Bragging On God

One of the fun things I like to do with my son is flex my arm and say, "Joshua, what is that?" To which he will say, "That's a big muscle!" He is an intelligent boy. Lauren is too old now to tell me what I want to hear. In Daniel 9:3-7 we see a prayer that would be a good model for each of us. Daniel takes time to brag on God before asking God for a thing. In fact, it's not until v.17 that we even see a request from Daniel. I believe that we need to take time to brag on our Heavenly Father before we ask Him for things. I know that He is God and that He is totally self-sufficient, but I believe the Lord does appreciate it when we acknowledge all of His awesome attributes. So the next time you want to ask God for something - make sure to tell Him how big His muscles are first.

Psalm 89:13
You have a mighty arm;Strong is Your hand . . .

personal photo donated by Pastor Polston . . . yeah right.

CAP

A Heart on Fire for God

Last Sunday morning I was looking over my message again before getting ready for church - reading the biblical story of Elijah and the widow. 1 Kings 17:8-9 says, Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you. Yet when Elijah found the woman, she was not preparing a meal for him, but for herself and her son. In fact, I have to wonder if she was trying to make and eat the meal as quickly as possible before Elijah got there. Elijah had to teach her a valuable lesson that many Christians have not learned - namely that God expects us to put Him first in everything we do. God wants the first part of our day, the first day of our week, the first part of our income and first place above all other relationships. If we want to live lives that are Spirit-filled and walk with steps ordered by the Lord, we must make Jesus Christ priority number one. When the men of our church returned from a recent Bible conference in North Carolina, one man asked how we can continue to have that feeling that comes from attending an exciting event. The only way that I know for a Christian to have a heart on fire for God is to listen as God speaks through His Word - and respond by speaking to Him in prayer. It might not sound new and fresh, but it works. Give God first place and see what happens.

CAP

I Was Afraid This Might Happen

In Job chapter 3, Job says something that I never noticed before. He said, "For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me." Is it possible that this man of God had a secret fear - that all he possessed would one day be taken away? If that is true and the devil knew it, then it makes perfect sense that the devil would attack Job by creating his worst fear. What do you fear? If you know what it is, then chances are the enemy knows as well and would love to get God's permission to make your fears come true. Conforming to the image of Christ means facing our fears. Jesus was troubled at the thought of being separated from His Father and asked for the cup of judgment to pass from Him. But ultimately our Lord said, "Not my will, but your will be done." Conquering our fears has more to do with trusting God and less to do with relying on the power of our own will. When we refuse to trust God we are giving leverage to the enemy that will be used against us when we are most vulnerable. Face your fears.

CAP

When you have time, read Job 3

With Friends Like These . . .

I've been doing some reading in the book of Job lately and wanted to share a personal observation. We all know that Job's friends were unkind and ultimately disciplined by God, but have you ever read what they said to Job about God? Much of what they said was right - so why did God have to rebuke them? The reason . . . because they attributed motives to God that were not true. They assumed that God was punishing Job for his sins, or the sins of his children, but that was not the case. It's a reminder that we must be careful about telling people we know God's will when we don't. We cannot attribute motives to God when we do not understand the way He thinks. It's only by His Spirit that we can understand His Word, and even that can be challenging at times. God is God and He is the only one who truly understands what He is thinking. So the next time you are asked to give counsel, be careful not to pretend to know the mind of God. Allow your counsel to come from scripture and let God reveal the "why" of His plan to them personally.

CAP

When you have time, read Job 5:17-27