Nov. 30, 2013–The Lord’s Plan

People-With-Crutches“In that day,” declares the Lord, “I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. I will make the lame my remnant.” (Micah 4:6-7)

I love the heading that the NIV uses just before this passage of scripture, “The Lord’s Plan.”  The Lord’s plan is to gather the lame and those that are in spiritual exile and to bring them to Mount Zion where He will teach them by His own hand.

This passage most certainly points to a literal restoration of the nation of Israel after the fall of the two ancient Jewish nations.  But I also see hidden beneath the surface a deeper spiritual metaphor for the people of God.

But first let me say that Israel and its people will always be important to me.  They are God’s people whom He separated to be a great nation of blessing and to be a blessing to all nations.  As I bless Israel, so am I blessed. This is Scriptural.   We must always look for ways to be a blessing to the Jewish nation.  We must not tolerate anti-Semitism in any form because it comes with a great curse on our lives.  Nazi-Germany is still a stench in our nostrils and will always remain so.  This is the fruit of anti-Semitism.

God told His people through Micah that they would be destroyed because they did not keep the covenant that the Lord handed to them through Moses.  But then he says, the Lord will gather you to Himself once again.

Those of us who have suffered greatly outside of Christ know what it means to be lame spiritually.  We know what it is like to have hope stolen from us time and time again.  Before Christ I had no hope.  My hope for prosperity, family, and a good life was robbed from me. Before I came into covenant with God through the blood of the Lamb, my life was lost.

When the hand of Jesus is upon my life, I am blessed.  Everything I put my hand to do is blessed.  My enemies might surround me, accuse me and say all kinds of things falsely about me, but in the end God will promote me and bless me and leave me with a good name in the earth.

As I enter into the place of the cross as a lame man and use that cross to keep myself from stumbling, my feet are set upon the rock which is higher and mightier than I.  Jesus is that rock.  When I hide myself within the cleft of His presence, I am safe.  The cross is a crutch that sustains me.  I need this crutch because I am weak but He is strong.

Many in the world think they are strong on their own strength until their strength fails them.  They mock those who would rely upon Jesus as God.  They will call you weak.  So rather than argue with them, I just come into agreement with them because humility demands I do it.

I will not give strength to their mockery.  I will tell the whole world that I am a lame man needing my God Yahweh to lift me up out of the miry pit.

I am not ashamed of the cross, because it is the power of God to set the captive free.  The wisdom of the mockers of this world is not wisdom for the man of God.  Their wisdom will die with them.  But a man of God is only too happy to tell the whole world that he is weak and lame.  In fact he hides himself in the shelter of God’s wing and knows that no matter what comes he will be safe.

Let this assurance guide you as you fulfil the Lord’s plan for your life.

Nov. 29, 2013–In Wrath, Mercy

FReedom Tower, NYCLord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. (Habakkuk 3:2)

I was in New York City two weekends ago ministering with my friend David Yankana.  David is originally from Trinidad but has been living, working and ministering in NYC for about 16 years now.

Before I went I asked David if we could do a tour of Manhattan Island.  I particularly wanted to see the new Freedom Tower that is being rebuilt in the place of the 911 attacks.  This new building actually stands in the same spot as Tower 2 that came crashing down in NYC 12 years ago. 

As I stood there looking up at that great tower a certain foreboding swept over me.  I couldnt help but see this new tower as a monument to the destruction of that day.

David had not been to that spot in all the years that he had been in the region.  He said it was too difficult to go.  His wife told me that on 9/11 she was on a train crossing the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan on her way to work, when the power was cut to the train.  There was fear that perhaps terrorists might also be attacking the train system, therefore as a precaution power was shut down to the trains.

She had to walk for five hours that day to her home in Queens.  She was covered in ashes coming from the towers. She told me that day her sister was actually in the Twin Towers when the first plane hit.  She ran out of the building to safety.

I was eating a meal with David, his wife and members from his church and I asked them what that day was like.  I began to hear stories about how people were led out of the building by angels. 

