37 Days – Grace to Transition

Pastor Randy’s devotional:

The end of something is better than its beginning. It is better to be patient than arrogant. Don’t be quick to get angry, because anger is typical of fools. Don’t ask, “Why were things better in the old days than they are now?” It isn’t wisdom that leads you to ask this! - Ecclesiastes 7:8-10

January 13^th Prayer:

Transition is a part of life and part of God’s plan. Seasons of life start, and they end. We leave one season of life to enter another. David went from shepherd to king. Gideon went from cowardly farmer to a warrior of great valor. Joshua went from Moses’ assistant to the leader and commander of Israel. And it was scary for him to make this transition. Your role, responsibilities, and authority will grow and change. Change will always involve tension and stretching. Receive grace to change well this year. And give grace to others as they reach for new heights in God.

Heavenly Father, thank You that You never change. You are my anchor—the one constant in my life that I can always count on. And yet, you call us to change. You call us from childhood to adulthood. You call us from following to leading. You call us to be transformed into the image of Christ. You call us to change. Help me embrace the changes necessary this year. Help me give grace to others as they grow and change. Help me to see myself in the new authority and capacity that You’ve assigned in this new season . . . in Jesus’ name!

My thoughts:

Have you ever heard the phrase, “God won’t give you more than you can handle” ?  It’s an encouraging statement, meant to help someone deal with difficult circumstances that often time we would rather walk away from.  But, the more I learn about God, the more I’ve come to realize that I don’t think that’s necessarily true.  The reality is God knows your potential, and knows that you are living well short of it.  He will give you more than you “perceive” you can handle, but with His wisdom to realize that you can grow into it.

Above Pastor Randy gives several great examples of men who were called by God to do something much greater than their perceived ability.  Like them, you are called by God for a much larger purpose than you are currently living in.  If you feel unable to expand your purpose and contribution to His Kingdom, you are leaning on your own understanding and not the strength and power of the Lord.  For in our Father we have the premier ruler and authority of all things on earth and in all of time and space.  If indeed you seek a deeper purpose, a deeper desire to live for God, you are the only thing standing in the way.

You see, we are the biggest obstacle to serving God completely.  We set boundaries because of our limited knowledge, experiences and perception of the world around us.  Some say that we are only using 10% of our cognitive capacity, and that through constant learning and stretching of our life experiences we are capable of expanding this capacity.  So with this limited wisdom, we have decided that we are incapable of serving God in a larger manner.  Not the case.  The reality is that you and I have much more capability and capacity to serve God, but it will require a closer relationship with the Father in order to truly understand what it is He wants us to do.  Secondly, through this closer relationship with the Father we are expanding our wisdom and our perspective to a more Christ like perspective, which then enables us to discover the ability He knows is already there. 

You and I are His children.  Just like you know the potential of your children to do bigger things then they believe they can do, so does your Father know you have much more potential.  Join me in expanding our vision, our abilities and our faith in trusting the larger things God has in store for us.

Be Blessed,

Rich

Join us on Facebook @ 10 Minute Reader Daily Thoughts or on Twitter @Sondove
If you would like to be added to the email distribution, please send an email here.

Bible Study – James (day 14)

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

“ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you.” – James 4:7-8 (full text James 4:1-10)

Often times we must step back, take a close look at who we really are, and then ask ourselves are we willing to stay there.  We’ve spoken over the last few weeks about our weaknesses and our inherent characteristic of unrighteousness.  Each of us have an innate propensity to sin in life and are drawn to the selfishness and pride of those who walk without the Lord.  What is it inside of you that causes you to argue with your spouse or kids or friends?  What is it that is at the root of your opinions and fuels your debates?  Perhaps it’s time to look closely into the mirror of your life and realize just who your are.

I suggest; after reading through James this morning; that our thoughts, actions and words are driven solely by our closeness to God Almighty.  Humanity is driven by the worldly attitude of “ME”.  Let’s face it, your biggest problems each day center around the impact to you, your life, your comfort and your happiness.  We focus on that which we believe we can control.  Specifically, many would say today “It doesn’t impact me, so why should I care.”  I propose, this apathetic attitude is at the core of our falling away from God in the last 20 years.

