Better Days Ahead

Haggai 2:3-9 KJV

3 Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? 4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts: 5 According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not. 6 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; 7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. 9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.

While God was speaking to His chosen people in today's scripture, it can also apply to us. Just as He covenanted with them in Egypt, He covenanted with us when we accepted Christ's shed blood for us.

He tells us to be strong because He is with us. He tells us to not fear because His Spirit remains.

When we look at America, we could say that this was once a great nation, but it is not so much anymore and continues to degrade. The important thing to remember; however, is that Christ will come back some day. The world as we know it will cease to exist and we will get a new heaven and a new earth and the "latter house shall be greater than the former."

We will have peace again someday. We must wait on the Lord and look forward to Christ's return.

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A Mind to Work

Nehemiah 4:1-6 

But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall. Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:  And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders. So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

Israel's enemies do not like that they are rebuilding the wall. Since they can not take legal or physical action against the Israelites (remember, they have the King's blessing), their enemies turn to mockery. They make fun of them and try to embarrass them to make them back down.

In response to this, Nehemiah does what we would be wise to do--turn to God.

He does not respond back to his enemies.

He does not seek revenge.

Instead, he turns to God and leaves it in God's hand because he realizes that they are against God, not the Israelites.

Once he gave it over to God, Nehemiah and the people of Israel went back to work on the wall and were successful. They had a mind to work and did what they were told to do and let God deal with everything else.

What an encouragement this is to how we should live our lives!

He Will Prosper

Nehemiah 2:19-20

 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

Sometimes when we are about God's work, others will think we are crazy or stupid. They may laugh at us. They may scorn us. They may try to talk "sense" into us. They may try to stop us.

However, we need to remember who we follow and who is in control!

The Lord will prosper those who are about His work. He will take care of us and provide all we need to complete the job He placed before us.

Remember to  keep your focus on Him whom you are serving!

Be Refreshed

Isaiah 55 

 1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
 3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
 4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
 5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.
 6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
 12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

When we are weary we can go to God and be refreshed. He will fulfill our needs and grant peace to our souls. We do not need to work hard as it is a gift of grace!

Seek Him! When we search for God, we will find Him. He is in our baby's smile, in the flower that blooms, and in the sun that shines. We can find Him everywhere if we look!

We need to remember that God has a way of doing things that we may not understand and that is okay. He has a reason and a purpose for everything.

Listen to Him.

Read His Word. It will do it's work in you.

Hide it in your heart and it will bring forth fruit in abundance.

We can take joy in what He is doing in our lives.

Even the snow is beneficial to the earth and so can the hard times in our lives be if we rest in His plans for us.

Amend My Ways

Jeremiah 7:3-11

Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these. For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever. Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.

I have been struggling with negative thoughts lately and prayed that God would lead me to the scripture I needed to hear and hide in my heart. I then opened my Bible to Jeremiah 7 and started reading.

Verse 1 starts with, "The word . . .from the Lord." I knew I needed to pay attention!

I need to amend my ways, my thoughts--to receive God's blessings. I need to stop listening and believing lying words--even those I speak to myself. I need to seek truth, God's truth, and stand on it. Listening to Satan's lies will not profit anyone but Satan. I may need to speak God's truth (audibly and mentally) numerous times a day to over power what Satan is trying trying to tell me. Just like we are told in James 3 (a fountain does not spew good & bitter water--11), we can not be a temple of God if we are believing the lies of this world. My body is the Lord's temple and I need to start treating it as such. I can not let Satan invade God's temple! I must combat the lies!

Transform

I was challenged this year to come up with a word for the year for myself. After prayer and consideration, I decided (or rather God showed me) that I truly did need to have a word to focus on for 2016.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

~ Romans 12:2

Romans 12:2 tells us to not become like the world, but instead to transform our minds with God's Word.

God's ways are different from the world's and we need to be okay with that. We will suffer if we try to fit into this world and follow God's commands at the same time. We need to change our hearts and minds to be in compliance to His--a change in our soul--a transformation.

I long to be transformed into whom God desires me to be. I desire to be transformed like a woman who God will use for His glory. It is only when I give up my old self and the control I desired before will I complete God's desire/will for me.

All Things

Numbers 22:20-34

And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do. And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way. But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again. And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff. And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee. And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay. Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face. And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me: And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive. And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.

