.....forgiveness

Like many of you, I have read, prayed, sung, and heard the Lord’s prayer more times than I can count. Surely it is one of the most used prayer in all the scriptures. Please read it again, from a different translation... 

The Lord’s Prayer

  This, then, is how you should pray:

  Our Father in heaven,

  hallowed be your name,

  Your kingdom come,

  Your will be done,

  on earth as it is in heaven.

  Give us today our daily bread.

  And forgive us our debts,

  as we also have forgiven our debtors.

  And lead us not into temptation,

  but deliver us from the evil one.

  For Yours is the kingdom and the power

  And the glory forever. Matthew 6:9-13

As I prayed this prayer again, these thoughts surfaced: “And forgive us our debts [sins], as we also have forgiven our debtors [those who have sinned against me].” Jesus seems to assume that we have already forgiven those who have wronged us. It’s not a matter of someday forgiving - or thinking about forgiving; it suggests we already have.

 

 “Forgive us for the ways we have wronged you, just as we also forgive those who have wronged us.” The Contemporary English Version

When I pray, “Father, forgive me,” am I certain there is not any outstanding or overdue forgiveness I need to offer to others? 

Am I holding back forgiveness? If so, why? 

How have I wronged God? 

How have others wronged me? 

Are there wounds or grudges I’m holding that I’m not willing to release? 

If I hold forgiveness, do I know that I am keeping from being forgiven?

.....defeated

As we study God's Word, we should be reminded of how blessed we are to have so many stories and testimonies upon which to build our faith. This is particularly true of the multitude of Old Testament stories; "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" Romans 15:4. 

One of the great encouragements is shared through a prostitute named Rahab.

As Joshua led the Israelites out of the desert and into the promised land of Canaan, the first enemy they faced lived in the mighty walled city of Jericho. When spies were sent to Jericho to determine the enemy's strength, Rahab told the spies, "all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you" Joshua 2:9. Rahab said the people of Jericho had heard how God parted the Red Sea and how He had been with the Israelites in previous battles.

When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Joshua 2:11

God caused the walls of Jericho to collapse and allowed the Israelites to take the city, but this first enemy in the promised land was conquered long before the Israelite army even arrived. The people of Jericho knew of God's miraculous power and were already defeated. The only thing necessary for victory was for the Israelites to show they were willing to walk in the strength God provided.

God does not desire for us to remain in the desert. He has "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11. But to enter the promised land, we must be prepared to face our enemies and trust in the strength of our Heavenly Father.

The enemy "prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). This enemy is very real and ready to attack our areas of weakness. But the enemy is also well aware of God's power and will turn away any time we make a stand; "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" James 4:7. The enemy's fate has been sealed - his end has already been determined - but we must daily resist by getting dressed for battle and then trusting in the power of God for our strength.

Let's submit our lives into the loving hands of our Heavenly Father and boldly enter the peace-filled land He has promised. The lion will continue to roar and try to bite, but we must never forget that Jesus has already assured complete victory. 

When we trust Him with all our heart and daily walk in His strength, we truly face a defeated enemy.

- steve troxel

.....unlocked

She left home, deciding to become a woman of the world. Before long, however, she was dejected and unable to find a job, so she took to the streets to sell her body as a prostitute.

The years passed by, her father died, her mother grew older, and the daughter became more and more entrenched in her way of life.  No contact was made between mother and daughter during these years.  The mother, having heard of her daughter's whereabouts, made her way to the skid-row section of the city in search of her daughter.  She stopped at each of the rescue missions with a simple request.  "Would you allow me to put up this picture?" It was a picture of the smiling, gray-haired mother with a handwritten message at the bottom: "I love you still... come home!"

Months went by, and nothing happened.  Then one day the daughter wandered into a rescue mission for a needed meal. She sat absent-mindedly listening to the service, all the while letting her eyes wander over to the bulletin board.  There she saw the picture and thought, 'Could that be my mother?'  She couldn't wait until the service was over.  She stood and went to look. It was her mother, and there were those words, "I love you still... come home!"  As she stood in front of the picture, she wept.  It was too good to be true.

By this time it was night, but she was so touched by the message that she started walking home.  When she arrived it was early in the morning.  She was afraid and made her way timidly, not really knowing what to do.  As she knocked, the door flew open on its own.  She thought someone must have broken into the house.

