The Living God..... Streams in the Desert

The Living God 

Streams in the Desert

O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee? (Daniel 6:20).

How many times we find this expression in the Scriptures, and yet it is just this very thing that we are so prone to lose sight of. We know it is written "the living God"; but in our daily life there is scarcely anything we practically so much lose sight of as the fact that God is the living God; that He is now whatever He was three or four thousand years since; that He has the same sovereign power, the same saving love towards those who love and serve Him as ever He had and that He will do for them now what He did for others two, three, four thousand years ago, simply because He is the living God, the unchanging One. Oh, how therefore we should confide in Him, and in our darkest moments never lose sight of the fact that He is still and ever will be the living God!

Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him and expect help from Him, He will never fail you. An older brother who has known the Lord for forty-four years, who writes this, says to you for your encouragement that He has never failed him. In the greatest difficulties, in the heaviest trials, in the deepest poverty and necessities, He has never failed me; but because I was enabled by His grace to trust Him He has always appeared for my help. I delight in speaking well of His name.
--George Mueller

Luther was once found at a moment of peril and fear, when he had need to grasp unseen strength, sitting in an abstracted mood tracing on the table with his finger the words, "Vivit! vivit!" ("He lives! He lives!"). It is our hope for ourselves, and for His truth, and for mankind. Men come and go; leaders, teachers, thinkers speak and work for a season, and then fall silent and impotent. He abides. They die, but He lives. They are lights kindled, and, therefore, sooner or later quenched; but He is the true light from which they draw all their brightness, and He shines for evermore.
--Alexander Maclaren

"One day I came to know Dr. John Douglas Adam," writes C. G. Trumbull. "I learned from him that what he counted his greatest spiritual asset was his unvarying consciousness of the actual presence of Jesus. Nothing bore him up so, he said, as the realization that Jesus was always with him in actual presence; and that this was so independent of his own feelings, dependent of his deserts, and independent of his own notions as to how Jesus would manifest His presence.

"Moreover, he said that Christ was the home of his thoughts. Whenever his mind was free from other matters it would turn to Christ; and he would talk aloud to Christ when he was alone -- on the street, anywhere -- as easily and naturally as to a human friend. So real to him was Jesus' actual presence.

Praying the Gospel (1 Timothy 2:1-4)..... By Jennifer Waddle

 Praying the Gospel (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

By Jennifer Waddle

Today’s Bible Verse - “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Sharing the Gospel is something all Christians are encouraged to do, as people are in great need of the Savior. But what about praying the Gospel? Have you ever considered praying the Scriptures that clearly portray who Jesus is and what He came to do? The benefits of praying the Gospel are many, but here are three ways it can impact your life and the lives around you:

1. Praying the Gospel will equip you to share it.

If you were asked to sum up the Gospel in a few sentences, how would you describe it? Often, we are reluctant to share the Good News because we don’t know how to articulate it. By praying the Gospel, you will equip your heart and mind to be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks. And, as God provides opportunity, you’ll feel confident in sharing the best news ever.

I encourage you to write out the Gospel in your own words and find key Scriptures to memorize and have on hand. This exercise will help you pinpoint the Gospel message and be able to communicate it effectively at any time.

2. Your Gospel influence is your greatest influence.

Of all the gifts and talents God has given you—the things you are most know for—it is your Gospel influence that will matter most in the end. By praying the Gospel, you will be reminded of how God has worked in your own life, to bring you out of sin and death into a new life of salvation and freedom. Your testimony of faith will be strengthened as you pray the Scriptures that first convicted you and drew you to the Savior.

3. The Gospel is unchanging, steadfast, and true.

With so much uncertainty, instability, and mistruths in the world, a lot of us are feeling like we are on a scary roller coaster ride that just won’t stop! But as unstable as we might feel, our unsaved loved ones are on an even scarier ride that has a terrible end.

Praying the Gospel will remind you of the urgency of salvation. It will remind you of the absolute certainty you have in God—not the world. And as news headlines continue to highlight all that is bad, the Good News about Jesus will remain unchanging, steadfast, and true.

