37 Days – Grace Rises to the Occasion

Pastor Randy’s devotional:

My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

I would like conclude our season of prayer with an encouragement for you. I was recently talking with a friend of mine, and we got into a serious discussion about our faith. Specifically, we were discussing the Coptic Christians in the Middle East who are being beheaded for their faith. The question was, “So what would you do if you were faced with that situation? Would you deny Christ, knowing you were just deceiving your persecutors to get out of this gruesome death? Would you stand strong and face it?” Now, I know what the right answer is. “I would never deny Christ, and I would gladly die a martyr’s death.” OK. So that’s the right answer. But I believe there is a very real grace of God that actually allows those men to face gruesome death. I believe grace rises to the occasion.

I don’t believe David was ready or able to face Goliath in his own strength. God’s grace in him rose to that occasion. I don’t believe Gideon was especially brave and skilled at leading a rebellion. God’s grace rose up in him to do what he could otherwise have never done. And I believe God will call you and me into situations this year that are so far over our heads—so beyond our skill and capacity—and yet sufficient grace will be available if we don’t blink. God’s calling is always beyond our ability. Many do not step into their calling because they feel so inadequate. They . . . we . . . I feel weak and unfit for the task. In those times, we can count on the grace of God rising to the occasion.

Let’s prepare now for those opportunities. Let fuel our faith now so that we will trust that grace to rise. If you show up, grace will show up. We will take our inheritance in 2018 by the grace of God. And, His grace is sufficient!

February 6^th Prayer:
Great and Mighty God…Your grace is sufficient for me. Your strength is made perfect when my weakness and inadequacy is exposed. I anticipate Your power and enablement, that goes beyond my talent and gifts, to enable me to do far beyond what I could ever ask or think. Help me to not shrink back from any opportunity. By the grace of God, I am what I am. Thank You for Your sufficient grace . . . In Jesus’ name!

My thoughts:
Weakness, we don’t talk about it, we don’t want to acknowledge it, but it is very real none the less.  Each and every one of us will face challenges in our life that break us, cause us to tremble in fear and fell powerless.  These are the times when we must realize that God is our provider, God is our comfort, God is our strength and God is authority over all things.  God’s grace is sufficient for anything that we face.  Not some things, not the easy things, not the life or death things, but everything.  You cannot bring something to the throne of God that is beyond His ability to overcome. 

The key is to realize that in our flesh we are weak, we are frail, we are fearful and shaken; then to realize that we belong to the supreme authority over all things.  Once this realization sets in, dealing with our suffering, our fears, our weakness becomes manageable and conquerable.  The Lord is my strength, whom shall I fear?  No one and nothing.

Be Blessed,

Rich

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37 Days – A Promise of Rest

Pastor Randy’s devotional:

God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. For only we who believe can enter his rest. Hebrews 4:1-3

January 29^th Prayer:
Thank You, God, for the rest that I can enter because of Jesus. I am saved! I am redeemed! I have been reconciled to You because of the work of Jesus, and I can rest. I rest in the fact that I’m forgiven. I rest in the fact that I’m accepted by You. I rest in the established fact—established by the blood of Jesus—that I’m a child of God. I take a firm grip on this promise by faith and I rest . . . because this is Your promise to me and You are faithful . . . in Jesus’ name!

 

My thoughts:
God established a day of rest.  Read Genesis 2 and discover that indeed after completing the creation of the heaven’s and earth, and all things therein.  What Paul then shares with us in Hebrews 4 is that as believers, as children of God, we are entitled to enter into this rest with our Father.  One day, when this life has drawn to a conclusion and our eyes have closed for the final time, we will find our rest, our peace our comfort in the bosom of our heavenly Father.

Wo be to the one who has rejected Jesus Christ though.  For God states that these will not find rest in Him.  They will not enter into His Kingdom, His rest and peace.  This is not because of God’s hatred or desire to punish, but because of a choice that every person must make.  Given the information, alternatives, choices in this life to accept Jesus Christ and follow His teachings or to turn away and reject Him, they have chosen the later. 

Throughout the scriptures we are given a perspective of what, those who refuse the good news, will receive in the last days.  Eternal separation from God, described as wrath and anger, described as a pit of fire, as screaming anguish and gnashing of teeth.  Far from rest, peace and love of the Father.  This is why our purpose on this earth is so important. 

We, who believe, are comforted to know that we are in the Father’s rest.  But, assuredly, you know 5 to 10 close family or friends that are not.  Shouldn’t we therefore be busy in the Lord’s work and sharing the love of Jesus Christ with them?  If not, then why not?  Please consider the reality the depth of love you have for your fellow man and take the action to do something about it.  Perhaps, putting our pride aside is called for, in order to help others find rest from their struggles in life.  Pray on this, won’t you?

