really good friends in my life.  I also have some of those people who do a lot more talking than listening and who usually call only when they need something.  That kind of friend is really annoying, and it’s hard to be a good friend back to a person who is totally self-absorbed.  When I think about the type of friend I want to be, it makes me think about my prayer life.  God wants us to engage with him in conversation.  Prayer is our time to talk to God, and meditation is when we open ourselves to listen to Him.  Both aspects are necessary to a healthy spiritual life, but it’s easy to focus more on the prayer side because that is the more active part.  Meditation calls for us to listen and be still.  Just like we want good friends who both listen and talk, God wants us to listen and talk to Him. 

Today as you meditate on this Scripture, lift up your prayers to God, but also try to quiet your mind so that you can meditate, too.  Try to put all the chatter out of your mind and focus on receiving His peace.  Thank God for His love and desire to be in relationship with you.

Look Up

Acts 10:23b-26—The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”

Cornelius seems to have been a man hungry for spiritual connection.  He was so open to the Gospel message that God sent an angel to him instructing that he send for Peter.  But in his eagerness, he initially mistook Peter for more than just a man.  He fell down to worship Peter and Peter had to tell him to stand up.  When Jesus ascended into heaven, Peter and the other apostles were left with amazing gifts that gave them great power to spread the Gospel, and sometimes others wanted to worship them instead of God.  That power could have easily gone to their heads.  Time and again, though, we see them grounded in their humanity while focusing the hearts, spirits, and minds on God.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, consider the two main characters in this passage.  Can you identify with Cornelius, a man so hungry for spirituality that God spoke to Him even before Cornelius knew Him?  Can you identify with Peter, a man so assured in his faith that he humbly accepted his humanity and redemption through Jesus Christ?  Pray that God would ground you even while your eyes lift upward.

Disciplined Faith--Part III

Acts 10:17-23—While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?” The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

Here is where we see Peter make sense of his recent vision.  God instructed Peter to disregard the ancient Jewish law that would have prevented Peter from eating with Gentiles.  Within moments of receiving the vision, and before Peter even had time to fully process it, he was called to follow God’s instructions.  With reckless abandon, Peter heeded the call. The strangers who knocked on his door were not Jewish, and they were summoning Peter on behalf of the centurion, Cornelius.  Never before had Peter fellowshipped with Gentiles—it must have been a shock to his very being to rebel against this Jewish law he had followed his entire life.  Yet, the moment God told him to open his heart to the Gentiles, Peter willingly obeyed by inviting these men into his house as guests.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, open your Heart to God’s call.  Take a moment to listen to the song “Live Like That” by Sidewalk Prophets and let that be your prayer.  Ask God to give you the courage to live like that, with reckless abandon following Him no matter what anyone in this world thinks about it, and full of peace knowing your Savior takes delight in your devotion.  

Disciplined Faith--Part II

Acts 10:9-16—About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.  He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.  He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”  “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”  This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

 

Another set of rules we see Peter following in this Scripture passage has to do with the ancient Jewish law.  For centuries, the Jewish law prohibited Jews from consuming certain foods and associating with certain “unclean” people, like Gentiles.  As a rule follower, Peter abided by these rules even though they clashed with the command that Jesus gave Him to go out into the world and spread the gospel.  In this passage, we even hear Peter question God’s command to eat what is impure and unclean.  In this vision, God tells Peter not to be so consumed with following rules that he misses out on what he has truly been called to do—minister and build relationships with others.  God is giving Peter permission to break the Jewish rules because those rules were made by man—not by God.  Though there was a time when those rules served a purpose, God alerts Peter that the time has passed and those rules interfere with God’s plans.  I sometimes think of rules and traditions like a cast that is used to set a broken bone.  Initially, the cast is absolutely essential to place the bone in a safe place so it can heal.  Eventually, though, once the bone heals the cast must be removed.  If the cast remains too long, the muscles will atrophy and that part of the body will wither and die.  In the context of religion, the same is true.  Churches often need traditions and rules to give them structure to survive.  But at a certain point, the rules and traditions may begin to interfere with God’s plan and cause the church to wither and die.  It’s important to pause and listen to God, especially when we start to feel too comfortable in what we are doing.  He always reveals His plans for us and He will make His intentions known. 

Today, as you pray and meditate on His Word, ask God to reveal those areas of your life that have been too systematized.  Question whether there are rules and traditions you blindly follow.  Is there something that is getting in between you and your connection with God and your connection with those around you?  Open your heart and ask God to reveal His will for you.  Pray that He gives you courage to follow Him and wisdom to understand His call.

