FAITH FRIDAY THOUGHTS

I made changes on this blog's "Faith" page today. As I was listing the links on the page I found it interesting to see what I wrote in the past, and what caught my attention at the time I wrote. Sometimes I am amazed at myself on the things I said. I can only say that I must have been directed by the Spirit in finding the things I did, and the thoughts I had when I wrote them. I am often enlightened with things I read, and by posting them here, I hope you are enlightened too.

CALM THE STORM

When I get around to reading other blogs I will read Living Well/Spending Less by Ruth Soukup. She recently posted something that gave me pause to think. She credits the following to Timber Hawkeye.

You can't calm the storm, so stop trying. What you can do is calm yourself. The storm will pass.

She also added this statement. "Sometimes the only thing we can change is ourselves." You have most likely heard this one many times and it is so true. I do think we can sometimes change others by changing ourselves. What do you think? But the changing of ourselves is the objective, not changing someone else.

Upon reading the statement that you can't calm the storm again, I was reminded of the storm while Jesus and his disciples were on a boat. Only Jesus can calm the storm. So give over to Jesus any storms you may have in your life.

FAITH FRIDAY - ON TUESDAY

About 7 years ago I received this in an email, printed it, and never thought it would become part of a blog. I pray you get as much out of it as I did.

THE DEVIL LEFT HIS BAGS

You put the devil out, but you let him leave his bags.

Never quite looked at it like this before. . . .

You got out of a bad relationship because it was bad,
but you are still resentful and angry.
You let the devil leave his bags.

You got out of financial debt, but you still can't control
the desire to spend on frivolous things.
You let the devil leave his bags.

You got out of a bad habit or addiction,
but you still long to try it just one more time.
You let the devil leave his bags.

You said, I forgive you, but you can't seem to forget
and have peace with that person.
You let the devil leave his bags.

You told your unequally yoked mate that it was over,
but you still continue to call.
You let the devil leave his bags.

You got out of that horribly oppressive job, but you're still
trying to sabotage the company after you've left.
You let the devil leave his bags.

You cut off the affair with that married man/woman,
but you still lust after him/her.
You let the devil leave his bags.

You broke off your relationship with that hurtful abusive
person, but you are suspicious and distrusting of every new
person you meet.
You let the devil leave his bags.

You decided to let go of the past hurts from growing up in an
unstable family environment, yet you believe you are unworthy of love from others, and you refuse to get attached to anyone.
You let the devil leave his bags.

When you put the devil out, please make sure he takes his bags.
                                                                 
                                                                       Author unknown

FAITH FRIDAY - THE THRESHING FLOOR

It has been quite awhile since I did a FAITH FRIDAY post. I have been saving some, so it is time to get back to this.

I listen to several ministers on TV, and one of them is Ron Carpenter. One week he talked about Ruth and Boaz, and how Boaz slept on the threshing floor. A threshing floor is where wheat is tossed into the air so that the wind blows the chaff away. The wheat kernels are heavier than the chaff, so they fall to the floor.

When harvesting anything there is always a part that is kept and a part that is thrown away.

Jesus lives on the threshing floor. He throws US up in the air. The Holy Spirit is the wind that removes what we don't need, so that eventually only what is good remains in us.

FAITH FRIDAY -- TRUE WORSHIP

My friends and I are currently studying about true worship on Friday mornings. They had chosen that title among several others, but have discovered this study is nothing like what they expected. Even so, they are very thankful to be studying this as they are getting a very different picture of what true worship is.

Here are some things we have looked at so far. First, we were given the example of Abraham when he took Isaac up to the mountain to worship, and where God had told him to sacrifice his only, much loved son. This is the son that God had promised him, and the son through whom all Abraham's descendants would come. And yet, Abraham was obedient, trusting God to fulfill His promises, and somehow resurrect Isaac. If you are familiar with the story, before Abraham kills his son as the sacrifice, a lamb appears and he sacrificed the lamb instead.

There are many pictures of Christ in this story, but what is learned about true worship is that there is a sacrifice, and obedience, a complete surrender to God.

