"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be" (James 3:9-10 NIV).
The summer heat can be unbearable. North Carolina is by no means a place of cool summers. To the contrary, we Tar Heel residents expect to have our air conditioning units running almost round the clock. But the heat we've experienced this year has been uncommonly sweltering. At times, it's been so balmy that my sweat drops had sweat drops! Now, you can call it global warming, or you can call it chance, but I just call it plain old hot!
On one of those crazy-hot summer days, I spent time at our local library. I sat on the lower level, which is the coolest area in the building. The vigilante AC unit worked aggressively to protect us book-reading occupants from the external heat wave. I was on the chilly lower level for the better part of two hours, and gradually turned to a human icicle. My fingers were completely numb as I signed out a Hardy Boys book for my son and turned to exit the building.
As I opened the door to leave, a forceful wave of heat swept over me. In that moment, I thought, "Wow! That sure is a stark contrast! What a temperature change!" From one extreme to the other, the heat pendulum had swung. Hot to cold, and then hot again. As I considered the contrast, it occurred to me that the temperature of my life might sometimes look the same. It gave me reason to pray.
Have you ever gotten up early and had a sweet time with the LORD, only to turn into an unreasonable, raging screamer hours later? Have you ever had an argument with your spouse or children on the way to church, only to cross the threshold of the lobby with blessings and kindness on your tongue? Have you ever driven in traffic with worship music on the dash and praise on your lips when suddenly, someone cut you off and the praises on your tongue turned to cursing? If you've answered "yes" to any of these questions, welcome to the Sinner's Club. All humans have an automatic membership that activates at birth and is irrevocable until we accept forgiveness through Jesus Christ, and see His face on the other side of glory.
The Bible calls us to a higher, more consistent temperature of living. We must be careful not to praise and curse with the same tongue. Are you swinging the pendulum of your responses, or are they swinging you? We are accountable for our behavior. We are accountable for the way we respond to circumstances. Our responses reflect the core of who we are. They reflect our faith ... good or bad.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV).
As we go through today, let's center the thermometer of our hearts on Christ so we are less likely to respond in stark contrast to His perfect example of love. Let's heed the wisdom found in Proverbs 3:3: "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart."
Let's Pray
Lord, please forgive me for the times when my responses are unkind. Please forgive me for the times when I over-react and under-love. I need the power of the Holy Spirit to moderate the temperature of my heart and my responses.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Have you over reacted or responded harshly to a family member, friend or co-worker lately?
Have you been trying to be the thermostat instead of the mercury?
date: 27 - 28 August 2010
venue:
Main Auditorium
5th Floor, SIBKL
Dato’ Sri Idris Jala
Dato’ Sri Idris Jala rose to national prominence when he accepted the appointment as
the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) in
2005. Before joining MAS, Idris, who is from the Kelabit ancestry, was attached with a
major oil company, SHELL since 1982, and held various key positions in SHELL, serving
across different divisions and regions. In 2009, after bringing MAS back to profitability, he
was appointed as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and CEO of Performance
Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) which monitors the implementation of the
Key Performance Indicators initiative of the nation.
Dr Andrew Goh
Dr Andrew Goh, an international platform communicator and (honorary) Editor of Impact
magazine. He is also a motivational trainer and management consultant working with
renowned organisations like Singapore Airlines, leading banks & insurance companies
as well as multinational corporations. He has written 7 books, including “How to
Pass the Torch Without Getting Burned”, on leadership succession. He chairs the Singapore
Advisory Council of World Vision International and serves on the Board of Halogen
Young Leaders Foundation and Impact Christian Communications Ltd. A founder member of Bartley Christian Church and founding elder of Riverlife Church, which has an attendance of 3,000.
Pastor Dr Philip Lyn
Dr Philip Lyn is the Senior Pastor of Skyline SIB, Malaysia. A medical doctor, trained at
Oxford, and did biblical studies in London. He leads an unusual team of pastors who are fully bi-vocational, combining ministry in the workplace and local church as one and
the same calling. The Skyline SIB church is missional in culture, has a disciple-making
vision and coaches marketplace leaders to live out Kingdom principles for community
transformation. He is married to Nancy and they have three wonderful children, one of
whom was a miracle child whom God raised from the dead.
Datuk Edward Ong
Datuk Edward is the founder and President of the world class iconic resort SUTERA
HARBOUR Resort in Kota Kinabalu, SABAH. He is an accomplished builder and property
developer. He has completed numerous highly acclaimed projects through his OCK
group in Singapore, Malaysia, Burma and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Island – Saipan and Guam. He began his journey of faith at age 40 despite strong family
objections. He is currently embarking on a journey of faith to develop an integrated
resort in Dili, Timor-Leste, complete with a 383-room hotel, golf course, hillside villas & business park
Registration fee: RM 40 per pax
Payments are non-refundable.
