Prayer: Medicine For A Hurting Heart!

I would have to say, that the hardest teaching that the Lord gave to us, is found in Matthew 5:44-45. "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you, that you may sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust." 

Whenever someone hurts us, the natural tendency is to get even. By the use of harsh words, or hurtful actions, we seek to get our revenge. All of this stems from a heart that is full of hurt. And what Jesus tells to do here, goes against the grain of what we would really like to do, and that is to cause some hurt ourselves.

Have you ever read this admonition by Jesus and thought; How can people do this? How can I do this? The truth of the matter is, sometime in our lives, we have been hurt by people, and we have hurt people. Much of the time it's people that we have been very close to; both family and friends.

Jesus knew, that for the healing process to begin, the best medicine for the heart, is prayer. In the process of fulfilling the Lord's command to love our enemies, and to do good to those who hate us, prayer is the best thing that we can do. Even though it may take some time for the spiritual poison to leave our broken hearts, constant prayer is the best way to relieve the bitterness that keeps the heart sour, and in turmoil.

Prayer will take our broken heart to the person who knows how to mend it, and to help us to have a right perspective on our situation.
That person is Jesus. Have you been hurt today? Then take Jesus' advice, start praying. It will make a huge difference. Try it and see! GP

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Grow In Grace

 "...but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever." 
(2 Peter 3:18) 

A great building can tower into the air, only because of a firm foundation. And a great tree can reach out to the sky with it's branches, only because of it's deep roots. It is the same with the Christian life. The only way to have a strong vibrant Christian life, is to stand firmly in the grace of God, and grow in it.

The Apostle Paul said in Romans 5:2. "...through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." The Christian life is a developing life. From the time we step into the grace of God, (when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior) we grow into a strong, vibrant, mature, person in Christ.

The more we know the Lord Jesus Christ, the more we know God.
The more we put into practice the teachings of Christ, the more we will grow in wisdom and maturity concerning the Christian life. The more we hope in the promises of God, the more peace we will have concerning the future.

We are like a seed that has been planted in the soil of the grace of God. All that God has to offer us, and will do for us, is contained in the soil of grace. We come alive again from the death of sin, and we sprout to new life, and we blossom for all the world to see. All because the divine gardener, Jesus Christ, planted us in the grace of God, for all eternity.

I have seen the power of a seed, sprout and come up through the roughest ground. The grace of God is available to all, who want to live in the blessings of God! GP

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Having The Right Perspective

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ." (Philippians 4:6-7) 

When the "service engine soon" light comes on in your car, what is your response? For me, I become anxious.
I cannot wait to take the car to the mechanic, and see what the problem is. I have a tendency to think the worst. And not only that, I have a tendency to affect others with my anxieity. I become irritable, and short tempered. I am not the easiest person to be around. The question that keeps rolling around in my mind is: If it is a serious thing, what am I going to do? I lose the right perspective on this issue.

In our text, the Apostle Paul has the answer: Because we are in Christ, and He is taking care of us, we don't need to be anxious for anything. Yes, you may bring the need to God, and let Him have it. But keep in mind that in God's way, and in His time, everything will work out.
Let that peace, that is beyond our comprehension, guard our hearts from anxiety, frustration, and despair.

Instead of placing the focus on us, we need to keep our focus on how we can be a blessing to others, on behalf of Christ. If God has been faithful in the past, to help us through tough times, what makes us think, He will not be faithful again?

It is an easy thing to think the worst. And Satan knows that we struggle with such a thing. We need to always pray, and surrender every thing to God, and patiently wait, and see our awesome God go to work for us! GP

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To Live, Is Christ

 "For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21) 

What is your main focus in life? What are you mainly living for? For many it is for their family. For others it is for their work, their vocation. And then there are those who are mainly living to gain material wealth, and to live high on the hog (sort of speak) And then there are those who are just living to survive. No real lofty goals, just living, and getting by.

But what do you think of someone who says, their main goal in life, is to live for Jesus Christ? That nothing is more important than their personal relationship with Christ, and their desire to serve Him. Many would say this is radical, extreme. They are really out on a limb on this one.

But after the Apostle Paul became a Christian, and started preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, this is how he felt. In Philippians 3:8, he says: "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ..."
What Paul found was a deep inner peace with God, through Jesus Christ, and a greater fulfilled purpose for His life. Nothing of this world could equate with that.