Then we started looking at the tabernacle and all the furniture in the tabernacle and how it all represents Jesus and the heavenly tabernacle. The first thing we see is that there is only one way inside, and that is the gate or doorway. Jesus is the only way into God's presence.

The first thing we see is the bronze altar where the animals are sacrificed. So we see again, a sacrifice is needed for true worship. Next comes the laver filled with water. After the priest sacrificed the animal and sprinkled its blood on the altar, he must now wash himself. I am sure things got a little messy!

So it seems, in true worship for us today, a sacrifice is to be made, and then we need to be cleansed. We have Jesus the Lamb, who was sacrificed in our place, saving us, just as the lamb was sacrificed instead of Isaac and so Isaac was saved.
Then we are cleansed of our sins by Jesus' blood.

Is there something that we can sacrifice today? We don't need to sacrifice animals, but we are to put to death our old, sinful nature. We are to 'sacrifice' our selfish desires and worldly lusts of the flesh.

Just something to think about today.

FAITH FRIDAY - THE LAMB

Faith Friday

Recently I heard a good sermon from a tv minister. He brought some Scriptures together in a way that I had not seen before, and I found it enlightening. I will try to tell you what it is about.

The first story he talked about was the one about Nathan confronting King David about him desiring Bathsheba, taking her, getting her pregnant, and having her husband killed so that he could marry her.

In 2 Samuel 12:1-7, Nathan says this to David, 

" There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up, living with him and his children. It shared his meager food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man could not bring himself to take one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for his guest."

David was infuriated with the man and said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! Because he has done this thing and shown no pity, he must pay four lambs for that lamb."

Nathan replied to David, "You are the man!"

Take a look at that lamb. The poor man brought that one lamb into his house and it lived with him and his family in that house. It ate the same food and drank from the man's cup! When the man went to bed he took the lamb with him, placed him on his chest and held him all night. The lamb was a part of the family. We often think of our pets in the same way, don't we? This lamb was very precious to the family, and is the only one they had. And yet the rich man took it and killed it to feed a traveler.

Now look at another story about a lamb. The minister had not seen this before and neither had I. Exodus 12 tells the story of the first Passover. The people were told that each family was to select one unblemished lamb from their flock, and take it in. They were to live with that lamb for 14 days. You can imagine the children playing with that lamb and it becoming a pet. But then on the 14th day, it was to be killed and its blood smeared on the doorposts and lintel of the house so that their house would be passed over while all the firstborn male children of the Egyptians would be killed.

Now read those stories again and put Jesus in the place of the lamb. Jesus is our sacrificial Lamb, who's blood saves us from eternal death. But also look at how He should be treated by us. He should be living in our homes, eating our food, drinking from our cups, sleeping with us - taking part in everything we do every day. He should be more than a picture hanging on the wall, or going to 'visit' in church on Sundays and then forgotten about the rest of the week.

As important as that Lamb is to the family, it is even more important that the Lamb had to be sacrificed to pay the debt that we owe for our sins so that we can live, just as in the first Passover. Praise God that our Lamb was raised to life again, to live forever, and so will we!

THE GOD OF WHAT'S LEFT

FAITH FRIDAY

Jentezen Franklin is another tv preacher I have watched a few times. One of his sermons was titled "The God of What's Left" and that caught my attention. You can watch videos of his sermons, or watch pod casts here. Check the TV schedule for channels that might carry his program, or watch it on TBN on Sundays at 8:00 am CT, or Monday nights at 8:00 pm CT.

Here are the notes I took:

The devil takes from you, but God does not allow him to take everything. There will always be a "stump" left. God will cause that "stump" to flourish.

Trust God to do what He promises. Look at Job. Job lost everything - his livelihood, all his children died, and he lost his health. All he had left was his faith in God. God is the God of what you have left.

He is not just the God of what you had, He is the God of what you lost, and the God of what you have left.

Restoration begins in your head. Ashes are what you have left after the fire. If you throw the ashes in the air toward God, they will come down and cover the enemy.

What is gone is not needed to be what God has planned for you. Your latter will be greater than your former.

