Video Bible Lesson - Working Forgotten Muscles by Katherine Britton

Working Forgotten Muscles
by Katherine Britton

1/2 Hour of God’s Power with Scott Ralls

2/7/2020

02/07/2020

Working Forgotten Muscles
by Katherine Britton
"Rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." - 1 Timothy 4:7b-8
Strength. Consistency. Goals.
The discipline of running a race means waking up muscles I forgot I had and teaching them a little more every day. Without those practices, I'll be hobbling across the finish line with the last of the stragglers.
It's too easy to kid ourselves that taking the stairs here, walking a little further there, doing a few crunches or pushups one day a month is real exercise. Sure, it's better than nothing, but where's the discipline? Short answer: nonexistent. We wake up our muscles just long enough for them to grumble at us and go back to sleep.
Likewise, I can deceive myself about spiritual disciplines. They require every bit as much training, consistency, and sense of purpose. What good does it do me to pray for five minutes before bed, really? If I want to learn to better speak with God, then I need to do some more praying, more training, trying out the deep prayers of the Bible. Then, maybe I would better understand what a habit of prayer looks like. Do I want to be more generous? More loving? More patient? We've got to do more than let our spiritual muscles wake up and fall asleep again.
In his book, "Disciplines of Grace," T.M. Moore notes that real spiritual training is marked by a transformation of our souls. He writes:
"Disciplines that do not produce growth are not disciplines at all. Rather, they have become mere routines, done to satisfy some sense of "oughtness" or duty but with little sanctifying effect. God has given us the disciplines of grace so that, as we are exposed to his glory from one encounter to the next, we will be progressively transformed into the very image of Jesus Christ, and, being transformed, nothing and no one we encounter will remain the same."
Intersecting Faith & Life: Why do you work out your spiritual muscles? To say that you "exercised" and did your part for the day? Or do you have a purpose in mind for your training - to finish more like Christ than you started?

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert

Why art thou cast down, O my soul (Ps. 43:5).

Is there ever any ground to be cast down? There are two reasons, but only two. If we are as yet unconverted, we have ground to be cast down; or if we have been converted and live in sin, then we are rightly cast down.

But except for these two things there is no ground to be cast down, for all else may be brought before God in prayer with supplication and thanksgiving. And regarding all our necessities, all our difficulties, all our trials, we may exercise faith in the power of God, and in the love of God.

"Hope thou in God." Oh, remember this: There is never a time when we may not hope in God. Whatever our necessities, however great our difficulties, and though to all appearance help is impossible, yet our business is to hope in God, and it will be found that it is not in vain. In the Lord's own time help will come.

Oh, the hundreds, yea, the thousands of times that I have found it thus within the past seventy years and four months! When it seemed impossible that help could come, help did come; for God has His own resources. He is not confined. In ten thousand different ways, and at ten thousand different times God may help us.

Our business is to spread our cases before the Lord, in childlike simplicity to pour out all our heart before God, saying, "I do not deserve that Thou shouldst hear me and answer my requests, but for the sake of my precious Lord Jesus; for His sake answer my prayer, and give me grace quietly to wait till it please Thee to answer my prayer. For I believe Thou wilt do it in Thine own time and way."

"For I shall yet praise him." More prayer, more exercise of faith, more patient waiting, and the result will be blessing, abundant blessing. Thus I have found it many hundreds of times, and therefore I continually say to myself, "Hope thou in God."
--George Mueller

Developing a Tender Heart

Developing a Tender Heart

Dr. Charles Stanley

Ezekiel 36:25-28

The Lord wants to give each of us a "heart of flesh" so that we will be pliable and responsive to Him. When touched by the finger of God, a tender heart yields to the pressure and assumes the form He desires, much like a lump of clay that allows the potter to determine the shape of the vessel.

To aid in this process, God has sent the Holy Spirit to indwell each believer and awaken responsiveness in him or her. By yielding to the Spirit's promptings with ready obedience, the heart becomes increasingly tender and sensitive to His leading. The Lord is able to impart greater understanding of His Word to a soft heart because it has faithfully accepted and obeyed previous teachings.

Any resistance to God will result in hardening. But those who are accustomed to intimacy with Christ—which is the result of submission to Him—will be quick to deal with sin and return to the place of obedience and blessing.

People with tender hearts stay closely connected to the body of Christ, seeking to build up and encourage others in their walk of faith. Such individuals are not only receptive to what God wants to tell them; they are also teachable, in that they are willing to listen and be corrected by others.

This week when you read your Bible and pray, let your heart be soft toward the words of God. As He pokes His finger into each hard area, listen to His instructions, and rely on the Spirit's power to help you yield and obey. Let Him shape you into a beautiful and useful vessel.

Becoming a Speaker of Life

Becoming a Speaker of Life
SHARON JAYNES

“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” Proverbs 12:25 (ESV)

One day, when Everett came home after a long, tiresome day at work, he was surprised to see candles lit throughout the house.  The kitchen table was set for two and danced with candlelight in their modest home. In his gregarious, teasing fashion, Everett turned to his wife and said, “What meanest thou this?”

“Well, we’ve been married exactly six months today,” Jane explained, “and I thought we would eat by candlelight tonight.”

