God Is at Work Within You (2)

'...God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.' Philippians 2:13 NLT

What an amazing thought this morning: ‘…It is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energising and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure…satisfaction and delight.’ (Philippians 2:13 AMP)

We have a tendency to allow 101 different things to crowd God out of our lives, so He creates within us the desire to do His will. When you desire to read your Bible, it’s God urging you to do it. When you desire to pray, it’s God moving you to do it. When you desire to give, it’s God motivating you to do it. Jesus said: ‘…I am the Vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing…If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!’ (John 15:5–7 NLT) Note the word ‘dwell’; it means to live in and take up residence. So as you live in close relationship with Christ, the desires conceived within you are desires He can fulfil. When you sense that God has put certain desires in your heart, it’s important to pray and ask for those things. If you’re not sure whether or not they’re from Him, pray: ‘Lord, I have desires in my heart that may be from you. If they are, please fulfill them, but if not I can be happy without them, because I am happy with You. Lord, I trust you.’ Always measure your desires by God’s Word so you continue abiding in the Vine.

You are Loved!

God Is at Work Within You (1)

'...God, who began the good work within you, will continue...until it is finally finished...' Philippians 1:6 NLT

When Paul wrote to the Philippian believers, he told them God was at work in each of them. Think about the positive truth that each of us must grasp everyday. He wrote: ‘I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.’ (Philippians 1:9–11 NLT)

I know what you may be thinking, ‘That’s a tall order!’ Yes, and you’ll never accomplish it through willpower, good intentions or self–effort. You must seek God for direction, submit to Him in all things, and draw strength from Him. Trying to do for yourself what only God can do is like trying to rob a bank legally; it doesn’t work. You must entrust to God the job of equipping you for the work He’s called you to do. Yes, you need to do your part, but don’t try to do God’s part! ‘…We all…beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory [degree by degree]…by the Spirit of the Lord.’ (2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV) What is it that changes us? ‘The Spirit of the Lord.’ He takes the pressure off, and relieves us of the stress and anxiety we so often feel when we try to ‘change’ ourselves.

You are Loved!

Taking Your Place in God's Family

'God places the lonely in families...' Psalm 68:6 NLT

Life in God’s family can be challenging. Having been in ministry for almost 30 years we've incurred everyone of those challenges at some point. But yet here we are loving the family of God more than we have ever before. When you come to the place you understand your role in God's family your church, there are three things that will help you keep your attitude right:

(1) Your rights. When you trusted Christ as your Saviour you became a member of God’s redeemed family (John 3:3–6). That means you have the right to be accepted, loved, protected, respected, provided for, trained, equipped, and rewarded. Regardless of your past mistakes, God guarantees you these rights, so embrace and enjoy them.

(2) The rules of the house. Without the rule of law, you end up with anarchy. And it’s the same in a family. Can you imagine what would happen if the kids ran the house? Well, God’s family isn’t a democracy. You don’t get to vote on the rules. God has established unchanging principles in His Word that guarantee His blessing. ‘If you are…obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.’ (Isaiah 1:19 NKJV)

(3) Our responsibilities to one another. You’re called to accept, love and help your brothers and sisters even when they’re selfish, immature, critical and irresponsible. Remember that God’s family is still ‘under construction’, but it’s much better than any other alternative! You need to participate in regular family life and activities. Early church believers met together ‘daily’ (Acts 2:46); as a result they survived all Satan’s attempts to destroy them. So support the life and mission of your church family with your tithes, talent and time. Don’t just be a taker; ‘…God loves a cheerful giver.’ (2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV)

You are Loved!

How to be an Influencer

‘Share in the troubles we have like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.’

2 Timothy 2:3

 

 

I was thinking this morning after my devotions about our responsibility as believers. Salvation enlists you into the service of Jesus, the King of Kings. some of us never think of it this way, but His battles become our battles, and His strategies our strategies. There are no exemptions; you’re ‘in for the long haul’. Whether you like it or not, Satan has declared war on you, and it’s ‘conquer or be conquered’. He will attack you and not stop.

 

1. He will attack from the world. Do you ever feel like you don’t ‘fit in’? You’re not supposed to! ‘…Don’t you realise that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God’ (James 4:4 NLT).

 

The line has been drawn; there’s no peaceful coexistence in this war. What is ‘worldliness’? It’s not being in the world, but being like it. It’s not mixing with the world, but blending in with its self-centred values, its ‘relative’ morality and its attitudes toward God, His cause, His Word, and His people.

