Newness of Life With Comfort.

  What brings you comfort?  Is there a favorite place?  It could be on a walk under the stars and moonlight or the cool morning sunrise or in the confines of home with quietness or a weekend drive listening to a favorite CD. I know a friend who says the best place in the world is in a black leather chair with a red-letter Bible.  Is there a particular meal?  Fried chicken with macaroni and cheese or meatloaf and mashed potatoes or a big pile of pasta or pancakes or a simple cup of fresh coffee may come to mind.  Are there certain people?  Friends, loved ones, close family who lighten our hearts and bring warmth to life are always welcome and treasured.  As humans there are things we crave- comfort and shelter and absence of danger. 
  The amazing truth is that God has promised to be our shelter, our peace.  His invitation to us to find rest from our weary walk in this troublesome world and peace that passes the pressure test can help us face every new day and challenge as we walk in newness of life.

   "Blessed be the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort." - 2 Corinthians 1:3

  "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." - Romans 15:4

  "Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort,
According to Your word to Your servant." - Psalm 119:76

  Wherever you find yourself today, whatever battle rages around you or circumstances surround you, however near or far from home, know that the God of all Comfort is a very present help in trouble and longs for us to trust Him completely and consistently and encourages us to also comfort each other, building each other up in our marriages and friendships and families.
   The comfort He gives to our hearts helps us to be established in every good work and every good word so that our lives can prove to be living letters of hope and grace to those around us.
  His comfort also comes in the safety of being secure in Him to live free and sheltered from all alarm. 
  In a ragged world that does not readily offer rest, the God of all creation certainly does, and peace can pervade your life if you only allow His comfort to settle over you.
   "Life can be relentless with the clamor of technology and media, with on-the-job stresses, with relationship struggles.  Where can you go to find an oasis of peace and quiet?
Near to the heart of God." - Anonymous

  God is waiting for you to call on Him.  Spend some time reading the Word of God today and let Him bring healing and comfort to your heart.

A prayer: 
LORD, You love me more than any other.  Let me find shelter in You today and know You more. I love You and pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Newness of Life With The Lights On.

   "We'll leave the light on for you." Not just a slogan for a hotel chain, this saying is a message that lets you know you are welcome and provides you some guidance in the night.  Streetlights, first introduced in America in 1757 in Philadelphia, PA, also provide a welcome and direction, as well as a level of safety.  As I stroll under these streetlights at night in the vast city I dwell in, I am thankful for how they remind me of God's illumination into the life He has for me. 
  His light provides me with so much, but sometimes I take for granted the amazing benefits He gives when I choose to spend time with Him, especially in reading and treasuring His Word. 
 
  "Your Word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path" - Psalm 119:105

  In choosing to dive into the Truth of Scripture, we are exposed to the blessings of illumination, guidance for living, and safety in His care in an increasingly dark world.
  When He says His Word is a lamp to my feet, He is showing me with a spotlight where I stand, where I am, what I am doing this very moment in time.  We need this illumination, this spotlight to help us find out if we are on the right track in life, if we are doing what we should or could in obeying His commands and trusting Him in our hearts. 
  "We would not know the way or how to walk in it if the Scripture, like a blazing torch, did not reveal it.  One of the most practical benefits of the Bible is guidance in the acts of daily life.  Scripture is not sent to astound us with its brilliance, but to guide us by its instruction.  Happy is the one who personally appropriates God's Word and practically uses it as comfort and counsel, as a lamp to the feet." - Charles Spurgeon
  As God says that His Word is a light to our paths, it is also like a flashlight showing us which way to go, guidance for living and choosing wise paths of following Him to being a devoted disciple, becoming more like Christ in our walk and talk.  And it leads to decision and determination to resolve the questions of our hearts brought upon by stressors and circumstances of life.
  As you look into the Scriptures, ask the LORD:
   Would You show me Your truth and reaffirm truth You have previously taught me?
  Would You give me natural opportunities to share this truth and Your love with someone today?
  In applying this truth, will You help me to reorient my steps toward where You would have me go and to doing what pleases You most?
 
  And with this light from Him from His Word, as we know Him more, we know His safety and can experience restfulness in our hearts to encourage us in walking in newness of life every single day.

A prayer:
  Dear Father, please help me to develop a hunger for righteousness and reading and studying the priceless gift of your revealed Word.  And please also help me to share with others what You are teaching me.  I pray in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen.
 

Newness of Life In Expectations.

  What do you expect?
  As the college football season has gotten underway, I have begun to see how expectations have been playing out on the field.  Some teams have met their exciting expectations, some have exceeded theirs, and some have proven to fall below theirs in some difficulties for one reason or another.  We will see as the season unfolds how it all will shake out, as teams' hopes are met as they show discipline, adherence to the fundamentals, continuously constant improvement, and a spirit of unity.  For many teams, it will not just be another fall, another same ole season, but one of brightness and championship caliber.
   What are you expecting?  Believe it or not, that simple question has powerful implications in each of our lives.  Are our expectations predicated on faith in God, who created us, sustains us, stirs us to good words and good works, and has us here for a reason- to know Him and make Him known?
  Realistic expectations are important in every area of our lives.  As traces of fall make their way toward us, will this be the "Fall of '13", when some things so incredibly good happened, that we never imagined at work, in our families, in marriage, and in life, instead of being just another fall?  What caliber will we say was shown in us, as we expect God's help in our reliance upon Him as He works in us and through us as the leaves begin to change and then quietly fall?

  "My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.  He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.  In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.  Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us."- Psalm 62:5-8

  Prayerful expectation is key.  As we walk in newness of life with this truth in hand, we should apply it to our lives.  Just as in Acts 1:14, "These all continued with one accord in prayer...", as the disciples prayed together, know that prayer brings unity.  Gathered together at church praying, gathered together as a family around the living room praying together, gathered together with your spouse praying, and praying together across the miles, united we are able to stand.  I believe that nothing will bring people closer to each other, to face what the world throws at us, than praying together.  And even more importantly, brings us closer to the heart of God as we hope in Him. Bring intentionality to it. Then just do it.  Regularly.  Honestly. Joyfully. 
   Even when the difficult times find us, note these sage words from Alexander MaClaren about waiting upon God in expectation:
  "That is the highest blessing we have to seek for in our waiting on God, and that is the blessing which we get as soon as we wait upon Him.  The outward deliverance may tarry, but ever there come before it, as heralds of its approach, the sense of a lightened burden and the calmness of a strengthened heart.  It may be long before the morning breaks, but even while the darkness lasts, a faint air begins to stir among the sleeping leaves, the promise of the dawn, and the first notes of half-awakened birds provide the full chorus that will hail the sunrise."
  Raise the bar on your expectations.  Spend time with God in His Word and let Him lead you to faith-filled hopefulness.

A prayer:
  Father, let us come expectantly, as Your children, to Your will and Your ways in unity.  Please heal our hearts that we may bless You and glorify Your name.  Our hope is in You alone in this life.  Thank you for Your strength and grace.  In Jesus's name we pray, amen.

Newness of Life In The Big Picture.

  What is the first movie you saw in a theater?  When was the last time you watched a flick on the big screen?  There is just something about it, and not just the popcorn with calorie-laden butter and the six dollar drink.  There's the larger than life screen that gives the different perspective view.  There are those special effects that enhance the experience.  Also,  it is almost always enjoyed with others. 
  In thinking about walking in newness of life, living with the big picture view of an eternal perspective helps.  So many times we can think it is all about us in our own little worlds, but that simply is not truly the case.  It is good to remember what on earth we are here for:  to know God and to make Him known.  When we remember and reflect upon this truth, we can begin to see that life, although incredibly hard sometimes, is bearable and even vastly fulfilling when we get the right big picture perspective that God is in control, that He is up to something good, and that He wants us to join Him in it.  Joy enters the picture as we realize that His plan is what life is really about.
  Adrian Rogers wrote, "Of all the truths that I have finally learned, I do not know of one that is more encouraging and life-changing than the marvelous and vital truth that God is alive and well in me through His Son, Jesus Christ...It may take us this lifetime and into eternity to finally understand and grasp all that this means, but I know this: God meant it to be a bright, living reality in our daily lives!  God wants to change the mundane into the momentous and drudgery into delight.  He wants to turn struggle into victory."
  Just as there are special effects in the movies on the big screen, there are even better special effects that are ours in Christ in looking at His grace, His amazing love, His holiness, His mercy beyond compare, His forgiveness, His power, His majesty, His goodness without end, and His wisdom.
  As we walk through life as His children, He lets us know that He has given us everything needed for every single step.

