Don’t Let Your Guard Down

I look forward each week to what God speaks through our Friday contributor Dave Trotta.
Be blessed as you read and apply what is written today.

I was recently asked to work overnight security at an event for my son in-law.  One of my primary responsibilities was to guard the door and make sure only individuals working the event were allowed to enter.

Given my main objective, what if I let my guard down, propped open the door, took a snooze and allowed anyone to enter without resistance?  Well, for starters, I could have put my son in-law and others at risk if someone was allowed to enter with harmful intentions.

In much the same way, we are responsible to diligently stand guard over the doorway of our minds to deny thoughts that are harmful to our walk with the Lord and only allow thoughts that will encourage Christ-like behavior.  The bible admonishes us to remain alert at all times because we have an adversary who prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (I Peter 5:8).  And, the primary way he attacks us is through our thought life.

Unfortunately, often times as Christians, we choose the “anything goes” approach when standing watch over our thought life.  We prop open the door to our minds and say “come on in.”  We give the enemy free rein to launch his flaming arrows (Ephesians 6:16) and influence our mind with thoughts of discouragement, self-centeredness, unforgiveness, greed, and the list goes on and on.

However, instead of the “anything goes” approach, scripture teaches us to actively resist the enemy.  James 4:7 says to “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  Oh, and by the way, did you catch that last part?  When we resist, he WILL flee.  He has no choice, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

As Christ followers, we cannot afford to be passive in our thought life.  We have an adversary that seeks to destroy us and minimize our influence to those around us.  We have to be diligent and watchful at all times, resisting those thoughts that don’t honor God.

When it comes to protecting your mind, don’t let your guard down.

A ‘Copy-Cat’ Jesus

“You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.”

I Thessalonians 1:6

 

 

 

There is a phrase, often repeated in news stories, that goes something like this…

“He was a copy-cat burglar” or a “copy-cat bank-robber” or even, sadly, “he was a copy-cat serial killer.”

Of course the statement being made is that whoever the criminal was they were copying or repeating an act or behavior they saw or read about another person doing.

Yep, you already know where I am going with this!

Why don’t we see a story line like the following?

“He was a copy-cat Jesus!”

I can hear them now - there are a thousand and one reasons why not shouting back at me.

Yes, I know the media will not handle it the same way.

Yes, I know the word ‘copy-cat’ can carry a negative connotation.

Yes, I know…but…

Aren’t we called to be ‘copy-cats’ of Christ?

“Therefore be imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example],

 as well-beloved children [imitate their father].

Ephesians 5:1 (Amplified)

Imagine, for a moment, the change across the globe if all of us who are called “Christians” became true imitators – copy-cats if you will – of Jesus Christ!

That does not mean you walk up to a perfect stranger and, devoid of any leading from the Holy Spirit, begin to pray for them.

Jesus was always “in the Spirit”.

He was led to do what He did by the Holy Spirit of God.

He was also led, in some cases, not to do what man desired Him to do.

For those reading this blog in the United States, we are celebrating Thanksgiving Day today.

While this may not seem like a typical message for today, consider for a moment the thanks that would be expressed to God by those who were ministered to by a ‘copy-cat Jesus’!

Let’s be the church that changes the story line.

 

Which Will You Follow After?

“You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you

were influenced and led astray to mute idols.”

I Corinthians 12:2

 

 

 

Advertisers have purposed to plant thoughts in our mind.

They do so with humor, by tugging at our heartstrings, sometimes by shocking us and even (especially) by appealing to our fleshly appetites.

I realize that this is a surprise to no one.

After all, that is what they are paid to do.

Their task is to influence you to purchase their customer’s products or services.

So if sexual innuendos sell coffee, clothes or cosmetics then that is what they use.

They understand well the power our thoughts have.

If a television commercial, a newspaper circular or a widely circulated tweet is most effective in reaching their target audience they are all over that particular media.

Slogans such as “I’m worth it”, “You deserve a break today” or “So easy even a caveman can do it” are well thought out for their effectiveness in causing you to react in a certain way.

Imagine the outcome of a man or woman who was free of all of these

influences and instead spent their time in the Word of God and in

on-going intimate fellowship with the Spirit of God.

 They might be considered odd, peculiar or ‘out-of-touch’ by most people.

Yet all people are capable of being deeply influenced, as we have seen.

But not all are influenced by the Spirit of God!

