LEARN TO LISTEN TO ME...

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians 4:31

Learn to listen to Me even while you are listening to other people.  As they open their souls to your scrutiny, you are on holy ground.  You need the help of My Spirit to respond appropriately.  Ask Him to think through you, live through you, love through you.  My own Being is alive within you in the Person of the Holy Spirit.  If you respond to others' needs through your unaided thought processes, you offer them dry crumbs.  When the Spirit empowers your listening and speaking, My streams of living water flow through you to other people.  Be a channel of My Love, Joy, and Peace by listening to Me as you listen to others.

"Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace in My Presence"

WATCH YOUR WORDS DILIGENTLY.....

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians 4:31

WATCH YOUR WORDS DILIGENTLY.  Words have such great power to bless or to wound.  When you speak carelessly or negatively, you damage others as well as yourself.  This ability to verbalize is an awesome privilege, granted only to those I created in My image.  You need help in wielding this mighty power responsibly.

Though the world applauds quick-witted retorts, My instructions about communication are quite different:  Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.  Ask My Spirit to help you whenever you speak.  I have trained you to pray - "Help me, Holy Spirit" - before answering the phone, and you have seen the benefits of this discipline.  Simply apply the same discipline to communicating with people around you.  If they are silent, pray before speaking to them.  If they are talking, pray before responding.  These are split-second prayers, but they put you in touch with My Presence.  In this way, your speaking comes under the control of My Spirit.  As positive speech patterns replace your negative ones, the increase in your Joy will amaze you.

If man could truly......

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

     If man could truly subdue all his fleshly appetites by the pure power of his own determination, he would simply worship his own will.  But if the Word of God is about anything at all, it is about God's will rather than ours.  Our liberty is paradoxically discovered through the will of God rather than our own.

     Through the might of the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to say "no" to things we should - our excesses, withholdings, compulsions, and other harmful consumptions - and "yes" to freedom, moderation, and better health.  When we bow to God's authority, we invite Him to take control, and He is the one who does it.

"Breaking Free - Day By Day"  by Beth Moore

How's Your Heart?

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”  Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

“How’s your heart?” This is the question he asked me almost every time we talked, which was often. But I will not hear these words from him anymore in this life.

Recently after a 2-1/2 year battle with cancer, Scott — my friend and coworker — went to be with Jesus. I miss him, and selfishly, I need to hear his loving question: “Boyd, how is your heart?”

To me, Scott was a spiritual doctor who cared about my heart’s condition. He knew the quality of my life depended on the health of my heart. He reminded me of my need for the Great Physician.

Today’s key verse says everything flows from your heart — your hopes, your dreams, your fears, your anxieties, your anger, your forgiveness, your humility, your peace, your greed, your generosity, and your love. Yes, everything that makes you who you are is in your heart. So above all else, your heart needs a guard — and God is your guard.

When the Holy Spirit fills your heart by faith, He flushes out sin and leaves enough room for the Fruit of the Spirit. Only a heart guarded by God can bear up under the influence of ungodliness. A heart submitted to Christ in prayer is protected by Christ with peace.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7, NIV).

Unhealthy heart conditions include:

Faintheartedness
Loss of heart
A broken heart
A foolish heart
A hard heart
The remedy for these spiritual ailments is a whole heart for Jesus.

You may feel fainthearted today — weary in your faith and work. If so, take time to slow down, rest and allow the Holy Spirit to restore your heart to wholeness.

A loss of heart is a reflection of hope deferred, which creates a sickly soul condition. But hope in Christ gives your heart peace and reassurance.

Perhaps your heart is broken by past hurt or present rejection. Seek your heavenly Father to be forgiven and to forgive.

Be on guard! A foolish heart forgets God or even stops believing God. Excessive worry can act like a form of atheism. When we are paralyzed by fear and anxiety, we sometimes behave as if God does not exist. So, we must guard against a foolish heart by gaining a heart of wisdom.

Most disturbing is a hard heart — someone jaded by injustice and/or the lack of integrity in others. Fortunately, by faith in Jesus a hard heart can be replaced by a heart born from above. A heart from the Lord gives us a heart for the Lord.

So, in honor of Scott, let me ask you, friend, “How is your heart?”