David told me that Christians who were in the building would have people walk up to them and lead them out, but when they got outside these people were nowhere to be seen.  David said many believe these were angels guiding people to safety.

The above scripture in Habakkuk was prayed in a context where the prophet is looking back at the deeds that God did in Moses time.  In so many words he is saying, I have heard of your deeds of old and your miraculous power.  I have heard how you conquered kings and destroyed nations by that power.  God, do it again in our time, but have mercy when your wrath is being poured out.

We will certainly see more judgments upon our nations in the coming years, but I pray that in the place where God is making Himself known that a miraculous sound will go out into the earth so that His people understand they are experiencing Gods Glory in the midst of His wrath.

I pray that you will come to understand His supernatural hand of protection, His compassion and mercy when these events begin to occur.  I pray for mercy during wrath for your families so that you will be protected in your nation just as the Israelites were protected when wrath fell on Egypt.

I know that this may seem like a tough word, but better you hear it and know that God will be with you than to go through it with uncertainty.  Now may God bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you always.  Be blessed as you advance toward your destiny.

Nov. 28, 2013–Thankful for the Gift or the Giver?

Fabs Harford(On this American Thanksgiving Day, be blessed by this post from guest contributor Fabs Harford)

God has been going to town on me the last few weeks. Hes been opening my eyes to see all the concealed covetousness in my heart: things that I treasure more than I treasure God.

Hes been teaching me that while much of what I desire is good and great, I have to make sure Im not being led by deceitful desires. Hes been walking alongside of me and showing me–in His Spirit–what it looks like to fight to love Him so much that all the feelings I have for His stuff looks like hate in comparison.

And its no coincidence that Ive arrived at the week of thanksgiving at Ephesians 5:20 at the same time that Im processing all of that.

I think the way we give thanks reveals a lot about what we treasure: the gift or the Giver. Ephesians 5:20 is the who, what, when, why of giving thanks, providing us with a litmus test to determine if we are worshipping God or the stuff we get from Him.

Giving thanks always and for everything…”

What do you give thanks for? When do you give thanks?

If the foundation of our thankfulness is that we get God, then you and I will give thanks always and for everything, because were always getting God. However, if the foundation of our thankfulness is the gift, and not the giver, then our gratitude will ebb and flow based on how much of our true treasure we are getting.

I was feeling pretty discouraged about the state of my thankfulness this AM and then I overturned this encouraging evidence of grace in my heart: I am truly and deeply thankful for hard things in my life! Im thankful for seasons of failure and seasons of suffering. And maybe I wasnt feeling gratitude at the time, but now that I can see the way I got more of God through them, I really do feel a genuine and overwhelming sense of gratitude.

If you are only thankful for the sweet seasons, it may be that the root of your thankfulness is not about getting God, but about getting gifts.

But, if you can consider the way God has moved in your heart through pain and suffering as well, and if you can find a root of genuine thankfulness in there for those things, be encouraged! That is the work of the Spirit in your life.

Who do you give thanks to?

You all know the right answer: Jesus. But take a second and consider your day today. When you feel grateful, who do you run to with that joyful bubbling? People or God? When was the last time you got alone with God and talked to Him for more than 10 minutes about how thankful you are to Him?

True gratitude bubbles up in your heart, and is pretty hard to contain. Your heart swells in admiration and love toward the one you are thankful toward and you cannot wait to run out and declare your thankfulness to them. The emotion is incomplete until youve gotten the chance to say it.

So ask yourself this question: when your heart swells in love, who is it you cant wait to scream thank you to? The gift or the Giver? When you think about your marriage, your community, your growth this year, your victories, does your heart swell in admiration for those people or for God? Is it Him that you cant wait to get alone with and whisper all He has done?

Im not against saying thank you to people, but I do think that where we spend that deep emotional and genuine gratitude is probably a good indicator of who it is we think has provided; who has delivered us. You will thank the one you think is saving you, restoring you, loving you. Is it God or His gifts who have delivered you?

The grounds of our thanksgiving is that God is good; not that He gives good gifts.

