Unshakable Faith

2009
Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

God, WHERE are You When My World is Shaken?
Psalm 139:1-4
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
Lets start this talking about feelingsthe emotion of life. Love is just a concept until we personally Regardless of feel weird things taking place in our heart. Anger how we feel, is only a word until we feel our blood pumping and God is always face reddening. Sadness is simply a theory until we Idea feel a physical heaviness and tears in our eyes. present with us. And on and on it goespride, joy, contentment, discontentment, discouragement, passion, etc. etc. Feelings are the experience of life. Butfeelings can come and go. Lori and I have been married for 28 years and in love a few years before that. But in those years we have felt more in love during some times than other times. Does that mean there were times we didnt love each other? No! It means that there are times we dont experience the feelings as much as other times.
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So heres my point. Sometimes I feel Gods love, His presence, His strength, His peace. And sometimes I dont. But my time and place feelings dont change the eternal truth. Regardless of how I feel, God is always present with me. He knows when I sit down and when I get up (and everything I do in between). He knows my thoughts before I think them and my words before I say them. He is familiar with all my ways. I dont know how you feel today. Your emotions may be steaming, simmering, or stagnant. You may be laughing or crying. You may be filled with courage or fear. You may be facing the next hour of your day with cant wait anticipation or dread. But regardless of how you feel the eternal God who loves you with an everlasting love is right there with youHis blood purchased child. Dont discount your feelings; but dont allow your feelings to discount God. Father, speak to me through my feelings. Use them to bless me. Use them to warn me. But never let my feelings override the eternal truth of your presence with me.
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Psalm 139:7-10
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
In our daily staff prayer time today, we prayed for a woman, who leaves this week on a medical Regardless of missions trip. After 30 hours on a plane, she and how we feel, six others will go into an area ravaged by natural God is always disaster and governmental neglect. In mountain Idea villages and makeshift camps housing victims of present with us. Hurricane Nargis, she will administer medicines and the love of Christ. And wherever she goes, whatever devastation or danger surrounds her, she will be walking in the presence of God.
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In our passage today, David begins with two rhetorical questions that can only be answered with an emphatic Nowhere! Then he puts forth a figure of speech that states two extremes (up to the heavensin the depths). The statement is meant to convey not only the extremes, but everything in between the heavens and the depths. All of space, David explains, is saturated with Gods presence. And take note. Gods presence is not passive. Wherever we are His hand will guide us. Whatever our situation, His hand of strength will hold us fast. So wherever you are today God is with you. Discouraged, depressed, devastated by lifes event? God is with you. Broken-body, broken-hearted, broken-spirit? God is with you. Moving too fast, moving too slow, on hold? God matches your pace. At a crossroad wondering which way to go? Let His hand guide you. Living with fear, dread, anxiety? Let His hand of peace hold you fast. Even if you want to run from God, there is no use trying. You will always run right into His presence.
Father, comfort us with the truth of your constant presence. Thank You for the truth that you will never leave or forsake us.
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Regardless of how we feel, God is always present with us.
Psalm 139:11-12
If I say, Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me, even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.. Okay, lets face it, sometimes, hopefully most of the time; we love the fact that God is always present with us. But then there are times, be honest, when you feel like the person in those Southwest Airline commercials and just want to get away! Gods presence is greatuntil you would rather go someplace, or do something, or be with someone and youd just as soon God let you go or do or be alone.
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Check out Davids transparency. He says even when I want to move in the darkness of night...the darkness cannot cover my actions from the All-Seeing, All-Knowing God. Even when I attempt stealth maneuvers during the day, my attempts at behind the curtain living shows up on stage with all the heavenly lights focused on my actions. So heres the deal. If you think you are cleverly concealing anything from God, think again. The writer of the Proverbs clearly repeats this truth: For a mans ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths (Proverbs 5:21). There is only One to whom we will give an account. And He sees all.
Father, thank you for the reminder that I cannot hide from You. Give me a heart of obedience so that I never desire to.
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Psalm 139:13-16
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mothers womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
God is Pro-Life. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Though written as poetry, our passage today clearly explains Idea Gods intimate involvement in life from the first moment of conception to the last breath. The Sovereign God is the Creator God forming our inmost being. The Sovereign God is the Intimate God knitting us together with the first threads of life. The Sovereign God is the All-seeing God with his eyes fixed on us from the very beginning. The Sovereign God is the All-loving God ordaining all our days for us before one of them came to be. The only response to the work of the Sovereign God is praiseI praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Praise God for His work in your life. He is always present with us!
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Father, your Word says, Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Help us be those who believe truth deeply and act on it appropriately.
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Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. In a time of personal reflection, the prophet Jeremiah wrote, The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9) Left on my own there isnt much I cant rationalize. Even sin can be seen as something deserved. Whoever believes his heart is not deceitful is deceived. Thats why todays passage should be our daily prayer.