Concerned for her mother's safety, the young woman ran to the bedroom and found her still sleeping.  She shook her mother awake and said, "It's me!  It's me!  I'm home!"

The mother couldn't believe her eyes.  She wiped her tears and they fell into each other's arms.  The daughter said, "I was so worried!  The door was open and I thought someone had broken in!"

The mother replied gently, "No dear. From the day you left, that door has never been locked."

Jesus is the door to heaven and He is open to your entering in. You much reach for Him to enter... and He will welcome you with open arms.  

Have you entered into the grace and mercy that He so lovingly gives?

- dave langerfeld

.....bravely

During the time of King David, a battle was about to occur between Israel and two neighboring kingdoms: "The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city gate, while the Arameans were by themselves in the open country" 2 Samuel 10:8. Joab, the commander of David's military, saw enemy troops in front and behind him so he divided his army - one group remained with him, and the other group went with his brother.

Joab said, 'If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to come to my rescue; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you. Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in His sight.' 2 Samuel 10:11-12

Joab knew God was in complete control, but he never allowed his faith to be a reason for becoming complacent in preparation or passive in battle. Joab used all his intellect and past experience - all the tools God provided - to devise a plan. He then encouraged those with him to fight bravely with all their ability. Joab knew he was accountable to use everything God had given, but he also knew the real battle belonged to God.

Notice Joab never said God would guarantee a victory in this battle. Trusting God with all our heart means knowing with certainty the final result will be good in the eyes of God - regardless of whether the immediate battle is won or lost.

Many times, our Christian walk turns into a battle zone. We may face spiritual battles of doubt, fear, and anxiety. We may also face painful physical and emotional battles. And yet, God remains in control. As He leads, we must not hesitate to use those gifts bravely and fully. We must "fight" with all the perseverance we can manage, but we must also completely surrender the outcome to God.

True victory comes as we look past the success or failure as seen with our own eyes and trust God for the working of the good in all our battles. Let's stand against the enemy and trust God will do "what is good in His sight." As we enter the battle today, let's fight bravely and trust God. 

- adapted from steve troxel

....dressed

The life of a soldier at war is difficult. They live under the constant threat of attack and each day must prepare for battle. Each day they must make sure they are properly dressed to face the enemy. In a very real sense, we are ALL at war! Every child of God faces an enemy who is determined to engage us in battle each and every day. 

These battles will not look the same as those we see reported in the news; "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" Ephesians 6:12. But the enemy we face is just as real and the attacks are just as damaging. 

Many of us feel defenseless against such attacks - we feel defeated with no hope of victory - but Paul tells us how to get properly dressed and stand through the battles. "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." Ephesians 6:14-17

The attacks are going to come. But we cannot wait for the battle to begin before getting dressed and putting on our equipment. Each day without fail! - before the enemy has an opportunity to attack - we must "put on the full armor of God" Ephesians 6:13.

The belt of truth protects us from the enemy's deceptive lies which pull us down the path of worldly priorities and temptation. The breastplate of righteousness protects our heart from feeling unworthy; we are made completely worthy through faith in Jesus Romans 3:22. The gospel of peace on our feet prepares us to share the good news of Jesus and "go and make disciples of all nations" Matthew 28:19, our mission to the world.

We hold up the shield of faith, which is "of greater worth than gold" 1 Peter 1:7, to remind us of God's faithfulness in previous battles and protect us from the constant arrows of fear. The helmet of Salvation protects our mind from debilitating doubts, "so that we may know we have eternal life" 1 John 5:13. Finally, we pick up the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, and directly engage the enemy when necessary.

The enemy is determined to steal our joy and cause us to be ineffective soldiers for God. Let's ruin his plan! Let's defeat the enemy before the attacks even begin by starting each and every day with getting fully dressed for battle

- steve troxel

.....microwave

 "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act." Psalm 37:5

Regrettably, there are are too many “microwave Christians.” We want everything fast:  

  Fast spiritual growth

  Fast answers to prayer

  Fast solutions to our problems

But God doesn’t work on our schedule. Moses never made it into the Promised Land during his lifetime. Because of his sin, God told him he would see the land, but he would not enter it with his people. So he saw the land from Mt. Pisgah and Mt Nebo, and soon thereafter he died. 

