A Prayer for When the Rogue Waves of Life Hit ..... By: Meg Bucher

 01/18/2021

  A Prayer for When the Rogue Waves of Life Hit

 By: Meg Bucher

 “His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.” - Luke 1:50 NIV

 

After a beautiful day out on the water, we headed to the island for dinner. On the way, our Great Lake threw us a surprise, as it has been known to do. Though the water was flat and calm, my daughters, niece, and I were suddenly staring straight at a big wave! The set of three rogue waves caught all of us off guard, and the water spilled over the bow and down through the rest of the boat.

 

Soaked, shocked, and a little scared, three young faces looked at me to gauge my reaction.

 

In situations like that, we don’t always have time to compose ourselves. The natural state of our soul bleeds right out of our facial expressions. However, God granted me supernatural calm, enough to allow me to comfort my youngest daughter’s fears, and return her to her seat in the front of the boat.

 

“His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him.” Luke 1:50 MSG

 

Rogue waves can change our life in an instant, no matter how prepared we think we are to face the day ahead of us. We can know the weather report, see out on the horizon, and feel the wind, but it won’t stop every rogue wave from splashing into our lives. No matter how much we would like to think we are in control, God is the only one whose hand is on all. The only thing we can do is seek His perspective each day through His living Word. When we do that, he prepares our souls for what we cannot see coming our way.

 

Let’s pray today for God’s perspective for when the rogue waves of life hit:

 

Father,

 

Help us to stay grounded in the truth of Your Word, and Your Word, alone. Let us not look to news reports and weather forecasts and the final word, but always leave room for You to move in our lives. We pray to see life from Your perspective.

 

Just like waves often come in sets of three, Your grace falls on us, wave after wave. When we are shocked by what the day has given us, help us to embrace the grace Jesus died to grant us. No matter what we encounter, He is with us. Nothing can snatch us from His hand.

 

Some days, we are left drenched and stunned, but there is always an abundance of grace by which our Savior embraces us. Each time, we get back up by His strength. Not just to get by another day, but to live it to the full. Father, thank You for protecting us, saving us, and defending us. In ways we will never know or realize, You go before us to prepare the way.

 

Thank you for the way you faithfully care for us, encouraging us in times of trial and calming our very souls in a way we could not. Today, we re-submit the state of our souls to You. In any way in which we have attempted to take control of different areas of our lives, forgive us. May our lives bring honor and glory to your name, even when our lives are soaked and pummeled from rogue waves. Bless and protect us, Father, from what only You can see coming this day… and every day.

 

In Jesus Name,

 

 

Amen.

 

01/19/2021

 

Praying the Gospel (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

 

By Jennifer Waddle

Streams in the Desert.....

 Streams in the Desert

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14).

God gets His greatest victories out of apparent defeats. Very often the enemy seems to triumph for a little, and God lets it be so; but then He comes in and upsets all the work of the enemy, overthrows the apparent victory, and as the Bible says, "turns the way of the wicked upside down." Thus He gives a great deal larger victory than we would have known if He had not allowed the enemy, seemingly, to triumph in the first place.

The story of the three Hebrew children being cast into the fiery furnace is a familiar one. Here was an apparent victory for the enemy. It looked as if the servants of the living God were going to have a terrible defeat. We have all been in places where it seemed as though we were defeated, and the enemy rejoiced. We can imagine what a complete defeat this looked to be. They fell down into the flames, and their enemies watched them to see them burn up in that awful fire, but were greatly astonished to see them walking around in the fire enjoying themselves. Nebuchadnezzar told them to "come forth out of the midst of the fire." Not even a hair was singed, nor was the smell of fire on their garments, "because there is no other god that can deliver after this sort."

This apparent defeat resulted in a marvelous victory.

Suppose that these three men had lost their faith and courage, and had complained, saying, "Why did not God keep us out of the furnace!" They would have been burned, and God would not have been glorified. If there is a great trial in your life today, do not own it as a defeat, but continue, by faith, to claim the victory through Him who is able to make you more than conqueror, and a glorious victory will soon be apparent. Let us learn that in all the hard places God brings us into, He is making opportunities for us to exercise such faith in Him as will bring about blessed results and greatly glorify His name.
--Life of Praise

Defeat may serve as well as victory
To shake the soul and let the glory out.
When the great oak is straining in the wind,
The boughs drink in new beauty, and the trunk
Sends down a deeper root on the windward side.
Only the soul that knows the mighty grief
Can know the mighty rapture. Sorrows come
To stretch out spaces in the heart for joy.

