Ephratha: “Can you believe it? We’re finally free!!!”

Shuhah: “No more slavery, no more being bossed around, pushed around, beaten, having our babies murdered right before our eyes. Praise Jehovah we’re out of Egypt!”

Ephratha: “Were they ever glad to see us leave. They let us take whatever we wanted from their homes.”

Shuhah: “I got twenty golden goblets, a huge bag of jewelry and seventeen silver trays. I never dreamed I would have so much treasure or be so rich.”

Ephratha: “Those horrible years of servitude are behind us now. Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. It’s going to be fabulous!”

Shuhah: “The Lord finally saved us. Praise His name for being such a wonderful, awesome God who has take care of us and given us such wonderful blessings!”

Ephratha: “Hey, Shuhah. Look in front of us. We’re heading straight towards the Red Sea.”

Shuhah: “Forget what’s in front of us, look behind us. The Egyptian army is closing in fast and they look mad as hornets.”

Ephratha: “What will we do? Why did God bring us, our families and our children out here to die? If only He would not brought us out here.”

Shuhah: “Ya, things weren’t so bad there. Why didn’t He just leave us alone? We were getting along fine in Egypt!”

This little story reminds us of the elation and despondency the Jewish people often had as God led them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.

Time after time God would provide for them and there would be great rejoicing that quickly turned to disgruntled complaining as soon as they faced their next problem.

Sunday in class we used a play on words stating that when they came to a problem they looked at God and said, “Egypt me!” (He gypped me).

When the over 2 million freed slaves came to the Red Sea with no way to cross or when they ran out of food or water for themselves and their animals, they grumbled and complained, “Egypt me!”

They thought, “This isn’t the way God is supposed to work. This isn’t what He promised. This isn’t the way it should go. I got jipped!”

What they didn’t realize is God was working overtime, using all these situations to help them understand Him so they would trust Him. They came out of Egypt not knowing Him and He knew they needed to learn that He is faithful and trustworthy if they were ever going to make it in the Promised Land.

It’s easy for me to look at these stragglers in the wilderness and think they should have known better. I mean, they saw the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. They saw the miraculous parting of the Red Sea and walked through on dry ground. They saw miracle after miracle. For goodness sakes, you would think they’d get it!

Then I pause for a moment on my high horse of superiority and realize I do the same thing with the Lord almost daily.

I’ve seen God work in my life as He did in theirs. Time and time again He’s provided, blessed, supplied, given wisdom, bailed me out and showed me His love and goodness even when I don’t deserve it.

And yet, how often do I come to a situation and start to grumble and say “Egypt me”?

“God shouldn’t treat me like this. Someone else got off easier than me. This isn’t what I signed up for. This isn’t how things should be going. . .”

In his devotional “My Utmost For His Highest” Oswald Chambers writes a very challenging and helpful lesson for July 16 entitled The Concept of Divine Control.

“Jesus is laying down the rules of conduct in this passage (Matt. 7:11) for those people who have His Spirit. He urges us to keep our minds filled with the concept of God’s control over everything, which means that a disciple must maintain an attitude of perfect trust and an eagerness to ask and to seek.

Fill your mind with the thought that God is there. And once your mind is truly filled with that thought, when you experience difficulties it will be as easy as breathing for you to remember, “My heavenly Father knows all about this!” This will be no effort at all, but will be a natural thing for you when difficulties and uncertainties arise. Before you formed this concept of divine control so powerfully in your mind, you used to go from person to person seeking help, but now you go to God about it.

Jesus is laying down the rules of conduct for those people who have His Spirit, and it works on the following principle: God is my Father, He loves me, and I will never think of anything that He will forget, so why should I worry?

Jesus said there are times when God cannot lift the darkness from you, but you should trust Him. At times God will appear like an unkind friend, but He is not; He will appear like an unnatural father, but He is not; He will appear like an unjust judge, but He is not. Keep the thought that the mind of God is behind all things strong and growing. Not even the smallest detail of life happens unless God’s will is behind it. Therefore, you can rest in perfect confidence in Him.”

The challenge to me is, when I face a tough situation in my life, is my first response, “Egypt me!” or is it, “God’s in control and I can rest in Him?”

