...I worried instead. Why should we pray when we can worry, right? Do you know the story about what happened back in the summer of 1876 when grasshoppers nearly destroyed the crops in Minnesota? You will not believe this!
So In the spring of 1877, farmers feared that the dreadful plague would strike again resulting in the destruction of their wheat crop for the second year in a row and bringing ruin on thousands of farmers throughout the state. The situation was so serious that Governor John S. Pillsbury proclaimed April 26 as a day of prayer and fasting. He urged every man, woman, and child to ask God to prevent this terrible tragedy. Schools, shops, stores, and offices were closed in observance of this day of prayer.
The following day dawned bright and clear. Temperatures soared above midsummer norms. The unusual heat persisted for three days, and the people were devastated to discover billions of grasshopper larvae wiggling to life. It appeared that the grasshopper plague would return and once again bring ruin to the wheat crops.
Surprisingly, the fourth day brought with it a sudden drop in temperature and the farmers woke the next morning to find that frost covered the ground. The result? Every single grasshopper larva died as surely as if they had been poisoned.
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. —Matthew 7:7
There is no doubt that God answers prayer. James 5:16b reads, “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Matthew 18: 19 – 20 states, “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
Prayer is powerful, but for some reason many Christians don’t invest in seeking God’s help through prayer. James explains in his letter, “You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (James 4:3)
God loves us and is waiting patiently to hear from us. He wants to hear about our struggles, our joys and even about the things in life we may consider mundane. Actually, a lack of prayer is a lack of Faith because if we really believed that God hears our prayers then our actions should show it, right? Simply, prayer is communication with God and is as easy as talking with a friend.
Today, God is inviting you to talk with him. It doesn't have to be formal, flowery, or perfect. It just has to be real, come on, tell God "where you at" He already knows anyway but when you say it you are showing faith in Him since you are talking to someone you can't see. Try it you will be glad you did.
CHECK THIS OUT: Prayer is a gift and a privilege from God to you. It is a way to connect daily with the God who created you. Make the time today to connect with Him.
READ THIS:Matthew 6:9–13; John 17; MAT 6:25-34
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
TRUTH -vs- TOLERANCE
According to Jesus in John 8:32 it is the truth that shall make you free. Tolerance has its place but many believe tolerance means that you no longer state when something is wrong or immoral and that is simply not true.
Can you really help someone by not being truthful to them regarding a practice or lifestyle that they are leading that is dangerous?
No, of course not yet the church today plays around with liberal concepts and even questions the authority of the Word of God in many aspects, while the world outside our doors is running all out into sin.
The truth can be painful at times yet when embraced, those wounds will lead to a permanent healing.
William Butler Yeats wrote in his poem, "The Second Coming," "The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity."
That is an accurate summary of the times in which we are living today: the worst have their passionate intensity, while the best lack all conviction, it should be the other way around, right?
So, when will we wake up?
When are we going to get out there and get the gospel to the world in truth? The world is chasing after wickedness like never before.
It is amazing how some people who believe in wicked, vile things will dedicate their entire lives to the promotion of those concepts. Meanwhile, there are so many Christians who know the Bible more than adequately, but won't even lift a finger to get the message of Christ out to someone who lives right next to them.
What is it going to take? We need to wake up to the urgency of the hour.A survey among evangelical Christians revealed that 95 percent of those polled had never led another person to Christ.
Yet Jesus gave us His marching orders. He said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you . . . " (Matthew 28:19-20).
This is an order from our commander-in-chief, and it isn't merely addressed to pastors or missionaries. It's addressed to every man or woman who names the name of Christ.
Be tolerant as you speak the Truth, compelled by Love.
Can you really help someone by not being truthful to them regarding a practice or lifestyle that they are leading that is dangerous?
No, of course not yet the church today plays around with liberal concepts and even questions the authority of the Word of God in many aspects, while the world outside our doors is running all out into sin.
The truth can be painful at times yet when embraced, those wounds will lead to a permanent healing.
William Butler Yeats wrote in his poem, "The Second Coming," "The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity."
That is an accurate summary of the times in which we are living today: the worst have their passionate intensity, while the best lack all conviction, it should be the other way around, right?
So, when will we wake up?
When are we going to get out there and get the gospel to the world in truth? The world is chasing after wickedness like never before.
It is amazing how some people who believe in wicked, vile things will dedicate their entire lives to the promotion of those concepts. Meanwhile, there are so many Christians who know the Bible more than adequately, but won't even lift a finger to get the message of Christ out to someone who lives right next to them.
What is it going to take? We need to wake up to the urgency of the hour.A survey among evangelical Christians revealed that 95 percent of those polled had never led another person to Christ.
Yet Jesus gave us His marching orders. He said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you . . . " (Matthew 28:19-20).
This is an order from our commander-in-chief, and it isn't merely addressed to pastors or missionaries. It's addressed to every man or woman who names the name of Christ.
Be tolerant as you speak the Truth, compelled by Love.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Why Are You Living Like This?
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
— Philippians 3:14
What should we do since we believe in and serve a God who is Truth, Holy, Righteous, Just, Good, and Loving? We should seek to lead lives that please Him.
Let’s start with truth, because God is truth, we, as His children, should be truthful. Proverbs 12:22 says, "Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal truthfully are His delight". Don’t you want to be someone that the Lord delights in? Like God, we should love truth and hate falsehood.
Because God is holy we should be holy. The apostle Peter wrote, "As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct" (1 Peter 1:15–16). So we are to seek to live a life marked by holy conduct.
Because God is righteous, we should be righteous. We should love anything that draws us closer to Him, and hate all that drives us from Him. Psalm 5:12 says, "You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield". As we learn to love righteousness (right living), He will bless and protect us.
