"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Our Just Judge


This past week we have been going through lessons 16-18 in a wonderful OT Bible curriculum called “The Roots of Faith”.  And this week we studied story of the Tower of Babel, God’s promises to Abram, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. 

The story of God’s destruction of Sodom was quite fascinating as well as sobering.  Through it we came to see four attributes of God – He is Holy, Merciful, Just and Longsuffering.  (Wayne, this is the skinny)

But in our study of this particular story in scripture, we saw God as the just judge, always judging in the most fair and just way.  Listen to what the LORD says before He goes down to Sodom and Gomorrah – “Then the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.” (Gen. 18:20-21, ESV)

So I asked the students how they saw God as being just in this passage.  Their answer, “well just as a judge will take into account what is being said about the one on trial, he will also take into account what he discovers about the one on trial.”  A man is tried by his actions as well as tried by what others say about his actions.   And God is showing us that even though He knew Sodom’s actions, He heard the accusations about this wicked city and He was personally, as judge, going down to observe for Himself the actions of these people.

I take great comfort in knowing this.  We have a just judge who will not only hear the accusations but will look on the matters Himself.  Do you know there is one who accuses us every day?  He is called the “accuser of the brethren” and is consistently calling up the wrong we have done or even falsely accusing us.

God then looks on every accusation that is made about me and when He comes to look on the matter concerning me (or anyone who has placed their trust in Jesus) He only sees His Son and the righteous payment His Son made through His blood for us.  He just does not hear the accusations and acts on them.  He is the just Judge who fully investigates any and all complaints.  

Praise the Lord for our great God and just Judge.  Praise the Lord for our great High Priest and Advocate, our Lord Jesus Christ.

(This also causes me to pause and pray for a dear friend, Ron, who is just in all his work as a lawyer.  His dad, Don, has had some serious health problems lately and this brings to mind to pray for him.  And Ron just sent me a note about another friend who is getting a double lung transplant and would welcomes the petition of the saints.)

The Manner of God's Love


For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not parish but have everlasting life.  John 3:16

This week I have been thinking about the conversation that Jesus had with Nicodemus and this is one sentence in Jesus’ discussion that has been used probably more than any other New Testament verse in the Bible and yet remains as mysterious as the day Jesus uttered it.  Most English translations are similar to the one above – “God so loved the world…” and many who share this verse think of the “so” as “so much” or the volume of God’s love– therefore the idea would be – “God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son…”  Now it is possible that this is meaning but more likely the “so” means – “in this manner” or “in this way”.  If this is the case, the verse would go something like this – “God loved the world in this manner, He gave His only Son…”   The manner in which God showed His love or demonstrated His love or communicated His love is in the sacrifice of His one and only Son.  The Son who said, “I have come to do the will of my Father.”  The Son who is the only expressed image, exact representation, the “carbon copy” of the Father.  The Son who was the only one honored by the Father when He said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”   This is the One who was in the Beginning with God, who was with God, and who was God.  This is the One who did exactly as He had been instructed by the Father and did as He saw the Father do.  This ONE is God in the flesh, God with us, God the One and Only. 

And in this manner God loves the world – He sacrificed this ONE for someone like me?  For someone like you?  For someone like the people in this world?  This does not compute in our economy.  If I had the rarest, most brilliant, largest cut, and purest diamond in the world would I trade that diamond in for a diamond or diamonds less in value?  If you had the best or perfect of anything, would you give that up for anything that was of less value?  But we see in this verse that God loved the world in this manner – He gave up the ONE who was dearest, perfect, and of greatest value for something (someone) less.  He gave His Son for us.  This is a mystery and this is glorious and this is humility and this is love and this is only God. 

When I think on the way God loved us, I am changed in every way.  How could He love a wretch like me in this way?  How could He have his most Precious sacrificed for by far less significant sinners like you and me?  From man’s economy this would not add up.  But I am so thankful for God’s economy, an economy that we may never fully comprehend.  Who is like our God and who can compare to Him?  No one will ever figure Him out and all will rejoice in Him and praise and thank Him forever more.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Thank Jesus Day

It has been a while since I last wrote on this blog (because of my lack of tech skills somehow I was not able to get to my blog site - tried every sequence and nothing worked so I say, "thank you Lord, for you work out all things for good." Romans 8:28) But today, somehow, I was able to log on. (Deirdre), the one who set up this account for me, would be pleased to know that I was able to finally figure it out - if only I can remember the sequences...
Today is Thanksgiving day, a holiday, as one of my previous Pastors (Tom) would say was his favorite holiday because it is the only holiday that has not been totally secularized, although recently I have been hearing more people call the holiday "Turkey Thursday". It is a day in which we as a nation give thanks and in giving thanks we bare as a people a virtue that will go on forever because, for those who love Him, we will forever give Jesus our thanks for saving us (Phil. 2:9-11) and conforming us to His Holy image (1 Pet. 1:14-16).
Today is a day that the Reddings especially give thanks, for a year ago I had just gone through cancer surgery and was in NYC with my family (Lynda, Bethany, Kenny, Meredith and Alex.) We had a thanksgiving meal at a restaurant (Luka's) just 2-3 blocks from hospital. What a wonderful meal the Lord provided that day through the people (Jose and waitress from Poland) who worked at that cozy restaurant.
A whole year and what a year. Too much to say in a short space as this. God is gracious and mighty and continues to do amazing things day in and day out. So today, I want to declare it "Thank Jesus" day. He deserves all the glory and to Him all praise. He is so worthy. As I go through my greetings today, I want to remind myself where our thanks is going today as well as any and every day.
Thank Jesus for the breath that He has given us to breath today.
Thank Jesus for the food that He has provided for us to eat today.
Thank Jesus for the family and friends that surround us today.
Thank Jesus for the health and strength that He sustains us with today.
Thank Jesus for the new life that He has imparted to us today.
Thank Jesus for the way He does work out all things for good and for the Father's glory today.
Thank Jesus for the joy we experience knowing that He is with us where ever we go today.
Thank Jesus for the Holy Spirit who continues to remind us, teach us and convicts us through His word today.
Than Jesus for His soon return for us, His bride, His people, His church.
Thank Jesus...
"I love you Jesus and am truly thankful and grateful for YOU. You are my strength, my song, my life, my all. You have saved me and all those who have called on your name as You promised in Romans 10:13. Words fall so short in our gratitude for all that You have done, are doing and will do. To You be glory and honor and blessings forever, Amen."

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Our God Hears us!