No one can fulfill our needs, and bring to us the longings of our heart, better than Jesus Christ. What the world offers is only temporary, and never totally satisfying. But what the Lord Jesus brings, is eternally fulfilling and secure. Now this is worth living for! GP

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God Remains Faithful

"While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, And the cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, shall not cease." (Genesis 8:22) 

While we endure the remaining cold days of winter, this verse of Scripture reminds us that we are walking in the faithful care of God.

The first thing that Noah and his family did when they set their feet on the cleansed earth, was to worship the God who faithfully cared for them (Psalm 116:12-19, Romans 12:1-2)

 Even though man-kind continues to show an evil heart, God stays faithful to His promise to never destroy every living thing, as He did.
So while the earth remains, it will continue to produce the seed necessary for man-kind's survival. The seasons will continue through their cycle, and day and night will not cease.

 In all of this I see God saying to Noah, and to us today: "No matter what man-kind thinks or does, I am going to remain faithful to My word. I will continue to provide the necessary things, in order for man-kind to not only survive, but to thrive. 

I guess I use this phrase a lot: But God "has not left any stone un-turned"in regards to our care. He continues to take care of us physically and spiritually. The greatest need of man-kind is to have a Savior, to release us from our sin debt. God did that when He sent His only Son to be the sacrifice for our sins.

As winter walks into Spring, let us be encouraged, that the God who cared for us in the times of winter (trials) is the same God who will lead us to the green pastures of Spring and Summer (refreshment)
Yes, our awesome God remains faithful! GP

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Our Divine Role Model

 "Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." (Philippians 2:1-2) 

What is a model? Webster's New World Dictionary defines the word "model" as: "...a person or thing regarded as a standard of excellence, to be imitated."

 * "Christ is the model for Christian life and service because He thought first of others, not Himself. Do you look out for the interests of others, or do you think only of yourself? Do you have the servant attitude of Jesus Christ, willing to sacrifice for others? Will you empty yourself that others might be filled?"

 I would be bold to say that we don't have very many good role-models today. Of course that depends on who you are talking to, and what you are talking about. In the area of sports and entertainment, there are those who are looking up to sports icons and entertainers who live very immoral lives.

Peter gave the best answer to a question that Jesus asked, when many of the disciples that followed Him, walked with Him no more: "Do you also want to go away?" Peter's answer was: "Lord, to whom shall we go, you have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (John 6:68-69) There is no other one whom we can find our eternal security. No other one who we can imitate to help us to have the character that leads to unity, in the Christian community.

The answer may be simple, but to accomplish it will take discipline and work. To be like-minded, we must all strive to be like Christ! GP

 * Warren W. Wiersbe - With The Word - A Devotional Commentary - pp.779

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Planting Your Spring Garden

One of my family members placed this on Facebook, and I thought it had a good message.

This is a garden that all of us should put in:

 Planting Your Spring Garden



For The Garden Of Your Daily Living Plant Three Rows Of Peas
1. Peace of Mind.
2. Peace Of Heart
3. Peace Of Soul

Plant Four Rows of Squash
1. Squash Gossip
2. Squash Indifference
3. Squash Grumbling
4. Squash Selfishness

Plant Four Rows of Lettuce
1. Lettuce Be Faithful
2. Lettuce Be Kind
3. Lettuce Be Patient
4. Lettuce Really Love One Another

No Garden Is Complete Without Turnips
1. Turnip For Meetings
2. Turnip For Service
3. Turnip To Help One Another

To Conclude Our Garden We Must Have Thyme
1. Thyme For Each Other
2. Thyme For Family
3. Thyme For Friends.

Water Freely With Patience And Cultivate With Love.
There Is Much Fruit In your Garden Because You Reap What You Sow.(Galatians 6:7)
Pass It On!!

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"...How Much He Must Suffer..."

'But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to hear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake." (Acts 9:15-16) 

If you knew that the job you were called to do contained a lot of suffering and trial, would you do it? There are people who have had delusions with the Christian life, and with Christian service. They had the idea that once they became Christians, and got involved in Christian ministry, that life would be so much better. Life would be free of the trials and turmoil they experienced when they were living for the world.