Registration on first come first serve basis.
Closing Date: Aug 15, 2010
Cheque payable to: SIBPJ
Or bank into SIBPJ Account at ALLIANCE BANK,
A/C: 12109 001 000 1053, and fax bank-in slip to
Fax No: +603-7957 2702; Attn: “Marketplace
Ministry” or scan in your bank-in slip and email
to: ministry.marketplace@gmail.com.
Online registration via: www.sibkl.org.my
Click on “SIBKL Marketplace Conference”
web-link, and submit your full registration
details online; and fax proof of your payment as described above
DAY ONE: 27 Aug, FRIDAY
7.30am Registration
8.30am Praise & Worship
9.00am Welcome
9.10am Session 1
10.10am Session 2
11.10am Tea Break
12.00pm Session 3
1.00pm Lunch
2.00pm Session 4
3.30pm Tea Break
4.00pm Forum
5.00pm Closing
DAY TWO: 28 Aug, SATURDAY
9.00am Praise & Worship
9.15am Session 5
10.15am Session 6
11.15am Tea Break
12.00pm Session 7
1.00pm Conference Ends
For enquiry, please contact:
• Liaw SK H/P: 012 298 7512
• Yaw CS H/P: 012 239 0248
• Henry Lew H/P: 012 208 8238
• Wesley Ng H/P: 012 288 5278
• Adrienne H/P: 016 342 8486
Or
Email: ministry.marketplace@gmail.com
Web: sibmarketplace.blogspot.com
I very much thankful to XX；if it was not because of him, I would not be able to draw near to my saviour Jesus.
My love for Jesus was too strong and I have never love anyone as much as I love Jesus.
Jesus's love is so strong for me, there's no reason for me of can't be able to make known. Every single day and moment, He holds my hand tightly for me to walk the journey with Him.
He always pulled me back whenever I started to stray and I never let go of His hand and I will never let go of holding his hand.
Amen.
When people sin, you should forgive and comfort them, so they won’t give up in despair. 2 Corinthians 2:7 (CEV)
"Forgiveness must be immediate, whether or not a person asks for it. Trust must be rebuilt over time."
We all need mercy, because we all stumble and fall and require help getting back on track. We need to offer mercy to each other and be willing to receive it from each other.
You can’t have fellowship without forgiveness because bitterness and resentment always destroy fellowship. Sometimes we hurt each other intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, but either way, it takes massive amounts of mercy and grace to create and maintain fellowship.
The Bible says, “You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13 NLT).
The mercy God shows to us is the motivation for us to show mercy to others. Whenever you’re hurt by someone, you have a choice to make:
Will I use my energy and emotions for retaliation or for resolution?
You can’t do both.
Many people are reluctant to show mercy because they don’t understand the difference between trust and forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past. Trust has to do with future behavior.
Forgiveness must be immediate, whether or not a person asks for it. Trust must be rebuilt over time.
Trust requires a track record. If someone hurts you repeatedly, you are commanded by God to forgive them instantly, but you are not expected to trust them immediately, and you are not expected to continue allowing them to hurt you. They must prove they have changed over time.
The best place to restore trust is within the supportive context of a small group that offers both encouragement and accountability.
"After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others." Luke 8:1-3a NIV.
She was just a normal little girl frolicking about the house, toying with the goats, and sticking her fingers in her mother's rising dough. After her father died, Mary's mother tried her best to raise the child on what little her husband had left behind. But when puberty began to bloom, a poisonous weed began to take root in Mary's mind. With each passing year, her behavior grew more and more erratic.
Often she was seen banging her head against the wall of their modest home, screaming curses to unseen shadows, crawling like an animal through the yard, and cutting her arms with sharp edged stones. Mary's mother was almost relieved when the deranged young woman ran away to live among the tombs. "Now I won't have to deal with her craziness," her mother breathed.
Mary Magdalene was an outcast, demon-possessed lunatic - unwanted, unclean, untouchable, and unapproachable. But all that was about to change.
"Peter," Jesus spoke as he led the troupe of men toward the cemetery on the fringes of Magdala, "I need to stop by here for a moment."
"But why," John questioned. "Do you have a relative's grave you wish to visit?"
"Not a physically dead relative," my friend, "but a spiritually dead sister who needs me."
With confused looks on their faces, Jesus' friends knew not to argue with Jesus' travel plans. It seemed he always had an agenda that they didn't know about.