Psalm 65:2- "O You who hear prayer..." As I read Psalm 65 this morning, I was able to reflect on this - Our LORD hears prayer. No gods or idols hear. They can not hear. They are deaf and mute. There is no power in them to do anything. But our God - He hears our prayer. An not only does He hear our prayer, but He atones for our transgressions (vs. 3). No gods or idols can atone for transgressions. They can not even move or cause anything to move. They are still. But our God atoned once and for all for not only one sin but for the sin of the world (John 1:29). Not only does our God hear and atone for sin but He also preforms awesome deeds (vs. 5). Vs. 7 speaks of Him stilling the roaring seas and waves. No god, idol or man has this kind of ability. Only our God and we read in Mark 4:35-41, Jesus doing the very thing Psalm 65:7 speaks of. No god or idol is like our GOD. And it is to God, we run to every day to hollow His name, looking for His return, desiring His will, supplying our daily needs, forgiving our sin, leading us not into temptation (and leading us into the paths of righteousness) and delivering us from evil. This is our God who hears us.
"Thank You Father for hearing our cry. Evening and morning and at noon hear our prayers (Ps. 55:17) and we thank You in advance for doing the impossible day by day. We love You because You first loved us. Amen"

Monday, July 30, 2012

His Unfailing Love

I have been musing over the importance of reading and studying the word of God these past few months (as I prepare also for the Jr. High Bible classes). And one thing that keeps coming to mind as I read the scriptures is there must be a desire to be in His word. We can read out of duty, but that is kind of odd. Would I say I spend time with my wife because I feel like it is my duty? Of course not, I spend time with her because I can hardly think of a better way to spend the day. I long to have moments with my bride. So it is with the word of God. Time in His word is spending time with Him.
Jesus put it this way, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." (Matt.5:6) Desire is vital to having a good start to reading and studying the Bible.
Today as I was reading Psalm 143 (vs. 8) I stumbled upon another reason for remaining in His word daily. Listen to this verse and then think about it for a moment - "Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love,..." (Now think about this before reading on. What might you find a bit peculiar about his words to God?)
David had found himself between a rock and a hard place. If God were to judge him (or any man) he could not stand, for no living man is righteous in God's sight (vs. 2). On the other hand, he had his enemy breathing down his back, ready to wipe him off the face of the earth (Vs.3). This rock and hard place caused David to do the only thing David knew how to do when facing impossible situations - Call on the LORD. That is what Psalm 143 is - his prayer to God in the midst of this dilemma.
Think again now upon David's request. "Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love..." "Unfailing love", he is talking to the promise keeping God who would never fail or never break His promise. He is talking about a love that is promised and never to fail. He knows that God's love is there. So why would he have to hear, the first thing in the morning, of God's unfailing love?
We are relational beings created by God almighty who is relational and created us to have a relationship with Him (Gen. 3:8-9). We know He loves us, but to hear it... again. That is sometimes like rain falling on the sun baked ground (vs.6). It is refreshing and invigorating. And sometimes we just need to hear it once again. Not that we do not believe it, but that it restores and replenishes us.
Think of parallels to this fact. Dad and Mom, they love you, but isn't it good to hear that from time to time. Brothers and sisters, they love you, but isn't it good to get it straight from their mouth. Friends and kin, they love you, but isn't it good to get a note or word from them. We all desire to hear the obvious and be reminded of the truth. We somehow forget or think that the other has forgotten and when we hear those words - "I love you" we are ready for whatever is next.
Take time today to be in our Lord's word today. It is something you don't want to miss. Thank Him too for giving you a hunger to be in His word (whatever the reason may be.)

Friday, June 1, 2012

To Be With Jesus

All through the years of our walk with the Lord, we are reminded that He will always be with us. This is a comforting truth and we can find this truth in many places in the Bible but one in particular if you ever doubt is Matt. 28:20..."I am with you always..." As I was praying this morning for our Lord Jesus' soon return, I was reminded that all this time (since He ascended up into heaven, Acts 1:9) He has been preparing a place for us. Wow, what a place that will be! But in His words to His disciples He said something that caught my attention this morning. Listen to the words of our Lord Jesus (just before He went to the cross to sacrificially die for sins.) John 14:1-3 - "Do not let your hearts be troubled, you believe in God, believe in Me. In my Father's house are many dwelling places, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again to take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. Someday, we will experience being with Him as He has always been with us.

The good news (The Gospel) is that Jesus died for our sins and that He rose again. His death is often highlighted in the proclamation of the gospel and sometimes you have to really listen to hear of His resurrection. But both are the ingredients of the gospel. We rejoice in the fact that our sins are permanently removed and we have great hope that one day our bodies will be raised from the dust of the earth to be with God forever more. What a day that will be and the day all creation groans for. For now, to be absent from the body (death) is to be present with the Lord. (2 Cor. 5:8)

Today, I pray that our Lord Jesus would come. For when He comes we shall not all sleep, but in a moment, in the twinkle of an eye, we shall be changed. (1 Cor. 15:52) This is our hope, this is our joy in the midst of trials and suffering. One day we will be with Him whether in spirit or in body, but when He comes again, for sure that day we will be with Him in body.

"Thank you Lord Jesus for promising us that You will always be with us and for giving us the hope that when we leave this land of the dying we will forever be with You. Amen"

Thursday, April 5, 2012

"If You can?"

“If You can?” (Mark 9:23,NIV)

(Mark 9:1-13) 3 disciples just witnessed the future resurrection as they saw Jesus transfigured before their very eyes. They did not understand the significance of the moment as they watched Moses and Elijah (the embodiment of the Law and the Prophets) talk with Jesus. We too loose sight of the future resurrection that awaits all those who have placed their confidence in Jesus.

But as they were coming down from this “mountain top” experience they were faced with the hardness of hearts again. Jesus had earlier chosen His disciples for three reasons: to be with Him, to preach the good news, and to cast out demons. Now if Jesus tells us to do something, we should be sure that not only are we suppose to do it but He will give us the strength, power, wisdom and faith to accomplish His task. But somehow the disciples lost sight of this and it was causing others to loose faith in the Savior too.

Case in point. The disciples could not cast out a stubborn demon in a young man. The father of the young man brought the case to the disciples, but the disciples were unable to complete what the Lord set them out to do.

Now the man is standing before Jesus saying something that you and I will only find in this case. The man says to Jesus – “…if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

“If you can do anything?” What is this odd statement in our almighty and all knowing Savior’s ears? “If you can do anything?” What does He do with this? Many have come to Him with their “impossible situations” and seen Him do way beyond what they could have imagined. Over and over again in the scripture it is not “If You can”, but more often, “If You will.” Now that is more like the question someone should ask.

“If you can” is questioning His authority and His power. “If you will”, gives Him the rightful authority and power to do whatever He so desires to do. “If you can” sounds similar to the words of our Lord’s adversary, Satan, who came and said, “If you are the Son of God…” “If you can”, sounds like the Pharisees and the mockers, “show us something, if you can or if you are the Son of God.”

Now this man was not mocking or even acting as an adversary. But the hardness of the disciples’ heart weighed in on this man’s impression of the Lord Jesus to the point, that he was still running to the Lord Jesus, (which was the only right thing to do), but with doubts about what the Savior could really do.