This weekend, I sat there trying to muster up thanksgiving and my first inclination was to start thinking through all the gifts He has given me. I dont think thats bad. But the foundation for my thanksgiving is that God is goodno matter what I think of His gifts.

He is reason enough for gratitude this season and every season.

(Fabs is Director of Womens Training at The Austin Stone Community Church, equipping the women of The Austin Stone to know God more deeply, love His Gospel more passionately and live out Gods mission. This post is from her blog Thoughts from Fabs.)

Nov. 27, 2013–Don’t be ashamed of Your Story

Dont-Be-Ashamed(Be blessed by this post by guest contributor Lance Wallnauit dovetails nicely with yesterdays DWOD on The Power of a Story)

Your story is more powerful than you know.

Im studying Pixar and thinking of you and me. Here are two Pixar Formulas.

1. Once upon a time there was ___.

Every day, ___.

One day ___.

Because of that, ___.

Because of that, ___.

Until finally ___.

2. Give your character a worthy opponent and make this opposition force a cause for transformation in your character so that they access something and become something superior to who they were prior to encountering opposition.

Dont ever HIDE or cover up your story, it has power to inspire others. The blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony (Revelation 12:11) refers to the power of God to redeem you out of a challenge. Its how you overcome the devil.

So what story are you rehearsing to yourself?

The older I get the more I believe that all humankind has common struggles, private doubts and wounds. The people who can tell their storytheir testimonyabout a chapter of life with courage and grace create a safe place for others to exist. Your story empowers others to come to terms with their own story.

When you own your story in a healthy and redemptive way, you give others permission to be real. You create a space where people can be free to drop their masks and share without inhibition their real thoughts and feelings. Its like you fill the atmosphere with the oxygen of self-acceptance when you can tell your story without shame.

Believers have a challenge in this regard. We live in an age of increasing lawlessness, so the last thing we want to do is to tell our story in a way that indicates that actions do not have consequences.

On the other hand, the only kind of atmosphere in which Jesus will really show up is one where disciples are practicing unpretentious unconditional acceptance toward each other.

It is not easy to explainall I know is that the more you are free from the shame of the past, the more powerful you are. By power I mean self-possession. You are less fearful of what people think. You own all the parts of your life–even the screw ups–but none of them owns you!

I guess I love people who are successful and who, under the right circumstances are honest about their weaknesses, and the mistakes that made them who they are now. Such people inspire me.

Share your story, struggles and alland you too will inspire others!

(Dr. Lance Wallnau is a world-class trainer and consultant whose students span the globe. From bestselling authors, pastors, and billion dollar CEOs, he has helped to transform the lives of thousands. Please check out his resources at www.lancelearning.com)

Nov. 26, 2013–The Power of a Story

Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. (Matthew 13:34)

Earlier this evening I was at a meeting of the Presbytery of which I am part in our denomination. To be very honest with you, I do not particularly look forward to these meetings. We spend most of our time taking care of church “business.”

Words such as the following fill the air in copious amounts:
Moved by so-and-so, seconded by so-and-so, that…
“so and so be appointed to such and such church.”
“so little money be given to this ministry here.”
“so much money be cut from that committee’s budget.”
Delegates have been known to suffer attacks of “motion sickness” from time to time 🙂

And then there are times when we have guest speakers. Most of them come to promote a particular cause or offer a workshop on a topic of interest to them. Again, not exactly something that produces an adrenalin rush in the hearers 🙂

So, imagine my surprise when today’s guest actually captured my attention and managed to hold it for most of his 15 minute talk!

After briefly sharing a few personal details, he quickly started telling a story about a young man who was part of the L’Arche community where he had been working at the time. He told us how Lloyd, who came to the community as a loner, was only concerned about himself in the early days of his stay there. With time though, he began to include in his prayers those other than members of his birth family. With this story, our speaker illustrated his point about how life in community opens us up to include others.

As you can tell, it wasn’t exactly a riveting story, but it made the point way better than a series of statements about the benefits of being part of a caring Christian community.