- Proverbs 31 Ministries -

A Thought For The New Year by Max Lucado

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

Suppose I were to drop by your house holding a foil-covered saucer. “Hello, friend,” I say. “A few days back Denalyn made a strawberry cake. It was so good. It came out of the oven hot, moist, and sweet. I wish you could have tasted it. Today, as I was eating the last piece, I thought of you. Just before I took the final bite, I put my fork down and thought, I’m taking these crumbs to my friend.”

How would you feel?

Contrast that emotion with the one you feel if I were to knock at your door holding a cake pan with oven mitts. “Denalyn pulled this out of the oven a few minutes ago. It’s still hot. No one has touched it. I got here as fast as I could. I want you to have the first piece. I want you to have the whole cake (although I did bring my fork in case you want to share).”

How would that invitation make you feel? Or, better asked, how does that make you feel? God offers you the whole cake. You do not receive crumbs or leftovers. You have received his best. Why? Because he loves you based on the “Principle of Firsts.”

Since this is the first day of a new year, it’s appropriate to re-visit the theme of “firsts” in the Bible. Open a concordance to the word and prepare yourself for an avalanche of entries. First. Firstborn. Firstbegotten. Firstfruit. Firstling. First-ripe. My concordance contains seven columns of tiny-fonted words and verses. Apparently, “first” is a big theme in scripture and a big thing to God!

Is it possible, with all these references, to reduce them to a single message? I think so.

God went first. We love because he first loved us (I John. 4:19).

God made the first move. God took the first step. God placed the first call. We did nothing and do nothing that wasn’t and isn’t prompted by God. He went first. He not only went first, he gave his firstborn son. The Bible calls Jesus “the firstborn among the brethren” (Romans 8:29). In the great, expansive, innumerable family of God, there is a firstborn: Jesus Christ. What did God do with his firstborn Son? He sent him as a sacrifice. He didn’t redeem us with apostles, angels, prophets or preachers. He gave the best gift.

Jesus is not only the firstborn, he is the firstfruit. “But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (I Corinthians 15:20 NKJV). First-fruit is an agricultural term used to describe the initial harvest. The farmer would take the best portion of his harvest to market and tell the customer, “Taste and enjoy. There is more to come.” Jesus is the firstfruit of God’s eternal harvest. He will do with his children what he did with Jesus: he will call us out of the grave. How do we know? Jesus is the firstfruit.

In addition, God gives us the “firstfruits of the Spirit” (Rom.8:23). Love, joy, peace, patience…all the fruits of the Spirit are ours because God gives, not leftovers but firstfruits. These are foretastes, samplings of the full harvest that awaits us in heaven.

God gives us firstborn Son and the firstfruit of the Spirit. We have received his best. Let’s follow his lead.

Go first to God with your problems.

Don’t take your problems to the bar. Don’t numb your fears with narcotics. Don’t hide from or deny the existence of struggles. No, go first to Christ. Jesus tells us, rather bluntly, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will put on” (Matthew 6:25 NKJV).

He then gives two commands: “look at the birds” (vs. 26) and “consider the lilies” (vs. 28). If God cares for the birds and the grass, won’t he care for us? For that reason, he commands: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you” (Mathew 6:33). Would you like a word of advice that will save a thousand headaches and heartaches in 2017? The moment a problem surfaces is the moment you take it to God. Take it to him first.

Honor God with the firstfruits of your income.

In the thirteenth chapter of Exodus, God unveiled a beautiful, yet challenging principle. “Consecrate to me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is mine” (Exodus 13:2).

The firstborn lamb belongs to God. The firstborn donkey belongs to God. The firstborn child belongs to God. This was true, not just with flocks and family, but with harvest and salary. “The first of your firstfruits of your land you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God” (Exodus 23:19).

If a farmer has an apple tree that bears ten baskets of apples, he sets aside the first basket as holy, belonging to God. “All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or the fruit of the tree, it is the Lord’s, it is holy to the Lord” (Leviticus 27:30).

Nine-tenths of the farmer’s harvest was common. But the first tenth, or the tithe, was holy. It was unique; set apart for a special purpose. Our relationship with God is built on firsts. He loved us first. We love him first. No crumbs. No leftovers. No Sirree.