How are you running to the Lord today? Is it a matter of “if You can” or “If You will”. “If You can” is stretching you to the point of wanting your will to be done. “If You will” is demonstrating your submission to His will with all confidence that He will do what is best.

O Lord Jesus, today is another day in which we get to see Your mighty hand at work in this world. May we point everyone that we come in contact today to You, the One who can do all things and will do only that which is according to the Father’s will. Thank you for saving us and for causing us to run to You about anything and everything. Your will be done in all these things. We love You and look to You, the Author and Finisher of faith. Amen

PS. The man in Mark 9 saw Jesus drive the demon out of his son. Even though he came to Jesus with doubts, he came to Jesus. Run to Jesus.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Saturated in Trusting God

Romans 4:19 … he did not consider his own body…

I love this small passage from Romans 4 – let me give the contexts: Paul was teaching the Roman Church about the righteousness that comes about through faith and he was using an earthly illustration to demonstrate what that looks like. He was basically saying that Abraham was picture of someone who pleased God (just think about that for minute – pleasing God) by simple faith.
“And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory (honor) to God, being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

This is how the Lord wants us to live life daily. “Take no thought of your life, what you will eat; nor about your body, what you will put on …. And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” (Luke 12:23, 25) A life saturated in trusting God is so fun to live because all the work is His and we get to enjoy watching Him do that which only He can do.

We are tempted at times to take our faith filled eyes off of Jesus (who is the author and completer of our faith) and to place them on our circumstances or on our abilities or even inabilities. In times of waiting (as Abraham waited 25 years) we are tested and the faith that He has placed in our hearts becomes more and more grounded. It is not anymore, “can He do something”, but more of “when He will do something.”

I have a dear friend (another brother, David) who has been given great faith from our Lord. He has been waiting, “not considering his own body”, for almost a year with a broken toe that has kept him from work. He has confidence in the Lord’s time, things will work out – “But it is His time and waiting on Him is worth it.” I love the picture of faith that David paints for me as I watch him from a distance (he is on the other side of the United States). The Lord has not given me that kind of faith yet. I had cancer and now I don’t. David has had a broken toe and he still has a broken toe. His faith continues to be fortified as He waits on the Lord.

Thank you David for teaching me to wait on the Lord. Thank you for teaching me not to be concerned about myself with my situation. You are living example, my brother, of an individual saturated in trusting God.

Thankful (Post 3 Month Check up)

Romans 1:21…they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him…. (ESV)

Paul was explaining to the church at Rome that the world goes about their affairs – without ever bringing honor to God (even though they are aware He exists) and they certainly do not pause to thank Him even when He sends showers of blessings upon the them (Mat. 5:45).

As we were making our way back to NYC last week, we did not want to reflect our sinful human nature nor the world around us. We love the Lord Jesus and are very aware that He is with us in the course of whatever we go through and that He has reasons for doing what He does, and we do not need to know His reasons. We trust Him and will continue to trust Him.

We had asked the Lord to tune our hearts to honor Him through all that we do and give Him thanks for all that He causes to happen to us. This past Friday, the Doctor reported that the cancer has not returned and it was not necessary for me to have another test concerning cancer until 6 months from now. Our Lord Jesus is honored and we responded with gratitude as we saw that He has taken away the cancer.

Lynda and I are grateful for the body of Christ, the Church, you who have called on the Lord for us. We know the Lord’s will is being accomplished in our lives as you pray and as He does what only He can do. Please continue to pray for us as we share the love Jesus with people we come in contact with and use the past experience with cancer as an opportunity to call others to recognize His mighty hand at work and to thank Him. Please pray that we would speak boldly and with wisdom, saying what He would only want us to say.

We love you all and will let you know how the Lord continues to work out all things for His honor and glory and for our good.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Beguiling My Heart

Act 23:5 … You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.
(Paul used this OT verse when he was told that he had reviled a God’s high priest – Ananias. He had said something that offended Ananias and Ananias commanded the guard beside Paul to strike him on the mouth. Paul spoke out not knowing that he was in the presence of the high priest and then apologized with saying; “I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”)

How many of us savor a good “clean” joke about our President? You know the one that shows up from a Christian brother or sister in your email box. “This is the best one yet!” Not knowing what good news is in store in that email, but trusting that person, you open the email and it a blistering joke or slanderous cut on President Obama.

This past week, in the Jr. High Bible class, we read from Mark 7:9-13 - 9 And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ 11 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God), 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.” (NIV)

I posed this question to the class; “How does your generation go about circumventing God’s will and command to honor your parents.” They gave some fascinating answers.

“When mom tells me to do the dishes, I say, ‘I have homework to do’, thus beguiling my own heart. I have just placed doing homework above honoring my parents.”

“When my parents say be home by 9pm and my friends say there is a great movie showing but it gets over at 9:15pm. I show up late at home because I wanted to see the end of the movie. I just beguiled my heart in placing the value of seeing the end of a movie over honoring my parents.”

“Dad says for me to stop talking on the phone (meaning turn off the phone) for it is time to go to bed. I go into my bedroom, start texting my friend that I was talking to and may even email, when my dad requested me to go to bed. I have beguiled my heart in thinking communicating with my friend is more important than honoring my dad.”

The illustrations continued to pop like popcorn, convicting all of our hearts more and more as we contemplated on how we have deceived our hearts into thinking something is more important than honoring those in authority.

Then the Lord brought what I read yesterday for devotions (Acts 23) together with what we were talking about in class. (These students preach Jesus so loud to his hard hearted teacher.) And I thought about the jokes I would pass around in my younger day about President Clinton. How when I found a good one, I passed it on. And I beguiled my heart in thinking that it was more important to slander (in a joking way) our president than to honor him, as the Lord would want. I confessed my sin and many other ways that I have beguiled my heart to thinking something was more important than honoring those in authority.

What has beguiled your heart today when it comes to authority? Here is a parallel truth – “If someone says I love God and hate his brother, he is a liar.” (I John 4:20) So it is, if someone says I honor God but dishonor those in authority, he is a liar.

Take a fresh breath of honoring those in authority today and in so doing, honor God also.

O Lord, the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked…. I have beguiled my heart in so many ways placing what I think is important over that which you declared important way before I ever took my first breath. Please have mercy on my hard heart and may I honor those who are in authority as Jesus. Lord Jesus, You honored the Father in every way. I want to be like You Jesus, and honoring those in authority around me, may I bring much honor to You.
I love you Jesus and honor You. To You be glory.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

What Moves You?

What moves you?

As I was reading this morning, something caught my attention that Paul said to the elders of the church at Ephesus (Acts 20).

“… I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulation await me. But none of these things move me: nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (NKJV)

Paul’s life, physically speaking, did not matter. He did not count his life dear to himself. He desired to finish the race that the Lord set before him with joy and to make sure the good news of God’s grace was proclaimed where ever he went. He knew the “race” was from the Lord Jesus as well as the “ministry”. He was fixed on Jesus Christ and nothing else mattered.