 

Be Blessed,

Rich

 

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37 Days: Week 4 Foundation - These Walls Must Fall

From Pastor Randy Harvey's devotional for 37 Days Week 4

These Walls Must Fall

And then this, while Joshua was there near Jericho: He looked up and saw right in front of him a man standing, holding his drawn sword. Joshua stepped up to him and said, “Whose side are you on—ours or our enemies’?” He said, “Neither. I’m commander of God’s army. I’ve just arrived.” Joshua fell, face to the ground, and worshiped. He asked, “What orders does my Master have for His servant?” God’s Army Commander ordered Joshua, “Take your sandals off your feet. The place you are standing is holy.” Joshua did it. Joshua 5:13-15

The situation seems impossible. As Joshua scouts out Jericho, he wonders, “How in the world are going to get past the walls of this city? I’ve never seen walls so thick and tall, and we’ve never fought a battle like this.” And just like that, Jesus appears as a man standing with sword drawn ready for action. Joshua confronts the “man” at first asking, “Whose side are you on—ours or theirs?” “Neither!” Jesus answers. “Me and My army are here to bring about the will of the Father, and you are now under My command.” At this, Joshua falls to the ground before the Master and worships. “What would You have me to do, Commander?” Jesus says, “Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing is holy.” Then Jesus lays out the battle plan. “Joshua, Me and My troops are going to do all the heavy lifting. You and your troops are mostly going to worship all around the walls.”

You see, Jesus instructed Israel to take the Ark of Covenant—the very presence of God—and march around the city with the priest blowing the ram’s horn (called a shofar). This was the horn of worship. Ordinarily, a metal horn was used for military signals and battle communication, but Jesus called for the priest to lead the march and for the worship sound to fill the air. For six days, the priest worshipped while the armies walked with them around the walls of Jericho (about seven acres of walled city). Then, on the seventh day, they circled seven times and began to shout to the Lord.

On the seventh time around, the priests blew the trumpets and Joshua signaled the people, “Shout! For God has given you the city!” (Joshua 6:16) And then it happened.  The walls began to crack and the ground shook. Huge boulders were dislodged as the armies of Israel worshipped God and the priest sounded the shofar. The city collapsed and the victory was fast and miraculous. Praise God! 

So how about you? Have any obstacles in your life that seem impossible to remove?  Like Joshua, you and I can keep looking at the issues and try to figure out how we are going to get past them. Or, we can worship. That’s right. A completely illogical plan that seems to make no sense . . . at least not to our minds. However, if it’s impossible for us, then it’s going to be Jesus and His troops who do the heavy lifting. Our job is to cheer Him on as He fights our battles.

This week we are going to target areas of difficulty that we will call “walls.” We will pray and worship and trust God to do the impossible. These walls must and will fall!

January 22^nd  – Blindness Must Fall

When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire (the armies of God). 2 Kings 6:15-17

Heavenly Father, open my eyes. I believe in You, but struggle as the servant of Elisha because of what I see with my natural eyes. Open my eyes to see this impossible situation resolved. I worship You, O God, for Your power to do the impossible. And I will worship You every time I think of this wall in my life that needs to come down. I shout to You Lord for You have given me the victory . . . in Jesus’ name!

(Name your wall. Write down the seemingly impossible obstacles and begin to worship God for His resolution.)

37 Days – Take A Step: Confess

Pastor Randy’s devotional:

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16-17

January 20^th Prayer:

Father, I long to be free from sin. I desire to be healed from the effects of my sin and pain. I will obey Your word. Show me who I can trust. Lead me to Godly counsel and a safe place to open up. Heal me Lord! Once and for all—deliver me from this bondage of sin as I obey Your word to “confess” . . . in Jesus’ name!

My thoughts:

Accountability – does that word make you cringe like the rest of us?  It means someone is there to hold you accountable to what is right and help you turn from those things that are not.  It takes serious trust, serious strength of character and serious commitment to one another if you indeed are expecting results of a positive nature.  Having said this, I strongly recommend it though.

We are all inherently wired to be self-interest first individuals.  We do what we want to do most of the time, and think of how it will impact us.  Often times we shy away from the difficult things, the stretch goals and the uncomfortable situations.  Most of the time we are less honest when evaluating our own actions than we might be of another.  We can frequently justify a wrongful act as we convince ourselves that we aren’t that bad.  An accountability partner will be strong enough to tell you, to point out those wrongful acts and yet still love you afterwards. 