As soon as the band of disciples neared the tombs, a half-dressed woman in tattered rags bolted from the brush.
"We know who you are," the woman hissed. "You are the Son of God. What do you want with us?"
The disciples recoiled at the sight and stench of this mad woman, but Jesus drew near. Certainly this was not the sister he mentioned. With a shout, Jesus directed his words toward the woman, but rebuked the demons within. "Come out of her!"
The woman fell to the ground in a violent seizure. After a few moments of blood curdling screams and obscene curses, she lay perfectly still.
"Is she dead?" James asked.
"No, my friend," Jesus replied. "She is actually more alive than she has ever been."
Jesus knelt down beside her, brushed the hair from her eyes and extended his hand. "Mary, Daughter of Abraham, rise to newness of life."
The disciples stared wide-eyed as Mary stood to her feet and in her right mind. Her crazy countenance was replaced by perfect peace.
"Thank you, thank you," she cried as tears of freedom and joy coursed down her weathered cheeks.
Jesus turned to walk away to his next assignment, but rather than stand and stare in awe, Mary ran to follow. The disciples waited for Jesus to send her away. They were quite surprised when he did the opposite and motioned for her to come along. From that day on, she would remain among the disciples to do whatever she could to further the ministry of Jesus.
We don't know much about Mary Magdalene's encounter with Jesus and her deliverance from demons. A closer look at her emancipation only allows us to examine one solitary sentence. "The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out..." (Luke 8:2).
For most of my life, I pictured Jesus traveling about with his twelve disciples. After all, isn't that the picture in the Sunday school books? It was only recently that the landscape in my mind changed dramatically. I had to walk over to the easel in my mind and paint a new picture on a fresh canvas. Jesus didn't travel about with only the twelve men. Luke lets us know that there were women who travelled with them as well: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and many others.
"...and many others." I just love that. These were women who had been healed, delivered, saved and empowered by Jesus. Where have they been all my life? They've been there all along, but somehow I've missed their influence and impact on Jesus' earthly ministry. I've allowed ancient artists to paint the pictures of Jesus and his entourage in my mind rather than Scripture.
Now we are a part of "...and many others." In Jesus' day, women were not allowed to study under a Rabbi's teaching, attend temple services in the same room with the men, or even talk to men in public. But Jesus came to change all that. He showed great love and respect for God's female image bearers and risked his reputation to save theirs. He flung open the doors to His classroom for them to learn and the doors of the Kingdom for them to serve.
I hope you know just how much God loves you today. Jesus is proof of just how much He does.
Let's Pray
Dear LORD, Thank You for all you did to set women free to play leading roles in Your redemptive story. I pray that I, like Mary Magdalene, will do what I can to further the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
Now It's Your Turn
Did today's devotion give you a better idea of what Mary Magdalene's life may have been like before she met Jesus?
Most likely, you have not been delivered from 7 demons like our sister Mary, but if you know Jesus Christ as Savior, you have been delivered from darkness. Look up the following verses and note how you have been delivered from darkness.
Ephesians 5:8
Colossians 1:13
1 Peter 2:9
In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world. John 17:18 (Msg)
"Are you willing to let God be God in your kid’s lives? Or, are you still trying to be God in their life."
Jesus released the disciples to serve God’s purposes.
As a parent I am responsible to protect my kids as they’re growing up, but that doesn’t mean I protect them from taking risks for the glory of God. You can be so over protective that you do not release your kids emotionally or maybe even physically, to do what God wants them to.
You say, “Sure, I want my kids to serve God, as long as they stay here in the area.” Or “Yeah, I want my kids to do what God wants them to do. They can follow His plan and purpose for their life, as long as they don’t leave this area and live right down the block.” They can do whatever God says as long as they don’t do something that’s dangerous, where they could be hurt or be killed.
It is natural as parents not to want your kids to be hurt. But let me ask you this very frank question: Are you willing to let God be God in your kid’s lives?
Or, are you still trying to be God in their life. You’ve got to let them go. I’ve seen some parents try to control their children’s lives even after they are married; yet, the Bible teaches that for marriage “a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one.” (Genesis 2:24, TEV)
The point is – it is God’s plan for children to leave and, as parents, we must teach them while we have them, but then let them go to serve God’s purposes.
Jesus said, “In the same way You gave Me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world.” (John 17:18, Msg) The whole goal of parenting is to eventually release your children. From the moment they are born, you are preparing them to be released into the world, not to hold on to them or to control their lives for the rest of your life.
