Streams in the Desert

 Streams in the Desert

He took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray, and as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering... they saw his glory (Luke 9:29-32).

If I have found grace in thy sight, show me thy glory (Exodus 33:13).

When Jesus took these three disciples up into that high mountain apart, He brought them into close communion with Himself. They saw no man but Jesus only; and it was good to be there. Heaven is not far from those who tarry on the mount with their Lord.

Who has not in moments of meditation and prayer caught a glimpse of opening gates? Who has not in the secret place of holy communion felt the rush of some white surging wave of emotion--a foretaste of the joy of the blessed?

The Master had times and places for quiet converse with His disciples, once on the peak of Hermon, but oftener on the sacred slopes of Olivet. Every Christian should have his Olivet. Most of us, especially in the cities and towns, live at high pressure. From early morning until bedtime we are exposed to the whirl. Amid all this maelstrom how little chance for quiet thought, for God's Word, for prayer and heart fellowship!

Daniel needed to have an Olivet in his chamber amid Babylon's roar and idolatries. Peter found his on a housetop in Joppa; and Martin Luther found his in the "upper room" at Wittenberg, which is still held sacred.

Dr. Joseph Parker once said: "If we do not get back to visions, peeps into heaven, consciousness of the higher glory and the larger life, we shall lose our religion; our altar will become a bare stone, unblessed by visitant from Heaven." Here is the world's need today--men who have seen their Lord.
--The Lost Art of Meditation

Come close to Him! He may take you today up into the mountain top, for where He took Peter with his blundering, and James and John, those sons of thunder who again and again so utterly misunderstood their Master and His mission, there is no reason why He should not take you. So don't shut yourself out of it and say, "Ah, these wonderful visions and revelations of the Lord are for choice spirits!" They may be for you!
--John McNeill

Scripture to Comfort..... by Meghan Kleppinger

 Scripture to Comfort

by Meghan Kleppinger

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. - Matthew 5:4, NAS

If you have ever suffered a broken relationship and/or heart, the loss of a loved one, or any number of other devastations, than you know about "that" pain.

It's that pain that originates in the bottom of your stomach and initially feels like a big numb ball. Later it develops into a raw gnawing that can only be equated to burning stabs of fire. It makes it way up through the intestines and finally settles in the throat, choking out all attempted spoken words and creating such an excruciating sensation that tears are sure to follow.

Like any other person who has spent more than a few days on this planet, I know "that" pain well. It comes quickly and when it does, it's difficult to believe that it will ever go away. It brings about sorrow, grief, and as it eventually begins to fade away, it brings guilt.

This has been a tough year for my family. We've lost friends and recently, just a few short weeks ago, my grandfather. I know I'm not an anomaly and that people all over the world are suffering a similar pain, so as I began to pray about what I should write about for this week, I started thinking about what has really been helpful for me during these times.

Friends and family have been great, but most of all, scripture has been comforting me. My hope is that the scripture I share with you will be beneficial to you as you grieve or that you can use it to minister to others who are suffering.

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." (John 14:27)

"And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5)

"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed n spirit." (Psalm 34:18)

"The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." (1 John 2:17)

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (Psalm 147:3)

"And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."  (Revelation 21:4)

And finally…

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Intersecting Faith & Life: Go to the Word of God for comfort. In the words of Matthew Henry, ""The Word of God gives us great help in attaining the peace we need. It is living, very lively and active in seizing the conscience of the sinner, in cutting him to the heart, and in comforting him and binding up the wounds of the soul. It is powerful. It convinces powerfully, converts powerfully, and comforts powerfully.""

Further Reading

Revelation 21:3-5

Go and Preach the Good News ..... By: Amanda Idleman

 Go and Preach the Good News (Mark 16:15)

By: Amanda Idleman

And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” - Mark 16:15

Our lives can get so filled up with busyness, entertainment, family life, responsibilities, and on the list goes. We get so distracted that we forget to pursue one of the most central commands of our faith: to share the Good News of Jesus with everyone! The world is lost, hurt, broken, confused, and searching. Believers hold the truth, the answer, and only hope for our dying world.

This passage in Mark is known as the “great commission” from Jesus. Jesus speaks to his disciples from his resurrected body, offering them a parting charge to share God’s story of love with the world. Jesus’ work was complete and now it was up to his followers to share the events they had witnessed with the world.

God has always desired to partner with humanity to complete His good work. But the commission from Jesus greatly expanded who this message was for. The disciples and subsequent Jesus-followers were now authorized to go into all the world to preach the gospel to all of humanity.

The message the disciples were commissioned to share was the history of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. Telling others the meaning of these events and inviting whoever would listen to accept Jesus into their hearts so they can enjoy the benefits of being a part of God’s family. As the disciples shared with others, they made more disciples who could reach more and more people with the story of Jesus. Today that same mission endures. Believers are charged by Christ to share his story, heart, love, and the message of his generous offer of salvation with the world.

How can you be intentional about sharing the “Good News” of Jesus?

Tiny actions done with purpose can make a big impact on the lives of those around us. When we are tuned into the Holy Spirit, He will guide us towards interactions that allow for us to share our faith with others. God’s Spirit will give you the words to say and the boldness you need to step out in faith and share the message of His love with others!