He reminded me of an outreach ministry that was facing severe cutbacks in its budget from the Presbytery of which I was part at the time.  Rather than offer a defense of his ministry or argue against the proposed reductions, the Chaplain simply shared real life stories of three people whose lives were blessed and transformed through the ministry. Needless to say the stories carried the day and his budget was spared the sharp edge of the scalpel.

Ever notice that parts of the Bible we remember the best are stories, not sermons? Jesus himself was a master storyteller. Rather than expound on the virtues of being a neighbour, he simply told the parable of the Good Samaritan. The memorable story of the Prodigal Son speaks volumes about the Father’s love that we remember way better than a speech on the subject, amen?

That is the power of storytelling.

As you advance toward your destiny, you too are bound to face situations when you will need to get your point across to another person or a group. You too would be wise to follow Jesus’ example and tell a story instead, as did Rev. Keith Reynolds this evening and Rev. Bob Gay a few years back.

Nov. 25, 2013–This Treasure of God

jars of clayWe have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.(2 Corinthians 4:7)

I want you to consider the following statement, “it takes great humility to carry the power of God.”  It is such a basic statement that most of you nodded in agreement and said “amen” as soon as you heard it, and yet most of us do not have that humility of heart.

We must be continually in His voice.  Distractions do come and it takes a humble heart to recognize what God is saying in order to remain in that place of His presence and purpose.

Humility demands that we listen more than we speak.  There are so many people speaking without listening first.  They overstep themselves in God’s sight because they suggest they are speaking for Him when they have not heard His voice.

There are those that are steeped in rules and tradition which for them is a substitute for taking the time to listen.  They have an idea of the religious life and follow what they think is good religion but never come close to the place of God’s presence.

In order to have this treasure in our hearts, which is an all-surpassing power, we must come to the place of Jesus being present with us daily.  When we spend time in the power of God we become the power of God to everyone we come in contact with.  When the power of God’s transmits from my heart I can operate to the fullness of God in the world around me on every occasion.

This power is not from me nor does it originate from any idea of men, but is given to me because I accept the orthodoxy of the work of Jesus on the cross.  Did you know that the cross was a divine idea meant to set you free?

I must not add to that orthodoxy of the cross nor take away from it, but I must accept it as it is presented to me in the scriptures, and this is challenging for me because the word of God chops at my human pride.  I must accept the word as a humble servant so that it might begin to work the great power in my life.

The word of God is the foundation of my Christian faith and when I adhere to it, it has a way of liberating and setting me free.  By His all surpassing word the voice of God speaks and washes away my sin.  All the filth of this world fades from my life and His eternal working grabs the deepest parts of my brokenness and a new foundation of hope, love and peace is built upon the ruins of my life.

And then in the place of the new man, founded on Christ a new power of God’s spirit begins to move out from me.  I am baptized afresh by the glory of God and new seedlings go out from me and enter the soils of the lives of other broken men and women.  They are drawn to their Creator the same as I was drawn.

This power and faith operates inside of me and moves out from me and blesses the hearts of all who would be blessed by it.  Many will be trapped by human philosophy and pride.  They will continue the argument about who is right and who is wrong with God until they pass from this life, but my prayer for you is that you will grab hold of this faith and allow it to transform your nature so that you too will have this power in a jar of clay.

Nov. 24, 2013–Remove the Legal Groundwork

Weak-strong-people-387x396(Be blessed by this DWOD for Nov. 24, 2013 by guest contributor Lance Wallnau)

Sometimes, before you can deal with a spiritual enemy, you need to remove the legal groundwork beneath his feet. This is where repentance comes in. An act that involves accurately judging yourself and owning where you are wrong.

Here’s a trap: ”all or nothing” thinking. Suppose you are mostly right and the other person is mostly wrong? What if you are 25% at fault but they are 75% at fault? Can you do a 25% repentance and reconciliation? No.

But you can take 100% responsibility for your 25%….and this often releases the GRACE on the other person to own their 75%.

There will be other times when you need to ignore the enemy. This isn’t easy. Ever get into a fight where you want to keep at it? The hardest thing to do is to stop and disengage! If you are accustomed to verbally persuading and influencing others, something inside you wants to talk, text or type your way into triumph! But it never works. You can’t ever kill off a spirit by conversation.