Now run the clock forward 1400 years. When Jesus was transfigured on the mountain in Galilee, who shows up by his side? Elijah and Moses!!! So - Moses DID made into the Promised Land after all. Just not the way he expected.

Our prayers will not all be answered before we die. That may be a disheartening fact until we remember that God is not bound by time the way we are. We see a tiny sliver of reality. God see the big picture, and he knows how all the details of what we call the past, present and the future interlock in a perfect tapestry of divine design. So while we pray in the present, God is already at work in the future, and sometimes the answer comes after we are in heaven with the Lord. But what may seem “late” to us is right on time in God’s schedule.

Microwave Christians get impatient with God when he doesn’t run the universe to fit their schedule. But he has already shown in creation that the things that endure take time to grow. Flowers bloom today and wither tomorrow, but mighty redwood trees takes centuries to reach maturity. 

Just as Moses finally saw the Promised Land, we too will finally see many answers to our prayers. Some we will see on earth; others we will see in heaven. When the time has fully come, whether on earth or in heaven, “he will make it plain,” and we will see that his plans have worked out for our good and his glory. Be patient, child of God, and do not rush the Lord. He won’t be rushed... and if we try, an upset stomach may be the reward for our impatience with the Almighty.

- david langerfeld et ray pritchard

.....armor

We all face an enemy who seeks to engage us in battle each and every day. The attacks are deceptive but extremely methodical, as the enemy tries to pull, push, and lure us off the path of following after Christ. Our best defense against such attacks is to get properly dressed by putting on the full armor of God; "so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand" Ephesians 6:13.

"How do I put on the armor of God?" Though we may recognize the usefulness of God's armor, it will never do us any good unless we actually know how to put it on. "My heart says of You, 'Seek His face!' Your face, Lord, I will seek." Psalm 27:8

The armor of God is only available to those who diligently "Seek His face!", to those who have given Him the totality of their life through a submissive faith in Jesus Christ. The armor of God is not a self-help formula to keep us protected and focused as we advance in the world's system; it's a covering of protection God provides as we enter into His presence and are reminded of His truth, faithfulness, and majesty.

Getting dressed for battle is therefore never a spiritual checklist or routine set of prayers. We receive His armor - in effect, He dresses us - as we humble ourselves and come before Him in prayer with a heart that desires to follow wherever He leads. Our Heavenly Father will never let us enter our daily battles without proper protection if we are diligent in seeking Him; "The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing" Psalm 34:10.

Getting dressed is not a one-time Salvation event nor even just a first thing in the morning event. We must put on His armor and keep it on throughout our day by developing the priority and habit of constant communion with God; "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances" 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. His protection against the enemy comes only as we enter and remain in His presence.

The attacks will surely come, but they need not be feared if we are properly dressed. Let's learn to walk and minister in this world without ever leaving the presence of the Lord. Let's seek Him in all we do and live each moment with the protection of His armor.

- adapted from steve troxel 

.....like

In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world, we are like Jesus 1 John 4:16-17

Several years ago, on a trip to San Antonio, Texas, we made a visit to the Alamo.  On a wall near the main entrance is a portrait with the following inscription: "James Butler Bonham - no picture of him exists. 

This portrait is of his nephew, Major James Bonham, deceased, who greatly resembled his uncle. It is placed here by the family that people may know the appearance of the man who died for freedom." 

No literal portrait of Jesus exists either. But the likeness of the Son who makes us free can be seen in the lives of His true followers.

When the wife of missionary Adoniram Judson told him that a newspaper article likened him to some of the apostles, Judson replied, "I do not want to be like a Paul... or any mere man. I want to be like Christ... I want to follow Him only, copy His teachings, drink in His Spirit, and place my feet in His footprints... Oh, to be more like Christ!"

- david langerfeld 

.....call

My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me  John 10:27

We seem to spend much of our life wandering without direction, but it is God's desire that we follow closely after His Son; "He goes on ahead of them, and His sheep follow Him because they know His voice" John 10:4. Do we really know His voice? 

How often do we set aside time to listen? If we only occasionally listen to the voice of our Lord, how will we even recognize His call? We live in a world so filled with distractions that we must not wait until the crisis of a storm. If we haven't learned to filter out the competing noises of the world, God's call will be lost in the crashing waves.