That sounded like a welcomed romantic idea to Everett, so he went to the bathroom to wash up for dinner. Jane hadn’t put a candle in the bathroom, so Everett turned to flip the switch. No light came on. Then he walked across the hall to the dark bedroom and flipped the switch. No light came on.

Everett went back out to the kitchen, looked Jane in the eyes and said, “Baby, did they cut the lights off?” And she began to cry.

“You work so hard,” she said, “and we’re trying so hard. I didn’t have quite enough money to pay the light bill, and I didn’t want you to know about it. So I thought we would just eat by candlelight tonight.”

When I listened to E.V. Hill tell this story at his wife’s funeral, I cried like a baby. I want to be that kind of woman — that kind of wife.

And so many times I’m not.

I want to be a wife who uses her words to build up her husband rather than tear him down, who encourages him to reach for his dreams rather than throws cold water on his enthusiasm, who lets him know he is loved rather than leaving him questioning his worth.

Proverbs 12:25 reminds us, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” All through the day, our husbands have words thrown at them that could cause anxiety to rise and self-esteem to fall. But as wives, we have the ability to make them glad with a word … especially glad they are married to us.

And here’s more good news: Notice Proverbs 12:25 says, “a good word.” We don’t have to have a lot of words. Just one. Just one little word can make all the difference. I’m not all that great at one word, but I can certainly do less than 10.

“I’m so proud of you.”
“I missed you today.”
“I love you so much.”
“Thank you for working so hard.”
“I’m so glad I married you.”

The Bible tells us, “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24, NIV), but “the words of the reckless pierce like swords” (Proverbs 12:18a, NIV). It also tells us “the tongue has the power of life and death” (Proverbs 18:21, NIV). The tongue has the power of life and death in a marriage as well.

Pastor Hill went on to tell his friends and family about the night the lights went out:

“She could have broken my spirit. She could have ruined me. She could have demoralized me. But she said, ‘Let’s eat by candles. We’ll turn the lights on one day. Somehow, we’ll get these lights on. But tonight, let’s eat by candlelight.’”

E.V.’s wife knew something I want to always remember. A wife has the power to bolster her husband’s confidence or break his spirit with but a word. Jane chose to be his encourager. I want to be that kind of wife. I bet you do, too.

Heavenly Father, help me keep watch over the door of my lips today. Help me to know what to say and when to say it. And if the words I’m about to speak would do harm, help me to keep them to myself. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Proverbs 15:1 “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (NIV)

Proverbs 15:4 “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.” (NIV)

A Prayer to Value Friendship over Disagreements

A Prayer to Value Friendship over DisagreementsBy Janet Thompson

“A friend loves at all times.” - Proverbs 17:17

Sadly, during this presidential election, we’ve witnessed adult meltdowns among friends and relatives who found it difficult, even impossible, to disagree politically and remain friends. Many tell stories of family members disowning them. Political disagreements turned personal.

And it isn't just political disagreements that can lead to divisiveness. I have family members who keep their distance because I’m a Christian. You probably do too.

We all have a right to our beliefs, but it shouldn’t end our relationship, our friendship, or our family ties. 

Friendships should be a safe place to disagree. If you have a variety of friends, you’re going to have a variety of differing opinions. You can learn from each other.

In our couples’ small group, we get into some heavy exchanges of opinions, but we always know at the end of group we’ll pray, have dessert and coffee together, and leave as friends. After one evening of especially heated discussion, one person prayed that they were grateful we respected each other enough that we could express our thoughts openly, but still maintain our friendships. We’re still friends in Christ, even though we disagree on some spiritual issues. 

We get into disagreements because we want the other person to acknowledge we’re right. Sometimes we care more about being right, than “our truth” helping the other person.

My granddaughter was trying to share Jesus with two friends of a different faith, and they ended up in a disagreement. I asked my granddaughter whether her motivation was compassion for her friend’s salvation or wanting to be right. If it was their salvation, she should speak with passion about how much she loved Jesus and He loves her. If she just wanted to be right, she probably focused more on how wrong their faith was and that made them mad. She agreed she would be far more effective showing them Jesus’s love than trying to win an argument.

Our friends and family will know the love of our Jesus through the love we show them.

Please pray with me: 

Lord, Satan is trying with all his might to divide your house and your people. We pray Lord with all our might that we would not let that happen. That we would remember that a house divided cannot stand. Help us to be the peacemaker in our relationships, friendships, and families, without bending or compromising on the Truth. And Lord, if it must be that there are those who choose to no longer be our friends or in relationship with us, guard us against a bitter heart and remind us to pray for a softening of their heart. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

The Best Reason to Read the Bible

The Best Reason to Read the Bible
By Jen Wilkin

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”  - Romans 15:4

The Real Goal of Bible Study

A lot of people think that the reason they are to study the Bible is so that they can know the Bible well. But when we study the Bible, we should always be coming to an increased knowledge of God that leads to an increased love of God.

There’s really never been a truer statement than, "To know him is to love him." When we see his character revealed in the Scriptures, we cannot help but increase in our affection for him and feel awe and reverence toward him. Both of those things reorient us toward our circumstances in a way that we wouldn't otherwise be oriented.

That's one of the reasons that anytime I talk to people about studying the Bible, I ask them to look first for what the text says about God. Because that is the understanding that should shape the rest of our understanding of what the text is saying to us.