I don’t know about you, but this is something I need to be reminded of regularly!
Mark

John McGee was born in 1904 to a humble family in Hillsboro, Texas. While attending Bible College he began pastoring a church in Midway, Georgia. He went on to attend Dallas Theological Seminary earning his Doctor of Theology degree.

Later Dr. McGee, known to most of us as J. Vernon McGee, served for over 20 years as pastor of the historic Church of the Open Door in Los Angeles. Under his ministry the church became prominent not only in LA but throughout the west coast and across the nation.

As he approached the end of his pastorate at the church he began a fledgling radio ministry called Thru The Bible, teaching all the books of the Bible in a five year cycle. After he retired he continued the radio ministry for over 21 years before he passed in 1988.

Since his passing Dr. McGee’s radio ministry has not only continued but flourished. Now 20 years later his program is heard on over 400 stations and in more than 100 languages, significantly more than ever before.

Dr. David Jeremiah mentioned this week on his radio program that he was visiting with Dr. McGee before he passed and Dr. McGee commented that he thought he would be preaching during the Tribulation. Since both men believe we will be taken to heaven in the Rapture before the Tribulation (as do I) David questioned him how that could be. Dr. McGee said he figured his tapes would still be broadcast even during that time.

As I heard this I thought that this is quite a legacy, to be used by God long after you’ve passed. I then thought about my life and wondered what kind of legacy I am leaving my family and friends. I know it will never be the scope of Dr. McGee’s, but even so, what am I doing now that will last beyond my years?

I teach my kids and grandkids how to fish, proper etiquette around others, give them a good work ethic and things like that, I help and encourage people I work with, but what kind of spiritual legacy am I leaving with them. Do they catch my love for the Lord, my desire for His Word, by passion for serving others? Leaving that kind of legacy doesn’t just happen, it takes effort and determination.

I will leave a legacy. I will be remembered for something. The question is what will it be?

Something I have thought about over the past few years is, as my children stand by graveside and reminisce about my life, what will they say about me? What will stand out in their mind that describes me, my life and what was important to me? What part of me will they say they are taking with them on in their lives?

Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children . . .” Although this is primarily talking about finances, I think it is also broader than that. Throughout the Bible we are encouraged to consider the impact we have on those we come in contact. What we leave with them after we have been around them.

Paul wrote in II Corinthians 2:14, 15, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”

I think these are great questions to think about. What is my fragrance? What is my legacy? What rubs off on others whom I am around?

It takes effort and determination to leave a “fragrance of Christ to God.” But wouldn’t it be something, if the Lord tarries, to have the spiritual impact of your life continue for many years after you’re gone.
Mark

“I was standing in my office looking down at the spindle that held my phone messages,” said John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church. “As I looked through them one in particular stood out. It had a man’s name on it and said he was in the hospital and asked if I would stop by.”

“That afternoon I went to the hospital. As I walked into the room I saw a weak, emaciated young man with another man beside him. I knew immediately why he was there. He was clearly dying from AIDS.”

“As I approached I said ‘I’m John MacArthur’ and the other man quickly left the room. The young man introduced himself and began to share with me the life of debauchery and depravity he had lived over the past 20 years as a homosexual.”

“Although raised in a Christian home, he turned his back on God in college and began his downward spiral that led to this day. He said he knew all along he was living in sin and rebellion to God but didn’t care. Now, however, as he faced impending death he wanted to know if he could somehow be forgiven and get right with God.”

John went on to describe how he shared with the young man that God’s forgiveness is open to all and then led him in a prayer of salvation. He lived three more weeks and during that time made it his goal to share God’s love, forgiveness and acceptance with his lover and the other homosexuals he knew.

As I sat down to write this I intended to look at the idea that we often compare ourselves to others we consider have committed much greater sin than we have (like this young man) and how we need to remember in God’s eyes our sins are just as heinous. I too am a sinner saved by grace and although there are greater consequences for some sins than others all sin is equally despicable in God’s eyes and worthy of eternal judgment.

As I said, that’s what I intended. But as I started writing something else tugged at my heart.

We all have sins in our lives we are ashamed of and would be embarrassed if our friends and family knew about. For some of us they do know and that is difficult to live with.

You undoubtedly know the verses in the Bible that encourage us with the fact that when we confess our sin God forgives and forgets them. Verses like:

I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

God does forgive sin. Fully. Completely. Forever.