We must spend time away from the "noise" where we can be alone with God and learn to recognize His voice. We must establish times of quiet to read His Word and talk with Him in prayer; "Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth" John 17:17. As we meditate on the truth of His Word and pray for understanding, our spiritual filter will become tuned. Then, when we enter a storm, the noise may still surround us, but our filter will only allow a single voice to enter.

Let's by the grace of God develop the discipline of listening along with the spiritual ability to filter and recognize the voice of God. Our faith will be strong enough to respond - strong enough to step - but we must first be able to hear the call.

- adapted from steve troxel

.....child

Our Heavenly Father desires for us to reach up to Him with outstretched arms and how this is perhaps His greatest joy. We need to approach Him as a child reaching up to be held by their parent. This is where our relationship with God begins and, in many ways, it's where we must remain.

When the disciples asked Jesus, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" Matthew 18:1, He responded with a harsh rebuke; "Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven" Matthew 18:3. The disciples were arguing about their eternal "greatness" and Jesus said unless they changed, they would not even enter Heaven! Following Jesus, listening to His teachings, and having a general belief is not enough.

Salvation, or as Jesus said, entering "the Kingdom of Heaven," involves a submission which understands our inability to save ourselves. We can do nothing but present the "filthy rags" Isaiah 64:6 of our life and receive the mercy of a loving Father. 

Salvation is not something we rise up and achieve, rather it's a gift for which we must submit and receive. When we understand this gift, we will be filled with such thankfulness that our only desire will be to love Him and do ALL to bring Him glory and honor.

Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 18:4 Becoming like a little child, humbly dependent on Christ, is necessary for entering the Kingdom, but walking in humility as we grow is God's desire for our entire life. 

We are to be "conformed to the likeness of His Son" Romans 8:29. "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing...He humbled Himself and became obedient to death" Philippians 2:6-8, being conformed to His humility.

The great temptation of spiritual "growth" is in thinking we have all the answers and thus desiring to establish our own path with its own set of rules - we become like the know-it-all teenager. When this occurs, we must immediately, and with great determination, humble ourselves and put to death the rebellious pride which leads us astray. 

We must "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" Proverbs 3:5. We must daily remember the children we really are...and the children we need to continually become.

We certainly must continue to grow and mature. We must learn more of our Heavenly Father and His desire for our life as we walk in faith, and strive toward obedience in all He has commanded. But we must also remember that as we grow, we are to walk in humility and always remain like a child.

.....star

During World War II, it was the custom in the United States for a family who had a son serving in the military to place a star in the front window of their home. A gold star indicated that the son had died in support of his country's cause.

Years ago, Sir Harry Lauder told a touching story about this custom. He said that one night a man was walking down a New York City street accompanied by his five-year-old son. The little fellow was interested in the brightly lighted windows of the houses and wanted to know why some houses had a star in the window. 

The father explained that those families had a son fighting in the war. The child would clap his hands as he saw another star in the window and would cry out, "Look, Daddy, there's another family who gave his son for his country." 

At last they came to an empty lot, where there was a break in the row of houses. Through the gap, a star could be seen shining brightly in the sky. The little lad caught his breath, "Oh, Daddy," he cried, "look at the star in the window of heaven! God must have given His son too."

Yes indeed! 

There's a star in God's window. Do you realize what he did for you? Because of God's love for us, He gave His only son to save us Eph. 2:4-5; John 3:16. The cross shows God at His best. 

.....rolls

The great British automaker Rolls Royce takes great pride in the reliability of their handcrafted automobiles. An obviously wealthy owner of a Rolls took it to Europe on an extended trip. While traveling in France the car had some mechanical problem. He called the Rolls Royce factory and asked that they send out a mechanic immediately to fix the problem. 

The company responded in royal fashion. They put a mechanic on a private jet with all of the necessary tools and flew him over to France to make the repairs. The owner was so wealthy that he wasn't at all concerned about the cost, and he would not spare any expense to assure that his beloved Rolls Royce was properly repaired.

However, after several months he realized he had not received a bill for the repair. He directed his secretary to contact the Rolls Royce factory to inquire about the charges. He received a prompt reply from the Rolls Royce company. With typical British aplomb, it said simply, "We have no recollection or record of any Rolls Royce having ever had a breakdown or being in need of repair anywhere in France."