As Lynda and I travel to NYC to hear if the cancer returned or not, this has become our heart beat – “let none of these things move us.” Why? It is our joy to take the gospel to these dear people. If He says, “no cancer” this time, then we have an open door to come back to Phoenix right away to continue our work in dispensing the good news of Jesus here in the valley. If He says, “cancer” this time, then we have an open door to stay in NYC longer to dispense the good news of Jesus there. Our desire, our joy is to carry about in our bodies the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing else moves us.

What has been moving you lately? What have you counted so dear to your life? Compare that which moves you; that which you count so dear to the desire of getting the good news to those the Lord has placed in your life. When we look at the joyous opportunity that the Lord gives to us to bear His name, let nothing underneath this ministry, this calling, this charge move us.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

God's Forbidding and Permitting Hand

This morning as I was reading my Bible (I just read through the Bible, Genesis – Revelations, which takes 2 or so years for me and right now I am in Acts.)
Act 16:6 …having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.
Acts 16:7 …they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

In these two verses in Acts we see something interesting in the fact that Paul wanted to take the good news of Jesus into all the world, but was forbidden to go to Asia and then Paul and his crew were forbidden to go into Bithynia. The Lord closed the door to Paul and his team twice, directing them away from these certain areas for the reason… only the Lord Jesus knows. The Bible does not tell us why, but Paul submitted to the will of the Lord and later took the good news to the people in Macedonia.

Lynda and I experienced a type of this leading when I found out a little over 3 months ago that I had an aneurysm. When the Dr. Brennan announced to us that I had this aneurysm, we had no idea where to go. Although we knew that progress would not continue till this issue was addressed, we set out to find a surgeon. So we knew no one in NYC. We did know my brother-in-law (Grady) would have a lead. When calling him in TN, we were given a name of a specialist that Grady thought would be a good choice. We pursued the lead but led into a dead end. We then were given a Doctor in AZ (after we returned to AZ) and that led to a dead end. Lynda called a dear nurse (Jennifer) and asked if we could visit one of the doctors also recommended to us by our Humana and a dear friend (Jacob) and Jennifer said to Lynda, “those will not do for your case, but I know the right doctor for your husband and his certain condition.”

The next day we found ourselves at the AZ Heart Institute and visiting with Dr. Diethrich. Dr. Edward Diethrich was the founder of the AZHI and had trained countless surgeons and was so happy to recommend the course of action.

Through the various closed doors to several doctors, the Lord seemingly forbade us to visit certain doctors. Why? That is His reason and we did not have to understand or even have His reason, we just trusted Him that He was leading us as He always has.

What is the Lord forbidding you to do today? What is the Lord directing you to do today? Can you trust Him without having all the details? Can you find the same kind of rejoicing in your soul for his forbidding as for his permitting? The Lord sees my heart and it is my desire to thank Him for whatever the position of the door may be (opened or closed).

“Thank you Jesus for your forbidding hand and for your permitting hand in our lives. Your gracious hand leads us along in the day to day affairs. Your will be done and we rejoice in You, the One whose will we desire to do with all our being.
Amen.”

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

When the Church goes to God in Prayer.

When the Church goes to God in prayer.

Acts 12:1-8
James, the brother of John was beheaded by Herod, and Herod seeing the response of joy by the Jewish people, placed Peter in jail and had determined to put Peter to death.

Vs. 5 - …but constant prayer was offered to God for him (Peter) by the church. Vs. 6 - … Peter was sleeping…

What is happening here? You and I are seeing the Body of Christ crying out to God for one they were very concerned about and the one that they were concerned about shows no concern for himself… he is asleep.

What a beautiful work the Lord was doing here. Peter has a deep peace that no one or nothing could take away and the Church is carrying the burden to God in prayer. The result, God acted in delivering Peter in a miraculous way.

What is concerning you today? Have you awakened in the middle of the night because the Lord burdened your heart to pray for someone? Are you in the midst of the biggest trial yet, asleep and at rest because this is something that you are not concerned personally about? Can we learn again from this event in Acts? It is a joy it is to carry one another’s burdens.

Three months ago, you all did that for Lynda and I. You carried our burden to God in prayer and we look back at that time in our life as a sweet time of learning, and once again how precious is the Lord Jesus and His people. Please continue to cry out to the Lord for those who God lays on your heart and know that we too are joining you as we run to the Lord Jesus with that which man would say is impossible.

We love you all and thank the Lord for each and everyone who has prayed for us, like the Church who prayed for Peter in Acts 12.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

A great day in the Redding's history

Today is a great day in the Redding's history. This day did not originate with the Redding family but we adopted this date into our history about 28 years ago. A half a century ago about 5 months after my birthday, there was couple who rejoiced in the beginnings of their family with the birth of their first daughter. The rejoicing over this birth continues to proceed to this day by that family and now the Redding family. Lynda Shade was born 50 years ago (she does not resemble her age so consider her still 20 or 30 something) and the Redding family has joined in the celebration of her birth over 28 years ago if you were to factor in our years of dating.
I rejoice in the Lord that He deemed it best that she married this man and that she shares now more of her life as one with me than apart from me. I invite any who read this blog to wish Lynda Redding a happy birthday. Facebook or email her or comment (however that works) on this post.
To God be the glory, great things He has done, and it is a great thing that He has allowed Lynda and all those who love her to celebrate another year from His hand.
To my love - Numbers 6:24-26 - my prayer for you. As He has blessed you so greatly, we have enjoyed the fruit of His blessing upon you. We love you and unanimously say "Happy Birthday".

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Do you see miracles?

In Bible class today, we were reading about the story of Jairus’ daughter who died and Jesus brought back to life. (Mark 5:21-43) At the end of this story I had the students write a quote, not from scripture, but a deduction from this story and then we would have to prove from Scripture whether this quote was true or not.

The quote was this – “A person who does not believe in Jesus nor has trust in Jesus will never see a miracle in their lifetime.” Is this possible? Does this hold true? Would we break fellowship over a statement like this if one believed this to be true and another did not? Well certainly I would not hold to this quote like I would scripture nor would I say this was an absolute truth, but then I have to wrestle with how this could be possible?

So the students took some time to consider this and one student raised his hand and said, “I think I got it – a person who does not believe in Jesus nor has trust in Jesus will never see what we see as a miracle.” And we said, you may be onto something.

Well we can be certain of this. Anyone who does believe in Jesus and has their trust in Him sees miracles and the first miracle they witnessed was their own conversion. We knew at one point in time that we were hopeless, helpless, and hell bound to a Christ-less eternity. We understood that we were dead in our trespasses and sin. That apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, we would live on to die one day in our sin and never see His glorious face. We knew that without Him there was no hope, no help and only eternal damnation. But in the darkest time of our lives, we cried out in faith to our Lord Jesus and He rescued us from our hopeless, helpless and hell bound life. He changed us and we have never been the same since. Every day we witness Him in us and our life is different.