_______________________________________________________________

After Job lost everything, but still trusted God, God blessed him with much more than what he lost. After you have been through a trial and feel like you have lost everything, don't lose hope, and don't lose your faith in God because He has not left you. He has left a 'stump' to sprout new growth. God prunes us and gets rid of what is not beneficial to our producing fruit. When He uses that pruning shears it hurts! It leaves a wound, but then a scab grows over it and it doesn't hurt as much, and eventually it leaves a scar. That scar is a reminder, but it no longer hurts. And now something new can start growing and take us a new and better direction.

I know this is true. I have seen it happen in my life, and I am better for it. It hasn't been easy, but it has been blessed. Never ever give up hope in what lies ahead.

TYING THE KNOT

FAITH FRIDAY

I have been neglecting Faith Friday for quite awhile. Genealogy got in the way, folks. But I have been collecting notes along the way. I just didn't find the time to formulate my thoughts enough, nor find the time to write.

I have been blessed by a few sermons I heard by tv preachers in the last few weeks. I recently discovered James Merrit on Touching Lives. He started a new series on marriage entitled "The Knot" Here are a few of the notes I made, though there is much more valuable advice than what I got written down. I finally went to the website and found videos of the shows, so you can go here if you want to hear more. The first of the series starts with "Bound" on April 27, 1914. This is the one I talk about today. You can see Touching Lives on TBN Sunday mornings at 7:30am CT.

The secret to making a marriage last is to tie a knot that will never come untied. Marriage is God's IDEAL idea.

We take an IDEAL

and make it into an ORDEAL

and then want a NEW DEAL.

Isn't that the truth?

Today's culture goes this way:

HOOK UP

SHACK UP

BREAK UP

When we get married we call it 'tying the knot.' We need to bind our marriage with the sailor's knot. This knot is used to hold the boat to the dock or pier, and it will hold through the strongest storms. The more storms and water that the knot goes through, the tighter it gets.

That is what marriage needs when things get tough, when life gets hard and there are many problems to deal with. That is when the knot should get tighter to hold it all together. If the wrong knot has been tied, it won't hold, and the marriage falls apart.

I could write my own thoughts as a sermon, but I will stop here. I think there is enough food for thought here that needs to be digested. It seems too many marriages are tied with a slip knot. Do you need to take the time to retie your knot and make it a sailor's knot?

Faith Friday

This is being published on Friday, but I am writing this Monday morning. I was able to finally get to church yesterday, after not being able to get there for what seems like months. Either bad weather, snow/ice on streets and sidewalks making walking impossible for me, or just that my body refusing to move beyond a few feet has kept me home and watching church services on television from other churches in town. So it was a huge treat and blessing to be able to worship with friends, take communion, and then visit with my friends after the service over a cup of coffee. It was also  the church's annual meeting after the service, where we elected some new elders and deacons for the year. There was no new business - no more building or remodeling projects lined up for this year, which is very rare since we have had that on the agenda for over 10 years. That was all finished this past year and all that is left is to finish paying for it. I was also able to take my auction items in to be displayed, and to be there in time for the auction on Wednesday night. I hope to get to the auction but weather will play a big part in that as well. I also don't like to drive at night, but since I only have a few blocks to go, I think I can handle it. The biggest problem is being able to park close enough to the doors so that I don't have far to walk.

What I really wanted to write about today is the prayer of confession that we used during the service. The sermon was about the Beatitudes and the prayer of confession was based on the Beatitudes. I found them very though provoking and true and thought you might find the same thing. I pray that you find them prodding your conscience as they did mine, and that they might give you some guidelines to living a better Christian life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PRAYER OF CONFESSION USING THE BEATITUDES

L(Leader): God blesses those who realize their need for him,
 for the kingdom of heaven is given to them.
P(People's response): But we have been proud in spirit, inflated with pride in our own self-sufficiency. We have forgotten how needy we are.

L: God bless those who mourn,
     for they will be comforted.
P: But we have not mourned over our sins,
     instead we have insulated ourselves from those around us, 
     from their pain, needs, loneliness, and suffering.
     We have even hardened ourselves so that we are unaware that our own            lives cause grief to the Lord.

L: God blesses those who are gentle and lowly,
    for the whole earth will be their inheritance.
P: But we have valued toughness over gentleness. 
    We have too often chosen to be concerned with ourselves
    rather than with our brothers and sisters and neighbors.
    Like the prodigal son, we want to satisfy ourselves 
    rather than our Father.

