Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Talk Tuesday-What Do You Like To Eat?

Um, let me start off this week's Talk Tuesday by openly confessing something about myself-I LOVE to eat! Sweets are good, desserts, ice cream and junk food are fine, but I'm more of a meat and potatoes kinda' person. I love food, as in solid, good, hearty food...and if you read last week's post, you'll know that Christmas means a LOT of food! Well, it occurred to me recently that what I put in my body has a bearing on my health. I guess its the same with us spiritually. What we feed ourselves will have a bearing on what we look like as Christians.

In John 4 we meet Jesus in the process of sharing the gift of salvation with a Samaritan woman at the well. That's a cultural double-whammy for Him: a Jew talking to a Samaritan, and a man talking to a woman. His disciples, 'surprised to find Him talking to a woman,' say nothing to Him but instead urge Him to eat. 31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” 33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” 34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.” John 4:31-38

Wow! The disciples got quite a mouthful from JESUS. He tells them that His spiritual food is to obey the will of His Father, which is to harvest souls for His Kingdom. To the Samaritan woman drawing water at the well, JESUS says, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life,” John 4:13-14.

So, as we approach Christmas...I know, I know, here we go again, right?...let us begin to prepare to eat the food that JESUS did. Let us prepare to do the will of the Father and share the Good News with those we meet. Merry Christmas and Happy Eating!

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Talk Tuesday-Christmas in October!

Okay, okay, I know it may seem excessive to start celebrating Christmas in October, but the truth is that I can't help it! I LOVE Christmas! I love the smell of the pine trees, the lights, the food, the feeling of warmth and togetherness, the scent of baked cookies, the songs, and the anticipation of eating lots of yummy food...but most of all I love what it is all about... the fact that, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

What does it mean that GOD sent JESUS down to earth? We are RECONCILED to GOD and we are REDEEMED from the dominion, penalty and scourge of sin by the blood of JESUS shed on the cross.

"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."
1 John 2:1-2

The idea of ATONEMENT denotes both RECONCILIATION and REDEMPTION:

RECONCILIATION is the restoration of our relationship with GOD THE FATHER: Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

REDEMPTION involves JESUS paying the price for our lives, covering the cost of our sin and buying back our lives from the penalty of sin: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

So, let's not wait until Christmas to start singing, "O Come Let Us Adore Him" but let us always worship JESUS who "6 Who, being in very nature GOD, did not consider equality with GOD something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore GOD exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of JESUS every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, to the glory of GOD the Father." Philippians 2:6-11

 Merry Christmas in October! Happy JESUS day everyone!

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Talk Tuesday - Why, Lord, Do You Stand Far Off?



In Psalm 10:1 the psalmist says,

“Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?”

Doesn’t it feel like that sometimes? When we are at the lowest it feels like God is not there, but God is there. We can see the light of a candle when it is in a dark room. God reveals Himself most when we go through trials.

Sometimes we feel like the psalmist

“He says to himself, ‘God will never notice; He covers his face and never sees.’”  Psalm 10:11

 If you feel like God has turned His face from you and you cannot feel His presence, consider what is said in verse 17 and 18:

“You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;
 You encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
defending the fatherless and the oppressed.”

If you don’t feel Him, He is there. Remember, He defends the Fatherless. He is able to take you through the storm. He is faithful. Look back at your life and remember how He was there for you in the past. The Word of God says that He is faithful.

Psalm 10:12

“Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the helpless.”

He did not forget you.

There is a song written by Worship Leader Kari Jobe, titled, I Know That You Are For Me. It is our Movie Monday post for this week. Listen to it and let it minister to your heart. May you feel God’s presence today, in Jesus Name we pray, Amen.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Talk Tuesday - Fisher of Men


The Lord led me to Luke 5 as I was doing my devotions the other day. It moved me so much that I plastered it on the wall in my home office. In this scripture we see Peter coming from a night of fishing, disappointed because he did not catch anything. Jesus tells him to go and throw his net into the deep. Peter replies that they were fishing all night and did not catch anything, but he did as Jesus said. God then blessed him with a huge catch they could not contain. Peter fell to his knees.

 Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” Luke 5:10 

 Has God called you to be a fisher of men? 

 We have a young friend that goes with his church to share the gospel in the malls. My father and mother-in-law go out in the streets evangelizing. If God is real then there must be an urgency to share the good news. And it is good news! Your life is a testimony of how good God is. You have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. I know it is hard for some people, it is hard for me but God wants to use you to speak into someone's life. You don't have to go in the street but what about your workplace or your school? We are all called to make disciples.

 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19