Now when that happened, the world of rejecters of Jesus would say, “Well you maybe got ‘religion’ in you, or maybe you just became a good person, or maybe you just grew up.” But they would never see it as a miracle, even though they are looking at it.

Take my cancer – I had it, but now I don’t. We witnessed miracle after miracle (and still seeing His mighty hand at work) but a rejecter of Jesus could attempt to chalk it all up to chance. They could point to any thing and everything as just “mankind and mother-nature doing their thing in harmony.” They could even say, “You got lucky” and never once acknowledge the Savior’s hand in all of this.

They have been placed outside the house and the Savior is not letting them see what they would already reject as a miracle. When Jairus daughter walked out of the house finally and people on the street saw her, one of few things would have been said – “There goes that girl who we thought was dead but was only asleep.” Or –“There goes that girl who was faking it all the time.” Or – “There goes that girl who had a lucky break in this life and though she was sick and even died, somehow she is still walking.” Or – “There goes that girl who was dead, but now is alive because Jesus brought her back to life, it was miracle!”

What do you say when you see someone who has changed, when someone who was sick but now well, when the sun comes up and then goes down, when you take you next breath… do you see the miracle?

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Love endures all things (1 Corinthians 13)

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day and I am always surprised by our heavenly Father’s way of communicating to us at just the right time. Here is just a little sample of His gracious hand in our lives these past two day.

I send out a daily Proverb out via text to over a hundred folks. This was started by my dear friend Tom about 2-3 years ago, who after I just finished asking the Lord for more wisdom and for an opportunity to look at a Proverb a day… I get this text from Tom who got a text from another gentleman – it was a Proverb. And each day after that, a Proverb came by text to my phone. So I continue that sending of a Proverb a day to various people who have unlimited minutes and care to receive a Proverb a day. Here was the Proverb that I just opened to (randomly, but by His design) on this Valentine’s day – Proverbs 3:3 - Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. (ESV).

How sweet is that on a day that we are remembering our loved ones. Let’s remember foremost our Lord Jesus who loved us way before we ever loved Him and had demonstrated His steadfast Love and Faithfulness throughout all time.

Two days ago, Eli, a student in one of my classes raised his hand during a ten minute time period that I give to the students each day to spend with the Lord in His word. I approached him and he said that he had noticed for the first time in Scripture that 7 evil spirits possessed Mary Magdalene before she came to Christ. Then he said, “Is that possible Mr. Redding – 7 evil spirits?” I said, the Bible says it, so we can believe it, although we may not be able to fully explain it at this time. Little did Eli know, that just after his devotion time with the Lord, he as well as the rest of the classes would be studying Mark 5. The passage starts out with Jesus coming to shore and a man possessed by not just one demon, or 7 demons, but by a “Legion” of demons comes running to Jesus. And then we found out how many make up a Legion – 6000. Wow, now that is what the Bible says, and though we may not fully understand it, we can trust that is what took place and that Jesus had power over not just one, not just 7 but over 6000. Jesus said in Mat. 28 – “All authority” has been given unto Him.

I could tell you of every day how the word of God has just what we need for the day, but neither time nor space permit and you could fill up pages too of how His word has just what you need for the day.

Let’s take a moment today to thank Him for His enduring love. As I drove to work yesterday morning with my sweetheart, Lynda, I was thanking Him and reminded of not only His enduring love, but also her enduring love. When she said almost 28 years ago in our marriage vows, “For better or worst” – little did she know how much is in between that “Better” and “Worst”. But I am so thankful that she, as my wife and love of my life here on earth, pictures to me the steadfast Love of our Lord Jesus every day. So let’s take time to thank those who, here on earth, display the same kind of Love that Jesus has for us forever.

By the way, thank you for your love that you have shown to Lynda and I through out our years. We give the Lord thanks for your enduring love. He always brings just the right word for us today and the right folks for us this day. We are so grateful…

Friday, February 10, 2012

Chance or Miracle

Last night in our Bible study group, the men gathered together to share what God is doing in our lives and the first question that we talked about was this – “What is your favorite verse(s) in the Bible?” I was taken back in time to when I was about 12 years of age and I heard for the first time – Proverbs 3:5-6. “Trust in the LORD with all thy heart and lean not onto your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will bring it to past.”

Today, I am reminded of why that verse spoke to me and it still speaks to me. When we come to the LORD, He is not asking us to come with a heart that has to figure out everything with our OWN understanding and reasoning. No man can reason through the work of God. It is beyond human understanding or reason. To say, “I can by my ‘own understanding’ explain anything God did, does or will be doing” is like me saying a dog or a sheep can explain to me 2+3=5 or could explain to me internal combustion. Man, with out God’s intervention and rescue, would hopelessly wander through life, with all the logic and reason in the world but with no clue to His miracles and more than that – His Son.

Man here on earth has calculated and by reason worked out many mathematical and scientific possibilities. But man can never by his reason, understanding or calculation come close to God’s miracles (mathematical and scientific impossibilities) or even come close to explaining our Lord Jesus, let alone, put their trust in Him. Calculation and reason can bring a doctor to surgically removing cancer (possibility), but the flesh being restored (impossibility) – that is one of God’s miracles (although man will say that this just nature or the “bodies way of healing it’s self”). A storm passing through a sea, coming and going, can be calculated and viewed by man (possibility). A storm raging on a sea can be stopped by a man’s three word’s – “Quiet, be still” (impossibility) and no earthly understanding or reasoning will ever get you there. We could go on and on throughout the Bible up through today and on into the future and not one miracle that comes from the hand of God can be explained scientifically or by reason – why? - These things with men are impossible, but with God, all things are possible (or nothing is impossible) (Luke 1:37, 18:27, Mark 10:27, Matt. 19:26)

So as we come to the word of God today, are we coming to Him leaning on our own understanding? Are we coming to His word with some type of human formula to make sense of what we are reading? Are we trying to do what we would do in lab and apply that to His miraculous work? Are we trying to explain the unexplainable so that we can feel better about what we have just read? Or will we trust the LORD, who gave us His Holy Spirit who teaches us all things when it comes to things of the LORD and who brings us to seeing thing and understanding things through His word. Without Christ, our fallen reasoning and understanding sound like a bark of a dog or a baa of a sheep. Trust in Him today and His Holy Spirit will give you through His word His understanding, His wisdom and His reasoning. (John 14:16-17, 26; 16:7-14, Eph. 5:18, Acts 1:8, 2 Cor. 1:22, Eph. 1:13, 4:30)

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

“You remind me of Jesus.”