2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) "God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
We do a lot of laundry at the Southerland house. I'm sure you can relate to the fact that there always seems to be a load in the washer that needs to go in the dryer, a load in the dryer that needs to be folded and a load of dirty laundry waiting to begin the tedious process all over again. Our washer and dryer have numerous settings for washing everything from hand washables and fine delicates to cotton and permanent press. After a few loads of producing pink, male underwear and sweaters shrunk to fit Barbie dolls, we decided to wash everything on one setting and in cold water. Heaven help the man, woman or child who dares to change that setting.
When a life crisis comes, we generally have an automatic and very human setting of fear and anxiety. The good news is that we can change that setting to "peace" by counting on God.
Count on God to be with you. We battle stress every day, but God is faithful. We can count on Him to be with us every step of the way. Worry is a trust issue stemming from our desire to be in control. When we try to play God, the result is always worry and stress. We keep trying to fix tomorrow's problems with today's resources. God gives grace in daily doses that are always enough and right on time.
Isaiah 43:2 "When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you" (NLT).
Count on God for direction. When we don't know or refuse to follow God's plan, life can easily spin out of control in a whirlwind of confusion and doubt. God offers direction and guidance through His Word, through His people and through the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 32:8 "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you" (NLT).
Count on God for provision. God goes before us in every area of life. Nothing that happens to us will ever surprise God. We must be careful to stay away from scenario sickness of "what if." There are no "what ifs" when we choose to trust God for every need. God is at work around us, meeting needs we are not even yet aware of. Even as we pray, God's answer is on the way.
Isaiah 65:24 "I will provide their needs before they ask. I will help them while they are still asking for help" (NLT).
Count on God for protection. God will fight for us when we are attacked. When we yield control to God and follow Him, God fights for us but when we pursue our agenda, we step out from under His umbrella of protection and into our own limited strength.
Exodus 14:13 "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still" (NIV).
I recently saw a bumper sticker that read, "If God is your Co-Pilot, switch seats!" The story is told of a newly licensed pilot who was flying his private plane through a fierce storm. He was not very experienced in instrument landing, so when the storm worsened, he realized that the control tower was going to have to bring him in for a landing. The pilot started thinking about all of the hills, towers and buildings in the area and began to panic. Over his radio, a calm but stern voice commanded, "You just obey instructions and we'll take care of the obstructions." Many of us have good reason to be afraid because we are sitting in the control seat of our life, trying to maneuver around every obstruction we face. Stress thrives in an atmosphere of fear and doubt when our hand is on the steering wheel of life. We need to move over, surrender all control to God and find the peace waiting in His hand.
Now It's Your Turn
Make a list of your greatest fears.
Prayerfully surrender each fear to he loving and faithful control of God.
Destroy the list as an offering of praise and thanksgiving to God's perfect peace now enthroned in your life.
When fear and doubt assault you, the Word of God is your most powerful weapon. Read and memorize the following verses on fear:
2 Timothy 1:7
Philippians 4:6 -7
1 Peter 5:7
1 Peter 5:8-9 "Control yourselves and be careful! The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat. Refuse to give in to him, by standing strong in your faith. You know that your Christian family all over the world is having the same kinds of suffering" (NCV).
Spiritual ignorance is not bliss - it is dangerous. Many people say it doesn't really matter what you believe as long as you believe something! I totally disagree! The apostle Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, "Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil" (NIV). To deal with sandpaper people (those people who rub us the wrong way), we must be able to discern between truth and lies.
If the enemy can dupe us into believing his lies, those difficult relationships will eventually damage and even destroy our emotional health, seeping into the broken places, ripping open almost healed wounds inflicted by sandpaper people. Complete honesty must steer every difficult relationship because sandpaper people must always be confronted with sound, solid truth in clear and transparent conversation as well as disciplined behavior. We are in a battle for godly relationships. In order to win that battle we must identify the real enemy.
1 Peter 5:8 "The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat" (NCV).
Sandpaper people are not the enemy. It is sometimes easier to convince ourselves that they are as it would make the attack plan so much simpler and free of guilt. We could simply do everything in our power to eliminate that person from our life when what God really wants is for us to embrace that sandpaper person, celebrating the truth that where and who they are is no surprise to God.
When our children were in middle school, several of their friends got laser guns for Christmas. One weekend, they brought the guns to our house for a "big, bad laser war." The kids divided into teams and the object of the game was simple, to wipe out the enemy. Wonderful! What clean, wholesome fun.