Disciplined Faith--Part I

Acts 10:9-16—About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.  He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.  He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”  “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”  This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

This passage of Scripture reveals a lot about Peter’s daily habits and discipline in living out his faith.  Peter was a rule follower, and he was strict with himself.  For example, even though he must have been famished from all his travels, we see him delay his meal so that he can spend time communicating with God.  We also see that he doesn’t just do a quick prayer and then run off to eat.  No, he lingers and allows himself to meditate by falling into a trance.  He takes time not only to talk to God but also to listen to Him.  In our daily lives, it is easy to get caught up in quick prayers.  Sometimes it seems like we barely have time for even a 5 minute devotional—how in the world can we find time to linger and listen to God?  But that is exactly what we ought to be doing so that we become so connected to God that we feel His guidance at every moment in our lives.

Today, as you pray, consciously build in a few minutes to meditate with a clear mind.  Open your ears to hear God’s call.  Pray specifically about how God would like to see you participate in the 30 Days of Silence initiative that begins tomorrow at 6 a.m. at New Covenant.  Embrace this opportunity to mature in your discipline of prayer and meditation so that you might be a vessel for change and a beacon of peace, hope, and light for our city.

Give Back

Luke 6:37-38—“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

When Jesus came to walk among us, He turned this world upside down.  He spent time with the unclean.  He scolded the priests.  He broke the rules by working and healing on the Sabbath.  Those around Him were amazed at His revolutionary understanding of the nature of God.  Suddenly, God was not some distant angry power that existed to punish His people; rather, He was revealed as a merciful and gracious God filled with love for His creation.  And His message is brilliant in its simplicity: love.  When we take a moment to think about it, we can see that EVERYTHING we are and have comes from God only.  We are powerless to do anything on our own, and we owe a debt of gratitude to God for all the blessings He bestows upon us. Who are we to judge or condemn someone else? What is more, when we give back to God, we give thanks and acknowledge that He is our provider.  He promises to return to us by the same measure in which we give. And that’s a nice reward, isn’t it?  But that is not really the driving force behind why we give.  We give because He first gave to us, and we honor, love, and respect Him when we offer up a portion of what He already gave.

Today, give thanks for the many blessings God has poured into your life.  Pray that you would have eyes to see the full magnitude of His love for you, even through whatever difficulties might be playing out in your life.  Honor and praise Him by making a commitment to give back to Him a portion of the blessings He has given you.

Turn the World on its Head

Acts 5:40-42—And when [the Sadducees] had called in the apostles, they had them flogged.  Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. As they left the council, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. And every day in the temple and at home, they did not cease to teach and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah.

When we heed God’s call, we are bound to disrupt the world around us.  We tell a new story of compassion, grace, and mercy, and that story turns this world on its head.  In fact, if our faith doesn’t inspire and challenge non-believers, we should ask ourselves whether we are actively living out our faith like God wants us to do.  In America, being a Christian is easier than in many other parts of the world.  We aren’t persecuted for being Christians, and we can attend church anywhere anytime we want. That doesn’t mean we can afford to become complacent in our faith, though.  By living our faith we challenge and encourage other Christians to do the same.  And when we show the love of Christ to unbelievers, we are a part of spreading His message to the ends of the earth.

Today, as you pray and meditate on His Word, ask God to hold a mirror up to you so that you can honestly examine your life as a witness for Him.  Ask Him to reveal areas of your life where He wants you to turn this world on its head for Him. Pray for strength of character and courage to loudly live out your faith each day of your life.

Devoted only to God

Joshua 7:10-12—The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why have you fallen upon your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I imposed on them.  They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have acted deceitfully, and they have put them among their own belongings.  Therefore the Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they turn their backs to their enemies, because they have become a thing devoted for destruction themselves. I will be with you no more unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.”

It’s easy to get caught up in the things of this world.  Especially in America, more is more and bigger is better.  We grow up believing that if we work hard enough, we can have the American Dream—that we should want the American Dream.  But God tells us that our central focus should be Him-we should want Him, be hungry for Him, crave him.  When we become too attached to something in this world—a car, jewelry, clothing, labels, etc.—those things interfere with our relationship with God. When we are not focused on God, we become vulnerable to the enemies’ attack.  We might even feel like God has abandoned us.  Intellectually, we know He has promised never to abandon us, but sometimes we distance ourselves so far from Him that our human bodies and minds cannot feel or hear Him.  We are called to declutter and fix our attention on Him so that he envelops us in His protective fortress.  In that space, we can feel peace and contentment no matter what the world hurls in our direction.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, dig deep into your heart.  Is there an area of your life where you are holding back from God? Is there an area where you could release that last stronghold of control and offer your complete life as a sacrifice to Him.  Pray that God would give you a willing spirit to foster the release in your life.  Thank Him for the ultimate sacrifice He made through the crucifixion death of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Treasure Hunt