Yesterday we did a little exercise (suggested by my brother Jeff) in school. The students read 1 Cor. 13 and then were asked to do a number of things.
First, since we are studying the life of Christ in the Gospels, they were to list the attributes of Jesus found in 1 Cor. 13:4-7. And it would look something like this when they were done:
Jesus is patient
Jesus is kind.
Jesus does not envy,
Jesus does not boast,
Jesus is not proud.
Jesus is not rude,
Jesus is not self-seeking,
Jesus is not easily angered,
Jesus keeps no record of wrongs.
Jesus does not delight in evil
Jesus rejoices with the truth.
Jesus always protects,
Jesus always trusts,
Jesus hopes,
Jesus always perseveres.
Jesus never fails.
Now after we listed the attributes of Jesus found in 1 Cor. 13, the students’ second step to take was to look at those attributes and write about one attribute that most intrigues them. What in that list intrigues you? What intrigues me? Can you find other verses in the gospels where you see these attributes displayed in Jesus’ life?
Third, look at the attributes of Jesus again. What attribute do you struggle with most? What attribute did not come naturally and if you revert to the flesh, this attribute would be first to vanish? Write what that is and how the Lord continues to bring that to the surface.
Last. Look at each attribute and try to assign a name of someone you know that best portray the attribute here on earth. Someone you know who you have seen this attribute displayed in his or her life.
Once you have some names of folks, go to those folks and say- “I was studying the attributes of Jesus found in 1 Cor. 13 and you remind me of Jesus because you were so…..” Share the attribute with that person and you and that person will rejoice in what the Savior has done in your lives. You recognize the Lord Jesus in their life. They thank the Lord that Jesus is seen in their life. You will also realize Matt. 5:16 - "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
One more thing you may want to try. When I am out and about and I notice one of these attributes in a stranger’s life. I will try to point the attribute out to them in this way: “You know just now you reminded me of the most patient man who ever walked on the face of this earth.” If they ask who that may be – I will tell them – “Jesus”. Now what if that person all their life had the wrong picture of Jesus and was rejecting Him due to the wrong picture. But now they are displaying something that looks like Him? What do they do with that? Try this, with all sincerity and you will see. There are many ways we can begin to share the Good News and pointing a soul to Jesus is the best news they will ever receive.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

He is attracted to our weakness

He is attracted to our weakness.

In Mark 2:14-17 we read that Jesus meets Levi and invites him to follow Him. Levi leaves his tax-collecting job (which the Jews despised tax collectors and their occupation.) and opens his house and heart to the Savior. When Jesus comes to Levi’s house He is welcomed by a house full of tax collectors. The Pharisees are offended and are shocked that Jesus was in Levi’s house with a bunch of Tax Collectors. They say, “why does He eat with sinners.” Jesus response is …. “I did not come call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” And in these simple but profound words, we see that Jesus is attracted to our weakness.
I liken it to having a “Mega Magnet” and having a “Mini Magnet”. If you try to connect the positive pole to the positive pole, they will continue to repel each other. But if you connect the positive pole to the negative pole then you have an attraction. So it is, if we come to our Lord with our self righteousness, our arrogant thoughts of self and “me-centered” point of view, we will be like two positive poles coming close but are so quick to repel. But when we come to Jesus as we really are, sinners, frail, unable souls; we find His arms wide open and receptive. And we become strong by His might and not by ours.
The Apostle Paul put it this way – “When I am weak, then He is strong.”
What is your weakness? What are you suffering with? What breaks your heart? What do you see as impossible to accomplish? When you acknowledge this before the Lord and humbly come to Him, He draws you to Him self (Like that Mega Magnet’s positive pole drawing a Mini Magnet when it’s pole is negative). When I had cancer, I came to realize this truth again and to be embraced by our Savior is a most blessed thing. In our time of suffering and struggles, call upon the Lord Jesus in humility and He promises to draw you to Himself and shower grace upon you. James 4:6-10 confirms this promise too.

Two months and two weeks

This week marks 2 months and 2 weeks since the cancer was removed. It is hard to believe almost a little bit of time ago I even had cancer. The Lord is good and again, your prayers were used to do a wonderful thing for us from God’s hand.
We go back in about a month for my 3 months check up. We are preparing ourselves to gladly accept whatever comes from the hand of our Lord. There is so much to thank Him for and each day he loads us with benefits and blessing.
At this time I would like to direct our attention to families who are crying out to the Lord for help – A high school (and college) friend Danny, lost his wife this past week which was a shock to us all. Matt, my friend’s wife lost her mom. Ruia, a teacher in our school lost her mom. And a family lost a daughter in car accident (Sage). There are many who are in the land of the Living while we are here in the Land of the dying. Praise the Lord that Jesus, our great Shepherd is with us when we walk through this valley of the shadow of death. He shines brightest to us in the darkest of times.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Praying for those whose loved ones have passed on

This morning I received a message from a sister in Christ (Marvette) who told me that our friend (Lyn) has gone to be with the Lord leaving behind her husband and our friend (Danny) and his two sons. We grieve with Danny and his sons but that grieving's sting is removed by the knowing that Lyn is with Jesus, living in the land of the living while we still live in the land of the dying.

As we pray for the Lord's return, God lays on our hearts the families who wait on this side for Him to come back, with all our loved ones following Him (Rev. 19:14). We miss them and sorrow in our hearts like we sorrow for the absence of Lord's coming. We continue to remind each other - If the Lord is faithful in keeping His promise that "you shall surely die" (Gen.2:17), He too is faithful in His promise to all who have placed their trust in Him - "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though He dies, yet he lives. And everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die." (John 11:25-26) And He is faithful in His promise - "Know for certain, I am coming soon." (Rev.22:20)

O loved one, who has to wait on this side of heaven, longing for that day when you will not only see those you have grown to love here on earth, but you will see our Lord Jesus face to face, let His promises give you rest in this time of grieving. We love you and continue to pray for you as we wait for Him to come.

Praying for Jesus to return

Praying for His return.

And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. (Luke 1:10 ESV)

But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. (Luke 1:13 ESV)

Many of us have read the story in Luke about how God the Father had prepared the way for His Son to come to earth. For hundreds and thousands of years, the Children of Israel longed for their Deliverer to come and they would pray for His coming. Little girls would hear from when they were small that maybe one day they could be the one who would be so blessed to bring about the birth of their Deliverer just as Moses’ mom was fortunate to give birth to the great God ordained deliverer, Moses. This was that hope upon the godly Israel’s heart.

We know after Luke 1 that through the prayers of Israel, God brought about His Son and they did not receive Him (John 1:11). They continued to pray for their Deliverer. And though they were looking at Him in the face, they could not come to believe this was their Deliverer. We know this by Mark 2:18-22 (18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.” ESV)

Now we may say, “how sad, here Israel prayed for their Deliverer to come and longed for Him to come and when He shows up, they don’t realize it.” But before we are too quick to judge Israel for their missing the mark, I have to ask myself, “Have I even aimed at the mark?” What I mean is, when was the last time you or I prayed and fasted for the Lord Jesus, who we now know, to come back? You know when I had cancer, many said, (and this was so encouraging to me) “we are praying for you as you go to NY to have that operation and we are asking the Lord to bring you back.” Many prayed and even fasted for me to come through that cancer and return to AZ. And when the Lord heard your prayers, you and I rejoiced like it was nobody’s business.