Hours went by to the sound of war hoops, shouts and threats and cries of victory. They had a great time playing with those guns - that is, until it was dark. I stood in the kitchen preparing dinner when I heard the kitchen door open and close - uh, rather slam - and looked up to see my daughter, Danna, red-faced with fury. I knew it would not be long before I had every morbid detail of whatever injustice she had endured at the hand of "those boys." I was right. "Mom, I need to talk to you - now!" I knew a command when I heard it, dropped my spatula and waited for the story. It was short and not so sweet. "Everybody is mad at me because I keep shooting my own team." So far, I was totally lost. I guess my confusion was evident because I could sense the exasperation that fueled her next words, "Mom! Are you listening?" I was - it didn't help. With a sigh and in her most patronizing tone, she explained, "I keep shooting my own team because it is so dark. I can't tell who the enemy is."
We often have the same problem when it comes to dealing with sandpaper people. We identify them as the enemy but they are not the real enemy.
Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
Satan should never be the center of attention in any believer's life. We cannot focus on two things at once and if we focus on Satan, we cannot focus on God. However, Paul clearly warns us that no Christian should ever ignore Satan or take him for granted either because he is a powerful and vicious foe.
Satan is our true enemy and would love to encourage our attack on those people who rub us the wrong way and ignore the hand of God in the matter. Nothing and no one touches our life that does not pass through the Father's hand, with His permission. God, however, takes what the enemy meant for evil and uses it for good in our life - if we let Him.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Beth is one of my dearest friends. She had been married for 24 years when her husband walked away from their marriage. Beth is a very strong Christian and for five years put on a happy face telling everyone, including herself, "That's OK. Jesus is enough." She has two absolutely incredible children who love the Lord and both serve in some facet of ministry. And yet, I wondered if she had been the first person I had ever known who had skipped the grieving process that follows the devastation of divorce.
She was not.
Five years after the divorce, Beth and I were talking about some struggles she was facing in a new relationship.
"Beth, I don't think you ever allowed yourself to grieve over your loss. I know your first husband betrayed you at the very core of what a marriage is supposed to be, but there is still a loss. There is grieving the loss that your children do not have the father they deserve, the loss of investing twenty-four years with a man who betrayed you, and the loss of the dream of what marriage could and should be like - what God intended from the beginning of time."
Beth is just now beginning to grieve the many losses that accompanied her divorce and she - and her two grown children - are in the process of breaking free.
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, in her book, On Death and Dying, notes five stages of grief: denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. But for us who have the hope of Jesus Christ, there is a sixth stage: resurrection.
Grief is part of the healing process. I grieved that I did not grow up being the apple of my daddy's eye, that I was not unconditionally loved, and that I did not get to hold my second child in my arms. Grieving the loss helped me to let it go. But after a time, I had to stop lamenting what was not, and rejoice in the blessing of what is. God had new plans for my life!
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV).
Just as God raised Jesus from the dead, He can raise our broken dreams. Acceptance is not the end of the grieving process for those of us who know Jesus Christ.
Resurrection is the end of grief and the beginning of a dream, a new life, and a glorious future.
Psalm 11:7 (NCV) "The LORD does what is right, and he loves justice, so honest people will see his face."
Worship is a word we often use but something we rarely experience. Oh, we say that we are going to a worship service each Sunday but do we really encounter the living God or merely endure another weekly religious gathering? When was the last time you walked away from a worship service - changed forever - because God met you there? We misunderstand what true worship is and fail to recognize the requirements of worship.
A preacher, out for a walk, noticed a group of boys standing around a small stray dog. "What are you doing, boys?" he asked. "Telling lies," one young man explained. "The one who tells the biggest lie gets the dog." The minister was shocked and said, "Why, when I was your age I never even thought about telling a lie." The boys looked at each other and their faces fell in disappointment. Finally, one young man shrugged and said, "I guess he wins the dog."
To worship God is to see Him - truly and honestly. No, we cannot actually see His face but we can understand who He is, recognize His power and acknowledge His sovereignty. True worship takes place in an honest heart. Honesty is a rapidly disappearing attribute. Truth is hedged and masked. Integrity is compromised. "Mom isn't here" our children say when we want to avoid the caller. We silently pocket the incorrectly counted change received in the drive-through lane. Untruths we label as "small white lies" punctuate our character until authenticity is forfeited. A life of integrity demands honesty. So does worship.
Worship is all about seeking the face of God. Seeking God with our whole heart is the first step in experiencing authentic worship. We cannot truly seek Him until we are willing to come before Him in absolute abandonment, completely and totally honest before Him.
In the gospel of Luke, we find a woman who came to dinner at the home of Simon Peter. This woman came for one reason alone - she had heard that Jesus would be there. It was common knowledge that she was a prostitute with a terrible reputation. Everyone at the party - including Simon, the host - knew exactly who she was and what she had done. Simon would never have allowed - much less invited this kind of woman to enter his home. However, it was also common knowledge that when a Rabbi was invited to someone's house, others could stop by and listen to the conversation. A desperate woman, she came knowing that everyone at the party would recognize and judge her. But her desire to meet Jesus was greater than her pride.