When we repent and ask God to fix things that have resulted from sin in our lives, like Rolls Royce, he fixes it and doesn't have any recollection of the problem, and he NEVER sends a bill. 

"For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." Jeremiah 31:34

- dave langerfeld

.....weakness

We need to come to our Heavenly Father with an understanding that we have no ability to save ourselves. We need to approach God like little child approaching a loving Father; "whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven" Matthew 18:4.

But, we say, surely God doesn't want us to remain as a child. Doesn't He want us to grow? Paul addressed the Corinthian church as worldly rather than spiritual because they were "mere infants in Christ" 1 Corinthians 3:1. The church was experiencing many trials because they had failed to grow: "I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready" 1 Corinthians 3:2.

God's Word never calls us to maintain the faith or spiritual understanding of a child. These simple qualities are important, but we must continually grow and send down deep roots which will weather the storm. What we are called to maintain is the simple humility of a child. 

We must learn to be secure in our Father's hand and to "approach the throne of grace with confidence" Hebrews 4:16, but we must never let our confidence and security lead to an ungrateful assumption of His grace. We initially came to God weak and helpless, and no matter how much we grow - no matter how deep our roots - we remain weak and unable to add a single grain to the grace which He has poured over us.

But our weakness is good, an understanding of our weakness apart from Christ 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.' ...That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9,10

God has chosen to unfold His plan through the lives of His children. We are to reflect the light of Christ into a dark and lifeless world; "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us" 2 Corinthians 5:20. And the world will best see Christ as we remove our own perceived strength and allow the power of God to freely work through us.. Let's strip away our pride and once again approach Him with empty hands. Let's offer our lives as a living sacrifice, as a humble sacrifice of weakness. 

.....clay

One of our greatest gifts we can give our Heavenly Father is the recognition of how little we have to give. It's a wonderful mystery that the Almighty God can reach so far down and lift us up, through the gift of His Son and the power of the Holy Spirit and elevate us to the position of "co-heirs with Christ" Romans 8:17.

Through faith in Jesus, we experience a new birth and are given the gift of eternal life. This is an incredible gift, almost more than we can imagine! Through faith in Jesus, the Creator of the Universe transforms our heart and makes His dwelling within us; "I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh" Ezekiel 36:26. This message of Salvation can change lives, and we have been called to share this message with the world!!

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us 2 Corinthians 4:7 God has chosen to entrust this message to us - common jars of clay! In Paul's day these jars were very ordinary vessels, easily chipped or broken, and often flawed.

Our flaws actually serve a purpose in God's plan, for our jars of clay show that the message which shines in and through our life is from God and not from us. When we truly place our faith and trust in Jesus, we are forever changed: we become "a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17. The new has come, and the new is different - but "the new" is definitely not perfect!!

Paul himself was far from perfect: "Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?" 2 Corinthians 11:29. But Paul had been clearly taught by Jesus that his weakness served the purpose of bringing the ultimate glory and honor to God: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness" 2 Corinthians 12:9

We must begin to view our weaknesses as opportunities to depend more on God and to keep our focus more on Christ. As we trust Him more, His power will be made perfect in us. This also means that the flaws which inevitably surface in those around us are also part of God's plan. These flaws afford us the opportunity to demonstrate grace, forgiveness, and love. One day when He comes to take us home, we will be made perfect; but for now, for the rest of our days on earth, we are ALL jars of clay.

.....changes

I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.  Thy word have I hid my heart, that I might not sin against you.  Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your decrees Psalm 119:10-12

One afternoon I was sitting outside in the swing relaxing, enjoying the nice weather, when I heard a very distinct sound coming towards me.  Clop-clop, clop-clop, clop-clop, clop-clop.  Horse hooves on pavement - there's something romantic to me about that sound.  I looked, waiting to see the horse, and soon an older gentleman riding in his horse-drawn buggy passed in front of my house.  We waved to each other and for a moment it was like I was transported to a different place and time.  For a few moments, life slowed to a quieter, simpler pace, and as I watched him pass, my heart ached for a moment at the beauty of this simple sound.

Not too far down the road, a young kid came riding toward the buggy and exchanged greetings with the driver.  He then turned to follow and brought his bike up along side of the horse.  He asked the man, "Are you supposed to be doing this?  I mean, like, is this legal?"  The man simply replied, "I sure hope it is, 'cause here I am doin' it!"  This answer seemed to satisfy the kid and soon after, he turned around and headed back in the direction he had been taking.