And if the spirit has an offended person attached, you are in for a season of never ending verbal volleyball.

That’s where you need to ignore the situation. Bide your time. David ignored the deeds of those who conspired against him…..but told his son Solomon that he needed to deal with those specific troublemakers if his administration was going to succeed.

Think of yourself as a combined David/Solomon. David is the guy that screwed up and gave the enemy an opportunity to injure the dynasty. Solomon is the “wisdom” that came out of that mistake (talking about Bathsheba.) Once you get wisdom (often from the consequences of your bad decisions), God gives you a season to deal with your enemies and uproot them.

Revenge is not an option.  “…Avenge not yourselves but give place to wrath: for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.’ ” (Romans 12:19) If we do our best to overcome evil with good and it does not work, there is always the prospect that God will take matters into His own hands and overcome evil by visiting it with an ax. Isn’t that the point Jesus made about the unfruitful tree?

Jesus taught that an unfruitful tree may have a delayed execution, but, if it persists in its unfruitful state, it will be uprooted. What if God does that with areas of our life? He “dungs around the tree” so to speak, but after a while, if things don’t yield to the master, He uproots it.

This cycle is manifest in David’s unfinished business being taken care of by Solomon.

Be wise. Remove the legal groundwork. Repent of 100% of your 25%, if need be.

Bless… do good…ignore judging–till the time comes, if necessary, to judge…when that time comes.

(Dr. Lance Wallnau is a world-class trainer and consultant whose students span the globe. From bestselling authors, pastors, and billion dollar CEO’s, he has helped to transform the lives of thousands. Please check out his resources at www.lancelearning.com)

Nov. 23, 2013–Obedience in Little

Gloria Copeland(Be blessed by this DWOD for Nov. 23, 2013 by guest contributor Gloria Copeland)

 OBEDIENCE IN LITTLE

He who is faithful in a very little [thing], is faithful also in much. (Luke 16:10)

Have you ever wanted to take on some really big project in the kingdom of God, but the Lord just wouldn’t seem to let you? If so, there’s probably a good reason why.

You can see what I’m talking about if you’ll read about what God did with the children of Israel after He brought them out of Egypt. He wanted to take them on into the Promised Land. But before He could do it, God had to know if they would obey Him. He had to know if they would listen to His voice. Because if they didn’t, the enemies they were about to face would wipe them out.

So, do you know what He did? He tested them in a small matter.

Exodus 16:4 tells us about this simple test. “Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or not.”

God took a little, insignificant matter, the food they ate–and used it to see if they would listen to Him or not. He told them how much of it to gather, when to gather and when not to, and what to do with it after they brought it in.

And the Israelites went right out and violated those instructions. They showed God by their actions that His voice was not important to them. They were not willing to obey even His simplest commands.

God works the same way today. Before He sends you on a major mission, He gives you the opportunity to prove you can be trusted with small instructions.

But many of us miss that opportunity. We pray, “What do You want me to do, Lord? Where do You want me to go? I’ll do anything You say.” But then when the Lord says, “I want you to get up and pray in the Spirit one hour every morning,” we fail to obey Him. We say, “Oh yeah, that would be good. I ought to do that.” But somehow we never quite get around to it.

Don’t make that mistake. Start today obeying God in the little things. Let Him see that He can trust you out there in a place of much authority. Let Him know you’ll be faithful to His Words and to the voice of His Spirit. Once He knows you won’t let disobedience wipe you out, He’ll start sending bigger assignments your way.

(This post appeared first in from Faith to Faith, a daily guide to Victory. To subscribe to this daily devotional and access other great resources, please go to www.kcm.org)

Nov. 22, 2013–The Christian Scout

scoutsIt was the last thing I expected to happen on a quick stop at the ATM to get some cash. I barely paid any attention to the gentleman who was standing beside me in the next booth…until I got back to the car.

Just as I was about to get into my car, he waved to me and said: “Wait a minute, buddy! I’ve got something for your kids.”