I do not mean to say that all advertising is evil.

It is not.

But it is meant to be influential.

So, too, is the Spirit of God.

Which will have a greater influence on your thoughts this week?

Which will you follow after?

Are Your Thoughts Rich Toward God?

“He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’”

Luke 12:17

 

 

Let me quote something from the Pastor this past Sunday morning and as you read it consider what your first thoughts are:

“Your life is the evidence of your thoughts and revelations about God.”

So, be honest, what were your first thoughts?

Did you think, “Yikes, I’m in big trouble!”

Or did you think, “Wow, I’m so glad for my renewed mind!”

Well, for most of us we probably fell somewhere in between those two extreme thoughts.

Our thought life cannot be detached from who we are.

Perhaps even more telling, our thought life cannot be detached from who we are becoming.

Take the time and read the entire passage from Luke 12:13-21

As you do, consider the outcome of the rich man’s thought life.

You will see how it impacted the actions he took and ultimately his eternal destiny.

There is an old ‘bumper sticker adage that seems apropos here:

“Sew Where You Want To Go”

While it is most often expressed concerning our finances I think you will agree that it is equally true of our thought life.

Want to be more like God?

Trashy novels (or even ‘good’ novels at the expense of time in God’s Word) won’t get you there!

 David, speaking to God in Psalm 13 said:

“Test me and know my anxious thoughts.”

God can and will do that for each of us.

Ask Him to reveal, by His Holy Spirit, any of your thoughts that do not honor Him.

As He does – and He will – ask Him to help you to think on those things that will honor Him!

When you do – you are on your way to a transformed mind!

The Imposter in the Room

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

John 10:10

 

One of the ploys of the enemy is to make you feel inferior and/or inadequate to the tasks, in the places or with the people God has called you to.

The thoughts he tries to sell you on may go something like this:

“Everyone else belongs here- you do not!

Everyone else was chosen for their talents and giftings – but you have none to offer.

You are in way over your head.

Everyone else belongs here but you are an imposter in the room!”

These are lies he often uses with people to try and make them ineffective in what God has called them to do.

Here’s a suggestion – Don’t live out the ‘prayer of agreement’ (so to speak) with the enemy.

Don’t accommodate the thoughts he wants you to meditate on for even a moment.

God’s plans for you are good.

He has given each of us a part to play in His Kingdom and placed you in a place and with a people to which you can – you must – contribute!

The enemy tries to neutralize what God wants to do in you and through you.

He often plants thoughts of fear or low self-esteem.

Don’t attend his party!

God gives us abundant life and His amazing grace.

Don’t settle for anything else!

http://youtu.be/qStLwsPxWXI

 

Germinate or Terminate

While the title says it all, you won't want to miss the rest of this post - today by Dave Trotta

If I handed you some seeds and asked you to plant them in your garden, what would you do?  I’m pretty confident the first thing you would do is ask what type of seeds they were and what type of plant they produced.  What if I then told you the seeds would produce a poisonous berry plant, and if digested, the berries would wreak havoc on your nervous system, cause severe pain, and possibly lead to death?

Would you accept the seeds and plant them in your garden?  Of course not!  To do so would be putting yourself and your family at risk.  Instead, you would most likely tell me and my seeds to take a hike.

Let’s apply that principle to our spiritual lives.  For example, did you know that thoughts are like seeds too?  They will produce a harvest of behavior in our lives if we allow them to take root in our hearts.  Good thoughts will produce good behavior, while evil thoughts will produce evil behavior.

Knowing that, doesn’t it make sense to be just as selective on what thoughts we allow to occupy our minds?

As mentioned in yesterday’s blog, God gave us guidelines on what type of thoughts we should dwell on.  Philippians 4:8 says “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Before you accept a thought, ask yourself - do I want the behavior this thought represents to be reproduced in my life?  If the answer is yes, mediate on the thought and allow it to germinate in your heart to produce Christ-like behavior.  If the answer is no, then immediately terminate the thought before it has a chance to go any farther.  As you go through your day, choose your thoughts wisely and ask yourself - germinate or terminate?

What Are You Thinking About?

“Christian brothers, keep your minds thinking about whatever is true, whatever is respected, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever can be loved, and whatever is well thought of. If there is anything good and worth giving thanks for, think about these things.”

Philippians 4:8 (NLV)

 

 

Most everyone who regularly reads this blog is likely familiar

with the biblical principal of sowing and reaping.

