Wake up America! 4-28-16

A.C.T.S Prayer #2

So the second letter in our prayer acronym is C. After we Adore God we need to spend some time in Confession. We need to keep ourselves confessed up to God of our shortcomings/sin before Him in out efforts to live a holy, godly life. If we have unconfessed sin in our lives it hinders out relationship with God, so we need to keep that wall knocked down.

We are reminded in God’s Word we all stumble:

James 3:2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

1 John 1:8-9 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The key to remember is found in the verse 9 above...if we confess....he will forgive and cleanse. That is what will keep our prayers from being hindered! Being cleansed before God! Than you Jesus for the cleansing power of your blood!

King David is a good example in the bible of one who confessed sin often to God.

Psalm 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

Psalm 51:4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

So confession needs to be a part of your daily communication with God. Don’t let unconfessed sin hinder you!

Tom

Don't let sinners entice you! 4-27-16

A.C.T.S Prayer

Prayer involves many aspects. Over the next couple days I want to help you with a tool that was shown to me me many years ago that I still use from time to time. When used it can be very helpful to make your prayer well rounded instead of just a request list. So let’s get to it. 

When praying it is best to start of with Adoration of God and that is what the A in A.C.T.S stands for....Adoration. Adoration is praise and worship of God for who He is. This is what Jesus did when He taught the disciples to pray and started by saying this:

Matthew 6:9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Hallowed means regarded as holy; venerated; sacred:

Do you take time in your prayers to praise and worship God because He is Holy, perfect, loving, merciful, provider, caring, pure, truth, life giving, eternal, salvation giver, and the list goes on and on! 

We are even told in His Word to praise Him:

Psalm 150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

We are also told to worship Him:

Psalm 100:2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

Psalm 96:9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.

When we start our prayers with adoration it takes your focus off yourself and places it on God where it truly belongs. So if this has not been a part of your prayer life it needs to be incorporated into it!

Give God praise and worship in your prayers for He alone is Worthy!

Tom

What is prayer???

Some of the thoughts shared here come from the book, The battle plan for prayer, by The Kendrick Brothers.

It is important to know what prayer is as many think it is a genie bottle for problems. That is far from a correct and full definition. 

Prayer is having deep fellowship with God in order to:

1. Know Him intimately, love Him, and worship Him. This is numero uno of what prayer is for! It fulfills the first part of the prayer Jesus gave us as an example for prayer in Luke:

Luke 11:2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name.

Get to know God better, deeper, and who He really is! Then we can glorify His name ever better!

Ephesians 3:17-19 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

May we worship God as He deserves!

Prayer is having deep fellowship with God in order to:

2. Understand and conform our lives to His will and ways.

When praying properly it will change us. God will reveal His ways to us through prayer and the Word and it will convict us and as followers we will change in obedience to King Jesus! 

Again referring to the Lord’s example prayer this time found in Matthew:

Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come, your will be done,

Key in on “Your will be done”, not what we want but what God wants! 

Prayer is about transforming us to be Christlike!

Prayer is having deep fellowship with God in order to:

3. To advance God’s Kingdom

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

What is the primary way to advance the Kingdom? By sharing the gospel and meeting the needs of others. That is why Jesus said:

Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Praying for things and others is not the primary purpose of prayer, although it has its place, prayer is about God!

From the Kendrick brothers, “When (prayer) becomes merely about accessing the provision or protection of God rather than knowing and pleasing the person of God, then we are getting off track.” I agree whole heartedly!

Prayer is all about God and glorifying Him!

Tom

Strain forward! 4-25-16

Light it up today! 4-22-16

Remember Jesus is our Mediator in prayer.

Because Of His shed blood and death upon the cross we have access to the Father only because of Jesus! So through our Mediator Jesus we can boldly now go directly to the Father in prayer! Thank you Jesus!

Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,

Before Jesus man had to go through Priests to God but now we go straight to God because of Jesus! This should make us stop and realize the holiness and awesomeness of God. Do not take going to God or living for God lightly....He is God and deserves ALL respect, honor, and worship!

So go to God in confidence! Knowing He loves His children.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Take time today and thank Jesus for being our Mediator to God! What an awesome privilege!

Tom

You were created for Jesus! 4-20-16

Remember who you are praying too!

When we are followers of Jesus/God overtime we may start to get in a dangerous place. That place is taking God for granted and treating Him like others. Meaning we don’t hold God above all and with the awe He deserves! We get to communicate, love, and follow God! May we never forget who He is!

May I remind you this morning of God from the scriptures:

Revelation 1:14-16 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.

Revelation 1:17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.”

Do not take prayer lightly!