In the same way, because God is good and just and loving, we should see those character traits in our own lives, right? You might say, "Well, Mr. Biggs, that's hard." I know it's hard. I need help, too (I know you guys find this hard to believe but I really do ;-) ). I admit that I cannot do it on my own. I recognize my weakness, I recognize God's power, and I abide and trust in Him to work through me through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Each day, I seek to do the things that help me grow and flourish spiritually. And I avoid the things that tear me down or hurt me spiritually, try it today, you will be glad you did.
Do you have a better goal for your life? I don't think so. May God help us to seek to be holy, to be righteous, to be truthful, and to honor Him in all that we say and do in the matchless, mighty name of our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen!
— Philippians 3:14
What should we do since we believe in and serve a God who is Truth, Holy, Righteous, Just, Good, and Loving? We should seek to lead lives that please Him.
Let’s start with truth, because God is truth, we, as His children, should be truthful. Proverbs 12:22 says, "Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal truthfully are His delight". Don’t you want to be someone that the Lord delights in? Like God, we should love truth and hate falsehood.
Because God is holy we should be holy. The apostle Peter wrote, "As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct" (1 Peter 1:15–16). So we are to seek to live a life marked by holy conduct.
Because God is righteous, we should be righteous. We should love anything that draws us closer to Him, and hate all that drives us from Him. Psalm 5:12 says, "You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield". As we learn to love righteousness (right living), He will bless and protect us.
In the same way, because God is good and just and loving, we should see those character traits in our own lives, right? You might say, "Well, Mr. Biggs, that's hard." I know it's hard. I need help, too (I know you guys find this hard to believe but I really do ;-) ). I admit that I cannot do it on my own. I recognize my weakness, I recognize God's power, and I abide and trust in Him to work through me through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Each day, I seek to do the things that help me grow and flourish spiritually. And I avoid the things that tear me down or hurt me spiritually, try it today, you will be glad you did.
Do you have a better goal for your life? I don't think so. May God help us to seek to be holy, to be righteous, to be truthful, and to honor Him in all that we say and do in the matchless, mighty name of our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Don't Bury Your Donkey When You Mess Up
But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”— Genesis 50:19-20
Have you heard the story about a farmer’s donkey that had fallen into an old, abandoned well? The farmer, unable to figure a way to get the donkey out of the well, decided to bury the donkey and cover the whole mess up. As the farmer shoveled dirt into the well, the donkey would shake the dirt off and take a step up. After a lot of shoveling, the donkey finally stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off.
Today, let’s look from the perspective of the farmer. While I’m not certain about the intelligence of donkeys, if I was the farmer, I wouldn’t be expecting much help from the donkey in the future. How would one try to convey to the donkey, “Oh, sorry about trying to kill you!”
To me, a moral from the story is that God is able to bring good from our errors. The farmer messed up in not filling up and covering the well in the first place.
It was his fault that the donkey fell into the well. What was the farmer’s solution to the problem? He decided to kill the donkey and cover the whole mess up!
Covering up for mistakes and sins, hmmmm, that sounds familiar. Fortunately, God is all-powerful, and He is able to do what we cannot. He is able to transform even the worst intentions into good outcomes. This doesn’t mean that we should expect God to remove the natural consequences for our poor decisions. In fact, I think He only rarely does this; however, because God is good, I believe He provides opportunities for some good to result.
Here’s a challenge for you today: When you realize you’ve sinned or otherwise messed something up, go straight to God. Ask Him to forgive you and always ask God to bring good out of every situation. Also, remember the words of Jesus after forgiving sin; “Go and sin no more.”
CHECK THIS OUT:
1. When have you recently tried to “bury the donkey” by covering up some sin, mistake or poor decision?
2. What good might result from admitting the wrong and addressing it head-on with God and others around you?
READ THIS: Genesis 45:1-11; 2 Corinthians 7:9-10; Romans 8:28
Have you heard the story about a farmer’s donkey that had fallen into an old, abandoned well? The farmer, unable to figure a way to get the donkey out of the well, decided to bury the donkey and cover the whole mess up. As the farmer shoveled dirt into the well, the donkey would shake the dirt off and take a step up. After a lot of shoveling, the donkey finally stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off.
Today, let’s look from the perspective of the farmer. While I’m not certain about the intelligence of donkeys, if I was the farmer, I wouldn’t be expecting much help from the donkey in the future. How would one try to convey to the donkey, “Oh, sorry about trying to kill you!”
To me, a moral from the story is that God is able to bring good from our errors. The farmer messed up in not filling up and covering the well in the first place.
It was his fault that the donkey fell into the well. What was the farmer’s solution to the problem? He decided to kill the donkey and cover the whole mess up!
Covering up for mistakes and sins, hmmmm, that sounds familiar. Fortunately, God is all-powerful, and He is able to do what we cannot. He is able to transform even the worst intentions into good outcomes. This doesn’t mean that we should expect God to remove the natural consequences for our poor decisions. In fact, I think He only rarely does this; however, because God is good, I believe He provides opportunities for some good to result.
Here’s a challenge for you today: When you realize you’ve sinned or otherwise messed something up, go straight to God. Ask Him to forgive you and always ask God to bring good out of every situation. Also, remember the words of Jesus after forgiving sin; “Go and sin no more.”
CHECK THIS OUT:
1. When have you recently tried to “bury the donkey” by covering up some sin, mistake or poor decision?
2. What good might result from admitting the wrong and addressing it head-on with God and others around you?
READ THIS: Genesis 45:1-11; 2 Corinthians 7:9-10; Romans 8:28
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