Personally Resisting Satan

Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ:

"Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts" Romans 13:14

Paul instructs us to make no provision for the flesh. What if we do ? We are told to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. What if we don't? James 4:7 admonishes us to "resist the devil and he will flee from you." What if we don't resist him? Is he required to flee from us if we don't take our stand against him? No, if we don't resist him, he doesn't have to go. We have the assurance of God's protection, but we must assume our responsibility to personally resist Satan.

Dull Axes

"If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success." Ecclesiastes 10:10

Once again, multi-level meaning from our wise teacher, Solomon. This piece of wisdom is a well-spring, brimming with rich opportunities to harvest more truth than can be addressed in one devotional.

Misunderstanding Myself

"A man's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?" Proverbs 20:24

Good question huh? Of course, the first part of this proverb is easier to comprehend than the second. Obviously God is the Director. Everything works best when He sits in the big chair and we do what He says. He sees the big picture better than anybody. He wrote the script designed the set, came up with the plot, and understands how all the characters interrelate, and how it should all come together. Not only is He the Director, He indeed is the producer, writer, and editor, too. We just need to take direction and do our part.

Rejected Light

Our Tuesday Devotion was written by, David C. McCasland:

"I have come [as] a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness." John 12:46 NKJV

In the early hours of December 21, 2010, I witnessed an event that last occurred in 1638—a total lunar eclipse on the winter solstice. Slowly the shadow of the earth slipped across the bright full moon and made it appear a dark red. It was a remarkable and beautiful event. Yet it reminded me that while physical darkness is part of God’s created design, spiritual darkness is not.

The Last Day

Our Monday Devotion comes to us from our friend, Heather Gent:

"Today is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalm 118:24

What would you do differently today if you knew today was your last day?

Not of This World

Dear Grace Harbor Family,
I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you the Christmas Letter of Aurelio Barreto, the founder and CEO of C28 Clothing Stores.

How to Treat People

"Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity." I Timothy 5:1-2

These words are specifically written to Timothy, but apply in general. I had a two-fold experience at a restaurant recently that illustrates almost the entire verse.

On the Road to Bethlehem

Dear Pastor,
With our focus on the birth of our Savior this month, I wanted to share a short story and reflection with you.

Don’t Miss the Second Message

"Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool--how much worse lying lips to a ruler." Proverbs 17:7

Though it is sometimes not easy to get the point of scripture, we must not only feed on its obvious principles, we must also taste the secondary truths. I am a big fan of word-weaving, subtleties and some double entendre.

Jesus’s Christmas List

Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Dolly:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind" Luke 10:27 NIV

As I sat in the audience at the Grace Harbor School’s Christmas program this week (yes, I said Christmas), I was touched by the tenderness of the older students toward the younger ones. All of the students were kind and helpful, but I particularly noted Sandra, one of the “older girls”. Her expression as she adjusted a microphone down to their level or as she simply gave reassurance to one of her schoolmates through a smile was so sweet.

Heeding Biblical Counsel

"He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray." Proverbs 10:17

Whenever I am finding it hard to write, it is always good for me to get into Proverbs again. Bite-sized tasty morsels of wisdom are good to chew on and allow me to ruminate effectively on the truth.

God is Never Wrong!

Pastor Fred shares a story from an unknown author.

"As for God, His way is perfect; the Word of the Lord is flawless." II Samuel 22:31

I had to pass this interesting story and lesson along to you today. Trust the Lord and that He knows what He is doing and has your best interest and His Glory and ultimate plan in mind at the same time. Trying to stay in His will, Pastor Fred

Self Crucifixion

"Some people. eager for money have wandered from the faith and crucified themselves with many griefs." I Timothy 6:10b

We really do some crazy stuff huh? At my age, eating an entire pecan pie has serious consequences.

In Your Head

Our Devotion comes to us from Our Daily Bread by, Joe Stowell.

"I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel." Galatians 1:6

I love the prayer that begins, “God be in my head.” When I first heard it, admittedly I thought it sounded a little weird. But then I got to thinking how unfortunate it is if in our efforts to get closer to Jesus we focus on our emotional experience of Him and check our brains at the door. Without His truth ringing in our heads, we’re bound to get off track.

Prepare Your Heart

Today, Alan shares a devotion from an unknown author.

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..." John 1:14

Christmas is upon us. The next sixteen days will spin by in a flurry of activity and leave some of us exhausted and perhaps a few pounds heavier. What a grim thought. Is that all there is to this holiday season? Yes, if that is what we are out to celebrate…a holiday.

There is more to Christmas. Christmas is a celebration of the first advent Christ’s coming to earth. "And the Word become flesh, and dwelt among us…" John 1:14(NAS) Christ IS Christmas! Apart from Him, there is no Christmas. Humbly, He came to us in a form that we would recognize. He had growing pains and skinned knees, just like us. Yet, He is so unlike us… He was and is the Living Word of God. He is perfect in all things. He breathed life into our very being, and with that breath, He placed in us a desire to seek Him, to know Him.

My God Will Hear Me

"But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me." " Micah 7:7

The job of prophet can't be easy. As a Pastor, I understand a little, the role of speaking the truth in love and as noble as that sounds, try doing it all the time. Micah is not an easy book to read.

From One Father to Another

"Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly." Matthew 1:19

Joseph had a back-up plan. He could do the right thing and extract himself from a very awkward situation. That is until an angel appeared to him in a dream and changed everything.

Expectations

"He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him, and was expecting a child." Luke 2:5

He is Joseph, there is Bethlehem, registering has nothing to do with a department store and a wedding; it has to do with the census and fulfilling the prophecy.

Three Interrelated Curses

"To Adam he said, Because you listened to your wife about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it', "Cursed is the ground because of you, through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life." Genesis 3:17a

I so totally love the account of Adam and Eve in Genesis. How revealing about human character is The Fall of Man. In this verse, God curses Adam. He deserved it, so did Eve, so did the serpent (satan). God pronounces his curse on Adam last.

Sacrificial Giving

Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Kim:

"and God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have abundance for every good deed" 2 Corinthians 9:8

I get a lot of devotions emailed throughout the day to me and this one came across my desk several months ago and I kept it because it really spoke to me and now God is wanting me to share this with my church family. I hope it speaks as much to your heart as it did mine………

How David Prayed

"Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said:" II Samuel 7:18a

Lately I have been conscious of my prayer life and aware of some glaring inconsistencies between what I want and plan to do and actually end up doing, when it comes to prayer.

Church Bibles

"Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." Romans 4:7

"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." Psalm 32:1

Yes, these two passages of scripture are exactly the same, as are hundreds of other Old Testament quotes used in the New Testament.