But what is weighing on my heart (something I have contemplated many times before) is how can I fully accept God’s forgiveness? Or maybe better put, how can I forgive myself? How do I get it out of my mind so the reoccurring thoughts will stop haunting me?

I know I’m forgiven, I can quote the verses. But how do I get myself to feel forgiven?

I realize we don’t live by feelings and that feelings aren’t fact. But, feelings are feelings! And they can and do have a great impact on us.

Something I have come to understand about God’s forgiveness is that working for it doesn’t make me feel any more forgiven. When I set out to earn His forgiveness or pay Him back for it I can never do enough to feel like I deserve it.

And that’s true! I can’t earn it or pay it back. I can only accept it. God forgives us not on the basis of what we do but what Jesus did. Dying on the cross He paid the penalty for my sins (all of them!) and provided forgiveness.

Sometimes I feel like I must berate or afflict myself in order to earn or deserve forgiveness. This couldn’t be farther from the truth!

To accept that God has forgiven me means when I think about or am reminded of what I did wrong I confront that thought with the reality that I am forgiven. I acknowledge the sin is gone and thank the Lord for His goodness and mercy.

In other words, I must force myself to think about the Lord, His love, His forgiveness, His mercy, His grace, not my own sinful past.

Satan would love to have us become so focused on our sin that we are ineffective for the Lord. God wants us to confess our sin, turn from doing that sin and live in the freedom His forgiveness provides.

No matter what your sin, God offers full and complete forgiveness. If I don’t accept that or feel forgiven then I must work to wrap my mind and heart around His promises to forgive any and all sins I confess. I must focus on and embrace that truth rather than lamenting or “beating myself over the head” with the sin.

He’s forgiven you. It’s your job to believe and accept it and move forward in the assurance and confidence of that!

A great encouragement of this is Morgan Cryar’s song, “What Sin?”
  It happened so long ago, And I cried out for mercy back then
  I plead the blood of Jesus, Begged him to forgive my sin
  But I still can’t forget it, It just won’t go away
  So I wept again, “Lord wash my sin,”
  But this is all He’d say

What sin, what sin? Well that’s as far away as the east is from the west
  What sin, what sin? It was gone the very minute you confessed
  Buried in the sea of forgetfulness

  The heaviest thing you’ll carry, Is a load of guilt and shame
  You were never meant to bear them, So let them go in Jesus name
  Our God is slow to anger, Quick to forgive our sin
  So let Him put them under the blood, Don’t bring them up again
  Cause He’ll just say

What sin, what sin? Well that’s as far away as the east is from the west
  What sin, what sin? It was gone the very minute you confessed
  Buried in the sea of forgetfulness

  Lord, please deliver me from my accusing memory
  Nothing makes me weak this way, Then when I hear you say

  What sin, what sin? Well that’s as far away as the east is from the west
  What sin, what sin? It was gone the very minute you confessed
  Buried in the sea of forgetfulness

If you have confessed you are forgiven. Live in the joy of that forgiveness!
Mark

I have played baseball since I was five years old (I’m now 51). Because I was fast and had a strong, accurate arm I played center field all the way through High School and College.

While living in Nevada in the mid-80’s and early 90’s we had a church softball team in the city slow pitch league. It took me a while to get adjusted to the arc and slowness of the pitching. Even though I was in my 30’s I enjoyed being back chasing down fly balls in the outfield grass.

When I moved to Oregon I didn’t play for several years but four years ago I started on a church softball team again and have played each year since.

During that first season we had more players than positions each game so we rotated men so one or two would sit out each inning. One inning, when it was my turn to sit out, the pitcher was having a difficult time throwing strikes. After walking three men in a row he looked over at me, walked to the bench, tossed me the ball and said, “You pitch.”

Although I had only played outfield all my life I thought I might as well try. I kind of liked it and did well enough to finish the game and have pitched ever since.

The past couple of seasons I shared the pitching duties with Randy who has pitched for years and is great. This year he decided not to play so I was the main pitcher.

Since I’m still fairly new at the position I struggle at times throwing good pitches. Toward the end of the season I realized there were two men who, when they caught, helped me focus so I would throw strikes. Catching, however, is the least desired position on the field. Therein lies the rub!

