True Friends

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


          True friends don't sympathize with your weakness - they help summon your strength.

"Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings.  He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God."     Colossians  4:12

A Bruised Reed Will He Not Break

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

"A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench:  he shall bring forth judgment unto truth."          Isaiah  42:3

     To what end is pain?  I do not clearly know.  But I have noticed that when one who has not suffered draws near to one in pain there is rarely much power to help.  There is not the understanding that leaves the suffering things comforted, though perhaps not a word was spoken.  I have wondered if it can be the same in the sphere of prayer.

     Does pain accepted and endured give some quality that would otherwise be lacking in prayer?  Does it create sympathy which can lay itself alongside the need, feeling it as though it were personal, so that it is possible to do just what the writer of Hebrews meant when he said,  "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body"  (Hebrews  13:3)?

     "A bruised reed shall he not break"  (Isaiah  42:3).  The poorest shepherd boy on our South Indian hills is careful to choose, for the making of his flute, a reed that is straight and fine and quite unbruised.  But our heavenly Shepherd often takes the broken and the bruised, and of such He makes His flutes.

To Pray In The Name Of Jesus

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 whatesoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."     John  14:13

     What is it to pray in Christ's name?  There is nothing mystical or mysterious about this expression.  If one will go through the Bible and examine all passages in which the expression 'in My name' or 'in His name' or synonymous expressions are used, he will find that it means just about what it does in modern usage.  If I go to a bank and hand in a check with my name signed to it, I ask of that bank in my own name.  If I have money deposited in that bank, the check will be cashed; if not, it will not be.  If, however, I go to the bank with somebody else's name signed to the check, I am asking in his name, and it does not matter whether I have money in that bank or any other; if the person whose name is signed to the check has money there, the check will be cashed.  So it is when I go to the bank of heaven, when I go to God in prayer.  I have nothing deposited there, I have absolutely no credit there, and if I go in my own name I will get absolutely nothing. But Jesus has unlimited credit in heaven, and He has granted to me the privilege of going to the bank with His name on my checks; and when I thus go, my prayers will be honored to any extent.

Shocking Honesty

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

When the minister asked one of his elders to lead the congregation in prayer, the man shocked everyone. “I’m sorry, Pastor,” he said, “but I’ve been arguing with my wife all the way to church, and I’m in no condition to pray.” The next moment was awkward. The minister prayed. The service moved on. Later, the pastor vowed never to ask anyone to pray publicly without first asking privately.

That man demonstrated astonishing honesty in a place where hypocrisy would have been easier. But there is a larger lesson about prayer here. God is a loving Father. If I as a husband do not respect and honor my wife—a cherished daughter of God—why would her heavenly Father hear my prayers?

Our relationships affect our prayer life.
The apostle Peter made an interesting observation about this. He instructed husbands to treat their wives with respect and as equal heirs in Christ “so that nothing will hinder your prayers” (1 Peter 3:7). The underlying principle is that our relationships affect our prayer life.

What would happen if we exchanged the Sunday smiles and the façade of religiosity for refreshing honesty with our brothers and sisters? What might God do through us when we pray and learn to love each other as we love ourselves?

Father, You love all of Your children, but so often we fight and disagree. Help us learn to interact with love and respect in all our relationships so the world will see the difference You make. Teach us to pray.

Prayer is simply an honest conversation with God.

INSIGHT:
Husbands are instructed to “be considerate . . . and treat [their wives] with respect” (1 Peter 3:7). Fellowship with God is hindered if a man does not give honor to his wife (v. 7). The apostle Paul instructed husbands not to be harsh with their wives (Col. 3:19), but to love them “just as Christ loved the church,” sacrificing their own interests for their wife’s growth, maturity, and holiness (Eph. 5:25–27). The husband is to “love his wife as he loves himself” (v. 33).

"Our Daily Bread"

I Am Such A Great Sinner!

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

                                            ". . . be clothed with humility."  1 Peter 5:5

     I don't want to be a "hair-slitter," for they are usually chronic critics who overlook all the flowers in a beautiful bouquet and pick on the one faded petal.  But I may seem to be dealing in petty faultfinding when I object to the way some people begin or end their prayers.  So often it begins,  "We humbly come," or ends, "This we humbly ask."  I know folks mean well, but really "humble" folks never mention it.  In fact, no person is humble who admits or thinks he is.  Paul refers to a "show of humility" in Colossians  2:23.  The worst kind of pride is humble pride, which really is proud humility.  A truly humble person will never suspect that he is humble but will be like Moses when he came down from the mountains.  "Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone"  (Exodus  34:29).

     How can we recognize proud humility in ourselves?  Do you like to talk about your own achievements and spiritual knowledge?  Are you one who humbly (?) tells how much time you spend in prayer and studying the Bible?  We hear folks tell us how much time they spend studying the Word, and when they get up to preach - well, we wonder.  You don't need to advertise how early you get up to pray.  If you really spend much time in prayer, people will soon know it without your telling them.