Developing Convictions..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Developing Convictions

Dr. Charles Stanley

Jeremiah 17:5-8

An acorn needs nutrients and time to grow into a tall, sturdy oak tree. Likewise, men and women of conviction develop gradually through committed Bible study and prayer. Ready to get planted firmly in biblical truth? Here’s how:

Make a list of issues for which you need to form a conviction. Here are questions to help you get started: Do you consider the Bible true and trustworthy? Do you think that believing in Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved? What is the Holy Spirit’s role in the lives of believers and unbelievers? Are we to forgive others in every situation? How should Christians approach finances? What’s your purpose in life? What is your role in the church and at work? How should you think and act regarding social issues like capital punishment, abortion, and racism?

It is my hope that these questions will open the eyes of those who haven’t contemplated how their personal philosophies have developed. It’s time to change that. Study the Bible and make God’s Word the cornerstone of your thinking. A concordance will point you to scriptures that relate to the above topics. Evaluate what the Bible says rather than looking at an issue through the lens of personal preference. Ask, What does God say? rather than What does this mean to me?

Once you know what God says, you have a choice to make: Believe Him and commit to living according to your conviction, or continue being tossed by waves of doubt and indecision (James 1:6). Root yourself in God’s Word and be called one of His oaks of righteousness (Isa. 61:3).

We are the Church..... BINU SAMUEL

 We are the Church

BINU SAMUEL

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:10 (NIV)

We walked out of the sanctuary and into our church’s main lobby. I thought my husband was headed toward our usual corner where we typically chat with a few friends after service. But my husband veered off to a different side of the lobby. When I spotted him, I noticed his arm was around the shoulder of a fellow church attendee. The two appeared engrossed in a deep conversation.

As we drove home, I couldn’t help but ask what that conversation was all about.

My husband filled me in: “During the service, I noticed that man’s socks. I noticed his socks because of the holes he had in his shoes. I felt a strong nudge in my heart to buy the man a pair of shoes … so I was asking the man his shoe size.”

We’ve attended this church for over 20 years. It’s a fairly large congregation with multiple service times, so meeting new people was nothing new for my husband. But walking up to someone he has never spoken to before and asking him his shoe size? Now that was a first.

I continued my questioning: “Oh, wow … was he surprised? Was he insulted? Does he simply like his old shoes?”

My husband replied, “No, he wasn’t insulted at all. His eyes filled up, and his chin quivered. He actually seemed moved. I gave him my number and asked him to call me. I told him I’d like to meet up with him at the mall.”

Two days later, my husband and the man met. There, in the food court, this man shared his story. A few poor choices had led him to where he was. He was thankful for a stable job, but he still had a long way to go.

He told my husband,“I don’t do well with handouts. I accepted your offer because I knew it was God. I have a funeral to attend later this week. This past Sunday morning when you approached me, I had just looked through my closet to see if I had a pair of shoes decent enough to wear to the funeral. I didn’t. So I asked God that morning if He could somehow provide a pair of shoes. When you asked my shoe size, I knew God had heard my prayer. I was overwhelmed by God.”

After purchasing the shoes, my husband asked his new friend if there was anything else he needed.“No, thank you,” his friend replied. “I’m good. I just asked God for shoes.”

My pastor reminds us quite often that the church isn’t simply the building we worship in. It’s us. You and me. We are the church. We are the body of Christ. His hands. His feet. When there is a need, if we can meet it, we meet it.

In Galatians 6:10, the Apostle Paul encourages both the church in Galatia and the church today: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Maybe you’ve felt that tug to encourage a brother or sister in need, but you hesitated because you were unsure how they would respond. I’d like to challenge us today to push through the awkwardness and prayerfully act upon God’s prompting.

Or perhaps you find yourself alone and in need. Maybe your choices or the choices of others have led you to this place. It doesn’t matter. God still hears you. Even those quiet, desperate prayers you pray alone in your closet. God hears.