One problem we have though is the scope of the application.

We often limit it to the very narrow area of our finances.

But it applies equally well to many, many areas of our lives.

That includes our thought life.

You’ve probably heard the expression – “Garbage in, garbage out”.

This is actually an adaptation of the principle of sowing and reaping.

I simply cannot fill my thought life with garbage and expect that out will pop quality sound thoughts.

My thoughts are like seeds and those seeds reproduce after their own kind.

If I spent hours on end in front of my computer surfing to inappropriate websites how do you suppose that would help me with the goal of building a sound mind?

Of course it would not.

Garbage in, garbage out.

Expressed another way- I would be reaping what I sowed.

If, instead, I followed the advice of scripture and took every though captive in obedience to Christ – now that is cultivating a mind fixed on the things of God – a sound mind.  

So the next time you are struggling in this area – ask yourself a simple question.

What am I sustaining my thought life with?

 

Building a Sound Mind

“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds;

tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.”

Deuteronomy 11:18

 

The quality of materials used to construct a home will have a direct

impact on the finished product.

The fairy tale of “The Three Little Pigs” certainly teaches this at a young age.

The big bad wolf could easily huff and puff and blow down the house

made of straw and the house made of wood.

He was not so successful with the house made of brick.

So what raw material is best suited to building a sound mind for the Christ follower?

What is the ‘mortar and bricks’ that produce a thought life that honors God?

The enemy of our souls, the devil, is far more evil than any fairy tale big bad wolf.

And he is far more real too.

He understands that many a battle with temptation and sin is fought in our mind long before we commit any act that is not pleasing to the Lord.  

The essential raw material to fortify our mind is the Word of God.

Read it.

Meditate on it.

Memorize it.

Obey it.

Learn from the example of Christ.

Tempted in the wilderness, His weapon of choice against the devil was the Word.

We might try our own wisdom but if we do we find it is as weak as a straw house.   

Have you fortified your mind this week with God’s Word?

What are you waiting for?

You can build with inferior products.

You will get inferior results!

Build a sound mind on the best resource available…the Word of God!

Entertain or Capture – Which Will it Be?

“Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said,

 “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?”

Matthew 9:4

 

Have you ever entertained guests in your home?

Were you a cordial and gracious host?

How about your guests?

Were they kind and considerate?

Suppose you invited in some guests and, once inside,

they did everything they could to offend you.

More than that, they even trashed your home and disgraced you in the neighborhood.

Now at this point most people would probably learn their lesson and not welcome those guests into their home any more.

But not you – you regularly open your doors to them.

And each and every time their behavior is the same.

I know what you’re thinking: “Why would anyone continue to allow this?”

And yet, we all do this when we entertain evil thoughts.

We allow those evil thoughts to wreak havoc in our lives on Monday only to invite them back in again on Tuesday and Wednesday and…you get the picture.

Once inside they could care less about the host.

So what do you do?

Stop entertaining them and start taking them captive.

That’s right – tie ‘em up and throw ‘em out!

As a matter of fact, here’s an attack plan given by the Apostle Paul for

dealing with evil thoughts:

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

II Corinthians 10:5

So we have a choice when it comes to our thought life.

We can entertain evil thoughts

Or

We can capture those thoughts and make them obedient to Christ.

What do you think?

What do you think?

How Do I Know God’s Will?

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what

God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:2

 

Who wants to know Gods’ will for their life?

Well, I see everybody raised their hands.

That’s very commendable.

We ought to desire to know and walk in His will.

So how do we go about finding it out?

Here’s a clue – read today’s verse again.

Pay close attention to what comes before and after the word ‘then’.

It’s there; did you catch it?

I need to have a renewed mind.

The mind of the ‘old man’ cannot know the will of God.

Too many believers try to walk in the ways of God with the ‘old’ mind.

It does not work.

We must be transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we can know His will.

The ‘pattern’ of this world will never lead me to the will of God any more than the Pacific Coast highway will lead me to the moon.

It won’t happen.

It can’t happen.

The renewed mind is a mind set on the Word of God and the will of God.

The renewed mind is a transformed mind and a transformed life.

Sleeping Through the Storm

Today's blog was written by David Trotta

Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out.  But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger.  They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. (Luke 8:22-24)

What a contrast!  On one side of the boat you have Jesus who was fast asleep during the storm, His heart and mind at perfect peace.  On the other side, you have His disciples running around in panic mode, thinking they were goners, destined to become shark food.  (Just for the record, I would have been in the “disciple” group.)