The two men who do great catching for me are also good at and prefer other positions. Before a recent game I pulled one of them aside and asked if he would catch. I knew he didn’t really want to but I told him how having him at that position was helpful to me and therefore a benefit to the team. Wanting to do what was best for the team as a whole he agreed and did a great job. (Incidentally we won that game by 12 runs.)

I realize this is illustrative of how things often go in life. We find ourselves in a situation we may not prefer. We want to be doing something else (sometimes anything else!). Frequently it’s not just a preference but we see the situation we are in or asked to be in makes us take the short end of the stick or to accept being treated unfairly.

In his devotional for June 28, Oswald Chambers wrote these profound words on this subject. “The Sermon on the Mount indicates that when we are on a mission for Jesus Christ, there is no time to stand up for ourselves. Jesus says, in effect, ‘Don’t worry about whether or not you are being treated justly.’ Looking for justice is actually a sign that we have been diverted from our devotion to Him. Never look for justice in this world, but never cease to give it. If we look for justice, we will only begin to complain and to indulge ourselves in the discontent of self-pity, as if to say, ‘Why should I be treated like this?’

“If we are devoted to Jesus Christ, we have nothing to do with what we encounter, whether it is just or unjust. In essence, Jesus says, ‘Continue steadily on with what I have told you to do, and I will guard your life. If you try to guard it yourself, you remove yourself from My deliverance.’ Even the most devout among us become atheistic in this regard - we do not believe Him. We put our common sense on the throne and then attach God’s name to it. We do lean to our own understanding, instead of trusting God with all our hearts (see Proverbs 3:5-6).”

This is not to say I am to go out looking for situations where I can be treated unjustly, but, when I find myself in or are asked to be in that kind of setting I must accept that the Lord is not only aware but also in control. He will handle the justice. And not always in this lifetime.

As Chambers said, “If we look for justice, we will only begin to complain and to indulge ourselves in the discontent of self-pity . . .” When I do this I find myself saying, “I don’t deserve this. If I don’t look out for myself then who will?”

It really comes down to asking myself, “Am I willing to do what is right, to be obedient to the Lord’s leading, to humble myself, to ‘take one for the team’ as it were rather than standing up for my rights and what I think is fair for me?”

I speak from recent personal experience on this. When I choose to lay down my rights, to be obedient to the Lord and His will, not considering what is fair and just for me, then He gives you the ability to handle the situation. And not only handle it but to excel in it in a way you never thought possible.

Jesus said He came to give us super abundant life (John 10:10). The paradox is that this life doesn’t come from me sticking up for myself or always looking for what is fair and just. It often comes when I do just the opposite, when I lay down my right to what I think I deserve. As Pastor Tim is often fond of saying, “We live by dying.”
Mark

Tuesday I was home sick but I still had several things on my “to do” list I wanted to accomplish. Even though I wasn’t feeling well I decided to have my devotional time with the Lord.

Usually what I do for my quiet time is to read a certain number of chapters from a book in the New Testament and Old Testament and the Proverb for the day. As I turned to II Peter, the book I was reading through at the time, I noticed the section for the day was smaller than usual. I thought, “Great, I will be able to get through this quickly and get on to my list of things I want to get done.”

I don’t know how that statement struck you as you read it, but as it passed through my mind I realize how bad it was. I wanted to hurry through my time with the Lord so I could work on my tasks for the day. Doesn’t sound like the right attitude, does it?

A verse that has been my personal theme verse the past several years came to mind. It is Psalm 37:4 which reads, “Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.”

That idea of “delight yourself in the Lord” hit me as I thought about hurrying through my quiet time. Clearly I wasn’t delighting in the Lord with that!

As you think through the Bible, and especially the Old Testament, the idea of delighting in the Lord comes up time and time again.

A few verses that come to mind are:
Psalm 111:2 “Great are the works of the Lord; They are studied by all who delight in them.”

Psalm 119:174 “I long for Thy salvation, O Lord, And Thy law is my delight.”

Psalm 1:1-3 “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.”

As these and other verses state, there is great spiritual reward and rich blessing when I delight in the Lord. Not just rush through. Not just give Him a passing glance. Not just like who He is and what He does for me. But truly delight.

What does it mean to delight in the Lord? How do I know if I am doing it?

The word “delight” means to have great pleasure or satisfaction. There may be many things in life we delight in. We can take great pleasure in a certain food, in time alone reading a book or getting a phone call or email from a friend.