     There is another form of humility we may call false humility.  It consists of constantly depreciating ourselves to others, telling how bad we are and what a failure we've been; but secretly we want them to disagree with us and tell us how great we are.

     A certain preacher became tired of hearing one of the ladies in the congregation constantly testify as to what a great sinner she was and what a wicked woman she was.  One day she said again,  "Pastor, I am such a wicket woman,"  and the pastor replied,  "Yes, so I've been told."  At this she became indignant and screamed at him,  "Who told you I was a wicked woman?"  He answered,  "You did!"

"Bread For Each Day"

LISTEN TO ME CONTINUALLY...

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

LISTEN TO ME CONTINUALLY.  I have much to communicate to you, so many people and situations in need of prayer.  I am training you to set your mind on Me more and more, tuning out distractions through the help of My Spirit.

Walk with Me in holy trust, responding to My initiatives rather than trying to make things fit your plans.  I died to set you free, and that includes freedom from compulsive planning.  When your mind spins with a multitude of thoughts, you cannot hear My voice.  A mind preoccupied with planning pays homage to the idol of control.  Turn from this idolatry back to Me.  Listen to Me and live abundantly!

"Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace In His Presence"

Purified By Fire

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 he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver."   Malachi 3:3

     A Christian is not to think it strange if he is called upon to suffer great trials and difficulties in this life.  For the "refiner's fire" is sent to make faith stronger and purer by its heat.  For every sanctified tear shed here in the furnace of affliction, there will be a jewel over there in the glory world (see Romans 8:18).  The rewards of Heaven will more than compensate for the "fiery trials."

     The refiner of old sat at his work, for it was of such a delicate and skilled nature that it was necessary for him to be close to his crucible so that he might intently watch the process.  Neither too little or nor too much heat must be applied.  The dross had to be removed at the precise moment when it could best be done without hurting or losing any of the precious metal.  So, too, every Christian must endure some suffering according to the will of God if the dross of sin and self is to be purged away.  These experiences are not pleasant to the flesh, but we may be assured that God loves us too much to give us a bit more pain than is actually needed.  He sits close by so that He may direct every minute detail of our spiritual cleansing.

     The alchemist of old knew when his gold was pure by the fact that he could see his image mirrored in it.  In the same manner, only when Christ is formed in us by grace, and we reflect His glory, may the furnace of affliction be left behind.

     May our prayer be,  "O refining fire, go through my life and purge it of all that would hinder a perfect reflection of my Savior!"

"Bread For Each Day"

YOU NEED ME EVERY MOMENT.....

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

YOU NEED ME EVERY MOMENT. Your awareness of your constant need for Me is your greatest strength.  Your neediness, properly handled, is a link to My Presence.  However, there are pitfalls that you must be on guard against:  self-pity, self-preoccupation, giving.up.  Your inadequacy presents you with a continual choice - deep dependence on Me, or despair.  The emptiness you feel within will be filled either with problems or with My Presence.  Make Me central in your consciousness by praying continually: simple, short prayers flowing out of the present moment.  Use My Name liberally, to remind you of My Presence. Keep on asking and you will receive, so that your gladness may be full and complete.

"Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace In His Presence"

Pharisees or Publicans?

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

"Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee and the other a publican."
                                                                             Luke 18:10

     Whether we like to admit it or not, all of us are to some degree "Pharisees."  It is interesting to note that the prayer life of an individual is quite indicative of his spiritual stature.  If we are not humble in the presence of God Himself, then there is little hope that we will exhibit humility before men.

     You remember that the Pharisee said in his prayer,  "I fast, I pray, I give tithes."  Those with humble and contrite hearts do not address God in that manner.  Recognizing their innate depravity, true saints give God first place, and put themselves in the background.

     A poor Hottnetot in South Africa visited with a Hollander who always had daily, family devotions.  On this occasion the Dutchman selected the story of the Pharisee and the publican.  The poor savage, whose heart was already awakened, looked earnestly at the reader as he intoned,  "God, I thank Thee that I am not as other men."  "No, I am not but I am worse," whispered the poor savage.  The man read on,  "I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess."  "I don't do that; I don't pray in that manner.  What shall I do?" whispered the distressed Hottentot.  Finally they came to the part of the publican who  "would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven."  "That's me!"  said the dark-skinned hearer.  "Standing afar off,"  read the other.  "That's where I am,"  said the native.  "But smote upon his breast, saying God be merciful to me a sinner."  "That's me; that's my prayer!"  cried the poor creature, and beating on his breast, he repeated the prayer,  "God be merciful to me a sinner."  Like the publican, he too went down to his own house that day a saved and happy man.

     How much of the Pharisee is still left in you and me?  How much of the publican?

"Bread For Each Day"