"Is this legal?"  Something as simple as taking a nice afternoon buggy ride, that was common practice 100 years ago, could quite possibly become illegal at some point in time.  Isn't that sad?  

The simple, quiet, steady pace of life that our grandparents and great grandparents enjoyed is eroding away. Swept away by the hectic, over-scheduled, "fast food" lifestyle that we currently live in, those days have become stories the grandchildren hear about and soon will just be history.  I bet they never dreamed we would go this far.  This far away, that is, from what's truly important in life - family, friends, integrity, God.

Thankfully there is something that does not change.  Something that is ever constant, ever present, ever true.  That's God.  He DOES NOT CHANGE.  The ever-constant, ever-present, ever-true I AM.  Even if a day comes that man outlaws the reading of God's Word in public and even in private for that matter, His Word WILL NOT CHANGE.  This is what we base our faith upon.

God is love, God is Light

God is faithful day and night

He is eternal, He never changes

Though the seas rise up to swallow mountain ranges

Hebrews 13:8  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!!!!

.....past

Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah Judges 11:29

We've all heard stories of individuals who have overcome extreme hardship during their childhood years. Children of alcoholics, orphans who never have parents, loss of parents to a fatal crash, childhood disease - these are all difficult circumstances to overcome.

Jephthah was a man who overcame his obstacles and refused to allow his circumstances to prevent him from becoming great in God's sight. He was born to Gilead, a result of his father's adulterous encounter with a prostitute. Gilead's wife, who had bore more sons, decided to reject Jephthah, and drove him away from their home saying, "You are not going to get any inheritance in our family because you are the son of another woman." Judges 11:2 Imagine the rejection this young man felt as he was cast away from his own family.

This experience taught Jephthah to become a hardened warrior. Today he probably would have been part of a street gang. As he got older, his reputation as a warrior became known to those in his country, so much so that when the Ammonites made war on Israel, the elders of Gilead went to Jephthah and asked him to be their commander.  Jephthah had to fight off those feelings of rejection from previous years.

"Didn't you hate me and drive me from my father's house?" he responded. Judges 11:7  He overcame his hurt and pain, and responded to the call God had on his life.

It is said that if we were to help the butterfly remove itself from the cocoon, the butterfly would not be strong enough to survive. It is the struggle that prepares the butterfly to become strong enough to fly. Without the struggle in the cocoon, it could not survive as a butterfly.

The Lord prepares each of us in similar ways. Some of our childhoods seem to have been harsh and born from a seemingly unloving God. However, the Lord knows our struggle and will make our life an instrument in His hand if we will follow Him with an upright heart. He does make all things beautiful in His time if we are willing to be patient.

"But this one thing I do: Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth toward what is ahead, I press on toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Philippians 3:13-14

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

- david langerfeld

.....child

 As your father, I just wanted to remind you today of how beautiful you are because there is the "father of lies" who will try to deceive you. He will try to tell you that you are... 

     not good enough, 

     not attractive enough, 

     not thin enough, 

     not strong enough, 

     not smart enough, 

     not righteous enough,

     and that you are simply unimportant to Me.

He will try to tell you that you have...

     broken one too many promises, 

     fallen one too many times, 

     lived one too many lies, 

     been going in the wrong direction so long, that it is pointless to turn back now.

But guess what?  You do not belong to him.  He is NOT your father.  I AM!!!

You see, you are 

     My creation. 

     My workmanship. 

You have been born of My thought, every part of you placed together by My hands. 

     You have my thumbprint upon you. 

     You are My child, the child of "THE KING"!

I look at you and see a precious, priceless pearl. There is... 

     no ocean I would not swim, 

     no mountain I would not climb, 

     no price I would not pay to have you and to be with you and call you My own.

In fact, I already have. I have done all that I could, given all that there is. 

I desire to be with you every moment of every day. How I long for you to talk to Me every day. 

     My love for you never grows cold. 

     My promises are never broken 

     My character never changes. And you, my child have been made in My image.

I love you dearly, unconditionally and completely. 

     I understand every emotion that you have. 

     I've been there. 

     I count every tear that you cry. 

     I know every hair on your head.