When you are delighted with someone it is a pleasure for you to be with them. Instead of counting the minutes you wonder where the time has gone. There is a sense of satisfaction and comfort just being in their presence. Their company and interaction is rewarding and enjoyable, something you look forward to rather then dread and endure.

For me at times it is easy to fall into more of a mundane routine with the Lord. Rather than delighting in Him, my time with Him, my thoughts about Him, it can become rote and ritualistic.

I think this is why He often allows difficult and challenging things to come into our lives. So we will look to Him, relate to Him, be shaken from our complacency. He desires a fresh, vibrant, alive relationship with us. His desire is that we do delight in Him.

Psalm 37:4 isn’t a blank check for me to get everything my little heart may desire. It tells me that as I delight in the Lord, as I take great pleasure and satisfaction in knowing Him and growing in relating to Him in a deeper and personal way that He will adjust my desires and cause them to come in alignment with His. Then He will accomplish them. When that happens it makes my life more fulfilling, rewarding and full of joy.

How are you doing in this area in your life? Do you find yourself truly delighting in the Lord, having pleasure and satisfaction with Him? Or do you see that often your relationship with His is a chore?

To have a life more filled with delighting in the Lord Psalm 1:1-3 is a great set of verses to contemplate and pattern after.

Delighting in Him does take work and time, but He promises the rewards and rich blessing for our lives spiritually will be incredible.
Mark

I finished my sales early this week and since my Mom’s home was only a couple hours away I decided to drive over to see her.

I’m cruising along the back roads from Long Beach to Olympia. The sun is out and I’m enjoying my new car (not brand new, just new to me). I’ve been down this way before so I’m somewhat familiar with the road or so I thought.

Just before you reach Aberdeen there is a bypass that saves you several miles and about 30 minutes. As I approached the bypass my phone rings. Being in the hill country and not close to a major city, the call drops. While trying to return the call I come upon the bypass.

As I turn it seems strange to me there weren’t more signs since this is a major route for vehicles to go around the city. I assumed I was distracted by the phone and just missed them.

The road I turned on was a nice, wide two lane road. The sign said the Highway 12 junction was 33 miles. I was going to Highway 12 but 33 miles seemed farther than I remembered. I thought, “Oh, well, I’ll eventually get where I want to go.”

The nice, wide two lane road turned into a rough narrow two lane road. I’m thinking, “That’s okay, I may be on the wrong road but it will work out.”

Sixteen miles later the narrow two lane road turned into a gravel road and 2 miles after that it became a one lane logging road. I may be a little slow sometimes but I eventually figured it out - logging road, pot holes, gravel, dust, new car, nothing but trees all around and no Highway 12 to be seen.

I knew I had to go back to the highway I turned off from and get to the bypass I was originally looking for. I turned the car around and eventually made it back to the Highway, found the bypass, and made it to my Mom’s place over an hour later than expected.

As I was driving back the 18 miles to the Highway, I thought that instead of getting upset I should think about what spiritual lesson I can learn from all this. I’m sure there are many but what stood out to me is this: It doesn’t matter how long you’re going the wrong way (away from God, not in the direction He desires), you will never make it to the right destination. The only thing you can do is go back to where you took the wrong turn.

When I was on the logging road I didn’t want to drive those 18 winding miles back to the Highway. I thought what I should have done is stopped the car, got on my knees out on the gravel and prayed. If I would have confessed I was on the wrong road, I was sorry and I wanted to get back to where I had made the wrong turn, I would have suddenly been transported back to the Highway. Right?

Sounds silly, doesn’t it? But too often that’s what we think should happen in our spiritual lives. We find ourselves on the wrong road. Whether by conscious choices we’ve made or not fully paying attention, we see we aren’t where we should be or want to be.

At that point we do need to pray, confessing our sin, our wrong choices, our not paying attention, and tell God we want to get back on the right path, to be fully in His will.

Two things will happen when we do this. First, our sins will be forgiven. I John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We can count on that.

The sin is removed, our relationship with the Lord restored, and we can have His clarity and understanding in our lives once again.

The second thing that happens is we have to work through the ramifications and repercussions of taking the wrong path. One old time preacher used to say, “People want to sow their wild oats and then pray for crop failure.” It doesn’t work that way.