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When I understand that I am not the best judge of my motives, its time to bow before the God who is all the way through my heart. Lets ask Him to do some serious searching.
Father, I ask you to shine your search light on my heart. Make the sin show up in a clear and disgusting way. Make known my heart. Show me where I am missing the mark. Make known my anxious thoughts so I can turn from worry to trust. Show me where I am offensive to you and others. Please dont let me live my life doing things that offend others by my personality or actions or words and not even know the damage Im causing. Please dont let me live in an offensive way to you and never seek your forgiveness. Father, help me to follow hard after you as you lead me home.
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God, WHO are You When My World is Shaken?
Regardless of how we feel, the character of God never changes.
Daniel 4:35
All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: What have you done?. The question that explodes into our hearts as we go through challenging times is Why? Why, God? Why this? Why now? Why me? One writer describes the issues that cause us to ask why? as a question mark turned like a fish hook in the human heart. We wonder if God still loves us, if He removed his protection, if He is unable to help. We long for an explanation that will make sense of our situation.
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Now heres something you probably dont want to hear. Ready? Most of the time we will never get the answer. From our vantage point, on this side of heaven, not all the pieces of lifes puzzle fit together. So in the midst of the unknowns, we must grasp the things we do know. In our shaken lives, we must cling to the unchanging and unchangeable character of God. A foundational building block in a life of unshakable faith is the understanding that God is omnipotent. He does whatever He wants to do anytime He wants to do it. Daniel says, He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven. No one can stop His actions or hold back his hand. Gods power is not changed by my challenges. He remains as all-powerful in my times of pain as I feel He is in my times of praise. This truth does not answer all my questions, but in time, it changes the Why? to worship..
Father, I acknowledge You and You alone as the almighty, all-powerful God. Nothing can hold back your hand. I praise You as the omnipotent God. Thank you for the privilege of calling you my Father.
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Isaiah 40:28
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.. Our passage today declares the eternity of God The Lord is the everlasting God. Lets break that down. What do we mean when we say that God is eternal? First, God is without beginning. There was never a time when He was not. Stephen Charnack writes in his classic work, The Existence and Attributes of God, The gospel is not preached by the command of a new and temporary god, but of that God that was before all ages: though the manifestation of it be in time, yet the purpose and resolve of it was from eternity (vol. 1, p. 281).
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Second, God is without end. He has always been and will always be. There has never been a time when God was not and there will never be a time when God is not. When words describing an element of time are found in Scripture, they refer to our time not to Gods. C. S. Lewis suggests that we think of a sheet of paper that extended infinitely. That would give us a picture of eternity. Then on the paper, draw a short line to represent time. As the line begins and ends on that infinite expanse, so time began in God and will end in Him (Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy). Third, God is without succession. He never changes. Man is in constant change. We acquire something, or lose something, in our being every day. God, on the other hand, has always been and will always be complete and perfect. He neither receives anything in addition to what he was, nor loses anything from His Person. Ready for this? The eternal God places eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Tozer says it like this: God whispers within every man of an everlasting hope; somewhere he will continue to exist. Somewhere you will continue to exist. Do you know where that place is? Father, I cannot grasp the concept of no beginning and end. So I bow before you in submission and worship. Thank you for setting eternity in my heart. Thank you for your Son Jesus Christ who allows me to spend eternity with you.
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Regardless of how we feel, the character of God never changes..
Isaiah 6:1-5
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In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory. At the sound of their voices the door posts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. Woe to me! I cried. I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.
Isaiah had never seen anything like it. Before him was the Lord seated in all majesty and might surrounded by angels who had to cover their face (they could not look directly at Gods glory) and feet (acknowledging their lowliness) as they hovered around the throne. These heavenly creatures were calling back and forth, Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is filled with his glory. This three-fold repetition of Gods holiness indicates the strongest superlative. But what do we mean when we say that God is holy? Gods holiness places him separate from and independent from us. He does not conform to a holy standard; He is the standard. He is absolutely holy with an infinite, incomprehensible fullness of purity that is incapable of being other than it is (Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy). While our best action is tainted by sin, all that God thinks and does is perfect and completely pure. When we begin to grasp Gods perfection, like Isaiah we come to a sudden realization of our personal sinfulness and proclaim, Woe to me! I am ruined! Thats the realization that prompts our need for a Savior. Standing before the holy God there is no place to run or hide. So, as Tozer says, We must take refuge from God in God. We are only safe and secure in Jesus whose holy sacrifice on the cross covers and eternally protects the believers. Jesus turns our cry of despairI am ruined!to the glorious proclamationI am redeemed! Father, it is easy on this unholy earth to view unholiness as natural and normaleven in ourselves. Today give us just a glimpse of what Isaiah saw. Help us to see ourselves as you see us. Help us to be disturbed by our sin. Thank you for Jesus. May we find forgiveness and protection and friendship with Him.
