Streams in the Desert.....

 Streams in the Desert

And there was an enlarging, and a winding about still upward to the side chambers: for the winding about of the house went still upward round about the house: therefore the breadth of the house was still upward and so increased from the lowest chamber to the highest by the midst (Ezekiel 41:7).

Still upward be thine onward course:
For this I pray today;
Still upward as the years go by,
And seasons pass away.
Still upward in this coming year,
Thy path is all untried;
Still upward may'st thou journey on,
Close by thy Saviors side.
Still upward e'en though sorrow come,
And trials crush thine heart;
Still upward may they draw thy soul,
With Christ to walk apart.
Still upward till the day shall break,
And shadows all have flown;
Still upward till in Heaven you wake,
And stand before the throne.

We ought not to rest content in the mists of the valley when the summit of Tabor awaits us. How pure are the dews of the hills, how fresh is the mountain air, how rich the fare of the dwellers aloft, whose windows look into the New Jerusalem! Many saints are content to live like men in coal mines, who see not the sun. Tears mar their faces when they might anoint them with celestial oil. Satisfied I am that many a believer pines in a dungeon when he might walk on the palace roof, and view the goodly land and Lebanon. Rouse thee, O believer, from thy low condition! Cast away thy sloth, thy lethargy, thy coldness, or whatever interferes with thy chaste and pure love to Christ. Make Him the source, the center, and the circumference of all thy soul's range of delight. Rest no longer satisfied with thy dwarfish attainments. Aspire to a higher, a nobler, a fuller life. Upward to heaven! Nearer to God!
--Spurgeon

I want to scale the utmost height,
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I'll pray, till heaven I've found,
Lord, lead me on to higher ground!

Not many of us are living at our best. We linger in the lowlands because we are afraid to climb the mountains. The steepness and ruggedness dismay us, and so we stay in the misty valleys and do not learn the mystery of the hills. We do not know what we lose in our self-indulgence, what glory awaits us if only we had courage for the mountain climb, what blessing we should find if only we would move to the uplands of God.
--J. R. M

Too low they build who build beneath the stars.

Set Your Face Like a Flint (Isaiah 50:7)..... By: Anne Peterson

 Set Your Face Like a Flint (Isaiah 50:7)

By: Anne Peterson

Today's Bible Verse: Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. - Isaiah 50:7

Growing up in my dysfunctional home, I remember being shamed. And when you’re a child, you tend to absorb and internalize that shame. Instead of being able to process your emotions, you start seeing yourself as less than because of how you feel.

When I became a Christ Follower, I began to unlearn that shame. I learned God not only took away my sins on the cross, but God began a work in me which he will continue (Philippians 1:6). God isn’t finished with me yet.

One Christmas my Bible teacher, Lois Peterson, chose a Bible verse she picked especially for us. Mine was Isaiah 50:7, which talks about setting my face like a flint. It says I will not be disgraced because the Lord helps me. Setting my face like a flint means to follow in Christ’s footsteps, separate from worldly influences. It also means to be disciplined, being loyal to God and His truth above all else. We’re not oblivious to all that is going on around us, but we make a choice.

This is not possible without God’s strength and the power of the Holy Spirit. God empowers us for the things he wants us to do. To be a responsible person means I will respond to God’s ability.

Jesus faced the ultimate test when he went to the cross. When Jesus went to the Garden to pray, he took a few of his disciples with him. And then he went on further so he could be alone with God.

When Isaiah prophesied about Jesus on the cross, Isaiah said the Lord had opened his ears, Jesus had not been rebellious. Isaiah said Jesus did not turn away from what was coming. God’s plan was the reason that Jesus bore the shame. They beat Jesus, pulled out his beard, mocked him and spat on him. But God is the one who helped Jesus so that he was not disgraced. And Jesus set his face like a flint.

There have been times in my life when I set my face like a flint. In those moments, the only thing I knew for sure was that I had to follow God’s leading. I knew God would be there for me, just like he was all the other difficult times.

Satan is the only one who wants us to be shamed. He wants us to be disgraced, which means to fall from favor. When you think about it, Satan was the one who fell from God’s favor and he wants to pull us down with him. But those of us who know God personally can be assured we will never fall from his favor.

If Jesus is your Savior, no matter what you are facing in your life, you can set your face like a flint, being confident that God will help you and you will not be disgraced. And with God to help you, you don’t need anything else.