Our God will drop everything. He will leave the 99. He will even tug at the hearts of His children to care for the needs of the one.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me as though I were Your only child. And yet I am not — I am part of Your much larger family. Help me to love others as You love them. Open my eyes and heart to see the needs around me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
1 John 3:17, “But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?” (ESV)

How to Go to Battle with the Enemy (and Win!)..... By Courtnaye Richard

 How to Go to Battle with the Enemy (and Win!)

By Courtnaye Richard

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” – Ephesians 6:10-11

When you are in a battle, I know it's hard. I know the weight feels really heavy to bear. I know the tears and the lack of understanding, "Why is this happening?" But when those things happen, I want to encourage you to pray for starters, but also call someone to pray for you as well.

Also, seek ways to calm down, release the stress in a godly manner, and allow the Lord to work it all out in His perfect timing to either ease the pain or hurt, or to work out the situation for everyone's good and best interest. He is a very BIG God and He cares about you and all that concerns you (See 1 Peter 5:7). He is with you in the battle. He's totally got your back! So trust Him for the victory.

Always remember that our battle is not necessarily with people. Our true battle is with our great enemy Satan.

Put on the Belt of Truth – Break out the Word of God. Whether that is reading your Bible in devotion or app, on your refrigerator, on a coffee mug, on an index card, or whichever method you use. Put that Word on! But also be truthful in all you do. In your conversations, writings, texts, inboxes, emails, etc. Make a conscious choice to live out God’s truth and be truthful.

Put on the Breastplate of Righteousness – Know that it’s His righteousness. So always make your boast in Him. Putting on this piece of God’s armor guards your heart from unwanted sin and it also tells the devil, “I’m living right according to God’s Word. So back up, because my heart is for God!

Put on the Gospel of Peace (Shoes of Peace) – Protect your feet by putting on the gospel of peace. Be ready to share the Good News about Christ, which brings peace to those who are ready to receive Him or hear about Him. Be ready to move when God says move.

Put on the Shield of Faith – When the enemy throws arrows of doubt, fear, worry, unbelief, defeat, lack of hope, lack of trust, depression, guilt, condemnation, you name it…raise up your shield of faith and raise it up quickly, so that it doesn’t penetrate your heart or head.

Put on the Helmet of Salvation - Guard your mind. Protect it at all cost. You do this by casting down unwelcome or unholy thoughts, a negative mindset, worry, fear, doubt, unforgiveness, and more. All of this weighs heavily on the mind. So think about God’s Word and what He says about you while in the battle you're facing.

Pull Out the Sword of the Spirit – This is the WORD OF GOD! And it’s a very powerful weapon used against the enemy. Second Corinthians 10:4 says, “For the weapons of warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” God will help you tear down strongholds in your life and help you fight against the enemy through His Word. So use it! And use it wisely. It’s there not only to help you fight against him, but also sin in your life.

Use the Weapon of Prayer - Whatever you do, don't stop praying. There is so much power in prayer. It's another great weapon. So use it! Ephesians 6:18 says, "Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit." (NLT)

I want to also remind you that if you’re going to do anything for the Lord, know that you are going to experience spiritual warfare. It’s inevitable. And that battle can come from within and the outside of your home. But remember, we’re fighting unseen enemies that will stop at nothing to try to hinder us from fulfilling God’s plan for our lives or to just wreak havoc! However, you and I need to understand that we’re not alone and we have power. We’ve got supernatural protection for a supernatural fight.

Remember, Jesus is coming back soon! And those who endure unto the end shall be saved. So let’s be ready from the Inside Out!

~Courtnaye

The Only Way to Shut Up the Devil Is at the Cross..... by Whitney Capps

 The Only Way to Shut Up the Devil Is at the Cross

by Whitney Capps

Having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Col. 2:15).

Living a life unashamed is a hard thing to grab a hold of. I mean, live confident in the work of Jesus? I get that. Forget the mountain of debt I had against God? Live completely free from the guilt and shame of that? So much harder, right? Shame is a stubborn weed that comes back no matter how many times I pull it, you know?