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Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.. This past weekend, as we took our son back to college, the traffic came to a sudden halt. After a time of stop and go, state troopers directed us off the highway onto the side roads where we stayed for several miles. We knew that an accident had occurred on the highway and it must have been a bad one. It was. A teenage girl, an outstanding athlete in our area, was killed in a car crash.
Why? We ponder that question yet the answer never comes. There are things that happen in our lives and all around us that, from our standpoint, just dont make sense. Unanswered questions leave a hole in our perception of who God is. We view Him from our experience, which changes from one day to the nextone period of our life to another. Unshakable faith does not mean we stop asking questions. Unshakable faith means that in the midst of our emotion we hold onto the immutable character of God like a man being bounced by the waves in the ocean holds on to the piece of wood that is keeping him afloat. Regardless of what you are going through the truth of Gods love remains the same. His love is not passive and detached, but active and intimate. He did not just write about His love, He demonstrated it himself. While our backs were turned on Him, God the Son died on the cross for you and me. It is that amazing love that transforms the believers heart and anchors it in the midst of each storm.
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Father, in the midst of my sin You love me. In the midst of my questions, You love me. In the midst of my pain, You love me. Thank you in Jesus name, for the anchor of Your love.
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Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. She told me to make a fist. I did. She attached a tight bandage on my upper left arm. I let her. She swabbed my arm with brownish liquid. I watched. She was wearing a blue nurse-like jacket and nurselike rubber gloves and a name badge that looked pretty official to me. I was there to give blood; she was there to take it. She said, This is going to pinch and burn as she inserted the needle into a vein. She was right. Why wouldnt I believe her? She had done this hundreds of times (I hoped) before.
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Why wouldnt I believe Him? He has been there from eternity past. He is the Creator of all who put this whole thing into motion. He breathed into man the breath of life. He chose a people and then, like the loving Father that He is, jealously cared for and protected and disciplined His children. Through that people He sent His Son who loved us all the way to the cross and paid the penalty for our sin. He raised His Son from the dead demonstrating His approval and showing us our future. He sent His Spirit to reside in us. I will not always understand what happens in this life. Some things will shake my world. But Who else is there to cling to? Where else is there to run? What else is there to trust? When my world is shaking I can hold on for dear life to the certain truth He proclaims and I profess. Even amidst my fears, doubts, and questions, He will always keep His promises.
Father, thank you for your faithfulness. Help me to always trust You and trust in You.
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God, What are You trying to teach me?
Job 1:1-5
In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East. His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. This was Jobs regular custom.
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God uses different things to build us up.
We are going to follow the journey of a great man who walked with God and held evil at bay. He was blessed with ten children and wealth. He not only took care of himself but his regular custom was to make sure his children purified by the sacrifice of a burnt offering. Job was strolling along singing Curleys song from OklahomaOh, what a beautiful morning; Oh, what a beautiful dayand everything was going his way untilthe bottom fell out of his life. There was a time when a person heard the name Job and thought blessing; today the name is tantamount to suffering. Job never saw it coming. But wave after wave after wave of disaster crashed into his front door. Tragedy, loss, illness, rejection, annoying friendspain pierced Jobs heart. Even his wife turned on him. One day he basked in blessing; the next he baked in the heat of calamity. I am amazed how quickly Jobs world turned upside down. Maybe your world has turned just as suddenly. So maybe you sit in Jobs seat today. A broken bodya broken hearta broken spirit has left you sitting in emotional loneliness and fear. Times of blessing are a distant memory. Pain has become a constant companion. Lets follow this man and his journey. We will learn about real pain, real prayer, really bad counsel, and real recovery. And most of all well learn about a Great God. Father, I pray for those sitting in Jobs seat today. Comfort them. Encourage them. Deliver them. Show them that you are still the Great God!
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One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD said to Satan, Where have you come from? Satan answered the LORD, From God, Where are You roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it. Then the LORD said to Satan, Have When My World is you considered my servant Job? There is no one Shaken? on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. Does Job fear God for nothing? Satan replied. Have you Regardless of not put a hedge around him and his household how we feel, and everything he has? You have blessed the God is always work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds Idea are spread throughout the land. But stretch out present with us. your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face. The LORD said to Satan, Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger. Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD..
Job 1:6-12
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Our passage today is a front row seat for a dialogue between God and Satan. In this conversation initiated by God, we see the Fathers pride in His children and the Satans shot at our motives. Satans aim here is twofold. First, he wants to demonstrate that Job does not worship God for being God; but for the practical benefits. Take away the blessings, says a cynical Satan and Job will surely curse you to your face. Secondly, Satan wants to show that God is unable to sustain His childrens trust. Satan is working under the assumption that he can cause Job to jettison his faith. One has said, People love God the way a peasant loves his cow; for the butter and the cheese. That sentiment echoes the Enemys allegation and, lets be honest; for some that is more than an accusation. Why do you love God? Really. Do you love Him for who He is or what He provides? Certainly, we thank Him for all His blessings but is He enough if all His benefits go away? Father, build in such an unshakable faith that it stands through the most difficult times. Thank you for all your blessingsandhelp us to worship you simply for being God.