Tom

Oh what a God! 4-19-16

Prayer is for God’s glory!

All our prayers primary focus should be for the glory of God! Have you ever thought about that? 

When make a request from God the primary result of the request should be to glorify God:

John 14:13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

What is the glory of God? It is the importance of God and the overwhelming power He has over everything, it is majesty and honor, it is His awesomeness and significance, it is identity, nature, holiness, kindness, and love all being unveiled to us. 

That is why we are told that in everything including prayer we are to give Him glory:

Psalm 148:13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For His name alone is exalted;
His glory is above the earth and heaven.

Isaiah 43:7 Everyone who is called by My name,
Whom I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”

Maybe when we thing about giving God the glory in prayer it may change the way we pray, looking more to Him and less to us!

Tom

Everlasting love 4-18-16

Let’s get ourselves in line!

I was sent this a couple weeks back. C.S. Lewis is one of my favorite teachers of the Lord and I found this to be very good and wanted to share it with you. Worth the time to read! God bless! Tom

The Trouble with X...


Excerpt from C. S. Lewis

I suppose I may assume that seven out of ten of those who read these lines are in some kind of difficulty about some other human being. Either at work or at home, either the people who employ you or those whom you employ, either those who share your house or those whose house you share, either your in-laws or parents or children, your wife or your husband, are making life harder for you than it need be even in these days. It is hoped that we do not often mention these difficulties (especially the domestic ones) to outsiders. But sometimes we do. An outside friend asks us why we are looking so glum, and the truth comes out.
On such occasions the outside friend usually says, "But why don't you tell them? Why don't you go to your wife (or husband, or father, or daughter, or boss, or landlady, or lodger) and have it all out? People are usually reasonable. All you've got to do is to make them see things in the right light. Explain it to them in a reasonable, quiet, friendly way." And we, whatever we say outwardly, think sadly to ourselves, "He doesn't know X." We do. We know how utterly hopeless it is to make X see reason. Either we've tried it over and over again--tried till we are sick of trying it--or else we've never tried because we saw from the beginning how useless it would be. We know that if we attempt to "have it all out with X" there will be a "scene", or else X will stare at us in blank amazement and say "I don't know what on earth you're talking about"; or else (which is perhaps worst of all) X will quite agree with us and promise to turn over a new leaf and put everything on a new footing--and then, twenty-four hours later, will be exactly the same as X has always been.

You know, in fact, that any attempt to talk things over with X will shipwreck on the old, fatal flaw in X's character. And you see, looking back, how all the plans you have ever made always have shipwrecked on that fatal flaw--on X's incurable jealousy, or laziness, or touchiness, or muddle-headedness, or bossiness, or ill temper, or changeableness. Up to a certain age you have perhaps had the illusion that some external stroke of good fortune--an improvement in health, a rise of salary, the end of the war--would solve your difficulty. But you know better now. The war is over, and you realize that even if the other things happened, X would still be X, and you would still be up against the same old problem. Even if you became a millionaire, your husband would still be a bully, or your wife would still nag, or your son would still drink, or you'd still have to have your mother-in-law live with you.

It is a great step forward to realize that this is so; to face up to the fact that even if all external things went right, real happiness would still depend on the character of the people you have to live with--and that you can't alter their characters. And now comes the point. When you have seen this you have, for the first time, had a glimpse of what it must be like for God. For of course, this is (in one way) just what God Himself is up against. He has provided a rich, beautiful world for people to live in. He has given them intelligence to show them how it ought to be used. He has contrived that the things they need for their biological life (food, drink, rest, sleep, exercise) should be positively delightful to them. And, having done all this, He then sees all His plans spoiled--just as our little plans are spoiled--by the crookedness of the people themselves. All the things He has given them to be happy with they turn into occasions for quarreling and jealousy, and excess and hoarding, and tomfoolery...

But... there are two respects in which God's view must be very different from ours. In the first place, He sees (like you) how all the people in your home or your job are in various degrees awkward or difficult; but when He looks into that home or factory or office He sees one more person of the same kind--the one you never do see. I mean, of course, yourself. That is the next great step in wisdom--to realize that you also are just that sort of person. You also have a fatal flaw in your character. All the hopes and plans of others have again and again shipwrecked on your character just as your hopes and plans have shipwrecked on theirs.

It is no good passing this over with some vague, general admission such as "Of course, I know I have my faults." It is important to realize that there is some really fatal flaw in you: something which gives others the same feeling of despair which their flaws give you. And it is almost certainly something you don't know about--like what the advertisements call "halitosis", which everyone notices except the person who has it. But why, you ask, don't the others tell me? Believe me, they have tried to tell you over and over and over again. And you just couldn't "take it". Perhaps a good deal of what you call their "nagging" or "bad temper"... are just their attempts to make you see the truth. And even the faults you do know you don't know fully. You say, "I admit I lost my temper last night"; but the others know that you always doing it, that you are a bad-tempered person. You say, "I admit I drank too much last Saturday"; but every one else know that you are a habitual drunkard.

