Morning Prayers

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We can pray to God any time of the day, and all throughout the day, yet there is something very sweet about giving Jesus the first fruits of our day in morning prayer.

Not only does morning prayer honor God, it sets up our focus and our priorities before we ever "get started". The ordering and scheduling of our time often becomes more secure when it comes from prayer.

We read in Mark that Jesus got up while it was still dark, went to a deserted place and prayed there. (Mark 1:35)

Here is David's morning prayer:

Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation.

2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God:
for unto thee will I pray.
3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord;
in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. (Psalm 5:1-3 KJV)

A new year is upon us. We should ask ourselves if we are satisfied with the way we spend our mornings. How do we spend our time? Would we like to make any changes to our morning schedule and to our prayer life?

Lord, show me a time in the morning when I can listen to you for the day ahead. May my day and my time glorify You. Amen.

So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12 NASB

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from Galilee Baptist Church!

Our Spiritual Battles

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David sent out Joab in His place for battle (1 Chronicles 20:1) and stayed home instead of going to war (2 Samuel 11:1). He quickly ended up entangled with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:2-3).
For a while, David added sin upon sin. 

One lesson we can take away: When we avoid the spiritual battle that is our duty to fight, we may end up in a battle we haven't planned for.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. (Ephesians 6:10-13 ESV)

When God calls us to do hard things

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Matthew Henry wrote: “Whatever low or dark valley we are called into at any time, we may be confident, if God goes down with us into it, that he will surely bring us up again. If he goes with us down to death, he will surely bring us up again to glory.” 

Jacob probably did not expect the Lord to call him to Egypt, (Genesis 46:1-4) and we too may find God calling us to do hard things for Him that require difficult or heart wrenching decisions. Even in these times, like Jacob, we can be confident that God is with us even when we must go where we do not want to go. We must be content in all things knowing that if we have Jesus, we have all we need.

2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

Augustine once said, "He who has God has everything; he who has everything but God has nothing."

We must remember: God's blessing isn’t found in what He gives or takes away. His blessing is abiding in His presence. His blessing is Christ.

The Apostle John writes:  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17 ESV)

Remember that the Lord supplies all our needs according to His riches and glory. (Philippians 4:19) and if we have Jesus, we have true riches. Indeed, we have it all.

The LORD shall save me

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As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. (Psalm 55:16)

There are some circumstances that call for much prayer. There are times we have come to the end of what we can do, and to the end of what is humanly possible. Prayer is "all" that is left, but what a gift prayer is!

We shall not trust in the arm of the flesh even if we could! 

Isaiah writes: Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the LORD! (Isaiah 31:1 ESV)

Yes, the Lord is our only helper and it is to Him that we will pray and Him that we will trust. His grace is sufficient. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

You may not know how He will save you, but know He will do it in the truest and fullest sense.

Count on Him for fresh manna daily, and feed on this. How sweet it is to our taste!

Victory Without Battle

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Often times, the LORD desires us to stand and fight in spiritual battles - uncomfortable as it may be. We learn how to do this several places in Scripture although the most familiar may be Ephesians 6.

Sometimes though, the LORD will deliver us WITHOUT a battle that we have to fight. Sometimes, without our intervention, God wins the battle for us.

But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen. (Hosea 1:7)

We should look then, to the Lord Jesus Christ only, and not to man to save us. Man cannot save us by the greatness of his army or by his power. God alone can win the battle for us. How often we miss His blessing by looking to man for our answers, neglecting much prayer about it "because it seems to make sense". Yet, God Himself has mercy on us and can defend us in His perfect timing.

When there is a battle, let us be in prayer. Let us not fear or be dismayed, because like Joshua, the Lord our God is with us!

The parable of the sower

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The parable of the sower is an important parable because it explains the different states of professing believers and how that relates to salvation.