 

The world’s hunger for power, popularity and self-promotion contradicts the principles of Scripture. ‘…Genuine religion in the sight of God [is]…refusing to let the world corrupt you’ (James 1:27 NLT). Jesus told us to avoid becoming swept up in the world’s obsession with material things, or its fear of not having enough to meet our needs (Matthew 6:25-34). You are called to be ‘salt’ and ‘light’ (Matthew 5:13-14). You are to be the influencer, not the influenced. When the world can’t tell you apart from them, your light has gone out and your salt has lost its flavor. So ask God to flavor you up an help your light burn bright again!

 

You are Loved!

 

How to Accomplish Great Things (3)

'...They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work.' Nehemiah 2:18 NIV

 
 
 
All of us have some kind of dream. My dream has been and will always be is to fulfill the mission and vision of our church. Not all dreams are fulfilled and it’s said that of all the people who have dreams, only one out of ten will fulfil theirs. Why? Because the other nine never started!

To enter the Promised Land, the Israelites had to cross the Jordan River when it was in flood and they were afraid. But God told them that when the priests stepped into the water it would roll back. (See Joshua 3) It did, and they reached their destiny. So, what are you waiting for?

(1) Perfect conditions? You’ll never find them. ‘Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.’ (Ecclesiastes 11:4 NIV) The New Living Translation says, ‘If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.’ You say, ‘I’m waiting for God to move.’ Has it occurred to you that maybe He’s waiting for you to move?

(2) Everybody to agree with you? When David announced his intention to fight Goliath, his older brother Eliab, a general in King Saul’s army, told him to go back home because he was embarrassing the family. But David refused to be put off or put down; instead, he went out and defeated the giant. And with God’s help you can too!

(3) Until you feel ‘qualified’? God doesn’t always call the qualified, but He always qualifies the called. Regardless of your education, nationality, or gender, God can use you. Oliver Wendell Holmes started studying Greek at eighty. When a friend asked him why, he replied, ‘Frankly, it’s now or never!’ Because Nehemiah was willing to start, God gave him a glorious finish. And He will do the same for you. So what are you waiting for? Get moving!

You are Loved!

How to Accomplish Great Things (2)

'...If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight...' Nehemiah 2:5 NIV

Thanks to everyone who wished Amy a Happy Birthday...she had a great day and was blessed by everyone's generosity. Thank you so much!

It's been a couple days but I want to continue to ask the question: How can we together Accomplish Great things for God?

Sunday I shared a message on the abundance of God; How we miss the boat by not asking God to Super-Size everything we ask for. When Jesus blessed the 2 fish and 5 loaves, the blessing only happened when the disciples believed and began to do the work of the blessing. Faith and action working together brings about great results.

When you study the lives of successful people, you’ll find they had vision, patience, determination, character and talent. And you’ll also find one more thing at work—favor. We need the favor of God on our lives. There are some closed doors that will open when you approach them in faith, and there are other doors that’ll open only with help from the right people. That’s when you need favor!

Alex Haley, the author of Roots, had a picture in his office. It was of a turtle sitting on top of a tall fencepost, and the caption read, ‘You can be sure he didn’t get up there by himself’! Nehemiah needed an army to protect him, and resources to enable him to build. So he prayed, then went to the one man who could provide what he needed: the king. He said, ‘If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favour in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it.’ (Nehemiah 2:5 NIV) And the king did.

There’s an important lesson here: when your heart is set on promoting God’s kingdom, He will give you ‘kingdom connections’. But be careful; your help may not always come via the people you expect, agree with, or even like. God used a heathen king to help Nehemiah, and He used a penniless widow to feed the prophet Elijah. Don’t dictate to God who He can and cannot use. Just pray for favor, expect it, and accept it with thanks in whatever form He sends it.

You are Loved!

How to Accomplish Great Things (1)

'When I heard these things, I sat down and wept...' Nehemiah 1:4 NIV

In spite of impossible odds and implacable enemies, Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in just 52 days. It was an incredible accomplishment! And he wasn’t even a builder; he was a waiter in the palace of Artaxerxes, a heathen king. Pioneer rocket scientist Robert Goddard said, ‘It’s difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow.’ So before you say, ‘It can’t be done,’ or ‘I don’t have the qualifications,’ let’s examine Nehemiah’s story for the next few days.

The first lesson we learn is: you must find a need that moves you. ‘They said to me… “The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned…fasted and prayed before…God…’ (Nehemiah 1:3–4 NIV) And what did Nehemiah fast and pray for? ‘…Give your servant success…’ (Nehemiah 1:11 NIV) When you find a need that moves you to tears and causes you to say, ‘Something must be done about this!’ the chances are that God’s calling you to do something. You may be a leader like Nehemiah, or you may simply be like one of the followers who helped him. Either way, when God stirs your heart about a need, He’s calling you to get involved and take action. If you’re willing to say, ‘Yes!’ then He’ll place Heaven’s resources at your disposal. When your heart says, ‘This is what I was born to do,’ you may have found your life’s vision.

