Two
passages from Scripture occupy my mind when I go to sleep at night! I want my
thinking to be in line with God. But two forces are at work: God’s word and the
world pushed by the devil!
Psalm 1:1-2
NKJV Blessed is the man
who walks
not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands
in the way of sinners,
nor sits in
the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his
law he meditates day and night.
So I push
for God’s order. I order my thinking on God’s plan and His way while I start to
slumber.
We should
make God’s word our delight and meditate on it consistently – day and night.
Two ways
always work in holding God’s word in our heart: to read or listen to God’s word
and to memorize it. My mother was firm on us learning good grammar. She was
intent on us knowing words and their meanings. She did not mean us to be word
smiths, but to use the English language that was for communication. She also
wanted us to know what God spoke. When I first became a Christian I heard
someone teach that we should make our first priority each day (if possible) to
spend some time in God’s word. But much later I had received the praying in
Tongues and I loved the time with God. I developed a prayer time and prayer
life to heeding His voice, not legalistically but because I love the spending
time with Him!
Now humility comes into play. We choose God and His word, His way through this life. We repent of any control issues we might desire and let Him have His way in our lives.
Some think
it’s too hard to memorize God’s word. But here is a simple way to get started: Write
one Scripture on a 3×5 card and read it 2 or 3 times every morning (or whatever
time of day is best for you) as the first part of your time with the Lord. Do
this every day. Each week after you can add other verses. For my husband and
myself, we choose headings that we want to be strengthen in like choosing life
that is satisfying in God, to Finish Strong, to know evil and apostasy and to avoid it and this
one on anger. Yeah, that anger thing can show up, but it will not have its way
in us!
Take in
God’s word, in whatever way is best for you: whether for healing, for spiritual
growth, for a rebellious nature, for faith, for when you are waiting on God,
for forgiveness, for sufficiency, or
that deed of inheritance!
Some prefer
to listen to God’s word. Some read it with pen in hand, underlining, jotting
notes in the margins. Some read study Bibles, Commentaries, and look up every reference. But
take God’s word in, and think about it. Relax in it!
Was hearing of this testimony of a man who drown. It was on the news at noon today, but I took note that he is a Christian. He had the day off, and went to his pool to meditate on God's word. He was along with his young sons, ages ten years and nine years old. All this man could remember was part of the Psalm and then nothing, but coughing and choking on blood and pool water. His sons had pulled him from the water, the elder doing CPR, of which he did not know. And the younger ran to the neighbors for help. The ambulance got there when this man was awaking from his son CPR work on him and they whisked him away. He was under care of a doctor for about 24 hours and then released. The boys had save their father and the father knew it was almighty God who used small hands to do a big work indeed.
So we look at giving thanks! 1 Thessalonians 5:18 …..”give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
Giving
thanks is paramount to staying close to God. Giving Him thanks in all
circumstances, not for all circumstances, for His is the wise and infinitely
loving.
We give
thanks, for it is His presence prevents deception or falsehood from taking hold:
Psalm 101:7 He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who
tells lies shall not continue in my presence.
We invite
the fear of the Lord to rest upon our community: Psalm 34:7 The angel of the
LORD encamps all around those who fear Him. He is to be the control tower. We
rely on Him, lean not to our own understanding, but in all our ways, we call on
Him, ask Him and He causes all things to work together for good for those who
love Him. We have had city dwellers come to try to infiltrate this tiny community, but we keep prayer going for God's goodness in the land of the living.
And we know
that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who
are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). We don’t have to thank God
for pain or tragedy or sadness, but we can thank him that even in the midst of
horrible things because He loves us and will somehow work all things for our good. But
even when God blesses us, or when life is going fine, we can so easily forget
to thank God for our blessings. So one of the spiritual disciplines for the
Christian life is to thank God every day. Being thankful for family, home and church body is a good start for being thankful and to remember God brought it altogether for you and for me. Being thankful you are alive today when so many are not alive to see the coming of the Lord. To be alive with a thankful heart to see a new year, your children or grandchildren growing and thriving, and to be a part of something good on earth as it is in heaven.
A Spiritual
discipline is praying His word: 1 Thessalonians 5:17 …pray without ceasing. Rejoice in hope, be
patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer (Romans 12:12).…do not be anxious
about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6). It’s hard to
overstate the importance of this spiritual discipline for the Christian life.
Prayer is simply asking God for help or strength or provision. And sometimes it
is all three that we ask for at once! All this is seen in the love of God who loved us first. ( 1 John 4:19)
You and I
should not worry or “be anxious about anything,” but bring all our needs and
concerns to our gracious Father, because he loves us. Humble yourselves,
therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt
you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you (1 Peter
5.6-7).