Why did they respond so differently?  I believe because they were focusing on two different things.  Jesus’ heart was focused on His Father.  He was confident in His Father’s ability to protect Him, so he paid no mind to the storm.  The disciples on the other hand, were focused squarely on their circumstances - the storm raging around them.

Where is your focus when the storms of life come?  That’s an important question because what you focus on will determine your level of peace or anxiety.  Isaiah 26:3 says “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusts you.”

If we focus on our circumstances, the result will be a fearful and restless heart.  However, if we focus our mind on our heavenly Father, the result will be a heart at perfect peace no matter what is going on around us.  That’s God’s promise!!

Sure, the storm may still rage, and fear, doubt, and anxiety will try and creep in, but if we choose to trust Him and cast our cares upon Him at those very moments, we may just find ourselves fast asleep (in our Father’s arms) in the midst of the storm.

Perfect Peace Has an Address

“You will keep in perfect peace him, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusts in you.”

Isaiah 26:3

 

 

 

“Oh please stay, don’t go yet!”

This is the plea we might make when we really enjoy another person’s company.

When I think of the word ‘stayed’ in the verse above that is how I imagine it.

We are in that place of perfect peace because we keep our mind focused on God’s presence.

There is no better present than the peace that comes from His presence.

We fix our gaze on Him and keep it fixed on Him.

As we do, we walk in that perfect peace.

That is why someone can be in the midst of chaos and turmoil and yet still have perfect peace.

Their focus is not on the chaos and turmoil but instead it is fixed on God.

David knew this secret.

That is why he could encourage himself in the Lord when the world around him seem to be crumbling.

That is why he could write:

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me…”

Our feathers seemed to get ruffled over the simplest of disruptions.

We have not always remembered to ‘stay and not go’ from that secret place in His presence. That place of perfect peace.

Do you know the address of perfect peace?

It is Isaiah 26:3.

It is in His presence.

Make that your dwelling place.

Please stay and don’t go!

Super-Sized Peace!

“Great peace have those who love your law,

    and nothing can make them stumble.”

Psalm 119:165

 

Have you ever said “I know I sound like a broken record, but…”

You have?

Good, then you will forgive me when I say –

I know I sound like a broken record but…

…if you want to experience God’s peace in a greater way – spend time in His word.

Is God’s Word the answer for everything?

Yes, it is – at least everything that matters!

You see God’s word will speak to those willing to listen and it has much to say about peace.

Today’s text is a wonderful example.

The man or woman who loves God’s word has great peace.

In that verse we find both a promise (great peace) and a condition (love His law) for receiving the promise.

Can you be a child of God and not have peace?

Yes.

Not all believers spend time in His word, let alone love it.

Do you want the peace of God to grow in your life?

Do you want to eliminate anxiety?

Go to His word.

Examine, study, meditate and memorize those scriptures that speak of peace.

Make His word a priority in your life.

Esteem, honor and love His word.

There is a promise waiting to be fulfilled in you when you do!

The promise of GREAT Peace!

You might even call it – Super-Sized Peace!

 

Surrender the Worry, Accept His Peace

“For to us a child is born,

    to us a son is given,

    and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6

 

The title of yesterday’s blog was “Jesus is the Prince of Peace”.

It is one of His many names and we find it referenced above in Isaiah 9:6

Perhaps you know someone with many names or titles.

Don’t let that lead you to misunderstand this name of Jesus.

It is more than a name, it is His very nature.

He is peace.

Mary never suffered through the ‘terrible two’s’ with Him.

He never had a temper tantrum or a “Hey, what about me?” self-centered moment.

He was, and is, and always will be, perfect peace.

Through Him we have peace with God.

Through Him we have the peace of God.

And we know it is not a peace based on the size of our bank account, the number of degrees we hold, how much power we may possess in this world.

It is a peace He gives to those who know Him.

It cannot be taken away.

It can be given up.

Worry and anxiety are at odds with His peace.

If you are worried and anxious about something, surrender that ‘something’ to Christ.  

The Prince is not stingy with His peace.

Surrender the worry, accept His peace!

 

Jesus is The Prince of Peace

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith,

we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”

Luke 22:32

 

Peace with God.

All peace begins and ends there.