More tomorrow...You are Loved!

How God Works (3)

'Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up...' Acts 3:7 NIV

As we close this today...A few important observations: (1) Peter allowed God to change his plans. ‘…Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.’ (Acts 3:1 NIV) Is prayer important? Yes, it’s all–important! But you can get so caught up in church activities that you walk past hurting people sitting on the church’s doorstep. You must be sensitive to people’s needs, available to God, and willing to change your plans at a moment’s notice.

(2) Peter used the name that’s bigger than any problem. ‘…In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ (Acts 3:6 NIV) And he did! Paul writes, ‘…At the name of Jesus every knee should bow…every tongue should confess that Jesus…is Lord…’ (Philippians 2:10–11 NKJV) You say, ‘What’s in a name?’ In this case—everything! At the name of Jesus hell trembles, sin is forgiven, sickness is healed and stubborn habits broken.

 (3) Peter did more than pray; he extended a helping hand. ‘Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk.’ (Acts 3:7–8 NIV) Today you’re surrounded by people who need help to get back on their feet spiritually, emotionally, physically, and financially. Reach out in love and lift them! They don’t need you to spend the rest of your life supporting them. They just need a hand up—and an introduction to the One who’s able and waiting to meet their need. God used Peter to bring deliverance to this man, and He will use you too. But you have to be ready.

You are Loved!

How God Works (2)

'...A man who was lame from birth was being carried to the Temple gate...to beg.' Acts 3:2 NIV

Wow Tuesday and it seems God has already done so much this week. Do you believe God still works like He did in the Bible? If you do you are in for an amazing journey. In Acts 3 the Bible says: ‘When he saw Peter and John…he asked them for money…Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly…he jumped to his feet and began to walk…’ (Acts 3:3–8 NIV) This story raises three questions about our belief system:

(1) What’s your area of weakness? That’s important to know, because a handicap in one area can cripple you in other areas. Apart from lacking strength in his ankles this man was normal, but his weakness stopped him from living a happy life. We all struggle with something. ‘The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience…’ (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT)

(2) How are you handling your weakness? This man was at the Temple gate to beg. Why are you there? You need to know that, before you can get up and move on. Refuse to settle there; rise up and say: ‘This may be who I am now, but by God’s grace it’s not who I’m going to be!’

(3) What are you expecting? A crutch to help you live with your problem? A way to avoid doing what’s necessary to become whole? This man was looking for handouts, not healing. But handouts won’t get you back on your feet. Furthermore, when your focus is limited to what people can do for you, it can cause you to miss what God can do for you. By God’s power this man got up and walked—and you can, too.

You are Loved!

How God Works (1)

'Indeed, the "right time" is now.' 2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT

It's that time of year and love is in the air...Just a reminder that if you signed up for the Valentine's Day Progressive Dinner its this Saturday 5pm. Barb Beach and team will be giving you a call to remind you. Thank you to everyone who made yesterday a success! Engage, Belong, Serve, and Give...We did it all!

So how does God work? The story of this incapacitated man’s healing is rich in lessons. For the next few days we will find out together:

(1) He was in a beautiful situation but he wasn’t enjoying it. ‘…A man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg…’ (Acts 3:2 NIV) When you have a stubborn problem in your life that just won't seem to go away; even if you’re in a beautiful situation, you can’t enjoy it.

(2) This man was so close to the answer but it was beyond his reach. Every day he sat at the Temple gates watching others go in and be blessed. But because of his condition, the Law of Moses prevented him from doing the same. Think about where you are today—in church, at work, sitting at home not able to receive what God has for you? You sing the songs, pray the prayers, and listen to the sermons, but you still have the same old problem?

(3) When his moment of deliverance came, he needed help to seize it. ‘Peter said…“In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up…’ (Acts 3:6–7 NIV) This man had no reason to think that today would be any different. He didn’t know God had earmarked it on His calendar as the day of his deliverance. And this could be your day! ‘At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.’ (2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT) The ‘right time’ for you is now. But it won’t happen until you acknowledge your need of God and get ready to receive His help. That means keeping your faith strong, your heart open, and speaking God’s promises over your situation.

You are loved!

Searching for Significance (3)

'The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.' Romans 8:18 KJV

I don't know if you remember Viktor Frankl, he was sent to Auschwitz and had been researching a book on Finding Life’s Meaning. But when his clothes were suddenly taken from him, including the manuscript he’d hidden in his coat lining, he questioned whether his life had real meaning at all. Then something happened: the Nazis gave him the rags of an inmate who’d just been sent to the gas chamber and Frankl found in the pocket a page containing a Jewish prayer (from Deuteronomy 6:4–5): ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one God. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.’ ‘How should I interpret such a coincidence?’ he asked himself. ‘Other than to live my thoughts instead of merely putting them on paper?’ Later he wrote, ‘Nothing in the world will so effectively help you to survive as the knowledge that there is a purpose to your life. He who has a “why” to live for, can bear almost any “how”.’