Zeal and Fervor

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." Romans 12:11

I want to take some time breaking this verse down, word by word and phrase by phrase. We commonly say to never say never, but when it comes to encouraging us to keep on keeping on, Paul says we shouldn't ever lack in zeal. We are never done, never finished.

Black Sunday

"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

I quote this verse often at weddings, memorial services and special events. It is a wonderful opening thought to almost anything including the beginning of any day. I am chagrined and saddened at how overwhelmingly excited our culture has gotten about 'Black Friday'.

A Thankful Heart

A Thanksgiving Devotion by Ann Shorb:

"Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation." Psalm 68:19

Psalm 68 is an interesting passage. It was intended to be used in worship by Israel as a song of victory and deliverance. It recounts the many difficulties they endured and speaks of them being afflicted, oppressed, helpless, sinful, and exposed to hurt and pain; yet this Psalm recalls that God provided for His people in the tough wilderness wanderings and in the days of bountiful blessing in the Promised Land of Canaan. In both the good times and the bad, God blessed them and cared for them. In this passage, His people recognize that and thank Him for it.

The River in Egypt

"But he denied it saying, 'I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.'" Mark 14:68

This is a quote from Peter, literally one of his denials. Does it sound familiar? Is Peter taking the fifth or is he just making a lame attempt to cover his own tracks to deal with his aching conscience and culpability? Have you ever seen the cartoon of a dead cow on his back, rigor mortis setting in and feet straight up in the air? The caption reads, "Really, I’m fine."

Stumbling Blocks

"We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited." II Corinthians 6:1

The discrediting of ministries is such a common practice these days, we need to take every precaution to not trip people up. Granted, some folks stumble over their own feet or issues and then blame it on Christians or the Church or some ministry.

The Kindest Thing To Do

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32

Today is the Memorial Celebration for Sara Jean Williams Hall. This verse is her life verse. The title of my Eulogy today is "Live, Laugh, Love". I always learn something special when I prepare a message that illustrates the legacy of someone's life. Today I am reminded of the correlation between forgiveness and kindness and compassion. The kindest and most compassionate thing to do for anyone is to forgive them. Conversely, the most unkind and least compassionate thing to do to anyone is to not forgive them. "Grams" was one of the most forgiving people I have ever learned about.

Sinners

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." I Peter 4:8

I am sharing with you today a meaningful devotional I recently received. Love must cover a multitude of sins, otherwise how could we love at all. Hope you are inspired like I was by this to love others like Jesus loves me. With His Love and mine, Pastor Fred

Fruitful Suffering

"Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, 'It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household.' The second son he named Ephraim and said, 'It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering." Genesis 41:51-52

Many of the names in the Bible mean something and the names given mean something.

Final Words

"Finally, brothers, good-bye. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints send their greetings. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." II Corinthians 13:11-14

I think in these final words written to the Corinthians, Paul is worn out. Yet he summons beautiful truth to capture his deepest heartfelt desire for them.

Veterans Day Reflections

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." I John 3:16-18

November 11, or what has come to be known as Veterans Day, was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to honor Armistice Day - the end of World War I, which officially took place on November 11, 1918. In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…" In legislature that was passed in 1938, November 11 was "dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day.' As such, this new legal holiday honored World War I veterans. An important purpose of Veterans Day is to pause, reflect, and remember to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

Conversion

"Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia." Romans 16:5b

Do you remember your conversion? I would certainly hope so. Some of us have testimonies of coming to Christ that are complicated or drastic; most of us have testimonies of coming to Christ that are simpler or more common. Either way, those decisions were the most important ones of our lives.

Appearances

"Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgement." John 7:24

Ever had to make one of those difficult judgement calls? Ever been wrong? If you answered the last question "no", please stop reading because I am not worthy of your time.

We are Children of God

"Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become the children of God." John 1:12

What a wonderful verse, full of promise and grace. God promises to make you His child, when by faith you receive Him as Lord of your life. He would never mislead you. God is trustworthy and His Word is trustworthy. So if this is indeed true, why are His children so different?

Chasing Broken

"My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, 'Here's a good seat for you,' but say to the poor man, 'You stand there' or 'Sit on the floor by my feet,' have you not discriminated among yourselves and becomes judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?" James 2:1-4

One day a few weeks ago, I felt an overwhelming pull on my heart’s strings to seek out the homeless. It was an ordinary day that began with my usual routine – quiet time with the Lord, coffee, breakfast, and dropping my son off at school. As I was leaving the drop off zone at his elementary, I suddenly pictured in my mind a homeless man that I’ve seen before at Target.

Do You Like to Have Your Ears Tickled?

"If a liar and deceiver comes and says, ‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer', he would be just the prophet for this people!" Micah 2:11

Kind of a silly question in the title of this devotional huh? Most of us don't like being tickled at all, right? This saying has always referred to liking to be told what you want to hear. Having your ears tickled is hearing what is pleasing to your ears. Like it….. kinda makes you giggle. For example, a Pastor could tickle your ears by telling you it is OK to get drunk as long as nobody gets hurt, and you have a designated driver.

I Feel You

"Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?" II Corinthians 11:29

Paul feels what we feel. I feel what you feel. We all, to a degree feel what each other feels. I know, I know, no way can we know exactly what each other feel, but we do get the general idea. "You just don't understand what I've been through!"

Masquerades

"And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." II Corinthians 11:14

The devil is no angel as you know. Neither are you and neither am I. Neither are people who have died. I just had to throw that in there because from time to time I hear that somebody thinks their departed relative is an angel now. No matter how wonderful they were, and deserving of whatever, the Bible is clear; only angels are angels and only the ones God has created especially for that purpose. Humans can't become angels. Actually, I have known enough of them to realize that is simply not possible.

Glorify God EVERY night of the year, including October 31st!

Our Halloween Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Lahoma:

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." Ephesians 5:11

It’s that time of year that I love… the Fall leaves, high school Friday night football games, cool crisp mornings, apple cider, the smell of pumpkin pie in my oven…. And yes, the challenge of selecting/making the perfect costume, orange and black decorations and candy candy candy!

Be Encouraged

Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Char:

"The Lord replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Exodus 33:14

I am having such a wonderful experience reading each night devotions from a book given to me on my birthday this year entitled "Jesus Calling - Exploring Peace In His Presence" by Sarah Young.

Joy Full

"The fullness of Joy is being in God's presence." Psalm 16:11

Seems obvious to me that joyful should mean full of joy. Just by definition, right? Somehow though, as in the title of our devotion today, when the words are separated and I put two l's in full, it is fuller. I know it really isn't technically, but visually and maybe mysteriously, the extra 'l' and the two words make it seem like it just is fuller of joy.