Through the work of Christ on the cross, peace with God is possible.

Jesus came to the earth to make peace between God and man possible.

Imagine being in conflict with the Creator of the Universe.

Would you care to guess who would be the loser in that battle?

Maybe you’re thinking:

“Well, I’m not at war with God. I do my thing and He can do His.”

But the truth is, because of Adam’s sin, we were all born in sin.

We were dead in our trespasses and sins.

We were at enmity with God.

Because of that sin, we were, as it were, enemies of God.

Our sin separated us.

Jesus changed that.  

The peace He made possible is more than a temporary truce.

It is an eternal truth!

Unless or until I know that peace, there can no true peace inside me.

Only turmoil, travail and anxiety.

Many will come and offer peace.

But Jesus offered Himself as the Prince of Peace.

He does not simply offer peace, He is Himself peace.

Do you know Him?

Do you have that peace?

Beware of the Familiar

Note: Please let this excellent post submitted by Dave Trotta provoke you to never let God become 'familiar'!

During a recent trip to the Epcot theme park in Disney, I was watching the much anticipated fireworks display at the end of a long, but fun-filled day.  The fireworks did not disappoint.  They were spectacular, just as I had heard, but I noticed something odd as I was watching them.  People were walking by in front of me, but they were paying no mind to the grand fireworks display right above their heads.  As I observed them passing by, I surmised they must have worked at the theme park or were regular visitors.  Whatever the reason, they probably saw the fireworks display enough times that it had become common place to them.  They were no longer awed by the display.  Something spectacular had become familiar to them.

Sometimes we can slip into that mindset with God.  After we walk with Him for a length of time, we allow Him to become familiar to us and we forget about how truly wonderful He is.  We forget that He is all powerful, all sufficient, and all loving.  We forget that He keeps the universe humming along and yet knows the number of hairs on our head.  When we allow Him to become familiar, we enter that very dangerous place of becoming lukewarm in our passion for Him, and we all know how God feels about lukewarm followers.  Revelation 3:16 says “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.”

I think a fitting definition for lukewarm in this context could very well be described as experiencing something great and unique (God!) and letting it become familiar or common place to us.

Let’s determine in our hearts to fight against familiarity when it comes to the things of God. When He is speaking, whether it’s through His word or one of His vessels in the pulpit, let’s be sure to incline our ear and listen with intent, putting aside all distractions.  Let’s constantly remind ourselves of how privileged we are to be children of God.  Let’s not take any of His provision for granted.  In other words, let’s always take time to stop and stand in awe at His constant display of greatness around us.

Someone’s Praying For You

“But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.

And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Luke 22:32

 

What would you rank highly as the best news you could get today?

Would it be a loved one coming to know the Lord?

How about an answer to a prayer that you have prayed for years?

What if God instantly healed that physical ailment that has given you so much difficulty?

Maybe it would be one of those or something else?

What if Jesus told you personally and directly that He had prayed for you?

Wouldn’t that make your day?

Maybe you read today’s verse and object to personalizing it because, after all, in context Jesus was speaking specifically to Peter.

Alright. Allow me to give you some more evidence then!

Hebrews 7:25

“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”

I John 2:1

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”

Job 16:19

“Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high.”

Romans 8:34

“Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”

So maybe you can let God’s Word make your day.

Jesus is praying for you!

Could there be any better news?

O Happy Day!

To Tell The Truth

“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.”

John 10:1

 

Do you ever stop and think about why Jesus prefaced His words above,

and in other places in scripture, with the phrase: “I tell you the truth…”

Do you think He was concerned that the disciples may have thought He was fibbing?

I don’t think that’s a very good argument to make.

By way of answering the question (or at least giving you my thoughts on it) let me ask you a question.

How relevant is that truth He spoke to our day and time?

I would say it is very relevant.

All of culture stands ready to pounce on anyone who would be so intolerant as to suggest only one way into the Kingdom of Heaven.

After all, they say: “How could anyone be so narrow-minded!”

Or maybe you’ve heard this refrain: “What makes you think you’re so right?”

Some of the words Jesus spoke, He spoke for a specific purpose for that moment in time.

For example, He gave instructions about finding money in a fish in order to pay taxes.

Certainly, there is a principle behind those words that we are wise to learn and apply but the specific instructions are not necessarily relevant to us today.

But what about the words following: “I tell you the truth…”?

I believe Jesus was stating truth that is relevant regardless of the date on the calendar.

