Back on Track

“Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.” (Psalms 119:35)

I recently took an unplanned detour. Stopping to get gas in unfamiliar territory, I found myself on a one way street heading in the opposite direction from where I needed to go. It was rush hour. The intersections were busy with preoccupied drivers, and everyone knew where they were going, except for me. Lane changes were out of the question. A series of wrong turns deepened my plight, and I soon realized there was no getting back to the exact point where I first made the wrong move.

But then I remembered my GPS. Unused and unplugged, it hid beneath the passenger’s seat, just waiting to be asked the question, “How do I get back on the right path?”

Our spiritual lives are similar to this. A few ill advised steps to the right or the left quickly turn into massive detours; unplanned and full of obstacles. But we keep moving, never recognizing how lost we are until we finally stop to look back. We no longer recognize our surroundings.

Unintentionally perhaps, but because of our own choices, we left the people who once traveled with us far behind.

But just like the GPS underneath the passenger’s seat, there lies the Bible, just waiting to be asked the question, “How do I get back on the right path?”

My GPS and my Bible only point me in the right direction when I choose to use them. Many might say my Bible is filled with nothing but rules. But I know better. If I follow what it recommends, I will make fewer mistakes. I will hurt less. My family and loved ones will hurt less. My Bible tells me to embrace life; to “go, and sin no more.”

My GPS tells me to make a U-turn. Stop following this path that leads in the opposite direction from where I want to end up. “Turn around when possible,” it cautions repeatedly.
They both recognize the dangers of being lost and alone. Thank goodness.

Dear God,
Sometime I make the wrong turn. I am slow to realize what happened and why. But I thank you for never giving up on me. I thank you for creating a path just for me that will lead to eternity. I pray that you give me the strength to follow. I thank you for the Bible, our GPS systems, and for each other. All are needed for this journey.

In Jesus name, Amen

Question: Where do you turn to get your life “back on track”? What passages of God’s Word bring you comfort?

Traveling Light

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28 NLT).

Rest from the burden of a small god. Why? Because I have found the Lord.

Rest from doing things my way. Why? Because the Lord is my Shepherd.

Rest from endless wants. Why? Because I shall not want.

Rest from weariness. Why? Because he makes me to lie down.

Rest from worry. Why? Because he leads me.

Rest from hopelessness. Why? Because he restores my soul.

Rest from guilt. Why? Because he leads me in the paths of righteousness.

Rest from arrogance. Why? Because of his name’s sake.

Rest from the valley of death. Why? Because he walks me through it.

Rest from the shadow of grief. Why? Because he guides me.

Rest from fear. Why? Because his presence comforts me.

Rest from loneliness. Why? Because he is with me.

Rest from shame. Why? Because he has prepared a place for me in the presence of my enemies.

Rest from my disappointments. Why? Because he anoints me.

Rest from envy. Why? Because my cup overflows.

Rest from doubt. Why? Because he follows me.

Rest from homesickness. Why? Because I will dwell in the house of my Lord forever.

Question: Which of the items on Max’s list weighs heaviest on you today? Can you spend some time in prayer about it now?

From Traveling LightCopyright 2001, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Max LucadoUsed by permission.

Is Jesus in the Driver’s Seat?

“He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out…he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.” (John 10:4)

Often we treat Jesus as a tag-along as we rush about our day’s activities. “Run with me, Jesus,” we say. “Empower me. Give me ideas on how to do this better. Bless me. Bless my family.” We want Him to be good company, sitting beside us, not saying much. But is this what the Christian life is all about?

Jesus said, “Come, follow me.” Notice, who is taking the lead. Who is driving the car? Sometimes following Jesus involves leaving the familiar and taking risks.

I’m reminded of Levi, the tax collector. As Jesus walked by his booth, He said, “Follow me.” Levi could have said, “What do you mean? This is my livelihood.” But no, he got up–left his comfort zone– and followed Jesus into the unknown (Mark 2:14). Levi became a disciple of Jesus and later wrote the book of Matthew.