L: God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice,
    for they will receive it in full.
P: But we have hungered after the pleasures,
    prestige, and possessions of this temporal world.
    Like Esau, we have despised our birthright
    by choosing to satisfy our immediate desires.

L: God blesses those who are merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
P: But we have often presided as harsh judges
    over the lives of others.
    We have been quick to place blame
    on anything or anyone but ourselves.
    We have avoided obligations to care for
    or to help people in need.

L: God blesses those whose hearts are pure
    for they will see God.
P: But we have defiled our hearts
    with idols of our own choosing, doubting that
    God will keep his Word and his promises.
    We continually compromise the truth
    by trying to find meaning and security 
    in our jobs, our friends, our pleasures, our projects--
    But not in God.

L: God blesses those who work for peace,
    for they will be called the children of God.
P: But we are often at war with one another.
    In a thousand little ways we demand to be catered to.
    We seldom esteem others as more important than ourselves.
    We often create strife by demanding our way
    rather than by walking in God's Spirit.

L: God blesses those who are persecuted
    because they live for God,
    for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
P: But we have too often retreated 
    from the disapproval of others.
    We've sought to please the world rather than
    risking the disapproval of those who need the Messiah.
    We regard rejection for righteousness
    as a burden to be borne, rather than
    an honor to be humbly received.

L: Lord, please show us your mercy.
P: Lord, have mercy upon us
    in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are two things I ask for every day - mercy and grace. It is by these two things that I have salvation. It is by these two things that I have all that I have. It is by these two things that I am blessed each and every day. God gives us exactly what we need for each day of our lives - no more and no less, just as He did for the Israelites in the wilderness regarding manna. They were to gather just what they needed for the day. If they took more, the extra became inedible.

Faith Friday - Who's Afraid of the Dark?

FAITH FRIDAY

WHO'S AFRAID OF THE DARK?

For you are all children of light, children of the day.
(1 Thessalonians 5:5)

Read 1Thessalonians 5:1-11

One of the most important sets of lights in a theater are the emergency lights. While these are legally required to be in good working order, an experienced stage manager will have them checked regularly, just for peace of mind. After all, should the electricity fail during a show, hundreds of people would be stuck in the dark; in that darkness lives a stage manager's worst fear -- panic.

Groups of people panic in the dark because they fear the unknown. In a strange place, surrounded by unfamiliar people, we fear the worst will happen, and that it will catch us by surprise.

This is what Paul is getting at in this passage. He describes Christ's second coming and God's just judgment as being something that will catch the unbeliever off guard. It will come unexpectedly, "like a thief in the night." For the Christian, however, there is no surprise. While we do not know when judgment day will come, we rest easy knowing that Christ took our punishment on the cross so that we could be declared "not guilty" before God. It is the radiance of this truth that makes us "children of light, children of the day" who have nothing to panic about.

-- Rob Matthews

Prayer: Father God, thank you for the gift of your Son Jesus Christ, whose death paid the penalty for our sins and whose resurrection gives us the hope of a world reconciled to you. Amen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fear of the unknown - isn't that what we all fear the most? As a child we are afraid of what might be lurking under the bed. It is dark under there, and most anything could be in that darkness, ready to grab our feet and pull us under with them. I would run and jump into bed and pull my feet up and under the covers as quickly as possible. Even though I knew there really wasn't anything under the bed, there was always a chance that I could be wrong.

But when we live in the midst of God's light, there is no need to fear what is in the darkness outside of the light, because that light is our protection. If we leave a nightlight on when we go to bed, whatever is hiding in the darkness cannot come out and expose itself.

Faith Friday - Walking in the Light

FAITH FRIDAY 

WALKING IN THE LIGHT

"The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light."  (John 12:35)

Walking backstage in a theater can be dangerous. Lots of scenery, props, and people are scattered about. During an onstage blackout, the only illumination comes from small blue running lights strategically placed throughout the backstage areas. Even with these lights, seasoned stagehands will avoid moving backstage during scene change blackouts in which they are not involved. As the ambient stage light fades, the carefully choreographed dance of people, props, and scenery begins; and out of step outside is hazardous to all. 