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God, What are You trying to teach me?
Job 1:20-22
At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: Naked I came from my mothers womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised. In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
Standing by the freshly dug grave I watched the heavy-hearted couple make their way up the steep hill. The father served as the lone pallbearer. Only God uses one was needed to carry the casket holding the body different things of his infant son. He placed the casket on the nylon Idea to build us up. straps that would lower the little casket into the grave. What do you say to a couple who has lost a child? I remember only hugs and tears as we waited for the rest of the family to gather on the windy hillside.
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I said a few words that to me seemed so inadequate. A relative spoke as well and I was thankful for his personal and comforting remarks. Then the father spoke. His words were emotional, but strong; and right from Scripture. Over the sound of the wind blowing through the nearby trees he said, The LORD gave and LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised. Here in this statement, first uttered by Job in his tragic loss, are words declaring the sovereignty of God and mans only proper response. With broken hearts and tearful eyes and quivering lips we acknowledge that God is the giver of our first breath and He alone determines our last. And even through our pain we declare His praise.
Father, I thank you for the example of that young father on the hillside who declared your sovereignty before the body of his infant son. O God, when we stand in brokenness and pain may we too declare your praise.
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On another day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. And the LORD said to Satan, Where have you God, What are come from? Satan answered the LORD, From roaming through the earth and going back and You trying to forth in it. Then the LORD said to Satan, Have teach me? you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me God uses against him to ruin him without any reason. different things Skin for skin! Satan replied. A man will give Idea to build us up. all he has for his own life. But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face. The LORD said to Satan, Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life..
Job 2:1-6
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Unrelenting. Thats one word (there are many others) that describe Satans attacks. Job remained faithful in the greatest loss a parent can experience; the loss of children. But Satan turns up the heat to what he thinks will be an unbearable temperature. In todays passage we see what drives the Enemy. While most people would willingly die for their children, Satans hopeless self-centeredness is seen in his reasoningA man will give all he has for his own life. Satans twisted thinking concludes that a person can withstand the loss of loved ones, but will cave when they personally experience disease and pain in their body. Here is the logic of one who knows nothing about loveexcept for miserable self-love. And so the bell rings to start Jobs second round of trials. This round attempts the same knock-out punch as the firstGod is loved only for what He gives not for who He is. Job teaches us through painful days and dark nights that while Gods provisions are welcomed and appreciated, His Person is what we love and worship. God has purchased our eternal salvation with the precious blood of His son; but He wont buy our love with temporal blessings. Father, may I always love you for who You arenot for what You give, withhold, or take away.
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God, Where are You When My World is Shaken?
Job 2:7-10
So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die! He replied, You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.. Jobs life had been a cakewalklayers of moist blessings iced with a thick frosting of more blessings. Then the cake crumbled and he had to make a choice. Its easy to love God when life is sweet. But can you love Him when it all tumbles in?
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The spiritual life always involves a spiritual crossroads. After the verbal profession there is normally a painful life experience that forces a decision. Are you in or out? Will you follow Christ or not? Are you a professor or a possessor? Job came to that crossroads in our passage today. He sat among the ashes of a broken body with a broken heart. Would he curse God and die? Or would he accept the blessings and the burdens? Arthur John Gossip was the pastor at Beechgrove Church in Aberdeen Scotland. In 1927, he was 54 years old and things could not have been going better in his life or in the life of the church. Then very suddenly and unexpectedly his wife died. The Sunday after her death he preached a sermon trying to reconcile his faith with such a sudden and tragic loss. These are his words: I do not understand this life of ours. But still less can I comprehend how people in trouble and loss and bereavement can fling away peevishly from the Christian faith. In Gods name, fling to what? Have we not lost enough without losing that too? Father thank you for the example of Job and Arthur John Gossip who clung to You in the difficult times of their lives. Lord, give us the strength to do the same. Thank You when blessings flow. Help us to thank you when trouble comes.
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Luke 15:1-2
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.. There is a theological truth I am not so sure many Christians really believe. Its the biblical teaching about helleternal separation from God. Its not something we like to talk about or think about, but there it is front and center in the teaching of Jesus. The long and short of this doctrine is that with Christ we will spend eternity in heaven; without Him we will spend eternity in hell. Now, lets be really honest. If we really believed thatI mean really believed itdont you think wed be sharing the gospel a bit more often and passionately with the lost.
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Growing believers should share Gods heart for the lost.
The Pharisees liked their religion neat and cleanGod in a box tied with straps of legalism and spiritual snobbery. Welcoming and eating with sinners didnt quite fit into their tidy God box. Many Christians like their religion the same way. Lets run as far as we can from that mind set.
O God, please give us a heart for the lost.

