Times Of our Lives

 

Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. Revelation 1:19

Time Travel is a popular subject in books and movies and television. The BBC’s “Doctor Who” has been a long running british television series that follows “The Doctor” across time and space both reliving the past and looking into the future.

Time rules our lives. We constantly glance at the watch on our wrist or at the clock on the smartphone in our hands. We need to know what comes next. We hurry so we are not late, or mourn because we are behind on our time.

Too often we waste time in the here-and-now grieving over or regretting our past. We relive mistakes we have made, wishing that we could do things over again. Or use up our time now looking to the future, hoping for a better day, and waiting for it to happen. We convince ourselves that tomorrow will be better than today and spend time with ongoing anticipation. Then tomorrow comes, and we are unhappy with it, so we wait yet again for the next day that will be “better” than today.

We are prisoners of time if we do not stop and simply live today. What if, instead of looking back, or “hoping” forward, we would live today to its fullest? What are we missing by looking at the clock with our eyes fixed on yesterday or tomorrow?

I encourage you to live today. Yesterday might have been awful, and perhaps tomorrow will be better. But how much better will today be if you give it your full focus and attention?

Prayer: Dear Lord, we waste so much time looking forward and back. Help us to live today for You are not only the God that was and will be, but the God of today as well Amen.

Stories That Leave Us Inspired

 

And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel. Luke 1:80

When my wife returned from a tire store she told me an inspiring story. A young man who worked there, and whose father owned the store, told her that when he was younger he had a terrible stutter. He could hardly finish a sentence without stuttering. He said his father encouraged, and even insisted that he sell tires to customers that came in. He told how over time, as he sold more tires and spoke to more customers, that his confidence grew. With that increasing confidence his stuttering disappeared.

The testimony of the young man was incredible in itself. But he went on to say that one day a woman with her young son came into his store. The boy also had a stuttering problem. He asked the mother if he might speak to her son. He told the boy of his experience in overcoming stuttering. Now the boy no longer stutters either!

When you hear such things you can’t help but be inspired and amazed at the goodness of God. Most of us have no idea what it would be like to be anxious about every word coming out of our mouths, but we each have our own challenges and difficulties that get in our way.

How confident ought we to be as the children of God? Our heavenly Father encourages us to leave our comfort zones, stretch our spiritual muscles, and live a life of confident faith each day. We can look at our own challenges and let them hold us back from the good things life offers us. However, what might a little bit of courage and confidence do in helping you to reach further than your current limitations?

Prayer:  Dear Lord, give us courage and help us to grow our confidence. As we recall so many inspiring stories from the Bible and testimonies from those around us, lift our faith, help our hopes to rise, and we shall overcome the obstacles in our way. Amen.

Our Savior Changed The Darkness

 

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:11

The world before the birth of our Savior must have  been a dark and ominous place. No real reason for hope. No true justice. No light at the end of the tunnel.

We still see glimpses of that darkness today, especially in countries void of, or that silences Christianity. Even in modern countries where there are Christians,  wickedness and injustices are found and we get a taste of the foulness of lawlessness that comes from lack of a living faith.

Our Lord was born into a very dark world and without Him one can only imagine how things might have ended for us all.

By the grace of God and willingness of Jesus to come into the world and offer Salvation, we are so blessed that we take for granted what was impossible if not for Christ.

Each day we choose whether or not Jesus will be part of what we do and who we are. We can easily slip back into sinful behavior, or with His help offer our better selves to the world around us.

Through Free Will each and every person decides what they will do with the Savior. They can reject Him, or embrace Him. For the Christian, each moment of time is an opportunity to witness the joy and love Jesus has given us, or to give way to the darkness that still permeates this world and our lives in so many ways.

Don’t let this dark world determine your path through life. If you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I invite you to open your heart and let go of the darkness as you embrace His light. If you are already a believer, I encourage you to do better, be a light as you allow the Love of Jesus within to brighten this dark world.

Prayer: Dear Lord, this world is dark, and would be darker without You. Shine brightly through us, and help us to make this place brighter still. Amen.

Finding Childlike Joy

 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3 

  

  I listened as a little girl in my doctor’s office made up songs about random things that came into her head. She was perhaps five or six years old, and full of joy. It was not hard to consider the contrast of people who typically fill a doctor’s office. Weighed down with care, impatient, wishing they were anywhere else. The comparison of her sweet signing and joy-filled heart with the typical grim adult was a stark contrast. 