The crowd to which Jesus was speaking desired to know if he was the promised Messiah. They were confused because he did not fit their picture of the Christ. His response to them was "walk while you have the light." While Jesus walked the earth, he urged those around him to seek and follow him, before the scene went dark. "While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." (v. 36)

On Good Friday, the light of the world was crucified on a cross and died. However, after three days of darkness, the Son rose from the dead! Once again, we are free to move in the light. As when he walked this earth, Jesus calls us to seek and follow him, lest we be fooled by the Prince of Darkness and stumble on the lies of the devil. 

~ Rob Matthews

Prayer: Father, thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ, light of the world, in whose name we pray. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have appreciated all the comparisons of the theater lighting to the Light of the world - Jesus - and how both affect our lives and what we need to do. The only acting experience I have had is in high school plays. Back then our stage was at one end of the gym and so there was no theater lighting, no spotlight, etc. But I have been to several summer theater productions done by college drama students and some professional actors. I always enjoy seeing the set designs - and some of them have been very well done. And I like to watch the scene changes done on the darkened stage while the curtains remain open. It is all done very quietly and quickly, each person assigned to the props they are to change. Those jobs are very important to the play because it could create a big problem if they forget a major prop - either removing or placing it.

Maybe the next time you get to see a play you will think about these devotions and pay attention to the lighting, and watch how the spotlight leads the actor to their next spot.

Faith Friday - Light of Discovery

FAITH FRIDAY

LIGHT OF DISCOVERY

'The LORD. . . gives the sun for light by day and moon and the stars for light by night (Jeremiah 31:35)

The whole Scripture reference to be read with this devotion is Jeremiah 32:33-35.

33.  "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

34.  No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

35.This is what the LORD says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar-- the LORD Almighty is his name:

Whether by day or night, light fuels human discovery. Visual perception, our eyesight, is based on processing information conveyed by visual light. If you can see anything at all, even the faintest blur in a dark room, it is because your eye is receiving light. What we call light and dark are relative terms, considering there are virtually no natural places on the surface of the earth that do not have some form of visible light present.

So it is with spiritual discovery. In this passage the Lord speaks through Jeremiah about a day in which God's people will know him so intimately that his law will be written on their hearts. They will no longer need to teach one another about who God is, because they will all know him, every last one. With the coming of Jesus Christ, who called himself the light of the world, God fulfilled this promise. Jesus taught us what it means to follow the law; he took our sins upon himself and reconciled us to God.

Jesus Christ is more than just spiritual light for Christians; he is the light of the world. Even those who do not believe can see dim blurs of spiritual truth because of the light of Jesus. Let us walk in this light, discovering who God is and who we are called to be.

-- Rob Matthews

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the light of your Son, by whom we see and are reconciled to you.

Faith Friday - Finding our Light

FAITH FRIDAY

FINDING OUR LIGHT

"O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD." (Isaiah 2:5)

The author of this devotion is again using the example of a theater production. Last time he talked about actors being led by the spotlight. A good spotlight operator moves the spotlight slightly ahead of the performer to lead them to their next location, and it is up to the performer to stay in their spotlight so that it all looks smooth. In this devotion he talks about finding your light.

~ ~ ~ ~ 

"Find your light!" the show's director calls out, obviously tired. The first technical rehearsal in which actors and lights come together is always brutal. As carefully as the lighting designer has studied the actors' movements, there is always a variation between where the light is focused and where the actor is standing. Generally the light wins, unless it's significantly off-target, and the actor is asked to find their light. At the end of the day, it doesn't much matter how brilliantly a line is delivered if the actor is unintentionally speaking from the shadows. Standing outside of their light, actors simply aren't a part of the production as a unified artistic vision.  

Isaiah 2 outlines a beautiful vision of the latter days in which all the nations of the world come together in peace to worship God. In this vision, God serves as judge and arbitrator to all, and all gather in his house to learn the ways of his law. Weapons are transformed into tools as people look to God, instead of war, to settle their differences. 