Let this be the year that you excel in this grace of giving. And, one more, let’s

Gather on the first day of the week with God’s people.

Let six days be used for work and acquisition. But set one aside for spiritual and physical restoration. “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20:8). Under the older covenant, this day was Saturday. As Christians, we set aside Sunday, though many Christians still observe a Saturday Sabbath. The day of the observance matters less than the message of the observance: God wants us to worship and to rest. He designates the first day of every week as holy. This was the practice of the New Testament Christians (see Acts 20:7).

Would you like God to bless your six days? Then give him the first day. Make it your aim to gather with God’s people in God’s house for corporate worship.

Why?

God has something to say to you. He may say it through a hymn, through a friend, through a prayer, or through a passage.

God has something to say through you. The story is told of a west Texas rancher who attended the same church for decades. Even in his later years, when he was half blind and hard of hearing, he sat on the front row. One day a young man asked him: “You can hardly hear and scarcely see; why do you keep coming to church?” The old rancher replied, “I don’t come for me; I come for you.”

What if your church attendance is less about what you receive and more about who you can encourage?

I want to be crystal clear: we are under the new covenant, not the old. We are saved by grace, not by works. No tithe or attendance will ever add one iota to the finished work of Christ on the cross. These disciplines are part of God’s plan to keep us from drifting. “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it” (Hebrews 2:1 ESV).

Most people who grow cold in their faith do so incrementally, gradually, inch by inch over a period of time. These disciplines of the firstfruits recalibrate us day by day, week by week. I hope you will consider them.

I have a feeling that someone is groaning inside. “Max, my life is already burdened. So many obligations. So much work. And now you talk to me about firstfruits and first days of the week. I can’t take another load.”

If those are your thoughts, I must have underemphasized the promise of Jesus. He said, “Seek first the kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33 NIV).

If you find this message to be burdensome, I must have failed to share God’s promise from Malachi 3:10-11: “Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple. Test me in this and see if I don’t open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams” (Malachi 3:10 MSG).

If this teaching on firsts weighs you down, I must have forgotten to tell you about this verse. “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10 NIV).

When God’s people put God first, God’s blessings began to flow.

God gave you his firstborn Son. Jesus is the firstfruit of the resurrection. The Holy Spirit gives you the firstfruits of heaven.

Let’s make this the year that we respond in kind.

Max Lucado's New Year's Day Message - First Things First.

Changing The Way We Think

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

We won’t develop new responses until we develop new thoughts. That’s why renewing our minds with new thoughts is crucial. New thoughts come from new perspectives. The Bible encourages this process, which only makes sense because God created the human mind and understands better than anyone how it functions.

A foundational teaching of Scripture is that by the power of the Holy Spirit it is possible to be completely changed through transformed thought patterns.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).
We don’t have to live lives conformed to the patterns of this world. And we don’t have to stay stuck in patterns of negative actions and reactions. We can let God’s Word renew and rewire our minds, because we aren’t people destined to stay the same. We are predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus. (Romans 8:29)

I don’t know about you, but understanding how my brain is designed makes our key verse come alive in a whole new way. Being transformed by thinking in new ways isn’t some New Age form of mind control. It’s biblical, and it’s fitting with how God wired our brains.

Yes, when we gain new perspectives from God’s Word, we can see new ways of thinking. And if we change the way we think, we’ll change the ways we act and react.

"Proverbs 31 Ministries"

Wait On The Spirit

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31


Wait on the Spirit. If Peter and the apostles needed the help of the Spirit, don’t we? They walked with Jesus for three years; heard his preaching and saw his miracles. They saw the body of Christ buried in the grace and raised from the dead. They witnessed his Upper Room appearance and heard his instruction. Had they not received the best possible training? Weren’t they ready? Yet Jesus told them to wait on the Spirit. “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised…the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5).

Learn to wait, to be silent, to listen for his voice. Cherish stillness and sensitize yourself to his touch.  All God’s gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene.

From God is With You Every Day

I Am The Light Of The World....

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31


I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Men crawl through their lives cursing the darkness, but all the while I am shining brightly. I desire each of My followers to be a Light-bearer. The Holy Spirit who lives in you can shine from your face, making Me visible to people around you. Ask My Spirit to live through you, as you wend your way through this day. Hold My Hand in joyful trust, for I never leave your side. The Light of My Presence is shining upon you. Brighten up the world by reflecting who I am.

From the book, "Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace In His Presence"

Wounded For Me

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."  Isaiah  53:5

     In a painting of the crucifixion by the famous Dutch artist, Rembrandt, attention is first drawn to the cross and to Him who died there.  Then, as you look at the crowd that gathers around the foot of the accursed tree, you are impressed by the various attitudes and actions of the people involved in the awful crime of crucifying the Son of God.  Finally, your eyes drift to the edge of the picture and catch sight of another figure - almost hidden in the shadows.  This, they tell us, was a representation of the artist himself; for Rembrandt recognized that by his sins he helped nail Jesus there!  When we think of the cross it is so easy to consider it as merely a historical event; but actually we were all participants in the crucifixion!

     Someone has aptly said,  "It is a simple thing to say that Christ died for the sin of the world.  It may be an interesting pastime to point fingers at those who crucified Jesus, but it is a shocking thought that I can be as indifferent as Pilate, as scheming as Caiaphas, as calloused as the soldiers, as ruthless as the mob, or as cowardly as the disciples.  It isn't just what they did - 'twas I that shed the sacred blood; I nailed Him to the tree; I crucified the Christ of God; I joined the mockery!"

     Look again at the painting of the Dutch artist - if the Holy Spirit enlightens your eyes, you will see that in the shadows with Rembrandt you too are standing with blood-red hands, for He was wounded for your transgressions!

"Bread For Each Day"

The Thought-Life

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

                       "For as he (a man) thinketh in his heart, so is he."  Proverbs  23:7

     How would you like to have your every thought for the past six months flashed upon a screen for all your acquaintances, neighbors, and church friends to see?  If such a thing were possible, and you knew the showing was to be tomorrow night, I suppose you would take the first train out of town!  If there is one thing which reveals the presence of the old carnal nature, it is the evil imaginations of the heart.  You may fool your preacher, and even your loved ones, but God sees the inner man.  The composite of the thoughts you entertain in your mind make up your true, spiritual portrait!  How guilty and shamefaced we all stand before His holy scrutiny.  Yet, praise God, the Holy Spirit is ever ready to help us bring  "into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ"  (2 Corinthians  10:5).

     In Mammoth Cave of Kentucky one can see enormous pillars which have been formed by the steady dropping of water from the roof of the cavern.  This artistry in rock, made by the slow and silent processes of nature, is truly marvelous.  It is said that a single drop of water finds its way from the surface down through the roof of the cavern to deposit its minute sediment on the floor of the cave.  Another drop follows it, and still another, until the "icicle of stone" begins to grow.  Ultimately it forms a tremendous pillar of massive rock.  So, too, a similar process is going on in each of our hearts.  Every thought which sinks into the soul makes its contribution, and the total produces the pillars of our character.  Subtly and inescapably the ideas you hold in your mind help to form the facets of the personality and make up the real "you."

     Take a red pencil and circle Philippians 4:8 in your Bible.  It is God's recipe for your "thought-life."

"Bread For Each Day"

God's Kind Will

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

"For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother."  Mark  3:35

     We need never fear to resign ourselves completely to God's will.  It is not only our duty, but a precious privilege that can bring us nothing but the greatest good.  In addition, those who do the will of God experience a warm, personal relationship with Christ that is deeper and dearer than any human tie could ever hope to be.  Jesus said of such that they become in a special sense His brother or sister or mother!

     Many years ago the Sunday School Times carried this story:  A lady who had an only child said to Mrs. Pearsall Smith,  "I do not dare to pray - 'Thy will be done' - because I am afraid God will take away my little boy or will send me some heavy trials as a result of my yieldedness."  To which Mrs. Smith replied, "Suppose your child should come to you and say,  'I want to be and do just what you desire today,' would you say to yourself, 'Now is my opportunity to make this child do all the disagreeable duties I want done;  I will take advantage of his willingness to please me by cutting off his pleasures today and will keep him at hard discipline'?"  "No, no!"  said the mother,  "I would give him the best day I could possibly plan."  "And you can think that God is less just and loving than you?"  The lady saw the point, resigned herself to the Father's will, found the joy of the Holy Spirit's blessing, and experienced the preciousness of the promised intimate communion with the Saviour.