Such Were Some of You

"but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ..." I Corinthians 6:11

From time to time I pass on a devotional thought that someone thought was so good they sent it to me. This devotional from Pastor Ed Young makes a wonderful, poignant point. Also, I met Pastor Ray Stedman some years ago and his book, 'Body Life' was very influential in my early ministry days. I hope you see the grace, hope and love presented so effectively. I hope you continue to feel at home in whatever church you call home, even if you have to be truly honest about whom you have been or who you are. I feel at home in Grace Harbor, because as I say, "you could measure the pretense in a thimble." Enjoy these convicting words and this amazing story.
In His Grace, Pastor Fred

Three Hopes

"Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in regions beyond you." II Corinthians 10:15b-16

I think any Pastor who loves sheep would hope what Paul hopes for the Corinthians. Three hopes for any and all believers are....
1) Increasing faith
2) Expanding ministry
3) Spreading the Gospel.

Taking Thoughts Captive

"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." II Corinthians 10:4-5

Pieces of these verses are being quoted often lately for several reasons.
1) Our thoughts get out of control, leading our mouths to the same.
2) Stinkin thinkin leads to poor choices and sinful behavior.
3) We seem to be addicted to learning the hard way.

How’s Your Attitude?

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." Philippians 2:5

I enjoy listing to Chuck Swindoll on the radio, and I can just hear his voice in my head when I read something he has written.

I often recall his teaching about Attitude. You have probably heard this before, because it has been a popular presentation and often quoted, but please read it slowly and catch any meaning it might have for you today:

What do you Smell?

"For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death, to the other the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?" II Corinthians 2:15-16

When God looks at us in the final analysis, He sees Jesus. Praise be to God for that huh? While we are here though, we are to be the sweet aroma of Christ not only to each other, but also as a witness to those who need and may choose to be saved. Christians shouldn't be stinkers. When we relate to one another and with seekers, we should be a fragrance that is a blessing. This is why in the early church the reputation of the Followers of the Way was that they loved each other. Wherever they went and whomever they came in contact with they made a pleasant and enticing aromatic impression on most everyone. In contrast to this reaction they ordinarily received was another response that came from those who opposed the Way and were in rebellion to God. To them even the sweetest, most pleasing fragrance was repulsive and repugnant to them.

Boasting in the Lord

"Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who commends himself who will be approved, but the one whom the Lord commends." II Corinthians 17-18

Paul could have just as easily said, 'Stop bragging and drawing attention to yourself!!' What he says is so much more effective. When we hear these words we automatically think that we shouldn't boast or brag, and that the attention should all go to Him. But, rather than evoke a defensive reaction, he couches that truth in an inarguable statement. Ahhh, the beauty of God's Word, so well said.

Describing The Indescribable

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift." II Corinthians 9:15

How can we ever describe something indescribable? Sounds impossible. When dealing with such quagmires and conundrums we must think outside the box and stretch our faith and understanding to new levels.

Mine Is Not Yours!

"For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have." II Corinthians 8:12

Whenever I go to the beach, there is a scene that is played out there 100% of the time. I cannot think of a single time that I have ever been to the beach that I have not watched it happen. There is an eerie quiet, suddenly interrupted by loud squawking and fluttering, I look up from writing and I see seagulls fighting over the contents of someone's unattended lunch. Chips are flying, bread torn asunder, cookies being demolished by angry, selfish and demanding birds, totally, emotionally out of control. Just like in the movie, "Finding Nemo", screaming "Mine! Mine! Mine!" I have watched the same scene at our preschool between two-year-olds over toys.

Don't Just Pretend To Love Others

Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Alan:

On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Romans 12:20

I must admit I've always been fond of this verse. In the past whenever someone upset me to a great extent, the mere thought of heaping burning coals on their head usually made me feel a bit better. Beyond that personal fantasy, it basically calls on us to be good to those that treat us so terribly. Many times we take it literally, even going overboard with our kindness, hoping one day the wicked person or people will realize just how wrong they've been to us and be devastated by it. The proverbial "Kill them with kindness"...a game that we often find ourselves playing when other methods have failed to yield satisfactory results.

Sowing and Reaping

"Remember this; whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." II Corinthians 9:6

Recently, I was reminded of both sides of the law of reciprocity. You have no doubt heard that 'what goes around comes around' or, 'for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction'. As long as physical laws do not contradict God's principles, they are true. I believe all truth emanates from God and whatever is true has its basis in God.

Live Worthy

"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:1-3 (NIV)

One of the scariest realizations that I had, when I became a Christian, was that other people would look at me, and decide if being a Christian was for them. Yikes! I was nineteen years old and I was still trying to figure out who I was, and now that I was a Christian, how was that going to play in the equation?

The Way I See it

"For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men." II Corinthians 8:21

If you deal objectively with people very much and try to do God's will at the same time, you will need to apply the principle of this verse often. As the verse indicates, it can be painful. Wouldn't you think that if it was right in the eyes of Lord, that would be enough? Well... Yes and no.

It's not a cliche - He really does!

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 (NASB)

Have you ever had something bad happen, and then while you're trying to figure out why or how this happened to you, a well meaning person comes to you and tries to comfort you by saying, "you know, everything happens for a reason." How did that make you feel? Did it make everything better? Or did it frustrate you, to where you were thinking - "WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?"

Worry Not

Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Kim:

"...therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, what are we going to have to eat? Or what are we going to have to drink? Or what are we going to have to wear? For the Gentiles wish for and crave all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all. But seek first of all His kingdom and His righteousness and then all these things taken together will be given you besides." Matthew 6:31–33

God says…..do not WORRY…..how many of us do this daily?? It is so easy to worry (being troubled, anxious, tormenting yourself with disturbing thoughts). I could ask each person……..who would like to live in peace?? I think it is safe to say that everyone wants to live in peace versus turmoil…..you can not have peace and worry at the same time. Do you realize how much pleasure you are giving the devil by worrying?? Of course, the devil works at keeping this his goal the devil wants us to think that worry is something little and you can just brush it off by saying oh everybody worries a little bit. No my friend….not everyone worries. Worry is a tool of the devil so it is not something that we as Christians need to tolerate. Worry is nothing but a satanic attack on your mind. It does not accomplish anything good.