He walked over and handed me a DVD. “Just put this in your DVD player. I’m sure your kids will love watching it.”

I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the title of the DVD: Jesus.

It was the same DVD that I had taken with me on a trip to India a few years back as a gift for a children’s home. This one was meant for children ages 9-14.

On the one hand I was flattered that he considered this 55 year-old young enough to have children in that age range 🙂 For the record, our “baby”, Jaya, just turned 20 on Tuesday.

Needless to say he had no idea that I was a Christian, let alone a pastor. I am pretty sure that the colour of my skin sent out a signal: “Hindu in sight. Get DVD ready. Hand DVD over to the Hindu.”

But you have to give him full marks for traveling with that DVD in his truck so that when the opportunity presented itself, he would be prepared to hand one to anyone that came within receiving range.

Jesus always sent his disciples fully prepared for what they might encounter on their ministry trips, didn’t he? Case in point. “Whatever house you enter, first say, Peace to this house. And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.” (Luke 10:5-8 NKJV)

He wanted them to be on the alert to recognize the opportunities that would open up for them and to capitalize on them in an appropriate manner. He even teaches them what to say when they walked through an open door!

A year ago, Sulojana and I decided to keep some copies of a tract put out by Billy Graham called “Steps to peace with God”–she in her purse, me in my computer bag. This way whenever we had an opportunity to connect with someone at a spiritual level, we had something to give them, especially when we didn’t have enough time to go deeper.

You know the Scouts’ motto, right? “Be prepared.”

I would classify the man who gave me the Jesus DVD as a Christian Scout, because he was prepared for the opportunity to encounter a pre-Christian, even if it was a pastor who could easily pass for a Hindu 🙂

How about you, dear DWOD friend? Would you be known as a Christian Scout by how prepared you are?  What do you do in preparation for God-encounters along the road to your destiny? Please share your responses with the rest of us.

Nov. 21, 2013–Meditating on the Word

meditating God's wordKeep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night…do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Joshua 1:8)

Blessed is the one…whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water…(Psalm 1:1-3)

Both verses stress the high value of meditating on the word of God. The word in this instance is the Law as received by Moses. Joshua is called to meditate on this Law so he could be prosperous and successful as the successor to Moses.

Similarly, all who meditate on the Law are guaranteed to be like a tree planted by streams of water that bears its fruit in season, whose leaves do not wither. In other words, meditation on the word of God leads to a life of perpetual fruitfulness.

Quite a promise, wouldn’t you say? Who among us would not desire such a life? No one in leadership could turn down the opportunity to be successful as Joshua was, amen?

The key to such successful and flourishing lives is MEDITATION ON THE WORD.

Meditation in today’s world has come to signify something very different from what the Bible teaches.

Consider this definition from an online medical dictionary: Meditation is a practice of concentrated focus upon a sound, object, visualization, the breath, movement, or attention itself in order to increase awareness of the present moment, reduce stress, promote relaxation, and enhance personal and spiritual growth.

Contrast this with the meaning of the Hebrew word “hagah” that is translated “meditate” in the above verses: to roar, growl, groan, utter, murmur, mutter, speak.

Very different, isn’t it?

Quite often, meditation classes teach a person to empty their mind by repeating a syllable, such as the Hindu mantra “Om” or its equivalent.

Biblical meditation, on the other hand, focuses on filling our mind with the word of God.

Notice how Joshua was instructed to “keep this Book of the Law always ON YOUR LIPS.”

Clearly, this is a reference to speaking, not simply sitting in silence and focusing intently on an object.

For quite some time now, we have been meditating on Scripture passages such as Psalms 27 & 91 and using compilations of verses such as the one we provided in an earlier post: “Christian Speech Therapy.”

Dear DWOD friend, have you been practising Biblical meditation in this sense of the word? If yes, please share your experience with the rest of us.

If not, perhaps now is the time to get started. This way you too can experience the promises made in the first chapter of Joshua and Psalms—prosperity, success and perpetual fruitfulness—as you accelerate toward your destiny.