“Come, follow me” is Jesus’ way of calling us to new life. He wants to take us out of our cramped selfish lifestyle into his glorious freedom. He wants to take us to heights and depths we’ve never known. When we follow Jesus our focus will be upward and outward–away from ourselves.

How do we make this practical?

1. Read God’s word so you’ll get to know His voice.
2. Prayerfully write out what you feel is God’s specific plan for you–your life goals.
3. Listen carefully to how He wants to use you today.
4. Be totally dependent upon God to empower you and use you. It is the Spirit of God in us that empowers us to be and do all that Christ has called us to be and do.

Lord Jesus, I want You to control my life. Show me what You want to accomplish through my life today. I want to be about my Father’s business. (Luke 2:49) Amen.

Question: Which of the practical steps listed above struck you as being the most difficult when you read it, and why?

The God Who Is Enough

“When Moses asked God, “What is your name so I can tell the people who sent me?” God replied, “This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3:14)

What is God saying? “I am ever present. Wherever your journey takes you: I am.”

Jesus also used the I AM phrase to identify Himself. One time the Pharisees challenged Him, “Who do you think you are?”

Jesus answered, “Long before Abraham was born, I AM.” The Jews understood what Jesus was saying: He was identifying himself with the I AM who spoke with Moses. And that was blasphemy in their eyes. They picked up stones to stone him. But Jesus slipped away unharmed. (John 8:58, 59)

Jesus used the I AM phrase often. Can you remember some? I am the bread of life. I am the living water. I am the good shepherd. What is Jesus saying? “Whatever you need: I am! I am the God who is enough. In every situation you might find yourself in, I have what you need to get through it.”

When I was going through a very rough time in my life, someone gave me the following poem which gave me courage and strength:

I was regretting the past and fearing the future.Suddenly God was speaking: “My name is “I Am.”I waited. God continued:“When you live in the past with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard.I am not there. My Name is not ‘I was.”When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard.I am not there. My Name is not “I will be.”When you live in the moment, it is not hard. I am here.My name is “I Am.”

Dear God, thank you that you are the beginning of all things, the end of all things and in the midst of all things. You were present at my birth; you will be there at the end of my years and through all the days in between. Thank you that all that I need I find in you. You are my source of strength and my victory. Amen

Question: Why does it often seem like God isn’t “enough” for our problems?

The Common Life

“Is not this the carpenter?” (Mark 6:3).

Jesus’ neighbors spoke those words. Amazed at his latter-life popularity, they asked, “Is this the same guy who fixed my roof?”

Note what his neighbors did not say:“Is not this the carpenter who owes me money?”“Is not this the carpenter who swindled my father?”“Is not this the carpenter who never finished my table?”

No, these words were never said. The lazy have a hard time hiding in a small town. Hucksters move from city to city to survive. Jesus didn’t need to. Need a plow repaired? Christ could do it. In need of a new yoke? “My neighbor is a carpenter, and he will give you a fair price.” The job may have been common, but his diligence was not. Jesus took his work seriously.

And the town may have been common, but his attention to it was not. Mountain flowers in the spring. Cool sunsets. Pelicans winging their way along the streams of Kishon to the Sea of Galilee. Thyme-besprinkled turf at his feet. Fields and fig trees in the distance. Do you suppose moments here inspired these words later? “Observe how the lilies of the field grow” (Matt. 6:28) or “Look at the birds of the air” (Matt. 6:26). The words of Jesus the rabbi were born in the thoughts of Jesus the boy.

The maker of yokes later explained, “My yoke is easy” (Matt. 11:30). The one who brushed his share of sawdust from his eyes would say, “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Matt. 7:3).

He saw how a seed on the path took no root (Luke 8:5) and how a mustard seed produced a great tree (Matt. 13:31–32). He remembered the red sky at morning (Matt. 16:2) and the lightning in the eastern sky (Matt. 24:27). Jesus listened to his common life.

