God’s Living Word

Lord, I have come to You for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me, for You do what is right. Turn Your ear to listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe. You are my rock and my fortress. For the honor of Your name, lead me out of this danger. Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in you alone. I entrust my spirit into Your hand. Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God. (Psalm 31:1-5, NIV)

Today’s Readings: Job 8-10

Really Busy: Job 8:8-19; 9:1-24

The life of the believer can be found in Psalms – aspects such as joy, penitence, failure, trust, distress, the desire for vindication, triumph over enemies, aspiration, thanksgiving, and the list goes on. Psalm 31 is a psalm of petition and trust for God’s protection in a time of need.

Could you have written these words? When you find yourself deep in need, this psalm, like all the others, may help you find words to express what’s in your heart. The psalmist called upon the LORD for deliverance in a time of need and he made his request with an understanding of God’s character – - – God is righteous and loving and desires to deliver His people.

As the psalmist called upon the LORD in his time of trouble, I encourage you to do the same today. To place our trust in the LORD when life is hard takes a conscious decision. Our faith isn’t tested when life is good, but troubles and trials often reveal how deep our faith truly is. Think about your own life and the times when your faith has been tested. What did those hardships reveal?

Take some time to read Psalm 31 and let the Holy Spirit speak to you, guide you, and lead you to a place of total surrender and complete trust in our faithful and sovereign God.

God’s richest blessings on your weekend and Be There!

God’s Living Word

“Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Revelation 21:2, NKJV)

Today’s Readings: Job 4-7

Really Busy: Job 4:1-9; 6:1-13

Dr. Seuss’ book, Oh, The Places You’ll Go! is a top seller this time of year, often given as a gift to graduates. It’s an entertaining read and in a whimsical way details the reality of life’s journey – the ups and downs, highs and lows, good times and bad times, and the in-between times as well.

Here’s an excerpt….

You’ll be on your way up!

You’ll be seeing great sights!

You’ll join the high fliers

who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.

You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.

Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best.

Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.

Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so

but, sadly, it’s true

that Bang-ups

and Hang-ups

can happen to you.

You can get all hung up

in a prickle-ly perch.

And your gang will fly on.

You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch

with an unpleasant bump.

And the chances are, then,

that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump,

you’re not in for much fun.

Un-slumping yourself

is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.

Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked.

A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!

Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?

How much can you lose? How much can you win?

You don’t have to be a graduate to appreciate its simple message: life may be a “Great Balancing Act,” but through it all “There’s fun to be done.” From a Christian point-of-view, there’s another thought about grace we could add to the bang-ups, hang-ups, prickle-ly perches, lurches, and slumps of life – - – grace means failure is never final.

It doesn’t rhyme, but it’s all we need to remember when we stumble and fall. Because of grace, every breath we take is a second chance. Thank you, Jesus!

So…

be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray

or Mordecai Ali Van Alenn O’Shea

you’re off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So… get on your way!

God’s richest blessings on your weekend and Be There!

He is more concerned about developing your character than your career, because you will take your character into eternity, but not your career. (Pastor Rick Warren, adapted).

God’s Living Word

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13, NLT).

Today’s Readings: Job 1-3

Really Busy: Job 1:1-2:10

Today we are reminded that living the Christian life, becoming like Jesus, is a long and slow process of growth. Day by day, step by step we learn to follow His Word and let him mold us into the people who bring glory and honor to Him. Spiritual maturity is neither instant nor automatic. It takes time.

A while back, Pastor Rick Warren noted, “You are a work in progress. Your spiritual transformation in developing the character of Jesus will take the rest of your life, and even then it won’t be completed here on earth. It will only be finished when you get to Heaven or when Jesus returns.”

“At that point, whatever unfinished work on your character is left will be wrapped up. The Bible says that when we are finally able to see Jesus perfectly, we will become perfectly like Him. We can’t even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when He comes, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as he really is.” (1 John 3:2 NLT)

I encourage you today to continue your journey, keep the faith, stay focused on Him and watch the Holy Spirit continue to guide you, equip you, and mold you into the character of Jesus…until the day you see Him face to face.

God’s richest blessings on your day and Be There!

God’s Living Word

It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation. (Daniel 4:2-3, NIV).

Today’s Readings: Esther 8-10

Really Busy: Esther 8:1-8; 9:1-2, 12-32

So often we come across situations in life that we think have no answers. A mistake. A problem in a relationship. A career setback. The inability to forgive and let go. A medical situation. Unanswered prayers. Some sin that keeps dragging us down. Bad financial decisions. Problems in our family relationships. And the list goes on and on and on.