Jesus said: "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) 

When Jesus called the Apostle Paul to be a messenger to the Gentile world, he told Ananias that Paul would suffer for His name. When we read the book of Acts, and see the activity of Paul in his missionary work, we see that He endured a great deal of suffering. And in the end, he was killed for his good fight of faith.

The Christian life, and the work of Christian ministry, is never easy.
But we find our joy, peace, and eternal hope, in the Lord Jesus Christ.
He has overcome the world, and He will help us to be victorious, over all that we face in this life.

For Jesus, there was the cross to bear, for all man-kind. But on the other-side of that cross, was eternal victory. It will be same for us,
if we remain faithful, and trust Jesus for the strength we need, to endure. GP

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Fake News? Or The Good News?

"Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32) 

We hear a lot today about what is called: "fake news" What is "fake news?" "Fake news is any article or video containing untrue information disguised as a credible news source. While fake news is not unique to the Internet, it has recently become a big problem in today's digital world. Fake news typically comes from sites that specialize in bogus or sensationalized stories."(Google.com) 

Everyday we face what the media throws at us, and it's hard to determine what is fact, and what is fiction. I am so glad that when it comes to the information that is helpful for our Christian walk, it is all true, and not deceptive.

To know that the Gospel, and all that it contains about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is not "fake news" but "good news"is a great encouragement.

Jesus instructed those Jews who believed in Him, that if they would abide in His Word (stay in His Word) they would indeed be true disciples. They would be learners of the truth. And that truth, when received and applied, would bring freedom to their lives. In God's Word, there are principles that will help free us from sin, guilt, fear, and self, and will give us certainty and security, as we journey through this life.

A constant feeding upon the Word of God, will help us to stay on the path of righteousness, peace, and hope. We can be thankful that what we need for our spiritual health, is not fake news, but the "Good News of Jesus Christ!" GP

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This Is The Way We Do Things Around Here

 "And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question." (Acts 15:1-2) 

Since the early Church came out of Jewish culture, with it's Jewish customs, there was the problem of leaving behind some of the practises that God had required in maintaining Jewish identity, and practice. Circumcision was one of those customs, (that according to some of the Jewish Christians) had to be apart of the requirements, for the Gentile people in becoming Christians.

In their defense, they had been bred up in the observance of it, all of their lives. It's as if they were saying: "This is how we do things around here." They embraced their faith in Jesus Christ, but at the same time, they were zealous for the law. In time it was made known, that the Gentile people were not to have the burden of keeping the law, but to place themselves under the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, for their salvation. (Acts 15:8-11)

They were to leave behind the things of their culture that was offensive: They were to" abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from eating meat of strangled animals and from blood." (Acts 15:20)  

As Christians, we are to stand together on the teachings of Christ, concerning our salvation, and Christian walk. It must be what Jesus says, not what men say. There must be humility, concern, and understanding, in helping one another to come to agreement on what Jesus teaches us.

Too often the church is hurt, because of the attitude: "It has to be done the way I think it should be done, around here!" GP

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Is Jesus, King Of Your Life?

"And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 
(Luke 23:38) 

*Two times, Jesus is referred to as 
"The King Of The Jews." in His earthly life. 
First at His birth by the wisemen (Matthew 2:2) and second, at His trial, prior to His crucifixion (Mark 15:2) All four gospels record the words "King of the Jews" as part of Pilate's instructions to an angry mob (Matthew 27:37, Mark 15:9, Luke 23:38, John 19:3) And Pilate's direct address to Jesus (Matthew 27:11, Mark 15:2, Luke 23:3, John 18:33)" (*Gotquestions.com) 

In John 19:19-22, Pilate had written a title, and placed it on the cross.
It was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, the three learned languages of that day. The chief priests were not happy with this title, and said that it should read: "He said, "I Am King Of The Jews". Pilate stood by what he wrote as the title, that hung over the cross.

In Revelation 19:16 the Apostle John wrote: "And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." The placard at the top of the cross was a message of mockery. But the title shown on Jesus' rope and thigh, is a title of ultimate Lordship, and Power.

But the question for us as Christians today is: "Have we made Jesus the King of our lives?" He is Lord of all creation, over all the universe, over the whole world. But is He Lord and King of our lives? Have we totally submitted our lives to His authority and care? Or are we making a mockery again of the title they placed on the cross, by being hypocritical in our commitment to Him, in this life He has called us to.