When the devil begins to attack us, it’s best not to argue with him. I've lost quite a few arguments with the devil. I know I have authority over him, but when he starts reading my rap sheet of crimes against God and comparing me to other women, I can get sucked into a “me” spiral. When this starts to happen, the only solution is to take me out of the equation. The only way to shut up the devil is at the Cross.

The church at Colossae knew about having an attacked, vulnerable faith. One of the purposes of Paul’s letter to the Colossians was to firm up their faith and remind them of their confidence in the Cross. In Colossians 2:14-15 (NIV) Paul says, “Having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

The only way to shut up the devil is at the Cross.

In the Ancient Near East, agreements and business transactions between two parties were handwritten into formal contracts—not unlike today, but with a few more brush strokes rather than keystrokes. When one party was indebted to another, his name would be written below the agreement. When the debt was satisfied, the name would be scratched out, a line drawn through it, or one would hammer a nail, piercing the name, signifying the debt had been canceled.

In Colossians 2, Paul uses this same idea with the phrase "legal indebtedness." The law of God was the written contract that held us in debt to Him. Sins stacked up, and our charges against Him were incalculable. But through Jesus Christ, God has canceled those charges! Because of the very specific word choice Paul used in verse 14, his audience would have envisioned the nails in Jesus’ hands and feet blotting out the debt we owed God. Every charge against us was nailed to the cross. Our account with Him had been settled. He can forgive us because though we failed to uphold our end of the contract by keeping the law, Jesus paid the price for our crimes against God. We were unable to meet the terms of our agreement with Him.

So, Jesus did that for us by living a perfect, completely sinless life and taking on the shame of our sin by dying a criminal’s death in our place. This is referred to by scholars as expiation. To "expiate" our sin means that Jesus satisfied the legal requirements that God demands of us.

This is the gospel. Our debt is paid! The nails that pierced Him declared us free and clear. What marvelous news! It’s a sweet reminder to combat our shame and guilt. The Cross is the antidote. The Cross sets us free from shame.

A Prayer for Peace That Surpasses Understanding..... By: Alisha Headley

 A Prayer for Peace That Surpasses Understanding

By: Alisha Headley

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:6-7

We have a very real, sinister enemy. He is invisible yet has been effective in stealing our peace since the beginning of the world. Satan knows that where there is no peace, there is no victory. That is why he comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10) those places of peace in our life.

But what if you could live in today’s world with peace despite your current circumstances? A peace that far exceeds your fears? A peace that centers you, despite death, betrayal, and heartache?

Today’s Scripture highlights a peace that can lead us better than the worries of the world. Our circumstances might not make any sense to us right now, but God’s peace can surpass our limited understanding. His peace can and will become your guard and protector. How can we have this incredible peace?

First, we are to bring everything to God by prayer and supplication [in other words, by request]. And we are to do it with thanksgiving. We often don’t think of things to be thankful for as we are going through a difficult crisis of sorts. But friends, this is the key to allowing God’s overwhelming and indescribable peace to take over our hearts and minds, despite the circumstance in which we find ourselves. Even if your situation doesn’t change, as God’s peace takes over, your heart and mind can change.

So, find those things for which to be thankful. If you have experienced the death of a loved one, thank God for the years you spent with them. If you lost your job, thank God for the skills set, provision and healthy family you have. If you’re anxious for the world to feel less scary, thank God that He is in control and He hears your prayers. There is always something to be thankful for. Trust that God is who He says He is. Every time you feel worried or anxious take it as your sign to start thanking God. Then watch God replace that worry with His peace that surpasses all our understanding.

Let’s pray.

Dear Father,

Thank you for not leaving us empty-handed. You have provided us the truth of your Word to help navigate us through this life. Thank you that we can bring anything and everything to the foot of the cross and make all our requests known to you. Thank you that even though “there may be trouble in the world, you have overcome the world.”  (John 16:38) We cannot survive the storms of life without your peace and we are the victors over the enemy who attempts to destroy it. 

We ask that you cover us in your peace today. You see us, and you hear our prayers. We know that even if our eyes can’t see our circumstances changing, that you see it and you are in control. Thank you that your peace is not only our guard but our guide, protecting us. 

We ask that the Holy Spirit prompt us in those moments of worry to turn toward you in thanksgiving. We worship you for being a faithful God whom we can trust with everything. We love you. 

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen