devotionals

7 Ways Satan Attacks The Church

Fri, 28 Feb 2014 00:58:08 +0100

Do you find that you are attacked when trying to do good? When just simply trying to do what God has asked you to do? Well this usually happens to people who are serving in the church and rarely to those who aren't. As an added bonus, the attacks will many times come from people within the church itself. Jesus told us in John 16:33 that "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world"

As I was pondering today's devotional, I found this article online which talks about 7 ways Satan tries to destroy a church. I provide the link for you here so you can read it in it's entirety.

http://www.churchleaders.com/outreach-missions/outreach-missions-articles/157318-7-ways-satan-tries-to-destroy-a-church.html

Be Still

Thu, 23 Jan 2014 22:35:24 +0100

Psalm 46:10, 11 says:
He says, "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

It is a difficult time in the life of our church. A time of grieving and uncertainty. And as I was praying today, I asked God what I should share with you today. He brought the words of this Psalm to mind. Later in the day I was chatting online with a voiceover friend and telling her about all that's going on in my life right now. She reminded me of the words "Be still and know that I am God". I figure that's a cue from God.

Now think about those words for a moment..."Be Still and KNOW that I am God". That pretty much says it all doesn't it? I mean is there a problem that can arise or a situation that we run into that God cannot tackle? Is there a force too strong or a problem too large that God can't handle? The obvious answer is no, but to our fretting human hearts, we allow fear to grip us and without even realizing it, reduce the power of God in our lives and prove in that moment that we really don't trust Him.

Whenever I feel fear or uncertainty gripping me one of my favorite verses to say out loud is Jeremiah 29:11. "For I know the plans that I have for you", says the Lord. "They are plans for good an not evil, to give you a hope and a future."

This is can be a scary time for our church if we let it be. But it can also be an exciting Holy Spirit ride for our church if we choose to trust God and let Him take us where He wants us to go.

If you are afraid and uncertain of the future, I encourage you to remember these words today... "Be still and KNOW that I am God"

Shaken But Not Stirred

Thu, 09 Jan 2014 22:42:08 +0100

Recently, I've been going through a series of very stressful situations in several areas of my life. The old saying "when it rains it pours" sure seems to be ringing true for me right now. It seems that every year, God puts me into situations where I have to deal with more and more, and take on more responsibilities in many cases. I'd like to say that I have all the answers and that none of this made me depressed or anxious, but that just wouldn't be true.

As I was pondering where I'm at and trying to figure out what God may be trying to say to me in all of this I came across these words in Psalm 112:6 & 7.
"Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord"

As I read these words (which I've read many times before) it hit me (like never before) that by stressing out, being depressed and anxious, I was actually proving to myself that I really don't trust the Lord. I was allowing myself to be "shaken" by the circumstances I was being faced with. In light of this I had a moment of clarity and felt God simply saying to me "Paul, do you trust me?" I bowed before Him right then and there and asked Him to forgive me for my unbelief. I said "Lord, forgive me and I'm going to trust You in this situation".

Since that prayer, the problems have not all gone away, but my heart is now at peace because I know that whatever the outcome, He is in control and He always has was best in mind for each of us.

Praise The Lord

Thu, 02 Jan 2014 19:52:37 +0100

Psalm 112:1-3
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.

Reading through this Psalm today it struck me that the first words the Psalmist writes to begin speaking about a blessed life is Praise The Lord. A blessed life begins with a relationship with God, knowing God intimately and out of that relationship comes a heart of thankfulness and praise.

Pastor Brian Houston of Hillsongs Church in Australia says that "the bible teaches us that a heart that is thankful to God is a worshiping heart. Worship in not a ritual or an obligation. It is not just songs at the beginning of a corporate church service. Worship is a heart response of gratitude and honor to God - wherever you are and whatever you are doing."

There are times in our lives when we go through struggles and when God may seem distant to us. But the bible teaches us that God never leaves us or forsakes us. Deuteronomy 31:6 says "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid of terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. It's in those times of struggle that WE need to work harder at drawing near to Him. He is always there waiting for us. One of the best ways I know to draw near to Him is to praise Him. To sing songs of praise and pray out load declaring all of the blessings God has poured out on your life. Praise opens a door for us to God's throne, and the more we humble ourselves and honor Him, the more we will once again sense His presence in our lives.