And do you know what? I even know your weaknesses and your failures and your fears. I know those hidden parts of you that you wish would go away. Those dark corners of your world that you stuff deep down, praying that no one will ever see. 

     I have already seen them and they will not change my love for you. Nothing will.  

     I love your heart and I desire all of it.

I just wanted to remind you today of how beautiful you are and how precious you are to Me.

With Unmeasurable Love,

Your Heavenly Father

.....mean

Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all Proverbs 31:28-29

Was your Mom mean?  I know mine was.  We had the meanest Mother in the whole world!

While other kids ate candy for breakfast, we had beans, vegetables,  eggs, and toast. When others had a Coke and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches.  And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was different from what other kids had, too.

Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times, too.  You'd think we were convicts in a prison. She had to know who our friends were, and what we were doing with them. She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less.

We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve to break the Child Labor Laws by making us work. We had to wash dishes, make the beds, learn to cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, empty the trash and all sorts of cruel jobs. I think she would lie awake at night thinking of more things for us to do!

At an early age, she caused all of us to have a "drug problem".  She drug us to church, she drug us to school, she drug us to *MV/AY, and band, and sports and to other after school activities. She drug us to family outings where we discovered that our cousins seemed they have the same "drug problem" that we had.  

She always insisted on us telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds.  Then life got really tough! Mother wouldn't let our friends just honk the horn when they drove up. They had to come up to the door so she could meet them. While everyone else could date when they were 12 or 13, we had to wait until we were done with College!

Because of our mother, we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced. None of us have ever been caught shoplifting, vandalizing other people's property, or ever arrested for any crime. It was all her fault. Now that we have left home, we are all educated, honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean parents just like Mom was. 

You know, I think that is what's wrong with the world today. We just don't have enough "MEAN MOMS"

MV - Missionary Volunteer

AY - Adventist Youth

.....hearing

The heart contains our true character and true relationship with our Heavenly Father. When God was showing Samuel who to anoint as king of Israel, He reminded him: "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" 1 Samuel 16:7. Our outward actions are a "reflection" of the condition of our heart, but they are not a true image and they can most certainly deceive!

God saw this deception long ago in the hearts of His children. We are all susceptible to the trap of going through the motions of worship without really having a heart devoted to God: "These people come near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is made up only of rules taught by men" Isaiah 29:13.

Let's pray for an increased faith which allows us to follow more closely after Jesus. Let's pray for the courage to leave the confines of our worldly security and follow where Jesus is calling. But let's diligently examine our heart and make sure that with EVERY step, we abandon all and step toward Jesus.

.....where

Peter heard the call of Jesus in the middle of a storm and "got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus" Matthew 14:29. Peter knew the voice of his Lord and knew that if He called, He would also provide a way to follow. But Peter soon "saw the wind...and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me!'" Matthew 14:30.

"Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. 'You of little faith,' He said, 'why did you doubt?' And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, 'Truly You are the Son of God.'" Matthew 14:31-33

Peter had stepped onto the water while the other disciples remained in the boat. But Peter needed to be encouraged in what true faith could accomplish. He needed to clearly see that "with God all things are possible" Matthew 19:26, but only if he kept his eyes focused on Jesus. God had great plans for Peter - plans which would require extreme faith - so Jesus ministered to Peter's doubts and fears by meeting him on the water.

Jesus then climbed into the boat with the other disciples. Rather than chastising them for their lack of faith and telling them how they should have climbed out of the boat with Peter, Jesus simply allowed them to worship. These disciples had failed to understand who He was, and now they needed to just spend time loving and worshiping their Lord. Jesus ministered to the needs of these disciples by meeting them in the boat.

The Apostle Paul had a similar understanding of ministry opportunities: "To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some" 1 Corinthians 9:22. Paul never sinned in order to save the sinner, but he understood where a person was in their spiritual journey and met them on their road as he began to minister.

Every day God places people in our life who need encouragement and desperately need to be directed onto a path which will lead them closer to God. None of us know all the answers, and we certainly don't need to force everything we know into a single conversation, but we each are given an opportunity to minister - an opportunity which may only last a moment and may never truly return.

Let's look for the specific needs of those who cross our path and be prepared to encourage with the truth of God's Word. But as we speak the truth, whether on the water, in the boat or even back on the shore, let's minister as we meet them where they are.

- adapted from steve troxel