An accountability partner should be a person close to you, but closer to the Lord.  A person that will never question bringing petitions before the Lord in prayer.  When you seriously look around yourself, there are no more than a handful of individuals that you can trust, love and that will also be a bright beacon of the Lord for you.  From this list, I suggest that you earnestly pray about who you should open up to and begin with a simple conversation.  Secondly, ensure that they know your intent and that you are seeking their support.  They need to know that there is a confidential relationship between the two of you that must be honored in order for this to work.  Finally, I suggest getting a meeting scheduled with them to lay out your needs, your intent, your goals and your obstacles.  Start from a clear playing field wrapped in truth and honesty.

Bring your meeting with this person before the Lord to ask His blessing and assurances.  He will be the guide for you and your partner.  You need to trust in Him for His power and blessing upon you.  Take heart young warrior, you are on the verge of expanding your presence in the Lord.

Be Blessed,

Rich

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37 Days – He Will Do It

Those of you familiar with my writings in the past, I start out each year with the 37 Days of Prayer.  This program comes from Pastor Randy Harvey, of The Crossing Church in the Woodlands, Texas.  Each year Pastor Randy starts us off with 37 Days (10% of the year) in fasting, quiet time and focused prayer.  For the next 34 Days I will be posting his devotional and my journal entries and I encourage all of you to follow suit.  Read through Pastor Randy’s devotional and then capture your thoughts in a journal, on a notepad or on your digital device.  This will help center your mind, thoughts and heart for the year ahead.  You can also follow along (or jump ahead if you’d like by going directly to https://www.thecrossing.cc/37-days ). I hope you will find this invigorating and challenging to help strengthen your walk with Jesus Christ in 2018.



This weeks devotion from Pastor Randy:

Our Inheritance Awaits

Joshua and Caleb, members of the scouting party, ripped their clothes and addressed the assembled people of Israel: “The land we walked through and scouted out is a very good land—very good indeed. If God is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land that flows, as they say, with milk and honey. And he’ll give it to us. Just don’t rebel against God! And don’t be afraid of those people. Why, we’ll have them for lunch! They have no protection and God is on our side. Don’t be afraid of them!” Numbers 14:12

We also stand at the shores of our inheritance from the Lord—2018, the coming year with all its potential and possibilities. God’s promises await us. His provision is right here in front of us. It’s ours for the taking. However, He left giants on the land of inheritance to assure that only a people of faith in Him would possess it. As surely as you and I move toward the promises of God this year, giants will rise to attempt to keep us from our inheritance. Fear will surely leap in our hearts momentarily and voices—convincing voices—will speak to discourage us from believing our God.

Be strong and very courageous! The God who promised is faithful! He will give us the land and release His inheritance to us.

Israel never fully took all the land originally provided by the Lord. We too have outstanding promises we have not received. Let’s go get our inheritance! A promise remains and it’s ours for the taking.

“Let’s go up and take the land—now.”
“We can do it!”

This week, we will stir our courage and faith in God’s promises as we pray His Word over ourselves and our inheritance in 2018!

January 3^rd Prayer

“Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.”  - Psalm 37:4-5

Father God, I delight myself in You today! I find my joy, hope, encouragement, and faith in You. Today, I release the desires of my heart and ask You to give me Your desires. You are gracious to give me Your desires so that my prayer and focus is in sync with You. And, thank You! The burden is not on me to accomplish all the things You have placed in my heart. Your Word says You will do it. I believe that You will do it . . . in Jesus’ name!

My thoughts:

We’ve all been there a time or two.  That place where the challenge ahead seems daunting and impossible to overcome.  Where there is no visible solution to our problem, and every step we take seems to push us farther away from our objective or create additional complexities that prevent us from tasting the sweetness of victory.  It’s funny, those of us who claim to believe in the all powerful Creator of the Universe, Lord of Lords and King of Kings, look to our own knowledge to try and solve life’s challenges.  We are willing to accept, by faith and hope, that He will save our souls, but not willing to accept that He actually will help us achieve success and accomplish the desires of our heart.

Perhaps it’s because many times the desires of our heart are not aligned with His desires for your life, and therefore we realize that we are on our own in those situations.  If we reach out to Him in thoughtful prayer and humility, seeking the desires He has for our life, He promises to give them to us and to help us accomplish them.  Do you truly believe that your plan for your life is greater than His?  You believe that in your limited wisdom from your life experiences, you can plot out a better path than the Omnipotent, Omniscient Creator of the Universe?

Seek His wisdom, His counsel and His desires and He will give you the purpose and plan that is best designed for you.  Then trust that He loves you, and will accomplish great things through you.

Be Blessed,

Rich

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