These moments may be simply being obedient to the nudge in your heart to text someone you love a verse that speaks to their situation. It could be realizing the pain of a neighbor and making a card for them or writing them a letter telling them that God sees them and loves them. Sometimes it’s making time to have coffee with a friend that you know could use a listening ear and offer to pray with them. Most people are open to an invitation to pray together, even if they are not a believer.

It can be telling the story of Jesus to someone who has never heard it before. It could be joyfully supporting missionaries willing to travel to unreached people groups on our planet. You could even be the one who steps up to a pulpit to share a message of hope or travels the globe to spread God’s news to those who haven’t heard it.

Whatever the action, no step of faith is too small for God to use to make an eternal difference in the life of another human. His Word declares that all it takes is the faith of a mustard seed to move mountains (Matthew 17:20). Let’s prioritize sharing the Good News as our hurting world needs to hear this message more than ever before!

A Prayer for When You Want to Quit..... By: Alisha Headley

 A Prayer for When You Want to Quit

By: Alisha Headley

“Not only that, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint…” - Romans 5:3-5

I tend to be a quitter. If you’re anything like me, it comes easy to walk away from something that feels difficult. Whether it’s a fitness class, a friendship, a home project, or diet.

When it comes to being a writer, I’ve wanted to walk away a lot. It gets fearful and lonely at times. It’s easy to believe that although I feel I am being faithful to the task God has assigned me, I’m somehow discouraged and think about quitting. I sometimes feel it’s easier to give up, than it is to persevere.

However, today’s verse encourages me. That whatever it is that you are suffering in, the thing that makes you feel like you want to give up, to hang on and keep persevering. It is that perseverance that builds your character. And although you may suffer through discouragement or doubt, there is hope as the reward. And this reward does not disappoint.

If God has called you to it, hang on. Persevere.

Are you wanting to walk away from your marriage because it doesn’t look the way it’s supposed to look? Hang on. Persevere.

Have you applied for that dream job and no doors are opening? Hang on. Persevere.

Are you tired of fighting for that prayer that never seems to be answered? Hang on. Persevere.

Are you weary of waiting around for a husband to find you? Hang on. Persevere.

As believers, lets rejoice in our sufferings because it leads to perseverance, and perseverance produces character, and ultimately, it brings us to the hope we have in the Lord. Hope is worth hanging on and fighting for.

Dear Lord,

Thank you that you sent your Son to this earth as our greatest example of what it means to persevere. Thank you that we can look at His life and see that although His present sufferings were hard and one may have easily given up, He persevered. He did not give up, and His reward was the hope he had in you.

Thank you that you are with us every step of the way, and even though we feel like giving up because what we see with our eyes is different than what we expect, we know that you are working on our behalf.

We ask that you give us the strength to persevere. We ask that you uplift us in times of discouragement. For when I am weak, you are strong.

We pray that you would make our way purposeful and our steps firm in you when we are tired and weary. May we honor you by staying obedient and faithful on this journey. For we know that you have promised us that we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Thank you for this truth. Give us a heart to keep persevering.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Being Thankful in “All” Things..... by Debbie McDaniel

 Being Thankful in “All” Things

by Debbie McDaniel

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I must be honest, sometimes it's the "all" in that verse that gets me. Most of us can be thankful, for lots of things, at lots of times, but in "all" circumstances? That can be tough.

What about when you find yourself suffering illness, or defeat, or you're walking through huge loss...what about when a loved one leaves this world too soon and you still can't see past your tears...or when you've been praying for your prodigal loved one to come home and it seems like the prayers are unanswered...what about when you're discouraged, disillusioned, and struggling with disbelief...or when you're overwhelmed, overextended, and just fighting being over-stressed...what about when the needs mount high and the way doesn't look clear...or when people are cruel, life seems unfair, and the enemy's breathing down your back...what about when the storms come, and the car breaks down, or the air conditioner stops working on a holiday weekend (true story)...

Yes, these are the "all" things that can be hard to find gratitude in, whether it's huge losses or just life irritations. But God's word never changes to fit our circumstances. His Truth rises above our circumstance, so that we can too. He doesn't say give thanks "for it", but "in it all," for He knows He's building more deeply into our lives and character than He could ever build without the hard times.

We're gaining strength. We're gaining perseverance. We're being reminded that true joy is never based on how we feel or our outside situations. We're understanding that God's ways are bigger, His thoughts are higher, and we can be assured that He holds us in His hands.

And He is with us.

Always.

No matter what you might be facing, the good news is this, you woke up. He's given us today. And if we're still here, living and breathing, may our every breath bring honor to Him.

Be assured my friend, you never fight the battles alone. Stay strong. Choose joy. Choose to be grateful in it "all." For He is building greatness. He's working things out for good. He hears our prayers, He sees all, and knows all. He has purpose for our pain, and brings hope for our tomorrows...

Grace to you this day.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Recognize today, that the most difficult challenge you’re facing right now, may actually be a greater blessing, as God is working in and through your life in powerful ways. No matter how hard, choose to give Him thanks, in “all” things.

Further Reading: Psalm 118:24, Ephesians 5:20, Psalm 100:1-5