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Luke 15:3-7
Then Jesus told them this parable: Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep. I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
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In response to criticism from religious leaders, Jesus told a parable to explain why he associated with sinners. In an agrarian culture where sheep were an important commerce, this story shows the value of one lost sheep, the urgency in going after it, the commitment to search until the sheep was found, and the joy in locating the wayward animal. Here we see a passionate determination to bring the sheep home. The point of this story is clear: Lost people matter to God. He is not the God of the masses or the God of religion. His primary interest is not in filling stadiums, auditoriums or sanctuaries. He is a personal God who loves us so much that he sent his son to die for our sinsnot the sins of a people groupbut the sins of each person. He goes after those who have wandered away, those caught in sin, those in eternal danger. And he does so with a passionate determination.
Father, lay on our hearts the person you would have us invite to one of the services this Friendship weekend. May our invitation be the beginning of their spiritual journey.
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Luke 15:8-10
Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin. In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Hated tax collectors and sinners gathered around Jesus and He did not turn them away. In fact, Jesus engaged them in conversation and even ate with them. This type of behavior was way too much for the religious leaders and gave them another bullet of criticism to fire at Jesus. So Jesus fired back; first with a story of a lost sheep and today with a story of a lost coin.
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Who cannot relate to losing something valuable? All of us know the emotion of misplacing keys, a ring, an important receipt, a must have contract, or a 1968 Mickey Mantle baseball card (actually I didnt misplace the card; I sold a box full of them. But thats another story). We know the emotion, the drop-everything-else-urgency, the determination to find what we lost and now must have back. Jesus taps that emotion to give us an idea of how much God loves lost people and how desperately He wants them to come home.
Father, put on our hearts the person or people you want us to bring. And give us the courage to put forth the invitation
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Luke 15:20-24
So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Lets have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate..
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There was a man who had two sons. Thats how Jesus begins a story that rips at each fathers heart. The younger son, tired of his family and the confines at home demanded an early inheritance and set out for a distant land where hewell, lets just say got involved with the wrong crowd. Soon his money, reputation, and friends were gone and he was so hungry the food he fed pigs started to look appetizing. He decided to humble himself and go back home. Being reinstated as a son and heir would be out of the question but maybe his dad would have mercy on him and allow him to work as a servant. So he got up and went to his father. This story is often called the Prodigal Son, but a better title would be the Compassionate Father. While the son was off wasting his inheritance the dad was home waiting for the return. How often did he look down that long road praying and watching? Then one day he saw him in the distance, ran to him, threw his arms around him, welcomed the wayward son home, and reinstated him with all the privileges of the family. And thenparty time! The Compassionate Father still waits for the return of his wayward children.
Growing believers should share Gods heart for the lost
Father, lay on our hearts the right person to invite, give us the courage to put forth the invitation, and prompt them to accept. We pray that you use this weekend to bring many to yourself.
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Luke 15:31-32
My son, the father said, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found..
Quick review. A man had two sons and the younger son wanted an early take on his inheritance. The son took off with the money and went through it like a hot knife through butter. After some less than Growing believers fulfilling jobslike feeding pigshe made his way should share back home to find his dad running down the road Gods heart for to greet him and reinstate him with the full family Idea privileges. Then the dad threw a big party for his the lost prodigal son. But remember the man had two sons and sitting over in the corner pouting during party time was the older brother. He was wondering why he never got a party. Our passage today gives the fathers response.
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Many years ago a person stopped me in the lobby of our church and gave me a piece of her mind she could ill afford to lose. Ive got one thing to say, she whispered loudly, I am sick and tired of this church catering to all the new people! Evidently she thought we were paying too much attention to the people coming to Christ. You know what? Her perception was right on! The older son (and the lady in the lobby) should have been excited that the lost had been found. Believers should be beside themselves when lost people come to Christ. Now certainly we need to equip the saints. But part of the equipping is helping believers to see the need to share Jesus and celebrate those who trust in Christ.
Father, you have laid some people on our hearts. Give us the courage to follow-though and ask them to come.
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God, What are You Trying to Teach Me?
Job 38:1-5
Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Where were you when I laid the earths foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? It is often in our storms that we hear the voice of God most clearly. C. S. Lewis said it well: God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pain. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. True, isnt it? We hear God in the storms of loss, discouragement, failure, uncertainty, and disappointment. In our passage today Job hears the clear shouts of God.
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God can be trusted.
Job has been through hell on earth. He lost all his material possessions, his ten children, and his health. Jobs wife told him to curse God and die. And Jobs friendswell, lets just say with friends like Jobs who needs enemies. Now its God turn to speak. I want Him to come and put His arms around Job and let him know everything is going to be alright. I want Him to come with comfort. Quite honestly, after all Job has been through, Gods Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me soundscan I say ita little harsh. But remember, the anchor we hold onto during the difficult times is Gods character. He is alllovingeven when He tells us to brace ourselves. In our passage today God is reminding Job why He can be trusted. He is eternalthere was never a time when He was not; there will never be a time when He is not. Jobs days on earth amount show up as the tiniest of specks on the infinite timeline. He is independentHe depends on no one or nothing for His existence. He didnt need Job to hold one end of the tape measure when He marked off the dimensions of the earth. He is the creatorwhatever exists is created by and sustained by His gracious hand. God knew well that the answer to Jobs questions was not Why? but Who? When we understand the Who? behind all our life is Godthat knowledge translates into trust. Lord, our prayer today is thisLet our knowledge of who you are allow us to trust you every step of this journey we call life.
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Job 40:1-5
The LORD said to Job: Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him! Then Job answered the LORD: I am unworthy-- how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer-- twice, but I will say no more.
It is one thing to ask Why? when we go through the inevitable challenges of life. I would argue that question is natural and normal and straight from a broken heart. We reason that some amount of God can be explanation would help the pain subside, would trusted. Idea bring understanding to our exhausted reasoning, and would allow us to gain some joy in our circumstance. If we could just see how our pain fits into Gods big picturethat would certainly go a long way in the healing process, wouldnt it? Asking Why? is one thing; but bringing accusations is another.