While sharing the Gospel is one of the most important things we could ever do on this earth, praying it will remind us of how the Good News changes lives for eternity, how it continues to remain a constant source of truth, and how it equips us to share it with our loved ones and the world.

While sharing the Gospel is one of the most important things we could ever do on this earth, praying it will remind us of how the Good News changes lives for eternity, how it continues to remain a constant source of truth, and how it equips us to share it with our loved ones and the world.

When I Grow Up..... by Katherine Britton

 When I Grow Up

by Katherine Britton

"Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, then we will live and also do this or that." - James 4:15

"You can be anything you want when you grow up, sweetie."

My parents profoundly ignored that phrase when I was growing up. I never heard them say those words, although the self-esteem trend was certainly making its way through the schools and Saturday morning cartoons. That's not to say that they told me the opposite or never encouraged my efforts. On the contrary, my mother carted me to ice skating practice, art lessons, piano lessons, debate club, and even soccer (for one pathetic season). She pushed me to do my best at whatever activity or homework assignment came my way, because it was a matter of "doing all things for the glory of God." And that's exactly why she and my father never told me I could be anything I wanted when I grew up.

My parents knew better.

Instead of the infinite-potential catchphrase, they would tell me things like, "If God wants you to be a concert pianist, then you will be," or "God gave you this talent for a reason, so we're going to cultivate it." That took the focus off of what I "wanted to be" and onto how God had gifted me. For that reason, my mother pushed me into writing tutoring even though I absolutely hated it at the time. I certainly had no intentions of being an editor when I grew up. Little did I know.

Can we really be anything we want when we grow up? The famous verses in Proverbs suggest otherwise. "In his heart a man plans his course," says Proverbs 16:9. Sure, I can make plans to be anything I want. "But the Lord determines [my] steps," as the verse concludes. My parents understood this from their own crazy life stories. So they told me not about my endless potential, but about God's ability to take me to places unknown and undreamed of.

I laugh inwardly when people ask me where I want to be in five or ten years, because Heaven only knows where I actually will be. Besides, I'm still inexperienced in all this career and marriage stuff, and still figuring out my goals. How comforting it is to know that it's my responsibility to cultivate the little talents I have and let God decide where to take them.

Even at this point in my life, I can look back and see the long line of events, circumstances, character-building chances (oh boy!), and opportunities that I couldn't have orchestrated myself. I see now that I couldn't have been anything I wanted. Instead, I have become - and will become - whatever God wants me to be. After all, He knows me more intimately than I know myself. He knows exactly how I can serve His kingdom best. Yes, that's what I want to be when I grow up.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  "If the Lord wills, then we will live and also do this or that." Are we aware just how fully dependent we are on God? Does this give us comfort? Or does it scare us that we control so little of our lives? Are you excited to see where God will take you, or afraid that His plan will be different from your own? It all comes down to a single question: are we willing to surrender our plans for His glory?

Further Reading

Psalm 119:35
Jeremiah 10:23

A Prayer for When You Want to Complain..... By Betsy de Cruz

 A Prayer for When You Want to Complain

By Betsy de Cruz

“I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.” – Psalm 104:33-34

At first, I was so overjoyed about my new job that I didn’t mind the long commute, but by week three, the stress of navigating heavy traffic began to wear me down. Even though I knew my dream job was well worth the drive, and we had plans to move closer in 6 months, I dreaded getting in the car. Until one day I discovered a simple hack that transformed my attitude.

Simply turning on worship music lifted my spirits and made the drive so much more pleasant. When I joined in and sang aloud, I remembered again how grateful I was for my job. My entire outlook on life brightened during my hour commute.

If you are anything like me, your gratitude and joy can quickly take a downward spiral to complaining and a poor “woe is me” mentality. When we dwell on everything going wrong in our lives, burdens grow heavier and challenges seem greater.

Taking a few minutes to worship God reminds us of the many reasons we have to praise Him. We can’t help but rejoice when we remember His faithful love, power, and unchanging character. Psalm 104:33-34 reminds us that if we sang our whole lives long, we still wouldn’t run out of reasons to praise God.  As we worship God, gratitude grows. We recall His goodness and care for us.

