Video Bible Lesson - What Good Thing Are You Known For? by AMY CARROLL

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

8/6/2020

What Good Thing Are You Known For?

by AMY CARROLL

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people — the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel.” Colossians 1:3-5 (NIV)It started as an average night in the college cafeteria with my usual posse, the group of students I always ate dinner with. We were a group of young men and women who loved Jesus and adored each other. We thought everybody was just friends.But then Charles stood to speak. “Everyone, Angie and I have something to tell you.”Wait … what?! When did it become “Angie and I?” I wondered.Charles paused for a moment, and then with a huge grin, he announced, “We’re engaged!”That was all it took. With a shriek so loud the whole room turned to look, I jumped up and threw my hands in the air, followed by running, hugging and happy dancing. I was quite the spectacle.Charles beamed at Angie and then back at me before he said, “And that is why we wanted to tell you first.”There are lots of things I’m not known for:Yummy food coming out of my kitchen.Making a long story short.Keeping a happy secret.Truthfully, it’s more comfortable to share my list of negatives than to tell you the good things I’m known for. Along the way, many of us have bought the lie that it’s selfish to develop our strengths, or that it’s virtuous to downplay the delightful traits we bring to the world, but God never meant for that to be so.I’m known for joy and celebration. That’s a good thing since God Himself, my Creator, hard-wired me that way.Before Paul’s encounter with Jesus, he was known for his education, his orthodoxy and his zeal for persecuting the church. But after he was transformed by his Savior, there was another trifecta that took over.Faith. Love. Hope.Over and over again in his letters, Paul refers to these three traits as valuable in God’s Kingdom. They are traits he both develops in himself and commends in others.To the church at Colossae — a group he never met in person — Paul says, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people — the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel” (Colossians 1:3-5, emphasis added).Paul wasn’t overly emotional. Yet he exudes joy when writing about the beautiful traits found in this group of believers: their faith, love and hope.Most of our positive traits can fall into one of these categories. I believe my joy-filled heart and passion for celebrating are gifts God has given me to show love.My friend Lynn prays the house down. She’s known for responding in faith and building it in others.Suzie is a picture of God’s redemption and healing. She communicates hope to everyone who meets her. It’s what she’s known for.Everyone’s known for something good. Today is the day to identify what you’re known for and leverage it!Lord, You created me in Your image, weaving good traits into my being. Show me how I can leverage them in ways that bring You glory and bless the people around me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.TRUTH FOR TODAY:1 Corinthians 13:13, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (NIV)

#Jesus, #Christian, #Bible, #Salvation, #Heaven, #God, #HolySpirit

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert

Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out! (Song of Solomon 4:16).

Look at the meaning of this prayer a moment. Its root is found in the fact that, as delicious odors may lie latent in a spice tree, so graces may lie unexercised and undeveloped in a Christian's heart. There is many a plant of profession; but from the ground there breathes forth no fragrance of holy affections or of godly deeds. The same winds blow on the thistle bush and on the spice tree, but it is only one of them which gives out rich odors.

Sometimes God sends severe blasts of trial upon His children to develop their graces. Just as torches burn most brightly when swung to and fro; just as the juniper plant smells sweetest when flung into the flames; so the richest qualities of a Christian often come out under the north wind of suffering and adversity. Bruised hearts often emit the fragrance that God loveth to smell.

I had a tiny box, a precious box
Of human love--my spikenard of great price;
I kept it close within my heart of hearts,
And scarce would lift the lid lest it should waste
Its perfume on the air. One day a strange
Deep sorrow came with crushing weight, and fell
Upon my costly treasure, sweet and rare,
And broke the box to atoms. All my heart
Rose in dismay and sorrow at this waste,
But as I mourned, behold a miracle
Of grace Divine. My human love was changed
To Heaven's own, and poured in healing streams
On other broken hearts, while soft and clear
A voice above me whispered, "Child of Mine,
With comfort wherewith thou art comforted,
From this time forth, go comfort others,
And thou shalt know blest fellowship with Me,
Whose broken heart of love hath healed the world."

The Source of Jealousy.....Dr. Charles Stanley

The Source of Jealousy

Dr. Charles Stanley

Galatians 5:17-21

Most likely, you have been caught off guard by a wave of jealousy at some point in your life. Was it a spiritual attack? Did the Enemy make you covetous? Was someone or something working to make you resentful?

The answer—which may surprise you— is no. Jealousy actually springs from within us, even though we might try to deflect the blame. For example, we may say, "Well, they just shouldn't have that. They don't deserve it, so I'm perfectly justified in feeling this way."

Do you see what is actually going on here? We are not only feeling envious of someone, but we're also saying that our jealousy is the other person's fault! That's simply not true. We are each 100 percent responsible for our own feelings of envy.

Jealousy is a product of the flesh. In the Bible, it is listed among such sins as idolatry, immorality, drunkenness, and sorcery—sins which stand against our holy God and are described as "earthly, natural, demonic" (Gal. 5:17-21; James 3:15).