It's not just a a decision we make with our lips, and then place it aside. It  is a decision that we live out every moment of our lives! GP 

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How Long, O Lord?

"How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?" (Psalm 13:1-2) 

When we are going through a time of trial, one of the hardest parts of the experience, is waiting for the Lord to deliver us. The nation of Israel was in bondage 400 years, before the Lord delivered them from their slavery, and oppression in Egypt. In those times of enduring, we may feel like our waiting has been like 400 years.

In our text, David expresses the feeling of abandonment, that many of us have felt in times of trial. He asks the questions that we ask: God are you forgetting me? Are you hiding your face from me? How long do I need to be counseled in my soul? How long will I have sorrow in my heart? How long will you let the enemy have his way with me? You can just feel the anxiety and frustration in David's words.

The answer to the question of "How long?" is: We don't know how long it will be before deliverance and victory is ours in the Lord.

But David sets an example for us, that in our waiting time in trial, we can come before the Lord, humbly, and sincerely, and pour out our heart to Him. We can be honest about how we feel, and share our deepest concerns. David knew that God was alright with this.

We may not understand why God takes the time that He does, but we can understand, and take comfort in the fact that God cares for us deeply, and has not forgotten about us.

 As Psalm 121 reminds us that God is our keeper. He is our Shepherd, and we must trust that His leading is best. Would we want it any other way? GP

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Taking Up Our Cross!

"And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me." (Matthew 10:38) 

In the time that Jesus spoke these words, his hearers knew full well what a cross was. *"When the Roman General, Varus, had broken the revolt of Judas of Galilee, he crucified two thousand Jews, and placed their crosses by the wayside, along the roads to Galilee.
In the Ancient days the criminal did actually carry the cross-beam of his cross to the place of crucifixion, and the men to whom Jesus spoke had seen people staggering under the weight of their crosses, and dying in agony upon them."

The cross meant extreme suffering and death for those who were victims of war, or criminals who were punished for their crimes.
As Christians today, we cannot fathom what severe humility, and agony this experience held. But we take from Jesus words here, that to be His followers, we must be willing to go through whatever suffering comes our way, for His sake, or we are not worthy of Him.

I have asked myself this question many times: "Am I willing to suffer, and die for Jesus, if called upon? How far will my love go for Him?
It is a very serious and solemn question. To be a martyr for Jesus. Could I do it? It means more than crucifying the old lifestyle, or putting to death the old sinful person. Taking up our cross, means being willing to lay down our life for Him, if need be. Do we love Jesus that much?

"Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You! and said all the disciples." (Matthew 26:35) and yet Peter denied Him three times.

To come to the cross for salvation, is essential, and to take it up, as we journey through this life, is required as well. There is no getting around it. But in loving Jesus totally, why would we not want to? GP

 * William Barclay.

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The Place Called Calvary

"And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals. one on the right hand and the other on the left." (Luke 23:33)

 I remember as a young boy, seeing for the first time, a picture (actually a painting) of the crucifixion. All that the painter conveyed in that horrible scene, really tore at my heart.

*The name "Calvary" occurs only once in our text (Luke 23:33) It comes from the Vulgate, where the Latin "calvaria" translates the Greek "kranion": Both words translate Aramaic "gulgota", the "Golgotha" of Matthew 27:33 meaning "skull" Three reasons for such a name: First, because skulls were found there. Second, because it was a place of execution. And third, because the site, looked like a skull. The place of Calvary was outside of Jerusalem, probably not far from the city gate.
As people came in, they could see the executions that took place.

But the most significant thing about Calvary, is that it was there, that Jesus died to pay for the sins of the world (including my sins, and your sins) It was there that He made the ultimate sacrifice to win the battle over sin, and eternal death. To be spiritually restored, and have the eternal blessings God has in store for us, we must come to Calvary,
and lay everything at the foot of the cross.

To say goodbye to the world, and yes to God, and His grace, through Jesus, His Son.

"At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away. It was there by faith I received my site, and now I am happy all the day." (Isaac Watts, Ralph E Hudson)  

*Contributions from Eerdmans - New Bible Dictionary.

Photo: Dr. Arshad Febray