And then when I read these verses, my heart is convicted. “O Lord, who is fasting and praying and longing and hoping and crying out to You for You to return. O Lord, it is one thing to remove cancer from my body and I am so thankful for this, but it is another thing to remove completely Satan’s dominion over this earth and to bring about a new heaven and a new earth. And who is praying to that end?”

O dear brother and sister in Christ, rejoice if the Lord is calling you to pray like that. He did that with Israel and He will certainly do it again with His Children who have called on Him through faith in Jesus Christ.
May we be like John in Revelations 22:20b “...Even so, Come Lord Jesus.” or the saints who were before God - “They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (Rev. 6:10 ESV)

May we be that generation who cries out to the Lord - “O Lord Jesus, we are praying that You come back.” What a joy it will be for the Savior to find this kind of faith on earth.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

A Little Faith Builder

A little faith builder.

This morning I was reading in John 6 (thinking about a conversation I had with someone yesterday who thought that we can lose the Salvation that the Lord gave to us.)

After Jesus feeds the 5000 (can’t imagine how good that blessed bread and fish was) Jesus was talking later in the chapter to the “disciples” who were following because they were intrigued by all that He could do and were just wanting to know more about this man. And Christ does not let them sit on a fence like this for long at all.

He says in verse 26-27 that they were more concerned about their stomachs and were not coming to Him for what He really came to give them (Himself). There is a discussion that continues from this point on and as Jesus explains to them about what they should really be wanting, they get more and more aggravated at His words. At one point, they are so frustrated, because they want physical bread and He is talking to them about spiritual bread (though in physical terms). He is revealing to them that He is the “Bread of Life” and they should be hungering and running after Him.

In John 6:57-58, Jesus says something that they refused to heed but caused my heart to leap with joy. This is what He said: “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven – not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”

Did you catch those last 7 words? My mind raced back to Genesis 2 where God made a promise to Adam that if he eats from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, he would surely die. Adam eats from the forbidden tree and God has kept His promise and all men die. Every time a person dies, it should stir our hearts and jolt our minds – God keeps His promises.
But in John 6:58 we have Jesus, the Son of God, making to us another promise (be sure it will be kept as God’s promise in the garden to Adam) – “He who eats this bread will live forever.”

So I have to ask – “When did you eat This Bread?” When did you partake in faith our Lord Jesus Christ? When did you cry out to Him in faith to save you? When did you put your complete trust in Him?

When you did, that is when the life forever began – life that will never be taken away and life you have no way of keeping just as man has no way of not dying. These are promises from our Lord. Just as one man ate of the forbidden fruit and died (as God promised), so we who eats of “This Bread” (Jesus) lives eternally (just as God promised.)

Now you may ask, “how is this a faith builder?” Well just as you asked the Lord in faith to take away my cancer and that He did according to His will (which He was not obligated to do nor ever made a promise in His word that He would do.) Then if you cried out in faith for me how more sure will He save you who have cried to Him in faith to save you. He has already obligated Himself and will keep the promise to save you as you see here in John 6:58 (see also Rom. 10:9-13).

So take heart, you who may think that you could lose the salvation that the Lord has promised to those who call on Him – He will never break His promise. That is for sure.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Letting Scripture make sense of what is happening in the day.

Letting Scripture make sense of what is happening in the day.

John 20:1-9: Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)
(NIV)

**Notice that even as they were experiencing the resurrection of Jesus, they were witnessing – HE IS NOT DEAD – that they still did not have an understanding from Scripture. Without scripture, they could have said as the Roman guards – “someone took him!” Without Scripture, they could have said, “He is another God.” Without Scripture, they could have said, “He really never died somehow.” Without Scripture, they could have said, “This is a spooky thing or spirit thing.” Without scripture, they could have said as the Pharisees said one time, “He did this by the power of Beelzebub.” Without scripture, the event, that they were eyewitness of, would not make sense to the rational mind because dead men do not come back to life. Scripture would make all things clear and scripture is what even Jesus used over and over before He went to the cross and after He rose again – Every word that proceeds from the mouth of God was His bread and His way. (Matt. 4:4)

So what is going on in your world today? Know, it is not random chance, it is not by man’s cunning design, it is not by your strength and wisdom, it is not of the spirits and demons of this earth, it is not of just getting up on the wrong side or the right side of bed. Have we taken the time today to look at what is happening in the world, in our community and in our own lives by considering what His word has to say?

"O Lord, thank You for Your word – You are the Word of God and it is You we run to. We need You more than bread or water. We need You, Your Holy Spirit to help us make sense of all that is going on around us in our lives today. We need Your Holy Spirit to make sense of even what we are saying to You (Rom. 8:26). Thank You for making all things work for good to those who love You, those who trust You, those who wait on You. And in Your name we continue to pray, Amen."

Thursday, January 12, 2012

“For You Are Holy”

To your left is another song that has ministered to me in the past day. I love how the music supports the words of this beautiful song and how the instruments and voice support the words so carefully penned. I hope you enjoy “For You Are Holy” as I have enjoyed it.

“O Lord, you taught us to pray… Hollowed by Your Name… You are Holy and apart from You there are non like You. When I look in the sky it is though I see your eyes. When I look in my heart I know you see my heart. For You are Holy Lord, O so Holy and there is non like You, none like You. Thank you for reaching down to us, for becoming like us, taking on flesh (John 1:14) and showing us what it is like to truly be Holy here on earth. Only through You can we come close to Your holiness. And as we approach Your throne through the Blood of your Holy Son, we will continue to cry – You alone are Holy. And we love You and adore You.

Monday, January 9, 2012

When the impossible becomes possible. Luke 18:27

This Friday a friend (Doug) sent me an email about a teenage gal (Elizabeth) who has brain cancer that is inoperative. Her situation is serious in the fact that Chemo or Radiation will not work either – we are looking at an impossible situation. And then on the same evening, I read about a young girl who passed away 1/5/12 who after battling cancer in the brain for 10 months (due to the same kind of cancer that Elizabeth has).

The Lord is calling us to have faith. Faith in which He commands as found in Luke 17 when He says all we need is the faith of a mustard seed. Faith that will persist like that which Jesus spoke of in Luke 17. And when we exercise the faith that He so generously gives to us we begin to see what faith is really used for – salvation of others. In Chapter 18 the disciples look at something that is more impossible than for a camel to go through an eye of a needle (which is impossible). The salvation of man is impossible with man. The best man can produce, his own righteousness, is filthy rags to God. So we need the Lord to do the impossible in our lives. We need the Lord to do the impossible in those we love and in those He lays on our hearts to pray for.