     Trust God when you cannot trace Him; you will find that His will is always kind!

"Bread For Each Day"

I AM INVOLVED....

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

I AM INVOLVED in each moment of your life.  I have carefully mapped out every inch of your journey through this day, even though much of it may feel haphazard.  Because the world is in a fallen condition, things always seem to be unraveling around the edges.  Expect to find trouble in this day.  At the same time, trust that My way is perfect, even in the midst of such messy imperfection.

Stay conscious of me as you go through this day, remembering that I never leave your side.  Let the Holy Spirit guide you step by step, protecting you from unnecessary trials and equipping you to get through whatever must be endured.  As you trudge through the sludge of this fallen world, keep your mind in heavenly places with Me.  Thus the Light of My Presence shines on you, giving you Peace and Joy that circumstances cannot touch.

"Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace In His Presence"

Woman's Highest Calling

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

            "And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living."
                                                                                                                       Genesis  3:20

     Martin Luther once said,  "When Eve was brought unto Adam, he became filled with the Holy Spirit, and gave her the most sanctified, the most glorious appellation.  He called her Eve, that is to say,  the Mother of all.  He did not style her wife, but simply mother...  In this consists the glory and most precious ornament of a woman."

     Oh, how many today have forgotten that the highest calling of womanhood is to become a saintly, Christian mother.  Attend college, be accomplished in any other field however desirable; yet a young woman has not attained to the pinnacle of success nor ascended to the heights until she has attained to motherhood. The tremendous influence of a godly woman in the family circle cannot be overestimated.

     I remember my father saying that one of the main things that led to his conversion was coming home unexpectedly and finding his mother on her knees audibly pouring out her heart to God for his salvation.

     John Randolph, in speaking of the influence of his Christian mother, said:  "I believe I should have been swept away by the flood of French infidelity if it had not been for one thing, the remembrance of the times when my sainted mother used to make me kneel by her side, take my little hands into hers, and cause me to repeat the Lord's Prayer."

     I doubt not that many mothers will be going on before when the saints of God ascend the golden streets to the throne of glory!

    If you have experienced the hallowing impress of a godly mother, you have been blessed with great spiritual riches.

"Bread For Each Day"

Forget Not All His Benefits

Come, sit and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord: "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31


                  "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits."  Psalm  103:2

     Praise and thanksgiving should not be confined to a formal celebration on one day of the year alone (good as that in itself may be); it should characterize our continuing attitude of heart throughout the entire year.  If our deepest joy is found in knowing God Himself and in gratefully blessing Him from the depths of our heart for what He means to us, then it will not be difficult to also remember His individual "benefits" to us. To have God as our Father, Jesus Christ as our Savior, and the Holy Spirit as our Comforter and Guide, is to experience a fellowship and to enjoy a satisfaction that the broken cisterns of this world can never begin to provide.  To have this true gladness in the heart is to know the greatest blessing of all.  If this is your happy portion, you, with the psalmist, will put the emphasis in the proper place today by first blessing God for Himself, and then praising Him for all His benefits toward you.

     Ira D. Sankey used to tell this beautiful story of a little girl who went sightseeing with her father to the top of Mount Washington. Standing in the rarefied air and bright sunshine, with the clear blue sky above them, they saw to their surprise that dark heavy clouds were gathering below.  As they looked down, the lightning began to flash and with a roll of thunder a storm broke majestically over the valley below.  The father, a very prosaic, unimaginative man, said apologetically,  "Well, Lucy, with the clouds all around, there is nothing much to see, is there?"  Unlike her parent, the child, who was deeply spiritual, was enthralled by the beauty and majesty of the scene.  Grasping his hand she said,  "Oh, daddy, I think it is wonderful.  I see the doxology!  Everything seems to be saying,  "Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!'"

     Those who have been enlightened by grace see God's goodness and love both in storm and in sunshine and reverently echo the words,  "Bless the Lord, O my soul"!

"Bread For Each Day"