Worship defeats the downward cycle of complaining. It renews our minds, so that our thoughts—the Psalmist refers to our “meditation” here—will please the Lord. If you take time to praise God in the middle of whatever exasperating, stress-inducing, or plain-old-depressing situation you find yourself in today, God will transform your attitude and build your faith.

Worship honors God and renews our minds. How about reading a Psalm of worship today or turning on some Christian music? You can turn your commute—or time doing housework, cooking, or rocking a child—into an uplifting time instead of a drag.

It doesn’t matter if you praise Him with words, sing out loud, or in your thoughts, God will be pleased at the meditation of your heart as you rejoice in Him.

What if we start right now? Let’s pray:

Lord, right now I will choose to praise you for your great goodness and lovingkindness. You know my circumstances, and I thank you because I can rest in your power and care over every aspect of my life.

God, I praise you for your wisdom, which has designed my circumstances to shape me for your glory and help me get to know you better. I praise you for your steadfast love, which surrounds me every minute of the day. Thank you for being with me.

Thank you, Jesus, for showing your love by dying on the cross for me. I praise you for the power of your blood which rescues me from sin and death. I remember the power that raised Jesus from the dead and lives in me to make me an overcomer.

Lord, thank you for the blessings and grace you so freely give. Forgive me for complaining over my circumstances. May my meditation today be pleasing to you as I praise you and remember your goodness to me.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

A NEW YOU FOR THE NEW YEAR..... Dr. Jeff Schreve

 A NEW YOU FOR THE NEW YEAR

Dr. Jeff Schreve 

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14

When I was a kid, one of my favorite TV shows was The Six Million Dollar Man. Do you remember that show? It was about an astronaut who nearly died in a terrible accident. The government stepped in and replaced his crushed body with bionic parts. The show's opening said, "We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better… stronger… faster."

A NEW YOU!

Wouldn't it be cool if you could be better than you were last year? If you could be a better Christian… a better husband or wife… a better mom or dad or child… a better boss or employee? If you could be more loving, more joyful, more at peace, more considerate, more disciplined, and more effective at making a difference?

Is it really possible to experience a new you in the new year? YES! That is exactly what God wants for you this New Year. God is in the life-transformation business. He has a plan and program to change your life and make you more like Him in the way you act and react.

WHAT'S THE PLAN?

Although Paul was arguably the strongest Christian who ever lived, he had a great desire in his heart to be "better, stronger, and faster." He wanted to grow in His relationship with Christ. He wanted to be changed "from glory to glory." In Philippians 3, Paul shared an important action plan that made a difference for him and will for you also. The action plan has two key steps.

1. Forget what lies behind.

A. Have you been hurt in the past? Have people said bad things about you and done bad things to you? Join the club. We all have had bad things happen to us in the past. The difference between winners and losers is this: winners let the pain from the past go. They forget it. Losers hold on to it. God says LET IT GO. Give those hurts to me so you can move on down the road.

B. Have you blown it in the past? Do you have major sins and failures in your past history that keep you feeling like a second-class citizen in the Kingdom of God? I don't care if you are guilty of mass murder; your sins, no matter how heinous, are no match for the blood of Jesus Christ! Confess all those sins to God. Get them out from the shadows of your heart and under the cleansing power of the blood of His cross. And once you confess that sin to God and turn from that sin, accept His complete and total forgiveness. "What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy" (Acts 10:15).

2. Reach forward to what lies ahead.

God does not want us to live looking in the rear view mirror. He wants us to press on in Jesus' name. He wants us to put our eyes on Jesus and seek Him with all our hearts. He wants us to keep going, even when the way is hard.

Have you been tempted to throw in the towel? Have you gotten knocked down and have yet to get up? The time is now to dust off the difficulties of the past and get back in the race. Press on toward the goal, toward the prize of pleasing the Lord and hearing Him say one day as you cross the finish line, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

It's a new year. God wants there to be a new you. It is within reach. It is His will and desire for you. Will you let go of the past? Will you get up from your fall? Will you go for the prize with all your heart?

Love,

Pastor Jeff Schreve,