A blessed life begins with a life that praises God. What an honor an privilege we have to draw people to God and towards the blessed life He has for them by being examples of a live that praises Him.

Trust In The Lord

Thu, 24 Oct 2013 20:35:26 +0100

On Tuesday night while at dinner, Debbie began experiencing a major headache which came out of no where and continued to get worse and last for hours. We took her to Urgent Care (aka... Eventual Care or They Don't Care) only to find out they didn't have time or room to see her. We went to the ER and waited and waited before a doctor could see her, get her on some pain meds and the order a CAT Scan. Patience is NOT one of my virtues and I found myself getting more irritated and angry at what appeared to me to be a lack of concern on the part of the medical staff there.

She was cleared and sent home to see another doctor in the morning who thought in might be muscle related. Because I needed to know more, I set up an appointment for Debbie with her doctor and asked for them to schedule an MRI.

At this point, all we know is that the pain may have been cause by a muscle spasm. The CAT Scan didn't show anything of concern so that's comforting, but I wanted to MRI for good measure to make sure nothing more serious is happening.

I bring this up because I'd like to be able to tell you that I am cool and calm and just trusting God. The truth is that I am not. But I am trying as the Lord has put Prov 3:5-6 in my head repeatedly since this all started. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.

As I meditate on those words, I am comforted by them and know that God has got it all under control. Though I may not feel like a strong Christian at these times, the fact that His word pops into my mind and the fact that I am drawn to Him in prayer tells me that though I am far from perfect, I am continually learning to put my trust in Him. Maybe that's partly why we go through the things we go through.

Handling Stress

Thu, 17 Oct 2013 21:01:53 +0100

Matthew 6:25-27
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying ad a single hour to your life?

I have read this verse many times and thought of it often when I am stressed. But even though I know it, human nature being what it is, I find myself often stressed anyway and usually about things I have absolutely no control over. So how do I get passed those "stress filled" moments? For me, it is a battle that never seems to be easy.

I'm reminded of the stress I was under a few years ago when narrating an audio book I was under contract to finish in a 3 week deadline. The audio book company specifications only allowed for about five mistakes per chapter. These mistakes included mouth noise, clicks and room noise not just mistakes in reading. I was working early mornings, then my normal work day, then on through the night to get it done. At one point the publisher said, there are too many mistakes we may have to reconsider and give the project to someone else. This meant not only losing the job but having to pay a penalty as well. I was so stressed out and in tears as I cried out to God for help.

The stress did not go away immediately but God did give me a plan to complete the project. I spoke with the company and told them I have a proof reader working with me now to help me complete the project, and I promised them that I would complete the project on time and under their specifications. So I hired a professional proof reader (Debbie) and she sat with me and listened to and read through the entire book with me chapter by chapter. On several occasions I literally went without sleep and recorded all night long in order to get the project done in time. Which I did and was eventually paid for.

Was it easy... no. Did the stress dissipate with Debbie's help... some, but not completely. So what's my point? Well, sometimes you just have to ride through the storm and work through the tough stuff. Joshua 1:9 says "I command you, be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. I clung to that scripture knowing that God was going to get me through this stressful time and He did.

God used that experience to teach me a lot about trusting Him and a lot about this business and how you plan to work a project like this which has helped me in other areas as well.

So the next time your stress, though you may not feel it, just give it to God and trust Him to get you through it. You may not understand why you had to go through the trial at the moment but in time you'll realize that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him (Rom 8:28).

So face your problems head on and remember to be bold and strong for the Lord your God is with you!

Reflections Of Christ

Thu, 17 Oct 2013 21:02:28 +0100

2 Cor 2:14-17 (NIV)
But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ aong those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one weare an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? nlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

We often pray before services on Sunday that God would use us to draw people into his presence. That we might be used by him like windows that people could see right through and to God himself. You can look through a window, but a window can also reveal a reflection when you look into it. So imagine for a moment, that we are practiced and prepared. That we are prayed up and ready to lead people in worship on Sunday. As we ourselves begin to turn our hearts towards God get lost and immersed in His presence, we become windows that people can see through, to God's throne. They are no longer looking at us, but seeing past us to God and experiencing him for themselves. And as they look back at the window, they don't see us or even themselves, but a reflection of Christ.

When we do all we can to prepare to lead people in worship; it is then our job to get out of the way so that if they do look upon us they see nothing but a reflection of Christ on us.