This is one way in which God's view must differ from mine. He sees all the characters: I see all except my own. But the second difference is this. He loves the people in spite of their faults. He goes on loving. He does not let go. Don't say, "It's all very well for Him. He hasn't got to live with them." He has. He is inside them as well as outside them. He is with them far more intimately and closely and incessantly that we can ever be. Every vile thought within their minds (and ours), every moment of spite, envy, arrogance, greed, and self-conceit comes right up against His patient and longing love, and grieves His Spirit more than it grieves ours.

The more we can imitate God in both these respects, the more progress we shall make. We must love X more; and we must learn to see ourselves as a person of exactly the same kind. Some people say it is morbid to always be thinking of one's own faults. That would be all very well if most of us could stop thinking of our own without soon beginning to think about those of other people. For unfortunately we enjoy thinking about other people's faults: and in the proper sense of the word "morbid", that is the most morbid pleasure in the world.

We don't like rationing which is imposed upon us, but I suggest one form of rationing which we ought to impose on ourselves. Abstain from all thinking about other people's faults, unless you duties as a teacher or parent make it necessary to think about them. Whenever the thoughts come unnecessarily into one's mind, why not simply shove them away? And think of one's own faults instead? For there, with God's help, one can do something. Of all the awkward people in your house or job there is only one whom you can improve very much. That is the practical end at which to begin. And really, we'd better. The job has got to be tackled some day; and every day we put it off will make it harder to begin.

What, after all, is the alternative? You see clearly enough that nothing... can make X really happy as long as X remains envious, self-centered, and spiteful. Be sure that there is something inside you which, unless it is altered, will put it out of God's power to prevent your being eternally miserable. While that something remains, there can be no Heaven for you, just as there can be no sweet smells for a man with a cold in the nose, and no music for a man who is deaf. It's not a question of God "sending" us to Hell. In each of us there is something growing up which will of itself be Hell unless it is nipped in the bud. The matter is serious: let us put ourselves in His hands at once--this very day, this hour.

There can be a time when God will no longer listen! 4-15-16

Acts church devotion

Let us not forget what the first church thought about prayer and the results of their devotion to prayer. It is what we are to be about also as the church:

Acts 2:41-47 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

As they were steadfast or devoted to prayer among a few other things what was the result?

1. Fear of the Lord (soul)
2. Miracles being done
3. Fellowship of believers
4. Sold unneeded things and met needs of all the church. (Servants)
5. Worshipped daily at church together. (What? Go to church every day? oh my! sarcasm)
6. Praised God!
7. Had favor with all people not just other believers
8. God saved people daily which added people to His church.

How is the church doing in these areas? Maybe we don’t see God working as He can because we are not being the church the way He designed it to function! 
Pray brothers and sisters pray! Be the church!

Tom

God is greater! 4-14-16

If the church is devoted to prayer.....

In the book “Battle plan for prayer” by the Kendrick brothers we are told what happens when the individual and the church become devoted to prayer as we talked about yesterday. Here is what will happen:

1. The lost will become evangelized.

1 Timothy 2:1-8 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 

2. Discipleship will happen.

John 17:14-19 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

3. True fellowship will take place.

Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

4. Wise decisions will happen.

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

5. Obstacles will be conquered.

Mark 11:22-24 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

6. Needs will be met.

Luke 11:9-13 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

7. True worship will happen.

Acts 2:41-47 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

8. Revival will come.

2 Chronicles 7:14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

As followers of Jesus if all would get serious in prayer and obedience to God’s Word all these can and will happen. Are you ready? Are you devoted to prayer? Let’s do this brothers and sisters for the glory of God!

Tom

Beginning of knowledge. 4-13-16

Be devoted to prayer

Prayer is very important. Look at this verse:

Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Three points here:

1. Be devoted to prayer. Is it a priority in your life? It should be....no excuses. 
2. Be watchful. The devil is busy be on the lookout for his ploys. Also be on the lookout for God’s blessings of meeting our needs and His protections. 
3. Be thankful. Don’t let your prayers just be about asking for things, praise God for His goodness, mercy, grace, and provisions. Especially praise Him for salvation through Jesus!

Be devoted to prayer brothers and sisters and it is our life line to God!