Even More Glorious

"If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!" II Corinthians 3:9

The ministry that condemns men that Paul speaks of here is The Law, because man cannot even keep the Ten Commandments. Be careful not to think it is easier than it is. Have you thought about the 'other gods' part and what that could mean? How about the 'false witness' or 'coveting' ones? Sometimes we forget the harder ones and feel good about the easier ones. I know, I know if the 'murder' one includes character assassination it gets a little tougher also huh?

Be Free!

"and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32 NASB

I have a confession to make - I’m part of the Face Book community.... Go ahead; I'll give yourself some time to compose yourself from laughing so hard. Hopefully, you didn't fall out of your chair like my friend did when I told him...So, are we good to move forward? Great! :-)

Boundless Joy

"I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds." II Corinthians 7:4

Really? I mean really, Paul? You have confidence in these people who have so disappointed? You are proud of them? You are encouraged? Honestly Paul, how in the world can you actually say that through ALL (we are talking about quite a few you know) of the troubles, you have boundless joy? Wow! Amazing. Now that takes some grace.

Be Careful - It Could Happen To You

"In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:26-27; 29-32

One of my favorite television shows that I enjoy watching (until just recently) is AMERICAN CHOPPER. Unfortunately, the new series had been titled "AMERICAN CHOPPER - SR vs JR." This program is a reality show, which features two companies in Orange County, New York building amazing custom motorcycles. These people are so talented, that each custom-built chopper looks like a piece of art.

Ruby: A Tribute to My Granny

Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Hank:

"Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies." Proverbs 31:10

I recently returned from a trip to North Carolina. I was there for the funeral of my Granny, Ruby Brake. She was born in 1913, and lived to be 98 years young! I was so blessed to have such a wonderful woman for my grandmother. The funeral was a celebration of her amazing life, and when I had a chance to speak, I shared this verse, and I said that I can totally understand why God chose to use rubies as the standard for virtuous women. You see, if a woman's value is far above Ruby, my Granny, then she is indeed an extremely virtuous woman. My Granny was the most Godly woman I have ever known. As my Mom says, "your Granny had a direct line to God's ear". She was the first person you would call with a prayer request, because you knew she would be faithful to pray. And because she walked so closely with God, her prayers were uninterrupted and unhindered. I am grateful to God for the impact she had on my Mom, and for the legacy of faith they both passed along to me. I concluded my comments at her service with a poem written especially for her, which I'd like to share with you now:

The Message Of Reconciliation

"And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation." II Corinthians 5:19b

Somewhere early in school, I was taught to never begin a sentence with the word "and." Later in school I learned that there are some exceptions. Obviously, this is one of them. When dealing with the Bible and using English grammar rules, you just have to be careful for at least two reasons.

The Cure for the "TIN MAN" Syndrome

"I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you ; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep My laws." Ezekiel 36:25-27

The other night, I was watching a movie, and in the movie the main character was refer to as being like the "Tin Man." Why? Because they said he was a cold hearted individual, who's actions made him seem like he didn’t have a heart - just like the "Tin Man."

Drawn

Grace Harbor Saints - here's another great Max Lucado short story, and it highlights why so many of us chose to fellowship at Grace Harbor! We were drawn to it, by the compelling presence of the people, the pastor, and the purpose of the church. We are all in the process of change, and the Holy Spirit is the greatest change-agent there is. I can personally attest to the power of "letting go" and letting God, as I was roadblocked at finding a solution to a serious problem in our personal drama at home, so I turned it over to Him, and His solution was mind-bending. I was drawn to Him, waited on Him, trusted in Him, prayed of course, and He provided - as promised. Oh, how He love us! Here's Max:

Do Not Fill God’s Heart with Pain

"The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain." Genesis 6:5-6

From the very beginning, after God first molded man out of the dirt on the ground and placed him in the Garden in Genesis 3, we get a glimpse into the closeness, intimacy and communion our Heavenly Father desired to share with His created people: He walked with them. Why do you think God “walked” with them? Colossians 1:16 tells us that "All things were created by Him and for Him.", including people! I think the reason scripture records this tandem part of the relationship between man and God in the Garden was because it allows us to see that God loved Adam and Eve, and wanted to spend intimate time with them by walking alongside them, listening to what they had to say, sharing His heart with them, what a beautiful thing to consider. Have you ever tried walking with someone and not saying anything? That is really hard! Fellowship is a two way street, and God wanted openness and freedom for His creation to come to Him, the Creator. I believe this brought great JOY to God’s heart and was His original intent when He created mankind!

It's for everyone

"And it shall come to pass afterward I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions." Joel 2:28 NKJV

When the cellular industry first began, it was mounted into cars and it was very expensive. And when they made the first portable cell phone, it was very expensive as well. Not only did these two phones cost thousands of dollars to buy, but the cost per minute was ridiculously expensive as well. At the time, it was thought and believed that only the extremely wealthy would be able to afford cell phones. But as we now know and have seen, is that cellphones are available and affordable for the general public.

We Live By Faith, Not By Sight

"We live by faith, not by sight." II Corinthians 5:7

One of the shortest verses I will ever write a devotional about. Just seven little words, but very packed full of meaning. We live in a very sensory stimulated world. The sights, sounds, tastes, smells and touch of things are thrown at us constantly and relentlessly. I don't even think we escape it in sleep. We even dream about what we saw, heard, tasted, smelled and felt recently and even a long time ago. We are probably over-stimulated, and I'm not just talking about caffeine here either. Think about it!

Look at the potential!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." II Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

Some of you may not know this, but I'm a hot rod fanatic. I love everything about it. From taking a plain jane looking car and tricking it out to where it doesn't even look like the same car. In 1994, my family and I moved to Southern Illinois to minister in a small farming community of six thousand people. It was so much fun driving through the countryside and seeing old classic cars sitting out by the barns rusting away. I'd get so excited that I would tell my wife, "Wow! Look at that!"

We Do Not Lose Heart

"Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart." II Corinthians 4:1

This has been quite an interesting period of time in my life. I have literally experienced the entire spectrum of feelings, in seemingly alternating extremes for weeks. For example, within a couple of days, I sensed awful despair and overwhelming hope. In another brief time period, I knew great confidence, followed by gripping fear. I am not particularly prone to extreme feelings, but I have never known such fluctuating polar feeling since I was much younger.

Build an ARK?

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

Have you ever watched a movie that made you laugh so hard that your eyes watered? I did the other night. I watched the movie EVAN ALMIGHTY. This movie was set in today's society, and the story line was that God had asked the main character to build an Ark.

Did God REALLY say...?

Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Lahoma:

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:1-5

Our Wednesday night women’s Bible study group has started in the book of Genesis. This first book and its contents have been read and taught throughout most of my life being raised in a Christian family and Biblically sound home church. In our devotion passage today, we find a dialog between satan and Eve, in the newly completed Garden of Eden. The chapter before explains all that God DID say to Adam and Eve and yet the first temptation recorded in scripture was a direct challenge to what God had said.

9-11 Has Come and Gone-Now What?

"if My people who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." II Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)

Well, this past Sunday has come and gone, and my question is, will we truly remember 9-11? Yes, we remember the horrific tragedy that transpired, and all the senseless lives that were lost. We can even remember in great detail exactly where we were and what we were doing. Every imaginable smell, sound, sight, taste that was active at that moment, we can relive. But we have forgotten, how Congress came united as one in front of the White House lifting their prayers to God, or how everyone was turning to their local churches for help, prayer and support. Completely humbling ourselves to God, pleading and seeking His divine help and intervention. But now 10 years later, we have totally forgotten.

The Progressive Process

"We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." II Corinthians 3:18

Moses had to veil his face because he saw just a glimpse of the Lord's glory. But we who have seen the God's glory in His Son's face reflect that glory without a veil. Probably some more brightly than others, but we all do reflect Him to some degree. Even if it is very poorly. We sure can be a poor reflection of Him. In this verse we can see three reasons why this is not easy,

Read My Letter

"You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter of Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." 2Corinthians 3:2-3

Paul is writing to the Corinthians and encouraging them to live their lives in such a way that everyone would see the 'gospel' just by observing them. This is both a compliment and extremely convicting at the same time. I think all of us have heard the saying that goes.... 'You may be the only Bible somebody may ever read'. So we want our lives to reflect Christ. On many pulpits I have stood behind there is a plaque that says, 'Sir, we would see Jesus'. Always makes me pause and think; that’s for sure. Our lives and words or thoughts shouldn't judge people like the tablets of stone which refer to The Law or Ten Commandments. Our lives and words or thoughts should be a heartfelt living testimony of good news of His love and grace, hope and joy. Who we are should be an encouraging open letter of all that God has done is doing and will do in our lives.

Real Men Do Cry

"Jesus wept." John 11:35

When I was a child growing up my father taught me, that men do not cry nor do they show emotions. Any sign of emotion was a sign of weakness, any sign of weakness meant that you would be beaten and destroyed in this game we play called "LIFE." Certain words were not allowed in my vocabulary - "Can't, Quit, Pain & Fear."

Know your opponents game plan

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

Well, its that time of the year- FOOTBALL ! We get to watch these teams try to out hit, run, throw and out strategize the other team. There's nothing more exciting than to see a tackle that totally rocks the person hit or to see the quarterback connect with his receiver for a long pass or how about the running back that runs down the field for a touchdown. But you know what? Before any of us sees these exciting moments during the game, these teams have spent many hours practicing and learning what their opponents were going to do during that game. In fact they knew what their tendencies would be for each and every down at any point on the football field. They knew exactly what it would take to beat them and to have a major victory over their opponent.

Spare Me

"I call on God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth." 2 Corinthians 1:23

Paul didn't say, "I swear to God", because he wouldn't do that, but this strong statement of calling on God as his witness is spoken with the same intensity. He wanted the Corinthians to know that He could not put it more emphatically that God had told Him not to go to Corinth. They had not followed his instructions from his previous letter in response to their questions about what they could do and not do as new believers. Perhaps Paul spared them a personal visit because the "lost letter" that had caused them such sorrow was more than enough said and to see him in person would only make them feel worse. It is not easy to stop from "piling on" after someone is broken. It is too easy "to add insult to injury" or, "pour salt in a wound". Even if they had it coming. Even if they deserved to be scolded or chastised.

What do you Smell?

"For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death, to the other the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?" 2 Corinthians 2:15-16

When God looks at us in the final analysis, He sees Jesus. Praise be to God for that huh? While we are here though, we are to be the sweet aroma of Christ not only to each other, but also as a witness to those who need and may choose to be saved. Christians shouldn't be stinkers. When we relate to one another and with seekers, we should be a fragrance that is a blessing. This is why in the early church the reputation of the Followers of the Way was that they loved each other. Wherever they went and whomever they came in contact with they made a pleasant and enticing aromatic impression on most everyone. In contrast to this reaction they ordinarily received was another response that came from those who opposed the Way and were in rebellion to God. To them even the sweetest, most pleasing fragrance was repulsive and repugnant to them.

Walk like Indiana Jones!

"2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV" For we walk by faith and not by sight.

I really enjoy the Indiana Jones movies. I mean, how can you not enjoy them? There's action, drama, adventure and comedy. It's got the best of everything rolled into a single action packed movie. We definitely get our monies worth - that is for certain! ;-) In one of the last movies he made with Sean Connery, he was in search of the cup of Christ. Like all of the previous movies, there were a series of tests that he had to complete before he could safely get to the chamber were this artifact was hidden.

To be like Peter and John

Our Friday Devotion comes to us from, Rick Ballester:

"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled , ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." Acts 4.13

When I was 11 years old, my parents went away on a weekend getaway to Palm Springs. What made this weekend so unique is that my dad left me in charge of running the garage and gas station that he owned. I had been working with my dad for years and he believed that I would be able to keep everything on track.

God Declares

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Over the past two months, I have had the privilege as a father to listen to my daughter Emily’s hopes and dreams for the future. You see, Emily has just graduated from high school and started college.

What Jesus Has, Will, And Will Continue To Do

"He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many." 2 Corinthians 1:10-11

I want to share three very important lessons addressed by this passage of scripture that Paul uses to build his spiritual connection and relationship with the believers in Corinth.

Sharing Sufferings and Comfort

"And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort." 2 Corinthians 1:7

Here is the first question I asked after reading this verse. How is it that hope is firmed up, knowing that someone shares in both sufferings and comfort? This is what I think.
If you understand, empathize, and share in someone's troubles, pain, and suffering, it is because you know the only solution for that is the comfort… that only knowing Christ can bring.

Fifty is the new Forty!

"Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he gave them a deliverer--Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab." Judges 3:15

I heard something on the morning news the other day that made me stop and laugh. What was the comment? Well, they were talking about milestone birthdays! You know the ones – 30 years old, 40 years old, 50 years old, etc. What made me laugh was when they said that 30 was the new 20, 40 is the new 30 and that 50 is the new 40 years old! Yea! Why did I say Yea? Well, I just turned 50 years old on my last birthday. So, with this new thinking I’m only 40 years old but that doesn’t really help because I have the skeletal system of someone who is 80 years old.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Most of us know someone whose family has experienced challenges because of Alzheimer’s disease. I think about this frequently, because it is impacting friends in our church this very day. In fact, some of our church members are participating in an upcoming Fundraiser Walk for Alzheimer’s in honor of those friends or in memory of precious loved ones who have suffered from Alzheimer’s in the past.