Think about this: Charles Dickens was lame. Homer was blind. Plato was a hunchback. Sir Walter Scott was paralysed; Paul spent almost seven years of his ministry in prison. What gave each of these people the stamina to overcome their circumstances? Purpose! Each of them had a dream, fuelled by a fire within that could not be extinguished. They had a ‘why’ that was bigger than every ‘how’. Do you?

You are Loved!

Searching for Significance (2)

'Thank You for making me...' Psalm 139:14 NLT

We search for significance in different ways. We think that if we can connect with someone special, we’ll become someone special. Or we try to outlive life. We get bombarded daily with our mortality and how we can buy are way into significance. When the billionaire realizes he will run out of years before he runs out of money, he establishes a foundation. We have kids for the same reason. One day, when we die, we hope our descendants will remember ‘good old Dad’ or ‘sweet old Mom’ and we’ll extend our lives via theirs. The famous atheist Bertrand Russell said, ‘I believe that when I die my bones will rot and nothing shall remain of my ego.’ You say, ‘He can’t be right.’ He’s not! Jesus said, ‘…the very hairs on your head are all numbered.’ (Matthew 10:30 NKJV) We monitor other things like the amount of money in the bank, gas in the tank, and pounds on the scale. But hair? We style hair, color hair, cut hair, but we don’t count hair. God does. God planned you, knows everything about you, and loves you. The Psalmist said: ‘You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvellous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God…’ (Psalm 139:13–17 NLT)

Searching for Significance (1)

'...You are Mine.' Isaiah 43:1 NKJV

Do you remember the hit song by Dean Martin, You’re Nobody till Somebody Loves You? I know for some you are saying Dean who? I was watching the Super bowl halftime show and I kept asking the same question, who's that? If you have ever heard the song you know that the lyrics show up our deepest concern in life.

We want our lives to matter, to mean something. Our deepest fear is of coming and going—and nobody knowing!

We strive with our lack of education, our spot on the financial totem pole, and our looks. That’s why it bothers us when a friend forgets to call, or a teacher forgets our name, or a colleague takes credit for something we have done. We crave attention, drop the names of important people in conversations, and put flashy hubcaps on our cars. Fashion publicists tell us, ‘You’ll be somebody if you wear our jeans.’ So we go out and spend half our wages on a pair of designer jeans. But then—horror of horrors—the style changes from tight to baggy, faded to black, and we’re left wearing yesterday’s jeans, feeling like yesterday’s news.
Simply stated: you can’t gain significance from the outside. It’s an inside job. Your sense of significance must come from Someone you trust, Someone you know will never change, Someone who knows the worst about you and yet remains committed to maturing you. And that Someone is God. He keeps His promises to Israel and He’ll keep His promises to you. ‘Thus says the Lord, who created you…who formed you…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned…For I am the Lord your God…you [are] precious in My sight.’ (Isaiah 43:1–4 NKJV)

You are Loved!

Grace To Handle Life

'He gives more grace.' James 4:6 NKJV

For everyone who is in a Seahawk hangover this morning I'm with you. There are so many questions I have like why not just run the ball? But hey it's done and here we sit. The Seahawks need grace just like we do. Why is grace so important? I witnessed a family sometime ago who was at church rehearsing for the Christmas program when their home burned down. It wasn't their first tragedy that year. Three months earlier when a friend, a widow with two children, died of cancer, this couple took her kids to live with them as part of the family. So when their house was destroyed it wasn't just their home they lost, it was home to two children who'd already lost their parents. The following week as they sifted through the ashes they found a slip of paper that survived the fire. On it they read these words: 'Contentment: Realizing God has already provided everything we need for our present happiness.'

God gives you 'more grace' when you walk through fiery trials. Charles Swindoll says: 'Our whole perspective changes when we catch a glimpse of the purpose of Christ. Take that away, and it's nothing more than a bitter, terrible experience. Suffering comes in many forms, but His grace is always there to carry us beyond it. I've endured a sufficient number of trials to say without hesitation that only Christ's perspective can replace resentment with rejoicing. Jesus is the central piece of suffering's puzzle. If we fit Him into place, the rest begins to make sense.'

When life blindsides us...abuse, foreclosure, disease, divorce, death, job loss or financial collapse brings us to our knees...grace says there's more love after infidelity, more joy after the diagnosis, and more life after financial ruin...grace is real...an indomitable gift with power to change your life. But it does come with one condition-like any gift, you have to hold out your hand and accept it.

You are Loved!