She came openly - hiding nothing. She came just like she was, a sinful woman. In other words, as my daughter would say, she was the "real deal." No pretense. No hypocrisy. Just authenticity. She came with an honest heart and Jesus met her at that point of brutal honesty. As a matter of fact, He was waiting for her to come. He is waiting for us to come as well. The fact is that we will never experience the full power of true worship until we are ready to honestly confront and deal with the sin in our lives. An honest heart pleases God and is invited to worship Him.
Let's Pray
Father, I confess that I do not truly understand what it means to worship You in the way that You desire, but I want to worship You. I want to come into your presence with complete honesty and transparency. My heart desire is to sit at Your feet. I lay down my pride and arrogance, confessing that without You, I am nothing. I praise You and love You, Father. Teach me how to truly worship You.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
What you need to do:
Examine your life in the light of honesty.
Come before Him wrapped in that spiritual honesty.
Know that He always responds to an honest heart.
Refuse to fall back into old habits that would corrupt your newfound authenticity.
Ask yourself the following questions:
What sin(s) have I been hiding and refusing to face?
What action(s) will it take for me to deal with those sins honestly?
How does sin affect my ability to worship God?
Define honesty. Does your definition line up with God's?
Isaiah 59:1 (NIV) "Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear."
I was just a wisp of a girl - a six-year-old, forty pound monkey with gangly arms and legs who vowed she could do anything her eleven-year-old mischievous brother, Stewart, could do. Standing on the glistening sand of Bogue Inlet Beach, N.C., I hungrily watched as Stewart and his friend, Jeffery, plunged into the briny waters at the end of the island where the Atlantic Ocean merged with the Intracostal Waterway. Steward and Jeffery had one goal: to swim across the treacherous waters to a beckoning sandbar some 100 feet away.
This was the spot at the end of the island where waves gave way to calm, salt water gave way to fresh, and sand gave way to soil. What looked like tranquil water on the surface was in reality a strong undercurrent that sucked the ocean away from its home. Like a lovesick puppy mourning its master's absence, I watched as the boys plunged into the water and swam away from shore.
"I want to go too!" I called out after them.
"You're just a kid!" Stewart yelled back. "You stay there! You can't come!"
"It's not fair," I stormed. "He gets to do everything!"
"You stay here with us," my dad instructed. "You're too little. It's not safe."
My dad's remarks only made me more determined to prove them all wrong. "If he can do it, I can do it," I mumbled. "I always get left behind."
When my dad turned his back to talk to a friend, I saw my chance and dove into the water. My thin limbs were no match for the sucking force of the undertow and the pull of the current. Very quickly, my lithe body was swept away along with the ocean's salt, sand and silt into the fresh water. My salty tears mixed with the briny water and my small cries for help went unheard. The strong ropes of current continued to pull me away from my family as they grew smaller.
Dad turned from his conversation to see the boys had almost hit their mark. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed small splashes to his far right. "Oh no," he cried. "That's Sharon out there!"
My father dove into the water and cut through the menacing current. Propelled by panic, he reached me in a matter of moments. Like a fisherman's hook, dad reached out and grabbed my flailing body and reeled me to his side. With one arm, he fought the current once again and pulled us safely to shore. My dad had rescued me.
Have you ever been in a similar situation? Perhaps you've jumped into deep waters, into strong currents that appeared benignly calm on the surface. Perhaps you envied others who were headed in a certain direction and felt you were missing all the fun.
"Don't go there," your Heavenly Father warns. "It's not safe."
"But why do they get to have all the fun," you whine. "I always get left behind."
Then, when you think God isn't looking, in you jump! Before you know it you are being swept away in the current of poor choices, sucked down by the undertow of self-centeredness, and pulled away as your family grows strangely small.
Oh friend, my earthly father pulled me safely to shore that day when I was six, but my Heavenly Father has pulled me safely to shore more times than I can count. When we ignore our Father's warnings we forfeit the safety of His shore and plunge into the ocean of harm's way: the undertow of over-commitment, the current of wrong choices, and the rising tide of moral danger. Perhaps that's where you are right now. If so, there is hope. You only have to call out to God for help and He will pull you safely to shore. David cried out, "Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me" (Psalm 31:2). "Reach down your hand from on high; deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters…" (Psalm 144:7).
"But Sharon," you might say, "You don't know how far I've fallen. You don't know what a mess I've made of my life." You are right. I don't know. But God does and there is no place that you can go where His arm is too short to reach down and save you. That's a promise.
Let's Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, I am so glad that Your arm is never too short to save me - to pull me out of the difficult places of life. Forgive me for ignoring the Holy Spirit's warnings and jumping into treacherous waters that I should have avoided. Give me the strength to walk away when I feel that check in my spirit that says … don't go there. I love You, Lord, and thank You for being my Rescuer, my Rock, and my Redeemer.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend" (Proverbs 27:6 NAS).
Sandpaper people are no strangers to confrontation. However, that confrontation usually comes from an unclean heart and an angry spirit. In fact, inept confrontations can easily become just another notch in a sandpaper person's belt, giving them one more reason to be who they are - difficult people.
Confrontation is a gift we bring to every relationship - especially difficult relationships. When love and gentleness deliver correction, it is much more likely to be received and acted on. We can be caring and confronting at the same time. In fact, confrontation is a spiritual exercise and an act of spiritual obedience that changes lives and builds healthy relationships.
Before Dan and I were married, I noticed several "rough edges" in his character that needed to be sanded away and felt like I was just the one for the job. After all, that's what wives are for - right? I decided to lay low for a few months, lulling him into a false sense of security while giving him a chance to make the changes on his own before I stepped in with my brilliant plan for his life. The only problem was that my plan did not line up with Dan's plan. In fact, he seemed oblivious to the character flaws that were blatantly obvious to me.
After a few months of marital bliss, during which I was secretly fine-tuning my "Fix Dan Plan", a seed of discontent took root and began to grow in my heart. The strength I had so admired in Dan now resembled stubbornness. His ability to take a complicated issue, dissect it and boil it down to a practical three-step-plan now seemed patronizing and sometimes even meddlesome. What I had once embraced as his devotion to me now seemed like his need to control me. It was time for the execution of my now well-thought-out and sure-to-succeed plan of transforming my husband into the man God and I thought he should be.
It goes without saying that unity was the last thing on my mind or on my list of changes to be made. Looking back, I am certain I fit the bill of a sandpaper person deluxe at that point in Dan's life! But like most difficult people, I would not be deterred. The results were painfully disastrous.
Arguments over insignificant issues ensued as we battled for control of the relationship. Dan fielded each attack, confused and bewildered by the mysterious and not-so-wonderful change in his wife. Every area of our marriage suffered and we were both miserable. Thankfully, my young but wise husband was committed to me, I was committed to him and we were both committed to God's plan for our marriage. I will never forget the afternoon Dan confronted me in love and with amazing patience. I don't remember much of the conversation but I remember the words that broke my heart but saved our marriage, "Honey, I'm not sure what is going on between us. But I do know I want to love you like you need to be loved." And there you have the recipe for a successful marriage and healthy relationships.
I loved Dan like I thought he should be loved instead of how he needed to be loved, with my requirements and my expectations, hoping that he would have to do all of the changing while I did all of the controlling. I had a lot to learn about the art of confrontation, how it brings unity, peace and joy to any relationship where it is invited to work. There is a right way and a wrong way to confront. The success of any confrontation depends upon understanding the difference between the two.
· Always begin confrontation with affirmation. Encouraging words set the stage and prepare the heart to hear words of correction.
· Be willing to take your part of the blame. No conflict is ever totally one-sided. Taking your share of the blame often diffuses anger and steers the confrontation in the right direction.
· Express hurt...not hostility. It is important to keep emotions under control during confrontation. Volume negates listening. Raised voices and angry words slam the door shut on any possible good that can come from confrontation. Express your feelings with words - not volume or accusation.
· Make clear, direct statements. When facing confrontation, I will often write down what I plan to say; then read it aloud and sometimes in front of the mirror. I can then go back and eliminate unnecessary comments, inflammatory words or vengeful statements disguised as correction. In any confrontation, it is important to stick to the facts, refusing to become either hysterical or historical.
· Avoid using the words "never" and "always" because they tend to stir up emotions and fan emotional fires. These words are obviously untrue and accomplish little in a confrontation, destroying any credibility of the person doing the confronting.
·Learn to listen. One of my favorite tactics in confrontations is to use the time the other person is speaking to formulate my next point. As a result, I don't listen because I assume I already know what will be said. Difficult conversations require total attention.
Be solution centered. It is so easy to go for the "let's get this over" conversation instead of the "let's get to the heart of this problem" discussion. Make the decision beforehand to stay at the table of confrontation until a solution is found and restoration is achieved.
We were created to live in harmony. God calls us to wage peace in every relationship - the easy ones as well as the relationships that are difficult. Part of winning the battle is learning how to confront sandpaper people in the right way - God's way. Confrontation that is done in love changes lives, impacts relationships and honors God
"Pray continually" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Over the past few years, my spiritual life has changed dramatically. I've witnessed the LORD move in amazing ways, and have felt His hand guide me like never before. What's the big secret? Why the big change? Simple: prayer. There is unexplainable power in prayer.
No, prayer isn't new to me. I've prayed ever since I was a child. But even though I love God, I often struggled to remain focused during my quiet time … or to even carve out a daily quiet time, for that matter. My creative mind has a strong tendency to wander. So a few years back, I began keeping a prayer journal and my faith has really grown as a result.
My journal isn't fancy or expensive, just a notebook that can be picked up anywhere, but it has been a power tool for God's movement in and through my life. By keeping my heart focused in prayer, my journal has fanned the flame of my prayers, and has fueled the fire in my soul to connect with our active and living God who longs to be the center of our attention.
It's not rocket science and there aren't any special tricks. A prayer journal can be an effective tool for spiritual growth, but the power is in the praying. How do I put my power tool to work? I start off by writing the date. I then jot down who I want to pray for and what I want to pray about. I also love to write out Scripture passages that have spoken to my heart. Then I go to my Father- focused and fearless. God is the source of all power, and prayer is essential to experiencing His power in our lives.
Martin Luther said, "As it is the business of tailors to make clothes, and of cobblers to mend shoes, so it is the business of Christians to pray." Prayer moves the hand of God, yet, statistically; most Christians spend less than 5 minutes a day in prayer. That's just crazy! Why would we expect God to show His power in our lives if we don't give Him more time than we spend brushing our teeth each day?
Are you experiencing the power of God in your life? Would you like more strength, peace and direction in your days? God wants you to come to Him in prayer: when you are hurting, when you are angry, when you need direction, when you need answers, when you need hope, when you need healing. He wants you to come to Him for forgiveness, courage, strength, confidence, and perspective. Come with praise, adoration, humility, honor, and worship.
So - grab a journal and focus your heart and thoughts on God . The main thing is to get alone with God. He just wants you to come.
2 Timothy 1:7 "God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid but a spirit of power and love and self-control."
A cloud of terror hung over the Valley of Elah as snarling threats and vile promises spewed from his mouth. The intimidator strutted along grassy slopes swinging an enormous club, his mammoth, ironclad feet pawing the ground like an irate bull, ready to attack. The huge, ugly monster was Goliath, a nine-foot giant, the pride of Philistia. He wore massive armor; a bronze coat weighing 200 pounds, a solid iron spear, a heavy bronze helmet. The target of his ranting and raving was a frightened, helpless group of Israelites, cowering in their tents. For forty agonizing days, Goliath had come, taunting them, promising certain destruction and doom. The Israelites, paralyzed with fear, had given up all hope of escape, resigned to their tortured fate at the hand of this Philistine monster.
Then came day forty-one! I am certain, as the sun inched its way over the mountains that morning, that neither Goliath nor the Israelites had any idea that this day would be different. A young handsome teenager stepped into the valley of fear, fresh from the presence of God. David, the youngest in a family of eight boys could not believe the scene before him. Tossing the giant's threats and obvious advantage aside, David refused to accept what he saw. Instead, he chose to believe what he knew in his heart; this giant was going down! With simple but certain faith and unreserved confidence in God, David stepped through the fear, ushering in the mighty presence and power of God. Goliath not only met David that day, He met the Lord of Heaven and Earth. And the giant fell! Giants always fall in the presence of God.
I tend to face each day with mixed emotions. I survived yesterday but there were moments when I wondered if I would. What does today hold? I want to get to the place where I am excited about a fresh day, overflowing with new dreams and unmarked possibilities. I already know my days are going to be filled with many "unknowns" as well as a giant or two. And if I am brutally honest, I have to admit that the unknown fashions a pocket of fear in my heart where questions and doubts thrive.
The good news is that what lies ahead is no surprise to God. In fact, He has already been where we are going. That truth alone empowers us to face every tomorrow with hope, knowing that whatever touches us passes through His hands, with His permission. It is not God's plan for us to dwell in fear or for fear to rule our life. He has already set in motion the defeat and fall of every giant we will ever face. Our responsibility is to step through our fear, facing every giant in God's power and with His promises. The Holy Spirit will guide the path of His truth to its destined mark, taking down the giants lurking in each tomorrow.
He is the same yesterday, today and forever! I want the days ahead to be saturated with the memory of Goliath's fall and trust in Almighty God, the Giant Killer. So then, my friend, I ask you, what is there to fear?
C