Today I corresponded with a dad who has been praying for his family, asking God to restore relationships and give him back his wife. He is frustrated and wondering if it is worth while to keep on praying, even though God seems not to be listening. He is questioning his faith. Many of us can relate. Sometimes life does not make sense.

In his book, “Come Thirsty”, Max Lucado shares this observation that may help us understand God’s ability to guide us through our difficult situations.

“Have bad things really happened to you? You and God may have different definitions for the word bad. Parents and children do. Look up the word bad in a middle-schooler’s dictionary, and you’ll read definitions such as “pimple on nose”, or “pop quiz in geometry”. Dad, this is really bad!” the youngster says. Dad, having been around the block a time or two, thinks differently. Pimples pass…”

“What you and I might rate as an absolute disaster, God may rate as a pimple-level problem that will pass. He views your life the way you view a movie after you’ve read the book. When something bad happens, you feel the air sucked out of the theater. Everyone else gasps at the crisis on the screen. Not you. Why? You’ve read the book. You know how the good guy gets out of the tight spot. God views your life with the same confidence. He’s not only read your story…he wrote it.”

Today we learn that our God is a God of miracles and is able to accomplish great things in our lives. Maybe today is the day we let go and let God have control of our lives. Maybe today we will accept that everything will work out on his time schedule not ours.

Have a great day with Jesus, keep on believing knowing that He is at your side.

God’s richest blessings and Be There!

God’s Living Word

“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.”

(Psalm 139:13)

Today’s Readings: Esther 1-2

Really Busy: Esther 1:1-12; 28-23

This Weekend: Esther 3-4

The Wife of Noble Character

A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her

and lacks nothing of value.

She brings him good, not harm,

all the days of her life.

She is clothed with strength and dignity;

she can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with wisdom,

and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Give her the reward she has earned,

and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”

(Proverbs 31:10-12 and 25-31; NIV)

Many people have the mistaken notion that women of the Bible are subservient and inferior to men. These verses from Proverbs, paint a picture of a woman with strong character, great wisdom, many skills, joy, and great compassion. Her strength and dignity do not come from her detailed accomplishments. Instead, they come from her reverence for God.

It’s interesting to note that in a society that puts so much emphasis on a woman’s appearance, hers is never mention. Her attractiveness results from her character and her faithfulness to the LORD.

As we prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day this Sunday, I encourage you to pray for wives and mothers everywhere, and especially those in the body of Christ. Thank your mother if she is still here, or thank God for your time with her if she has passed away. No mother is perfect, but those whose trust in the LORD rest in the only One who is.

God’s richest blessings on your weekend and Be There!

We are inviting people who might have new ideas, talents to share that will

help make our Christmas celebrations life changing experiences for all who

attend. Join us for a fun time of planning and preparing for Christmas 2012!

Bible Study on Paul’s letter to a small church in Rome. Learn the

principles and truths that God used to change the course of history and

bring the story of His Son onto the national scene.  Journey with us and watch how the

Holy Spirit will change your life forever. We will meet every Thursday

evening during the summer in the Multipurpose Room at 7:00pm

the summer, beginning June 6th, 7 PM in the multipurpose room for this

exciting and informative series on the geography of the Bible. Join us as

we learn new insights into familiar Bible stories and watch the Holy Spirit

deepen your knowledge and understanding of God’s Word.

Him. There were those who misunderstood Him. There were those who revered Him. But there was not one person who considered Him too holy, too divine, or too celestial to touch. There was not one person who was reluctant to approach Him for fear of being rejected. (Max Lucado)

God’s Living Word

Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NIV)

Today’s Readings: Nehemiah 11-13

Really Busy: Nehemiah 13

Think about all the passwords we use today – - – for ATMs, iPhones, laptops, email accounts, bank information, social media, and the list goes on. We go to great lengths to protect our private information and rightly so. By comparison, I wonder how well we do when it comes to guarding our hearts? Are we as diligent? Scripture tells us we should be:

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 5:23)

We don’t give others free access to the things mentioned above, but we often give Satan free access to our hearts. Have you ever stopped to think about this? Without realizing it, we protect our earthly things more vigorously than we do our hearts – the contents of which affect the quality of our life on this earth and, more importantly, eternity.

To casually let ungodly thoughts and words have unfettered access to our hearts is devastating. Solomon reminds us the things we let settle in our hearts impact our lives – - for good, or for bad.

If you don’t already, I encourage you today to actively filter your thoughts and what you allow into your heart. Think about the things you think about and don’t give Satan a free pass. Ask the Holy Spirit for help. Otherwise, identity theft will occur. And remember that every we guard our hearts we come into the presence of Jesus Himself!

“We demolish arguments and every pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5)

God’s richest blessings on your day. Be There!