Are you listening to yours? Rain pattering against the window. Silent snow in April. The giggle of a baby on a crowded plane. Seeing a sunrise while the world sleeps. Are these not personal epistles? Can’t God speak through a Monday commute or a midnight diaper change? Take notes on your life.

Next time your life feels ordinary, take your cue from Christ. Pay attention to your work and your world. Jesus’ obedience began in a small town carpentry shop. His uncommon approach to his common life groomed him for his uncommon call.

Question: What does it mean to live a “common life”? Is there anything wrong with that?

From Next Door Savior
Copyright 2003, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Max Lucado
Used by permission.

Lessons from Odd Places: Words that Saved my Life

“A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.” (Proverbs 25:11-12)

When I was about ten years old, my older brother and I were riding our bikes on a trail. It was the back way to a small store that let us avoid the main route that went along a busy highway. One section of the trail was a narrow path that ran along the edge of the bank of a river.

My bike had the old-fashioned saddle bag wire baskets on either side of the back wheel. I had a six pack of pop in one basket that gave me a slight sensation of being off balance. The path that ran so close along the river it made me nervous without this added challenge of weighty cargo in my basket.

Well, as you may have guessed, the bike, pop and I ended up sliding off the path and falling over the bank into the river. The drop down to the water was about a meter and a half. My bike got caught on a root so did not get washed away.

I landed in the water and was thrashing around yelling, “Help, I’m drowning!” My brother yelled back at me, “Stand up.”

While I had fallen into deep water that was over my head, through my thrashing I had moved to a place that was not. To this day I wonder if I could have drowned in the shallower water if my brother had not told me to stand up?

Words are powerful for good or for destruction. Words can bless or wound deeply.

“A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear. “(Proverbs 25:11-12)

There may be someone around you who is thrashing in the currents of life and is in need of some life giving words today. They might need a word of encouragement to help them see how to extricate themselves from an overwhelming situation. Or you, yourself may need a life giving word from someone close to you who can see a bigger picture than you do.

For all who wrestle with seemingly life threatening challenges, God’s word, the Bible is his love letter to us. Open it often and listen to God’s instructions, drinking deep because it is the source of true and life giving words.

Questions: Have there been times where your words have gotten you into trouble? Can you then have mercy on others when they are careless with their words?

Author: Mike Woodard

Seeking God’s Face

“If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land”(2 Chronicles 7:14, KJV)

“Humility is perfect quietness of heart,” Andrew Murray once wrote. “It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and above is trouble.”

For years, I have claimed God’s promise recorded in 2 Chronicles 7:14. My emphasis has been on the humbling of ourselves and turning from sin. But recently a minister friend made a passing reference to the phrase, “seeking God’s face,” and it triggered in my mind some new thoughts about this great promise from God.

In a sense, the humbling of ourselves and turning from sin are the by – products, or end results, of coming to know God as He is, by meditating upon His character and attributes. To “seek God’s face” is to meditate upon His sovereignty, His holiness, His power, His wisdom, His love – getting to know Him as He is.

The disciples of the first – century church were mightily used of God because of their exalted view of Him. There was nothing too great for Him. God could do anything. The church today can once again experience that same dynamic that characterized those first believers if we, too, become totally absorbed in the character and attributes of our great God.

It is then that we will truly begin to believe God for supernatural, impossible things and make a great impact for good on the world.

Question: What part of the promise recorded in 2 Chronicles 7:14 speaks most to you and your situation today?

Author: Bill Bright

Refreshed by the Word

“Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.” (Psalm 119:97)

Charles Spurgeon declared, “I would rather lay my soul asoak in half a dozen verses all day than rinse my hand in several chapters.” While time in God’s Word will always prove worthwhile, if we speed through our Bible reading for the day, we are only shortchanging ourselves of the blessings we could otherwise experience if we took the time to slow down and really reflect on what we’ve read in God’s Word. Just look at the blessed life that could be ours if we simply made spending regular time reflecting on Scripture a priority.

Psalm 1:3 describes:

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,which yields its fruit in seasonand whose leaf does not wither.Whatever he does prospers.

No wonder the blessed man from Psalm 1 meditated on God’s Word day and night! Each time he spends meditating in God’s Word he is refreshed by the Living Water. In time he bears an abundance of delicious fruit. When the heat of trials come, the heat does not cause his leaf to wither. His faith is not shaken. His hope and trust is in God. This is a person completely abiding in and relying on God’s Word. As a result whatever they do prospers. However they prosper, it appears will always be evidence of an abiding life.

Your life, too, can exemplify these blessed characteristics as you increasingly delight and take time to meditate on God’s Word.

How much we delight in God’s Word will determine the quality of our time spent in the Word, as well as how often we choose to be in it. As we faithfully employ our mind to daily meditate on God’s words, we will be blessed and grow spiritually in ways we could have never imagined.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the priceless gift of Your Word. Help me not let the business of my day, distract me from spending meaningful time reading my Bible. I don’t want to miss out on anything, in it, that You have for me In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions: How would you describe your time in God’s Word today? Does your time resemble a refreshing soak or a quick rinse? What can you do today to make your time in God’s Word more satisfying?

Author: Brooke Espinoza

Burned-Out on Religion?

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NLT)

Jesus might have asked: “Aren’t you tired and burned-out on all that religious stuff? Look, come walk with me, and I’ll help you recover your life – your real purpose – and even though it will require some hard, very hard work, you’ll be energized by it because you’ll be living life to its fullest. You’ll be doing exactly what my Father created you to do, and more importantly, you’ll be exactly who I want you to be.”

In taking on the Jesus-yoke, he is asking us to join the school of Christ. In ancient times, when a student studied under a specific teacher, it would be said that the student took on the teacher’s yoke; the student was yoked to the master.

Within that context, consider these words from Jesus: “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30, NLT)

Jesus says, by walking with him, we’ll learn how to walk with God. We don’t learn from afar; we learn from a caring and committed teacher-student relationship – caring and committed on both sides.

The Christian walk is not a lesson in how to run off doing things for Jesus while we ignore him. Our Christ-walk is a journey with Jesus, where he is very personal and specific about our growth and spiritual maturity.

What does this mean?

• Are you tired? – Jesus will teach you how to find rest in God, not a rest absent of stress, but the rest that results from believing in God’s faithfulness. Ask God to show you what blocks you from believing fully in his faithfulness, and then ask him to break those blockages down.
• Are you confused? – Join Jesus at his school of Christ, and watch him, listen to him, ask him to renew your purpose.
• Ask to be teachable – Tell Jesus you want to be yoked to him, and that you want to learn from him. Ask him to keep your heart teachable.

Question: The word “religion” originally meant re-connection with God. How does Jesus provide the ultimate reconnection with God?

The Author: Jon Walker

True Spiritual Growth

Read James 1:17 – 27

If you want to experience genuine growth in your Christian life, it is not enough to be instructed in the Word. You may love going to seminars and Bible studies or listening to countless teachers and preachers; then, when you can discuss spiritual topics in depth, you might assume you have grown significantly. However, unless you live out your faith by giving yourself away in ministry to others, your “progress” amounts to nothing more than head knowledge. Memorizing Scripture is wonderful, but God wants to use all that truth to impact someone else’s life. Otherwise, you’re missing the point.

Spiritual growth results from practicing the principles you receive from God. This is done by sharing the truth of the Gospel with others, loving them, and serving them. Jesus did not come merely as a great teacher; He came as a servant – even to the lowest rung of His society, like lepers, prostitutes, fanatics, and thieves. (Matthew 20:28)

When the Savior walked on earth, He did the Father’s will by wholeheartedly involving Himself in people’s lives. His purpose today is the same: to reach the world with His love, through you. If that were not the case, He would have taken you to heaven as soon as you were saved – it would have been the safest thing to do! But you’re here for a purpose: to reach out with Christ’s love to a world which desperately needs to know that the Savior cares for them. This happens one individual at a time, through your warm – hearted, personal involvement in that person’s life.

Does anyone come to mind?

Question: What did James mean when he says we are meant to be “a kind of first fruits of all [God] created”? (James 1:18)

Author: Charles Stanley

Jesus or the Boat?

“But the boat was already over a mile from land, battered by the waves, because the wind was against them.” Matthew 14:24 (HCSB)

Jesus needed time to refresh and so he sent his disciples on ahead, across the Sea of Galilee in one of their fishing boats. But storms sweep across this inland sea like tornados that emerge from nowhere.

And now the disciples were in a fight with the Goliath-like forces of nature. Some of the disciples were fishermen. They understood the danger, and so they fought the storm long and hard, but made little headway.

It was three o’clock in the morning, that no-man’s-land time of day when you haven’t yet escaped the night, but you still haven’t crossed into morning. It’s the kind of time when you wonder if you’ll even make it through until sunrise.

The Golan Heights, rising from the water like a wall within a quarry, are hard to distinguish against a sky so dark and drench. They’re over a mile from shore, and the water is transforming into an evil presence, so deep and so menacing.

And just then, someone on the boat yells, “Look! What is that? It looks like a man, but it just can’t be.” Before he’s even finished saying them, his words disappear into the wailing wind. But no one has to say anything else. All eyes are on this ghostly figure walking toward them like an incarnation of the storm!

And then Jesus says, “It is I.” (v. 27)

What does this mean?

• Jesus or the boat? – When faced with such a situation, where is the safest place to be? In the boat or in the arms of Jesus?
• Jesus peace – Logic tells us we’re safer in the boat; but the Bible tells us we’re safer in the arms of Jesus, the Lord and Master over the storm. He offers a peace that passes all understanding.

Question: What makes it difficult sometimes to trust in God rather the trust in our own abilities or circumstances?

The Sufferings of His Broken Heart

Go with me for a moment to witness what was perhaps the foggiest night in history. The scene is very simple; you’ll recognize it quickly. A grove of twisted olive trees. Ground cluttered with large rocks. A low stone fence. A dark, dark night.

Now, look into the picture. Look closely through the shadowy foliage. See that person? See that solitary figure? What’s he doing? Flat on the ground. Face stained with dirt and tears. Fists pounding the hard earth. Eyes wide with a stupor of fear. Hair matted with salty sweat. Is that blood on his forehead?

That’s Jesus. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Maybe you’ve seen the classic portrait of Christ in the garden. Kneeling beside a big rock. Snow-white robe. Hands peacefully folded in prayer. A look of serenity on his face. Halo over his head. A spotlight from heaven illuminating his golden-brown hair.

Now, I’m no artist, but I can tell you one thing. The man who painted that picture didn’t use the gospel of Mark as a pattern. When Mark wrote about that painful night, he used phrases like these: “Horror and dismay came over him.” “My heart is ready to break with grief.” “He went a little forward and threw himself on the ground.”

Does this look like the picture of a saintly Jesus resting in the palm of God? Hardly. Mark used black paint to describe this scene. We see an agonizing, straining, and struggling Jesus. We see a “man of sorrows.” (Isaiah 53:3 NASB) We see a man struggling with fear, wrestling with commitments, and yearning for relief.

We see Jesus in the fog of a broken heart.

The writer of Hebrews would later pen, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death.” (Hebrews 5:7 NIV)

My, what a portrait! Jesus is in pain. Jesus is on the stage of fear. Jesus is cloaked, not in sainthood, but in humanity.