The Temporary Non-Path of Patience..... by Shawn McEvoy

 The Temporary Non-Path of Patience

by Shawn McEvoy

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. - James 5:7-8

We all know that patience isn't easy, or fun. What it is, though, is the path of the wise. Or, perhaps it's better to say the "non-path," since it usually involves a decision to do nothing for a while, to be still and know that you are not God, to reflect, or to strategize.

I recently gained new insight into the value of patience and the reason it's prized so highly in the Bible, from verses about "those who wait on the Lord" to "letting endurance have its perfect result."

In the first half of 2010 I raced through a blog of the TV show LOST. The series is replete with Christo-religious metaphors and parallels. One such area it studies in detail is patience. Early on, one of the characters tells another that "Patience, which you lack, is the quality of a leader." It almost flew right by me, like it did the first time. Patience? The quality of a leader? Does that sound right? Not really, not to today's ears. Don't we usually think of leaders as people who make immediate, command decisions, rush into action, tell others what to do, and make people feel safe (which is to say, how they think they need to feel)?

That's part of it; however, those are the very flaws about the concept that plagued most of the characters on LOST. They were so driven to do, fix, run, save, correct, fight, and prove that they often didn't take time to actually ponder the next step or, even better, wait for the next step to present itself. Their lack of wisdom in making rush decisions and actions was obvious to the audience, who kept wondering why they couldn't remember the miracles they'd already seen, why they couldn't reflect on what they'd already come through, the amazing ways they'd been granted second chances, the redemption they'd been given despite not deserving it, the way they kept longing for home while failing to realize they were building a new one (if they could have just slowed down and seen it).

As I watched it all unfold, I was reminded of the children of Israel. Granted, 40 years in a desert would be a long time to wait for anything, particularly a promised new home. So they grumbled. They longed for the old ways, even though those meant bondage and servitude. They failed to stop and understand that the miracles of manna and the Red Sea meant more were on the way - at the right time. They nagged their leadership, sought unproductive solutions, and just like the characters on LOST, were plagued by always feeling they had to do something, to take control.

The paradox is that control is indeed involved, but it's self-control instead of situational control. Relax. Quiet yourself. Let's remember where we came from and the amazing ways we passed through peril for a while. Let's reflect on the present - the fact we're here - and how amazing the Lord is. Let's ponder our future steps before rushing up them and tripping.

Patience - the "strengthening of the heart" James refers to - then is directly related to another fruit of the Spirit, self-control. Self-control thus leads to maturity, which is completeness, which is wisdom, which is leadership, which is purpose, which is ministry, which is being used of God, which is where we see miracles again. Full-circle we come, eventually, when we patiently wait on the Lord, who is never late and perpetually victorious.

Situational control may provide temporary satisfaction, but it also often makes a situation worse. Patience is a willing temporary dissatisfaction, but it puts your emotions under control and God in control. It might make a situation feel like it's not getting better, but the solution can only be miraculous with it as part of the equation. Patience prevents rash judgment, and judgmentalism. It secures a plan. It is a beautiful paradox of being a non-action and yet a conscious exercise of free will. It is the basis for the merciful ways the Lord deals with us. Patience provides the path in proper time, and promises that faith will be rewarded.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Practice patience this week by seeking not to pursue control in one particularly vexing portion of your life, and ponder whether it's indeed your problem to solve in the first place. Start by remembering the miracle of how God got your attention and delivered you, and his promise that the great work he began in you will not remain incomplete, no matter how long it takes. What miracle will be next? Wait and see. "You will know that I am the LORD; Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame (Isaiah 49:23)."

Further Reading

Galatians 5:22
Hebrews 6:12
1 Corinthians 4:5
Isaiah 40:31

A Prayer for Staying Strong in 2021..... By: Alisha Headley

 A Prayer for Staying Strong in 2021

By: Alisha Headley

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. - 2 Corinthians 12:10

It’s always a great thing to set goals for ourselves when a new year begins. We can have all the intentions to start the year strong like perhaps we did in 2020. But what happens if a crisis hits that throws you completely off course, like the one we all experienced this past year? What if 2021 looks similar to 2020? Are you so tied to the outcome of this pandemic or your difficult road you are walking, that you often feel weak?

What if the way to staying strong in 2021 is leaning on the only ONE who is strong? Because what if this same time next year, the pandemic is still around and what if it’s here to stay for another year?

