Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert

He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me; because he delighted in me (Psalms 18:19).

And what is this "large place"? What can it be but God Himself, that infinite Being in whom all other beings and all other streams of life terminate? God is a large place indeed. And it was through humiliation, through abasement, through nothingness that David was brought into it.
--Madame Guyon

"I bare you on eagle's wings, and brought you unto myself" (Exod. 19:4).

Fearing to launch on "full surrender's" tide,
I asked the Lord where would its waters glide
My little bark, "To troubled seas I dread?"
"Unto Myself," He said.

Weeping beside an open grave I stood,
In bitterness of soul I cried to God:
"Where leads this path of sorrow that I tread?"
"Unto Myself," He said.

Striving for souls, I loved the work too well;
Then disappointments came; I could not tell
The reason, till He said, "I am thine all;
Unto Myself I call."

Watching my heroes--those I loved the best--
I saw them fail; they could not stand the test,
Even by this the Lord, through tears not few,
Unto Himself me drew.

Unto Himself! No earthly tongue can tell
The bliss I find, since in His heart I dwell;
The things that charmed me once seem all as naught;
Unto Himself I'm brought.
--selected  

The Side Effects of Fear..... Dr. Charles Stanley

The Side Effects of Fear

Dr. Charles Stanley

Matthew 6:25-34

Fear obviously produces anxiety, but it also creates chaos in our lives and even affects those around us.

Fear stifles our thinking and actions. It creates indecisiveness that results in stagnation. I have known talented people who procrastinate indefinitely rather than risk failure. Lost opportunities cause erosion of confidence, and the downward spiral begins.

Fear hinders us from becoming the people God wants us to be. When we are dominated by negative emotions, we cannot achieve the goals He has in mind for us. A lack of self-confidence stymies our belief in what the Lord can do with our lives.

Fear can drive people to destructive habits. To numb the pain of overbearing distress and foreboding, some turn to things like drugs and alcohol for artificial relief.

Fear steals peace and contentment. When we're always afraid, our life becomes centered on pessimism and gloom.

Fear creates doubt. God promises us an abundant life, but if we surrender instead to the chains of fear, our prayers won’t be worth very much.

What are you afraid of--loss, rejection, poverty, or death? Everybody will face such realities at some point. All you need to know is, God will never reject you. Whether you accept Him is your decision.

The Bible tells us that God will meet all our needs. He feeds the birds of the air and clothes the grass with the splendor of lilies. How much more, then, will He care for us, who are made in His image? Our only concern is to obey the heavenly Father and leave the consequences to Him.

But First ….. ANITHA ABRAHAM

But First …
ANITHA ABRAHAM

“They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.” Ezekiel 44:23 (ESV)

It was a typical Friday morning. I was off from work and wanted to start my day. But first things first … still in my pajamas and fuzzy socks, I grabbed my coffee and Bible and headed back to my room.

Just as I was ready to dive into the Word, I heard my phone ding. Actually, it was more like “Pick me up now! Don’t you want to know who just texted you?” So, I gave in.

I checked my text, put my phone facedown and started reading the Bible. Then, it happened again.

DING!

Since I hadn’t made it very far in my Scripture reading (at least that’s what I told myself), I looked at my phone again. Honestly, it wasn’t a big surprise that this text was equally as unimportant as the first one.

I eventually got back to my chapter, and in the middle of a very detailed description of the temple, Ezekiel mentioned a particular area with a wall to “separate what was holy from what was common” (Ezekiel 42:20, NLT).

A lot has changed since the days of the Old Testament. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice once and for all, there are terms and guidelines for worship that we no longer use in the modern church. At that time, various offerings were acceptable as long as they met certain criteria. People were also instructed to “consecrate” themselves prior to entering God’s presence. (Exodus 19:10)

While we may not follow these same, specific laws and regulations, there are still principles we can apply. What does separating the holy from the common look like today? It may be different for everyone, but here are a few thoughts for all of us to consider:

1. Wait.
I may not have a green thumb, but there is one thing I do know … flower stems should be cut under a stream of running water. Why? It allows the flowers to absorb the water right away by reducing air pockets.

There is nothing like a little scrolling to create its own “air pockets.” It’s hard to absorb the Word when we have already filled our hearts and minds with something else. Something to consider would be waiting to check social media until after we have saturated our souls with the Living Water. In other words, before we get on Facebook, we should get in the Good Book.

2. Focus.

The video announcements during church do not mean it’s time to catch up on emails or make brunch plans. Jesus challenged His own disciples who had fallen asleep when He asked them to pray, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour?” (Mark 14:37, NLT). It isn’t just about spending time with Him; it’s the quality of that time that matters.

3. Change your posture. 

I am all about my comfy chair, but there are times when I feel prompted to kneel when I pray. I have found that changing my physical posture impacts my heart posture and reminds me I am in the presence of the King.

Thankfully, we serve a gracious God who does not expect us to be perfect. But more than anything, I want to put Him first and give Him my best — not because of a law or regulation, but because He’s already given me all of Himself.

Dear heavenly Father, I am so thankful I can come boldly into Your presence. May I always have ears to hear and a heart yielded completely to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Luke 12:31, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.” (NLT)

1 Timothy 4:8, “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” (NLT)

The Karate Kid..... by Ryan Duncan

The Karate Kid
by Ryan Duncan

But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. – Matthew 5:39

When it comes to old movies, there’s really no beating the 1984 Karate Kid. It’s the classic coming-of-age story of a young boy who finds his potential with the help of a wise, old man. Of course, back then all I cared about were the awesome fight scenes. The first time I saw the movie I must have spent a week doing “Crane kicks” around the house like an inebriated flamingo. Those same action sequences haven’t aged well, and these days The Karate Kid looks downright corny, but the film still contains some valuable lessons for people who listen.

At one point in the movie Daniel grows frustrated with his training. He’s tired of being bullied, tired of being treated like a loser, he wants some payback and karate seems like the best way to get it. Mr. Miyagi listens patiently as his young pupil vents his anger, then pulls him aside and in broken English tries to explain the essence of what he’s teaching.

Pointing to his head, Miyagi says, “Daniel san, karate here.” He then points to his heart and says “Karate here.” Lastly, he points at his fists and say, “karate never, never here.”

The Karate Kid might be a cheesy movie, but I think a lot of Christians could take a lesson from Mr. Miyagi. It bothers me how often I hear pastors and Christian leaders say things like, “We’re soldiers in the army of God”, “We’re fighting a Culture War”, or “The line is being drawn in the sand”. I understand how hard it is to live as a Christian in modern culture, believe me, but that doesn’t mean we start living our faith with our fists. In fact, that sounds almost counter to what Jesus told his disciples to do.

“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.”– Luke 6:27-31

The truth is Jesus doesn’t need us to fight His battles. Our job is to be reflections of His love and mercy, and we can’t do that when we’re branding people as enemies of the Church. The same principles Mr. Miyagi taught Daniel about karate are true for Christians. God is in our hearts, God is in our minds, but God is never, never in our fists.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Take some time and examine how you witness to others. Are you showing them genuine friendship?

Further Reading
Romans 12:14

Real Life Hide-and-Seek..... by Jennifer Waddle

Real Life Hide-and-Seek
by Jennifer Waddle

In the childhood game of hide-and-seek, the seeker looks for those who are hiding, but if he can’t find them, he throws his hands up in defeat. In the game of life, however, those who seek the Lord find Him, for He is not hiding from men, but rather standing in plain sight. Sadly, there are many who refuse to be the seeker. Fooled by self-sufficiency, they’ve convinced themselves they have no need to look for the Savior. Instead, they carry on with a sense of independence, self-confidence, and pride.

Admitting the need for a Savior is not a sign of weakness. Rather, it is the yielding of one’s life to the magnificent purpose of the Creator, who loves them and longs to draw them near. The Lord does not forsake those who seek Him.

Well known author, C.S. Lewis, struggled with this very thing. He wrote in his autobiography, Surprised by Joy, that on three separate occasions he felt a “sudden, piercing pang of longing─a bittersweet ache and yearning for something far-off…” Later, he wrote about his reluctancy to convert to Christianity, and described himself as“kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance to escape.” (Read more here.)

The beautiful thing about the real-life game of hide-and-seek, is that the seeker is always the winner. He or she never comes up empty handed, unable to find what they are looking for.

But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 4:29

Deep down, in the soul of every person, there is an empty hole that can never be filled by anything else. Wealth, notoriety, or self-sufficiency will never completely fulfill the longing of every person’s heart. Only the all-consuming, everlasting love of the Father, made manifest in His Son, Jesus Christ, can make a person whole. And those who know His name, and put their trust in Him, will, in the end, find much more than they ever thought possible.

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19.

A Prayer for Total Victory..... By Allen Jackson

A Prayer for Total Victory
By Allen Jackson

“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” – John 19:30

On the cross, Jesus defeated Satan and his kingdom for time and eternity. It’s an irreversible, complete, and total victory. But Satan hasn’t been banished from our world yet, and you and I are left to bring about that enforcement. We are still in the midst of that task, but we’re not left without authority and power. The greatest tool our adversary has against us is deception. I have a friend who was a missionary in Kenya for many years and lived in the midst of the wildlife of that nation. She said when the lions become too old to hunt effectively they simply roar to intimidate their prey. You know that the lions who roar are too old to be truly dangerous. First Peter 5:8 says that our adversary is “like a roaring lion.” He may be scary, but we’ve been given the resources to overcome the power of our enemy.

Heavenly Father, the enemy prowls about like a roaring lion, but you have given us a spirit of courage and the tools to defeat him. May we always stand ready to do battle in your name.You have defeated death and broken the chains of sin. Now help us as we work to see your kingdom built on earth. Amen.