The next time the fog finds you, you might do well to remember Jesus in the garden. The next time you think that no one understands, reread the fourteenth chapter of Mark. The next time your self-pity convinces you that no one cares, pay a visit to Gethsemane. And the next time you wonder if God really perceives the pain that prevails on this dusty planet, listen to him pleading among the twisted trees.

The next time you are called to suffer, pay attention. It may be the closest you’ll ever get to God. Watch closely. It could very well be that the hand that extends itself to lead you out of the fog is a pierced one.

Question: Have you ever felt closer to God during times of difficulty?

From The Great House of God
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2009) Max Lucado
Used by Permission

Open Arms

If you ever wonder how in the world God could use you to change the world, look at the people God used to change history. A ragbag of ne’er-do-wells and has-beens who found hope, not in their performance, but in God’s proverbially open arms.

Abraham- God took what was good and forgave what was bad and used “old forked tongue” to start a nation. Moses- would you call upon a fugitive to carry the Ten Commandments? God did. David- his track record left little to be desired, but his repentant spirit was unquestionable. Jonah- God put him in a whale’s belly to bring him back to his senses. But even the whale couldn’t stomach this missionary for too long.

On and on the stories go: Elijah, the prophet who pouted; Solomon, the king who knew too much; Jacob, the wheeler-dealer; Gomer, the prostitute; Sarah, the woman who giggled at God. One story after another of God using man’s best and overcoming man’s worst.

The reassuring lesson is clear. God used (and uses!) people to change the world. People! Not saints or superhumans or geniuses, but people. Crooks, creeps, lovers, and liars—he uses them all. And what they may lack in perfection, God makes up for in love.

Jesus later summarized God’s stubborn love with a parable. He told about a teenager who decided that life at the farm was too slow for his tastes. So with pockets full of inheritance money, he set out to find the big time. What he found instead were hangovers, fair-weather friends, and long unemployment lines. When he had had just about as much of the pig’s life as he could take, he swallowed his pride, dug his hands deep into his empty pockets, and began the long walk home; all the while rehearsing a speech that he planned to give to his father. He never used it. Just when he got to the top of the hill, his father, who’d been waiting at the gate, saw him. The boy’s words of apology were quickly muffled by the father’s words of forgiveness. And the boy’s weary body fell into his father’s opened arms.

The same open arms welcomed him that had welcomed Abraham, Moses, David, and Jonah. No wagging fingers. No clenched fists. No “I told you so!” slaps or “Where have you been?” interrogations. No crossed arms. No black eyes or fat lips. No. Only sweet, open arms. If you ever wonder how God can use you to make a difference in your world, just look at those he has already used and take heart. Look at the forgiveness found in those open arms and take courage.

And, by the way, never were those arms opened so wide as they were on the Roman cross. One arm extending back into history and the other reaching into the future. An embrace of forgiveness offered for anyone who’ll come. A hen gathering her chicks. A father receiving his own. A redeemer redeeming the world.

No wonder they call him the Savior.

Can you think of someone today who needs your forgiveness? Upon thinking about people that God used in Bible times i.e. Moses, David etc, how does that affect your attitude in regards to how you can help change the world today?

From No Wonder They Call Him the Savior©
(W Publishing Group, 1986, 2004) Max Lucado
Used by permission

When You Open The Door

“One morning I wanted to feed the birds,” a saint once said. “It was gray and cold, and the ground was covered with snow. I stepped out on the porch and flung them handfuls of crumbs and called to them. But there they sat, cold and hungry and afraid. They did not trust me.
“As I sat and watched and waited, it seemed to me I could get God’s view – point more clearly than ever before. He offers, plans, waits, hopes, longs for all things for our good. But He has to watch and wait as I did for my timid friends.”

What a simple thing it is to open a door!

That still, small voice of conscience that pricks you from time to time is probably Christ Himself knocking at the door of your heart. He is waiting for that very simple act by which you open that door – an act of your will acknowledging that Christ is making a claim upon your life. He has that right; He died for you.