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In our passage today, it seems that Job has moved into the No Go Zone. And as soon as he crossed from Why? into the land of Accusation God was there to meet him. Accusing God of wrong doing strikes at His very character. His justice and love are challenged. His motives are questioned. His person is twisted from who He isPerfect, All-Loving, Justto whom He isntimperfect, flawed, and unjust. To Jobs credit, he refuses to challenge God. He admits his unworthiness and inability to reply. In a symbolic, but practical move he places his hand over his mouth. Soif you are going through a difficult timeI know this is toughcheck your heart. Are you living with questions or accusations? Be careful to stay on the right side of the line.
Lord, in my difficult situation please keep me from sinning. While I dont understand; dont allow my heart to venture into accusing you of wrong doing. Like Job, help me to keep my hand over my mouth.
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Job 40:6-8
Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm: Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself? In our passage today God, amazingly, turns the tables. Usually we are the one asking God Why? but speaking out of the storm God begins to pepper Job with some questions of His own. Anytime God begins His part of the conversation with Brace yourself like a man you better know that God has something to say and He wants you to hear it.
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God can be trusted.
What comes across as rapid fire from God is not meant to harm, but to heal. When we wallow in the Whys we can never move to a place where God can be seen clearly for who He is. Our questions blur the vision of Gods person and character. God has given Job some time to ask the natural and normal questions related to personal tragedy. Now, His stern statement Brace yourself like a man calls Job from a downward spiral to forward movement. To let Job continue in his spiritual questioning and misery would be unloving. God, who is all-loving, desires to take us to a place of comfort and healing. He has to get our attention back on Him for that to happen. There are a couple important takeaways from this passage. First, our questioning of God is natural and normal. I cannot even imagine not asking some form of the Why question when tragedy hit. We are, after all, made of human stuff. Secondly, God not only saves us for eternity; He saves us from ourselves. He gently (or in Jobs case not so gently) takes us by the shoulders, lifts up our head, dries our tears and says, Okay, enough questions from you, my turn. That Brace yourself like a man loving act directs our attention back to Him. And thats where we want our attention to be. After all, He is the only one who is going to get us through the challenging days ahead. Lord, I pray for the individual going through a great challenge. If the time is right today, lift their head and focus their attention back onto You. And may the healing begin.
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Job 42:1-6
Then Job replied to the LORD: I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge? Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. You said, Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me. My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.
After tragedy struck Jobs life, he moved into the natural and normal period of questioning. Then, as we Idea saw in yesterdays passage, God rescued Job from the downward spiral and refocused his vision. Job was looking at his situation; God saidtime to look at Me. With his eyes on the person and character of God, todays passage records his response. First, Job proclaims Gods omnipotence. His power enables him to do anything He desires to do. Secondly, Job proclaims God incomprehensibility. God acts in ways our puny human minds simply cannot grasp. Yes, even in tragedy there are things too wonderful for [us] to know. Thirdly, Job proclaims Gods revelation. Job moved from knowledge about God to seeing and experiencing God. This overwhelming knowledge moved him to repentance. Jobs heart turned from himself to God. If you are going through a difficult situation let me remind you that this change of heart doesnt happen overnight. It is part of the healing process and God gives us some space to ask our questions. Also, it is not so clear cut as now Im in the questioning phase, now I am in the proclaiming Gods character phase. Questions and faith weave in and out of our emotions just as our laughter turns into tears and vice versa. But just as in the grieving process tears, while they may never go away, become less and less, so questions, while they may never go away, are taken over by the strong pattern of trust and faith. Sokeep looking to Himeven through your tears. Keep talking to Himeven with your questions. Father, be a special comfort today to the person going through a great challenge. Hold them close to You. Help them to experience Your presence.
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Job 42:10-13
After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. The LORD blessed the latter part of Jobs life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters.
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God can be trusted.
Job survived. He endured the heart-ache, heartbreak, physical pain, and the mostly bad counsel from his so-called friends. In todays passage Job even prays for them! And God blessed Job by giving him twice as much as he had before. In fact, God blessed the latter part of his life more than the first. Lets make sure we understand what is happening. To some it might seem that God is making some kind of a pay back. I can hang with the replacement sheep, camels, oxen, and donkeys. But the sons and daughters? How can you replace children? How could that relieve the pain of loss? We have to understand here that God did not institute some kind of replacement plan such as we would purchase at Best Buy just in case our i-pod broke. He is simply (and powerfully) rewarding Job for obedience. Job had been through the ringer to say the least. But throughout his shaken life he did not jettison God; he hung onto the Almighty for dear life. Gods blessings were not replacements for loss, but rewards for obedience. The human heart will always be tender to loss, tragedy, and pain. But when we follow Godeven through the valleysHis strength during and after is always enough. Father, thank You for being all we need wherever we are. Thank You for Your continued presences all along the journey.
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God, Can You Really Work This Out for Good?
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
There are many things that we just dont understand. From our perspective and from our pain they simply do not make sense. Death comes suddenly and unexpectedly. Illness invades a healthy body and we watch it waste away. An accident cripples or results in chronic pain. I woke up this morning to the God will use news of a commuter plane crashing into a New York believers temponeighborhood killing all on board and one person ral difficulty for on the ground. One passenger lost her husband in Idea the 9/11 attacks, was very influential in the 9/11 eternal good. Commission, and was on her way to present an award in honor of her husband. From our earthy vantage point way too many things just dont make sense. But Our God is in heaven (Psalm 115:3).
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The all-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful, all-present, eternal God is at work in the lives of those who love Him. He takes each heartbreak, loss, illness, relationship break-up, transfer, job lossevery unexpected tragedy and disappointment and somehow makes it all work out for good. We may never know how He used our circumstance. In fact, most of the time, we will not understand. So here are some questions to ponder: Can you trust God even when you have questions? Can you believe that somehow God will use this deep pain for His purposes? Can you believe that God is good and at work even when it feels like He has left you on our own? Can you believe Romans 8:28?
Father, I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.

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God will use believers temporal difficulty for eternal good.
Romans 8:29
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. One of the hottest words in Scripture predestinedis found in our passage today. Some run with this truth to places they should never go. For instance, there are those who eliminate evangelism. Why share the gospel if God has predestined people, they reason. Others dispense with discipleship because as one once told me I just give those who profess a bunch of good books. If they are truly believers they will be motivated to read and grow on their own. So lets look at our passage in two ways.
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On the one hand, this passage speaks of Gods intimate knowledge and plan for us. One commentator says it well: It is the plan of sovereign saving grace, entitling all who now believe to trace their faith and salvation back to an eternal decision by God to bring them to glory and to look forward to that glory as a guaranteed certainly (R. C. Sproul). Salvation, the Bible says clearly, is of the Lord from eternity past to eternity future. And at the same time, we are held responsible to believe and share the Gospel. Those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13). And Paul is quick to add: How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? (Romans 10:14) So we have two truthsGods foreknowledge and predestination and our responsibility to share the truth. So as you enter the gates of heaven you see the words I have quoted above from Romans 10:13. When you enter in and look at the other side of the gate you see your name already written on it. The great theologian J. I. Packer calls this an antinomythe parallel truths that seemingly contradict, but never do. He says accept it and move on. Thats exactly what we must do. Father, help me to understand from this passage Your intimate love for Your children. May I surrender by lack of full comprehension to Your omniscience and my limited knowledge.
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Genesis 50:20
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So check this out. You are your fathers favorite son and your brothers worst nightmare. It doesnt help that you bring bad reports about them to your father and brag about dreams in which they bow down to you. They plan to kill you, mercifully throw you into a cistern instead and then not so mercifully sell you to a traveling band of Ishmaelites. One day you are a favorite son with a cool coat; the next day youre a slave on your way to Egypt. All this happens before your eighteenth birthday.
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Your days in Egypt start well. One of Pharaohs officials buys you and puts you in charge of his house. Then one day you learn that hell has no fury like a woman scorned (that quote was actually written years later 1697 in The Mourning Bride by William Congrevebut you experience it before the play). You reject the wifes advances, she responds with false accusations, and before evening youre in prison. After a time you interpret some dreams, the Pharaoh learns of your gift, you interpret some of his dreams and he appoints you as his second-in-command. Long story short (yeah, I know too late) you save Egypt and your family during a famine. But now your brothers are afraid that you are going to retaliate. So you take the opportunity to explain a deep theological truth. God never wastes the time of His children. While God is not the author of evil, He uses all the events of life for His sovereign purposes. He usesyou have to believe this every rejection, false accusation, unjust treatmentevery disappointment, loss, unfulfilled dream, failure... He uses it all to mold us into the person He wants us to be. Granted, all the puzzles pieces of our lives may not fit as perfectly together as they did in the life of Joseph. We may go to our grave not understanding how some of the pieces fit at all. But the truth remains. God does use all things to work together for good to those who love Him. Sometimes you just have to take that truth by faith. Father, there are many reading this today having a hard time believing this promise. Speak deep into their hearts. If you choose not to answer their questions, please deepen their faith.
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2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
One of lifes biggest dangers is the trap of the temporal. That sucking sound you hear is the great mass of temptations calling for our attention from the time our feet hit the floor in the morning until Idea our head hits the pillow at night. We are showered with feel better now, be entertained now, buy this now, you need this now, messages that seem so real and yet are so very hopeless. When we are caught in the trap of the temporal we will most certainly lose heart.
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But followers of Christ are called to a bigger vision. We dont fix our eyes on the temporary. We are called to an eternal glory that far outweighs temporal pleasures or pain. The focus and hope of the eternity allows us to be renewed day by day. So we keep our focus on eternal things even when we cant see them. In the crisp clean air of mountaintop experiences when our heart is filled with joy and we are tempted to think that this is as good as it gets; we keep our focus on the eternal when and where it really cant get any better. And in the dark heavy air of the valleys when our hearts are filled with despair and we are tempted to think that if there is a God then He has forgotten us; we keep our focus on the eternal when and where every tear will be wiped away.
Father, you have created man with eternity planted in his heart. We long for something beyond ourselves and beyond our time. Keep our eyes fixed on our eternal futures so that we dont lose heart in our temporal presents.
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1 Corinthians 2:14
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. Every morning our staff gathers to pray and this morning our focus was on people in our congregation going through difficult situations. As we prayed through the list, I was reminded that life can deal some serious blowseven some knock down punches. From our human perspective the situations and the timing stink and our hearts go out and prayers go up for the many in the midst of life challenges.
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For followers of Jesus these challenges are still difficult. We are not immune to disappointment, discouragement, or fear. Unanswered question still rattle around in our mind. But there is something more. The Spirit of God, who lives within us, speaks to our heart. He reminds us that our battle is a spiritual one. He reminds us that God has not forsaken us. He brings a deep peace. The Spirit reminds us, even in the chaos of the storm that the same God who loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for our sins, is in control. He delivers spiritual discernment. Songwriter and singer Scott Krippanyne recorded a powerful song that speaks to that the truth of our passage today. The refrain goes like this: Sometimes He calms the storm With a whispered peace be still He can settle any sea But it doesnt mean He will Sometimes He holds us close And lets the wind and wave go wild Sometime He calms the storm And other times He calms His child. Father, if you chose not to calm our storms please calm out hearts.
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God, Are You Listening to My Prayers?
Psalm 69:1-3
Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.
In our passage today, David, the man after Gods own heart, feels as if he is caught in deep waters. His feet are trying to locate a rocka foothold somewhere on the bottom of the stream. But he searches in vain as he sinks in the miry depths. God hears and The waters have reached his neck. He is physically answers prayer. Idea exhausted from the struggle. His cries for help have left his throat parched and no one is responding. And where is God? Davids eyes search the shore line, but He is nowhere to be foundor so it seems.
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How about you? Ever feel like you were going under? Engulfed by grief of loss? Covered over by the pain of a broken relationship? Sinking under financial pressure and job uncertainty? Overwhelmed by illness? Swallowed up by fear? Overcome by the death of a dream? Your search for a foothold is in vain. Your cries for help go unanswered. Shaken worlds are exhausting, arent they? And you cant find God on the shore. By the way you will never find God on the shore. He is right there with you in the deep waters of your shaken world. He will never leave you. He will never forsake you. He will not always pull you out of the waters immediately. In fact, He might have you there so you can learn to swim. Later in this same Psalm David says, I am in pain and distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me. I will praise Gods name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. The poor will see and be glad-- you who seek God, may your hearts live! The LORD hears the needy and does not despise his captive people (Psalm 69:29-33). Father, allow those in pain and distress to know Your protection and salvation. Put a song of praise and thanksgiving in their heart. Let those in the midst of shaken worlds hear from You. Provide the strength and comfort needed. Guild their feet to a solid foothold.
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Psalm 40:1-3
I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.
Okay, I admit itI hate to wait. I hate to wait in the car for family members (I dare not mention names) who will be out in just a minute. I hate to wait God hears and in the mall for family members (I dare not mention names) who say it will take just a second to go answers prayer. Idea into a certain store and check on a certain item. I hate waiting for everyone to show up so a meeting can startand sometimes I hate waiting until the meeting is over. Its not that I dont like people or family memberson the contraryits just that I hate to wait. AndI admit itI hate waiting on God.
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I like things to happenyesterday. I like the pieces of a plan to fall in place according to a turbo-timeline. I know the process is necessary, but I like the product. I am most excited when its time to take the enchiladas out of the oven, when a new ministry is launched, when its time to pick the fruit, when we can celebrate the win. Why doesnt God understand that? Hmm, come to think of it He understands my propensity all too well. He understands that my gitrdone mentality can cause train wrecks in ministry and in life. He knows that my ready, shoot, aim approach can frustrate people around me. He knows that I would not appreciate the firm place to stand if not for some time in the slimy pits. He knows Id be happy singing the old song; so He lets me wear it out in the mud and mire then gives me a new one. So (I am talking to myself here) take a deep breath, pray a slow prayer, and God please help me to be a more patient waiter. And if you could teach me without the slimy pits thatd be great.
Father, good things always happen when I wait patiently on You. Remind me of that often. Help me enjoy the processas well as the product.
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1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. The opportunities were few and far in between. I had just graduated from seminary, many applications had been sent out, but few churches responded and those who did were not interested. I was trying to wait patientlybut discouragement settled in like a heavy fog.
The condo Lori and I lived in during seminary needed to be sold, so I was driving around one hot Dallas God hears and day looking for an affordable apartment. For some reason, we had a childrens tape in our car called Idea answers prayer. Psalty the Songbook. This was the pre-kid period of our lives, so I am not for sure why we had the tape. Maybe Loris sisters or my nieces had left it during our last trip to Oklahoma. AnywayI plugged it inand God used the silly story of a Psalty to speak to my tender heart. Lost in the woods, Psalty started singing a song based on our passage today: I cast all my cares upon you. I lay all of my burdens down at your feet. And anytime I dont know what to do. I will cast all my cares upon you. I rewound the tape and played that little tune over and over. I still chuckle at the ironya four-year master of theology with no job having a tearful, lip-quivering experience listening to a childrens tape. I am sure God chucked too. He had me just where He wanted me.
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I had studied 1 Peter 5:7in Greek! But God gave me the experience to dislodge it from my mind and let it penetrate my heart. I was as discouraged and confused and fearful as Psalty the Songbook. All my efforts to fix my situation drove me deeper into the woods. So I had to make a conscious decision to cast my anxiety on Himbecause even though I was not happy with what God was doing, I knew He cared for me. And you know whatthe next day I got an offer from a churchjust kidding. Nothing continued to happenI kept playing the Psalty songI finally took a job teaching and coaching in a public schoolwas there for four and a half years before my first full-time church opportunity. I sang the Psalty song a lot during that timestill do. Father, thank you for my Psalty experience. Thank you for loving me so much that you would use a childrens tape to speak a powerful truth into my discouraged heart. Some ready this are discouraged today. I pray you would give them their Psalty experience. Remind them of your deep love.
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Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. I know its easy to sayDo not be anxious about anything. You know the verse well. Some of you memorized it as a child. You know the verse is true. You have experienced Gods peace. But today is different.
Today you face surgeryunexpected uninvited surgery and then treatment. Today you are waiting on test results and waiting is hard. Today the separation and divorce seems inevitable and the future uncertain. Today you learned youve been laid off. Today is another day in the job searchwith no viable leads. Today was another reminder that that what you really wanted is not going to happen. Today the reality set in that hes not coming backthat shes really gone. Today is another day of not feeling well. You long to talk to your child, but today there was no callno textno e-mail. Yeah, you know the verse, but today is different. You have to know that even though today is different Gods Word is still true. You can take your requests to Him even when your offering is wrapped in anxiety with big bow of fear. Hell still take itand in return Hell give you a peace that transcends human understanding. That peace will stand guard over your heart and mind. Because of Him today will be different and tomorrow will be too.
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Lord, grant courage to the fearful. Give patience to the waiting. Supply strength to the weak. Lift the head of the discouraged. Restore the broken-hearted. Heal the sick in body. Guard hearts and minds with your peace.
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God, Are You Listening to My Prayers
Luke 11:9-10
So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
It is midnight and you are just settling in for a good nights sleep. The kids have been down for a while; youve caught up on the news and even got a bit of reading. Now its time to call it a day. You have crossed over into dreamlandwhen you hear the doorbell ringing and someone knocking on the door. God hears and It takes a while to realize you are not dreaming. answers prayer. Idea When you yell, Who is it? your neighbor answers. He explains that some family from out of town just arrived and hed like to borrow some of those steaks you bragged about getting on sale. You cant believe your ears. Come on, man! you respond. Get your own steaks. Youre going to wake everybody up. Ill talk to you in the morning. But he will not take no for an answer. He keeps knocking and ringing the doorbell. Finally, you give in. Not because hes your friend, but because he wont go away.
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Thats the story Jesus tells (Luke 11:5-8Ive updated it a bit) to set up todays passage. He says the person in the house will finally let his neighbor in because of the mans boldness. So I say to you indicates that Jesus wants us to pray with the same confidence. Ask and God will respond. Seek and you will find what youre looking for. Knock and He will not hide behind the door. Does this passage mean that if we are as audacious as the neighbor in the story God will always give us what we want? Not quite. It does mean that as a loving Father, God will give you everything you need. The writer to the Hebrews puts this verse in perspective. Because of Jesus, he writes, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need (4:16). Mercy and grace in time of needthats really what you needed and wanted all along. Father, thank you for answering when we ask, helping us find exactly what we need, and opening the door to strength and fellowship with you when we knock. Thank You that through Christ we can approach You with confidence.
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Unshakable Faith

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2009

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

God uses different things to build us up.

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Growing believers should share Gods heart for the lost.

O God, please give us a heart for the lost.

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Growing believers should share Gods heart for the lost.

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Growing believers should share Gods heart for the lost.

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Growing believers should share Gods heart for the lost

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

God can be trusted.

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

God can be trusted.

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

God can be trusted.

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Father, I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

God hears and answers prayer.

Unshakable Faith in a Shaken World:

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