A Devotion About Bible Study

"Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God at Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:" 2 Corinthians 1:1

Bible Study or Bible knowledge does not have to be so daunting. As a matter of fact, I hope over the weeks ahead as I use 2 Corinthians as a source for my devotionals, you will join me in being both inspired and informed. The Word of God is 'learnable' and accessible to anyone who desires to understand it. Hope this makes being hungry for God's Word more appetizing. I will give an example by breaking this verse down, a word and phrase at a time.

More Grace and Peace

"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 1:2

I have already written a devotional about this verse, not this exact verse, just these exact words. They bear repeating. Paul wrote them to everybody. In every letter he writes he uses these words. He sends them to the Romans, the Corinthians (2x) the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, The Thessalonians (2x), Timothy (2x), Titus and Philemon. I am not exaggerating. Literally, everyone he wrote to he said grace and peace to them from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Must have been important.

Be Assured that there is Only One Way to God!

"Jesus said: 'I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. NO MAN can come to the Father except through ME.'" John 14:6

God’s Word is very clear as to how many roads lead to God… only ONE. And that ONE is His dearly beloved only Son, Jesus Christ. Isn’t it assuring that you don’t have to worry about such things? God made it simple and He made it abundantly clear over and over again that there was only one way to be reconciled with Him, only one sacrifice that was pure enough and perfect enough to pay the penalty for the sins of the world. By putting your full confidence, trust and faith in the name and redeeming work of Jesus Christ, you can have complete peace and know that you are saved!

Good Enough or Barely Adequate

"The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride." Ecclesiastes 7:8

You may have learned this same wisdom through idioms like "Anything worth doing is worth doing well", or maybe even reading workplace signage like "Safety is no accident!" In this day and age; however, it seem everyone hurries about trying to get too many things done in too little time, measuring their accomplishments by the number of items checked on their To Do list. Corners get cut. Steps get skipped. Things get done, but are often a far cry from being done well...much less correctly.

Into The Storm

Grace Harbor Saints – I was reminded recently that “a saint is not to take the initiative toward self-realization, but toward knowing Jesus Christ, and that a spiritually vigorous saint’s aim is to achieve the realization of Jesus Christ in every set of their daily circumstances.” (From Oswald Chambers ‘My Utmost for His Highest’ - July 11)

The Spiritual Discipline of Daily Devotions

"But as you abound in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us--see that you abound in this grace also." 2 Corinthians 8:7

Paul was encouraging the church in Corinth with this passage, and identifying their strengths. They had asked how they could support the work, and he was explaining that they were doing so much already in their maturity, but yet they could abound even more! The point of this passage of Scripture is NOT to guilt us into "doing more" out of a sense of duty, obligation, or fear. I believe it is more of a reminder not to become comfortable where we are in our walk with God. There are always areas to consider, ways we need to grow, disciplines we're possibly neglecting, or perhaps things in our hearts that aren't quite right. Whether you’re a seasoned saint or a new believer, we all have the need to go DEEPER with the Lord.

What To Do

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12

Sometimes there are verses that resonate with us at a specific time. Whether the circumstances are difficult or easy, big or small, all-important or seemingly trivial. The truth always applies and needs to be applied.

Swimming with the Sharks

"For God has not given us a spirit of timidity(fear) but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline(sound mind)." II Timothy 1:7

This week has been a fun week for me to watch the Discovery Channel on television. What makes this such a fun week for me is that its their annual shark week. Ever since I was a little boy I was amazed by sharks. It was the beauty and the power and the speed of the animal that drew me to my fascination and admiration of these magnificent creatures that God had created. Just the word “shark” or being able to see the top fin glide through the water strikes fear in people. And justly so it should. The power and ability to kill is something that all should fear and respect. In one of the episodes I watched, it showed a scientist diving in the water of the ocean and reaching out to pet the animal on its snout and belly. This individual was FEARLESS! He showed no fear but he did show respect at what this animal was capable of. What caught my attention was how the diver would stroke the length of the great white shark and then he would hold the top fin and the shark would allow the diver to be pulled 75 feet by this most awesome and most beautiful animal. At any moment this incredible animal could flip him over and turn him into an afternoon snack. But what was amazing was the confidence, peace and joy that this diver exhibited as he swam with the sharks.

Trust in God.......

Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Kim:

"Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding." Proverbs 3:5

I have heard many people say that reading the Bible is confusing. They say “I have tried to read the Bible, but I don’t understand what God is saying and I end up feeling frustrated and confused.” I am learning that there are some things that I am not meant to know or to understand. But I am suppose to ask God to show me what I can do to understand and then I must NOT question God when He reveals it to me.

Deeper Love

"Love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." 1Peter 4:8

This verse brings to mind a wide variety of observations and reflections. Loving deeply reminds me of the way Jesus loves me. He loves me as deeply as it takes, way down to the depths of the darkest places in my mind. Loving each other would be reciprocal wouldn't it? We should all love each other because Jesus commands it. He said we are to love one another like we love ourselves. Not always easy to do, especially deeply.

The Father Loves His Son

"And a voice from Heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17

How appropriate. Can you picture the sequence of events that precede this statement? Jesus comes from Galilee expressly for the purpose of having John the Baptist baptize Him. John resists out of respect and deference. Jesus explains that this is what He and John have to do and now.

Keep the Fire Burning

"Don't put out the Spirit's fire..." 1Thessalonians 5:19

This is a very short, specific, and targeted encouragement from Paul. Can you receive this teaching today? If not, you may already be quenching the Spirit and the fire that is within you from the point of salvation.

Our Monday Devotion comes to us from, Pastor Rick Ballester:

"Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little." Philippians 4:11-12 NLT

As a child growing up, I use to go to work every day with my father to his business that he owned. My father owned a gas station and an auto repair shop. Like every type of business we had our great seasons where the money was pouring in hand over fist, and we had our drought seasons too when my father used his personal savings and refinancing of our house to keep the business going.