Balaam sinned against God by not doing what he was told. God was going to punish Balaam, but his donkey protected him.

Balaam didn't know his donkey was protecting him and was angry with the apparent disobedience of the donkey. How ironic that he beat his donkey for his disobedience when he had just been disobedient to God.

How many times do we get frustrated and angry over things that are meant to protect us? Have you often been upset about a slow driver in front of you? What if because of that slow driver, you were spared from an accident? Have you ever been upset about a leaky pipe? What if finding that leaky pipe allowed you to fix it before major damage was done or the insurance money allowed desired updates.

Let us be joyful in all things as the Lord is at work for us. What we may initially see as bad is actually good.

Nic at Night

True Love

Leviticus 19:17

Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.

This scripture goes along with yesterday's post--if you love, you WILL rebuke.

Many people say it isn't up to us to judge others, but God does tell us to judge righteously.

Leviticus 19:15

Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.

If we truly love our neighbor as ourselves . . .

Matthew 22:39

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

. . . then we will desire them to be in a right relationship with the Lord. There may be occasion for us to approach someone and rebuke their behavior. The important thing to remember is to rebuke with love and make sure it is in line with God's commands (righteous judgement).

If we allow our neighbor to continue in sin because we fear insulting them, then do we truly love them?

Chastening IS Love!

Proverbs 13:24 

He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

There are some people who believe that it is better to be their child's friend than to always be disciplining him. Scripture tells us the opposite--you show love when you discipline!

When you discipline, you are teaching your child you care more about their future than if they like you in the present. You want them to become a man (or woman) of God and follow His commandments. Discipline isn't always easy and is never fun, but it is imperative to correct a child now before something becomes a habit or he becomes insensitive to it.

Show your child love by chastening him!

Not My Will

Luke 22:42

Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

How many times do we not do something simply because we do not want to do it? if it is something small, we may figure it is not a big deal and just do it, but if it is life changing, we will make our decision on the matter with how it will affect us.

We may not take a new job because it would require moving and we don't want to leave family. We may not give money to a benefit because we will have to give up our daily latte for a few weeks. We may decide to stop having children because we don't want to be "tied down". The list can go on and on.

However, we are called to follow Christ's example. Christ knew what was in store for Him and He didn't want to do it, but He still submitted to His Father's will in the matter. He knew God was calling him to die on the cross when He didn't deserve it. This was the biggest life changing decision one could make--to give up one's life to the point of death.

Many times we don't even want to make changes that may only affect our comfort level for a short time or that may just make us work a little harder than we have int he past.

Is that how we are supposed to be?

Every time I read this scripture, I am humbled. I realize my selfishness and lack of sacrifice. My prayer is that I would not only say, "[N]ot my will, but thine be done," but that my life would show it as well.

Water to Wine

A sermon on Christ's first miracle.

Refraining Lips

Proverbs 10:12  Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

Proverbs 10: 19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

I sometimes find my children in a yelling match with each other. They all think they need to have the last word or if one says something to the other, they have to respond (even though it is about something silly).

I have told them that sometimes it is just better to bite your tongue and walk away or not even refute something.

Many times our tongue/our words get us in trouble. WE will either speak without thinking or won't know when to shut up. The wise know when it is just better to keep words to a minimum or not speak at all. Many arguments could be avoided if we would just show some love and keep our mouths shut.

Do As Unto the Lord

Luke 17:7-10

But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?  Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

As a mother, I often feel unappreciated. I work hard for my family--cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc., but very rarely do I hear a, "Thank you!"

For me, that has often discouraged me. I am sure since words of affirmation is a top love language for me that it makes it that much worse; however, I am sure all mothers would like to recognition for their hard work and sacrifices.

However, we read in Luke that we shouldn't expect thanks for doing what is commanded of us. Doesn't God command us to love others as ourselves? Does He command us to be keepers at home? If we, as servants of Christ, are just doing what has been commanded of us, then why are we seeking earthly praise?

The Fear of the Lord

Proverbs 8:13 

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Proverbs tells us how we should act if we truly fear God. We should hate evil. What does that look like? It continues to tell us pride, arrogancy, evil ways and a froward mouth are what God hates.

I looked up 'forward' to make sure I was remembering the definition correctly--perverse.I also looked up the original Hebrew word for mouth and saw that another meaning for it was 'mind' (although it isn't translated that way very often). I pondered this and remembered Matthew 12:34:

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Our mouths speak what is truly in our hearts/mind.