Tom

Must follow teachings of Christ! 4-11-16

WHY STUDY THE BIBLE 4-11-16

David Platt is one of my favorite bible teachers. I wanted to share this with you all. Bible study for the follower of Jesus is a MUST!

Tom

WHY STUDY THE BIBLE

Why is Bible study so essential to the Christian life? David Platt gives three reasons . . .

1. Bible study is essential for spiritual growth.

"Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation." (1 Peter 2:2)

We need God's Word like a baby who needs milk. It's not just a need; we crave it. I love that word in 1 Peter 2:2. We crave it. We have a hunger for it. We want it. We need it for our spiritual lives. We want it, and we cannot grow spiritually without it. If we don’t give babies milk, then obviously they will be completely stunted in their growth. That's a picture of the church of Jesus Christ apart from the pure milk of God’s Word.

2. Bible study is essential for spiritual maturity.

"About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil." (Hebrews 5:11-14)

We need solid food even beyond the pure milk of God’s Word.

3. Bible study is essential for spiritual effectiveness.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

I love that phrase "All Scripture." All is useful. That includes Leviticus, Habakkuk, and Deuteronomy. Remember when Jesus was tempted three times in the desert by the devil–what did he do each time? He quoted from where? He quoted from Deuteronomy. What if your spiritual success this week was dependent on your knowledge of Deuteronomy? Scripture is the means by which we, not only get to know God, but also become useful in God’s hands. I am guessing that all of us have, at some point in our spiritual journey, wondered or thought, “I want to be more effective. I wish I could be more effective in my life for Jesus Christ.” The Word of God is the key for that. It is essential for spiritual effectiveness.

What do you have to praise God about? 4-8-16

Keep Fighting!

Somebody needs this song this morning! I can feel it. Listen to the words closely. King, set, match means Jesus has won! It also talks about Hope and Light which refers to Jesus! No matter what you are going through wth Jesus there is victory!

Tom

King and Country-It ain’t over yet

Who you are in Christ #1

Who you are in Christ #2

Use your gifts! 4-7-16

Who do you pray for?

We tend to have a certain few we pray for all the time. What does the bible tell us about who we should pray for?

1 Timothy 2:1-2

2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;
God says pray for all people(V2)....hmmm that should make us all do a little changing in our prayer lives! Not only for all people but in all places(V8). Why does God want us to pray for everyone in all places? Look at verse 4, because God desires all to be saved and know the truth! 

This will help our prayer life...if we are praying as God has taught us and we are praying for all in all places, our prayer life will be more like Jesus’s prayers. Have a love and concern for our fellow man and yes as the bible teaches even our enemies as God has said, He desires than none should perish but come to Him!

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Pray for all brothers and sisters in all places!

Tom

Good, Good, Father.

I had something else in mind to do today but God kept leading me back to this song. I need it but I also believe someone else needs to hear this today. God is an amazing Father, trust Him with all that life brings your way. Listen to the words of this song by Chris Tomlin and just give praise to the Lord this morning.

Tom

Are you in the book?

Sometimes others say it better than you can! Here is devotion from John Piper this morning:

The Books at the Judgment

All who dwell on earth will worship [the beast], everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. (Revelation 13:8)

Salvation is secured for all who are written in the book of life.

The reason that being written in the book of life secures our salvation is that the book is called “the book of life of the Lamb who was slain” (Revelation 13:8). The names in this book are not saved on the basis of their deeds. They are saved on the basis of Christ’s being slain.

So how then does the record of our lives contained in “the books” have a part in our judgment? The answer is that the books contain enough evidence of our belonging to Christ that they function as a public confirmation of our faith and our union with him.

Consider Revelation 21:27: “Nothing unclean will ever enter [the New Jerusalem], nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Here the result of “being written in the book of life” is not only not perishing, but not practicing detestable, sinful behaviors.
For example, consider the thief on the cross. Jesus said that he would enter paradise (Luke 23:43). But what will judgment be like for him when the books are opened? More than 99.9% of his life will be sin. His salvation will be secured by the blood of Christ.

Then God will open the books and will use the record of sin to glorify his Son’s supreme sacrifice, and he will use the last page to show the change that was wrought in the thief’s attitudes and words. That last page — the last hours on the cross — will be the public confirmation of the thief’s faith and union with Christ.
Therefore, when I say that what is written in the books is a public confirmation of our faith and of union with Christ, I do not mean that the record will contain more good works than bad works.

I mean that there will be recorded there the kind of change that shows the reality of faith — the reality of regeneration and union with Christ. That is how I enter the day, confident that my condemnation is past (Romans 8:3), and that my name is in the book of life, and that the one who began a good work in me will bring it to completion at the day of Christ.

Is your name in the book????? 

Tom