Luke 12:34—For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

This short verse is one of my anchor verses that I lean on when life starts to feel a little bit out of control.  It is so easy to shift our focus from God’s will to our own wishes and desires.  It’s especially easy when everything seems to be going well.  We begin to take credit ourselves for the good things—Finally, our hard work has paid off!  Yet, when the world reveals that no human really has control over anything in this life, we run to God questioning why He has allowed our lives to fall apart, begging Him to make everything right again, and sometimes even getting angry with Him for not being in better control.  This verse reminds me that whatever earthly treasure I have—whether it be money, possessions, fame, or something else—it will always interfere with my relationship with God.  It’s not that God doesn’t provide for us.  He assures us that He will meet our every need.  It’s that we ought to constantly re-center on Him with such fervor that the earthly things really don’t matter so much to us.  They might make life easier, and we should appreciate that, but they should never capture our heart or interfere with our relationship with God.

Today, as you pray and meditate on His Word, think about where your treasure is. Thank God for providing for you and ask Him to fill you with a sacrificial spirit so that you can sever any stronghold of earthly treasures.  Affirm your relationship with God as the only treasure you desire.

A Surrendering Spirit

Acts 5:3-5—“Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!” Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died.

Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, wanted it all—a secure place in the kingdom of God all the while coveting a stockpile of earthly treasures.  Not only did they desire wealth, but they went as far as to lie about it and pretend they had altruistic and pure motivations.  This kind of deceit and hypocrisy is dangerous to the life of a Church.  God, of course, saw right through it, and they were both punished harshly.  The thing about entering into a relationship with God is that it requires a complete surrender.  We can’t build a relationship with Him when we have one foot in the secular world and the other in His kingdom.  We might look like the best Christian, the most active church-member, the most capable disciple of God, but if we are holding something back God will know it, even if other Christians have no clue.  The call of Christianity requires us to daily renew our faith in the Lord by surrendering each day to Him.

Today, as you meditate and pray on His Word, ask God to reveal to you those areas in your life that you have yet to surrender entirely to Him. Pray that your Spirit would be open to His healing, and thank God for instilling in you a desire to surrender your life to Him. 

Here am I; Send Me!

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”

There’s a song by Downhere called “Here I am” that captures the swell of emotion, elation, and doubt that swirls within and around us at the sound of God’s call.  In one part, the groups sings, “Overwhelmed by the thought of my weakness/And the fear that I'll fail You, in the end/Oh, in this mess, I'm just one of the pieces/I can't put this together, but You can/Here I am, Lord send me/I wanna live my life as an offering/Here I am, Lord send me/Somehow my story, is part of Your plan/So here I am.”  When I hear these words, I am reminded that I am not the only person to ever worry that I will fail or fall short of God’s intentions for me.  The truth is, my humanity does fail each and every day—it is God who empowers me, and He is in ultimate control of everything.  I might not ever see the full picture of how He uses me, but I trust that He has placed me exactly where He wants me to be and He is using me to accomplish great things for His kingdom.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, open your heart to unfettered trust that God is using you even when you are afraid of failing.  Tell Him that you are His willing servant and thank Him for the opportunity to be one piece of something so much greater than we could ever imagine. Praise His name.

He Calls the Ordinary

Acts 4:13-15—Now when [the rulers and elders] saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus.  When they saw the man who had been cured standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. So they ordered them to leave the council while they discussed the matter with one another. 

God calls ordinary men to do extraordinary things.  When others see God working through us, though, it doesn’t always lead to acceptance and belief in Jesus Christ.  Early in their ministry, Peter and John healed a crippled man as they were entering the temple.  The Bible reports that about 5,000 people came to believe in Jesus Christ as a result of witnessing the miracle that descended on this middle-aged man who, for the first time in his life, began to walk.  At the same time, the Sadducees, elders, and scribes became frightened about the power they were witnessing in these ordinary men.  Even with all their training and education, the rulers and elders could not oppose the truth of what Peter and John were professing.  Yet, they refused to believe.  Instead, they looked for ways to undermine their ministry and stop the spread of the Gospel.  In our lives, we, too, might experience rejection for boldly following Christ.  During those times, it’s essential for us to refocus on God’s call—daily prayer and Bible study are great ways to stay tethered to God.  We should also surround and fortify ourselves by building relationships with Christian friends and our church family.

Today as you pray and meditate on this passage, thank God for choosing you and empowering you to do extraordinary things through Him.  Praise His name and repeat your “yes” to His call.  Pray for strength and comfort during times of adversity and for wisdom when you are challenged by the world around you. 