Then there are those in society that have become spotlight seeking servants.  When the spotlight is on they want to come across as humble servants, interested in helping the wee little ones, or the unfortunate ones.  Throw some money at the problem, but never really get their hands dirty.  This is driven by a selfishness, an internal gratification principal.  The reality of it is that this group of individual’s are using the unfortunate circumstances of others to promote themselves.

Think about the life of Christ for a moment.  If we are to emulate and become more Christ-like, what does that truly mean?  Are the scriptures asking us to become miracle workers, healers or speak wisely about things not of this world?  No.  To emulate Christ is to take on His characteristics.  Let’s name a few: humble, loving, peace-filled, servant, approachable, just, pure of heart, submissive to the Father’s plans and committed to His purpose.  Now, which of these are not characteristics you are capable of?  The reality of the situation is that when we look at our life in comparison to Christ’s we often think about His perfection.  This is certainly the role model we should strive for, but realize that He came from God and therefore did not possess the same propensity to sin that every other person has.  Focus on who He was, not just what He did.  These characteristics draw you closer to the Father and separate you from the worldly selfishness that envelope each of our minds and approach to life.  If you, like me, are saddened by the state of the world today, then choose to do something about it.  Follow the example of Christ and submit to the Father, let Him use you.

ACTION: Take an inventory of what is at the core of your plans, desires and purpose in life.  Is it intended to benefit you or others?  Are you living to improve your lifestyle or to help others improve theirs?  Based on what you know about the person Jesus Christ, if He walked amongst us today, would He work live in a palatial home in the sub-burbs and work in an office or would He be homeless and work on the streets of the inner city?  Why aren’t we following His example?  Think about it, what motivates your decisions in life?

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://www.10minutereader.com

Bible Study – James (day 11)

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? . . . In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” – James 2:12,17 (full text v.12-26)

Rich Mullins was one of the most inspirational Christian singers to ever step on a stage.  His lyrics made you stop and think about your life, your intentions, your heart and serving God.  One of his songs in 1987 called “Screen Door” specifically addresses this point in James 2:17.  Jesus walked amongst Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes of the day, who all had a faith in God.  Each in their own way believed in the God of Abraham, Moses and King David.  They knew the prophecies of Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel and the others.  They read the scrolls each morning and night and taught them to their children.  Yet they held themselves in a position of authority over all others as teachers of the law and the judicators of forgiveness.  An artificial barrier had been created between them and the population’s ability to reach God the Father.

Jesus came to free mankind from the bondage of this world, and to establish a direct connection between God and all of us.  He walked amongst the rulers, leaders and teachers of that day and demonstrated that the Father was loving, merciful and compassionate about His children.  He showed us all through His actions how to love one another and to serve the needs of the least of these.  Faith in God requires that we trust in His word, His love and His message for us.  Turning this word into action and living it out daily requires that we allow Him to work through us.  God is spirit.  He sent His only Son; Jesus Christ, in the flesh to demonstrate His works and actions for us.  Upon His departure, He left behind the Holy Spirit to dwell within us so that we would always know His love, His peace and comfort and that we could share it with others.

Do not be misled by this world in thinking that your actions have no impact on others.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  Your actions are a representation of who you are, what you stand for and the spirit that lives within you.  We cannot see God the Father, but we can see glimpses of Him through His children and their works.  Love others, help others and take your eyes off of yourself.  In James 2:19 – we hear the word, “You believe in God the Father.  Good; even the demons believe that, and shudder.”  It’s one thing to say, “I believe in God.”; it’s something completely different to demonstrate that love through your actions and words.  But, do not allow yourself to become boastful or haughty in your actions.