When your Children Stray, Trust God To Bring Them Back

Our Friday Devotion comes to us from, Pastor Rick Ballester:

"Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain on it." Proverbs 22:6 NLT

One of the greatest joys in life is being a parent. As your child grows you get to experience life through their eyes. We get to re-live the wonderment and awe of the world around us as our children experience everything that God’s creation has to offer. Along with getting to enjoy the wonderment of the world with our children comes the responsibility of teaching and training our children what is right and what is wrong, and most importantly we have the responsibility of teaching and training our children in the way of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Why I Like the Red Letters So Much

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-29

I am not exactly sure why this passage of scripture moved me to tears today. I'm not talking about misting or welling up either, but tears running all the way down my cheeks. Feels good. I think it is the fact that the words are those of Jesus. Sometimes His words, you know the ones that used to be in red letters in your old King James Bible, they are the ones that are most likely to get through to me.

Choosing to Read the Grace Harbor Devotionals

"The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you." 1 Corinthians 16:23

Today I want to share with you a comment posted by Heather Gent in response to a recent devotional submitted by Alan Severin, written by Dr. James Emery White. My reason for sharing this comment is to encourage you to keep reading the daily devotionals.

Close to the Kingdom

"When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, He said to him, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God.' And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions." Mark 12:34

Ooh... I really like that last line. Jesus has a way of having the last word. After all, He is the Alpha and the Omega isn't He? Jesus said the man was close to the Kingdom for two reasons. One, he was literally close because Jesus is the King, therefore the closer you are to Him, the closer you are to His Kingdom. Also, Jesus told Him He was close to the kingdom because the man had just said that what Jesus was teaching was wise. We say of course it was, but this teacher of the law didn't grasp that yet, but He was getting closer. What had Jesus said?

"Do Not Worry About Tomorrow!"

Our Monday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, John Adams:

I'll start this devotional by letting you know upfront that I cannot take credit for the words quoted that follow which are credited to Sarah Young, who has written a wonderful tiny book called "Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace In His Presence", which gives devotions for every day of the year.

Into The Storm

Charlotte Adams shares a devotion written by,
Steve Troxel of God's Daily Word Ministries:

"Then those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, 'Truly You are the Son of God." Matthew 14:33

Look for new revelations of His love, even as we are sent into the storm. Immediately after feeding five thousand men, plus women and children, with five loaves of bread and two fish, "Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side" Matthew 14:22. The disciples had begun to cross the Sea of Galilee when a storm arose which caused them to "strain against the oars" Mark 6:48. It was the middle of the night, and after already rowing about three and a half miles they found themselves fighting against the wind and waves.

Lending to God

"He who is kind to the poor, lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done." Proverbs 19:17

By the title of this devotional you'd think that I had mis-spoken or misprinted what I was trying to say, huh? After all, God doesn't need anything from us so how could we lend him anything? What then could this possibly mean that when we are kind to the poor we are lending to God?

You the Temple

"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" 1Corinthians 3:16

Well... Do you know that? We talk a lot about being in Him, but it also follows that He is in us too. We are actually the residence of the Holy Spirit and He lives inside us. He doesn't live in temples made of wood or stone, He lives in the hearts of men and women, boys and girls. We are too abide in Him, made easier by the fact that He abides in us. That is why we should be able to hear Him knocking, because it is His house. He is living in you.

Looking for a Way to Kill Him

"As He taught them, He said, Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations' but you have made it a 'den of robbers.' The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and they began looking for a way to kill Him, for they feared Him, because the whole crowd was amazed at His teaching." Mark 11:17-18

The effort to kill Jesus; Him, His name, His teaching, His people, and His church is as old as the Gospel. Once those in power and those who control the money realized that what Jesus was teaching was going to change their religion, and the power structure, and money distribution system of the day, they had to get rid of Him.

Our Monday Devotion comes to us from, Pastor Rick Ballester:

"... For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." Isaiah 41:9-10

There are times in our lives when things just seem so overwhelming. Whether its finances and trying to figure out whether to pay your cell phone bill or buy food for the family. On the other hand, it could be career challenges where your company is not doing well and there are talks of layoffs, pay cuts or mandatory days off without pay.

I Thank the Lord

Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Ray Beeman:

Grace Harbor Saints - I ran across this today, from a young lady who was a neighbor of ours in Tustin, who ran with Liz, and who posted the following for her 24th birthday. I thought it was so special - she is such a sweetheart! We all have many things to be thankful for! Paul opens his epistle to the Romans with "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all..." Rom 1:8, and later says that "...although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened." Rom 1:21 And the Psalmist says "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name." Psalm 100:4 Here's how she expresses her gratitude in 24 ways:

The Good Fight

"Fight the good fight of the faith." 1Timothy 6:12

Christianity is not a passive religion that advocates waiting for God to act. We must have an active faith. Other words from Paul to Timothy in surrounding passages suggest that he flee, pursue and take hold. Uh-oh when do we flee and when do we fight? Not an easy decision to make all the time. I have fled when I should have fought and I have fought when I should have fled.

Sufficient Sorrow

"If anyone has caused you grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent-- not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you therefore, to reaffirm your love for him." 2Corinthians 2:5-8

The personal tenderness of Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians is notable and should touch our hearts. Paul is suggesting that a repentant man be restored and forgiven. Perhaps this is the man from 1 Corinthians 5, who had committed some act of egregious sexual immorality and was banished. Perhaps it was the man who had so opposed Paul in the early days of the church, that needed to be put out of the church, and, who had now been transformed. Regardless, there is a time to confront extreme sin and exercise church discipline, and there is a time to comfort the wayward one who is contrite and broken and should be forgiven.

Elders and Young Men

"The elders are gone from the city gate; the young men have stopped their singing." Lamentations 5:14

Recently, Lamentations moved very near to the top of the list of books that I haven't read in a long time. As I was reading Jeremiah's sorrowful lament about Jerusalem and about God's people, I began to realize why he was so sad and weeping. The great city was being compared to Sodom (that's not good) and God's people are very, very far from His will. Idolatry and sin were out of control and everywhere Jeremiah looked was more evidence of just how far from God everything had gotten.

You Are More

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm therefore and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

The world these days and in times past has tried to dismiss, downplay, redefine and excuse sin, but sin is still sin in God’s eyes, and we are all born apart from God because of our sin. Paul tells us in Romans 3:23 that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Choosing Grace

Alan shares a devotion called Choosing Grace written by Dr. James Emery White and originally posted by Crosswalk:

C.S. Lewis once quipped that everyone thinks forgiveness is a wonderful idea until they have someone to forgive. Let’s apply that to grace.

Encouragement

"Therefore, encourage each other and build each other up." 1Thessalonians 5:11

My perception is that being a Christian isn't going to get any easier, and probably will get harder in coming years. Even more reason to follow the counsel that Paul gives the church in Thessalonica, telling them to encourage each other.