I’m not sure how you are feeling after a year that none of us ever imagined nor expected to walk through. But sometimes not having the answers is what finally points us to the one who IS the answer – Jesus himself.

In today’s Scripture, Paul is writing to the church in Corinth about the story of having a thorn in his flesh. He is describing how He was given a thorn in the flesh and prayed that it would be removed from him. The Lord responded with saying “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in your weakness.” (Verse 9) We are not sure if the thorn in Paul’s flesh was ever removed. But it is then, that Paul took pleasure in life’s infirmities saying that it is in those times, that “when he is weak, then he is strong.” Paul knew that if he never had the distresses in his life, then he would be strong in his own power. He knew that in those weak moments, that is when we are made strong in Christ.

Let’s follow the example of Paul and learn to “boast in our infirmities…and take pleasure in them” (Verse 9-10) even if we don’t know how long they will be around for. They could be a thorn in our flesh for the rest of our lives so that we will depend on God’s grace alone. Let’s stay strong in 2021, knowing that no matter what happens, in our weakest moments in an undependable world pandemic, that we are actually made strong because we depend on a dependable God.

Dear God,

As hard as this year was, we thank you for our distress and our infirmities just as Paul teaches us to do. We thank you that it made us come to the truth that you are the only One in control. That when our whole world was turned upside down in 2020, you were right side up, holding it all together. Thank you for being a faithful God. One that knows the beginning and the end.

Father, we ask for your strength to go into a new year. We ask that we would stay strong by trusting in you and you alone. For “our strength is made perfect in weakness.” (Verse 9) We have no idea how 2021 will look. In fact, it might look exactly like it did this past year, but Lord we trust that your strength will guide and lead us. That your grace will sufficiently uphold us.

Remind us in moments of doubt to soak ourselves in your Word, for your Word is the “lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path.” (Psalm 119:105) It is lit dimly enough to take us from one step to the next. We trust you this day and trust you with 2021.

We commit to “leaning not on our understanding” (Proverbs 3:5) and strength, but rather trusting in yours.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen

THE KEY TO A HAPPY NEW YEAR..... Dr. Jeff Schreve

 THE KEY TO A HAPPY NEW YEAR

Dr. Jeff Schreve

For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?
Ecclesiastes 2:25

Let me be the first to wish you a Happy New Year!  Happy New Year is an often-heard, post-Christmas statement of encouragement and well-wishing. To be sure, everyone desires a happy new year … but how does a person actually experience a happy new year? What is the key to having 2021 really be a happy one for you?

THE HAPPINESS CONFUSION

Many people equate happiness with money and materialism. To them, happiness is a million dollars. Others equate happiness with good physical health. To them, happiness is an in-shape body hitting on all eight cylinders. Still others equate happiness with personal achievement. To them, happiness is a big promotion, or graduation, or a milestone achievement.

Years ago, I read a true story about tennis star, Boris Becker. He was the youngest man to ever win Wimbledon, achieving victory in 1985 at the tender age of seventeen. In the late 1980s, Becker was on the mountain top of fame, fortune, and personal achievement. Yet, he was so unhappy and on the brink of suicide. Becker was quoted as saying, “I had won Wimbledon twice before, once as the youngest player. I was rich. I had all the material possessions I needed. It’s the old song of movie stars and pop stars who commit suicide. They have everything, and yet they are so unhappy. I had no inner peace. I was a puppet on a string.”

Isn’t that amazing? Becker had all the things the world says will make for happiness, yet he was so incredibly unhappy. Could it be that true happiness is not found in health, wealth, and achievement?

TRUE HAPPINESS

The Bible makes it clear that true happiness comes when you and I are right with God. When we are yielded to Christ and His will, then we can experience true happiness—inner peace and unspeakable joy. Are you right with God today? Are your sins confessed to Him? Are you living surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ?

Blaise Pascal, the seventeenth century mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher astutely said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”

Let me encourage you to take sober inventory of your life today. Are you trying to fill the inner vacuum with health, wealth, achievement, or the like? Those things will never make you truly happy; they will never satisfy the deep longings of your soul. The only One who can do that is Jesus.

Start your year off right by bowing your knee and your life to King Jesus. Give Him first place in everything … for that is the key to true happiness.

Love,

Pastor Jeff Schreve,