Galatians 6:7 & 8 states, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

We don’t just pray, confess, want to do right and everything is magically transformed back to the way it was before we chose to go the wrong way. We have to deal with the consequences of our choices. I still had to drive the 18 miles back to the Highway. (Now, just to be clear, it wasn’t a sin that I turned on the wrong road, just a bad choice.)

But rather than be disheartened by this reality, the next verse gives us great encouragement. Verse 9 tells us, “And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.” As we keep moving to where we are to be in the Lord, it will pay off. It may take time, but it will pay off.

Another encouraging verse is Hebrews 9:14 which states. “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

In time we will make it back. In time we will be on track and going the way God desires. In time the wrong road and those long, 18 winding miles it took to get back on the right road will not even be a speck in our rearview mirror. God will cleanse from our conscience the wrong choices we have made.

We all find areas of our lives we have taken the “wrong road” on. Often at first we think it’s not so bad or will be okay. The Bible says sin is pleasurable for a while. But soon we realize how far off the path we have gone.

All we can do, and what we must do in each area of our life we find on the wrong road, is confess, turn around and go back to where we know we should be. The Lord will forgive and provide the strength and direction.
Mark

It was glorious!

Our softball game Thursday night. It was the top of the 7th inning with the score 11-5 (we’re the 5). If we don’t score 6 runs the game is over.

That we even got to the 7th is good for us. The rules state if your team is down by 10 or more runs in the 5th inning the game is over. Most of our games have lasted only 5 innings and we’re not the ones with more than 10 runs.

So it’s the top of the 7th and we haven’t been hitting well. We know we can do better but this season it just hasn’t jelled.

Often a team in this situation sort of accepts the inevitable. They don’t really give up but there isn’t much hope or spark to truly make a come back especially when you’re playing one of the best teams in the league.

That wasn’t the case Thursday however. One player after another stepped to the plate and with clear determination waited for just the right pitch. What followed was truly astounding. We hit singles, doubles, a couple triples and even an inside the park home run.

When the dust settled we had scored 12 runs. As we took the field in the bottom of the inning, now up 17-11, it’s amazing how our play improved. We seemed to have more enthusiasm and intensity and didn’t allow them to score any runs.

As I drove home from the game, still reveling in the joy of the win, I thought about how I had played. My pitching was pretty good, I only walked a couple guys, and I got three hits for three at bats and walked the fourth time. Not bad for an old guy!

What struck me was how last year things would have been different. Normally my circumstances affect me. In previous weeks when I struggled in my sales or had a lot of difficult things going on in my life it showed in how poorly I played.

As you know sales have been up and down this year. This past week they were down. Way down.

But instead of that getting me down and moody and depressed, I chose to focus on the Lord, thank Him for His goodness and praise Him for His provision. That didn’t change my sales but it did change my attitude and outlook.

In Philippians 4:8 Paul writes, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.”

Now I have to admit there were times during the week the situation got the best of me. At that point I had to choose to get my mind back on right things and my focus back on the Lord.

I often marvel at Peter in Acts 12. The setting is this, James the brother of John had just been killed by Herod the king. Since the Jews responded with overwhelming approval he arrested Peter. The night before Peter was to be killed God sent an angel to release him. What is astounding is what the angel found when he arrived.

Verses 16 and 17 tell the story. “And on the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward (to kill him), Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and roused him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands.”

I can’t imagine being so sound asleep the night before I was to be executed that an angel would have to strike and shake me to wake me up. I don’t know about you but I would have trouble sleeping that night.

Clearly Peter trusted the Lord and didn’t let his impending death agitate him.

Although I am light years away from handling a situation like Peter, I am finally starting to see the seeds of that in my own life. I have realized it is a choice to not let the situation I’m in overwhelm my mind and heart removing their focus from the Lord, His goodness and provision.

Oswald Chambers put it this way, “The Spirit of Jesus is put into me by way of the atonement by the Cross of Christ. I then have to build my thinking patiently to bring it into perfect harmony with my Lord. God will not make me think like Jesus - I have to do it myself. I have to bring ‘every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10:5) . . . in intellectual matters, in money matters, in every one of the matters that make human life what it is.”

It is a choice I must make to train my self, to keep my focus right, to not let circumstances creep in and overwhelm me. It is a process and it takes a lot of work. One week of mostly keeping a proper focus is a start but I have a long way to go.