  "By His divine power, God had given us everything we need for living a godly life.  We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence.  And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises."- 2 Peter 1:3-4a

  Then we have the blessing of being with others we love sharing time watching a movie.  In walking through life, we can reflect on the blessings of our loved ones, and others who share faith in the LORD, and have grateful hearts that God has brought us together.  Never lose sight of the beauty of relationships in drawing close to others, and in drawing closer to the heart of God.

A prayer:
  Father in Heaven, please help me to see Tour grand design and the bigger picture in every circumstance that comes my way.  Thank you for letting me share the truth with others. I pray in the mighty name of Jesus, amen.

 

Newness of Life Identifying With Christ.

  Do you have your identification on you?  In this world you have to have it.  Paying for merchandise at the mall?  The clerk will usually ask for it.  Driving to a game or on a Sunday drive?  You better have it with you.  Looking to get an official document?  You will need it close at hand.
  Even more importantly, those who have placed their trust in Jesus, should definitely be ready to readily show their identification in what matters most in newness of life.  Early followers of Christ, under constant threat of persecution, developed a simple yet powerfully effective way of letting others know they were believers.  In writing the Greek word for "fish", the letters written out did three distinctive things:
Firstly, the letters formed an acrostic (a clever form of writing in which each letter of the word or phrase corresponds to a word or idea).  In this case, the letters indicated "Jesus Christ, God, Son, Savior.".  Each of those names and titles helped them and us to identify with who He is and the implications of belief. 
Secondly, when the word was written out, with the way the Greek letters stand  beside each other, as a curved line is drawn around them and crossed over at the end, a symbol is formed in the shape of a fish.  This was important too, in that the early followers came to know the symbol of significance without the writing of the words that could endanger them day to day in a world with the persecution of believers incredibly real.
  Thirdly, the association with the symbol of a fish and sharing the Good News of the Gospel, was evident in the LORD'S teaching that the early believers and us too should become "fishers of men."

"And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.' They immediately left their nets and followed Him." - Matthew 4:19-20

  Identifying with Christ will bring some changes, and some of them will be obviously immediate.  Peter and Andrew layed down their nets.  By the way, they and James and John (two other disciples who left their nets), were giving up essentially their livelihoods, their careers (and profitable ones, as their fishing business included hired workers).  Later, we see in history that it ultimately would cost them their very lives.  So it may be with all who follow Him - we all are called to give up some things, and actually everything.  He says that without Him we can really do nothing and that He is our all-in-all.
  We can cling to His precious promises as we walk in newness of life, even in giving up things and in being persecuted, which is also inevitable in the life of a believer (2 Timothy 3:12 - "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.").

  Make the Gospel your ongoing life-study and purposefully tell others. 

C.J. Mahaney writes, "To grow in your passion for what Jesus has done, increase your understanding of what He has done.  Never be content with your current grasp of the Gospel.  The Gospel is life-permeating, world-altering, universe-changing truth.  It has more facets than any diamond.  Its depths man will never exhaust."

  More than a great man.  More than a great teacher.  Share what He has done because:
Of His love for you.
Of your love for Him.
Of your love for others.

A prayer:
  Father, please give me courage and boldness to lay aside anything that hinders me from sharing the good news of Your Son.  Please give me natural opportunities today to do so.  I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.