God hates perverse minds. If we fear Him, we should hate perverse minds. Why then, do so many Christians support perverseness? This is a question I have been struggling to answer for my children (because with the world today, they often ask). The only thing I can say is I wonder if people truly fear the Lord.

Lest We Forget

Psalms 78:1-8

Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God. 

Do you share with your children how God has worked in your life? Do you talk about all the wonders He has done for generations? Do you realize that God commands us to share His stories with others lest they forget His greatness?

I have learned the importance of sharing stories of God's faithfulness with others since having children. When others hear of how God has worked good for others, it strengthens their own faith or can even draw them to Christ.

I never heard stories of martyrs growing up or of that many missionaries, but their stories are inspiring to me now. My children love hearing about God's miraculous works in the lives of people and these stories help them remember God's faithfulness to those who love and follow Him. They see how God's ways may not always make sense to us, but they are better. They are inspired by the bravery of others in the face of persecution and know that god will sustain them should they even be persecuted themselves.

I think far too many Christians have forgotten how God works in the lives of people. Many people believe Bible stories are just that--stories, but if we share how God is currently working in our lives, they will see His hand at work.

Don't be scared to share how God has worked in your life. Be open and vulnerable to share your weaknesses and thereby, God's strength.

I would love to hear a story from you about God's hand in your life!

Be Transformed

Romans 12:2

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

conform-to fashion self according to

transform-change, metamorphosis

renew-renovation

perfect-complete

We are not supposed to be like those of the world. We are to change our thoughts to be in accordance to that of God. We are to experience a metamorphosis from a worldly being to a spiritually-minded being. We are to renew/renovate our thoughts to be in accordance to God. It is only when we do, that we will know/understand what is good, acceptable and His will.

We can not walk around agreeing with the things of this world and saying it is God's will. This scripture shows us that God's ways are good and that they are different from the world's.

Who to Follow

Philippians 3:17-19

Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

Be careful of which preachers to whom you listen and "follow" (mark as an example). Just because they call themselves a preacher, does not mean they truly are. Check the Bible for yourself to make sure what they are preaching is true.

That being said, just because some preach the truth, it doesn't mean you should stop checking the scriptures for yourself. Some people begin walking with the Lord, but either stray (they later repent) or no longer walk with Him (no repentance). They may at one time be godly, but turn to their own god which supports their desires of the flesh (vs. 18-19).

As is evidenced through the many headlines of top preachers and Christian leaders confessing their sin and stepping down from their positions, it is possible to stray from or leave your walk with the Lord; however, they are sinners just like the rest of us and if they repent (turn from), they will receive grace. To get an idea of repentance, think about Luke 6:44-47:

 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

Look at their lives and see if they are producing fruit of righteousness or not. See if they are overcome with "thorns". Do they do what the Lord tells them?

Just because someone quotes scripture, doesn't mean they are following God's commands. You do need to be careful of the people who try to use the Bible to justify their sins. If you go to scripture and look for something to support a view point you can usually find something that, used out of context, will work; however, scripture needs to be taken as a whole. Use scripture to interpret scripture. Read verses in context. Seek (ask for) the Lord's meaning and not your own. In some cases, you may need to go back to the original Hebrew/Greek words and their meanings because translations don't always get it right or can be confusing (I'll post more on this tomorrow).

In short, always be careful of who you "follow" and always check the scriptures for yourself.

Jesus is God in Flesh

Chad continued with John 1 today--Jesus is God in Flesh.

Jehovah Jireh!

1 Kings 17:1-24

 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. 2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, 3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. 5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. 7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. 8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, 9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. 11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. 12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. 13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. 14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. 15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. 16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah. 17 And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. 18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? 19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. 20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? 21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. 22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. 24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.

We learn of the name--Jehovah Jireh in Genesis 22 when Abraham is about to sacrifice Isaac. I was reminded of this when reading 1 Kings 17.

The Lord provided for Elijah when He sent him away. Birds brought him food and water was provided by a brook during a time of famine.

Then He provided for Elijah and a widow by never allowing her supplies to run out.

There is one common element in all these stories--obedience! When we are obedient to God's commands, he is faithful to provide for our needs no matter how bleak the circumstances seem to us (or others).

This really hit me in light of the road this nation taking. I will remain obedient to God's laws and He will take care of me.