As you face the situations that come into your life this week remember, the choice is yours of what you focus on and let dominate your heart and mind. It’s not always easy to do, but the reward of peace and growth in the Lord is more than worth the effort.
Mark

One day when Benjamin West was a young boy his mother left him at home to watch his sister Sally while she went to the store. Looking for something to occupy their time he came across a set of paints, brushes and paper and decided to paint Sally’s portrait.

Having never painted before, you can imagine the mess he made getting paint on everything around him as well as the canvas.

Upon her return his mother walked through the door and immediately saw that paint was everywhere. She also noticed the painting. She walked over, picked up the paper and said, “It’s Sally.” She then bent down and kissed her son on the forehead.

Benjamin said, “My mother’s kiss made me a painter.” He became not just a painter but a world renowned painter. He painted portraits of many leaders from America and Europe and helped found the Royal Academy in England but was best known for his historical and biblical representations.

As I heard this story this week another story came to mind. It was of a college football player.

One game, with his father in the stands, he made one big play after another. At the end of the game everyone was chanting his name and he was given the MVP award.

As they walked out of the stadium that evening, instead of congratulating him or commenting on all his great plays, his father said to him, “You remember that punt return in the third quarter. You missed a tackle that would have given your team more yards.” The boy lowered his head and said nothing the rest of the way home.

These two stories stand in stark contrast but both illustrate the power and importance of our words.

My words, your words, have an impact on those who hear them. They can either bring life to that person or put darkness in their soul. They can build up, encourage, and inspire or they can deflate and dishearten.

Watching my words is an area of my life I have to guard closely. James tells us this is a malady for most of us. He wrote, “For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.” (3:2)

Often we don’t intend to speak negatively. But the burden is on me for what I say. If my words are discouraging to a person I need to be more cautious of what I say rather than telling them to toughen up and not be so sensitive.

The Scripture is full of passages encouraging us to watch what we say.

David in Psalm 19:14 challenges us by saying, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.”

Paul echoes that in the New Testament when he wrote, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29)

In my early adult years I wasn’t as conscious of my words and their impact and often unintentionally wounded people. To help with this I printed a couple of verses from Proverbs and attached them to the side of my monitor so I would be reminded regularly to guard my words.

Verses like:
“When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise.” [Proverbs 10:19]

“The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” [Proverbs 13:3]

“Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is counted prudent.” [Proverbs 17:28]

I especially like the last one.

How are you doing with your words? Are you careful, earnestly seeking to use them to build people up? Or are you careless, allowing them to wound without much thought or care? Do you even consider how what you say impacts those around you?

Maybe we can take David’s prayer for his words in Psalm 141:3 as our own, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.”

May we consciously use our words to give life and encouragement to those we speak.
Mark

As I’m sure you can relate in your life, there are things going on in the lives of my family, kids and grandkids that I’m concerned about. Usually it’s nothing major, just ripples in life, situations at their work, relational issues, or finances.

Sometimes it’s good things. Payton, my eldest granddaughter just graduated from 5th grade so now she’s in Middle School. It touched me today as I considered how quickly they grow up and almost made me cry. It was just yesterday her mother was in 6th grade.

I’ve thought about all the things I need to be praying for for each of them. For wisdom, strength, protection, spiritual growth, that they stay walking close to the Lord and don’t stray. For safety and security, for their health, financial provision, and a close, deep relationship with each other and the Lord. For the salvation of my grandkids who haven’t accepted the Lord yet and their future mates.

This past week Chambers had a devotional on the topic of prayer from John 16:23. In the second half of the verse Jesus states, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.”

I understand we have to be walking in His will and it’s not a “blank check” to pray for all our whims and desires. But, although I have read this verse several times before, something hit me this time that really set me back.

The thought was, what if what happens in my families lives is directly related to how much and how often I pray for them. We know prayer makes a difference, but what if when I get to heaven the Lord shows me how the blessings, provision, direction, and protection they received on earth was directly connected to my prayer life?

We say prayer is important but do we really believe it?

The answer to that question is not to respond with an easy yes, but to see how much we pray. If I truly believe prayer is important and has an impact on what happens in life then I will pray. A lot.

If I don’t pray much then it shows I really don’t believe it. It’s that simple.