Envious feelings can lead to unhealthy comparison of one's own success to someone else's. That pattern can grow into a competition to out-perform others—and may result in full-blown fear and resentment. What a horrible way to live!

Though jealousy is a common emotion, it has no place in a believer's life. So each of us should try to look objectively at our heart motives. Are you plagued with an attitude of jealousy today? Lay your honest feelings out before the Lord, and ask Him to cleanse you of this sinful attitude.

Trusting God in Trying Times..... SHARON JAYNES

Trusting God in Trying Times
SHARON JAYNES

“‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’” 2 Kings 6:16 (NIV)

One phone call, and my life crumbled into a pile of dust easily blown away by shock and unbelief. In a moment, my trust in God was tested as never before. Could I trust Him with this?

Trusting God would certainly be easier if we could see Him and His angel armies face to face. But even though we can’t see the physical realm, we can trust they’re in the spiritual realm — a realm more powerful that anything we could ever imagine. Even when we don’t see God working, we can be sure He is.

God shows us a powerful glimpse into that spiritual realm in 2 Kings 6:8-18. Ancient Aram (modern-day Syria) was fighting the Israelites, and God used His prophet Elisha to predict how the Arameans would attack, to warn the Israelite army.

The Bible explains that this enraged the king of Aram, so he began plotting to attack the city and cut off Elisha from helping Israel.

But God stepped in and protected Elisha and his servant and even changed what they were allowed to see.

“When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. ‘Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?’ the servant asked. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:15-17, NIV).

I’ve felt like this before. Haven’t you? Difficult circumstances press in from every side. “This is too much for me!” I cry, “I can’t do this anymore. I don’t even want to go out of my house. Where are You, God? You promised You would never leave me or forsake me, but I don’t sense Your presence. Why aren’t You doing something? I want out of this story!”

Honest. Raw. Somewhat embarrassing to admit. Sensing the enemies all around, we’re surrounded by problems we cannot solve and people we cannot control.

Elisha’s servant probably felt the same way.

His faith was as flimsy as the tent flaps he stood behind. Elisha’s was as strong as the tent peg anchoring the canvas in place.

“‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them’” (2 Kings 6:16).

Did you catch that? Do not be afraid. God is greater.

How can we better trust God during trying times? By remembering, “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (v. 16b). Elisha knew there was more power and strength in the unseen reality of the heavenly host than the seen reality of the enemy’s army.

Elisha didn’t pray for God to send an army, because the warring angels on chariots of fire were already there. Elisha simply prayed his servant would be allowed to see them at work.

I always pictured the angel armies and Arameans on opposite hillsides, looking down and squaring off. But that’s not what the Bible says. In reality, the enemies surrounded Elisha in a circle. At the same time, the warring angels were surrounding the enemies — a circle around a circle.

Friend, God is surrounding whatever difficult situation is surrounding you. Jesus painted this same picture in John 14:20 when He said, “I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (NIV).

God most likely won’t pull back the curtain separating the physical realm from the spiritual realm for us to see, but we can be assured: We’re surrounded by a heavenly host of angels, ready to protect us in our deepest struggles.

Lord, open my eyes so I might see what is already there. Open my heart so I might believe what is already there. Strengthen my faith so I might trust that You are surrounding what is surrounding me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
John 5:17, “But Jesus replied, ‘My Father is always working, and so am I.’” (NLT)

Cold Soup..... by Ryan Duncan

Cold Soup
by Ryan Duncan

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. – Mark 12:30 

A while back, some friends and I went out to lunch at a nearby restaurant. Now, I’m not much of an adventurous eater, but that day I decided to try something new and ordered a soup called, “Vichyssoise.” I now know that Vichyssoise is a thick soup made of puréed leeks, onions, potatoes, cream, and chicken stock. Also, it’s traditionally served cold. Maybe I’m just not cultured enough to appreciate this unique delicacy, but in my opinion, cold soup tastes horrible.

After one spoonful I was trying to find a creative way to spit it out without my friends noticing. The meal did make me think though, about what the Bible says about cold and lukewarm Christians.

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. - Revelation 3:15-16

It’s funny how a bowl of soup can make you reflect on your life as a Christian. As I mulled over my actions in the past year, I realized how far away from God I had really moved. I had let my faith become a daily routine, like brushing my teeth or doing laundry, I had let my passion grow cold. God wants us to change the world, if only in our own small ways. Keep your heart and mind centered on Christ, don’t let yourself grow cold.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Have you let your passion for Christ grow cold? Take some time to consider.

Further Reading: Habakkuk 3:19

How to Begin a Daily Quiet Time in 5 Easy Steps..... By Ron Edmondson

How to Begin a Daily Quiet Time in 5 Easy Steps
By Ron Edmondson

I often encounter people who want to begin a daily quiet time, but they aren’t sure how. It really isn’t as complicated as we often make it out to be. The main thing is simply to do something, but in case you are one of those still wanting to but not sure how…

Place - Pick a definite place where you’ll be every day for your quiet time. It should be as free of distractions as possible. This place will soon become very comfortable to you.

Schedule Time - Pick a reasonable amount of time and put it on your schedule. If you use an electronic calendar like I do, you can set it to repeat the appointment every day. Start with 15 minutes, maybe even 10. By the way, it most likely will seem like a sacrifice at first, but keep the objective in mind. As you accomplish discipline in a little time it will be easier to increase the time you spend.

Format - Decide basically how you will structure your quiet time. If Bible knowledge is your goal, then you may want to choose to do a Bible study. You can change the format over time and do combinations of each of these.

Activities –Decide what you will specifically do in your time. Will you do a Bible study or simply read Scripture and pray? If your time is 15 minutes, for example, you could spend 6 minutes reading the Bible; 3 minutes talking to God; 2 minutes in silence, asking God to speak to you; and 4 minutes writing your thoughts at the time. The goal is not to be mechanical or punch a clock here, but rather to provide structure, which will lead to productivity in your building your God relationship.

Discipline – Commit to doing something consistently for at least 30 days. Every day… without exception… do it… whether you “feel” like it or not. If you miss the exact time, make it up later in the day. Again, it will require sacrifice. Habits and lifestyles form this way and you’ll need this discipline, because as soon as you attempt this dozens of obstacles will stand in your way.

Now I realize “easy” is not the best choice of words for this post, but I did want you to read it. Forming this time into your daily schedule will not be easy. Nothing of value is ever easy. The main objective for any of us, including pastors, is disciplining ourselves to do something every day. Over time, it becomes a habit that is easily repeated. Even better, it will soon become the best and most productive part of your day.

A Prayer for a Full Understanding of God’s Word..... By Andrea Herzer

A Prayer for a Full Understanding of God’s WordBy Andrea Herzer

“As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.” - Psalm 18:30

Since COVID-19 invaded our world, most of us have been following the advice of scientists, doctors, and governmental agencies. When they said, “do not wear masks,” we did not wear them. When they changed their minds and said, “wear masks,” we began wearing them. They speak; we act. Their life-saving advice is worth heeding, but the protocols are constantly changing.

Don’t you wish there was a source for accurate and reliable advice that, if followed, would guarantee your survival? The Bible is just that; it is a life-saving manual that has endured for thousands of years. It can preserve your life for eternity if you read what it says, believe it, and follow it. But how can you follow God’s Word if you do not understand what you are reading?

Before I accepted Jesus Christ into my life, reading the Bible was like reading another language. I quit trying to read it because I could not understand it. I needed a teacher! Here is what the Bible says about those who do not have the Holy Spirit as their teacher: “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

That described me! Does it describe you? Do you want the Holy Spirit to teach and instruct you in life, both now and for eternity?  You must first receive Jesus as your Savior, then the Holy Spirit will come to live in your heart.

Pray this prayer: “Jesus, I have done wrong things in my life and I ask your forgiveness. I believe that you died to take the punishment for my sins upon yourself. I believe that you conquered death when you rose from the dead. You triumphed over death, and I will have eternal life in heaven because I believe in you.  I invite you into my heart and life as my Lord and Savior; I am yours. Give me your Holy Spirit to comfort, guide, and teach me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

If you have prayed that prayer in believing faith, you have received eternal life. It is my sincere hope and prayer that you fully embrace the message of God’s wonderful love for you through Jesus Christ.  May you humbly accept and obey God’s Word; it is the only unchanging truth that has the power to save your life for eternity. (James 1:21)

You also received the Holy Spirit as a teacher and comforter in this life. Read the Bible daily to grow in your faith; pray this Scripture-filled prayer to get started:

Dear Lord,

Thank you that your Holy Spirit helps me to discern and understand your Word. Give me a hunger to feed my soul on Scripture every day, as you have said, “…man shall not live by bread alone but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4).

I recognize that living according to Scripture gives me a firm foundation for this life and the life to come because “your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89). Thank you that your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path so that I can walk securely. (Psalm 119:105)

Please use Scripture to teach me, rebuke me, correct me, and train me in righteousness so that I can be completely equipped to do every good work you have prepared for me. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Let me embrace your words of life more than I embrace my fears, my insecurities, and the lies that have ensnared me.

I know that “your hands formed me and made me” so I know that you can “give me understanding to learn your commands” and teach me the Scriptures. (Psalm 119:73) Please make your Word come alive in my heart; help me to remember it and act on it so that I will not sin against you. (Psalm 119: 11) 

Open my ears to your Word, so when I hear it spoken aloud, I will receive it with joy. Use it to guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. (Psalm 25:5) Help me to obey your Word so I will fully understand it and be able to move on to maturity in my faith. (Hebrews 5:12) Place godly Bible teachers in my life, and grant me the opportunity to teach Biblical truth to others.

I pray these things through the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.