Below is a chart showing what each gospel tells us about the four soils. Sometimes there is confusion about this parable. Some believe it shows that we can lose our salvation. Yet, this is not what it shows at all. When we put it together the picture is clear. Let's look:

Parable of the Sower: Mark 4:13 ..Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

	WAYSIDE	STONY GROUND/ROCK	THORNS	GOOD SOIL
MATTHEW	13:19 Does not understand wicked one takes away word	13:20 hears receives w/joy no root offended at tribulations	13:21 Hears Cares of world make unfruitful	13:23 Hears Understands Bears fruit
MARK	4:15 Hear The word is immediately taken away by satan	4:16 Receive with gladness but no root Endure for a time until persecution	4:17 Hear Cares of world choke	4:20 Hear Receive it Bring fruit
LUKE	8:12 Hear Devil takes away word in heart LEST they believe and be saved	8:13 Hear Receive with joy Fall away in time of temptation	8:14 Heard Choked by pleasures No fruit to perfection (KJ) “mature fruit” (ESV)	8:15 In honest & good heart Hear Brings forth fruit with patience
Summary: Picture of all types of believers: Non believer Emotional “believer” Baby “Christian” that never grows Those that endure to the end with patience (saved)	Never saved (Lk 8:12)	Never says these believe, understood or brings forth fruit. Plant can endure for a time,  but not bring forth fruit	Never says these believe, understood or brings forth mature fruit. Plant can endure for a time, but not bring forth mature fruit. Warning to long term “baby Christians” /  “carnal Christians” that don’t ever grow	It was sown in an honest and good heart. (Who makes our hearts honest and good? Not in our natural state - Jer 17:9 - it is God (Eze 11:19) Heard Received Understood Bore fruit with patience (see Heb 10:36)

[Jesus] answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. - Matthew 15:13 ESV

How to discern God's leading in hard decisions

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A few months ago Pastor Dave gave a sermon on Jacob and Laban. He detailed four points for us to know when God is in a move.

For us to apply these points, this doesn't have to be a physical move but a move or change in our lives that effects not only ourselves but our families. When it is hard to discern God's will for your life in a "move", consider these points from Genesis 31.

1. There must be a desire for change. Jacob desired God but waited on him through bad work/living circumstances.     Timing is always important. If desire continues, then good, but wait on God.

2. There must be a change in our circumstances. (in Jacob’s case, sons were born and he was no longer heir)

3. We must have a conviction from God

4. There must be agreement in marriage.

When all 4 come together, God is leading.

Faith and Fear

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Let's look at two examples in Scripture where faith conquered fear.

• David and Goliath - In the account of David and Goliath, despite David's small size and Goliath's large size, David's God was even bigger than the giant. Faith won. David triumphed over the giant, saving his nation. (1 Samuel 17)

• 12 spies: In trhe account of the 12 spies that  Moses sent out to survey the land God had given them, only 2 had faith in God's promise. The rest saw the giants in the land and said, "We are not able!" (See October 22nd blog entry for more on this text) Unlike David, the giants in the land seemed to the spies, bigger than their God. (Numbers 13)

Fear and unbelief elevate the obstacles over God: the giants become bigger than our Lord . When we walk in faith, like David, our God is bigger than our giants. Which will you choose today?

Loved ones and letting go

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The LORD is good,
a stronghold in the day of trouble;
he knows those who take refuge in him. - Nahum 1:7 ESV

Sometimes in our lives we have to let go of people that are precious to us and give them to God. Maybe it is a child going off to school or a loved one going into the service.

Nahum has a promise for us to cling to. When your loved one knows the Lord, we can be sure that the Lord will take care of them. Their life may not look like what we expect, but we are assured that God knows them and will work all things in their life for good. (Romans 8:28)

He knows you too, child of God. Take your refuge in our Lord.

What we can learn from 10 spies that didn't believe God

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Remember the story of the 12 spies Moses sent out? Most of us know the story, even Wikipedia (below). We usually focus our attention on the two men that DID have faith, but there is also something to learn from the 10 spies that didn't show faith.

God had promised Abraham that there would be a Promised Land for the nations to come out of his son, Isaac. The land of Canaan which the spies were to explore was the same Promised Land. When ten of the twelve spies showed little faith in the doom and gloom report they gave about the land, they were slandering what they believed God had promised them. They did not believe that God could help them, and the people as a whole were persuaded that it was not possible to take the land. As a result, the entire nation was made to wander in the desert for 40 years, until almost the entire generation of men had died. Joshua and Caleb were the two spies who brought back a good report and believed that God would help them succeed. They were the only men from their generation permitted to go into the Promised Land after the time of wandering.