Daily we have opportunity to run to the Lord Jesus and watch Him do what is beyond our dreams. There are a number of you who did that when you prayed for me in my cancer situation. In the same way you ran to the Lord concerning my condition, I am asking you and others to run to the Lord for those who maybe at this moment seem like they are beyond any hope. You, mom – who has a son who has forsaken the Lord Jesus Christ. You, dad – who has a daughter living in total rebellion to all authority. You, brother or sister – who has a sibling who you looked up to, but now has gone astray and has no desire to return. You, doctor or nurse – who after looking at the test results, say there is nothing more we can do. You, son or daughter – who has Mom and Dad divorcing and throwing all hope for keeping their promise made before you were born, overboard into the waves of despair. You, who has sinned – totally unable to see any hope of forgiveness or mercy from our Lord and God. To all who are looking at the impossible – it is possible with God and He is certain to do something about your condition or loved one’s condition as you and I cry out to Him. Do not delay, right now as He is laying on your heart that someone – cry out to Him now.
2 Cor. 6:1-2 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Hearts that cry beyond words.

Luke 11:34 – O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing. (NKJV)

Romans 9:1- 3 - I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, (NKJV)

Romans 10:1 – Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.

Matthew 16:26 - "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

This week, the Lord has burdened my heart as well as my family’s heart, as well as students and teacher’s hearts with some very pressing concerns for others. Here are some of the requests that have reached our hearts this week. A teacher’s mother who is facing death and the mother may not know Christ. A friend’s father who at 81 just discovered he has cancer and is not expected to live but 6 months at best. A friends daughter who has walked out of the family’s life and has walked away from the Lord and declared she is not one of HIS. A student who has declared that he does not believe in Jesus or has faith at all in God. A freshmen student has just been diagnosed with leukemia (two different students without knowing it, made the same request). A student’s dad and a student’s mom have cancer. A father is dealing with blood clots. A teenager just found out that she has cancer on the brain, which can’t be operated on nor treated with chemo or radiation. A praise that one student reported that she is cancer free at this time. Two daughters and a son from three different families have turned their backs on Jesus for a lifestyle of homosexuality. Two sons from two different families have turned their backs on Jesus and have rejected Him. Multiple requests for grandparents and relatives have been listed who are facing major health issues. A persecuted believer was mentioned today (twice by two different students in two different classes – the same name came up causing us to pray for him as well as a host of believers). The list goes on and on as our hearts, like Jesus, like Paul and like these families, hearts that break and cry out to our Lord –

“O Lord, we come to You with great sorrow and continued grief on our hearts for the these who are facing such horrendous things. It is this on going disease of the flesh that causes us to look to You and it is the sin of rejection and unbelief that breaks our hearts beyond words and tries our faith, that faith that was given by You. Lord, You said, ‘if a man gains the whole world, and looses his soul, what profit is it?” O Lord, our children, our fathers and mothers, or extended family members and our dear friends mean more to us then our own soul. And so we cry out to You and say, as Paul would say, for I wish I could exchange places with anyone of these in order for them to have YOU. These people are like our own souls and we come to You now on their behalf as we came to You when we became aware of our own deepest need – when we cried out for YOU. We now come with that same heart for these dear loved ones. O, Lord Jesus, have mercy on us and hear our cry. We beg You as the gentile women begged You for even a crumb on behalf of her daughter. In that same determination we still come to You today. And we know that whoever calls upon Your name, O Lord Jesus, You save. Amen. “

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

If you could ask for anything from the Lord….

In Luke 11, the disciples came to the Lord Jesus and asked him to teach them how to pray. Our Lord gives them a timeless model prayer that many over the years have used to address our heavenly Father.

Then the Lord speaks to the issue of persisting in prayer. We are prone to present our requests at the alter and then if nothing happens within our defined time period, we give up, forgetting that we are speaking to the Lord of eternity – it puts patience and persistence in a whole new light. What is a few days, a few weeks, a few months, a few years or even a life time when it comes to us approaching the Lord who is everlasting and forever. (He literally has the time.)

In Luke 11:9-13, we come to the famous Ask, Seek, Knock passage where we are instructed by the Lord to ask for something, seek something and keep on knocking on the door for something. Many jump ahead and start sharing their wish list at this point, especially when we read that if an evil father would not give his son a stone when that son asked for bread… we jump ahead and start asking for that which fills the stomach or any of deep desires. And often readers overlook the end of vs. 13 –
“how much more will your heavenly Father give the HOLY SPIRIT to those who ask Him.” The Lord is so ready to not give us a “thing”, a “prize”, a “toy” or a “only-you can-have-it something” but He is so ready to give us “Someone” who can be shared with this world and is beyond any thought that would ever enter the mind of men. He is wanting to give to us, who ask of Him, who seek from Him and who are willing to knock and not give up knocking… the His Holy Spirit, who fills us and empowers us.

This is so wonderful to know: we can have the Holy Spirit dwell within us. But then I again think, what if I ask this not for me, but for those who I know and love. My wife, daughters, parents, brothers, sisters, extended family, and for friends, students who I teach daily, teachers, church family, pastors, elders, etc. What about if I ran to the Lord as I did for myself to ask for the Holy Spirit, but this time I run to Him for you. What more could the Lord do when His holy bride and children are full and controlled entirely by the Holy Spirit. That is my prayer this new year.

“O Lord, we need your precious, powerful, convicting, always instructing and exhorting Holy Spirit. And You have already promised that He will be given to those who ask. So we ask in Your most holy Name, Jesus. Amen.”

Monday, January 2, 2012

Trying to tell Jesus what to do?

Have you ever wanted something so bad or desired to see something accomplished so greatly that you tried to tell Jesus what to do?

The disciples tried this several times and every attempted command was over-ridden with the most unexpected reply.

Luke 9:12 – the disciples tell Jesus – “Send the multitude away…” Jesus reply, (vs. 13) “You give them something to eat.” The disciples were not expecting that nor could they feed this multitude that numbered 5,000 men (plus families).

Luke 9:13 – “We have no more than five loaves and two fish…
Luke 9:14 – Jesus now give the orders – “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.” And most anyone who has read the NT knows what takes place next.

I often tell the students in school, “we don’t tell God what to do, we just present Him with the problem and watch Him do the most unexpected thing, that which the mind would not even conceive, and that which would be impossible for man but not for God. And in the times when you love a person so much that you would go out on the limb to try to tell God what He should do or when you think that you have a solution that the Lord needs to hear – well, He is not obligated to do that which you are requesting. He does obligate Himself though quite often through the promises that He has made in His word. And those promises you can count on, bring before the throne of God and expect to be kept.”

Reading today in Luke, made me smile as I read these dear disciples who were just beginning to come to understand who they were trying to tell what to do. I am not much different in many ways than these men, but I am learning as I read His word and I go through this life – His ways are not my ways, and His thoughts are not my thoughts (Is. 55:8-9). I am so glad though that He, it time, reveals His ways and His thoughts, and even when that is unavailable – I can trust Him.

“Thank you Jesus for being the founder and finisher of our faith. “ (Heb. 12:1-2)