Man will always attempt short cuts or alternatives to Gods’ way.

We try to ‘climb into heaven’ by some other way.

Jesus said if we do that we are a thief and a robber.

That second part about being thieves and robbers if we attempt to change God’s provision is as true as the first part.

Is it not creative or ingenious of us to offer alternatives.

Doing so makes us thieves and robbers.

In this hour be aware of those who would come and tell you that a saving faith in Jesus Christ is good but not necessary.

Jesus said it is both.

And He, who is truth, only speaks the truth!  

Cry Out or Whine On?

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;

    he delivers them from all their troubles.”

Psalm 34:17

 

The songwriter wrote the words “Cry Out to Jesus”.

That is the right approach.

So often instead of crying out we drone on and on with whining.

We live, sometimes way too comfortably, in our misery.

We find it easier to ‘live there’ (at the crossroads of misery and despair) than to cry out to Jesus.

Why, we’ve even been known to come to the altar and whine.

An altar is a place of sacrifice.

Imagine the sacrifice of whining being offered.

Would you accept it?

Did Abraham whine when he was commanded to offer his only son Isaac?

He wrestled with it perhaps but we find no record of whining.

His act of obedience was met with God’s provision.

His son was not offered up.

God would offer His own son.

He didn’t whine either.

Not the Father, not the Son.

Jesus cried out to the Father while He was on the cross.

We have the tiniest of crosses to bear (by comparison) and we cannot stop whining.

Ask God to let you hear yourself the next time you are whining.

Then take a lesson from yesterday’s blog and listen well to yourself.

Is that the pleasing sacrifice you want to offer to God?

 Cry out – but don’t whine on!

http://youtu.be/TAk8KBjB6Mo

 

 

Listen Well

“No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”

Luke 8:16-18

 

The technician escorts you into a sound proof booth.

He instructs you that he will place a pair of earphones on your head.

He will then play a series of beeps through the headset.

Every time you hear the beep whether long or short, whether high pitch or low

you are to raise your right hand in front of the window so that he

can see it from his testing station on the other side.

So goes an audiology exam.

I have had a few of them and, like you; I listen well for those sounds.

I want to do my best so that the test is accurate and the results reflect my level of hearing.

Do we do the same when we come into the House of God?

Or for that matter anywhere when God is speaking to us.

What I mean is, do we do our best to listen well?

It is just so easy to be distracted by so very many things.

Our “to-do” list weighs on our mind, the past week at work with all of its turmoil, the baby sitting right behind us in the sanctuary who doesn’t seem to be aware of the need to be still when they are in church!

The list could go on and on and usually does.

Funny thing is we seem more than able to pay no attention to those same types of distractions when we are in front of our TV set watching our favorite program.

What’s up with that?

Simple answer.

We esteem the TV program more than we do Gods’ word.

Ouch x 2!

We listen carefully to what is important to us.

Make that your prayer this week – to listen carefully to every word that God speaks.

“My son, pay attention to my wisdom,

Listen well to my words of insight,”

Proverbs 5:1

 

 

Rest in the Midst of Chaos

Note:
Perhaps your week has been chaotic. Please allow today's blog contributed by David Trotta to remind you that we serve the Prince of Peace who gives us His peace!

During a recent trip to Magic Kingdom, I was watching my grandson sleep in his stroller.  I was struck by how peaceful he slept, despite the commotion all around him.  We were on Main Street waiting for the parade to begin, so you can imagine how large the crowd was.  There were people everywhere laughing and talking; a very bustling place to say the least.

Yet, none of that concerned my grandson.  He wasn’t agitated or afraid, just fast asleep without a care in the world.  Why do you think that was?  I believe it was because his little heart did not feel any sense of danger or fear.  He was surrounded by parents and other family members who loved him and would do anything to protect him and provide for his every need.  Sure, he could never articulate that, but he didn’t have to.  His peaceful nap said it all.  He was completely at rest.

How do you respond when there is chaos all around, or when the issues of life are coming at you at a breakneck pace?

God gives us a promise of rest when things become overwhelming.  Matthew 11:28 says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

When the craziness and demands of life are getting the best of you, run to your Father and rest knowing how much He loves you and is able to provide for your every need and protect you from any harm.  The chaos and issues facing you may still be there, but like my grandson, you can rest in the midst of them knowing you are firmly in the care of your heavenly Father.