 

  I remember years ago when I was a teenager and became a born again Christian. The first overwhelming emotion I felt was pure joy. I could hardly contain the joy I felt upon accepting Jesus into my heart. 

   

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Psalm 126:3 

  

  As adults too often we are expected to be serious, thoughtful, pragmatic, and even solemn.  

 

  As children we found joy so easily. We were not weighed down by cares. We knew how to have fun. We were easily excited. Likewise, are those believers who will be in the kingdom of God.  

 

  Of course, there is a difference between being childlike and being childish. I fear too many adult Christians act childish, being easily offended, immature, demanding their way, and being foolish. We can avoid being childish and instead be childlike in our attitude. 

 

  Stir up your childlike heart. Find joy in the things of God. remember how you felt when you first believed. Remember how the love and joy of God flooded your heart as Christ came to live within you. 

 

  Believer, there are many opportunities in life to be grim, solemn, and filled with cares. I challenge you to reawaken the childlike heart Jesus gave you when your faith in Him came to life. Heaven will not be filled with grim faced Christians, but rather joy-filled believers worshiping their loving Father. 

 

  Hold on to your inner child and keep it strong by stirring up your joy in the Lord. 

 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, life makes us overly serious and filled with cares. We give our cares to You and ask for Joy instead. Amen. 

 

The Word Of Faith?

 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6 

  

  When I was a young man I started listening to “Word of Faith” preaching. I liked the confidence, boldness, and complete lack of doubt these preachers displayed. But as I was struck by illness and disease that refused to go away “by faith”, I started digging into scripture to see what it said about illness and disease. 

  

Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. 1 Timothy 5:23 

  

 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. Galatians 4:13-14 

  

  Not only did Timothy, Paul’s helper, suffer from illnesses, he was essentially told to “take some medicine”, and not believe it away through faith. More than this, Paul himself, the great Apostle who God used to write so many New Testament Epistles, a great man of faith, also suffered from illness that was not prayed away. In other words, followers of Christ become ill and suffer just like everyone else. Faith has nothing to do with it. Christians are also among the poor. Christian virtue is neither measured by a good doctor’s report or full bank account. 

 

  We do pray for the sick, including ourselves. We also pray about our finances. Sometimes God works a miracle and we are quickly healed, and sometimes God uses doctors and medicine to heal us, and at other times we suffer with lifelong illnesses and disease. And it is often illness or disease that brings about our death at the end of our days here on earth. 

 

  Faith in God is of paramount importance, and that faith begins and ends with our trust in a Savior who will usher us into heaven when our days down here end. We do not place our Christian faith in faith, or in ourselves, or in perfect health or plenty of wealth. Our faith has an Object, a Person, and His Name is Jesus. 

 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, heal us and meet our financial needs. But know that even if we die ill and in poverty we will not lose or give up our faith in You! Amen. 

 

 

Let Go Of The Steering Wheel

 

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 

  Too many times in my life I have asked in prayer that “God’s will be done....” and at the same time refused to let go of the reins of my life. We want God to steer the vehicle of our lives, but refuse to let go of the steering wheel. 

There are times in my life I recall how foolish I was to think my efforts were of any value or needed by God. In one particular instance I launched into a litany of prayer when God just wanted me to be silent and still. He essentially told me to “shut up”. Hearing that in your spirit will quickly get your attention and put you in your place regarding how much God needs your efforts.     

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 

  It is not our efforts but His power working through us that accomplishes His will, and often we simply need to get out of His way and let Him steer the ship of our life. 

  This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. Isaiah 30:15 

  Here in America, we have been caught up in the “Self Help” culture for decades. Everything depends upon you choosing this or that, making some change in your life to be happy and put you in control. An entire commercial industry depends upon a self help culture to waste money on the latest fad for improving oneself and bettering our lives.  

When it comes to solving our problems and truly improving ourselves how much better off would we be to get quiet before God and simply ask for His help? Why not let Him guide your life in every area? 

In the great scheme of things, it will be God that transforms the life of a Christian and changes us for the better. No one can improve you, or steer your course better than God. 

There is a saying: Let Go And Let God. Something both to remember and practice in the life of every believer.

Prayer: Dear Lord, how hard it is for us to let go of the wheel of our lives and let You Steer our course. Take control Lord, and help us to get out of Your way. Amen.