Witnessing to Unbelievers

Romans 10:14—How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

As Christians we are called to be a witness for God and to spread the Gospel even to the ends of the earth.  This duty can often be difficult to fulfill, though, because for so many of us our Christian identity is not necessarily the first thing we let people see.  On the flipside, a lot of times non-believers are pushed away by overzealous Christians who try way too hard.  Just yesterday I noticed a post from a friend on Facebook that announced she was unfriending someone who had tried to proselytize her.  This friend is an atheist who told me a few weeks ago that she can accept that some people “need” God, but she is not one of those “needy” people.  (You have to imagine the snarl.)  I felt at a loss about what to say. So I shifted the focus by telling her that to me, the question is more about not denying the Spirit that I have so clearly seen and felt on countless occasions in my life.  Do I need God? Absolutely.  Is that shameful?  No way. But would it have been a good idea to engage her in the needfulness conversation? Probably not.  Being a good witness is about meeting people where they are and allowing them to feel the love of Jesus Christ through you.  So many non-believers are scared of being judged, of losing their identity, and of not fitting in.  When we witness to others, we should be mindful of showing compassion for them while remaining steadfast in our beliefs.  I hope I was an example to my friend of a person who loves both God and humanity.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, ask God to reveal His plan for how He wants you to be a witness for Him.  Confirm to God that you are a willing vessel and pray for wisdom and strength to pull people in and not push them away.  Tell God you hear His call and are saying “yes” to it.  Thank Him for choosing you to be an ambassador for Him.

Love One Another

John 13:34-35—“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The words seem simple, but this command can be so hard live out, especially when we interact with others who don’t even try to show love for others.  Let’s face it, it’s hard to be nice to someone who is being mean to us or who is acting against our own best interests.  We must remember, though, that God does not put us in charge of the outcome.  Our responsibility is not to change other people; rather, we are called to be changed ourselves.  When we show love for others, we allow God to use us to effect change in others.  The waiting process can be painful, though.  We might not see results quickly, we might be called to endure confusing circumstances, we might even suffer the loss of friendships.  The key is this—we can’t do any of it without God.  We need Him to fill us with the Holy Spirit so that we are strong enough to keep his commands. 

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, confess your need for Him and ask Him to fill you up today that you might be His light for someone else.  Pray that He would open your heart to loving those around you, even those who aren’t willing to receive it.  Pray that you would be steadfast and courageous in living His commandment.

Scripture's Protection from the Wicked

2 Timothy 3:12-17—Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.  But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

 

The promise of God is not that we will have an easy life on earth, but rather that through our faith in Him we might be at peace no matter our circumstances.  When we take a moment to look around us, it doesn’t take long to see that we are living in difficult times.  When we read the Bible, though, we see that in a lot of ways the times haven’t changed at all.  In his letter to Timothy, Paul tells Timothy about the persecutions he has endured, about the friends who have turned their backs on him, and about the false teachings that are springing up all around distorting the Gospel message.  Paul is able to trust Timothy because Timothy grew up learning the Scriptures—Timothy cannot easily be led astray.  The same can be said for us—if we are educated in scripture, we, like Timothy, cannot be led astray.  I remember the first time I heard a “prosperity gospel” message and how it hit me like a car crashing into a brick wall.  Fortunately, my foundation in scripture was strong enough to send out an alert to be skeptical about this type of teaching.  God calls every Christian to know His Word personally in this way.  Teachers are important to our understanding of what scripture means, but as students we must also take responsibility for our own learning beyond what any teacher could possibly give us.  We should be reading the Bible for ourselves, questioning in a respectful way what our teachers tell us, and holding our teachers accountable to the scripture. 

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, give thanks to God for revealing His truth that He created each of us uniquely to be in relationship with Him—that He loves us, knows us, and wants us to know Him.  Thank Him for the gift of His Word.  Pray for discipline in your daily Bible study, prayer, and meditation.  Ask God to open your heart as you read His Word that He would reveal His will for your life.

Many Gifts, One Spirit

1 Corinthians 12:4-7—Now  there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

What peace it brings to know that God has specially blessed each of us with spiritual gifts.  His perfect plan joins together people with different gifts to work toward a common good.  As a church, we have a responsibility to know each other and guide one another in developing our own unique spiritual gifts.  And each person has a significant and critical role to play in the growth of the church.  Because of our baptism in Christ, we all stand on equal footing—no one is more or less essential to the Church.  By creating a close-knit community, we help each other find our place, know we belong, and realize our value in God’s kingdom. 

Today as you pray and meditate on this Scripture, thank God for leading our church to develop a connection group ministry.  Ask the Lord to bless this ministry and lead us according to His will.  Pray that He would guide you in developing your spiritual gifts in a way that brings Him glory and honor.  Give thanks for our church leaders and pray for them to be blanketed in wisdom and discernment.  Ask God to surround you and each of the connection group facilitators in His loving light as launch this ministry on Sunday.