A new week a new start.

Monday has always an interesting concept to it.  For some it is the start of a new week to others it is the start to another time of drudgery.  I like Mondays for the most part.  I am not like the old song with states, "Rainy days and Mondays always gets me down."  Mondays are my second day of proclamation.  I have finished proclaming the gospel in the church setting and now I have to mental gear shift nd begin to proclaim the gospel in the marketplace on my daily radio show.  I have to trade in my pastor hat and put on the hat of radio personality.  Both vocations are a privilege but have different emphasis.  As a pastor I spend 20-30 minutes explaining the text and truth of a scripture.  When I don the hat of radio personality I have to do it in less than three minutes.  I have to say as much but in less time.  The beautiful thing is that God's word can penetrate a heart whether in the form of a sermon or sermonette.  God's word is true and practical in every situation.  Also the Holy Spirit can use it in whatever way it is presented.  So today let God's word penetrate your heart and you make the necessary changes to live life to the fullest.

The Most Important Spiritual Discovery I have made in years!

This past week has been one of the most trying I have had in years.  So it was essential I hear from God about what to do next.  Last night, Jan 13th, I had just finished a time of prayer with my wife Lois and I asked God how can I pray for the church and His believers. To my surprise the Holy Spirit said loud and clear, "It is in the word."  I replied back where?  In Jesus' prayer for the disciples in John 17:6-26.  This prayer has impacted me so powerfully.  It is I believe as revolutionary as when I heard the teaching of Larry Lea on the Lord's prayer.  Here is what I learned and how I pray now for the disciples and then the church.  First your local church.  1.  God would keep us out of the world.  2. We would obey His word.  3.  We would know everything comes from the Father.  4.  We would accept God's word.  5.  Believe that Jesus and the Father sent us.  6.  That each one would know that they were God's/  7.  The glory of God would flow through them.  8.  That we would all be one.  9.  God would keep all safe.  10.  They would have joy in them.  11.  God would give us His word.  12.  They would be protected from the evil one.  13.  They would be sanctified by His word.  For other churches:  1.  They would believe your message.  2.  They would all be one 3.  Be one with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  4.  Have the glory God has given them.  5.  Be brought into complete unity.  6.  Be with Christ and see His glory.  7.  Know that Christ has been sent from the Father.  8.  Would know the Father.  9.  Love of the Father would be in them.  10.  Christ would be in them.  I pray that this morning and felt a freedom I have not felt in years.  Powerful truths from God's word.

God's will or ours!

I am amazed how many times we like to help the will of God along.  In my deovotions I read how in Genesis 16, Abraham and Sarah tried to help God out.  Sarah had been waiting over a decade for God to answer their promise.  She got a little anxious so she told Abraham to sleep with her maidservant Hagar.  When Hagar became pregnant she became proud and boasted of her accomplishment which led to Sarah becoming jealous.  Sarah then treated Hagar terribly and Hagar ran away.  An angel of the Lord brought Hagar back by telling her that her son who was to be name Ishmael would become a great man.  The result of that union later would lead to strife between the Arabs and Israel because Ishmael was the father of the Arab people.  The lesson we learn is that when we try to help out God it can have disastrious results.  My advice is always stay in the center of God's will and plan.  I think this is sound advice, I wish I could learn it.  lol   

God to the rescue!

Do you feel overwhelmed and just about not going to make it?  Yes, there are days like that.  Do you have those Jonah days where you feel like you are in the belly of the whale?  Of course.  In those times you need God's word and His promises.  Today I want to give you some verses that will help in these times.  Ps 34:4, 107:9, 127:2, Prov 12:25, Matt 6:33-34, Luke 12:22, 31, 1 Cor 10:13, Eph 3:11-12, Phil 4:6-7, 13 and 1 Pet 5:7.  Every once in a while I have those days and sometimes the seems they go on for a while.  Yet God is faithful.  We can trust Him.  So today trust and hold onto God.  Like the old Baptist preacher said once, "Help is on the way. 

Can you get along?

From time to time we have problems with inter-personal relationships.  In my devotion today, I reading about Abraham and Lot in Gen 13:1-9.  Lot and Abraham were living in the same part of the country and both men were rich and had great herds of sheep.  This led to there not being enough pasture to support both herds and so the servants of the two men began quarreling.  Abraham was a wise man of God and so he suggested that they part company which somtimes you have to do to keep harmony.  Lot chose the fertile area around Sodom and Gommorah and Abraham chose to stay in the hill country.  Some would say that Lot made the better choice but we known from the Bible he did not.  There are a couple of lesson we can learn from this story.  First, there is a solution to every sticky situation and God will give you the wisdom to deal with it.  Sometimes you have to part company with someone to keep harmony.  Secondly, just because a choice you make doesn't seem the best choice at the time, but it could be the best one over the long run.  Lot chose to live in Sodom and Gommorah close to the world and it eventually lead to his downfall.  Abraham stayed in the hill country where he was away from the influence of the world.  A better choice in the long run.  We make choices everyday and some have no effect on us at all but some can change our lives, my advice is pray about as many as you can and trust God. 

A promise is a promise!

Lately I have been thinking about the pomises of God.  Several years ago, I went through the entire Bible and found every promise in the word and then after that I recorded everyone and put them in book form and then categorize them into 127 areas of life.  Recently I went through those 127 categories and began to include them on my blog on Am 930 the Light.com.  Interesting enough is that everyday, as I write them on my blog that at least one or two of them becomes a promise I hold onto that day.  When God makes a promise, it has an application over and over again.  For example God tells us not to fear.  In fact there are 365 times in the Bible, God tells us not to be afraid.  One for everyday.  So everyday you do not have to be afraid.  Another promise is that God will be with us.  Such assurance to know that God is with us, no matter where we are or what circumstances we face.  We are never alone.  This turns my crank and drives my motor.  I know that there is a promise or bible verse that can be applied to every situation.  That is why I encourage every one to read the Bible and apply it to their hearts.  I know it works because I do it everyday.  May my example be an inspiration for you in your life.  Have a great day.

Monday, Now a time for the Blues!

Now I cannot say I like Mondays all the time but they are the start to the work week.  Every Monday I have to get up at 4 a.m. to get to work and do the Morning Show on Am 930 the Light.  As I drive to work I pray and ask the Lord to use me to touch the thousands that I have been given the privilege to touch for the Lord.  Each day I am thinking about the devotional, I will be sharing.  The features, the bible verses and the prayers I will be offering on the show.  I also am then thinking about the people I will be meeting and the divine appointments God will bring across my path for that day.  Being a Christian is a great responsibility because everyday you get the chance to bring eternity to someone.  It is all about the making the most of your time for the Lord.  Having a maximum impact in the minimum amount of time.  Paul starts in Ephesians that we are to redeem the time.  God's timing is perfect but sometimes ours might be a little off.  Sometimes we are not in the mood to share or we are to distracted to share or we are just plain selfish.  My prayer for me has always been Lord make me aware of those that need your help and help me not to be to distracted or out of touch to where you are to miss your will.  I pray that will be yours prayer as well.