These then were their names:

1. from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur;
2. from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori; 
3. from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh;
4. from the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph;
5. from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun; 
6. from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu; 
7. from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi; 
8. from the tribe of Joseph, from the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi; 
9. from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli; 
10. from the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael; 
11. from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi; 
12. from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.

 These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land; but Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua. (Numbers 13:6-16 NASB)


Except for Joshua and Caleb, we don't hear these names again. They are not familiar names to us. Why? Because they did not have faith.

Let's look at what happened:

1. The LORD told them that He was giving them the land. (Numbers 13:2)
2. The LORD commanded them not to fear or be dismayed. (Deuteronomy 1:21)
3. Ten of the spies saw the land and the giants and became dismayed and feared. After seeing with their physical eyes, they did not believe God and said, "We are not able!" (Numbers 13:31)

What did 10 of the spies lose?

• These 10 men could have possibly been included later in the canon of Scripture for their great faith. They lost that potential witness to their generation and others. The names of these men are virtually unknown to us.

• They did not get to partake of God's promise because of their lack of faith

• Their rebellion (Deuteronomy 1:26) affected others. None of the adults in that generation got to partake of God's promise because the testimony of the 10 influenced the Israelites to lose faith.

We too have much to lose when we don't have faith to believe what God has told us in His written word. We too, like Joshua and Caleb, have much to gain when we do believe God and exercise faith. When we do that, we believe God not only because of what He said, but because of who he is. (Isaiah 43:10)

Jesus, increase our faith. May we believe your word and live it. Amen.

Personal Morning Devotions: The SOAP method

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One great way of having a personalized morning devotional without a devotional book or email is the S.O.A.P. method. SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer.

You may choose a verse or two as God leads or systematically work through a chapter or book of the Bible.

Below is an example:

Scripture:
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. - Romans 6:4-5 ESV

Observation:
If we are truly saved (united with Christ by baptism unto death), our salvation is certain.

Application:
I can rest in the promise of God knowing His word is sure. Faithful is He who calls me who will also do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

Prayer:
Lord God, thank you that you have accomplished my salvation on the cross. Thank you for your forgiveness and your faithfulness. Help me rest in your promise, growing in you each day that I may increasingly walk in the newness of life. May my life show others your transforming power to your glory and praise. In Jesus name, Amen.

Baby Dedications

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It is such a wonderful moment when we see parents dedicating their newborn baby to the Lord isn't it? We have examples in Scripture of this. The most common one is probably when Hannah dedicated Samuel. She said,  "So I have also dedicated him to the LORD; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the LORD." 1 Samuel 1:28a NASB

But there is another example in the New Testament that we often overlook. That example is in Mary. Think about this:

• God gives her His own son that her body nurtures during the 9 months of pregnancy
• The bodily life of Jesus grows within her
• Mary gives birth to that physical life
• Mary dedicates that life back to God at the presentation:

Luke writes: And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “EVERY firstborn MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THELORD”), and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS.” - Luke 2:22-24 NASB

One cross reference is in Exodus: You shall devote to the LORD the first offspring of every womb - Exodus 13:12a NASB

We are following a very biblical pattern when we pray over our children and dedicate them to God. It is God that gifted our lives with them and it is to God we give all praise. Amen

What happens when we don't let go?

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For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1 ESV)

We are familiar with seasons in our lives. There is a season when we are single. Maybe there is a season we are married. There is a season we are young, there is a season we are old. 

We have seasons spiritually as well. Whether or not you have "an official ministry", God has appointed work for you to right now in this season. He has blessings for you right now in this season too.  After some time, God may change our "job assignment" and we must be faithful to that calling. Easier said then done sometimes isn't it? Our fingers have a natural tendency to have a tight grip on the blessings we are currently enjoying.

There are a few problems when we do that. One is this:
If we do not let go of the season we are in when the time comes, we will not be free to grasp what God has for us in the next season.

Lord Jesus, may we always follow you, no matter the cost. Thank you for our blessings past and thank you for our blessings future. Amen.