Search Me, O God

"Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24

In part, I think David is a man after God's own heart because he so humbly asks God to search his heart. What a risky request. I know we know that God sees through us, one of the obvious byproducts of omniscience. But, like David, would we also implore God to test our anxious thoughts? We should as the Bible encourages us, "be anxious for nothing". David is so real and honest, and we should emulate His transparency.

YES OR NO?

"Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No', 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one" Matthew 5:37

Is it just me, or, does this simple verse seem a lot harder than it should be? I seem to be a lot better at the 'yeses' than I am at the 'nos'. That is for sure, even though I know I'm better than I used to be. OK, I admit it; I have invented this whole complex category of 'maybe' to really complicate the simple. Throw into that mix of confusion the famous, 'probably yes', and notorious, 'probably no', and you can cause yourself and others even more trouble and heartache. Can somebody give us a 'definite maybe' about now? No wonder we have such a hard time saying and hearing yes and no. We don't practice what the Lord preaches.

Boast in Understanding and Knowing our God

Our Monday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Lahoma:

"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I Am the Lord, Who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord." Jeremiah 9:23-24

"Boasting" defined by the online dictionary is "To glorify oneself or another in speech; talk in a admiring way; to speak of with excessive pride; to possess or own; to contain; have; the act or an instance of bragging; a source of pride."

He Calls Me Friend

Alan shares a devotion titled "He Calls Me Friend" written by Julie Ackerman and originally posted by Our Daily Bread:

"All things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you . . . that you should go and bear fruit." John 15:15-16

Someone has defined friendship as “knowing the heart of another and sharing one’s heart with another.” We share our hearts with those we trust, and trust those who care about us. We confide in our friends because we have confidence that they will use the information to help us, not harm us. They in turn confide in us for the same reason.

Your Children

"It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us." 2 John 1:4

As John gets older his great joys come from the most important things. How encouraging it must have been for him to report to the woman whom this letter is written to, when it came to his attention that some of her children, either her specific children or the children from her house church or fellowship where this short letter is first read.

Fences and Bridges

"Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." 1Peter 3:11

Peter is quoting Psalm 34:14 in this verse as He draws on David's words to make his point about how to live in harmony with one another. He uses those wonderful words in verses 8-10 to encourage peace; "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because of this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." Now, apply these words to the following old parable and ask yourself what you need The Carpenter to help you do.

With His Grace, Pastor Fred

Doing Right

"Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." Isaiah 1:17

I recently received a newsletter from a young missionary who stated this verse as part of her motivation for responding to a call from God to dedicate her life to helping minister with women and children who are being sex trafficked in India. I am sure she is earnestly following the first part of the verse and has stopped doing wrong and is learning to do right. As a matter of fact, she is training right now for this venture of faith. She certainly has chosen an excellent verse to illustrate why she is passionate about her call. She indeed will be seeking justice and deliverance of the oppressed and encouraging them, too. She will defend the cause of those poor, victimized and defenseless, unprotected children and plead the case of widows in the process too. She will be doing exactly what The Word says. I find this hugely inspirational and motivating, and I will pray for her cause and calling.

Snoozing

Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Dolly:

How many minutes is the snooze on your alarm clock? Mine is 12 minutes.

When the alarm goes off before we are ready to get up, it is all too easy to hit that snooze button. But snoozing can get you into trouble. Three or four snoozes can eat up most of an hour, and then you are scrambling to make up that time to get where you need to be.

Have you been hitting the snooze button on what God has called you to do? Or are you putting your God-given gifts and abilities to good use serving God and His people?

A Time for Everything

"There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven:" Ecclesiastes 3:1

Inferred in this introduction to one of the most quoted scriptures in the Bible is the fact that there is also a time and a season to not engage in every activity under heaven. If there is a right time to do it, there is also a wrong time to do it. You see, this is the beauty of the deeper meaning of this verse and those following.... indeed there is a time, but is it a soon time or a future time, a long season or a short season? Maybe we all need to work on our timing. Somehow we must find a way to get into God's timing of everything. How do we do that? The closer we walk with Him, the more we know how to go with His flow, how to sense 'the when' of things. Too often we get caught up in the temptation of thinking everything or something should happen NOW. Maybe not. NOW, may not be God's will. Later may be what He has planned. I may not like to hear that, but it is true nonetheless.

The Art of Simply Living

Greetings everyone, I am a big fan and promoter of the free Matt About Money blog that also comes in email format to subscribers. Matt has a way of addressing financial and stewardship matters that really helps me think clearly and keep my priorities straight. I don't follow but a handful of blogs and this is one of them. In this world we live in today we must realize simultaneously that money in one sense is not so important and in another sense, it is extremely important. I wanted to share with you this particular article in hopes that you might sign up to receive these very timely teachings about our resources. Simplicity is a gift that can change your perspective totally. I hope that you find this as convicting and liberating as I did.

An old folk song favorite of mine says....
"Tis the gift to be simple, tis the gift to be free, tis the gift to come down where we ought to be. And when we find ourselves in that place just right, Twill be in the valley of love and delight. When true simplicity is gained, to bow and bend we shant be ashamed. To turn, turn will be our delight. Til by turning, turning we come round right."
Take time to reread these lyrics and then read Matt's article. Good counsel for us all.

Many simple blessings,
Pastor Fred

Famous Last Words

"The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen." Revelation 22:21

If I were to have asked you today to quote the last verse of the Bible, would you have guessed this? Seriously, maybe something about the Alpha and Omega or not changing a dot or even a title of any of the words in The Book, or that He is coming again. Nope, it is John's closing remark after he has recorded The Revelation given to all readers as a little word of encouragement, but vitally important.

Pray for India

"To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: (and Mumbai, India-Lahoma’s addition) Grace and peace to you from God our Father. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already head about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may life a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." Colossians 1:2-6, 8-12

Many of you know that I recently had the amazing opportunity to travel to Mumbai India and participate in a 10 day mission experience. This was my first time to India, and certainly not my last. I have traveled to many countries like India, and I am usually able to easily submerge myself in the culture, the history, and the social settings… but my problem usually begins when I am coming home. Even the one hour drive home to Orange County on the 405 freeway was visually so different than what I had just seen 27 hours prior on my one hour ride to the airport in Mumbai with small children sleeping in monsoon rain on sidewalks or dirty soaked mattresses under freeway underpasses, MOUNTAINS of rubbish that thousands of people called home along the train tracks and highways and beaches, traffic 8 lanes wide with no guidelines on how to maneuver through pedestrians and mo-peds and taxis and motorcycles and bicycles and starving women with small frail children strapped to their hip, pounding on the windows of our bus desperately asking for food.