To humble
oneself is choosing to shift control tower to our Father for everything. Prayer
says, “Father, I need your help. I need your grace. I need you to provide for
me. To give me wisdom and strength. To lead and guide me with my children. Lead me in the work place and lead me where I am choosing the wrong path.”
Rather than
try to solve our own problems or relieve our own anxiety, we should cast them
on our Father. Why? Because he cares for us – He genuinely, truly cares for us.
Remember, a “discipline” is something we do regularly. So we do not wait until we are in trouble to pray. THIS we do every day: appears as a good pattern for prayer found in the Lord’s prayer. Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
There should be no hypocrisy when we pray. Prayer is to God, it is worship to His name, He is hallowed as we ascribe Him glory as we pray. We pray the reality of heaven on earth. We pray to communicate with Him His goodness and then we give our petitions.
For in truth, when we do this daily, we shift from oh please, help in this dire strait, to my trust is in YOU, I lean on You, I hear Your voice and it is You who will lead me in the way I should go. The doctor does not have all the answers nor does my our your spouse, but our Father does. He is He who holds us in His hand, so today our trust is in Him alone!
And another
wonderful spiritual discipline is that giving, you know the "tithe"! "On the first day of every
week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper,
so that there will be no collecting when I come" - 1 Corinthians 16:2
The heart plays a big role in this giving! It goes that “ whoever sows sparingly will
also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully”.
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under
compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace
abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you
may abound in every good work (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).
Oh the
spiritual discipline is a great one that is seen in freely and cheerfully
giving. A godly disciple is cheerfully done. As God commands, we obey and God
blesses those who do it. He promises “to
make all grace abound” to us, and meet our needs, that we “may abound in every
good work.” Even Paul, when speaking this was not about a church building, this
was about the poor in Jerusalem in the time of famine. It is famine and is
everyone giving? Certainly give to your church, but give to those as known as the poor.
Proverbs
19:17 says: Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will
repay him for his deed. And Jesus said:
“Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken
together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use
it will be measured back to you.”
So Jesus
commands us to give. It is in a sense, a “spiritual discipline.” But it brings
great rewards as Jesus said.
Another
Spiritual discipline is that serving! John 13:14-15 “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have
washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given
you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you “
Now in my
lifetime, we have been to a number of churches. And in each one they all came
to one agreement, and it was this: you were to help them! Yet, Jesus served His
disciples: given this in Mark 10:43-44 …whoever would be great among you must
be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.
Jesus served all the way to the Cross!
If a leader is not serving, then where will you see the example?
Leading
starts when we serve others without offense : Luke 6:39-42 nkjv
39 & He spoke a parable to them; “Can the blind lead the blind? Will
they not both fall into the ditch? 40 “A disciple is not above his teacher, but
everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. 41 “& why do you look at the speck in
your brother’s eye; but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42 “Or how
can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your
eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?
Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, & then you will see
clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
Now one of our teachers, loved sunglasses and also loved preeminence. But serving is a thing done in humility!
From
41-42…..that plank is anything that is an offense being held against
another….when our eyes are full of offense, then we have no focus on Jesus….and
we lose prophetic vision! The hypocrite
wears a mask: he does his own thing…, the disciple follows Jesus’ example, no matter
the person or their walk, doing for them as Jesus did for us….to serve…by
keeping our focus on the Lord……
Removing hindrances from our lives is important! No exertion: pastor is to serve you, teach you…serve as Jesus serves…This example Jesus gave of the Servant is of humility and self-sacrifice. We should not waste time by trying to manipulate others in what we should be doing. The qualified servant becomes the leader by two of listed characteristics. Jesus warned that the kingdom of God would be by serving.
The more we
obey Jesus’ commands to serve others, the more joy it will bring into our
lives. Jesus calls all of us to imitate him and serve others, whether we feel
like it or not, in the same way God calls us to regularly meditate on his word
and pray, though we will often not feel like it. We are to demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit in us! Our heart is to be set with the Father to stand against sin and speak of its destruction to man. For us to do less is giving no care. To do less marks the person who endeavor to having their own way, doing their own thing for the time allowed. But for us, we are followers of Jesus, born again to serve in His kingdom. Our priority is Jesus: the same yesterday, today and forever. We choose to take territory for Him in His name. No cheering from the sidelines but a part of the Lord's movement on earth, that church without walls. Committed to see His return to earth. His kingdom to be seen where people cheerfully give and rejoice at His word. We truly desire to see His glory in our lives. Come Lord Jesus, Come!
Two New teaching at: Voice of Prayer
The Fear of God