If you are not absolutely sure that Christ is in your life, that you would go straight to heaven if you died today, you can be sure right now.

By faith, respond to the invitation of Jesus and open the door of your life to Him. Why not make this your prayer:

“Lord Jesus, I need You. I know You are the Son of God, the Savior of all men. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. Enable me to live a supernatural life beginning today. Amen.”

If you asked Christ to come into your life, by faith, trusting that He has answered your prayer even as He has promised, then you can know with absolute certainty that He has done so.

Questions: Has God been speaking to you lately? Have you been ignoring Him?

Let Other Believers Help You Walk with Christ

“Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many counselors bring success.” Proverbs 15:22 (NLT)

We all need mentors – other believers – to guide us in our walk with Christ. We need people to coach and train us in ministry.

Mentors can bring out the best in you and help you achieve God’s unique mission for your life. Mentors help you keep growing – in your roles, your goals, and your soul.

Using mentors is common in a lot of professions. For instance, doctors mentor younger doctors; musicians mentor other musicians. If you search the Internet, you’ll find all kinds of organizations that are now using some sort of mentoring process.

Why? We learn best through mentors. Proverbs 15:22 says, “Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many counselors bring success.” (NLT) Is there someone advising you? If not, find a mentor – perhaps an older Christian who can help you on your path toward Jesus-like maturity, or a Christian who is a few steps ahead of you in his prayer life or a few steps ahead in her ability to witness.

When I’m with a mentor, I focus on these two things:

1. Ask questions – Proverbs 20:5 says, “The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.” (NIV)

Everyone has a reservoir of knowledge, skills, and experience to share. You are being wise when you draw these out and learn from another. You don’t have to limit asking questions to just one mentor you meet with on a regular basis. You can meet mentors anywhere. Make a little 3-by-5 card and keep it with you – with standard questions to ask every time you get around a quality person.

I have my own set of standard questions. Whenever I am around someone I can learn from, I pull out my card. I ask questions like:

• How do you handle stress?
• What have been the greatest successes in your life, and what are the causes of it?
• What were the greatest failures in your life?
• What would you do differently if you were doing life over?
• What kind of books do you read?
• How do you manage your time?
• How do you manage your money?
• What have been the greatest lessons you’ve learned?• What have been the greatest surprises in your life?

2. Accept feedback – Ecclesiastes 7:5 says, “It is better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool!” (NLT) Feedback is absolutely essential to fulfilling God’s mission for your life. If you don’t get feedback, you’re going to get off course.

Did you know that in all the Apollo space flights to the moon the astronauts had to do constant course corrections? The earth was turning, the moon was turning, and there was a rotation going on. In order to get the rocket to the spot on the moon where it was supposed to be at a certain time, the astronauts had to continually correct their course. To do so, they had to get feedback.
If you’re not open to feedback, you’re not going to learn, you’re not going to grow, and you’re not going to develop. You need to learn to accept criticism.

Go out and find someone you trust, someone with skills and experiences you can learn from, and ask that person to be your mentor.

Author: Rick Warren

The Answer is Jesus

Truly, in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains; Truly, in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel. Jeremiah 3:23 (NKJV)

The answer is Jesus. It doesn’t matter what the question is; the answer is Jesus! He is the answer for every problem and every need. His death on the cross bought us eternal redemption, healing, deliverance, prosperity, peace, liberty, and protection. He is the one who rises up to provide for us and defend us. He is the one who calls to us when we are alone, and He fellowships with us. He is the one who never lets us down or leaves us. He is with us at every turn and His eyes are always on us. He sings over us, teaches us, nurtures us, protects us, and leads us. We are always safe in His arms and He does not disappoint. Look to Him, trust Him, wait on Him, He will come through.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers o the diving nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:2-4 (NKJV)

Question: When someone is going through a time when they feel forsaken, how can we comfort them with God’s love?