Be Anxious For Nothing

Thu, 17 Oct 2013 21:02:51 +0100

Phil 4:6-7 (NASB)
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make your requests know to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

If you're like me, it's easy to get stressed out by things like traffic or finances or a number of other things that are often beyond our control. This week we had our yearly 2 day Sharathon fun raising event at the station. Based on our day to day operating costs and equipment needs we were shooting for a goal of $65,000 to be raised in our 2 day event.

Day 1 started okay but slow, often times with the phone not ringing for extended periods of time. Day 2 started with a power outage. Our back up generator is not operational so we lost 3 hours right off the bat. Add to that intermittent phone connection problems where calls that were coming in were being cut off. You want to talk about stress? That in radio fund raising is the definition. We decided to stop stressing and give it to God. We prayed and said "Lord you know what's needed and even if we can't get on the air or take calls we give it to you."

On Day three, though we promised we'd only go for 2 days, we felt led to make up the 3 hours we lost by going into extra innings if you will Thursday morning. To our surprise and delight, the phones were ringing off the hook. We not only caught up with our short fall but surpassed it and raised an all time high of over $70,000!

God says "be anxious for nothing, let my peace which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds" When we let go and let God, as the old saying goes, great things can happen. When we take us out of the equation and let God do His thing... that's when miracles take place.

What are you hanging on to? Is there something you know God wants you to let go of and trust Him for? Let go and let God and wait for His miracles in your life.

Don't Grow Weary

Thu, 17 Oct 2013 21:03:12 +0100

Galatians 6:7-10 (NIV)
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

There have been many times in ministry where I have felt like giving up. I grew weary and tired of "the grind" or issues or even people have made me weary. I have often gone back to this scripture and asked God, how can I keep from growing weary when I already feel weary. I may not recieve my answer at that moment, but as I make the choice to press through and do the "good" God has called me to do, it amazes to me to see how many times, shortly after he will answer that very prayer. Just about the time I've thrown in the towel, I'll receive a card in the mail, or an encouraging note at church from someone who says how God used me and the team to draw them closer to Him. Right then it's like my batteries get fully charged up again and I have to say "Thank you Lord, I'm an idiot". Time after time God has proven His faithfulness to me as I have quit my whining and chosen to do what He's called me to do.

Are you feeling weary? Are you sick of me pushing you to practice or step up your level of commitment? Believe me I get it and let me encourage you with this... In the past couple of weeks, since I returned from Orlando with my batteries charged, we've made some changes in how we've been leading worship. Has it made a difference? You tell me. In the last couple of weeks I've received more comments and encouragement from people in our church than any other time that I can think of. Why? I believe God is blessing us for working hard for Him.

"Do not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up"

Come Just As You Are

Thu, 17 Oct 2013 21:03:32 +0100

In the song by Brian Doerksen we sing “Come, now is the time to worship, come just as you are before your God”.

One of the reasons I hate religion is because it tells people that you have to do certain things or follow a set of rules or rituals in order to be accepted by God. God says the exact opposite. In Ephesians 2:8-9 it says “for it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast.” Jesus paid the total price for our sins and now invites us to come to Him just as we are. How amazing is that? We don’t have to change to come to Him, but when we do come to Him with open hearts we are changed and motivated by love to be changed by Him.

A woman we know spent a long time in the Mormon church and in her words, said that the Mormon religion is about covering up your issues and putting on a front and making it look like everything is perfect in your life. For years this stressed her out because she had many financial issues and things to cover up. She had no peace. Recently gave her heart to Christ. She said one of the most freeing experiences she’d ever had is being able to be honest with God and to share with other Christians her struggle. She felt peace for the first time in a long time. It was her relationship with Christ that brought her peace, not religion.

Are there fronts we’re putting on to look good on the outside while we’re secretively miserable on the inside? God knows all, we don’t fool Him and when we pretend everything is okay and choose not to talk to God or ask others for prayer and help we are really only hurting ourselves and potentially missing out on huge miracles and blessings that God may have for us if we’d only come to him, just as we are.

Psalm 95:6 says “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.”

Take a moment to thank God for inviting you to come to Him just as you are. Come clean with Him. Cleanse your heart, ask for forgiveness and be real with God so that you can worship and praise Him truly with your whole heart and mind.

May God bless you as you seek Him with your whole heart and mind.

Paul