Like a great director, Isaiah calls out to Israel in verse 6, "Find your light!" His voice echoes into our generation, urging us to live into this vision of a world focused on worshiping God in spirit and truth. As the church, we are also beckoned to "find our light" living out Isaiah's vision in these last days. 

-- Rob Matthews.

~ ~ ~ ~

Have you found your light? Are you staying in your light by letting it lead you to your next location? Do you know the source of your light?

We previously looked at the verse, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." So, the source of our light is God and His Word. And, Jesus is the light of the world. Therefore we need to stay in the Word and allow it to lead our way in life. Using the theater analogy, God's Word leads us to our next location, and we are to stand in His Word and not  work in the shadows where we are ineffective.

Prayer: Almighty God, help us to find our light by walking in the light of your Word.

Michael W. Smith & Amy Grant - Thy Word - [Live]

Faith Friday - Led by the Light

FAITH FRIDAY

LED BY THE LIGHT

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)

(The following is a direct quote as I could not find a better way to state it)

A good followspot operator knows how to lead a performer. It's a subtle enough trick that you've probably never noticed at a concert or theater performance, but the spotlights move slightly ahead of the performers, leading them to their next location. It takes a lot of practice; the operators have to know where the performers need to go and how best for them to get there. Likewise, the performers need to be aware of their spot operators and choose to remain in their lights and follow the blocking laid out for them. When performers allow these technicians to lead them, the lighting looks smooth and enhances the performance. When performers make their technicians chase them, the lighting looks twitchy and distracts from the performance. 

This verse reminds us that God's Word is the truth by which our paths are illuminated. As we read the Word and apply it to our lives, we walk in the light, allowing God to lead us. If we choose to follow our own path, we often step out of the light and quickly find ourselves lost and confused. Thankfully, just as a good followspot operator always finds his or her wayward performer, God does not abandon us in our darkness; instead, he finds us again and leads us with the light that is his word. 

-- Rob Matthews

Prayer: Father God, illuminate the path of my life with your Word.
______________________________________________________________

Isn't that indeed good news? God does NOT abandon us in our darkness. When it seems like God is far away as we go through our struggles (darkness) in life, He is really right there with us.

Faith Friday - Blinded by the Light

FAITH FRIDAY

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

based on --

They did not see one another. . . for three days, but all the people of Israel had light (Exodus 10:23)

To read the context of this verse, read Exodus 10:21-27.

This is the story of the second to last plague to strike Egypt. The Egyptians were in the dark. It was an oppressive darkness so deep that people could not see one another. It is the kind that you feel.  Have you ever been in a cave and they turn the lights off and leave you in total darkness? I have. It is eerie. It is scary. It is disorientating. You have no idea where you are or whether you are right side up or upside down. You put out your hand to feel the wall but feel nothing, unless you are lucky enough to be standing close to someone or against that wall. It isn't a good feeling.

At the same time there was light where the Israelites lived. In the theater the lighting designer knows that in order to direct our attention on the one spotlighted, the rest has to be in the shadow. Think of being in a dark tunnel and we finally see the light at the end. We can't take our eyes off that light.

God uses this kind of contrast between darkness and light to reveal Himself to Egypt. By putting the Egyptians in total darkness and the Israelites were given light, they attracted the eyes of Pharaoh and all of Egypt. The Israelites were in the spotlight. If you were the one in the darkness, wouldn't you wonder why someone else has all the light? What do they have that I don't?

Sometimes the darkness in our lives directs our eyes toward God's love through Jesus Christ. May our eyes ever be fixed on him.

The song that constantly ran through my mind when my husband was sick and dying was "Turn your eyes upon Jesus."

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
in the light of His glory and grace.

Prayer: Light of the Word, amid the darkness of life may my eyes always be fixed on you.

(original written by Rob Matthews)

Faith Friday - Creative Word

FAITH FRIDAY

CREATIVE WORD

This devotion is based on this verse of Scripture.

And God said, "Let there be light." and there was light  (Genesis 1:3)

(I will not quote the devotions word for word, but will paraphrase and possibly add my own thoughts now and then.)

When we enter a dark room we feel for the light switch, and when we find it we flip it and instantly have light (unless you have slow starting CFL bulbs). We take it for granted that we will have light, don't w? And how upset do we get when the bulb is burned out or the power is out?