The fact of the matter is there really is that kind of correlation to life and prayer. The quality, quantity, frequency and urgency of my prayers all have an impact.

The Bible abounds with exhortations and examples of prayer.

John 14:13-15 “And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

John 16:23, 24 “And in that day you will ask Me no question. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you shall ask the Father for anything, He will give it to you in My name. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.”

James 4:2 “. . . You do not have because you do not ask.”

I Thessalonians 5:17 “pray without ceasing.”

James 5:17, 18 “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the sky poured rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”

I know these verses are conditioned on our obedience and walking in His will, but it doesn’t mean we have to be perfect to pray. Besides that shouldn’t stop us from getting the impact the verses are designed to give.

PRAY!

Prayer is important. Prayer is necessary. Prayer works.

Prayer produces results. Not always the results we ask (God is not a genie in a magic lamp we rub by prayer and He has to pop out and grant our wish) but it does produce the results He knows will work out for the best.

One more thing. Prayer is work. It is something we all struggle with.

From Billy Graham to Chuck Swindoll to Erwin McManus, people whom we would consider great men and women of faith all say how they struggle with their prayer lives.

It does take effort but it accomplishes great things in our lives and the lives of our family, friends, neighbors, missionaries, pastors . . .

I think it was the old time radio preacher Oliver B. Greene who started each program by saying, “God is still on the throne and prayer changes things.”

Do you believe prayer changes things? Do I?

God said He wants to do “exceeding abundantly beyond what we can ask or think” and prayer is a big part of that. Let’s commit to increasing our prayer time starting this week and then watch in amazement as we see what He does as a result.
Mark

As I sit and write this I am wondering what is happening in the season finale of a show I’ve watched all year. They always end the season with a cliffhanger and according to the promos I’ve seen this one is no exception.

To tell you the truth I’ve tried to think of ways to watch it and still get my Blog out for the week. I even thought about using an old one from last year but realized that wouldn’t be right. And beside, some of you might remember.

Writing this Blog is very important to me. I enjoy it and hope it is helpful. But, watching the season finale is also important and something I would enjoy. Some of you don’t understand that but most can relate.

As I contemplated my situation what really stood out to me is that I have to set my priorities and do what is most important. I guess it’s clear which I chose since this isn’t a remake of an old Blog and I’m writing it during the show.

I don’t say this to get approval, support or sympathy. I’m simply making a point of something we all have to deal with in life.

What’s interesting is how we demonstrate what is important is not by we might say or even write down for some class. Our priorities are made clear by how we act and live.

One person said if you want to see what is important to someone look at their checkbook and calendar. I think that’s true. What we deem valuable is what we put our money and time towards.

This past Monday I went to the hospital to visit Kerry and her mom. On my way to the car I walked by the office where a friend works that I’ve know since High School and he just happened to be walking out the door. We talked for quite a while, catching up on things in each other’s lives.

In the course of our conversation he commented that it seemed the Lord would return soon, probably in our lifetime. I’ve thought about that a lot since and reflected on the time we will stand before the Lord to receive reward or loss of reward for the life we’ve lived on earth.

In I Corinthians 3:10-15 Paul gives us a challenging revelation. He writes, “According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But let each man be careful how he builds upon it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.”

When I was younger I was told there would be a gianormous screen where our lives would be replayed for everyone to see. I don’t see that anywhere in Scripture but it is clear we will stand before the Lord and give an account of all we did on earth.

What we have to ask ourselves is, “Is eternity a priority? Am I living my life in such a way that I am laying up treasure in heaven?” Someone said you can’t take it with you but you can send it on ahead.

Is it a priority to live my life in such a way that when I stand before the Lord I will have gold, silver and precious stones? This is not done by accident or without effort.

How do I do it? I choose to live by faith. I choose to be obedient to the Lord as He directs my path instead of choosing my own selfish way. I have my mind think about and dwell on good things rather than negative, sinful things.

As Paul put it in Ephesians 4:22-24, “that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

Of course this isn’t saying we can’t engage in things of daily life (like TV shows) but it does mean the activities we choose are to not entice the lusts and desires of our sinful, selfish nature.

When was the last time you paused and looked at what the real priorities in your life are? The things you invest your time, money, and mental attention in. Are they things that are producing gold, silver and precious stones or will you find a pile of wood, hay and straw?

It’s sure something to think about.
Mark