Remember, Jesus tells us in Matthew 7, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”  Actions alone will not get you to heaven.  Even pagans and non-believers can be found in charity and serving others.  Through Faith and Works we are able to share the love of God the Father with those we come in contact with.

ACTION: Look back at your weekend.  Write down the times when you had the opportunity to help another, or to share the love of Christ and did not.  Ask God to forgive you, change your attitude and to help make you stronger the next time an opportunity arises.  Pray for God to give you a servant’s heart and the opportunity to share His love with others.  

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://www.10minutereader.com

You Have to Work at It

Read it, Learn It, Live It, Share It

“But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia.”    – Galatians 1:15-17

When I was a boy I loved the game of football.  It was a deep passion of mine to play the game and excel at it.  All through my elementary years it came easy for me.  The older I got though, the more difficult the sport became.  The plays became more extravagant and the other boys seemed to be bigger, faster and more prepared.  Then at age 14, came the summer that I was old enough to go to football camp.  To learn, practice and to play with the best players at the collegiate level introduced me to an entirely new perspective on the game.  Once again my confidence was restored and I left knowing so much more about the game, simply because I spent dedicated time learning football and nothing else.  Alas, a month after camp, I blew out a knee and my football days were over; but the passion and education I received have never left.

So it is with God’s grace and the acceptance of the Holy Spirit in your life.  After Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, he spent some time with Ananias where he received the Holy Spirit.  Paul began preaching the “good news” all around Damascus as the message of grace filled his heart and overflowed.  His passion was beyond control and it became everything he wanted and needed in his life.  He then went away to Arabia to study, learn and to get closer to the Holy Spirit.  He did not turn to the other disciples or apostles of the time.  He drew what he could from Ananias, but realized that to be the best for his Lord, he needed to get away from other mankind.

We don’t know how long Paul was in Arabia or where exactly he went.  We do know that he was an extremely knowledgeable man before his conversion and he knew that to excel at anything one must put everything they have into it.  We read the scriptures and stand amazed at the depth of knowledge that Paul shares through his writings.  The other disciples – Peter, John, Luke, Mark, Matthew . . .  all spent daily time with Jesus Christ for the better part of 3 years.  They learned from Him daily as they walked along the roads and mountainsides of Israel.  Paul, on the other hand, realized that he needed that alone time with His Savior to truly understand his mission and purpose in life.

You are just like Paul if you think about it.  At one point in your life you questioned Jesus Christ, God and the whole Christian church.  Then there was an unveiling in your life, when your eyes were opened to see the grace, love and mercy of the Savior.  At that moment, when you accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, your heart was overflowing with passion and purpose and desire to tell everyone you knew.  If this is not nurtured and strengthened, over time your life returns to it’s pre-salvation state of seeking something more.  Many Christians fall into this trap.  After accepting Christ the fire burns out and they fall back into their sinful ways.  Many look at this and challenge the salvation from our Lord and then look elsewhere for something with meaning.

The real message to learn from Galatians 1 above is that discovering your purpose and living for the Lord takes work on our part.  It is not something that can be coasted through.  Choosing to live for Jesus Christ, takes commitment, time and persistence to continued learning.  This is done through daily quiet times.  Get away from your life, those around you and the busyness of each day to spend quality time with the Holy Spirit.  Dedicate the time each day to focus on learning from God directly.  No man can make you a stronger Christian or help you identify your purpose.  That must come from the One who created you as a Christian.  You don’t have to go to Arabia, but you do need to get away to be with the Lord one on one.

Prayer:Almighty God,
Thank you for Your wisdom and knowledge, shared through the scriptures and the Holy Spirit.  Help us to find You each day to expand our faith, trust and confidence in Your truth.  Teach us Lord through a daily quiet time to walk in Your footsteps.  Rejuvenate our souls to the point of overflowing such that we must share Your good news with all that we meet.  Help us to accept the responsibility of apostleship with You and the challenge of expanding our purpose through Your will for our life.  In Your precious name I pray - Amen
© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
For additional Daily Thoughts, please visit: http://www.10minutereader.com