Have you ever thought about how much goes into getting that light to your house? At least four different manufacturing plants are involved, one to make wire, another for the switch, one more for the fixture, and a final one for the bulb. How many workers are involved at the power company, linemen, electricians and others? They all play a role in making it possible to turn on the light.

How much work was it for God to make light? Just one spoken command. "Let there be light." And the sun, moon, and all the stars were created. That is so much more awesome than all the people in manufacturing, power plants, and the linemen and electricians that it takes man to 'create' light.

God created enough light for an entire universe to run for billions of years. His spoken word empowered an entire electromagnetic spectrum that humanity is only beginning to comprehend, even after all the thousands of years that have already gone by. Think about this the next time you turn on a light!

Prayer: Illuminate my life with your creative word.

(original devotions written by Rob Matthews)

Faith Friday - Light and Darkness

FAITH FRIDAY

LIGHT AND DARKNESS

As I was looking through a Words of Hope devotional I noticed a theme and found it interesting. There were several devotions about light and then noticed there were also some about darkness and the comparing of the two. Here is a list of titles. Not all of the titles have the words 'light' or 'darkness' but they do refer to them. I knew there were were many references to light in God's Word but had never seen them brought together like this.

Creative Word

Blinded by the Light

Led by the Light

Finding Our Light

Light of Discovery

Walking in the Light

Who's Afraid of the Dark?

All Things New

Darkness Isn't a Problem for God

When God Keeps Us in the Dark

A Citizen of the Kingdom of Light

Preparation in the Dark

An Audacious Claim

Everything is Exposed

What Are You Looking At?

Sometimes We Must Sit in the Dark

The Flashlight

I intend to do a series on these and explain what the titles mean in future blogs. There may be other subjects included here and there as I find something new and different, or as the Spirit moves me. Does this peak your interest?

Faithful Friday - What's in Your Sponge?

Faithful Friday

 

 

WHAT'S IN YOUR SPONGE?

 

There are five sponges lying on your kitchen counter top. Each member of your family has been cleaning up different areas of your home, but all the sponges look the same. You are curious as to what was cleaned in your home, but you can't tell by looking. . .  They all look the same . . . . So what do you do? You squeeze each sponge to see what comes out. As you squeeze the first sponge. . . you see that cola comes out, and so you decide that someone cleaned the kitchen with that one. Upon squeezing the second sponge, you find tub and tile cleaner -- that one was used to clean the bathroom. Next, in the third sponge, you find motor oil -- hubby was cleaning the garage! In the fourth sponge, baby powder puffs out when it is squeezed -- yep, the baby's nursery was done with that one! And finally, in the last one, is floor wax -- that was the one you used on the hall floor! As you lay the last one down, you look again at their similarity -- and they all look the same until they're squeezed.

 

Christians are the same way. As life squeezes us, different things come out -- anger from one, a need for revenge from another, tears from one, remorse from yet another -- also greed, untruth, lust -- and finally, from one saint, pours forth the love of Christ. Just like the sponge, we can only squeeze out what is put in -- stay in the Word daily, and be in continuous prayer, so that when life puts the squeeze on you (and it WILL), Jesus, and Jesus ALONE will shine forth from you!

 

(This was found in our church newsletter.)

Faith Friday - Obedience

FAITH FRIDAY

 



Obedience

 

I wonder if this is the kind of obedience God would like to see from us.



<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=576060799082155" width="400" height="224" frameborder="0"></iframe>

(I thought the video would be here. If it isn't please click on the link and I hope you can see it.)

No asking "Why?" No procrastinating. No whining. No debating if it is really God speaking. No ignoring the commands. No refusing to act. Instead, there is adoration, obeying with a smile on the face, doing what you are told and eagerly waiting for the next command.

It took a lot of patience and perseverance to teach that dog to do all those things. Think of the patience and perseverance that God has in teaching us that His way is the best way, and the right way. When we don't learn the lesson He is trying to teach us, He does not raise His voice, does not curse at us, but very patiently gives us another lesson, and another, until we finally get it.

Thank you Lord, for being so patient with us, and not giving up on us. Amen