No Time to Pray?

Please consider Luke 11:1: “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

Martin Luther was an important and busy guy. The previous sentence may be a gross understatement, considering that Luther is often credited with starting the Protestant Reformation. Even if he wasn’t the originator, he was certainly the most prolific and fiery of its early supporters. Despite his hectic work schedule, copious writing, preaching, teaching, and other plentiful tasks, he still diligently made time to pray. He is quoted as saying “I have so much to do (today) that I should spend the first three hours in prayer.”

Jesus too was an important and busy guy. (That sentence is clearly an even larger understatement than the one about Martin Luther!) As Savior of the world, Jesus spent His days traveling, teaching, arguing with religious leaders, healing sickness, driving out demons, and proclaiming the salvation available to the world through Himself as God’s one and only Son. (Among other things!) Yet “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). Mark gives us an example: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35).

The question for us is: If Martin Luther and Jesus Himself made time to pray, how can we possibly say we’re too busy?

Jesus begins his teaching on prayer during the Sermon on the Mount by saying “WHEN you pray”, not “IF you pray” (Matthew 6:5). It’s tough sometimes, because prayer doesn’t come naturally for everyone. Speak honestly to God: praise, frustrations, triumphs, fears, and deepest longings. After all, God already knows you better than you know yourself… there’s nothing to hide!

Remember that prayer doesn’t have to be long or complicated. It doesn’t need to be “holy sounding” either. You know what I mean, those prayers with all the right-sounding words that somehow end up sounding hollow. Use the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13 or Luke 11:2-6) as a guide, but not as a formula. Don’t just pray it rigidly, try to pray spontaneously, from the heart.
Just never use the excuse that you’re “too busy.” If Martin Luther and Jesus had time for prayer, you do too!

Have you prayed yet today? If not, could you spend some time with God now?

Author: Darren Hewer

Focus on the Task at Hand

Life is tough enough as it is. It’s even tougher when we’re headed in the wrong direction.

One of the incredible abilities of Jesus was to stay on target. His life never got off track. Not once do we find him walking down the wrong side of the fairway. He had no money, no computers, no jets, no administrative assistants or staff; yet Jesus did what many of us fail to do. He kept his life on course.

As Jesus looked across the horizon of his future, he could see many targets. Many flags were flapping in the wind, each of which he could have pursued. He could have been a political revolutionary. He could have been a national leader. He could have been content to be a teacher and educate minds or to be a physician and heal bodies. But in the end he chose to be a Savior and save souls.

Anyone near Christ for any length of time heard it from Jesus himself. “The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them” (Luke 19:10). “The Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people” (Mark 10:45).

The heart of Christ was relentlessly focused on one task. The day he left the carpentry shop of Nazareth he had one ultimate aim—the cross of Calvary. He was so focused that his final words were, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

How could Jesus say he was finished? There were still the hungry to feed, the sick to heal, the untaught to instruct, and the unloved to love. How could he say he was finished? Simple. He had completed his designated task. His commission was fulfilled. The painter could set aside his brush, the sculptor lay down his chisel, the writer put away his pen. The job was done.
Wouldn’t you love to be able to say the same? Wouldn’t you love to look back on your life and know you had done what you were called to do? What task do you need to focus on today?

From Let the Journey Begin: God’s Roadmap for New Beginnings
© (J Countryman 2009) Max Lucado
Used by permission

Men's Devotionals and Bible Study Resources

I found this link on the BGCO web site providing access to all types of Men's Bible Study Resources and Devotionals. A great resource for all types of studies. Some of the devotionals include "What God Does When Men Lead", "The Seven Secrets of Effective Fathers", "The Man Manual", "The Transformation of a Man's Heart" and many more. If you are interested in a men's study or devotional click on the link below.

http://ds.bgco.org/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-14133/Mens%20Ministry%20Resources.pdf